RugbyMuffin
ASFN IDOL
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- Apr 30, 2003
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It will make your head swim if you think about it too long. Seriously, at one point you find yourself saying "this is a coincidence" and then after the list gets longer you realize, "This is a sign. Someone wants the Cardinals to take notice."
The Cardinals have 5 games left in the 2009 season. In 2008, as we all know, this team went to the Superbowl. Thus we know this current team has the potential to go to the big game, but what about winning the game ? Well, obviously the team needs to be better than last year to do it. That begs the question of whether this years' team is better than last years.
I cannot answer that question, but I can tell you this, that our current team has been magically given the oppourtunity to put that question to the test.
Last week I wrote about how the Cardinals had been given an oppourtunity by way of the Titans game and by their previous wins to play a team simlar to Carolina and show up for a team who playing better than there record. I think the goal of showing up, and playing hard was more than accomplished. Furthermore, I believe in a loss the Cardinals gained yet another important oppourtunity. With oppourtunity comes a challenge, and the challenge that is now at the feet of the Cardinals spans beyond one week, one game, etc., etc. This is a team wide, rest of the season challange.
The Challenge: Are you better than last year? Are you improving as a team ?
So where does this challenge come from ? The past, the past of the entire team.
It all stems from the Titans game last week, and spirals out of control from there.
If I told you the Cardinals played in a game where they were up by a score that force the opposing team to have to score a TD late in the game, that there is 2:37 left on the clock at the end of the game, that in that game Dockett had already had three sacks, that in that game the QB was a had to tackle, extend the play QB, and that the game ended with a last second TD pass with a young under-achieving WR jumping in the air over Ralph Brown, DRC, and our backup safety to catch a perfectly thrown ball.
What game would you think of ? Steelers ? Titans ? *ding-ding* You are correct all of the above.
What if I told you that Matt Leinart played in a game aginst Vince Young that had a lot of meaning for it. And that Young came back in the final minutes to beat Leinart ?
Texans vs. USC or Cardinals vs. Titans ?
How about the fact that both Leinart in the Rose bowl, and Warner in the Superbowl, in fact got the ball back with a extremely small amount of time left on the clock to try to comeback and score a miracle finish ?
How about the fact that the Cardinals lost both the SB and the Titans game on one big play. Harrison's pick six, and Johnsons long run ?
Oh, but it doesn't stop there. How about the fact that in both games (Super Bowl & last weeks game) the coaching had a lot of parallels. In both games the offense was extremely conservative in the first half, and came out in the second to come from behind. In both games the defense played well but not well enough, and even more so came with regrets after the fact.
Jeez, Monty Beisel even came back just to drive the point home even harder!
Alright. You gotta be saying "GET TO THE POINT" Well, the point is quite obvious, that the Cardinals are sitting at home this morning and waking up. They have been given the oppourtunity to play "the game after the Super Bowl". Yes, obvisiouly there is not game after the Super Bowl but the comparisons above are about as cose as you come to replaying last year's Super Bowl game. The Titans game FORCED Whiz to re-watch the Super Bowl again, and give him an updated version to boot.
It is crazy, I know but you cannot deny that the stars have aligned enough to believe this thinking. This oppourtunity was not just given to the Cardinals. The Cardinals knowingly took a step back this year, to take a step forward. The first 10 games of this season were a challenge to the Cardinals to develop a better running game, and implement a new defense. To become more of a balance offensive team, and become a more aggressive and effective defense.
Those improvements showed up in the Titans game, but again keep in mind that the Cardinals only proved they are at the point they were at during last years' Super Bowl. Yes, Calias Campbell is an improvement at DE, and yes he batted that ball on 4th down into the air.....it just was not enough, and it landed in a Titan's TE's hands. Yes, the defense at the end of the game was more aggressive but failed to make a play to end the game. The last pass of the game was even a little different in the fact a big hit was laid on the WR this time, yet the same results came about. On offense, there was no Kurt Warner to lean on, the offense needed to play as a team to generate points, not just by letting Warner throw all over the play.
But, I repeat it was not enough.
The Cardinals took the step back earlier in the season, they fought hard for 10 weeks and now they have taken one step forward to be on the same level they where after losing the Super Bowl.
