Okay, Calm Down

[Harry]

With apologies to Gertrude Stein, a win is a win is a win.

Sadly I didn’t get my article in quickly enough so it could be posted prior to the game, but I warned in there that the Cards intended to hold out much of their playbook until the Seattle game. Sadly, they let this one get away from them to the extent that they had to unveil some of the toss and cutback plays. Still, you ain’t seen nothing yet, as the saying goes. There’s a great deal more to come.

On defense the Cards played it almost like a preseason game. There were virtually no blitzes or stunting. They have several packages and held them back. You’ll see them at Seattle with or without Dansby.

On offense, they had to open the book a little, but they still have several more wrinkles to show, especially with regard to Edge.

The Cards played this game close to the vest and almost played it too close. Seattle will be much better in game two and you’ll notice that they didn’t waste anytime fixing their biggest deficiency by acquiring Branch. I wish the Cards had been as aggressive with the O-line. I still can’t see the Cards winning up there, but I think you will see a much broader game plan on both sides of the ball.

I can’t argue that in many respects this was a bad game. The O-line was scary at times. The front 4 on defense couldn’t penetrate a reconstructed line even when it was 40% second-string. The Cards will bring out the dogs as they know they must pressure Hasselbeck to win. If they can’t do better than the Niners game, they will get blown out. I don't think that happens, but I see one very tough game ahead.

 

[BigRedArk]

With apologies to Gertrude Stein, a win is a win is a win.

Sadly I didn’t get my article in quickly enough so it could be posted prior to the game, but I warned in there that the Cards intended to hold out much of their playbook until the Seattle game. Sadly, they let this one get away from them to the extent that they had to unveil some of the toss and cutback plays. Still, you ain’t seen nothing yet, as the saying goes. There’s a great deal more to come.
On defense the Cards played it almost like a preseason game. There were virtually no blitzes or stunting. They have several packages and held them back. You’ll see them at Seattle with or without Dansby.

On offense, they had to open the book a little, but they still have several more wrinkles to show, especially with regard to Edge.

The Cards played this game close to the vest and almost played it too close. Seattle will be much better in game two and you’ll notice that they didn’t waste anytime fixing their biggest deficiency by acquiring Branch. I wish the Cards had been as aggressive with the O-line. I still can’t see the Cards winning up there, but I think you will see a much broader game plan on both sides of the ball.

I can’t argue that in many respects this was a bad game. The O-line was scary at times. The front 4 on defense couldn’t penetrate a reconstructed line even when it was 40% second-string. The Cards will bring out the dogs as they know they must pressure Hasselbeck to win. If they can’t do better than the Niners game, they will get blown out. I don't think that happens, but I see one very tough game ahead.

I hope there is more indeed to come from the Cards Offensive braintrust Harry. Does anyone remember that fleaflicker we ran at St Louis in the first game Green coached in? The Halfback turned around and tossed it back to Josh and he hit Fitz wide open for a big gain. In fact I think it was the first play of that game. It was a sweet play. Haven't seen it since. A little trickeration might be in order to beat them up there in Seattle this week?

 

[ChandlerCard]

There is no way that our defense has regressed from last year. The Lions held Seattle to 3 field goals. We won't get blown out, and Denny will have them fired up for sure. Can we eliminate the mistakes and win?

 

[Cheesebeef]

There is no way that our defense has regressed from last year. The Lions held Seattle to 3 field goals. We won't get blown out, and Denny will have them fired up for sure. Can we eliminate the mistakes and win?

your kidding right? We just made the most inept offensive team last year look like world beaters in their first game on the road - 400 yards and 27 points to the Niners - when last year we gave u[ 14 and 10 points? To say the D hasn't regressed is laughable at this point.

I expect a blowout next week followed by a close W versus the Lambs. Seattle just took care of a MAJOR need getting Deion Branch and if the Niners were able to run on us with their weak-ass line and 2nd stringers, Alexander will do what he walways does against us - 150 and 3 TDs.

 

[Evil Ash]

your kidding right? We just made the most inept offensive team last year look like world beaters in their first game on the road - 400 yards and 27 points to the Niners - when last year we gave u[ 14 and 10 points? To say the D hasn't regressed is laughable at this point.

I expect a blowout next week followed by a close W versus the Lambs. Seattle just took care of a MAJOR need getting Deion Branch and if the Niners were able to run on us with their weak-ass line and 2nd stringers, Alexander will do what he walways does against us - 150 and 3 TDs.

The defense gave up 20 pts, you have to forgive them for when Warner gives them the ball at the 5 yard line.

