I’ve come away from games with a wide variety of feelings. After the Bears game; however, I find myself both confused and worried. Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay that they lost.
I’m confused because I thought I was watching a preseason game. The Cards seemed to be experimenting with odd calls at odd times. They inexplicably went for 2 again, which has become some sort of odds defying strategy. They continue to play nearly useless players. I warned at draft time that Pappoe was a fine athlete who had no concept of how the game is played. He can’t tackle. He rushes up to engage OLs rather than letting the play come to him. This results in his not filling a gap and allowing his opponent to race through that gap. CB Thomas couldn’t cover a statue. Somehow Wilkinson is starting again. Moore gets less from his prodigious talent than almost any receiver I’ve ever seen. He flashes greatness, but achieves mediocrity. Cameron Thomas has oddly regressed this season. WR Wilson gets virtually no separation, yet plays ahead of Dortch, who continues to make plays with the few chances he’s given. When trailing and short on time, it often seemed they called plays designed to burn the clock. The only way to resolve my confusion is to conclude I was right all along. I’ve been maintaining Monti was aiming for a terrible record. It now seems the Cards have abandoned all subtlety. The coaching staff appears to have joined the party.
Now comes the worried part. If Murray is going to QB this team he needs to do some soul searching. It’s true he has few weapons. However, he’s got to get himself under control. When the opposing QB, whose job is in jeopardy, shows more poise than you do, you’re not getting the job done. He should watch this game tape several times, comparing the poise he displays to what Fields does. Fields has limitations and may well be replaced. However, he’s learned to use the chaos of the rush, not fight it. I’m not saying Murray panics, he just doesn’t have the right mindset. He doesn’t visualize what’s going. He fights it rather than using it. He just doesn’t get it at this point.
I think he’s been back from injury long enough to administer some tough love. Either his ego can take it or he’s not the guy. I’m not saying scream at him or threaten him. I’m saying he needs to watch film on a better way of coping with pressure and start to improve his game. Can he accept he has things to learn and apply what he sees? We all know what happens if you ignore adjusting to issues and simply hope for improvement. He has to start maximizing his talent.
Warning of coming attractions? I’m soon going to post a series of articles dissecting how to rebuild the team. I started to put it in one post(too long) but I came to believe I’d rather get us involved in an in depth analysis of the project. It’s going to be a mammoth undertaking as I think this may be the weakest roster since they moved to AZ. I’d like to urge tolerance of divergent views. This is so complex, all options should be on the table. By taking it a piece at a time, everyone can get their say. If, after it wraps up, I’ve missed an area of concern please advance it. I know it’s tough to compartmentalize but I think we’ll do better if we try to stay with the area of focus. I know they interrelate, but otherwise we’ll be all over the place. Again let’s try to give everyone a fair hearing. Please stay away from personal attacks and present reasons opposing positions.
