Patriots 23 Cards 21: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

[Garthshort]

According to the tv, Watford got called for the late game penalty. Did I miss one on DJ?

 

[kerouac9]

DJ Humphries did not play bad and I was actually pleasantly surprised by his performance, but that Williams guy...

Yeah. I thought that Humphries played okay against a fairly limited player in Jabaal Sheard. He was fine.

When you have a rookie starting at CB and the other starting CB shows up only a few times each season to try and justify his pay then you know it could be a long season.Still all in all if Palmer can stay healthy Cards can still be contender.

Patrick Peterson was pretty great last night. 2 receptions on 2 targets for 13 yards when you have to play a ton of zone is fine. Honestly, I have no problem with him making a "business decision" between the 20s on LaGarrette Blount. Our ILBs are garbage, though.

 

[BigRedRage]

If they aren't auditioning punters AND kickers on Tuesday, I'm gonna call my season ticket sales guy and complain. Loudly. Butler is just dreadful, and CatMan can't be trusted to hit a clutch kick, nor are his kickoffs consistent. Time to churn 'em both.

I am sure Keim listens to his season ticket salesman for advice on how to run the team

 

[BigRedRage]

Yes

he ran his mount like once that I can remember, outside of that he has been all pro and a shut down corner. Not sure why anyway wouldnt have anything against the dude.

 

[JeffGollin]

Butler played hurt the entire game.

Canaday blew the snap. But what I wonder is whether Butler could have made a spotting adjustment to give Cat a better chance.

It wasn't thru lack of effort, but our tacklers were consistently blown backwards - both in the open field and LOS - by NE ballcarriers and blockers who seemed to run super low-to-the-ground to win the leverage war. Dunno whether this is a chronic NE thing or just something BB planned scecially for the Cardinals.

Tiny Bright Spot - At 10-points down, at least we didn't let the game turn into a NE runaway.

My problem with starting B Johnson and having him play a lot of man is that teams cannot afford to tolerate big learning curves - otherwise we'll find ourselves mid-season 0 & 8 (while we watched Brandon "learn.")

Bottom line - Loss was a "team effort" vs. a shredded NE line up that was deep enough to keep things close to the vest while they waited for us to beat ourselves (which we did on the second to last play of the game).

 

[GuernseyCard]

I cant stand this dude. Have never liked him and I know I am in the EXTREME minority. This guys runs his mouth and cant back it up when the time is needed. Just like the punt return in the NFC championship game. Game on the line and big mouth will blow it.

Guess you weren't on the committee that selected him All Pro.

 

[NJCardFan]

People. I've already corrected the DJ Humphries thing in another post.

 

[NJCardFan]

-

- That "roughing the passer" call on Minter came at the absolute worst time. Granted, that call was a part of the complete wussification of the NFL as Minter really did not hit JG that low.

Otherwise known as The Brady Rule. Had any other QB than Brady or the Mannings, this rule wouldn't exist. Hell, did they create this rule when Palmer took a hit to the knee in '05? Nope. Not until Tom Brady gets hurt is such a rule warranted.

 

[Cheesebeef]

the worst part of last night's game? we have to wait six more freaking days to see if it was just an aberration or a continuation of the struggles this team has had since Seattle punched them in the face in the last regular season game last year.

it's only Monday and the wait until Sunday is killing me.

 

[Cardiac]

It is unbearable to watch your team give up that many first downs, especially on 3rd and long. That puts me in such a mood that for awhile I think the team sucks, the coaches suck, the NFL sucks and it simply isn't the case. Yes that loss sucked but it's not like we lost to the Browns.

I'm not worried that we won't win a bunch of games this year or make the playoffs and even do well when we get there. Too much talent on the roster and coaching staff.

 

[AZ Native]

the worst part of last night's game? we have to wait six more freaking days to see if it was just an aberration or a continuation of the struggles this team has had since Seattle punched them in the face in the last regular season game last year.

it's only Monday and the wait until Sunday is killing me.

Seattle and Green Bay were so lucky to win and we were in position to win, but a win is a win and they are all huge. Even the first game. They all count.

 

[Sunburn]

When you have a rookie starting at CB and the other starting CB shows up only a few times each season to try and justify his pay then you know it could be a long season.Still all in all if Palmer can stay healthy Cards can still be contender.

Pat P was the best shutdown corner in the league last year. The opponent's #1 receiver was targeted only 19% of pass plays with Peterson defending. He earned his pay.

 

[cardpa]

- Using those 3 timeouts was actually great, and I have been praying for this for a long time. Generally speaking, you can usually spike the ball later on offense - when on defense we needed to prevent BB from bleeding the clock down every snap. very smart by BA.

- Special teams is an absolute abomination. Butler is below league average. For all the talk about about the "bad snap", thoughts the holder (Stanton I think) did a great job and most other kickers make that kick.

- That "roughing the passer" call on Minter came at the absolute worst time. Granted, that call was a part of the complete wussification of the NFL as Minter really did not hit JG that low.

- Speaking of wussification, PP21 is actually a worse tackler than Prime Time Deion Sanders. Blount is a load no doubt but can you wrap his legs and hang on until help arrives? WTF???

- Fitz, what an absolute professional.

- Palmer - Way better than what we saw in the pre-season thankfully.

- Memo to Chandler Jones - When you are down 10-0, and you do nothing other than fall on a fumbled ball which lands at your feet, that is not the time to get your dance on! Any high school varsity player could have recovered that fumble, so yeah congratulations on your amazing play! Golden did all the work ya big dummy!

