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So, just how big is the Skins game?
- Thread starter 82CardsGrad
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then your expectations are a) incredibly low for a relatively healthy defense at home going up against a godawful offense and b) wayyyy too high for an offense missing it's 1st and 2nd string starting QB, it's starting RT and a starting Pro-Bowl WR.
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82CardsGrad
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Not really... I expect an NFL offense, coached by The Whiz and Grimm, to be able to score more than 10 points at home...
If they had done so, perhaps we would have been calling a different set of plays on defense, with 6 mins left in the game? Perhaps we would have been more aggressive in getting after Testicles?? Perhaps Smith never catches that pass? Of if he does, perhaps it's meaningless???
I don't like to play the what-if game however... We lost. Smith did catch the pass... Williams did break off a 75 yarder... And our offense did only score 10 points...
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my only question is this? We're only up ONE point? Why in the hell weren't we aggressive in going after this stiff anyway?
bottom line, both units crapped the bed and I'm not sure how people can argue otherwise, especially since we barely had an NFL offense out there. At least they had an excuse as to why they were bad - facing a hunrgy D, big injuries - as opposed to the d, which was relatively healthy, facing absolute dogmeat and getting beaten like a drum when it came to winning time.
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82CardsGrad
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C'mon Cheese... We were missing Levi on the line. The rest are our starters... Yes, Q was out again but we did have Fitz and BJ! And is Edge a non-factor??
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we were missing our best WR, our two best QBs and our RT - that's three GINORMOUS losses.
We had BJ! That's a good one.
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82CardsGrad
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I know... I know... Can't believe I said that.... Ok... You.......... Wi.............. Win..................
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I know... I know... Can't believe I said that.... Ok... You.......... Wi.............. Win..................
i love the internet war of attrition!
Let's hope both the O and D play better this week. They're going to need to play a hell of a lot better if we're gonna have a shot in hell of going into Washington and getting a W.
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I would like to go into the bye week over .500 but do not believe it is a disaster if we don't. Still have the Lambs at home,9ers home to me the big one will be Seattle on the road. Thin we will beat Lions and Falcons at home.
If the division had anyone at 6-0 or even 5-1 I would say this is a huge game but since even if we lose this week we are still in the thick of the winning the West. The rest of the NFC is still wide open as well. The game is important but not huge - especially considering the skeleton crew we need to play with.
Exactly. All you have to do is look at the Bucs and Cards common opponents and the points allowed. 76 to 30.
To be a good defense the Cards need to be at least in the vicinity of where the Bucs are. But, as you say, we're not even close.
TigToad
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next two are rough. Washington on the road and Tampa on the road while we are this hurt will both be extremely tough. I honestly expect to be 3-5. I really hoped we would beat carolina as then we could be 4-4... but the back half of our season is way easier, 6-2 or 7-1 are quite achievable.. especially if Kurt plays well after week 9. I say we rest everyone who needs resting this week.. and come out of our buy shooting for 7-2.
next two are rough. Washington on the road and Tampa on the road while we are this hurt will both be extremely tough. I honestly expect to be 3-5. I really hoped we would beat carolina as then we could be 4-4... but the back half of our season is way easier, 6-2 or 7-1 are quite achievable.. especially if Kurt plays well after week 9. I say we rest everyone who needs resting this week.. and come out of our buy shooting for 7-2.
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You can't tank any game. There's no guarantee that we'll be in better shape healthwise later. Or, that we won't get screwed by a bad call, etc. You don't want to wind up one game out of the playoffs at the end of the year saying, "Gee, maybe we should've played those guys who could've played in DC."
Lats poitnfor me on the Carolina game. It was a team loss. The defense gave up 2 big plays. Thats not a lot, but it is what it is. The offense did not score enough, move the ball when we had a chance to ice the game, and turned the ball over in our territory. That adds up to a loss. In todays NFL you just can't give your opponents extra possesions unless you are a great team like the Patriots .
If you analyze games , you can always point to 1 or 2 plays. But if you really look at the whole game , many times those 1 or 2 plays wouldn't have mattered if it weren't for 1 or 2 other plays.
For instance, the Wilson hit on Heap. Many of us blasted Wilson for be dumb and over aggressive. However, if we didn't allow a 75 yd punt return, it would have been just another play.
On the Steve Smith TD , if that happened in the 1st quarter, we probably would be talking about another play that cost us the game.
It's so simple sometimes. Avoid turnovers, penalties and play good special teams and more often than not you'll come out on top.
If you analyze games , you can always point to 1 or 2 plays. But if you really look at the whole game , many times those 1 or 2 plays wouldn't have mattered if it weren't for 1 or 2 other plays.
For instance, the Wilson hit on Heap. Many of us blasted Wilson for be dumb and over aggressive. However, if we didn't allow a 75 yd punt return, it would have been just another play.
On the Steve Smith TD , if that happened in the 1st quarter, we probably would be talking about another play that cost us the game.
It's so simple sometimes. Avoid turnovers, penalties and play good special teams and more often than not you'll come out on top.
Always, always, always better to interfere than to give up a TD...
Interesting...
It seems that Carolina decided right at this point in the game to "go for broke". They hadn't been doing crap on offense, hadn't been able to sustain a drive all game long.