The rest of it is people expecting the exact same thing that we did in week 1, which isn't always the best gauge of what is going to happen in the next. Do you think we will commit the same stupid penalties, miss the same tackles, and stay undisciplined now that they have film being broken down on their mistakes? Hard to believe that we'd do all the same mistakes the next week and thats not to mention the fact that they'll have a better gameplan since they actually have game film to go over.

Is it a possibility that this team gets smoked? Absolutely but thats not based on what happened in week 1 because if were to do that we'd have to mention the struggles of the Seahawks against a bad Lions team. However many people seem to ignore that part

 

[Redsz]

Yes, we made them look like world beaters because we ran no stunts or blitzes. Harry wasn't the only one to pick this up. Chopper had some great observations here:

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=77889

AW playing so much cover 2 doesn't exactly strike me as throwing the kitchen sink at them.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The defense gave up 20 pts, you have to forgive them for when Warner gives them the ball at the 5 yard line.

400 yards is 400 yards - it's pathetic, as was the lack of pressure all game long as was the ole defense once Warner turned the ball over at the 5 - period.

The rest of it is people expecting the exact same thing that we did in week 1, which isn't always the best gauge of what is going to happen in the next. Do you think we will commit the same stupid penalties, miss the same tackles, and stay undisciplined now that they have film being broken down on their mistakes? Hard to believe that we'd do all the same mistakes the next week and thats not to mention the fact that they'll have a better gameplan since they actually have game film to go over.

why is it hard to believe we'll make the same mistakes next week as we did this past week? They were same mistakes we saw ALL of last season - stupid penalities, missed tackles, poor special teams play, poor O-line run-blocking. My question to you is - against a better team - and ON THE ROAD - where we habitually stink - why is all of that going to magically change?

Is it a possibility that this team gets smoked? Absolutely but thats not based on what happened in week 1 because if were to do that we'd have to mention the struggles of the Seahawks against a bad Lions team. However many people seem to ignore that part

nothing is just based on week 1 - it's based on not seeing many changes in key areas that killed us last year fully on display again in week one against an awful opponent. Did Seattle struggle against the Lions? Yeah - but they still won the game ON THE ROAD and now added a stud WR to their core of WR, not to mention they get to face a team that can't stop the run and has yet to prove they can play on the road - all of the above spells disaster. I hope I'm wrong, but I chalk up the Hawks close win to nothing more than first week NFL weirdness that we always see, whereas with us, I just saw a lot of what we've seen before - and that worries me.

Although I have to say, if given time, Warner and these WRs could be frightening - christ, if they could just be MEDIOCRE running the football, this offense would be unstoppable because there's no way in hell anyone but a strud RB could have gotten 73 yards behind that train-wreck yesterday. If the o-line has pulse, Edge will bring them life - I'm a firm believer in that having watched him fight and run yesterday.

 

[Codeofhammurabi]

your kidding right? We just made the most inept offensive team last year look like world beaters in their first game on the road - 400 yards and 27 points to the Niners - when last year we gave u[ 14 and 10 points? To say the D hasn't regressed is laughable at this point.

I expect a blowout next week followed by a close W versus the Lambs. Seattle just took care of a MAJOR need getting Deion Branch and if the Niners were able to run on us with their weak-ass line and 2nd stringers, Alexander will do what he walways does against us - 150 and 3 TDs.

With that logic the Seahawks can't be feeling much better. They scored three field goals against the Detroit Lions. We will give them a game.

 

[vinnymac]

what concerns me about the defense is the tackling. that was the worst tackling performances that i have seen in a long time. the cardinals defense had frank gore stopped at the 3 yard line and he bulled in way in the endzone. that is pathetic. that should have never happened. if the cardinals want to compete with the seahawks they are going to have to start tackling better. the defensive line has to stop getting push around in the trenches and start getting pessure on the qb. that is why the 49ers were able to come back.

the good new is that i still won 50 dollars off my older brother. that is always sweet.

 

[Evil Ash]

400 yards is 400 yards - it's pathetic, as was the lack of pressure all game long as was the ole defense once Warner turned the ball over at the 5 - period.



why is it hard to believe we'll make the same mistakes next week as we did this past week? They were same mistakes we saw ALL of last season - stupid penalities, missed tackles, poor special teams play, poor O-line run-blocking. My question to you is - against a better team - and ON THE ROAD - where we habitually stink - why is all of that going to magically change?



nothing is just based on week 1 - it's based on not seeing many changes in key areas that killed us last year fully on display again in week one against an awful opponent. Did Seattle struggle against the Lions? Yeah - but they still won the game ON THE ROAD and now added a stud WR to their core of WR, not to mention they get to face a team that can't stop the run and has yet to prove they can play on the road - all of the above spells disaster. I hope I'm wrong, but I chalk up the Hawks close win to nothing more than first week NFL weirdness that we always see, whereas with us, I just saw a lot of what we've seen before - and that worries me.

