New Clayton Article - Good Stuff

[Cheesebeef]

I recall something said about DG's practices being at a much faster tempo and that he didn't put up with any nonsense. And we know he tightened up access to practices.

But, as we found out, that doesn't necessarily translate to discipline on the field - in the form of fewer missed assignments, consistent execution of proper techniques and less penalties. We've all learned the hard way that, in pro football, outcome trumps style points.

yup - I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Jumped out of your seat? Really??

It has been talked about since Whiz has been hired, and either further back with some Cards fans. It shouldn't be that much of a shock.

Not out of surprise that it's going to happen, just that I can't wait to see it happen. I'm picturing myself in my seat at the stadium when I see Q go in motion, then stop in the backfield. I can just feel the entire place getting excited....

 

[Russ Smith]

Please stop posting these positive articles I was doing just fine with no expecations for success this year the last thing I need is something to get my hopes up.



I guess I'm on the fence, like others I've heard this before and I want to see something tangible, but look at what Mangini did with a weak schedule with the jets last year.

You have to change the mindset, Green kept saying that over and over that was his main goal, the problem is even he didn't buy into it he was lazy and he figured his past success would somehow guarantee success here. I don't get that impression with Whiz I think he really takes this stuff to heart, same with Grimm.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Please stop posting these positive articles I was doing just fine with no expecations for success this year the last thing I need is something to get my hopes up.



I guess I'm on the fence, like others I've heard this before and I want to see something tangible, but look at what Mangini did with a weak schedule with the jets last year.

You have to change the mindset, Green kept saying that over and over that was his main goal, the problem is even he didn't buy into it he was lazy and he figured his past success would somehow guarantee success here. I don't get that impression with Whiz I think he really takes this stuff to heart, same with Grimm.

To me the biggest difference is the coaching staff around Wiz. IMHO that will be the difference between Denny's plan and Wiz's plan. And ultimately the difference in our W- L record.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Not out of surprise that it's going to happen, just that I can't wait to see it happen. I'm picturing myself in my seat at the stadium when I see Q go in motion, then stop in the backfield. I can just feel the entire place getting excited....

I don't think most will know whats going on. Then again, I am critical of the average fan. I hear ya though. I can't wait to see some more trick plays this year.

 

[Russ Smith]

To me the biggest difference is the coaching staff around Wiz. IMHO that will be the difference between Denny's plan and Wiz's plan. And ultimately the difference in our W- L record.

Right and that's really what I meant. I was fine with hiring Green until they announced Solomon as DB coach followed a few weeks later with the Wylie demotion, and then hiring Hargrave as special assistant butt kisser. At that point I was pretty damn sure Green was mailing it in figuring he was smarter than everyone else and he didn't have to work hard to win.

I figured we hadn't done our homework, let him hire his buddies, and we'd regret it.

Whiz and Grimm are buddies but if we never hired Grimm someone else would have, anybody know where Solomon and Hargrave are working now? My guess is waiting for Green to get another HC job somewhere so they can work again. The staff under Green was largely sub par, I really think we've improved that significantly under Whiz.

I'd have been fine with Sherman too largely because I knew his reputation was about hard work and discipline and not about talking a big game and then sitting on his butt eating pie. IN the long run I think Whiz being younger probably means more energy before burnout becomes an issue.

Green was burned out already, he'd spent 2 years getting paid to do nothing by Minnesota, and to talk by ESPN, his heart wasn't in it anymore.

 

[az1965]

I can't help but think we saw the same threads about Dennis Green's practices being more disciplined or something compared to the previous coaches.

Yep... I remember those threads

I'm excited for season to begin but I will hold off gulping down the kool-aid.

 

[seesred]

I don't know why, but I'm more relaxed going into this season than in the past 19 years. Maybe we haven't had the troubling news out of camp. Like first day Kendale gone, first week Rosenbach gone, Who is going to play QB, or line or who will get cut that we like.

We have resigned so many guys that are good that I feel we can only get better. Heck most of us can name the full squad with a couple of exceptions. I ccould never do that, things changed to fast. I'm looking foward to see our STARS, Q, Fitz, Wilson, Lienart, Edge, Dansby etc. This is going to be more fun than ever. Imagine a n offensive line that isn't offensive to us fans..

GBR
40

 

[Cheesebeef]

football's on in 80 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Crazy Canuck]

I love Kraft Dinner. I always thought it funny my friends in Toronto called it that.

