Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. Smart coaches and smart players win football games, don't they? How about last night when the Pats pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat by winning a game they really had no business winning. Chalk this one up to some pretty amazing coaching, Consider the following:
* down 24-13 with 5:00 left the Pats march down the field, and bait the Bills by throwing the short underneath stuff...and then, at the precise moment they absolutely have to score (clock-wise) to have any real chance at all to win the game, they throw over the top of the Bills LBers (who had been trying to stop the short passes) and splitting the Cover 2 safeties, to TE Ben Watson...stopping the clock at 2:09 and cutting the score to 24-19.
* they smartly try for the 2 point conversion, but fail. The good news is the clock doesn't run during conversions. Now, here comes the key decision of the game. Coach Jon Gruden says you have to kick the on-side kick because you need a TD to win. And, normally, this decision is absolutely the right one.
* but, Bill Bilichick said in his press conference, his thinking was that he had all three of his timeouts left and the two minute warning to play with...thus he decided to surprise Buffalo with a long kickoff instead of the on-side...
* and the coaching got even better when Brandon Meriweather was instructed in the event of a return to try to stand up the returner while Pierre Woods was instructed to then strip the ball...was anyone reminded of what the Bears did to Edgerrin James when the Cards "crowned their a%%es"? Same ploy...same goats...as any ballcarrier has to know in that situation is to keep his pad level low so as not only to protect the ball, but to be able to take a knee when necessary...only someone forgot to tell that to Leodis McKelvin, who fumbled and had to watch as seconds later Brany threw over the top between the Cover 2 once gain to TE Ben Watson for the victory.
* clinging to a 25-24 lead with 1:06 left and the Bills having 2 TOs and a kicker who was booming 60 yarders through the uprights in pre-game, what do the Patriots do? First they stone McKelvin on the return. Then do they go into the prevent? No. Did they rush three? No. They dialed up the pass rush. Mike Wright had a big sack and Trent Edwards was harassed on virtually every play. Even rookie CB Darius Butler had tight enough coverage on his man that he nearly had a game ending pick. The game ended with the Bills going backward...the way the last two Cardinals' games have ended.
How can the Cardinals learn from these scenarios?
For one, keeping all three timeouts is paramount. The timeouts the Cardinals take on first and goals HAVE to be eliminated. Not only does it handicap them later, but the timeout allows the other team to regroup to try to counter the momentum. The Cardinals did score this time, but they did lose the timeout, which would have come in handy as the game turned out.
Secondly, having a TE on the roster who can beat the Cover 2 is a real bonus, especially when the start WRs are getting doubled. The Cardinals had no TE activated for the game who could perform that role. Ironically, that was the one thing Leonard Pope did well...he was a big target up the seams and two years ago he made a very similar behind the back shoulder TD catch as Watson made in the same spot. Hopefully the coaches will work D-Byrd into the mix this week...his presence alone last week could have made the difference...because the Niners too were playing that Cover 2 and the seams and middle were vulnerable.
Thirdly, how about the way the Pats turned up their pass rush at the end of the game to secure the victory? Same way the Niners did. The Cardinals have yet to turn this corner with their pass rush and they way they emphasize it. If the defense is going to ever start finishing games, it has to happen via the pass rush.
2. What are the Cardinals going to do if AW is suspended?...which it looks like will happen based on his last fine and warning (UPDATE: no suspension). Some were happy that SS Aaron Francisco was cut, but I and others worried at the time about who would replace Wilson if he had to go out. Matt Ware is a FS and he was hurt last week, but played anyway, and now he's hurt even worse. Rookie Rashad Johnson is also a FS. Can he step into a new role in four day's time? Can Antrel Rolle slide up to SS (his third position change in two years)? UPDATE: Safety help still much needed.
Keeping a mere 23 on defense was a mistake...now DE Kenny Iwebema is hurt, and the depth there is already thin. CB Bryant McFadden has been hurt and really struggled at times this past game versus mediocre WRs. As we saw in the pre-season CB Ralph Brown isn't exactly a viable option as a starter.
Wilson restructured his deal to create some much needed cap room. The Cardinals have left their roster very vulnerable and now some real decisions have to be made. It just seems as an organization, they are so slow in anticipating what might happen so as to have a plan ready...as they are slow in getting deals done...slow in fixing areas of need...just plain slow...like the so called hurry-up last week...or like getting the ball snapped after a timeout no less. Unthinkably slow.
3. On a very positive note...the Cardinals got very good to outstanding games from Dockett, Robinson, Campbell, Hayes, Dansby, DRC, Hightower, Sendlein, Wells, Lutui and near perfect games from Rackers, Graham and Leach.
4. It looks like the defense was having fun out there and really knew what it was doing, save their letdown immediately after being given a lead to protect. Can the defense actually dominate some games this year? My worry is their old pattern...they play hard one week and soft the next. It will be interesting to see what momentum, if any, they bring into the Jaguar game. Last time they played David Garrard he really had a relatively easy time of things, hitting open WRs and scrambling for key first downs. If they don't get to him early and wrap him up when he takes off, it could be a long day.