Can they take the next step ? Where is the oppourtunity to take this next step ?
Can they ? I do not know.
The oppourtunity ? LOL, Enter this week's opponent. It is too perfect. Again this is a sign, too much going on for it to be a coicedence.
The Vikings. The same team we played around the last quarter of the season, and they beat us and beat us bad.
The Vikings are going to force our team, to play a balanced offensive game. We tried a pass heavy attack against them, and they killed us. If our team is improved, they will be able to move the ball by running, play action, and passing.
It is a good oppourtunity for Warner or Leinart to use this improved, more balance offense to is optimal potential. The Vikings are a very good team, but so are the Cardinals when they play to their potential.
On defense? It begins and ends with Brett Farve.
289 yards and SIX TOUCHDOWNS!
Farve embarrassed us the last time we played. Wilson, Rolle, DRC...... nobody was spared, and each and every player was embarrassed.
If the Cardinals defense didn't have this game circled for multiple reasons then they are being improperly coached/motivated. This is a chance for redemption, and a change for the 2009 Cardinals to show they are better than the 2008 version.
As I said, the Cardinals get to play the game after the Super Bowl. And lucky them they will have 4 more games after it.
From top to bottom, our organization has been given a sign. A sign that we have reached the same height on the mountain as last year. The oppoutunity is there, they just need to take.
When Dockett has 3 sacks....now he needs to get 4, and the 4th one will end the game.
If the final play ends up being a now or never pass to the endzone, our secondary will intercept the pass and take away the chance for a score instead of looking around for someone else to make a play.
This time, if Warner is not available or is negated, the offense will carry Warner (or Leinart), and not visa versa.
It is time for this team to move forward, to take that next step. The have no choice in the matter, the oppourtunity that they have all worked hard for is right in front of them. They just have to go take it.
The goal ? Make the playoffs go at least 3-2. ......LOL, again without even thinking about that, it would make us 10-6, a game better than last year.
The Cardinals have 5 games left in the 2009 season. In 2008, as we all know, this team went to the Superbowl. Thus we know this current team has the potential to go to the big game, but what about winning the game ? Well, obviously the team needs to be better than last year to do it. That begs the question of whether this years' team is better than last years.
I cannot answer that question, but I can tell you this, that our current team has been magically given the oppourtunity to put that question to the test.
Last week I wrote about how the Cardinals had been given an oppourtunity by way of the Titans game and by their previous wins to play a team simlar to Carolina and show up for a team who playing better than there record. I think the goal of showing up, and playing hard was more than accomplished. Furthermore, I believe in a loss the Cardinals gained yet another important oppourtunity. With oppourtunity comes a challenge, and the challenge that is now at the feet of the Cardinals spans beyond one week, one game, etc., etc. This is a team wide, rest of the season challange.
The Challenge: Are you better than last year? Are you improving as a team ?
So where does this challenge come from ? The past, the past of the entire team.
It all stems from the Titans game last week, and spirals out of control from there.
If I told you the Cardinals played in a game where they were up by a score that force the opposing team to have to score a TD late in the game, that there is 2:37 left on the clock at the end of the game, that in that game Dockett had already had three sacks, that in that game the QB was a had to tackle, extend the play QB, and that the game ended with a last second TD pass with a young under-achieving WR jumping in the air over Ralph Brown, DRC, and our backup safety to catch a perfectly thrown ball.
What game would you think of ? Steelers ? Titans ? *ding-ding* You are correct all of the above.
What if I told you that Matt Leinart played in a game aginst Vince Young that had a lot of meaning for it. And that Young came back in the final minutes to beat Leinart ?
Texans vs. USC or Cardinals vs. Titans ?
How about the fact that both Leinart in the Rose bowl, and Warner in the Superbowl, in fact got the ball back with a extremely small amount of time left on the clock to try to comeback and score a miracle finish ?
How about the fact that the Cardinals lost both the SB and the Titans game on one big play. Harrison's pick six, and Johnsons long run ?
