My happy place
Yes this is a long post, but it’s cathartic.
Before we get started, let’s refresh our perspective on things. It’ll cleanse the pallet.
Think back to the early 2000’s. We loved Mac as a person, but those teams were devoid of a lot of NFL-starting talent.
Now jump it up to the Denny Green years. A huge upgrade in talent, but now any semblance of coaching has left the building.
Feel better about who’s on staff today? I do.
We’re demanding more frequent successes, which is fair as we’ve sunk a lot of investment into this organization in our own times and ways.
From the perspective of a decade the organization under coach Whis has made progress by leaps and bounds.
So let’s not be overly dramatic, we know what it’s like to have the sky land on us and this ain’t it.
When I talk about players, I’m speaking about their physical limitations, not mental ones. We can pretend like we know what these guys are thinking, but the truth is, we don’t know.
They’re all veterans and they all have proven they have the mental toughness to play in the NFL.
We also don’t know assignments for any given play. I base my observations off a large sample set, not game to game judgments.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let me talk talk through some issues I've had:
Offensive Scheme
This team runs the shotgun as much as Texas Tech, sans the explosive results.
Hey, the NFL is just too good for gimmick. Not to say the shotgun doesn’t have a purpose, but like a teenager with a new song, they’ve put it on ‘repeat’ and are now beating us to death with it.
So, what does the shotgun formation provide?
In a vacuum, it gives the QB more room to survey the defense and more time to deliver the ball. It also minimizes the need for longer drop backs. That’s a good thing for a QB with an injured hip. Less movement means less aggravation.
So what’s going wrong?
This is where we get into square pegs and round holes; in other words, getting the right people on the field for the right situations.
Let’s start with the QB. He’s probably still in pain.
Most of us would take some time off after a major surgery, even in our safe nerf lives.
NFL players get to go through rehab fast and throw themselves back out in the train wreck.
There’s no way Warner is feeling 100% secure in his health on a good day, much less right now.
So let’s say the pain is affecting him in and the coaches know it. The coaches put him in shotgun to make sure he can be as comfortable as possible. It’s a kindness and keeping a QB cozy and in rhythm is just smart football.
The downside to this is that the Cardinals offensive line isn’t really set up to do this.
Gandy’s a ‘tweener who’s just strong enough to get bull-rushed on occasion, and just fast enough to have trouble with outside moves. The other bookend, Levi Brown, is a little stronger, but has even more trouble with outside rushers.
This is bad news, shotgun doesn’t always remove the QB drop back it just reduces it; 3 steps instead of 5 and 7. For the defensive ends the matchup decision is easy, race to the outside, dip and attack. No frills needed. It boils down to a footrace.
The counter to this is to step up into the pocket, but again, if the team is trying to reduce movement for the QB he’ll be inclined to just drop and fire, not drop/step in/fire. We’re also assuming there’s a pocket to step into. Sometimes there is, sometimes not. That’s football.
We’re watching the players worst skill set get magnified. They’re on an island constantly and they’re being forced to continually re-live the thing they don’t do so well. That’s rough.
On paper the Cardinals offensive line was built to run.
They’ve got Gandy, who can push, and in a balanced offense provide good protection. Wells is a puller who should have good lateral mobility. Sendlein’s grown up the rough way and is gaining experience daily. Deuce is the heart of the line and can maul when he his bear claws latched on. Brown’s frame should help him wall off the outside man and he’s strong enough to turn them when he does.
Not one of these guys is a pass-blocker first.
In the offseason the team can shuffle the chairs, throw Wells at center. Brown can take over LG. Keith gets the nod at RT. It could help.
Fundamentally only Keith came from the spread in college. He’s used to pass blocking 40 times a game. He could shine.
But it won’t help today.
So what can?
NFL players get paid a lot. The stars get paid even more. Kurt cashed in this offseason and he and his family are now set for retirement.
The sad news is that he’s gotta get under center.
It’ll help his tackles, they get to play with more balance.
They’re not sliding back as far, and they get help from their guards.
Best yet, the team isn't telegraphing.
That one really bothers me.
