SF@ARI - Heroes and Goats

[kerouac9]

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1. Bruce Arians, Head Coach. I am not a huge fan of Bruce Arians the guy. I wasn't a huge fan of the Bruce Arians hiring. But I'm a huge, huge fan of Bruce Arians the head coach right now. He has complete buy-in from a team that had every reason in the world to take a week off. Amazing coaching.

2. Todd Bowles, Defensive Coordinator. I wasn't a fan of the Todd Bowles signing. I'm a huge fan of how he's performing. I actually don't think that Bowles is in danger of getting poached by another team next offseason, no matter what happens the rest of the way.

3. Drew Stanton, Quarterback. People who somehow think that Drew Stanton is a legitimate NFL quarterback after this team may not watch a lot of other NFL teams. Drew Stanton is playing like a top-shelf backup quarterback. He completed 55.8% of his passes at home when he's been working with these guys for two weeks straight. That's not good enough in the long term, but it was plenty good enough yesterday.

Honorable Mention: Chandler Catanzaro, Kicker. Nails.

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1. Kevin Minter, ILB. It's probably not time to put the "bust" label on the thumper who doesn't thump anyone, but it's probably time to stop pretending that Minter is suddenly going to become a top inside linebacker in the NFL. If that was going to happen, it probably would have happened by now.

2. Steve Keim, General Manager. I believe that Arians and Bowles have the sum of this team playing far, far beyond the totality of its parts. The outside linebacker group that the Arizona Cardinals are going to field for the next thirteen weeks are an embarrassment.

3. Harold Goodwin, Offensive Coordinator. Don't know what has to happen to get Stepfan Taylor more reps, but when you're running Parmele out there in a third-and-short situation three days after he joined the team, you probably need to re-think your decision tree.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

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1. Bruce Arians, Head Coach. I am not a huge fan of Bruce Arians the guy. I wasn't a huge fan of the Bruce Arians hiring. But I'm a huge, huge fan of Bruce Arians the head coach right now. He has complete buy-in from a team that had every reason in the world to take a week off. Amazing coaching.

2. Todd Bowles, Defensive Coordinator. I wasn't a fan of the Todd Bowles signing. I'm a huge fan of how he's performing. I actually don't think that Bowles is in danger of getting poached by another team next offseason, no matter what happens the rest of the way.

3. Drew Stanton, Quarterback. People who somehow think that Drew Stanton is a legitimate NFL quarterback after this team may not watch a lot of other NFL teams. Drew Stanton is playing like a top-shelf backup quarterback. He completed 55.8% of his passes at home when he's been working with these guys for two weeks straight. That's not good enough in the long term, but it was plenty good enough yesterday.

Honorable Mention: Chandler Catanzaro, Kicker. Nails.

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1. Kevin Minter, ILB. It's probably not time to put the "bust" label on the thumper who doesn't thump anyone, but it's probably time to stop pretending that Minter is suddenly going to become a top inside linebacker in the NFL. If that was going to happen, it probably would have happened by now.

2. Steve Keim, General Manager. I believe that Arians and Bowles have the sum of this team playing far, far beyond the totality of its parts. The outside linebacker group that the Arizona Cardinals are going to field for the next thirteen weeks are an embarrassment.

3. Harold Goodwin, Offensive Coordinator. Don't know what has to happen to get Stepfan Taylor more reps, but when you're running Parmele out there in a third-and-short situation three days after he joined the team, you probably need to re-think your decision tree.

I don't get it...just like the Snap Count thread...Can't rightfully bag on Minter for this game. The Niners were employing a 4/5 wideout game plan, and pass coverage is not Minter's strength, so it should be no surprise that he's not going to play as much...To top it off, SF basically abandoned the run game in the 2nd half. I bet he would have been more involved, if SF had come out with their power running game, which is what the Cards were expecting.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

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1. Bruce Arians, Head Coach. I am not a huge fan of Bruce Arians the guy. I wasn't a huge fan of the Bruce Arians hiring. But I'm a huge, huge fan of Bruce Arians the head coach right now. He has complete buy-in from a team that had every reason in the world to take a week off. Amazing coaching.

