Some thoughts on the defense

[Russ Smith]

I think Simmons should be coming of the edge. That’s the type of player he LOOKS like.

The thing is even there the key to being a good edge rusher is get your shoulder by the blocker and then dip and head right to the QB so you have to be able to change direction. He strikes me as a guy who'd just run right by because he has trouble turning quickly.

Coming up the middle yeah I think he can do that.

To his credit he admitted he didn't play well and has to play much better. I just hope he can given it appears our defensive gameplan sort of requires him to play really well.

 

[reebokalone2001]

On the plus side Dogbe played well.

I thought Allen, Golden and Gardeck were solid to good. Zaven was solid if unspectacular. I thought Murphy did well, or at least I don't really recall him getting beat on anything.

I was a little disappointed in Thompson and Budda. They led in tackles but all those tackles were 15 yards downfield. I didn't feel like either did anything in coverage or around the box to effect the game.

Simmons, Turner, Vigil, Whitaker, Wilson were awful.

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Did I just see Jordan Philips, the consensus scrub injury-prone bust? How come he suddenly became available on the game day after joining another team?

 

[reebokalone2001]

I was wondering how they count blitzes too. Do they count a blitz as any time a safety or CB rushes a CB or when it's 5 or more rushers?

Because I'll be honest, I didn't see a lot of 5 or more rushers that I recall, but as you said, there was a lot of Gardeck dropping into coverage and a slot blitzing in his place.

So our blitz package is to still rush four but replace an OLB/DE with a safety/corner. How is that gonna work? They still have 5 O-linemen, without the Dline and/or Lbs to get them engaged/ occupied, they will still be there free to pick up whoever rushes the QB. A DE and safety, whose rush is easier to handle for a lineman? How in the hell would anyone expect this scheme to work? SMH

 

[nashman]

Mahomes is the best QB verses the blitz in football for a few years now, how in the hell was our genius plan to blitz for 54% of the time? Just poorly coached to the absolute max, terrible game plan on O and D just ridiculous that these coaches have jobs or got extended! How Keim got extended I will never know he must have some really good dirt on Mike seriously! Can’t draft for **** and this is the D we rolled into the season with? Unreal!

 

[HairZach]

Mahomes is the best QB verses the blitz in football for a few years now, how in the hell was our genius plan to blitz for 54% of the time? Just poorly coached to the absolute max, terrible game plan on O and D just ridiculous that these coaches have jobs or got extended! How Keim got extended I will never know he must have some really good dirt on Mike seriously! Can’t draft for **** and this is the D we rolled into the season with? Unreal!

I don't think we were going to get coverage sacks with this squad. But yeah it couldn't have gone worse than what happened.

 

[BritCard]

So our blitz package is to still rush four but replace an OLB/DE with a safety/corner. How is that gonna work? They still have 5 O-linemen, without the Dline and/or Lbs to get them engaged/ occupied, they will still be there free to pick up whoever rushes the QB. A DE and safety, whose rush is easier to handle for a lineman? How in the hell would anyone expect this scheme to work? SMH

Because it's unbalanced. You have a tackle on one side stood with nothing to do, and a tackle on the other side with 2 guys to block.

 

[reebokalone2001]

Because it's unbalanced. You have a tackle on one side stood with nothing to do, and a tackle on the other side with 2 guys to block.

I believe Romo commented that O-line will do slide blocking in that situation if either center or the QB recognizes the blitz. He called out that where Kyler got sacked by the unblocked CB blitz. KK said on that play Hudson called the slide blocking to the right side where the CB blitzed, but someone messed up. I went back to watch the play and I believe it was Hernandez. I saw Hudson go sideways and blocked the chiefs rusher on his right, but Hernandez did not pick up the rusher on his right side. He needed up blocking the same guy Hudson did and left two rushers for Beachum, the rest is history.

My point is if Cardinals Oline was able to recognize the CB/ Safety blitz, the chiefs' should be able to do that as well. So how would the Cardinals' blitz work if not sending an extra rusher but replacing a rusher from a Dlineman with a DB?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I believe Romo commented that oline will do slide blocking in that situation, if either center or the QB recognizes the blitz. He called out that where Kyler got sacked by the unblocked CB blitz. KK said on that play Hudson called the slide blocking to the right side where the CB blitzed, but someone messed up. I went back to watch the play and I believe it was Hernandez. I aw Hudson went diagonal and blocked the chiefs rusher on his right, but Hernandez did not pick the pick up the rushed on his right side. He needed up blocking the same guy Hudson did, and left two rushers for Beachum, the rest is hostory.

My point is if Cardinals Oline was able recognize the CB/ Safety blitz, the chiefs souls be able to as well. So how would Cardinals' blitz work if not sending an extra rusher but replacing a rusher from a Dlineman with a DB?

If that’s true it would hold up the statements we heard that hernandez has issues with smarts like picking up stunts. This wasn’t a stunt but clearly he didn’t understand what his assignment was if that’s the case.

 

[Dayman]

I believe Romo commented that O-line will do slide blocking in that situation if either center or the QB recognizes the blitz. He called out that where Kyler got sacked by the unblocked CB blitz. KK said on that play Hudson called the slide blocking to the right side where the CB blitzed, but someone messed up. I went back to watch the play and I believe it was Hernandez. I saw Hudson go sideways and blocked the chiefs rusher on his right, but Hernandez did not pick up the rusher on his right side. He needed up blocking the same guy Hudson did and left two rushers for Beachum, the rest is history.

