Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. Cardinals' Defensive and Offensive Rankings:
Yards: D: 24th; O: 10th
Rushing: D: 14th; O: 27th
Passing: D: 29th; O: 5th
Sacks: D: 8th; O: 5th
1st Downs: D: 11th; O: 8th
3rd Down %: D: 3rd; O: 25th
Red Zone %: D: 9th; O: 1st
Points Per Game: D: 13th; O: 10th
Defensive Summary:
The Surprising: 8th in sacks, 3rd in 3rd Down %, 9th in Red Zone %, 13th in Points Per Game.
*We lament the lack of a pass rush, but 8th in the NFL ain't too shabby at all.
*Being 3rd in 3rd Down stops is outstanding, which makes it all the more mystifying as to how the Titans converted all of their 3rd and 4th downs on their 18 play 99 yards drive. To that point the Cardinals' defense, save the 85 yard Chris Johnson TD gallop, had kept the team in the game by forcing field goals and drive stoppers.
*9th in Red Zone % is far better than last year...far better.
*And, being 13th in points per game shows real progress from last year as well.
The bottom line is, the defense is giving up a lot of yards but they are getting enough quality stops on 3rd downs and in the red zone to allow the team to win games.
Offensive Summary:
*10th in Yards and Points Per Game is good for most teams, but not great for this offense. The reason? Look at the 3rd down %...25th in the NFL. If the Cardinals start taking care of that aspect and treat it as they do their red zone percentages (1st in the NFL), this offense could start to explode. It needs to because, like last year, the Cardinals will need to outscore the good teams in the high 20s to mid to high 30s to win.
*The real surprise? 5th in sacks allowed. We lament this aspect of the Cardinals' game as well, but 5th is danged good...which is why they remain in the top 5 in passing.
Warner Speculation:
Here's my hunch. Had it been a week where another high profile QB had not gone down with a concussion, Warner would have played versus Tennessee. The fact that Big Ben was ruled out by the Steelers as early as mid-week, gave Warner added pause and time to consider further whether he should play or not. I don't think some sensivity to light would have deterred him from playing.
Let's remember that Warner is one tough cookie and is no stranger to playing hurt and in pain. Two years ago he played the entire second half of the season with a dislocated left elbow. Last year he played the second half of the season and throughout the playoffs with the sore hip. The fact that his current injury is concussion related obviously has made him more cautious, and rightfully so. But, Big Ben will be returning this week---and, unlike Warner, Big Ben has had a recent history of serious concussions.
As for the speculation about next year, I think we will see a repeat of what Warner did at the end of last year. He will contemplate retiring for about a week and then realize that his mind and heart are still on football.
Warner is having a blast, my friends. Sure, like any pro football player, he's concerned about his long-term health. But, Warner has been amazingly resilient and has remained in very good shape, despite the elbow and hip issues. It would not surprise me in the least if he looks at what Brett Favre is doing at 40 and says to himself, "hey, why can't I do the same?" The key is: Favre is having a blast and so is Warner. They are still playing at an elite level at a profession they love. They are also playing for teams that are perfectly suited for them. Thus, it would not surprise me if Warner actually plays a year or two beyond next year.
And one more point: Warner has a lot more left on his tires than Favre, as Favre has played and been the starter every year and practically every game of every year for over two decades. Warner has had the few years after his Rams' tenure (5 years) where he did not play all that much, and has only been starting in Arizona for two and a half years now.
Whiz Quote on the Defense:
There was a very interesting quote from Whiz yesterday where he attributed some of the team's defensive woes in the Tennessee game to changing away from their normal schemes to adjust to the Titans' offense. He said some of those changes "caused problems."
My reaction to this is two-fold:
(1) as an ex-coach I know exactly what Whiz means, because most coaches learn that you do what you do best and stick with it, regardless of the opponent...that the minute you start changing what you do, you can lose the sense of what you do best.
(2) on the other hand, and this is what's so exasperating about the Cardinals' defense...as we saw in the Super Bowl and the Titans' game...they can be playing good, hard, clutch football that keeps the team in the game, but when the game is on the line they blow down like a house of cards.
The thing is, whatever BD and his players were doing for the first 3 and 5/6 quarters was more than getting the job done. Yes, at times, they were giving up some long plays...but they were also making plenty of good stops...and with 2:37 left, despite giving up the 85 yard TD to Chris Johnson and the long pass to Kenny Britt, they had only given up 13 points to an offense that is extremely difficult to defend, especially because of the running of not only Chris Johnson, but the running of Vince Young (which the Cardinals did a great job containing).
Normally, with the Cardinals' offense, like in past weeks, if all the defense has given up is 13-17 points, the game is well in hand.
The two things Bill Davis has to sell his defense on when it has to preserve a lead late are:
(1) he has to impress upon his pass rushers that this is the best time for sacks...because they can tee off every play...also that these are the sacks that make the highlight reels...and, in keeping with that notion, I would love to see Davis rush Adrian Wilson EVERY down in some shape of fashion when the game is one the line.
(2) he has to stress ball vision,reaction and skills with his DBs...hopefully this week he is having them go through ball drill after ball drill. Every player in the secondary needs these drills...as good as DRC has been in coverage, how many near interceptions has he dropped this year? How about the one he should have had in the first half versus the Titans where he had the go route blanketed perfectly, but did not react more decisively to the ball and only got his fingertips on it? If DRC starts making those type of interceptions he is going to garner a significant number of Pro Bowl votes.