K-D and tuna.... yummm, yummm...

(reminds me of my university days in Montreal)

 

[Stallion]

What do you guys think about the "easiest schedule" line? It doesn't look like a cakewalk to me.

I do think we'll have much better O-line play under Whiz and Edge will have a big year.

Oh yeah!

 

[Gambit]

What do you guys think about the "easiest schedule" line? It doesn't look like a cakewalk to me.

I do think we'll have much better O-line play under Whiz and Edge will have a big year.

Oh yeah!

I agree, the schedule is much harder than the computer dealie says. The AFC North is a brutal conference (except for the Clowns, and even they should improve).

 

[CtCardinals78]

I agree, the schedule is much harder than the computer dealie says. The AFC North is a brutal conference (except for the Clowns, and even they should improve).

It is very possible this team starts 0-4. Last year before the Chicago game they lost two heartbreakers to STL and KC. If they start 0-4 this year it will be interesting to see how they respond.

Will it be the same defeatist attitude that DG fostered that we all saw in the losses to OAK and GB, or will we see a new improved attitude that will allow the team to rip off 8 wins in a row? Only time will tell. I'd hate for them to start bad but I am almost expecting 0-4 this year.

Only one thing is for certain though when I get Madden on Tuesday they are going to rip off 16 wins and go onto win the Superbowl!!!!

 

[football karma]

On the Wis vs Denny comparison:

Spent the afternoon at camp today (thursday). Light workout in shells, shorts, helmets. Some random observations:

1. Wideouts lined up two at at time in a set position. Coach had a ball and called a snap count. WRs had to explode at the movement of the ball. Coach is telling them--"concentrate, this is about fundamentals. Its about concentration. The goal is to have no false starts all season long. Concentrate."

2. Special teams then sets up in front of us-- Coach Kevin Spencer is giving instruction. They spent about 20 mins practicing "special" punt situations: Player is going to take a safety. Player not punting, but instead taking a few seconds running around to kill clock. Quick kicks and coverage. ETc. It was interesting to see actually practicing really unique situations. (They did do quite a bit of just regular punt stuff as well)

I dont recall stuff like this with Denny-- doesnt mean it didnt happen, but there does seem to be a focus on fundamentals ( and a goal of no false starts) and details (actually practicing how to snap it through the end zone if you want to take a safety).

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Darksiders - If Matt and Wiz are what we think they are....then things are going to be good (or at least noticiably getting better)

The difference between this Cardinals team and past Cardinals teams - Matt Leinart and Wiz and his staff.....

But especially Leinart.

 

[CardLogic]

What do you guys think about the "easiest schedule" line?

Here is my opinion on it:
http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1430729&postcount=12


It's bs, means nothing!

 

[WildBB]

On the Wis vs Denny comparison:

There's no comparison. Night and Day. Ask any player how it's going compared to the last few yrs. They're (coaches) working together with the players not against against them running a stalag camp.

To me the Bidwells got what they paid for (in the past), which wasn't very much. Nor did they do enough to over ride when necessary (the assistent hires). The teams eventual downfall. Pendergast was the ovbious lone exception, and he was working on an island.

 

[Russ Smith]

Here is my opinion on it:
http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1430729&postcount=12


It's bs, means nothing!

I agree that using last years records means nothing.

That said, I do think on paper our schedule isn't all that tough based on how I expect teams to look this year.

Every team in our division is basically a 6-8 win team, someone will win more than that, but Seattle isn't as good as they have been and while SF seems to have upgraded that defense with FA signings(especially the secondary) they still have a lot of holes and they still need big years from Gore and Davis if either gets injured again they're in trouble.

We could start 0-4 as someone said, we could also pretty easily go 3-1 I think Baltimore is probably the best of the 4 teams we open with. SF and Seattle are certainly tough games for us but we CAN win either or both. Pitt has a whole new staff, not just the head coach they've changed the entire staff, they're putting in a lot of new stuff I just have to assume they're going to see some struggle? The key to that franchise for so long has been consistency, that's all gone now. Really Baltimore is the one game I can say I clearly expect to lose because that defense is so good and we're in a new offense that won't be clicking when we play them.

After that the last 12 games is there one team on the schedule that you can honestly say we have no chance to win that game? Cincy and the Saints appear to be the best teams left on our schedule the rest of the way and who knows if the Saints are as good this year as last?