My point is if Cardinals Oline was able to recognize the CB/ Safety blitz, the chiefs' should be able to do that as well. So how would the Cardinals' blitz work if not sending an extra rusher but replacing a rusher from a Dlineman with a DB?

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Shaun King agrees with you.

 

[reebokalone2001]

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Shaun King agrees with you.

Awesome, thanks. Cardinals PR department should hire me, lol.

 

[MadCardDisease]

It seems weird when, at the ending the season, the book on Mahomes was supposed to a revision of the Warner book: drop everyone into coverage and make him complete passes to MVS.

Instead we blitz a ton, none of them get home, and the crossing routes have time to develop.

Yeah that game plan made no sense whatsoever. I like VJ and think he gets a bad wrap most of the time but his game plan against the Chiefs made zero sense.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Yeah that game plan made no sense whatsoever. I like JV and think he gets a bad wrap most of the time but his game plan against the Chiefs made zero sense.

Maybe he we hired his evil twin Jance Voseph, we might be able to field a competent defense.

 

[MadCardDisease]

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Shaun King agrees with you.

That was a dumb play call to begin with. 3rd and 1 and the Cardinals go shotgun with no RB? Gee I wonder if it will be a pass or a run play? This is why Kliff drives me nuts with his playcalling.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

That was a dumb play call to begin with. 3rd and 1 and the Cardinals go shotgun with no RB? Gee I wonder if it will be a pass or a run play? This is why Kliff drives me nuts with his playcalling.

I'd wager this is a Kyler limitation, vs a Kliff playcalling one.

 

[BritCard]

That was a dumb play call to begin with. 3rd and 1 and the Cardinals go shotgun with no RB? Gee I wonder if it will be a pass or a run play? This is why Kliff drives me nuts with his playcalling.

That play would be better with a RB in too. With only a yard required and the left side overloaded the RB can easily get it off the right edge with a run, pass into the flat or a toss.

 

[TRW]

That play would be better with a RB in too. With only a yard required and the left side overloaded the RB can easily get it off the right edge with a run, pass into the flat or a toss.

James Connor? Maybe?

 

[nashman]

I'd wager this is a Kyler limitation, vs a Kliff playcalling one.

Why? Makes no sense most of their plays they have a RB in so why tip off the D and go empty backfield, just a terrible play call.

 

[kerouac9]

Why? Makes no sense most of their plays they have a RB in so why tip off the D and go empty backfield, just a terrible play call.

Because Kyler is a running threat

 

[nashman]

Because Kyler is a running threat

So still doesn’t make sense to remove a RB which can also be a threat on short yardage. Stupid ignorant predictable playcalling by KK!

 

[Dayman]

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[BritCard]

Because Kyler is a running threat

So still doesn’t make sense to remove a RB which can also be a threat on short yardage. Stupid ignorant predictable playcalling by KK!

Nashman is right though. A RB in the backfield give you far better options than an extra receiver on a 3rd and one. Especially when that receiver is overloaded on one side.

Apart from all the different options it gives you on the play design and the extra protection it would have stopped that blitz from even happening. No way that CB can blitz with a RB back there as Kyler can just pitch it to the RB and then you have a RB in space with a TE blocking the only defender out there.

If Kyler had even the SLIGHTEST ability to read a defense and adjust the play he would have just run it himself. Let the CB blitz knowing it's coming, spin to his right and your 2 on 1 with a TE lead blocking. Or just adjust the protection to pick up the blitz and run it round the edge. Easy 1st down.

Clueless.

 

[DaHilg]

In an NFL where injuries are now the norm, we need an attacking defense that is EASY to learn & easy to plug in rookies and players that we have to pick up in a moments notice. That is NOT Vance’s system. Even when we don‘t have injuries, it seems impossible for rookies to get ANY playing time. That cannot happen. The Chiefs were playing some rookies & rookies are making contributions all over the NFL. And it’s not because of the quality of players that Keim is drafting. It’s because Vance’s system is overly complicated with too much to learn. And the guys that do have the capacity to digest it mentally don’t always have the innate physical ability to make it effective. Keim needs to fire Joseph sooner rather than later. He may have already ruined Simmons & Collins has to be losing his confidence too. The best DC’s are the ones that can quickly implement their system & have their players running full tilt without having to stop and think at every turn.

Fire Vance… call up Wade Phillips and throw big money at him for a one year deal. I for one, would love to see what this D could do w him at the helm

 

[BritCard]

Fire Vance… call up Wade Phillips and throw big money at him for a one year deal. I for one, would love to see what this D could do w him at the helm

Yes, while some of the best teams in the league are going young and bringing fresh ideas into the game (Staley, Ryan, McDonald, Bowen, Evero etc) let's go for a guy older than time that everyone in the league knows how to play.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Fire Vance… call up Wade Phillips and throw big money at him for a one year deal. I for one, would love to see what this D could do w him at the helm

I've been saying that for 2 years

 

[jf-08]

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Marcus Spears is dead on with this:


"Vance Joseph, when are you going to do something (about Simmons struggling without making any adjustments)? Because the frustration with your player (Simmons) becomes it permeates throughout the rest of the defense."

"You come out of training camp knowing that you are playing the KC Chiefs and you make no adjustments throughout the course of the game."

WELL SAID!!!!!