2. Todd Bowles, Defensive Coordinator. I wasn't a fan of the Todd Bowles signing. I'm a huge fan of how he's performing. I actually don't think that Bowles is in danger of getting poached by another team next offseason, no matter what happens the rest of the way.

3. Drew Stanton, Quarterback. People who somehow think that Drew Stanton is a legitimate NFL quarterback after this team may not watch a lot of other NFL teams. Drew Stanton is playing like a top-shelf backup quarterback. He completed 55.8% of his passes at home when he's been working with these guys for two weeks straight. That's not good enough in the long term, but it was plenty good enough yesterday.

Honorable Mention: Chandler Catanzaro, Kicker. Nails.

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1. Kevin Minter, ILB. It's probably not time to put the "bust" label on the thumper who doesn't thump anyone, but it's probably time to stop pretending that Minter is suddenly going to become a top inside linebacker in the NFL. If that was going to happen, it probably would have happened by now.

2. Steve Keim, General Manager. I believe that Arians and Bowles have the sum of this team playing far, far beyond the totality of its parts. The outside linebacker group that the Arizona Cardinals are going to field for the next thirteen weeks are an embarrassment.

3. Harold Goodwin, Offensive Coordinator. Don't know what has to happen to get Stepfan Taylor more reps, but when you're running Parmele out there in a third-and-short situation three days after he joined the team, you probably need to re-think your decision tree.

Parmele was involved in 1 snap. Is that really a fair criticism?

 

[Chopper0080]

Hero-Calais Campbell

A beast who played almost every defensive snap in a very physical game. You can put him here most weeks, but yesterday stood out.

Agreed with Arians and Bowles.

Agree with Minter who doesn't seem to have a place in this defense.

I give Goodwin a pass as he is an extension of Arians.

The shine is coming off the Cardinals drafting, but only to a degree. Cooper, Minter, and Okafor have been disappointing, and I am getting less and less confident of Minter turning the corner. However, Bucannon, Niklas, and Martin are getting snaps which is reasssuring. The draft can be a crap shoot, but I hope Keim continues to adjust his drafting style because it isn't up to par yet.

Agree with Stanton. He is a top backup, and he stood up against a storm yesterday.

Nice to see the Cards use John Brown yesterday in a bunch of move situations. Those plays take a bit to develop, but Stanton knew who to look for and Brown didn't wilt.

 

[Shane]

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1. Bruce Arians, Head Coach. I am not a huge fan of Bruce Arians the guy. I wasn't a huge fan of the Bruce Arians hiring. But I'm a huge, huge fan of Bruce Arians the head coach right now. He has complete buy-in from a team that had every reason in the world to take a week off. Amazing coaching.

2. Todd Bowles, Defensive Coordinator. I wasn't a fan of the Todd Bowles signing. I'm a huge fan of how he's performing. I actually don't think that Bowles is in danger of getting poached by another team next offseason, no matter what happens the rest of the way.

3. Drew Stanton, Quarterback. People who somehow think that Drew Stanton is a legitimate NFL quarterback after this team may not watch a lot of other NFL teams. Drew Stanton is playing like a top-shelf backup quarterback. He completed 55.8% of his passes at home when he's been working with these guys for two weeks straight. That's not good enough in the long term, but it was plenty good enough yesterday.

Honorable Mention: Chandler Catanzaro, Kicker. Nails.

You must be registered for see images attach

1. Kevin Minter, ILB. It's probably not time to put the "bust" label on the thumper who doesn't thump anyone, but it's probably time to stop pretending that Minter is suddenly going to become a top inside linebacker in the NFL. If that was going to happen, it probably would have happened by now.

2. Steve Keim, General Manager. I believe that Arians and Bowles have the sum of this team playing far, far beyond the totality of its parts. The outside linebacker group that the Arizona Cardinals are going to field for the next thirteen weeks are an embarrassment.

3. Harold Goodwin, Offensive Coordinator. Don't know what has to happen to get Stepfan Taylor more reps, but when you're running Parmele out there in a third-and-short situation three days after he joined the team, you probably need to re-think your decision tree.

If I was a betting man Ide bet Goodwin had nothing to do with the Parmele decision and that was all Arians... Goodwin is OC in title only.

 

[Mulli]

"Not a fan" fail.