Yards: D: 24th; O: 10th
Rushing: D: 14th; O: 27th
Passing: D: 29th; O: 5th
Sacks: D: 8th; O: 5th
1st Downs: D: 11th; O: 8th
3rd Down %: D: 3rd; O: 25th
Red Zone %: D: 9th; O: 1st
Points Per Game: D: 13th; O: 10th
Defensive Summary:
The Surprising: 8th in sacks, 3rd in 3rd Down %, 9th in Red Zone %, 13th in Points Per Game.
*We lament the lack of a pass rush, but 8th in the NFL ain't too shabby at all.
*Being 3rd in 3rd Down stops is outstanding, which makes it all the more mystifying as to how the Titans converted all of their 3rd and 4th downs on their 18 play 99 yards drive. To that point the Cardinals' defense, save the 85 yard Chris Johnson TD gallop, had kept the team in the game by forcing field goals and drive stoppers.
*9th in Red Zone % is far better than last year...far better.
*And, being 13th in points per game shows real progress from last year as well.
The bottom line is, the defense is giving up a lot of yards but they are getting enough quality stops on 3rd downs and in the red zone to allow the team to win games.
Offensive Summary:
*10th in Yards and Points Per Game is good for most teams, but not great for this offense. The reason? Look at the 3rd down %...25th in the NFL. If the Cardinals start taking care of that aspect and treat it as they do their red zone percentages (1st in the NFL), this offense could start to explode. It needs to because, like last year, the Cardinals will need to outscore the good teams in the high 20s to mid to high 30s to win.
*The real surprise? 5th in sacks allowed. We lament this aspect of the Cardinals' game as well, but 5th is danged good...which is why they remain in the top 5 in passing.
Warner Speculation:
Here's my hunch. Had it been a week where another high profile QB had not gone down with a concussion, Warner would have played versus Tennessee. The fact that Big Ben was ruled out by the Steelers as early as mid-week, gave Warner added pause and time to consider further whether he should play or not. I don't think some sensivity to light would have deterred him from playing.
Let's remember that Warner is one tough cookie and is no stranger to playing hurt and in pain. Two years ago he played the entire second half of the season with a dislocated left elbow. Last year he played the second half of the season and throughout the playoffs with the sore hip. The fact that his current injury is concussion related obviously has made him more cautious, and rightfully so. But, Big Ben will be returning this week---and, unlike Warner, Big Ben has had a recent history of serious concussions.
As for the speculation about next year, I think we will see a repeat of what Warner did at the end of last year. He will contemplate retiring for about a week and then realize that his mind and heart are still on football.
Warner is having a blast, my friends. Sure, like any pro football player, he's concerned about his long-term health. But, Warner has been amazingly resilient and has remained in very good shape, despite the elbow and hip issues. It would not surprise me in the least if he looks at what Brett Favre is doing at 40 and says to himself, "hey, why can't I do the same?" The key is: Favre is having a blast and so is Warner. They are still playing at an elite level at a profession they love. They are also playing for teams that are perfectly suited for them. Thus, it would not surprise me if Warner actually plays a year or two beyond next year.
And one more point: Warner has a lot more left on his tires than Favre, as Favre has played and been the starter every year and practically every game of every year for over two decades. Warner has had the few years after his Rams' tenure (5 years) where he did not play all that much, and has only been starting in Arizona for two and a half years now.
Whiz Quote on the Defense:
There was a very interesting quote from Whiz yesterday where he attributed some of the team's defensive woes in the Tennessee game to changing away from their normal schemes to adjust to the Titans' offense. He said some of those changes "caused problems."
My reaction to this is two-fold:
(1) as an ex-coach I know exactly what Whiz means, because most coaches learn that you do what you do best and stick with it, regardless of the opponent...that the minute you start changing what you do, you can lose the sense of what you do best.
(2) on the other hand, and this is what's so exasperating about the Cardinals' defense...as we saw in the Super Bowl and the Titans' game...they can be playing good, hard, clutch football that keeps the team in the game, but when the game is on the line they blow down like a house of cards.
The thing is, whatever BD and his players were doing for the first 3 and 5/6 quarters was more than getting the job done. Yes, at times, they were giving up some long plays...but they were also making plenty of good stops...and with 2:37 left, despite giving up the 85 yard TD to Chris Johnson and the long pass to Kenny Britt, they had only given up 13 points to an offense that is extremely difficult to defend, especially because of the running of not only Chris Johnson, but the running of Vince Young (which the Cardinals did a great job containing).
Normally, with the Cardinals' offense, like in past weeks, if all the defense has given up is 13-17 points, the game is well in hand.
The two things Bill Davis has to sell his defense on when it has to preserve a lead late are:
(1) he has to impress upon his pass rushers that this is the best time for sacks...because they can tee off every play...also that these are the sacks that make the highlight reels...and, in keeping with that notion, I would love to see Davis rush Adrian Wilson EVERY down in some shape of fashion when the game is one the line.
(2) he has to stress ball vision,reaction and skills with his DBs...hopefully this week he is having them go through ball drill after ball drill. Every player in the secondary needs these drills...as good as DRC has been in coverage, how many near interceptions has he dropped this year? How about the one he should have had in the first half versus the Titans where he had the go route blanketed perfectly, but did not react more decisively to the ball and only got his fingertips on it? If DRC starts making those type of interceptions he is going to garner a significant number of Pro Bowl votes.
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