Nfl wildcard round weekend-Arizona Cardinals @ LA Rams Pre Game Thread. 1/10/22 - 1/16/22

[SoonerLou]

I just re-watched the week 14 game and despite the loss, I’m more convinced than ever that we are winning this game.

A couple of observations first:

1. To state the obvious, Aaron Donald is a good football player. Max Garcia and Sean Harlow should press charges for the way they were manhandled and violated by 99 (Garcia even more so than Harlow).

I think Donald had 15 qb pressures by himself while the cards entire defensive had 12 as a team…Which leads me to my next observation.

2. Stafford was touched only twice in this game and only taken to the ground twice. He didn’t hit the grass until there was only 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Man was he comfortable this game!

The Rams got everything they wanted offensively. Chunk plays, 3rd down conversions for days, touchdown red zone efficiency. Everything went right for them on a night when so much went wrong for us, and yet they only won by 7.

All that to say as ironic as it sounds I’m thrilled! The law of averages says Stafford is not going to have his best game of the year again. And the law of averages says some of the weird things that happened for us like the crazy INTs won’t happen again either.

By my estimation we left about 17 points on the field and yet loss by a single score.

Again, the tipped INT in the end zone was a bit lucky IMO. That’s 7 points right there (which if we go up 10-0 there I’m pretty sure it’s an entirely different game)

Then later in the red zone on fourth down Hopkins drops his first pass of the year (again, talk about weird) that would have given us 1st and goal at about the 5 yard line. That’s 3-7 more points left on the field.

Then in the fourth quarter on fourth & 1, instead of kicking a field goal we run James Conner up the middle and unfortunately we doesn’t convert it. That’s 3 more points there.

I don’t know why I’m just feeling really good about this game.

Side note, I hope Kyler does some damage with his legs. Bickley wrote a good piece today on this subject. He notes that in 46 NFL games, Kyler has rushed at least 10 times in 10 of those 46 games. Our record in those games is 9-1. (The one loss being 35-32 against Miami where Kyler still played great with a qb rating of 150. This was the one where Zane missed a pretty easy kick).

The wait til Monday feels like an eternity.

Im with you, but the only drawback is we had Hopkins getting special attention and they didnt have Ramsey.

Agree about Kyler running. Didnt want him to do so earlier in the year because we didnt need to with a top flight passing attack. Now its needed. He also needs to say screw progressions and just take off up the middle of the defense (assuming there is a lane) just to keep the pass rush honest.

If we can get them on their heels and winded then they will start to play undisciplined. They'll be without Ernest Jones who was showing signs of elite closing speed and Fuller seemed to be the unsung "leader" on the defense.

We just REALLY NEED AJ Green to keep playing as well as he has against them. Its critical.

 

[Krangodnzr]

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Low key, I hate Jalen Ramsey. He is a major douche bag

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Man... Rondale really fell off a cliff after the first five games of the season where he was a major difference maker. 3 of the first 5 games, over 60 yards. Last 12 games only 1 game over 25 yards.

This is another example where KK can learn and be better. Learn from other coaches. To me, there is no reason that Rondale can't either be used in a Kupp type or role, or a Deebo type of role. Rondale's body type is closer to Cooper, but he needs to get tougher. If nothing else, he needs to scheme at least a few passes that are further than 5 yards from the line of scrimmage.

 

[BritCard]

The question is, what is the game plan to stop 99. Coaches gotta do something different then what they did in week 14.

I'd start with what they did in Game 1.

 

[BritCard]

@BritCard & I are probably the only ones that are lowkey happy we didn’t secure a home game.

Not even lowkey. I'm outright delighted.

 

[BritCard]

I hope we don’t go out there & just go bombs away like we did week 4. I don’t expect that to happen, especially without Hopkins.

If we’re not in a goalline situation, Chase & Rondale should be getting a lot of carries with Kirk in motion a lot. Intermediate is our friend big time in this matchup. Whoever Ramsey isn’t guarding(definitely not gonna be Wesley & Ertz), use them a lot. Kyler has to trust Wesley against their other weak DBs. Rookie Ernest Jones gave us fits with his speed. He’s on IR now. The middle of the field has to be utilized with a lot of motion + PA.

This is the smart way.

But also I'm thinking just run Kirk and Moore at old man Weddle all day and burn them deep.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Sort of sucks being a Rams fan at the QB position, like Goff, Stafford really sucks when under pressure and at his age he's not going to get any better. So Vance Joseph, the solution is simple to me. Double Kupp and send the freaking house at this deer in the headlights... you know, like that Dallas game we won blitzing

This

But VJ will play a soft zone and have no pressure on the QB letting him get his confidence

Single cover Kupp when everyone in the stadium knows they are throwing the ball to

We've seen it over and over

 

[kerouac9]

This is another example where KK can learn and be better. Learn from other coaches. To me, there is no reason that Rondale can't either be used in a Kupp type or role, or a Deebo type of role. Rondale's body type is closer to Cooper, but he needs to get tougher. If nothing else, he needs to scheme at least a few passes that are further than 5 yards from the line of scrimmage.

Kliff and the team have so much more info on Moore than we do. I no longer really believe that coaches just never think “what if we sent Rondale on a go route?”