The Cardinals are in shotgun so much that anytime they’re in a conventional formation the opponents just load the box; smartly, Warner audibles out. If they don’t the defense stuffs them. If they do, Warner gets criticized for passing too often.
Conventional 2 and 3 WR sets also allow for higher rotation of skill players.
This translates into longer periods of high energy. That’s good for the season, not just the game.
The Cardinals can still be a pass first team. Why wouldn’t they? They’re sickly talented on the perimeter. Fitz and Boldin may not be burners, but they create space by boxing out defenders. Breaston brings quickness and toughness. There’s a lot of utility in this group and they can do their counterpart’s job. So rotate them.
This also means the team is free to keep the TE in to pass block. Heck for all it matters, declare a backup lineman eligible every play as a TE. You’ve got 6 for protection.
No matter who's at TE, it still means 4 men out on routes. Hightower is as good as a WR on a pattern. Motion and the WR’s natural ability will ensure Cardinals get open.
If the defense drops too many guys into coverage then you’ve got extra muscle on the line to push the ball.
Why not?
What the team is doing now is very unstable. Why not flex some sexy creativity?
If you just have to be in shotgun, get funky with it. Have a 2-TE set out of shotgun. Chip and slip can save lives.
I love it when this team does the complicated stuff.
Hands down, the best offensive play against the Texans came when Kurt not only faked the HB handoff, but also faked the reverse, leaving Breaston free on a deep drag. That was from a good set. It worked. It was inspired.
Pass to get the lead, run to keep it. Change it up in the middle to keep the defense woozy. Stay the hell out of shotgun.
Defensive Scheme
This offseason, Billy D promised us more aggression. We got pumped.
This weekend the Cardinals almost died by blitz.
Bringing extra pressure only works when the team gets to the QB. Otherwise it’s just getting more receivers than defenders.
Of course I’m biased, a fan of Jim Bates over Jim Johnson; press-man with a cover 2 top instead of the drill ‘em and kill ‘em.
Defensively, the Cards are a mishmash of ability.
Inside, you’ve got the NT rotation of Robinson/Watson; both space eaters, that’s what you want out of a conventional 3-4. Campbell is a swingman, he’s best tangling up multiple guys, but does have some ability to get inside, very nice for the 3-4. Then you’ve got Dockett, the human full-metal jacket. He’s the ultimate penetrator and inside disruptor. His ability is wasted if the team wants to use him to keep linebackers clean, but what he does will either makes the papers or gets accused of disapearing. There’s not a lot of in-between.
At OLB the team’s got 3 rotating vets who can’t seem to close the distance from that far outside.
They’ve probably got something left to give when they’re in closer, but they just can't finish like they used to.
CB’s also a combo. McFadden is a press guy who does great work when he can get in the face of a WR. DRC just isn’t great with contact. He could very well be Deon Sanders’ baby boy.
One man needs to get in your face, the other needs his space.
The team has two SS’s who do some exceptional work inside the box. Wilson wants to hit at minimum the 20/20 club before he’s done and Rolle will score when he gets his hands on the ball.
It presents an interesting problem that the team tries to rectify with a shallow C-3 shell. That screws up what McF excels at and gives DRC too many changing responsibilities.
I’m advocating for the switch back to the 4-3.
Stop leaning on the zone and go mostly with man coverage.
It minimizes weaknesses the team has. Berry/Okeafor/Dockett/Campbell/Branch/Watson can rotate on the line.
Dansby goes back to Will, Hayes Mike, and Haggans goes Sam.
McFadden gets to play closer to the line and DRC can freelance within his single responsibility.
Rolle can still play hawk and since he’s not going it alone his single-cover skills get a gloss of paint.
It may hurt Wilson’s sack count for a little while, but the reason it worked so well for so long was that it was sporadic.
The team should get back to basics. They forgot that the conventional stuff got to be that way for a reason and no one said you can't have some fun while doing it old school.
If they want to throw a wrinkle in it, occassionally run some zone blitzes.
As always, I’ve made assumptions and some of them are bound to be wrong to the point of being offensive. Please correct them.