* down 24-13 with 5:00 left the Pats march down the field, and bait the Bills by throwing the short underneath stuff...and then, at the precise moment they absolutely have to score (clock-wise) to have any real chance at all to win the game, they throw over the top of the Bills LBers (who had been trying to stop the short passes) and splitting the Cover 2 safeties, to TE Ben Watson...stopping the clock at 2:09 and cutting the score to 24-19.
* they smartly try for the 2 point conversion, but fail. The good news is the clock doesn't run during conversions. Now, here comes the key decision of the game. Coach Jon Gruden says you have to kick the on-side kick because you need a TD to win. And, normally, this decision is absolutely the right one.
* but, Bill Bilichick said in his press conference, his thinking was that he had all three of his timeouts left and the two minute warning to play with...thus he decided to surprise Buffalo with a long kickoff instead of the on-side...
* and the coaching got even better when Brandon Meriweather was instructed in the event of a return to try to stand up the returner while Pierre Woods was instructed to then strip the ball...was anyone reminded of what the Bears did to Edgerrin James when the Cards "crowned their a%%es"? Same ploy...same goats...as any ballcarrier has to know in that situation is to keep his pad level low so as not only to protect the ball, but to be able to take a knee when necessary...only someone forgot to tell that to Leodis McKelvin, who fumbled and had to watch as seconds later Brany threw over the top between the Cover 2 once gain to TE Ben Watson for the victory.
* clinging to a 25-24 lead with 1:06 left and the Bills having 2 TOs and a kicker who was booming 60 yarders through the uprights in pre-game, what do the Patriots do? First they stone McKelvin on the return. Then do they go into the prevent? No. Did they rush three? No. They dialed up the pass rush. Mike Wright had a big sack and Trent Edwards was harassed on virtually every play. Even rookie CB Darius Butler had tight enough coverage on his man that he nearly had a game ending pick. The game ended with the Bills going backward...the way the last two Cardinals' games have ended.
How can the Cardinals learn from these scenarios?
For one, keeping all three timeouts is paramount. The timeouts the Cardinals take on first and goals HAVE to be eliminated. Not only does it handicap them later, but the timeout allows the other team to regroup to try to counter the momentum. The Cardinals did score this time, but they did lose the timeout, which would have come in handy as the game turned out.
Secondly, having a TE on the roster who can beat the Cover 2 is a real bonus, especially when the start WRs are getting doubled. The Cardinals had no TE activated for the game who could perform that role. Ironically, that was the one thing Leonard Pope did well...he was a big target up the seams and two years ago he made a very similar behind the back shoulder TD catch as Watson made in the same spot. Hopefully the coaches will work D-Byrd into the mix this week...his presence alone last week could have made the difference...because the Niners too were playing that Cover 2 and the seams and middle were vulnerable.
Thirdly, how about the way the Pats turned up their pass rush at the end of the game to secure the victory? Same way the Niners did. The Cardinals have yet to turn this corner with their pass rush and they way they emphasize it. If the defense is going to ever start finishing games, it has to happen via the pass rush.
2. What are the Cardinals going to do if AW is suspended?...which it looks like will happen based on his last fine and warning (UPDATE: no suspension). Some were happy that SS Aaron Francisco was cut, but I and others worried at the time about who would replace Wilson if he had to go out. Matt Ware is a FS and he was hurt last week, but played anyway, and now he's hurt even worse. Rookie Rashad Johnson is also a FS. Can he step into a new role in four day's time? Can Antrel Rolle slide up to SS (his third position change in two years)? UPDATE: Safety help still much needed.
Keeping a mere 23 on defense was a mistake...now DE Kenny Iwebema is hurt, and the depth there is already thin. CB Bryant McFadden has been hurt and really struggled at times this past game versus mediocre WRs. As we saw in the pre-season CB Ralph Brown isn't exactly a viable option as a starter.
Wilson restructured his deal to create some much needed cap room. The Cardinals have left their roster very vulnerable and now some real decisions have to be made. It just seems as an organization, they are so slow in anticipating what might happen so as to have a plan ready...as they are slow in getting deals done...slow in fixing areas of need...just plain slow...like the so called hurry-up last week...or like getting the ball snapped after a timeout no less. Unthinkably slow.
3. On a very positive note...the Cardinals got very good to outstanding games from Dockett, Robinson, Campbell, Hayes, Dansby, DRC, Hightower, Sendlein, Wells, Lutui and near perfect games from Rackers, Graham and Leach.
4. It looks like the defense was having fun out there and really knew what it was doing, save their letdown immediately after being given a lead to protect. Can the defense actually dominate some games this year? My worry is their old pattern...they play hard one week and soft the next. It will be interesting to see what momentum, if any, they bring into the Jaguar game. Last time they played David Garrard he really had a relatively easy time of things, hitting open WRs and scrambling for key first downs. If they don't get to him early and wrap him up when he takes off, it could be a long day.
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