Okay, Calm Down

[Scot1]

Well, I don't think it's 'shedding tears' to say that I will be sad if cheese sticks to his decision to leave. I have often disagreed with his posts, and his intensity and combativeness, but I have about equally often found good points and substantiation in his posts.

I think a position between his and Ash's last comment is reasonable. The 49ers looked like a totally different team than in Mexico City, and we didn't look as good. If that was us holding back by calculation, we miscalculated. The Kool-aid is sour. On the other hand, it is early. Almost half the starters are new or returned from injury. We have good personnel for the DL, even if Dockett is terminal. James did better in the course of the game, and a little more improvement will make us an average rush team (15 more yards would make us 14 out of 28, not counting MNF).

So maybe the donkey will die. Maybe the czar will die. Maybe we will die (or become the LA Cards). And maybe, just maybe, the defense will learn to sing.

 

[CardLogic]

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.

cheese, you make me laugh, and I seriously mean that in the best possible way. I get a kick out of your posts. Your nothing if not committed to your opinion, and that's ok.

But I believe that the reason some other posters get aggravated by your post is that they come across as chatisement for having a opinion in conflict with your own; as though your right and the others are wrong. I am not implying that is your intent, just the outcome...

Nice post, Scot1!

 

[Shane]

Cheesey adds a ton to this board. Anyone that thinks otherwise is just out in left field. hes just very strong with his opinions and certain unamed posters do not care for it.

 

[RonF]

If our o-line plays the Seahawks like they played against the 49ers, then God help Warner. Matt Leinart may get his chance to play sooner than expected. There is no way we can protect Warner against a strong rushing team, I'm afraid that it will get brutal on Sunday. And I want a win on Sunday as much as you guys do, but I don't see it happening, unless some major change in our game plan occurs.

 

[Big Red Line]

Cheesey adds a ton to this board. Anyone that thinks otherwise is just out in left field. hes just very strong with his opinions and certain unamed posters do not care for it.

Shane, left field is a relative position. Cheesey is simply immature and defensive. I was the same way when I was younger. To protect his opinion, he slides into the attack mood just a tad too easily. Very poor impulse control. That's why he's threatening to quit the board. Probably took his ball and ran home many times.

And his opinions are extreme. Once in a while, he contributes something insightful. In total, more than I do. Bottom line: he's a passionate Cards fan, so I hope he reconsiders. We're all in this together.

 

[Doc Cardinal]

Probably took his ball and ran home many times.

Reminds me of Kiss and their Final Tours.....year after year.

 

[lobo]

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

as far as i know it does not...but most would think it is premature to make certain judgement about teams....now in the case of a few of the teams we saw we all may have stronger opinions...oakland/green bay both looked lost...do you believe carolina is a 6 point a game team/tampa will be shut out and play poorly/denver will be stuck in the mud....if we looked at the boards of those teams i am sure the posters are going beserk unnecessarily at this point as all three have a great chance to make the playoffs....yeah, four games is a good barometer and even then there are 12 to go....

we have our weaknesses but from whati have seen this week if a trend is established there are a lot of teams with OL problems not just us.

 

[Shane]

as far as i know it does not...but most would think it is premature to make certain judgement about teams....now in the case of a few of the teams we saw we all may have stronger opinions...oakland/green bay both looked lost...do you believe carolina is a 6 point a game team/tampa will be shut out and play poorly/denver will be stuck in the mud....if we looked at the boards of those teams i am sure the posters are going beserk unnecessarily at this point as all three have a great chance to make the playoffs....yeah, four games is a good barometer and even then there are 12 to go....

we have our weaknesses but from whati have seen this week if a trend is established there are a lot of teams with OL problems not just us.

Oh I agree with you about the way some teams played this weekend. But I also believe we will have a pretty darn good barometer about where we are at as a team following this Sunday.

 

[JeffGollin]

There are very few NFL teams who completed Week #1 feeling happy and without a bunch of stuff to work on.

It's probably because they had inflated expectations after 4 preseason games but forgot to consider that opposing teams hide strategies until they count.

It's a lot tougher playing real games under "live fire." (Opposing teams have the habit of making you look bad in certain aspects of your game).

The Cardinals have a raft of stuff they need to straighten out, but so do almost every other NFL team. Best thing to do is to put both the Kool-Aid and Dr. Kevorkian's Roladex file on the back shelf and address our problems in a business-like manner & without panic.

 

[Sandan]

Oh I agree with you about the way some teams played this weekend. But I also believe we will have a pretty darn good barometer about where we are at as a team following this Sunday.

Now that is a true statement and I've been saying it to Brighteyes since I saw the schedule

 

[football karma]

Oh I agree with you about the way some teams played this weekend. But I also believe we will have a pretty darn good barometer about where we are at as a team following this Sunday.

