Should Pendy stay or should he go?

[Crazy Canuck]

No, the DC can get his guys to practice fundamentals and discipline. Which he is supposed to do. When the HC has to tear asses to fix things, that's not a sign the DC is getting it done.

And who said he wasn't. Did you attend practice?

My point was simply that putting on the pads and banging in practice is the HC's decision, and it is the one which has been widely credited with getting the team on the right track after the NE debacle.

That they were not in pads... and banging prior to then was the HC's choice, and not either of the coordinators.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Jeff, you point out that three guys were around santonio, but i think the more salient point is that Big Ben had all feakin' day to find his third option on that play. Typical of Pendy.

]Our DC has to put his players in a position to make plays

He has fallen short more often than not, IMO.

The salient point is that he sent FIVE on the play that got the Steelers down to the five, and FOUR on thw winning touchdown. What more could he do?

As indicated by another poster, Ben burned our blitz all day. His rating was around 60 when we rushed 3, and around 118 when we rushed 4 or more.

 

[D-Dogg]

And who said he wasn't. Did you attend practice?

My point was simply that putting on the pads and banging in practice is the HC's decision, and it is the one which has been widely credited with getting the team on the right track after the NE debacle.

That they were not in pads... and banging prior to then was the HC's choice, and not either of the coordinators.

He also was said to tell players that if they weren't bringing it, they wouldn't play in the playoff game. Shocking how that could motivate them but half a decade of Pendy's coaching couldn't fix it.

So if he WAS, it wasn't working. You don't need to be at practice to figure that out.

 

[D-Dogg]

The salient point is that he sent FIVE on the play that got the Steelers down to the five, and FOUR on thw winning touchdown. What more could he do?

Not sit in a soft deep zone playing pansy ass defense. not leaving the middle open where Francisco falling down = 40 yard gain and changes FG range (which they were playing for) into TD range.

That's a bit more that comes to mind.

 

[lauraw]

i like the style of defense that is more aggressive, like pittsburgh and baltimore play..
why can't old dogs learn new tricks? if not, take them in the back and shoot them.

 

[moklerman]

why can't old dogs learn new tricks? if not, take them in the back and shoot them.

I'm not sure that's a) an accurate metaphor b) logical. My dog isn't going to be learning any new tricks but it's still a good dog. No need to shoot it. Now, I can't say that the Cardinals defense is necessarily a good dog. It may need to be taught or shot.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Not sit in a soft deep zone playing pansy ass defense. not leaving the middle open where Francisco falling down = 40 yard gain and changes FG range (which they were playing for) into TD range.

That's a bit more that comes to mind.

Ok... we understand you want Pendy gone.

On that play (Check the video) DRC went from a normal 7 yard drop to 5, and then let Holmes blow by him to supposedly cover a FB who was barely beyond the line of scrimmage.

I don't know what Pendy is supposed to do about Francisco falling down, but feel free to include it in the indictment.

And by all means ignore the fact that Ben was twice as successful against our blitz then when we sent 3 and setup coverage.

In the end, it's the teams' decision as to whether he stays, and I doubt very much that your wishes will be met.

 

[red desert]

The salient point is that he sent FIVE on the play that got the Steelers down to the five, and FOUR on thw winning touchdown. What more could he do?

Then you send six, or seven, or the whole damn defense if that's what it takes to get the qb.

But more realistaically...

Send them in from different angles. It's not always how many you're bringing, but rather, from where they are coming in response to the team you are playing. Anticipate the freakin' gaps. And so often this season our rushers were missing the gaps. Of course that's not all scheme, that also falls on the players.

 

[D-Dogg]

Ok... we understand you want Pendy gone.

On that play (Check the video) DRC went from a normal 7 yard drop to 5, and then let Holmes blow by him to supposedly cover a FB who was barely beyond the line of scrimmage.

I don't know what Pendy is supposed to do about Francisco falling down, but feel free to include it in the indictment.

You are making my point for me. Yes, he released him to the safety help, and sat on the outside edges to keep the sidelines out of play. Classic shrivel defense we've seen for years now.

And that safety help is Francisco, not known really for superior cover skills in the first place...a special teams guy (and a good one) so you are releasing their top WR (healthy one at least) into coverage by a guy who doesn't play much in the first place. On a drive with the title at stake. Regardless of him slipping, you put the team in a position to fail there. All to protect those sidelines and give up the middle. All to play soft crap.

I'd tend to say I was off the reservation here if I were you too, but I've seen it happen so similarly way too many times for it to be a one time thing. It is a default Pendy end of game defense that gets torn apart, which to me is shocking from a guy who I admit is a brilliant schemer. But scheming is only one part of coaching.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Then you send six, or seven, or the whole damn defense if that's what it takes to get the qb.

But more realistaically...

Send them in from different angles. It's not always how many you're bringing, but rather, from where they are coming in response to the team you are playing. Anticipate the freakin' gaps. And so often this season our rushers were missing the gaps. Of course that's not all scheme, that also falls on the players.

