New Article "Going Deep" on front page

[MadCardDisease]

I've posted my latest article "Going Deep" which discusses the Cardinals passing attack.

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/storypage.php?Story_ID=229&Category=cardinals

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts!

 

[Renz]

Good stuff. It seems that Jones has been lost amid all the discussion surrounding the WR position. Freddie can open up the running game and help take the pressure off of the young WR's. If the Cards use him like they should he can have a big year.

 

[jw7]

Thanks for the article. I'm glad you put up the numbers on Todd Heap. I asked the question about Blake and TE's a couple of months ago.

Not using Freddie Jones last year was one of the most frustrating things of the season!

 

[Metal Militia]

Great article. I thank you for all of the numbers regarding Heap/Jones/Blake.

I really like the fact that he throws to the TE.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I've read some comments that Freddie had some receiver help when he had his best years. Let's take a look at the top RB's and WR's Freddie played with during his best seasons of 1999 and 2000:

In 1999:

TE
Freddie Jones had 670 receiving yards and 2 TDs

WR
Jeff Graham had 968 receiving yards and 2 TDs
Mikhael Ricks had 429 receiving yards

RB
Jermaine Fazande had 365 rushing yards
Kenny Bynum had 287 rushing yards
Terrell Fletcher had 126 rushing yards
Natron Means had 277 rushing yards


In 2000:

TE
Freddie Jones had 766 receiving yards

WR
Jeff Graham had 907 receiving yards
Curtis Conway had 700 receiving yards

RB
Terrell Fletcher had 384 rushing yards
Jermaine Fazande had 368 rushing yards


Looking at these stats it's clear that Jones did have some help at the WR postion. That is if you consider Jeff Graham help. To me Graham was nothing more than an average WR. Curtis Conway was never healthy and hardly was on the field in 2000.

The most glaring stat was the Charger Running game. Not a single back cracked 400 yards rushing in both seasons. That meant opposing teams could drop a ton of guys back into coverage.

 

[azsports]

Good stuff.

 

[SECTION 11]

Great article MadCard.
Hopefully Freddie isn't left waving his arms four times a game this season.

 

[Russ Smith]

Originally posted by MadCardDisease
I've posted my latest article "Going Deep" which discusses the Cardinals passing attack.

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/storypage.php?Story_ID=229&Category=cardinals

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts!

My nitpick, Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott were not unknowns before Blake arrived. Yes they clearly got better WITH Blake but both were young guys coming into their prime.

Pickens was one of the best 2 way players in recent college football history Tennessee started using him as a DB late in games and they were really one of the first "big" schools to do that. NOw it seems everyone has a Woodson or Bailey that they play both ways(seems to be more DB's playing WR). Pickens was an All American, he was a 2nd rounder because of some other questions as I recall.

Scott I think was also a 2nd rounder and again one of the best WR's in San Diego State history and they had a lot of good ones over the years(Coryell coached there).

Not denying that Blake made them both better because of his ability to throw deep, that is totally true. I just think it's misleading to say they were unknown and even Blake has said that recently which seems a stretch to me. BUt as I said last week I DO like his confidence to say things like that it doesn't appear HE is worried about our WR situation.

 

[NYCARD]

McGee

Has had some pretty big season with Blake at QB as well....
I only know this because I was a fantasy geek and I had him for several years on my team..

 

[Goldfield]

Re: Re: New Article "Going Deep" on front page

Originally posted by Russ Smith
My nitpick, Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott were not unknowns before Blake arrived. Yes they clearly got better WITH Blake but both were young guys coming into their prime.

Pickens was one of the best 2 way players in recent college football history Tennessee started using him as a DB late in games and they were really one of the first "big" schools to do that. NOw it seems everyone has a Woodson or Bailey that they play both ways(seems to be more DB's playing WR). Pickens was an All American, he was a 2nd rounder because of some other questions as I recall.

Scott I think was also a 2nd rounder and again one of the best WR's in San Diego State history and they had a lot of good ones over the years(Coryell coached there).

Not denying that Blake made them both better because of his ability to throw deep, that is totally true. I just think it's misleading to say they were unknown and even Blake has said that recently which seems a stretch to me. BUt as I said last week I DO like his confidence to say things like that it doesn't appear HE is worried about our WR situation.

Would that compair to our WR's?

We have to rookie WR's that were rescent First and Second round draft picks... Are they No name guys or are they both "young guys coming into their prime"...?

You said Pickens and Scott were both second rounders, so our situation cant be all that bad then can it...?

 

[Russ Smith]

Re: Re: Re: New Article "Going Deep" on front page

Originally posted by BEERZ
Would that compair to our WR's?

We have to rookie WR's that were rescent First and Second round draft picks... Are they No name guys or are they both "young guys coming into their prime"...?

You said Pickens and Scott were both second rounders, so our situation cant be all that bad then can it...?

If they pan out. Not all 2nd round WR's do of course(not all 1st rounders do). I guess what I was saying is it was no surprise to anybody who followed college football that Darnay Scott and Carl Pickens had good NFL careers they were GREAT college players.

Now JJ Stokes was just as good and didn't have the same NFL career, and Joe Horn used to work in a warehouse and now he's a pro bowler.

While I'm at it there's a MUCH larger mistake in the article where it says that 40% of Blake's passing yards last year went to Heap.
It was actually only about 25%.

Blake didn't play in a game until week 8, Heap had 254 yards receiving BEFORE Blake became the QB, including his best game of the season, 5 catches 84 yards and 2 TD's against Denver in week 3. Blake started 10 games and Heap averaged 58.2 yards per game with Blake, in the games Redman started he averaged only 42.3. Some of that may be a young TE adjusting to the NFL but mainly I suspect the difference is Blake is better than Redman.