Although I have to say, if given time, Warner and these WRs could be frightening - christ, if they could just be MEDIOCRE running the football, this offense would be unstoppable because there's no way in hell anyone but a strud RB could have gotten 73 yards behind that train-wreck yesterday. If the o-line has pulse, Edge will bring them life - I'm a firm believer in that having watched him fight and run yesterday.

Why even play the game? Lets just quit and be done with it

Upsets never happen in the NFL

Is there a very good chance that we lost this game? Yes. I'm not disagreeing with that but people are putting way too much stock into what happened in week one. Things change from week to week and its up to the players and coaches to do the adjustments necessary to win the game.

We don't know who will make the adjustments as of now, we just have to sit and wait.

The Seahawks have the advantage by being at home but that does not guarantee victory

 

[BigRedArk]

Why even play the game? Lets just quit and be done with it

Upsets never happen in the NFL

Is there a very good chance that we lost this game? Yes. I'm not disagreeing with that but people are putting way too much stock into what happened in week one. Things change from week to week and its up to the players and coaches to do the adjustments necessary to win the game.

We don't know who will make the adjustments as of now, we just have to sit and wait.

The Seahawks have the advantage by being at home but that does not guarantee victory

I agree Evil. If the Cards are hungry and want it bad enough the Seahags can be had!!!

 

[Krangodnzr]

Man Cheesy, you act like the Niners are the exact same team!

They've added Larry Allen (a hall of famer), Antonio Bryant (a good wideout), Vernon Davis (great athlete), Frank Gore starts now (IMO a very good back though injury-prone), and Alex Smith has a teacher thats developed some top line/hall of fame QBs (Norv Turner).

Add to the fact that we are missing one of our best defender, if not our best defender, and it's very believeable that the Niners could score some points.

 

[joeshmo]

Here is the thing that Cheese brings up that is still a very, very valid point.

We are still commiting some really dumb penalties on D. We are still missing a lot of tackles. We are still taking some really bad pursuit angles. And we are still getting juked out of our socks on misdirection and semi trick plays. These are the same issues we had last year and they are still very much so not fixed yet.

I wont comment on other items of the D as it could very well could be 1st game jitters and/or vanilla 1st week game calling. But everything else is nothing but fundamental football that we still dont have, and is still very concerning.

Just on a side note. With Berry, Okeafer, and the overratted Dockett you got to believe that the front 4 could at the least luck themselves into a sack. Even with just a front 4 pass rush the whole game.

 

[vinnymac]

i have to agree with joeshmo on this one. you can be vanilla all you want to, but you still have to tackle and get some sacks out of the defense. i expected better play out of dockett, but hardly nothing out of him. he recover a fumble in the 1st quarter and didn't hear his name until late in the 3rd. that was because he commited a stupid penality, roughing the passer. other than that you didn't hear a peep out of him. dockett needs to live to up expectation that he set for himself his rookie year. i am not seeing it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Why even play the game? Lets just quit and be done with it

Upsets never happen in the NFL

Jesus Christ Ash - I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to have an opinion on the game. I'll shut up from now on if that makes you happy.

Was the above really necessary? Good lord man.

Snd Krang - Larry Allen got injured in the first quarter, Frank Gore was on the team getting carries last year and calling Antonio Bryant a "good wideout" is a stretch and you know it. I remember hearing the same the Niners are different after Detriot waxed us in Game 1 three years ago - when it wasn't the case and it's not the case here - the Niners may be improved, but that ain't saying much - they're still one of the worst teams in the league and we made their offense - which was beyond pathetic last year, look very good.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Here is the thing that Cheese brings up that is still a very, very valid point.

We are still commiting some really dumb penalties on D. We are still missing a lot of tackles. We are still taking some really bad pursuit angles. And we are still getting juked out of our socks on misdirection and semi trick plays. These are the same issues we had last year and they are still very much so not fixed yet.

I wont comment on other items of the D as it could very well could be 1st game jitters and/or vanilla 1st week game calling. But everything else is nothing but fundamental football that we still dont have, and is still very concerning.

Just on a side note. With Berry, Okeafer, and the overratted Dockett you got to believe that the front 4 could at the least luck themselves into a sack. Even with just a front 4 pass rush the whole game.

careful Joe - you might get Ash on you telling you you've given up all hope or something else to try and provoke a fight where none exists.

Again, there's a reason why there's so few people on this board guys. Any little note of dissension is blown up to epic proportions. It doesn't make for very good discussion when you decide to get sarcastic rather than discuss the issues.