Yes this is a long post, but it’s cathartic.
Before we get started, let’s refresh our perspective on things. It’ll cleanse the pallet.
Think back to the early 2000’s. We loved Mac as a person, but those teams were devoid of a lot of NFL-starting talent.
Now jump it up to the Denny Green years. A huge upgrade in talent, but now any semblance of coaching has left the building.
Feel better about who’s on staff today? I do.
We’re demanding more frequent successes, which is fair as we’ve sunk a lot of investment into this organization in our own times and ways.
From the perspective of a decade the organization under coach Whis has made progress by leaps and bounds.
So let’s not be overly dramatic, we know what it’s like to have the sky land on us and this ain’t it.
When I talk about players, I’m speaking about their physical limitations, not mental ones. We can pretend like we know what these guys are thinking, but the truth is, we don’t know.
They’re all veterans and they all have proven they have the mental toughness to play in the NFL.
We also don’t know assignments for any given play. I base my observations off a large sample set, not game to game judgments.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let me talk talk through some issues I've had:
Offensive Scheme
This team runs the shotgun as much as Texas Tech, sans the explosive results.
Hey, the NFL is just too good for gimmick. Not to say the shotgun doesn’t have a purpose, but like a teenager with a new song, they’ve put it on ‘repeat’ and are now beating us to death with it.
So, what does the shotgun formation provide?
In a vacuum, it gives the QB more room to survey the defense and more time to deliver the ball. It also minimizes the need for longer drop backs. That’s a good thing for a QB with an injured hip. Less movement means less aggravation.
So what’s going wrong?
This is where we get into square pegs and round holes; in other words, getting the right people on the field for the right situations.
Let’s start with the QB. He’s probably still in pain.
Most of us would take some time off after a major surgery, even in our safe nerf lives.
NFL players get to go through rehab fast and throw themselves back out in the train wreck.
There’s no way Warner is feeling 100% secure in his health on a good day, much less right now.
So let’s say the pain is affecting him in and the coaches know it. The coaches put him in shotgun to make sure he can be as comfortable as possible. It’s a kindness and keeping a QB cozy and in rhythm is just smart football.
The downside to this is that the Cardinals offensive line isn’t really set up to do this.
Gandy’s a ‘tweener who’s just strong enough to get bull-rushed on occasion, and just fast enough to have trouble with outside moves. The other bookend, Levi Brown, is a little stronger, but has even more trouble with outside rushers.
This is bad news, shotgun doesn’t always remove the QB drop back it just reduces it; 3 steps instead of 5 and 7. For the defensive ends the matchup decision is easy, race to the outside, dip and attack. No frills needed. It boils down to a footrace.
The counter to this is to step up into the pocket, but again, if the team is trying to reduce movement for the QB he’ll be inclined to just drop and fire, not drop/step in/fire. We’re also assuming there’s a pocket to step into. Sometimes there is, sometimes not. That’s football.
We’re watching the players worst skill set get magnified. They’re on an island constantly and they’re being forced to continually re-live the thing they don’t do so well. That’s rough.
On paper the Cardinals offensive line was built to run.
They’ve got Gandy, who can push, and in a balanced offense provide good protection. Wells is a puller who should have good lateral mobility. Sendlein’s grown up the rough way and is gaining experience daily. Deuce is the heart of the line and can maul when he his bear claws latched on. Brown’s frame should help him wall off the outside man and he’s strong enough to turn them when he does.
Not one of these guys is a pass-blocker first.
In the offseason the team can shuffle the chairs, throw Wells at center. Brown can take over LG. Keith gets the nod at RT. It could help.
Fundamentally only Keith came from the spread in college. He’s used to pass blocking 40 times a game. He could shine.
But it won’t help today.
So what can?
NFL players get paid a lot. The stars get paid even more. Kurt cashed in this offseason and he and his family are now set for retirement.
The sad news is that he’s gotta get under center.
It’ll help his tackles, they get to play with more balance.
They’re not sliding back as far, and they get help from their guards.
Best yet, the team isn't telegraphing.
That one really bothers me.