I completely agree with the premise of the article, Jones should be a much better player with Blake as the QB than with Jake. The primary reasons are Blake sees the field better, and because Blake is so good deep, safeties have to respect that which opens the middle more for a good TE.

If Blake were 4-5 years younger I'd be even happier but he was the best FA fit out there for us and I'm sure glad we got him and not Kordell.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Re: Re: Re: Re: New Article "Going Deep" on front page

Originally posted by Russ Smith
While I'm at it there's a MUCH larger mistake in the article where it says that 40% of Blake's passing yards last year went to Heap. It was actually only about 25%.

Blake didn't play in a game until week 8, Heap had 254 yards receiving BEFORE Blake became the QB, including his best game of the season, 5 catches 84 yards and 2 TD's against Denver in week 3. Blake started 10 games and Heap averaged 58.2 yards per game with Blake, in the games Redman started he averaged only 42.3. Some of that may be a young TE adjusting to the NFL but mainly I suspect the difference is Blake is better than Redman.

I completely agree with the premise of the article, Jones should be a much better player with Blake as the QB than with Jake. The primary reasons are Blake sees the field better, and because Blake is so good deep, safeties have to respect that which opens the middle more for a good TE.

If Blake were 4-5 years younger I'd be even happier but he was the best FA fit out there for us and I'm sure glad we got him and not Kordell.

Yeah I caught that after I put up the article. However looking at the Stats from Heap you will see a considerable Jump in yards from when Blake took over on week 8.

Heap averaged 42 Yards per game with Redman at the helm. Heap averaged 58 Yards per game when Blake took over. Therefore it is possible that if Blake was the QB for the entire season Heap might have come close to braking the 1000 yard Mark.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: New Article "Going Deep" on front page

Originally posted by MadCardDisease
Yeah I caught that after I put up the article. However looking at the Stats from Heap you will see a considerable Jump in yards from when Blake took over on week 8.

Heap averaged 42 Yards per game with Redman at the helm. Heap averaged 58 Yards per game when Blake took over. Therefore it is possible that if Blake was the QB for the entire season Heap might have come close to braking the 1000 yard Mark.

Oops I guess I should have read your entire reply before responding.

At least our math checks out!

 

[Russ Smith]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: New Article "Going Deep" on front page

Originally posted by MadCardDisease
Yeah I caught that after I put up the article. However looking at the Stats from Heap you will see a considerable Jump in yards from when Blake took over on week 8.

Heap averaged 42 Yards per game with Redman at the helm. Heap averaged 58 Yards per game when Blake took over. Therefore it is possible that if Blake was the QB for the entire season Heap might have come close to braking the 1000 yard Mark.

Precisely I put the same numbers(42 and 58) in my reply to illustrate that your point was dead on even if the 40% comment was a mistake.

Blake had a huge impact on the Ravens passing attack with respect to Taylor and Heap. If you think about it he made their 2 best receivers MUCH better and that's precisely what you want a QB to do. By all means make the role players better as well(and Blake does) but when you have really good players by all means THROW THEM THE DAMN BALL (-: Jake tried to do this with Boston but he never figured out how much Jones could help HIM if he just looked for him more often.

Too bad Blake won't get to play with Boston but I expect he'll have a big impact on Jones and I think he's going to help McAddley, Johnson, Boldin and company as well.

I have to admit I'm excited, maybe it's just the change after 6 years of Jake, but I'm really looking forward to watching the new offense work.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: New Article "Going Deep" on front page

Originally posted by Russ Smith


I have to admit I'm excited, maybe it's just the change after 6 years of Jake, but I'm really looking forward to watching the new offense work.

That sums up how I feel Russ.

Anything is better than watching some of the incredibly stupid interceptions that Plummer would throw.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: New Article "Going Deep" on front page

Originally posted by Russ Smith
Precisely I put the same numbers(42 and 58) in my reply to illustrate that your point was dead on even if the 40% comment was a mistake.

Blake had a huge impact on the Ravens passing attack with respect to Taylor and Heap. If you think about it he made their 2 best receivers MUCH better and that's precisely what you want a QB to do. By all means make the role players better as well(and Blake does) but when you have really good players by all means THROW THEM THE DAMN BALL (-: Jake tried to do this with Boston but he never figured out how much Jones could help HIM if he just looked for him more often.

Too bad Blake won't get to play with Boston but I expect he'll have a big impact on Jones and I think he's going to help McAddley, Johnson, Boldin and company as well.

I have to admit I'm excited, maybe it's just the change after 6 years of Jake, but I'm really looking forward to watching the new offense work.

Well if you factor in the two other TEs on the Ravens that Blake threw the ball too he has a total of 712 passing yards to TEs. Thus he threw about 35% of his balls to TEs. Which is over a third of his balls!

I agree with everything you have said. Blake has great field visions and his deep ball opens up the middle for his TE. I expect great numbers from Jones this year.

 

[BuckeyeCardinal]

Nice

Great article MCD.

Guys that come on here and say that Blake sucked with the Bengals are really full of $hit.

I lived in Cincy and you're correct about making good receivers out of average ones.

when I lived in Cincy it was never about how much Blake sucked.....hopefully we will never discuss that topic.

 

[Shane]

Re: Nice

Originally posted by BuckeyeCardinal
Great article MCD.

Guys that come on here and say that Blake sucked with the Bengals are really full of $hit.

Anyone that says that is a complete moron and has never watched him play. Blake has been a good NFL QB his whole career!

 

[Krangodnzr]

I am ashamed to say this....but this thread has the dirtiest name in the history of this board.