I think we have a pretty favorable schedule, I'm just not sure we're going to be good enough to take advantage of it with a whole new coaching staff and such turnover on the OL.

 

[football karma]

on the Wis vs Denny--

I dont put much into the "hard camp" vs "easy camp", or much like that.

Bill Walsh wrote a book about coaching. In it he covered that when he took over the 49ers when they were horrific, and had been for some time.

He noted the problem was that the goals and success (i.e. winning games) were far too broadly defined to be actionable by the members of a football team; winning was dependent on 22 guys each performing their specific task with reliable regularity.

He spent his time focusing on and measuring dozens of fundamental things -- and success was if they met those goals or not, rather than totally on the final score.

In doing so, he produced a fundamentaly sound team that may have been beaten physcially, but didnt beat itself. (It also helped that he drafted Jerry Rice, Joe Montana and Roger Craig during his stay).

My long worded point is that at least yesterday, I saw first hand a coaching staff that spent the first third of a two hour practice working on things like staying set before the ball is snapped, sharp breaks on WR's cut and the like.

I am tired of constantly walking out of the stadium watching the team go toe to toe physically with a playoff team (KC and Chicago for example) and yet lose because they do stupid stuff. This attention to detail makes me hopeful that those walks will become far less common.

 

[CardLogic]

I agree that using last years records means nothing.

That said, I do think on paper our schedule isn't all that tough based on how I expect teams to look this year.


I think we have a pretty favorable schedule, I'm just not sure we're going to be good enough to take advantage of it with a whole new coaching staff and such turnover on the OL.

Agreed. A reasonable post as usual!

 

[CardLogic]

I'm with you fuego! It's never as bad losing to a team that is simply better. But the losses due to "tripping over your own feet" and "beating yourself" are tough to take.

I really hope that with this new staff, we will see much less of that. But I realize also that them being new, it may take a few games to settle in.

Right now the win I want the most is the first game vs. San Francisco!!
Division rival, lot of talk and hype coming from the Bay area... I really hope the Cardinals lay a whoopin' on them! I want to see the Cardinals team from last years MNF game...


without the letdown at the end!

 

[Totally_Red]

No matter how good the assistant coaches are, no matter how hard they and the players work, it largely boils down to injuries, especially on a team like the Cardinals where there is such a huge dropoff in talent in certain areas and an absolute lack of depth in others. To be successful THIS season means almost totally escaping the injury bug.

In addition, is anybody really optimistic about the cornerbacks stepping up and turning into pro-bowlers overnight. Is the o-line really all that. And is there even an average blocker at the critical tight end position, an urgent need in the Whis offense.

OTOH, Whis is doing a commendable of job of building team spirit and coaching up this squad. He's on the right track in looking to reduce the assinine and frequent penalties of previous seasons: the crucial drive-killing O-line penalties in the red zone, the cornerbacks penchant for personal fouls and P.I.'s and most critically, the total lack of a ground game.

Everybody in the division thinks they have improved. IMO, this season is a stepping stone, get to 500, draft well, do a better job of managing the salary cap in the offseason, resign/extend Dansby and possibly Johnson, and reload for 2008.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

In addition, is anybody really optimistic about the cornerbacks stepping up and turning into pro-bowlers overnight. Is the o-line really all that. And is there even an average blocker at the critical tight end position, an urgent need in the Whis offense.

I too am very concerned about the CBs .. we lack depth and the starters are nothing to get excited about ... don't get me started on the Oline ...

OTOH, Whis is doing a commendable of job of building team spirit and coaching up this squad. He's on the right track in looking to reduce the assinine and frequent penalties of previous seasons: the crucial drive-killing O-line penalties in the red zone, the cornerbacks penchant for personal fouls and P.I.'s and most critically, the total lack of a ground game.

These details really killed us over the last years .. team discipline will be a huge addition to the team .. it was so hard to watch the team battle back to get into a game just to watch them self destruct ... a well disciplined team will have less penalties and will be able to fulfill the game plan better ...

 

[WildBB]

Everybody in the division thinks they have improved. IMO, this season is a stepping stone

I think that the players and coaches, down to management think this season is much more than a stepping stone. With no clear force in this division, it's truely up for grabs. You might wind up seeing the Cards and 9ers on top at the end.

Alot will depend on staying healthy of course. If that happens and they play within themselves and not beat themselves, I feel we'll be there.