So what was the cause of today's loss?

[CardLogic]

Think about the situation, though. The TD is obviously important, but that would have made the score 27-10 in the third quarter, and while it would have helped, it wouldn't have been the nail in the proverbial coffin.

If you look at the failure to gain one yard in two tries, it totally set the tone for the rest of the quarter where we decided that we couldn't run the ball, and thus couldn't run the clock. If we gain that yard, and move even into field goal position on that drive, eating up another two minutes or so and really committing to get Edge 100 yards, then I think that the game is over.

I didn't think that the game was over when #80 dropped the TD, but when we couldn't get that one yard, it was a huge momentum changer.

I agree with you k9, if fact that is the point I was making earlier!

 

[JeffGollin]

... when we couldn't get that one yard, it was a huge momentum changer.

I hated that play call.

I could understand sneaking for it (the highest percentage play when you need inches) or even crossing them up and throwing for it (given Leinart's percentages, there would be a 2 in 3 likelihood of completing it - maybe for a lot of yards)

That run into the line reminded me of when Buges ran (I think it was) Ronald Moore 8 consecutive times at the goal line vs. Atlanta - and still couldn't punch it in.

(Hurray for "pride" - but not at the expense of winning).

 

[NEZCardsfan]

I hated that play call.

I could understand sneaking for it (the highest percentage play when you need inches) or even crossing them up and throwing for it (given Leinart's percentages, there would be a 2 in 3 likelihood of completing it - maybe for a lot of yards)

That run into the line reminded me of when Buges ran (I think it was) Ronald Moore 8 consecutive times at the goal line vs. Atlanta - and still couldn't punch it in.

(Hurray for "pride" - but not at the expense of winning).

That was Buddy Ball.

 

[Mulli]

That was Buddy Ball.

I think Buges was against Philly.

 

[Russ Smith]

I think Buges was against Philly.

And it was Johnny Bailey wasn't it? Due to injury IIRC we had no big RB so he just kept pounding Bailey who was like 180.

 

[ajcardfan]

That was Buddy Ball.

No, the eight cracks from the one was a Bugel team against Philly. The Buddy episode was in the final game of his first year, in Atlanta, when we tried 4 runs from the one and couldn't score at the very end of the game. We did have a mathematical shot at the playoffs going into that game, but had been eliminated before the fiasco at the end of the game.

 

[kerouac9]

I hated that play call.

I could understand sneaking for it (the highest percentage play when you need inches) or even crossing them up and throwing for it (given Leinart's percentages, there would be a 2 in 3 likelihood of completing it - maybe for a lot of yards)

That run into the line reminded me of when Buges ran (I think it was) Ronald Moore 8 consecutive times at the goal line vs. Atlanta - and still couldn't punch it in.

(Hurray for "pride" - but not at the expense of winning).

It's a test of manhood. They ran twice right behind Alex Stepanovich and Reggie Wells, and they couldn't budge the far-below average Chief tackles. It was a good playcall, I think, because it's a dagger in the heart of a defense if they can't stop you when they know what's coming. Step's and Wells's entire families should be embarassed about their performance on that series.

If you can't gain ten inches in two tries at this level, you don't deserve to win. No wonder we didn't. That was as big for the Chiefs as our stopping them after the Larry Johnson screen might have been for the Cardinals.

 

[NEZCardsfan]

No, the eight cracks from the one was a Bugel team against Philly. The Buddy episode was in the final game of his first year, in Atlanta, when we tried 4 runs from the one and couldn't score at the very end of the game. We did have a mathematical shot at the playoffs going into that game, but had been eliminated before the fiasco at the end of the game.

Which game was that then?? This will run through my head now?? Was it Ron Moore....I didn't know he'd gotten into the game in Philly....as it was the first game of the year and he was a rookie and I believe Hearst was starting before an injury.

 

[football karma]

Add it to the list, but I'm not putting the onus soley on him. That's Fitz's route, and if he's able to stay on the field, then we win the game, as well, but I don't think that the B. Johnson drop is as important as the failure to convert 2nd-and-1 on the 29.

K9 -- thats crazy

BJ catches that ball and its 27-10.

I nominate a sequence of events that cost the Cards the game:

6 minutes to play in the game. Chefs punt to the Cards who take over at the 25 yard line --

except for the holding on Antrel Rolle on the punt -- move it back to the 15 yard line.

First snap -- false start on Leonard Pope -- 1st and 15 from their own 10

Next play -- Matt throws the interception.

Instead of 1st and 10 on the 25 they end up with 1st and 15 on the 10-- and absolutely have to pass on 1st down when what they really should have been doing is running the ball.

 

[kerouac9]

K9 -- thats crazy

BJ catches that ball and its 27-10.

I nominate a sequence of events that cost the Cards the game:

6 minutes to play in the game. Chefs punt to the Cards who take over at the 25 yard line --

except for the holding on Antrel Rolle on the punt -- move it back to the 15 yard line.

First snap -- false start on Leonard Pope -- 1st and 15 from their own 10

Next play -- Matt throws the interception.

Instead of 1st and 10 on the 25 they end up with 1st and 15 on the 10-- and absolutely have to pass on 1st down when what they really should have been doing is running the ball.

Mmm... Maybe. But it's 27-10 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. There would have been plenty of football left. Following that play, the Chiefs had a series of three first downs before bogging down at the Arizona 38 before they punted. Momentum wasn't really a factor at that point.

But when the Cards get the ball back following a touchback, they have an opportunity to basically go on one of those seven-minute, 65-yard drives that break the back of the defense that's on the field and the offense that's on the sideline. Remember all those ones that we sat through at Sun Devil Stadium under Tobin and Mac? Those absolutely deplete the opposition and kill any momentum that they try and establish. Even after a field goal on a long drive, those KC fans in the stands start packing up for the drive to Sky Harbor.

It was after the defense stuck James twice to start the fourth quarter that momentum really changed. Player punts and the next series KC goes 66 yards for a TD on Robert-Freaking-Tate and momentum is clearly in the visitors' corner.

The dropped TD pass was bad, but it was when we couldn't gain one yard in two tries that I thought about putting on my rally cap. That broke the back of this offense far more than #80's performance anxiety did.

 

[Redrage]

The cause of the loss?

KC scored 3 more points than the Cards.







If somebody else already made that smartass remark, I apologize.