Predictions - Niners vs Cards

[Cheesebeef]

Originally posted by 40yearfan
As much as Tampa Bay fans hate to admit it, they miss Dexter Jackson. He was to that team what Larry Centers was to the Cardinals. More than just a player, the heart and soul of a team.

OMG! You are on a roll today!

The "heart and soul" - HOLY COW! I'm still laughing.

 

[kerouac9]

Originally posted by 40yearfan
As much as Tampa Bay fans hate to admit it, they miss Dexter Jackson. He was to that team what Larry Centers was to the Cardinals. More than just a player, the heart and soul of a team.

That's such a silly thing to say. He was with that team for only four years and was only a stater for one. I think that what Tampa really misses is the sense of disrespect that they carried with them before they won the Super Bowl, and Brian Kelly playing on the outside on passing downs with Ronde in the slot, and having another FS up top. I think having Joe Jerevicus out for a while really hurt them, too.

I think they're a little put out that teams aren't laying down for them, and they're schedule is pretty hard. They still get to play the Texans and Jags, as well as the Falcons at home. If they can get healthy (which is a huge IF) they'll be fine. The Panthers are good, but Tennessee might have put a book out on 'em last week. That division is still very much up in the air, but at almost the halfway point, I think that the NFC Wild Card will go to the second-place team in the NFC West.

 

[Wild Card]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
We are tied with San Francisco for 9th lowest ypc given up at 3.7 yds per carry. Only Jamal Lewis hurt us and we still held him to almost 60 total yards below his average.

Skkorp:

Strangely, despite the Cardinals' top-ten average rushing ypc allowed, otherwise intelligent opposing coaches just keep calling running plays. Enough of them that the Cards rank 20th in the league for rushing yards-per-game allowed, at 117.5. If one more person cites that yards-per-carry stat...

And Jamal Lewis? Yeah, the Cards "held him" to only 131 yards on 21 carries (6.2 ypc). But remember, Lewis bruised his shoulder and went to the locker room for x-rays in the 2nd half. In a backup role, Chester Taylor ran for 10-45 (4.5 ypc). The Ravens got their yards, one way or another.

So will the 49ers, who should be about 12-13 points better in this game. Call it 27-14, San Francisco.

WC

 

[kerouac9]

Originally posted by Wild Card
Strangely, despite the Cardinals' top-ten average rushing ypc allowed, otherwise intelligent opposing coaches just keep calling running plays. Enough of them that the Cards rank 20th in the league for rushing yards-per-game allowed, at 117.5.

Classic post!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Originally posted by Wild Card
And Jamal Lewis? Yeah, the Cards "held him" to only 131 yards on 21 carries (6.2 ypc). But remember, Lewis bruised his shoulder and went to the locker room for x-rays in the 2nd half. In a backup role, Chester Taylor ran for 10-45 (4.5 ypc). The Ravens got their yards, one way or another.

Thanks but no thanks for the recap - many of us were actually at the game and saw what happened so we don't need a stay-at-home fan to spell out stuff pulled from the boxscore.

Go Cards, and good luck to your Dolphins, WC!!!

 

[CardLogic]

This week's game is probably the make or break game for this season.

If the Cards come out playing fast and loose they might pull off a win. Win this week against the Niner's and next week's contest vs. the Bengals begins to look like a tune-up for strong 2nd half of the season. By the time the Bears go crawling back to Chicago the Cardinals could be sitting at .500 (6-6). [@ Pittsburgh - L, @ Cleveland - W, home vs. St. Louis - W, home vs. Chicago - W]

The final four games of the season could be brutal [@ San Francisco, Carolina, @ Seattle, and Minnesota (at least it won't be at, the concrete with a throw rug, Metrodome)]. If the Cardinals are going to make any move this season it has to start this week.

OR

Play like crap this week against the Niners, losing badly; and then Cincinnatti comes in and kicks the crap outta the Cards the following week. This scenario occurrs and the team mails in the remainder of the year and finish 2-14.


SO

Cardinals 28
Niners' 17

Cardinals get two sacks on Garcia and win the turnover contest!!!
Yeah, I had a big dose of RED for lunch!

 

[CardLogic]

Originally posted by Wild Card
Skkorp:

Strangely, despite the Cardinals' top-ten average rushing ypc allowed, otherwise intelligent opposing coaches just keep calling running plays. Enough of them that the Cards rank 20th in the league for rushing yards-per-game allowed, at 117.5.
WC

So why the don't the Cardinals adopt this same strategy...

Run the ball, then run the ball, and then, RUN THE DAMN BALL.

I am so sick of this crap that the Cardinals have to abandon the run game (i.e. - game plan) because they got behind. Down 10 or 14 points in the first quarter is not time for crisis management; Gheessshhh!!!

