Ouchie-Z-Clown
I'm better than Mulli!
For years I hear the same arguments . . .
It's the crappy QB!
Can't blame the QB, the oline doesn't give him time!
Our QB doesn't have anyone to throw to other than Fitz!
Our WR's are good, the QB can't find 'em!
Our talent is fine, it's crappy coaching!
Folks, these are all narrowminded, pigeon-holed arguments. It's the SUM OF THE WHOLE. These things are all a confluence of one big suck . . . the Arizona Cardinals. This is my honest assessment:
1. Graves sucks at (a) drafting, (b) signing good FAs that fit the system, (c) resigning key in-house FAs, (d) enforcing necessary changes on whiz's staff. Some of you are going to cry "but Whiz has all the power!" A good GM stands up to ownership to ensure he has authority and overrides a coach when necessary for the betterment of the team. That's not happening. His track record is crap.
2. Whiz looks terrible. His loyalty to his offensive coaches is appalling. Either his (a) refusal to recognize some areas that need improvement or (b) his loyalty to some players that don't make plays is crushing this team in terms of the oline and passrush. His playcalling (and I do believe it's his playcalling) is awful. We got a glimpse of what our run game could be yesterday. How does the coach not know that before the fourth game of the season? If he did, wouldn't we have seen more of it in close games 1 and 2? As for game 3, yeah he didn't have Beanie, but NOR DID HE HAVE AN NFL CALIBER BACKUP RUNNING BACK (which should have been a HUGE priority when ryan williams went down). That's on Whiz too (and Graves, for that matter).
3. Grimm just has to go. No one on our offensive line other than sendlein has improved during his time here (and I would argue that Sendlein likely improved on his own despite Grimm). And he wanted Levi Brown. He sucks.
4. Horton's D is continuing to have HUGE mental gaffs (see Nicks running completely free again). This is week 4. There have been two months in which to implement his D. It should be showing signs of life. Instead it's rolling over at the end of games.
5. Kolb. Limited starts. I get it. Fifth year in the league. Not a rookie. From my perspective he doesn't read the field well (locks onto Fitz too often - see Rolle's interception and last play of game throwing to covered Fitz on slant). NO pocket presence (flushes when he needn't do so - he's hearing ghosts - gotta nut up more than that - christ it's only been 4 games). He IS forcing balls (couple to Fitz, the game-ending INT to Heap against Washington). He's not showing anything special. Can he be adequate, sure. But I think last year shell-shocked a ton of us into buying into the illusion that kolb was good. he's not.
6. Levi and Keith - Perhaps (and I'll only say "perhaps") they are better run blockers. but even then, they are not premier run blockers. if they were, we'd be running on 3rd and 1 or 2 instead of passing. we know those guys ain't getting us the tough yards. and they aren't getting to the second level (something great run blockers do). and they're just awful in pass pro. is it any coincidence that the team started playing MARKEDLY better when jeremy bridges entered the game? no way jose. if it was limitations physically with levi, i'd say "okay, he's trying." but more often than not he simply stops blocking. i see our offensive line (other than Sendlein and Colledge) standing around watching tackles, or helping people off the ground more than on the ground mashing their man. it's disheartening, and it's making a mediocre QB (kolb) look even worse.
7. No second WR - Let's call a spade a spade. We have good depth, but no true #2. I'm not talking a 1a and 1b like fitz and bolding. i'm talking a true #2. a nate burleson type. a vet that knows how to get open and make plays. hmmm, sounds like breaston (who had 90+ yards the other day). that's another one on graves (who let him leave) and whiz (who likely didn't argue enough to keep him). having a QB with only eyes for fitz doesn't help these guys, but make a few plays so that the defense at least takes you seriously. anyone see the new kid's book "Where's Roberts?"
8. Zastidil is a disaster.
9. OLB. everything everyone's said about these guys is true. love that they're warriors. don't love that they have to be brought to the stadium from the retirement home. the neglect of this position is deafening. hello Graves and Whiz again.
10. Jefferson. the new tommy knight (sans injuries). he seemingly always there to NOT make the play. PP is a very close second here, but i'll give him a little pass for his punt returning abilities and his pedigree. regardless, this guy is NOT ready for prime time. would've liked to have seen toler. shame we won't.
it's ALL these things together that make us the 1-3 disaster that we are today. not one of 'em as many of you are arguing to defend against one of the other arguments. it's ALL of these!!!
now for some positive . . .
beanie finally did what i thought he could. i've been waiting to see this beanie. i thought it could exist if he could get healthy. now i just hope that whiz realizes he needs to go all SMEL on the vikings' arses!!!
fitz is just amazingly unreal. never ceases to amaze me.
i truly believe we may have some young defensive talent with dwash, dumpster dan, PP, carter and acho. dwash played like a man among boys yesterday. seemingly everywhere. but faded at end of game. if we can keep dumpster on field more, other teams' run games will continue to suffer. i believe PP will develop into something special. carter is a blessed selection. i think he's going to make our NG rotation very formidable! acho has shown me spurts of good contain, strength, and zone awareness. i hope he sees the field more. is he going to be flashy . . . no. but he can be a solid starter if we shore up the other side.
docket and campbell showed flashes of what they could bring. unfortunately, with everyone else, they faded at the end too. i don't know to what to attribute these issues, but something's gotta be done to keep these guys fresh and keep their motors revving.