The Cardinals are in shotgun so much that anytime they’re in a conventional formation the opponents just load the box; smartly, Warner audibles out. If they don’t the defense stuffs them. If they do, Warner gets criticized for passing too often.
Conventional 2 and 3 WR sets also allow for higher rotation of skill players.
This translates into longer periods of high energy. That’s good for the season, not just the game.
The Cardinals can still be a pass first team. Why wouldn’t they? They’re sickly talented on the perimeter. Fitz and Boldin may not be burners, but they create space by boxing out defenders. Breaston brings quickness and toughness. There’s a lot of utility in this group and they can do their counterpart’s job. So rotate them.
This also means the team is free to keep the TE in to pass block. Heck for all it matters, declare a backup lineman eligible every play as a TE. You’ve got 6 for protection.
No matter who's at TE, it still means 4 men out on routes. Hightower is as good as a WR on a pattern. Motion and the WR’s natural ability will ensure Cardinals get open.
If the defense drops too many guys into coverage then you’ve got extra muscle on the line to push the ball.
Why not?
What the team is doing now is very unstable. Why not flex some sexy creativity?
If you just have to be in shotgun, get funky with it. Have a 2-TE set out of shotgun. Chip and slip can save lives.
I love it when this team does the complicated stuff.
Hands down, the best offensive play against the Texans came when Kurt not only faked the HB handoff, but also faked the reverse, leaving Breaston free on a deep drag. That was from a good set. It worked. It was inspired.
Pass to get the lead, run to keep it. Change it up in the middle to keep the defense woozy. Stay the hell out of shotgun.
Defensive Scheme
This offseason, Billy D promised us more aggression. We got pumped.
This weekend the Cardinals almost died by blitz.
Bringing extra pressure only works when the team gets to the QB. Otherwise it’s just getting more receivers than defenders.
Of course I’m biased, a fan of Jim Bates over Jim Johnson; press-man with a cover 2 top instead of the drill ‘em and kill ‘em.
Defensively, the Cards are a mishmash of ability.
Inside, you’ve got the NT rotation of Robinson/Watson; both space eaters, that’s what you want out of a conventional 3-4. Campbell is a swingman, he’s best tangling up multiple guys, but does have some ability to get inside, very nice for the 3-4. Then you’ve got Dockett, the human full-metal jacket. He’s the ultimate penetrator and inside disruptor. His ability is wasted if the team wants to use him to keep linebackers clean, but what he does will either makes the papers or gets accused of disapearing. There’s not a lot of in-between.
At OLB the team’s got 3 rotating vets who can’t seem to close the distance from that far outside.
They’ve probably got something left to give when they’re in closer, but they just can't finish like they used to.
CB’s also a combo. McFadden is a press guy who does great work when he can get in the face of a WR. DRC just isn’t great with contact. He could very well be Deon Sanders’ baby boy.
One man needs to get in your face, the other needs his space.
The team has two SS’s who do some exceptional work inside the box. Wilson wants to hit at minimum the 20/20 club before he’s done and Rolle will score when he gets his hands on the ball.
It presents an interesting problem that the team tries to rectify with a shallow C-3 shell. That screws up what McF excels at and gives DRC too many changing responsibilities.
I’m advocating for the switch back to the 4-3.
Stop leaning on the zone and go mostly with man coverage.
It minimizes weaknesses the team has. Berry/Okeafor/Dockett/Campbell/Branch/Watson can rotate on the line.
Dansby goes back to Will, Hayes Mike, and Haggans goes Sam.
McFadden gets to play closer to the line and DRC can freelance within his single responsibility.
Rolle can still play hawk and since he’s not going it alone his single-cover skills get a gloss of paint.
It may hurt Wilson’s sack count for a little while, but the reason it worked so well for so long was that it was sporadic.
The team should get back to basics. They forgot that the conventional stuff got to be that way for a reason and no one said you can't have some fun while doing it old school.
If they want to throw a wrinkle in it, occassionally run some zone blitzes.
As always, I’ve made assumptions and some of them are bound to be wrong to the point of being offensive. Please correct them.