 

[kerouac9]

Originally posted by Brian in Mesa
Thanks but no thanks for the recap - many of us were actually at the game and saw what happened so we don't need a stay-at-home fan to spell out stuff pulled from the boxscore.

I don't know what you mean by this, but I hope it is "You're right, Jamal Lewis killed us in that game," because if that is what you mean, you'd be right.

Through the first three quarters, the MEDIAN rush was for five yards. I was also at the game, and I remember seeing B-more gashing the Cards D over and over again, and hoping that Boller would drop back to stop the bleeding for a down or two.

The YPC stats were skewed because in the fourth quarter, when the game was basically decided, B-more began to just run into it's offensive line, rushing 10 times for 16 yards.

 

[CaliCards]

Its a must win game, so, the O-line will perform and so will the D-line. Blake will hook up with Boldin, Kasper, and Jones for a touch down each, and Shipp will run for another.

Cards 28
Niners 21

 

[RLakin]

Originally posted by 40yearfan
As much as Tampa Bay fans hate to admit it, they miss Dexter Jackson. He was to that team what Larry Centers was to the Cardinals. More than just a player, the heart and soul of a team.

I'm not sure about that angle, but there is something to what you're saying. It's the scenario I feared in the pre-season.

The difference between this years defense and last years is depth, particularly in the secondary. Last season the Bucs secondary was so strong that Terrell Buckley was cut in the preseason. Grabbing the spot that Buckley was supposed to take last season was Dwight Smith, who this season moved to FS after Dexter Jackson moved to Arizona. Smith should make a smooth transition, but his move will weaken the Bucs corner depth in a league with an increasing demand for it. Second year player Corey Ivy will inherit Smith's role, but should either starter Ronde Barber or Brian Kelly go down, look out.

Kelly was put on IR this week.

 

[Skkorpion]

Actually, Wild Card, the 117 yds per game rushing given up reflects the fact that we are always trailing in the 4th quarter and teams run clock on us by running the ball an inordinate number of plays late in the game.

Spinning a good ypc defensive stat into a negative is misleading. There are all kinds of things wrong with our defense but rushing defense is not one of them.

 

[Lex]

Cards win.

Bye week.

Offensive line together for first time since 4-0 preseason.

Defensive line together for first time since 4-0 preseason.

Marcell Shipp starting like he did in 4-0 preseason.

Frisco ran all over Simeon last week...he ain't here no more.

Frisco didn't "break out" last week, Tampa is overrated.

Cards 27-whiners 21.

 

[Wild Card]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
Spinning a good ypc defensive stat into a negative is misleading. There are all kinds of things wrong with our defense but rushing defense is not one of them.

Skkorp:

Tango made the same argument, citing the same ypc stat--which was significantly better, then--before the Baltimore game. I said that the Ravens, one of the most one-dimensional teams in the league, would be the first true test of the Cardinals' rushing defense, since they'd have to run to win.

Anyone who attended, watched, listened to, or read about that game knows what happened. The Ravens gained 213 yards (5.6 ypc) on the ground, and had 38 rushing plays to 18 pass attempts.

The only question is, which is the real Cards rushing defense? The one that held Green Bay's ground game to 23-66, 2.9 ypc in week 3? Or the one that showed up against Baltimore and Seattle (30-130, 4.3 ypc)?

It may not matter, since the 49ers can win this game through the air. But if the Cards can't keep Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow from reprising their 192-yard effort against Tampa Bay, they have no chance this Sunday.

WC

 

[kerouac9]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
Actually, Wild Card, the 117 yds per game rushing given up reflects the fact that we are always trailing in the 4th quarter and teams run clock on us by running the ball an inordinate number of plays late in the game.

Spinning a good ypc defensive stat into a negative is misleading. There are all kinds of things wrong with our defense but rushing defense is not one of them.

Actually, Skkorp, it looks like you're the one doing the misleading. In the 4th Quarter of the Ravens game, when they truly were just running out the clock (after the Field Goal at the start of the quarter), the Ravens ran just six times for a total of nine yards. Only once in the fourth quarter did Baltimore have a run of MORE THAN FIVE YARDS, and that was BEFORE the game-clinching field goal.

Basially, teams running into their offensive line to kill clock is HELPING the Cards rush defense look good. Through the first three quarters, Jamal Lewis and Chester Taylor were killing our defense, and the only respite was when the decided to let Boller drop back. Ends of Raves drive were always signified in a series in which Boller dropped back twice in a row.

On the first B-more scoring drive (FG), the Ravens rushed 6 times for 32 yards (5.3).

One their second drive, the Ravens ran a reverse (5), then a Lewis rush (2), and then Boller dropped back four times in a row. Result: punt.

Drive 3 (FG): 6 rushes, 22 yards (3.6). This possession started at the ARI 35 and Boller dropped back twice.