It's the crappy QB!
Can't blame the QB, the oline doesn't give him time!
Our QB doesn't have anyone to throw to other than Fitz!
Our WR's are good, the QB can't find 'em!
Our talent is fine, it's crappy coaching!
Folks, these are all narrowminded, pigeon-holed arguments. It's the SUM OF THE WHOLE. These things are all a confluence of one big suck . . . the Arizona Cardinals. This is my honest assessment:
1. Graves sucks at (a) drafting, (b) signing good FAs that fit the system, (c) resigning key in-house FAs, (d) enforcing necessary changes on whiz's staff. Some of you are going to cry "but Whiz has all the power!" A good GM stands up to ownership to ensure he has authority and overrides a coach when necessary for the betterment of the team. That's not happening. His track record is crap.
2. Whiz looks terrible. His loyalty to his offensive coaches is appalling. Either his (a) refusal to recognize some areas that need improvement or (b) his loyalty to some players that don't make plays is crushing this team in terms of the oline and passrush. His playcalling (and I do believe it's his playcalling) is awful. We got a glimpse of what our run game could be yesterday. How does the coach not know that before the fourth game of the season? If he did, wouldn't we have seen more of it in close games 1 and 2? As for game 3, yeah he didn't have Beanie, but NOR DID HE HAVE AN NFL CALIBER BACKUP RUNNING BACK (which should have been a HUGE priority when ryan williams went down). That's on Whiz too (and Graves, for that matter).
3. Grimm just has to go. No one on our offensive line other than sendlein has improved during his time here (and I would argue that Sendlein likely improved on his own despite Grimm). And he wanted Levi Brown. He sucks.
4. Horton's D is continuing to have HUGE mental gaffs (see Nicks running completely free again). This is week 4. There have been two months in which to implement his D. It should be showing signs of life. Instead it's rolling over at the end of games.
5. Kolb. Limited starts. I get it. Fifth year in the league. Not a rookie. From my perspective he doesn't read the field well (locks onto Fitz too often - see Rolle's interception and last play of game throwing to covered Fitz on slant). NO pocket presence (flushes when he needn't do so - he's hearing ghosts - gotta nut up more than that - christ it's only been 4 games). He IS forcing balls (couple to Fitz, the game-ending INT to Heap against Washington). He's not showing anything special. Can he be adequate, sure. But I think last year shell-shocked a ton of us into buying into the illusion that kolb was good. he's not.
6. Levi and Keith - Perhaps (and I'll only say "perhaps") they are better run blockers. but even then, they are not premier run blockers. if they were, we'd be running on 3rd and 1 or 2 instead of passing. we know those guys ain't getting us the tough yards. and they aren't getting to the second level (something great run blockers do). and they're just awful in pass pro. is it any coincidence that the team started playing MARKEDLY better when jeremy bridges entered the game? no way jose. if it was limitations physically with levi, i'd say "okay, he's trying." but more often than not he simply stops blocking. i see our offensive line (other than Sendlein and Colledge) standing around watching tackles, or helping people off the ground more than on the ground mashing their man. it's disheartening, and it's making a mediocre QB (kolb) look even worse.
7. No second WR - Let's call a spade a spade. We have good depth, but no true #2. I'm not talking a 1a and 1b like fitz and bolding. i'm talking a true #2. a nate burleson type. a vet that knows how to get open and make plays. hmmm, sounds like breaston (who had 90+ yards the other day). that's another one on graves (who let him leave) and whiz (who likely didn't argue enough to keep him). having a QB with only eyes for fitz doesn't help these guys, but make a few plays so that the defense at least takes you seriously. anyone see the new kid's book "Where's Roberts?"
8. Zastidil is a disaster.
9. OLB. everything everyone's said about these guys is true. love that they're warriors. don't love that they have to be brought to the stadium from the retirement home. the neglect of this position is deafening. hello Graves and Whiz again.
10. Jefferson. the new tommy knight (sans injuries). he seemingly always there to NOT make the play. PP is a very close second here, but i'll give him a little pass for his punt returning abilities and his pedigree. regardless, this guy is NOT ready for prime time. would've liked to have seen toler. shame we won't.
it's ALL these things together that make us the 1-3 disaster that we are today. not one of 'em as many of you are arguing to defend against one of the other arguments. it's ALL of these!!!
now for some positive . . .
beanie finally did what i thought he could. i've been waiting to see this beanie. i thought it could exist if he could get healthy. now i just hope that whiz realizes he needs to go all SMEL on the vikings' arses!!!
fitz is just amazingly unreal. never ceases to amaze me.
i truly believe we may have some young defensive talent with dwash, dumpster dan, PP, carter and acho. dwash played like a man among boys yesterday. seemingly everywhere. but faded at end of game. if we can keep dumpster on field more, other teams' run games will continue to suffer. i believe PP will develop into something special. carter is a blessed selection. i think he's going to make our NG rotation very formidable! acho has shown me spurts of good contain, strength, and zone awareness. i hope he sees the field more. is he going to be flashy . . . no. but he can be a solid starter if we shore up the other side.
docket and campbell showed flashes of what they could bring. unfortunately, with everyone else, they faded at the end too. i don't know to what to attribute these issues, but something's gotta be done to keep these guys fresh and keep their motors revving.