Maybe, maybe not

The NFL in general seems very up and down from week to week.

I could very well see the Cards get rolled in Seattle and then promptly come home and trounce the likely to be 2-0 Rams.

Every year I tell myself to give it four weeks and then judge -- by then you can get a read on how the team is playing, and what the quality of the competition thus far has been. I never seem to be able to wait that long however.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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

so do we make the same excuses about our offense that GOT the ball at the 5 yard line? do we discount their two td's off turnovers?

also, you're assuming that b/c we made mistakes this week we WON'T make 'em next week? isn't that somewhat backward reasoning? we've seen this team compound mistakes week after week after week in the past. all of a sudden that's not gonna happen?

i'm more inclined to believe we could get blown out next week than we're gonna successfully correct all our errors. history dictates the same.

it was a win that largely felt like a loss. i'm happy we're 1-0, but that was the most lackluster win i can ever remember.

going to a new stadium was fun though. love our new seats.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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

naw, he's just leaving. he does that for long stretches b/c this board kills his productivity. he doesn't need to be begged to come back, he'll eventually do it when there is a big happening with the team (like a signing or leinart getting a start or sumpin), but nice of you to take a parting shot . . .

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Shane, left field is a relative position. Cheesey is simply immature and defensive. I was the same way when I was younger. To protect his opinion, he slides into the attack mood just a tad too easily. Very poor impulse control. That's why he's threatening to quit the board. Probably took his ball and ran home many times.

And his opinions are extreme. Once in a while, he contributes something insightful. In total, more than I do. Bottom line: he's a passionate Cards fan, so I hope he reconsiders. We're all in this together.

y'all are missing the boat here. he's not "taking his ball and running home" (something he never did growing up). he's not running away from the criticism. he is literally leaving to be more productive at work. he's done this before. y'all just don't remember. it's not a big deal. it would take a GREAT deal more to actually DRIVE him from the board.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

as far as i know it does not...but most would think it is premature to make certain judgement about teams....now in the case of a few of the teams we saw we all may have stronger opinions...oakland/green bay both looked lost...do you believe carolina is a 6 point a game team/tampa will be shut out and play poorly/denver will be stuck in the mud....if we looked at the boards of those teams i am sure the posters are going beserk unnecessarily at this point as all three have a great chance to make the playoffs....yeah, four games is a good barometer and even then there are 12 to go....

we have our weaknesses but from whati have seen this week if a trend is established there are a lot of teams with OL problems not just us.

when you have historical data, i think that a one game barometer actually has additional evidence. yes, there are a lot of new starters, but the core of our team is still that of last year's double digit loser and the coaching staff is still relative intact. given all that i'd say the likelihood of being bad is greater than the likelihood of being good.

 

[MadCardDisease]

when you have historical data, i think that a one game barometer actually has additional evidence. yes, there are a lot of new starters, but the core of our team is still that of last year's double digit loser and the coaching staff is still relative intact. given all that i'd say the likelihood of being bad is greater than the likelihood of being good.

Yes and No. Many of the core from last year was injured.

I think that having several of our core starters healthy again, a home to call our own and the addition of key players like James will equate to 3-5 more wins this year.

 

[MadCardDisease]

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.

I agree for the most part.

Based on what I saw Sunday and from the preseason, I don't think the Cardinals will be able to stop Alexander. We still cannot stop the run and we still cannot open holes in the running game. Until those things get fixed we will be a .500 team at best.

 

[Duckjake]

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

The TV guys talked about how free agency has made it harder to game plan early in the season because of all the additions and subtractions from every teams roster.

However, I am concerned about the Cards doing the same things wrong as last year. Some of you will remember that was my major concern about the team at the end of last season. They just didn't improve in their areas of weakness.

I'm just glad Sammy Davis has stone hands.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I'm just glad Sammy Davis has stone hands.

Unfortunately so does Macklin!

 

[BigRedArk]

so do we make the same excuses about our offense that GOT the ball at the 5 yard line? do we discount their two td's off turnovers?

also, you're assuming that b/c we made mistakes this week we WON'T make 'em next week? isn't that somewhat backward reasoning? we've seen this team compound mistakes week after week after week in the past. all of a sudden that's not gonna happen?

i'm more inclined to believe we could get blown out next week than we're gonna successfully correct all our errors. history dictates the same.

it was a win that largely felt like a loss. i'm happy we're 1-0, but that was the most lackluster win i can ever remember.

going to a new stadium was fun though. love our new seats.

It is quite possible that this team continues to compound mistakes week after week after week again this year. That is true. Hopefully not. However, as they say on Wall Street "the past is no guarantee of the future". Also isn't it possible that this team could learn from their Week 1 mistakes and correct some of the more obviously dumb ones that they made in just one week?