Oh, but it doesn't stop there. How about the fact that in both games (Super Bowl & last weeks game) the coaching had a lot of parallels. In both games the offense was extremely conservative in the first half, and came out in the second to come from behind. In both games the defense played well but not well enough, and even more so came with regrets after the fact.
Jeez, Monty Beisel even came back just to drive the point home even harder!
Alright. You gotta be saying "GET TO THE POINT" Well, the point is quite obvious, that the Cardinals are sitting at home this morning and waking up. They have been given the oppourtunity to play "the game after the Super Bowl". Yes, obvisiouly there is not game after the Super Bowl but the comparisons above are about as cose as you come to replaying last year's Super Bowl game. The Titans game FORCED Whiz to re-watch the Super Bowl again, and give him an updated version to boot.
It is crazy, I know but you cannot deny that the stars have aligned enough to believe this thinking. This oppourtunity was not just given to the Cardinals. The Cardinals knowingly took a step back this year, to take a step forward. The first 10 games of this season were a challenge to the Cardinals to develop a better running game, and implement a new defense. To become more of a balance offensive team, and become a more aggressive and effective defense.
Those improvements showed up in the Titans game, but again keep in mind that the Cardinals only proved they are at the point they were at during last years' Super Bowl. Yes, Calias Campbell is an improvement at DE, and yes he batted that ball on 4th down into the air.....it just was not enough, and it landed in a Titan's TE's hands. Yes, the defense at the end of the game was more aggressive but failed to make a play to end the game. The last pass of the game was even a little different in the fact a big hit was laid on the WR this time, yet the same results came about. On offense, there was no Kurt Warner to lean on, the offense needed to play as a team to generate points, not just by letting Warner throw all over the play.
But, I repeat it was not enough.
The Cardinals took the step back earlier in the season, they fought hard for 10 weeks and now they have taken one step forward to be on the same level they where after losing the Super Bowl.
Can they take the next step ? Where is the oppourtunity to take this next step ?
Can they ? I do not know.
The oppourtunity ? LOL, Enter this week's opponent. It is too perfect. Again this is a sign, too much going on for it to be a coicedence.
The Vikings. The same team we played around the last quarter of the season, and they beat us and beat us bad.
The Vikings are going to force our team, to play a balanced offensive game. We tried a pass heavy attack against them, and they killed us. If our team is improved, they will be able to move the ball by running, play action, and passing.
It is a good oppourtunity for Warner or Leinart to use this improved, more balance offense to is optimal potential. The Vikings are a very good team, but so are the Cardinals when they play to their potential.
On defense? It begins and ends with Brett Farve.
289 yards and SIX TOUCHDOWNS!
Farve embarrassed us the last time we played. Wilson, Rolle, DRC...... nobody was spared, and each and every player was embarrassed.
If the Cardinals defense didn't have this game circled for multiple reasons then they are being improperly coached/motivated. This is a chance for redemption, and a change for the 2009 Cardinals to show they are better than the 2008 version.
As I said, the Cardinals get to play the game after the Super Bowl. And lucky them they will have 4 more games after it.
From top to bottom, our organization has been given a sign. A sign that we have reached the same height on the mountain as last year. The oppoutunity is there, they just need to take.
When Dockett has 3 sacks....now he needs to get 4, and the 4th one will end the game.
If the final play ends up being a now or never pass to the endzone, our secondary will intercept the pass and take away the chance for a score instead of looking around for someone else to make a play.
This time, if Warner is not available or is negated, the offense will carry Warner (or Leinart), and not visa versa.
It is time for this team to move forward, to take that next step. The have no choice in the matter, the oppourtunity that they have all worked hard for is right in front of them. They just have to go take it.
The goal ? Make the playoffs go at least 3-2. ......LOL, again without even thinking about that, it would make us 10-6, a game better than last year.
Except for a head/heartache. While a Super Bowl WIN is the "dream of dreams", part of me is VERY HAPPY that my Cardinals NOW are mentioned with the word "possibly". In many years past that couldn't be said. ALL I've ever asked of my teams. (Cards in Football; Cards in baseball; Blues in hockey; and Hawkeyes in College football) is: BE COMPETITIVE!! GIVE ME HOPE AND A REASON TO BELIEVE IT COULD HAPPEN!! 