You are under estimating how important it is to have the ball placed on the spot for the kicker. the kicker starts his approach at the snap. He doesn't have time to adjust if the ball is not placed on the spot. I highly doubt the ball made it to the spot for Cat. You are kicking an oval ball with an irregular shaped foot. It doesn't take much to throw off how the ball is struck and what the ball will do if you mis-hit it because it's not in the correct spot. As a soccer coach I know there is very little room for error when you strike a ball.

 

[JeffGollin]

Cardpa - Are there practice drills that focus on how the kicker & holder can adjust when the snap is off?

Anyone - If so, do the Cards spend any practice time on this contingency?

 

[Bert]

Great write up. What stood out to me by far was the defense. Everything else bad that happened in this game happened because the Defense couldnt get off the field on 3rd down against new England's B team. Really nothing else matters.

I mean seriously, if that's what we have, it's over. How are they gonna get off the field against Russell Wilson? Cam? You cant let other teams dominate on 3rd down and time of possession in your house, that is a surefire way to lose.

I hope that this defense and Betcher took a long look in the mirror and re evaluated their approach because if we play D like that against good offenses, it will be a repeat of this game. Our potent offense wont be able to get on the field, wont be able to get in rhythm, and if we're lucky we might be just close enough to put the game in our special teams hands, and let me know how that works out for us lol.

It's not all doom and gloom it's just seeing the forest through the trees. The D has to be better than that or we're screwed.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

"One of the things that has not happened around here and will not happen again – or you won't be here." – Cardinals coach Bruce Arians on the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on OLB Chandler Jones and S D.J. Swearinger after they did a choreographed dance following Jones' recovered fumble.

Like hearing this. Those kind of penalties are uncalled for.

 

[cardpa]

Cardpa - Are there practice drills that focus on how the kicker & holder can adjust when the snap is off?

Anyone - If so, do the Cards spend any practice time on this contingency?

Jeff, it is all on the holder. He and the kicker select a spot on the turf where the ball is to be placed. The kicker can't make an adjustment since he is already in motion at the snap. A couple of inches will cause the ball to curve left or right depending on where the ball is placed. I thought Butler did a good job just getting the ball upright for Cat to hit it. The best thing they could do is have someone other than the long snapper, (Canady) make bad snaps on purpose and have Butler work on still trying to get the ball into the right spot. If you have ever notice most kicks do not go straight, they almost always have some curve to them. No different than a draw or a fade when you hit a golf ball. The kicker is counting on that draw or fade to get the ball where he wants it to go.

 

[crisper57]

The ugly: After the game, my wife got violently ill. Then I followed suit 2 hours later. Seems we picked up a nasty GI bug that took us out for about 48 hours. Between retching every hour or so, all I could think about was that damn game.

 

[Mitch]

Jeff, it is all on the holder. He and the kicker select a spot on the turf where the ball is to be placed. The kicker can't make an adjustment since he is already in motion at the snap. A couple of inches will cause the ball to curve left or right depending on where the ball is placed. I thought Butler did a good job just getting the ball upright for Cat to hit it. The best thing they could do is have someone other than the long snapper, (Canady) make bad snaps on purpose and have Butler work on still trying to get the ball into the right spot. If you have ever notice most kicks do not go straight, they almost always have some curve to them. No different than a draw or a fade when you hit a golf ball. The kicker is counting on that draw or fade to get the ball where he wants it to go.

I don't know about you, PA, or everyone else but I have never been a fan of punters being the holder. The kicking game is too dang important. There's not question in my mind who I would want holding: Larry Fitzgerald. Best hand to eye coordination and hands on the planet. Plus, the confidence he would bring to the whole unit. And---get this---if ever we needed a fake FG, he could run or pass his way to a first down.

 

[kerouac9]

I don't know about you, PA, or everyone else but I have never been a fan of punters being the holder. The kicking game is too dang important. There's not question in my mind who I would want holding: Larry Fitzgerald. Best hand to eye coordination and hands on the planet. Plus, the confidence he would bring to the whole unit. And---get this---if ever we needed a fake FG, he could run or pass his way to a first down.

LOL. How much time do you want Fitzgerald practicing holding when he could be perfecting his craft as a wide receiver and developing chemistry with Palmer, Stanton and the other backups?

This is SUCH a hot take. #sohot

 

[NJCardFan]

I don't know about you, PA, or everyone else but I have never been a fan of punters being the holder. The kicking game is too dang important. There's not question in my mind who I would want holding: Larry Fitzgerald. Best hand to eye coordination and hands on the planet. Plus, the confidence he would bring to the whole unit. And---get this---if ever we needed a fake FG, he could run or pass his way to a first down.

Player was a great holder here. Did it forever.

 

[NJCardFan]

LOL. How much time do you want Fitzgerald practicing holding when he could be perfecting his craft as a wide receiver and developing chemistry with Palmer, Stanton and the other backups?

This is SUCH a hot take. #sohot

Not for nothing but I do believe Larry has perfected his craft in spades.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don't know about you, PA, or everyone else but I have never been a fan of punters being the holder. The kicking game is too dang important. There's not question in my mind who I would want holding: Larry Fitzgerald. Best hand to eye coordination and hands on the planet. Plus, the confidence he would bring to the whole unit. And---get this---if ever we needed a fake FG, he could run or pass his way to a first down.

whoa.

 

[DeAnna]

I think they really missed Rashad Johnson in the secondary - he made the calls to get everyone in position after reading the formations.

 

[Redneck Voodoo]

I cant stand this dude. Have never liked him and I know I am in the EXTREME minority. This guys runs his mouth and cant back it up when the time is needed. Just like the punt return in the NFC championship game. Game on the line and big mouth will blow it.

IKR? Where's Tommy Knight when you need him?