Backed up on their own 10 yard line they toss two deep right passes in a row, and had success on both...
Just seems as though Carolina were willing to win or lose it on that possession. Had they been sacked or intercepted on either play it would have likely been over and the Cardinals win.
Any road win, for most NFL teams, not just us, is big. For us it's rare, so it would be huge.
Teams don't match up with every opponent the same way, with the same relative weaknesses and strengths. By week 7, stats are beginning to be a reliable indicator of every team's overall tendencies. The stats don't always provide a good prediction for any particular match-up.
A loss could be huge for us or it might not hurt more than just an L. We won't know until after the game is over.
I'm looking forward to the game.
Teams don't match up with every opponent the same way, with the same relative weaknesses and strengths. By week 7, stats are beginning to be a reliable indicator of every team's overall tendencies. The stats don't always provide a good prediction for any particular match-up.
A loss could be huge for us or it might not hurt more than just an L. We won't know until after the game is over.
I'm looking forward to the game.
At the beginning of the season, I thought that we would have to win every home game, plus two road games, to win the division. I picked road wins at the 9ers and the Rams as the easiest. We're 1-2 in that category now, I was hoping that we would be 2-1.
As for home games, were 2-1. That puts an onus on us to win every other home game, plus two road games, for a division lock. Looking at the schedule, I'd say Cincy and Saints were the best choices for road wins (based upon several power surveys, picking the two lowest teams remaining on our home schedule). All remaining home games are winnable IMO.
Why is the Skins game big for us? B/C we have produce against a good team on the road. We have to. If we lose, its not the end of the season, but a win would be HUGE, springing us into the bye week, then onto the next road game @ the Bucs, who are 4-2 right now (losses to Indy @ Indy and SEA @ SEA).
That's why its a big game - B/C a win means we've beaten a decent team at their place, and then we get a week to go heal up before heading on the road again.
As for home games, were 2-1. That puts an onus on us to win every other home game, plus two road games, for a division lock. Looking at the schedule, I'd say Cincy and Saints were the best choices for road wins (based upon several power surveys, picking the two lowest teams remaining on our home schedule). All remaining home games are winnable IMO.
Why is the Skins game big for us? B/C we have produce against a good team on the road. We have to. If we lose, its not the end of the season, but a win would be HUGE, springing us into the bye week, then onto the next road game @ the Bucs, who are 4-2 right now (losses to Indy @ Indy and SEA @ SEA).
That's why its a big game - B/C a win means we've beaten a decent team at their place, and then we get a week to go heal up before heading on the road again.
Westgate Danimal
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Great take on this game!
OP
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82CardsGrad
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Well - I'm a firm believer that only true, life-long losers ever "feel good" about a loss...
So while there are several aspects of this game where one can find the perverbial "signs of hope", bottom line is we lost. We committed, again, a HUGE number of bonehead plays and STUPID penalities...
I will say that I was incredibly impresed with Warner today. Yes, he threw 2 INT's and fumbled as well. But, he played one gritty game today. And for the most part, put this team in position to win. Incredible performance given his elbow issues...
He even hit Fitz in stride on a bomb that allowed Larry to catch the ball, and actually run with it! Unlike Leinart who simply tosses up the lob, jump ball...
IMO - Edge is fading... He toughed it out today for sure against a really strong defense. However, I am more convinced than ever that he simply does not have the ability to break a run, to pop through a hole and rip off 30 yards... He almost seems content to grab hi 4 or 5 yards and not look for more...
Our defense played a geat game todaty. The secondary still sucks, but our upfront, we are as tough as anyone...
That said, Hayes seems to be fading... He was so active early in the season, but as of late, he's been non-existent.
I'd be shocked if Seattle loses this afternoon. If they don't, we no head into the BYE 3 & 4, and the Hawks 4 & 3. Problem is, coming out of the BYE we travel to Tampa Bay.
We're certainly not out of things, but in typical Cards fashion, we blew an early opportunity to make a HUGE statement and put ourselves in the driver seat...
So while there are several aspects of this game where one can find the perverbial "signs of hope", bottom line is we lost. We committed, again, a HUGE number of bonehead plays and STUPID penalities...
I will say that I was incredibly impresed with Warner today. Yes, he threw 2 INT's and fumbled as well. But, he played one gritty game today. And for the most part, put this team in position to win. Incredible performance given his elbow issues...
He even hit Fitz in stride on a bomb that allowed Larry to catch the ball, and actually run with it! Unlike Leinart who simply tosses up the lob, jump ball...
IMO - Edge is fading... He toughed it out today for sure against a really strong defense. However, I am more convinced than ever that he simply does not have the ability to break a run, to pop through a hole and rip off 30 yards... He almost seems content to grab hi 4 or 5 yards and not look for more...
Our defense played a geat game todaty. The secondary still sucks, but our upfront, we are as tough as anyone...
That said, Hayes seems to be fading... He was so active early in the season, but as of late, he's been non-existent.
I'd be shocked if Seattle loses this afternoon. If they don't, we no head into the BYE 3 & 4, and the Hawks 4 & 3. Problem is, coming out of the BYE we travel to Tampa Bay.
We're certainly not out of things, but in typical Cards fashion, we blew an early opportunity to make a HUGE statement and put ourselves in the driver seat...