Haha.

 

[kerouac9]

I don't get it...just like the Snap Count thread...Can't rightfully bag on Minter for this game. The Niners were employing a 4/5 wideout game plan, and pass coverage is not Minter's strength, so it should be no surprise that he's not going to play as much...To top it off, SF basically abandoned the run game in the 2nd half. I bet he would have been more involved, if SF had come out with their power running game, which is what the Cards were expecting.

Because you're Top 45 pick has to find a way to get on the field. It shouldn't be game-plan dependent. I think we spent a higher pick on Minter (45th overall) than we did on Daryl Washington (47th overall). When that guy can't get on the field--for whatever reason--in his second season, that's a problem.

And this isn't to say that Minter's a terrible person. He's not that good or special when he is on the field, but mostly it means that the Cards need to refine their process when it comes to identifying ILB talent in the draft going forward.

The shine is coming off the Cardinals drafting, but only to a degree. Cooper, Minter, and Okafor have been disappointing, and I am getting less and less confident of Minter turning the corner. However, Bucannon, Niklas, and Martin are getting snaps which is reasssuring. The draft can be a crap shoot, but I hope Keim continues to adjust his drafting style because it isn't up to par yet.

Yeah. You're not going to hit a home run on every draft pick. But you have to refine your process to get the best results. I think the problem is that the Cards are aiming to hit singles and doubles with these high picks--Bucannon hasn't made a ton of plays, Cooper was never going to be an impact player, Minter's been described as a "thumper" since we drafted him, which means a guy who doesn't make game-changing impact, and Niklas is a block-first TE--and at some point we're going to have to have some big swings to get over the top.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Ha, only K9 would get a shot in at Keim despite him having a 13-6 record as general manager.

 

[Azlen]

I am curious as to how bad Minter's pectoral is still bothering him. Not that I think he would be great if he was healthy but it could be holding him back a bit.

 

[MrYeahBut]

2. Steve Keim, General Manager. I believe that Arians and Bowles have the sum of this team playing far, far beyond the totality of its parts. The outside linebacker group that the Arizona Cardinals are going to field for the next thirteen weeks are an embarrassment.

I wonder just how long the smoke and mirrors can hold up. As many have noted, it's extremely perplexing that this position has not been addressed

.

 

[crisper57]

K9 is going to take some lumps every time he names a goat after a victory. And I disagree with his goats too.

My goats of the game:

Fitz: That fumble could have cost us, but since it didn't you get a pass. Also, that 25 yard catch was nails.

Ted Larsen: Weakest OL of the day. Penalty could have been killer. I am not calling for Cooper to start yet because the unit is coming together nicely as a whole, but Larsen was the weak link.

Cro: You drop an easy pick 6 and then get hurt? C'mon man!

(Okay, that last one was a joke but he is my biggest concern coming out of this game right now)

 

[AZCrazy]

Minter was "kept off the field" last year by Dansby. It's his third game as a starter. The SILB is off the field on obvious passing downs. Ignorant to call him a bust.

 

[Buckybird]

5 up K9

Minter doesn't fit, especially in today's game. The thumper ILB is a dinosaur position, much like the blocking FB. Yes a 2nd round pick shouldn't be a situational player.

I also agree about Stanton...I think he's a FA in 2015, wonder if he will get some nibbles to be a starter or possibly price himself out of AZ.

Again, never was a fan of a situational player in Niklaus in the 2nd. Didnt we just sign the same player in Carlson in FA?

IMO Goodwin is just a figurehead as OC because we all know who's calling the plays & making the offensive decisions.


Good stuff though.

 

[Mulli]

K9 out of his own thread?

 

[crisper57]

5 up K9

Minter doesn't fit, especially in today's game. The thumper ILB is a dinosaur position, much like the blocking FB. Yes a 2nd round pick shouldn't be a situational player.

I also agree about Stanton...I think he's a FA in 2015, wonder if he will get some nibbles to be a starter or possibly price himself out of AZ.

Again, never was a fan of a situational player in Niklaus in the 2nd. Didnt we just sign the same player in Carlson in FA?

IMO Goodwin is just a figurehead as OC because we all know who's calling the plays & making the offensive decisions.


Good stuff though.