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Kliff Kingsbury expects the best game of Kyler Murray’s career​

Some players rise to the occasion in their postseason debuts and others falter under the increased pressure that comes with playing in the spotlight, but Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury isn’t worrying about quarterback Kyler Murray falling into the latter category.

Kingsbury told reporters that he believes Murray has been building toward this moment throughout his entire career and that he will come up with something special when he takes the field in Los Angeles on Monday night.

“I think this is what he’s been waiting for for three years,” Kingsbury said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “He’s a guy who wants to be playing for something and knows he’s playing for something. This is his first shot at the playoffs, and I expect him to probably play the best game of his career. I know he’s going to give it everything he’s got.”

Murray’s strong record in big games in high school and college helped him rise to the Heisman Trophy and first overall pick of the NFL draft. Adding to it on Monday night would be a welcome start to his NFL postseason career.

 

[pemory09]

This

But VJ will play a soft zone and have no pressure on the QB letting him get his confidence

Single cover Kupp when everyone in the stadium knows they are throwing the ball to

We've seen it over and over

Sad, but likely. Here’s hoping he’s so distracted by his possible next head coaching chance that forgets his usual tendencies….

 

[Stout]

Kliff Kingsbury expects the best game of Kyler Murray’s career​

Some players rise to the occasion in their postseason debuts and others falter under the increased pressure that comes with playing in the spotlight, but Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury isn’t worrying about quarterback Kyler Murray falling into the latter category.

Kingsbury told reporters that he believes Murray has been building toward this moment throughout his entire career and that he will come up with something special when he takes the field in Los Angeles on Monday night.

“I think this is what he’s been waiting for for three years,” Kingsbury said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “He’s a guy who wants to be playing for something and knows he’s playing for something. This is his first shot at the playoffs, and I expect him to probably play the best game of his career. I know he’s going to give it everything he’s got.”

Murray’s strong record in big games in high school and college helped him rise to the Heisman Trophy and first overall pick of the NFL draft. Adding to it on Monday night would be a welcome start to his NFL postseason career.

Yeah, this is damning. You've HAD the game you've been waiting for for TWO years, KK and KM! You just kept losing them over and over again. Sheesh.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Yeah, this is damning. You've HAD the game you've been waiting for for TWO years, KK and KM! You just kept losing them over and over again. Sheesh.

This

How are we supposed to think they can just use a switch and everything is okay?

 

[QuebecCard]

The tournament starts this weekend.

And except for the two teams with a bye, they all face one and done.

Whether we were the west champs or not, I wouldn't be any more or less nervous about the outcome.

And truth be known, support for Keim, KK, VJ and even Kyler is a week-to-week proposition at best for some.

 

[MrYeahBut]

I'm making no comparison but age here... I have a grandson roughly Kyler's age who does some pretty stupid crap too....lol

 

[Russ Smith]

This is more a sarcasm thing but I read the Rams actually signed Weddle to their Practice squad with the intent of activating him for the game, is there any rule against the Cards signing him off their practice squad?

Again not saying we should we'd have to create a spot for him just wondering with all the rules the NFL has do they have a rule preventing one team from poaching players from the other right before they play in the playoffs.

 

[JosiahLee]

Im with you, but the only drawback is we had Hopkins getting special attention and they didnt have Ramsey.

Agree about Kyler running. Didnt want him to do so earlier in the year because we didnt need to with a top flight passing attack. Now its needed. He also needs to say screw progressions and just take off up the middle of the defense (assuming there is a lane) just to keep the pass rush honest.

If we can get them on their heels and winded then they will start to play undisciplined. They'll be without Ernest Jones who was showing signs of elite closing speed and Fuller seemed to be the unsung "leader" on the defense.

We just REALLY NEED AJ Green to keep playing as well as he has against them. Its critical.

Oh I didn't know Ernest Jones isn't going to be available. He had the end zone pick and made some nice plays in week 14.

 

[DVontel]

Yeah, this is damning. You've HAD the game you've been waiting for for TWO years, KK and KM! You just kept losing them over and over again. Sheesh.

Luckily for them & us, those weren’t playoff games.

 

[slanidrac16]

The tournament starts this weekend.

And except for the two teams with a bye, they all face one and done.

Whether we were the west champs or not, I wouldn't be any more or less nervous about the outcome.

And truth be known, support for Keim, KK, VJ and even Kyler is a week-to-week proposition at best for some.

A true common sense post!

 

[BritCard]

Arm looks full on bionic

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[Bkbobo]

This is more a sarcasm thing but I read the Rams actually signed Weddle to their Practice squad with the intent of activating him for the game, is there any rule against the Cards signing him off their practice squad?

Again not saying we should we'd have to create a spot for him just wondering with all the rules the NFL has do they have a rule preventing one team from poaching players from the other right before they play in the playoffs.

I would think we could sign him, if they didn't protect him. That would be next level thinking.

 

[Russ Smith]

Arm looks full on bionic

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When he first got hurt he should have filmed that saying "I'll be back."

 

[Russ Smith]

I would think we could sign him, if they didn't protect him. That would be next level thinking.

Sign him on Thurs, then cut him Monday after the game!

I think teams have to declare playoff rosters so I doubt it's legal

 

[Dr. Jones]

He just needs the Thanos glove.

 

[Dr. Jones]

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[Dr. Jones]

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