Drive 4 (FG): 2 rushes, 53 yards.

Drive 5: 7 rushes, 48 yards (6.86)

You were at the game, Skkorp. To say that Arizona "contained" Jamal Lewis or ANY of the Baltimore tailbacks is delusion. Did we hold them inside our Red Zone? Yeah, but outside of that there were basically gouging us for 6 yards every time they touched the rock. If they hadn't let Boller drop back every so often, the time of possession would have been even uglier.

 

[40yearfan]

Originally posted by cheesebeef
OMG! You are on a roll today!

The "heart and soul" - HOLY COW! I'm still laughing.

Cheesy, are you saying Centers wasn't a big motivator for the Cards or D. Jackson wasn't for the Bucs or both?

 

[40yearfan]

Originally posted by kerouac9
That's such a silly thing to say. He was with that team for only four years and was only a stater for one. I think that what Tampa really misses is the sense of disrespect that they carried with them before they won the Super Bowl, and Brian Kelly playing on the outside on passing downs with Ronde in the slot, and having another FS up top. I think having Joe Jerevicus out for a while really hurt them, too.

I think they're a little put out that teams aren't laying down for them, and they're schedule is pretty hard. They still get to play the Texans and Jags, as well as the Falcons at home. If they can get healthy (which is a huge IF) they'll be fine. The Panthers are good, but Tennessee might have put a book out on 'em last week. That division is still very much up in the air, but at almost the halfway point, I think that the NFC Wild Card will go to the second-place team in the NFC West.

So you're saying the Bucs defense is just as good without D. Jackson? If so, why are they playing so badly this year compared to last? What was the only real change in their secondary from this year to last?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Originally posted by 40yearfan
Cheesy, are you saying Centers wasn't a big motivator for the Cards or D. Jackson wasn't for the Bucs or both?

Jackson - the "heart and soul" of the team - as far as Centers goes - I'll give you a little leeway there - but he was one of two guys that made up the heart of the playoff team - the other being Jamir - playing ferociously all season with a broken hand.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Originally posted by 40yearfan
So you're saying the Bucs defense is just as good without D. Jackson? If so, why are they playing so badly this year compared to last? What was the only real change in their secondary from this year to last?

They've had two bad games, with injuries to Pro-Bowl players - funny you didn't say anything about the Bucs before injuries hit them and they appeared just as dominant in the first four games.

 

[40yearfan]

Originally posted by cheesebeef
They've had two bad games, with injuries to Pro-Bowl players - funny you didn't say anything about the Bucs before injuries hit them and they appeared just as dominant in the first four games.

Check out some of my posts on the NFL World Forums board. There's a bunch of Buc fans over there who were really razzing me at the start of the year because I was saying that. The razzing and smack has died down considerably the past few weeks.

 

[40yearfan]

Originally posted by cheesebeef
Jackson - the "heart and soul" of the team - as far as Centers goes - I'll give you a little leeway there - but he was one of two guys that made up the heart of the playoff team - the other being Jamir - playing ferociously all season with a broken hand.

Sometimes the chemistry of a team can be completely upset by the loss of one member of that team. The chemistry of the Bucs has been damaged and now that they realize it, and realize they are vunerable, it will be hard to get it back. I still say D. Jackson had a lot to do with that and the Bucs are a poorer team because of his loss.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Originally posted by 40yearfan
Sometimes the chemistry of a team can be completely upset by the loss of one member of that team. The chemistry of the Bucs has been damaged and now that they realize it, and realize they are vunerable, it will be hard to get it back. I still say D. Jackson had a lot to do with that and the Bucs are a poorer team because of his loss.

Okay - maybe they do miss him a little bit - but don't you think injuires to Lynch, age and slow down in Sapp and injuries to both of their starting corners - one of which is a Pro-Bowler doesn't better explain the sagging of a defense that was just as strong for the last five years as it was last year - the only year Jackson started? And do you really think that he was "the ehart and soul" of a defense that has been dominant for five years - come on - don't you think that was just a bit of an exaggeration?

 

[OmahaCardsFan]

Originally posted by swd1974
9ers 42
cards 7

ugly days ahead.

BUT on the brightside bookies are giving away free money!!!!

ravens -1.5 over the broncs and their 4th string qb!!

Tennessee -3 overs the jags sheesh free money i tell ya

This prediction is more realistic (maybe on the high side)...
9rs - 42
cards - 3
Fans - 12,000 plus (cards)
Fans - 20,000 plus (9rs)

 

[red desert]

Cards are going to win this one. I feel it in my bones. 31-27

 

[X-29Fan]

Niners 31

Cards 17

 

[john h]

Originally posted by Oran
Niners- 34-14. We get blown out from the get-go. I really, really, really, really hope I am dead wrong.

Niners 34-7