 

[Evil Ash]

It is quite possible that this team continues to compound mistakes week after week after week again this year. That is true. Hopefully not. However, as they say on Wall Street "the past is no guarantee of the future". Also isn't it possible that this team could learn from their Week 1 mistakes and correct some of the more obviously dumb ones that they made in just one week?

Or that we ignore the problems that this weeks opponent had this past week?

Why is it a certainty that the Seahawks will play better after a bad effort on Sunday but our team will get worse after a bad effort? Yeah I know the Seahawks were the NFC champions last year but that has ZERO carryover effect for this year.

Its like people think we have maxed out already.

If thats the case, why even play the game?

We had our problems like many teams last week but we have just as good of a chance as anybody to fix those problems. That doesn't mean we will and that we aren't going to be destroyed on the road but to ignore their problems and also only focusing on the bad points of our game won't give an accurate picture of whats going to happen. Who's to say that both teams didn't just play to the level of their opponent?

Only when they play will we know for sure is to wait for Sunday and actually see what happens.

 

[AZCB34]

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

It is the same rule book that people use to give Denny pass after pass after pass when he and his staff continuously get outcoached...like I think they did on Sunday.

I would have felt much better had I not seen alot of the same issues that were prevalent the past 2 seasons but I have seen little actually fixed as it pertains to gameday. Talentwise, I think this team is light years ahead of where it was a few years ago but I am still waiting for The Genius and his staff to "coach up" this team...but I am beginning to think their ability to "coach up" is akin to the mythical unicorn

 

[BigRedArk]

Or that we ignore the problems that this weeks opponent had this past week?
Why is it a certainty that the Seahawks will play better after a bad effort on Sunday but our team will get worse after a bad effort? Yeah I know the Seahawks were the NFC champions last year but that has ZERO carryover effect for this year.

Its like people think we have maxed out already.

If thats the case, why even play the game?

We had our problems like many teams last week but we have just as good of a chance as anybody to fix those problems. That doesn't mean we will and that we aren't going to be destroyed on the road but to ignore their problems and also only focusing on the bad points of our game won't give an accurate picture of whats going to happen. Who's to say that both teams didn't just play to the level of their opponent?

Only when they play will we know for sure is to wait for Sunday and actually see what happens.

Yeah I didn't even consider the thinking by some that Seattle just had an off week while we had much more than just a sub-par effort on many fronts. Yes history tells us that we may indeed lay an egg on the road next week (I stole that one from Mitch) but is that a given? That's why they play the game ( I'm in cliche' mode sorry).

 

[Chopper0080]

A couple of points responding to various points stated...

1st-On Deion Branch-I will be surprised if we see him on Sunday. One of the reasons that trades are a rarity in the NFL is because unlike other sports the same position (in this case WR) is different for most teams. The termanology is different. The reads are different. The offense is different. They haven't developed any timing relationship with their new QB. These are all factors on why we are playing Seattle at a good time where Branch won't be much of a factor.

2nd-On the San Fran game-Even though it came down to the wire, I believe that we dominated this game. Sure we had our moments were we struggled and I believe that we could use more conditioning, but we ran the ball in the fourth quarter and closed the game out like we should have. The defense was very basic with few run or pass blitzes and Wilson playing cover two is not playing to our strengths. Yes we should have gotten more pressure on Smith, but they did well with their misdirection early to slow our players down. Our passing game was rock solid and special teams for the most part were good. Yes, we might have almost gone to overtime but I felt pretty confident that we had this game under control. Honestly, this game was very emotional for our team and they seemed a tad out of control early and gassed late.

3rd-Against Seattle-A tough game to win, especially on the road. Not really sure that we will win, but I don't believe our defense will play as out of control this week and it should be close. Don't count out the absence of Hutchison and how it is going to affect Alexander's season. Our team scheme should be a bit more creative for this game and it will be interesting to watch. Don't count out our receiving core.

Last-Evaluating a team-Some say four games, some say two and others say one game is all it takes. Truely, it depends on the team and their consistancy (sp?) as an organization. I would say that it will take this team about 5 weeks to evaluate where they are. We start with three division games which are always tough especially when you are a team new to winning and you are the favorite in two of them. It is tough being the favorite and the Cardinals are not used to being it. After these three games we play a good non-conferance opponent at home and then on the road which offers two more unique teats for thgis young team. You could argue that it will take 6, as the 6th is the Monday nighter and it will be the first time that we see how are team responds in a big game setting. Personally, I think that we will know what we have by then.

Chopper...out.

 

[RonF]

A couple of points responding to various points stated...

1st-On Deion Branch-I will be surprised if we see him on Sunday.

If I was the coach for the Seahawks, I would give Deion, one play to remember on Sunday: "Each time we snap the ball, you run as fast as you can down field and we will get the ball to you." Then stand back and get out of his way.