Well, maybe we should run a poll on whether we should keep the D-line coach.

 

[IAWarnerFan]

I don't really have a strong feel either way. It could be worse. At least the defense stepped it up for the playoffs.

 

[Duckjake]

Well we're just going to have to agree to disagree here. You'd have a better point IF we didn't just have all those turnovers and shut down multiple premier backs in this league. I don't think the D has been credited enough for it's successes, only it's failures, which was pointed out, less than that illustrius Pitt D. And Pitt had 2 weeks to break this D apart.

Like I said , I agree there have been plenty of bumps on the road. But to bring in a rookie CB and help bring him up to speed fast, with the help of the entire secondary, and a new starting SS this D has made some big strides. The continuity issue is very close to being a non-issue and we're seeing THAT in a bigger way MORE CONSISTENTLY.

Another coverage ball hawk and I'd say we're there.

I've said all along that the Cards run defense has been outstanding. Its a major factor in the break but don't bend defense. We hold teams over and over on 1st and 2nd and then give up the big play on third down or stuff 'em 25 plays in a row and then give up a 65 yard TD play.

This isn't something that just happened last Sunday but has been the defining characteristic of the defense for the last 5 years. It is why the Cards constantly rank much higher in yards allowed than points(I know that our poor special teams has contributed but the difference has been so big that ST alone can't be the culprit) no matter where they are in turnover/giveaway ratio. We're bottom 5 the last 4 years in a row.

I think more than a coverage ball hawk we need a premier pass rusher.
The only time the Cards have been in the top half of the league in points allowed was 2004 when Berry had 14.5 sacks. Nobody has come close to that for the Cards since. We've had Tate, Macklin, Green, Rolle, Hood and DRC at Corner and the results have been the same. We complain every year about the play of our FS no matter who it is.

I don't think its the players but the coverage scheme and lack of a serious pass rush.

 

[Duckjake]

I don't really have a strong feel either way. It could be worse. At least the defense stepped it up for the playoffs.

They just went back to playing the way they did before the team decided to take off for a month to celebrate clinching the division.

 

[Evil Ash]

Jeff, you point out that three guys were around santonio, but i think the more salient point is that Big Ben had all feakin' day to find his third option on that play. Typical of Pendy.

Our DC has to put his players in a position to make plays. He has fallen short more often than not, IMO.

What people forget to put into account is that we did try to blitz early in the drive. However, we got burned each and every time.

Their last drive was successful due to a lack of depth in our secondary and the inability to get pressure with our front four (and with how poorly their Oline had played all year that is the most disappointing part). It wasn't the scheme that did us in

 

[Pariah]

BTW, that final Steelers play that everyone is citing was a fantastic play by the offense--the execution was damn near perfect. Very hard to defend, IMO. We should be giving a lot more credit to the steelers for that instead of lambasting the cards.

Now, the plays leading up to it are a much different story...

EDIT: never mind. I misread some of the previous posts.

 

[lobo]

BTW, that final Steelers play that everyone is citing was a fantastic play by the offense--the execution was damn near perfect. Very hard to defend, IMO. We should be giving a lot more credit to the steelers for that instead of lambasting the cards.

Now, the plays leading up to it are a much different story...

EDIT: never mind. I misread some of the previous posts.

100% correct in my opinion as well. That ball was almost impossible to defend and thrown to perfection...yeah after 49+ years of waiting that was a blade to my chest , but if the team had to lose, they lost on a near perfect play...forget the fact that the Pirate Nation are a bunch of dorks...irrelevant.

 

[Skkorpion]

If Whisenhunt wants Pendergast, without a doubt, bring him back and for a decent salary this time. If Whisenhunt wants to dump him, he should be gone fast, without a peep from ownership even if we have to eat salary (which we don't, I think.)

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

The thing that bother me, and most of us, about Pendy is the exact game losing situation in the Super Bowl. He ALWAYS plays the soft zone. He'll blitz occasionally but they never leave the zone. That last drive, Holmes was the only guy that could hurt the Cards. Why not double him and take him out of the equation. Ward was hurt,Miller and the backs are more underneath targets. If LeBeau can take Fitz out of the game for 3 quarters, you'd think CP could take Holmes out of 1 drive. They may have driven for FG throwing it to Miller/Ward but allowing the ball to get to Holmes cost the game.

 

[D-Dogg]

aaaaaahhhhhh bump...

 

[Spielman]

Looks like we know how the guy with an actual vote voted.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

I cheated...

 

[mjb21aztd]

Glad he is gone and I hope the cards burn his defense on whatever new team hires him.

 

[D-Dogg]

Looks like we know how the guy with an actual vote voted.

I told you in my first post.

/whis

 

[Duckjake]

Looks like we know how the guy with an actual vote voted.

And you know he made his decision after reading this poll. We've been right on our takes for 5 years! Finally we have a coach that listens to us.

 

[az1965]

going... going... gone!