 

[Card Trader]

careful Joe - you might get Ash on you telling you you've given up all hope or something else to try and provoke a fight where none exists.

It doesn't make for very good discussion when you decide to get sarcastic rather than discuss the issues.

Oh the sweet sweet irony.

 

[green machine]

The defense certainly struggled to pressure Smith, but just how many times did they roll him out of the pocket? Seemed like alot to me, which would provide less legit sack opportunities. And I know there was at least one time where a Card had Smith, I think it was Berry, and on his way down he got rid of the ball.

Alexander scares the hell out of me for next week...lucky me I get to go against him in my fantasy league.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Oh the sweet sweet irony.

do you even know what this means? I'm not the one who got personal and derailed a thread and then got banned Trader - that was you who destroyed that convo as you callled out numerous posters and then proceeded to be put in timeout like an 8-year old.

Wow, in my hiatus, I really forgot that realism is viewed as a negative thing on this board.

So, with that, I'm toast folks. I've wasted enough time here as it and to be honest, trying to talk football with kool-aiders ain't talking football - it's talking fantasy. I've got two leagues where I already do that so adios folks. Here's to the rest of the season!

 

[Card Trader]

So, with that, I'm toast folks. I've wasted enough time here as it and to be honest, trying to talk football with kool-aiders ain't talking football - it's talking fantasy. I've got two leagues where I already do that so adios folks. Here's to the rest of the season!

See ya!

 

[Renz]

Why do people always announce when they are leaving? How come nobody just goes? Except Hardy Brown.

 

[LVCARDFREAK]

Jesus Christ Ash - I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to have an opinion on the game. I'll shut up from now on if that makes you happy.

Was the above really necessary? Good lord man.

Snd Krang - Larry Allen got injured in the first quarter, Frank Gore was on the team getting carries last year and calling Antonio Bryant a "good wideout" is a stretch and you know it. I remember hearing the same the Niners are different after Detriot waxed us in Game 1 three years ago - when it wasn't the case and it's not the case here - the Niners may be improved, but that ain't saying much - they're still one of the worst teams in the league and we made their offense - which was beyond pathetic last year, look very good.

I agree with this. I think it is way tooe arly to throw in the towel and I hope beyond hope that if this team is actually gonna make adjustments it is to their ability to stop the run. Just dreadful at times yesterday. And this is to Frank Gore. He is solid, but not even close to a top 5 back, hell maybe not even top 8, the Cards will run up against this year.

And I was suprised that the Cards couldnt get more pressure on Smith. I mean, they didnt blitz at all, or rarely, but you would think with clancy, berry, and okeafor, they could get some pressure.

 

[Card Trader]

Why do people always announce when they are leaving? How come nobody just goes? Except Hardy Brown.

Because they all want us to shed tears for them and beg them not to leave. It's a cry for attention.

 

[Evil Ash]

careful Joe - you might get Ash on you telling you you've given up all hope or something else to try and provoke a fight where none exists.

Again, there's a reason why there's so few people on this board guys. Any little note of dissension is blown up to epic proportions. It doesn't make for very good discussion when you decide to get sarcastic rather than discuss the issues.

Are there reasons for concern next week? Hell yes

Will the players make the neccessary adjustments to win the game? I have no idea and neither do you.

The fact that they had several new starters and had ZERO gametape on their new offense may have been a factor in the poor defensive gameplay. Maybe not

Are the problems fixable? Yes. Will the team do what is neccessary to fix the problems? I don't know

Will the Seahawks adjust after a horrid game 1? I don't know

IT JUST TOO DAMN EARLY TO TELL!! It takes around 4 weeks before you can really tell one way or the other on how the team is going to be.

You're acting like its already a given that we lose but thats hardly a certainty. Last I checked the outcome is decided by the play on the field not based on how good a team is on paper.

We'll find out what happens on Sunday.

 

[Shane]

Are there reasons for concern next week? Hell yes

Will the players make the neccessary adjustments to win the game? I have no idea and neither do you.

The fact that they had several new starters and had ZERO gametape on their new offense may have been a factor in the poor defensive gameplay. Maybe not

Are the problems fixable? Yes. Will the team do what is neccessary to fix the problems? I don't know

Will the Seahawks adjust after a horrid game 1? I don't know

IT JUST TOO DAMN EARLY TO TELL!! It takes around 4 weeks before you can really tell one way or the other on how the team is going to be.

You're acting like its already a given that we lose but thats hardly a certainty. Last I checked the outcome is decided by the play on the field not based on how good a team is on paper.

We'll find out what happens on Sunday.

Where is this rule book that says it takes 4 weeks to get a good barometer on how this team is going to play?