The Cardinals' Defense 2009

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Not well, like the way Palamalou got schooled at the SB!

Wilson like him are asked to do so much more.

true. but you're talking about a single play. you watch polamalu and he comes up with the ball far more often than wilson. i love wilson, but i want my all pro safety to be more well-rounded. this is sounding wrong, b/c i am not down on wilson, i just think he's a shade short of guys like ed reed and polamalu.

 

[Garthshort]

A question about Okeafor. I guess he's moving from the left side to the right side, and I'm wondering if that will affect his play, either positively or negatively? My own opinion is that the team is hoping that Cody Brown will be able to man the RDE and that Chike can be moved back to the left side.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

true. but you're talking about a single play. you watch polamalu and he comes up with the ball far more often than wilson. i love wilson, but i want my all pro safety to be more well-rounded. this is sounding wrong, b/c i am not down on wilson, i just think he's a shade short of guys like ed reed and polamalu.

I'd agree he's a shade short, but he's a totally different beast as well. Neither of those guys can bring pressure like Wilson, which is why he needs to be brought up to blitz far more often than he does.

We're talking about a safety who had 8 sacks a couple years back, which would have been double our top sack total last year. I think it's more about using him correctly, he's good in coverage but certainly not top tier. His real strength is getting to the qb, and knocking him out of games. I guarantee Hasselbeck and Edwards are still having nightmares about A Dub.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

A question about Okeafor. I guess he's moving from the left side to the right side, and I'm wondering if that will affect his play, either positively or negatively? My own opinion is that the team is hoping that Cody Brown will be able to man the RDE and that Chike can be moved back to the left side.

When B-train was injured a few years back, Okeafor moved over to that side and, I believe, had 8 sacks. Brown, I suspect, will contribute mainly as a situational pass rusher. His role, as with Brown, is as an OLB - not DE.

 

[CardLogic]

Neither of those guys can bring pressure like Wilson, which is why he needs to be brought up to blitz far more often than he does.

We're talking about a safety who had 8 sacks a couple years back, which would have been double our top sack total last year. I think it's more about using him correctly, he's good in coverage but certainly not top tier.

Right on! MORE SAFETY BLITZES!!!

I think the last couple of years they haven't been able to bring A-Dub as much as what they would have liked due to not having a solid center-fielding FS back there.

I have high expectations for Rashad Johnson!

 

[Dayman]

To me there were two things that caused the "breaks" last season. Poor tackling and an apparent lack of communication between the Corners and Safeties on coverage responsibilities. Every team is burned occasionally by the latter but not the poor tackling. I may be overstating but it seemed like the Cards gave up a lot of first downs because somebody missed a tackle.

I don't think you're overstating. Too often, it seemed like defenders went for the strip instead of the tackle and gave up large chunks of yards in the process. Rolle was a master of the craft at the beginning of the year. That's the main reason I was hoping for an outside DC hire.

I believe it all comes down to discipline, which is an area this D lacked last year. Dansby's fumble after his INT in the first Seattle game was another example a great play nullified by a stupid mistake. The talent on this D is there. They just have to play smarter.

 

[187]

Our passing defense is definitely the weakness right now, the amount of passing TD's we gave up last year was atrocious. With a true coverage safety in Rashad Johnson and Rolle hopefully moving down to nickel corner, where he thrived, when needed to I think our pass D will be much better. If DRC continues to progress he is going to be locking guys down and hopefully McFadden turns out to be the real deal. We need our pass rushers to step up in order to help our secondary out, we were not getting to the QB nearly enough most of last season. Wilson needs to be utilized in the blitz more often, as it's been said.

Nice write up as well mitch.

 

[Duckjake]

Our passing defense is definitely the weakness right now, the amount of passing TD's we gave up last year was atrocious. With a true coverage safety in Rashad Johnson and Rolle hopefully moving down to nickel corner, where he thrived, when needed to I think our pass D will be much better. If DRC continues to progress he is going to be locking guys down and hopefully McFadden turns out to be the real deal. We need our pass rushers to step up in order to help our secondary out, we were not getting to the QB nearly enough most of last season. Wilson needs to be utilized in the blitz more often, as it's been said.

Nice write up as well mitch.

No kidding. 36 TD passes allowed! NE was 2nd with 27. The second highest total since the 1969 team gave up 38. To have our defense give up more TD passes than our super high powered passing attack could generate is, as you say, atrocious.

On the other hand our run D only allowed 8 runs over 20 yards and one over 40. Among the best in the NFL. (Atlanta for comparison was 16 and 3, Detroit 26 and 5, the Colts ranked 16th with 11 and 3)

Hopefully the changes being made in the off season will bring the passing D closer to our run defense.


BTW: Opponents #s for 3rd down conversions 92/207 44%. 4th down 13/17.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Right on! MORE SAFETY BLITZES!!!

I think the last couple of years they haven't been able to bring A-Dub as much as what they would have liked due to not having a solid center-fielding FS back there.

I have high expectations for Rashad Johnson!

agreed. very hopeful for rashad johnson.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Bend dont break is a loser mentality IMO... How about, "Kick your ass and dont break" !?

 

[PoolBoy]

Bend dont break is a loser mentality IMO... How about, "Kick your ass and dont break" !?

exactly why our 3rd and long defense is the worst in the NFL IMO. How can Davis not realize that and do as Loyalty says and jsut bring the heat.