FA in 16. Palmer is a FA in 15. If anything, Stanton just took away Carson's leverage for negotiating a new contract with the Cards.

More than one team will be sniffing around Stanton in the off season.

 

[SO91]

Minter was "kept off the field" last year by Dansby. It's his third game as a starter. The SILB is off the field on obvious passing downs. Ignorant to call him a bust.

It's probably not time to put the "bust" label on the thumper who doesn't thump anyone...

Umm what?

 

[Chopper0080]

Minter was "kept off the field" last year by Dansby. It's his third game as a starter. The SILB is off the field on obvious passing downs. Ignorant to call him a bust.

Not in Bowles defense. If you look at it historically, Bowles likes to keep his two ILBs on the field in almost all packages. If there is any rotational/role position, it is at OLB. What Bowles is aiming to do is go heavy at OLB in base and then shift those heavy OLBs to DE in passing downs, adding a mismatch vs large OTs. Larry Foote plays every snap defensively which shouldn't be the issue if Minter is the guy you are saying he is. Minter is losing ILB snaps to Bucannon who is a rookie, and who also missed time this offseason.

Again, I think Minter could develop into a Jasper Brinkley type player, but that is a waste to spend a 2nd round pick on. Minter looks so lost in coverage that he really doesn't have a role, and in today's NFL, that doesn't look to change.

The bright side in all of this is that Minter was taken in year one of Bowles's defensive scheme, and hopefully Keim will get with him and figure out why Minter didn't work.

 

[Chopper0080]

I wonder just how long the smoke and mirrors can hold up. As many have noted, it's extremely perplexing that this position has not been addressed

.

I'm begining to believe it will be less of an issue than I originally tohught it was going to be.

 

[MrYeahBut]

Ignorant to call him a bust.

Instead of calling those of us who are not thrilled with Minter's play ignorant, how about this instead?


'I think it's too early to call him a bust'

Sincerely,

AZCrazy

.

 

[clif]

My Hero? Whoever decided to only give Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde 9 rushes.

 

[MrYeahBut]

I'm begining to believe it will be less of an issue than I originally tohught it was going to be.

Chopper, you said in another thread you were going to try and explain how you thought Bowles was making the D work. You said it was hard to put in words.

Give it a try, anyway.

.

 

[Arizona_Steve]

Fail: The 49ers fans who said they were going to invade our stadium.

 

[Chopper0080]

Because you're Top 45 pick has to find a way to get on the field. It shouldn't be game-plan dependent. I think we spent a higher pick on Minter (45th overall) than we did on Daryl Washington (47th overall). When that guy can't get on the field--for whatever reason--in his second season, that's a problem.

And this isn't to say that Minter's a terrible person. He's not that good or special when he is on the field, but mostly it means that the Cards need to refine their process when it comes to identifying ILB talent in the draft going forward.



Yeah. You're not going to hit a home run on every draft pick. But you have to refine your process to get the best results. I think the problem is that the Cards are aiming to hit singles and doubles with these high picks--Bucannon hasn't made a ton of plays, Cooper was never going to be an impact player, Minter's been described as a "thumper" since we drafted him, which means a guy who doesn't make game-changing impact, and Niklas is a block-first TE--and at some point we're going to have to have some big swings to get over the top.

I'm actually really impressed with Bucannon. His ability to assimilate LB and S responsibilities has been impressive. He hasn't shone in a ton of areas I agree, but his usuage an versatility as a rookie has been amazing in my eyes. He plays smart, which showed when he took down Kap in the open field yesterday, he doesn't make stupid penalties, and he is around so many plays. If you watch the Jefferson sack at the end of the game, I believe you will see Bucannon holding that hole open.

He hasn't been Eric Reid or Kenny Vaccaro, but you can argue that he hasn't been given a chance to be because he is also having to fill in for Daryl Washington.

 

[Chopper0080]

Chopper, you said in another thread you were going to try and explain how you thought Bowles was making the D work. You said it was hard to put in words.

Give it a try, anyway.

.

I will hopefully have it done around lunch time.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Cards main defensive objective, as said by BA, is to shut down the run game. Minter is in there for his run defense and the Cards are 4th in the league against the run. I'm okay with him as he is still very early in his development.