Truth Hurts...

[QuebecCard]

The question is, why did they get soft. Was it because of soft players, soft Coaching, getting soft because buying into the hype to much. Or did some players get less and less playtime ...

Pizzas at midnight.

 

[AZCB34]

SOFT. That is absolutely the identity of this team. All the other things mentioned fall under that umbrella.

And the softest of all is the QB.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Which is crazy considering early in the season you and I were commenting how physical therapy team finally looked. But I guess it’s easy to be physical when you’re on top and the bully. When other teams punched back the second half of the season, just like with most bullies, we shrank. That’s the worst kind of soft.

Did you mean to say physical the rapey?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Which is crazy considering early in the season you and I were commenting how physical therapy team finally looked. But I guess it’s easy to be physical when you’re on top and the bully. When other teams punched back the second half of the season, just like with most bullies, we shrank. That’s the worst kind of soft.

yup. they proved to be complete and total front-runners.

 

[dscher]

And the softest of all is the QB.

Easy to say from the couch instead of behind a tissue paper line with the likes of Aaron Donald in his face twice a year.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Did you mean to say physical the rapey?

Yes. That’s exactly what I meant to say.

 

[82CardsGrad]

So, Mike B and Keim have cobbled together a team that, for the initial stages of a season, can often be an exciting and fun team to watch. Relying heavily on the physical (not mental or intellectual) gifts of Murray, along with superior skills of several others: D-Hop, Kirk, Rondale, Conner, Edmonds on offense. And guys like Jones, Watt, Golden, Baker, Murphy, Hicks, Simmons on defense... The team is fully capable of winning 9 or 10 games a season, with virtually ALL of the W's coming in the first 3/4ths of the season.

But of course, quality teams that can be counted on to get into the post season more often than not, focus on the last 1/4th of the season. They are managed and led in ways that build momentum and build reliability in ways that translate to late-season, crunch-time W's.

So in many ways, from the GM, to the coaching and of course down to the players, the Cardinals are really nothing more than a collection of posers and imposters. Many so-called "experts," most notably Keyshawn, have known this from the jump. For Gambo and the rest of us fans, it was nasty-tasting medicine we refused to take. Yet, it was and remains the truth.

So yea, I have never been a fan of Kliffy since day one. And IMHO, he hasn't done one single thing to make me feel differently toward him. In fact, if anything, he has only cemented my misgivings and distrust in him. He is a pretty-boy, LuLuLemon wearing poser who has never won a thing anywhere as a coach. And I believe he remains entirely incapable of winning when it matters most at the highest level of the game. Though many give him the tag of being a "players coach," he is not a leader as anyone can lead when the games don't matter much. Real leaders of men are able to lift their troops to levels they never thought possible, particularly when the intensity and the stakes reach critical levels. Kliffy is none of that and so, while we can do what we fans love to do - dissecting each play and each player, the truth is that this team's shortcomings begin and end with the head coach. Period.

Aside from Kyler, I actually believe this team has enough talent to make it to the post season. But without a credible head coach, AND, without a truly viable leader at the QB position, it will take a ton of great luck and fortunate breaks for this team to play in a post-season game.
IMHO, Kyler is a major source of the problems with this team. In his 3rd season, facing a depleted 1-win team, he should've been more than capable of lifting his play to the level that would've produced a W yesterday. I don't care that our defense allowed an undrafted Practice Squad RB to go for over 100 yards... The reality is our offense was shut-out in the first half and was only able to score ONE touchdown. I don't have the words to describe how pitiful that is, yet it speaks volumes about our QB...

Unfortunately, the hurtful truth is that, as long as Kliffy and Kyler remain at the helm of this ship(sinking?), expectations will need to be throttled back. They may get us to the post season every now and then... but I would suspect it will always be a one & done scenario. Certainly, a Super Bowl appearance, let alone a Championship is as far out of reach as is the moon from earth...

Recent reports continue to validate the above…
Kyler might grow up… one day… maybe… but probably not.
And he’ll continue to alienate fellow players.
My decision to dump my season tickets continues to look like the right choice…

 

[Jetstream Green]

Till Keim can put together a strong DL and OL to compete in this division and the playoffs, it does not matter who the coach is or the QB

 

[THESMEL]

The question is, why did they get soft. Was it because of soft players, soft Coaching, getting soft because buying into the hype to much. Or did some players get less and less playtime ...

Why am defending again, soft because we did not run the god damned ball! period BS end of story, soft teams don’t run and Allow hard premium pass rushes throw cards down, rip off their one dimensional identity, and have their way with cards.

kyler played at mvp level, sorry no qb can compete in the nightmare scenario, packers showed NFL how to beat us, just lead us where we want to go addicted to the pass! Allergic to the run - then to Detroit and the worse team in the NFL aggressively destroyed us as chase had 2 carries Conner 1 at the end of the 1st half!

I actually like Kliff a lot just not his behavior, Kyler would have to audible like 50% of the time to a RB run play, hero ball running himself only works at certain times. It does not force the defense to change.

again nit starting Conner who made the pro bowl as a 2nd string back up rb, now everybody denying this - he is not the back up my butt! I’ve been screaming that all year, don’t know what the hell others are watching. Yes he had more carries, more effective, played more games ect. Is earth more then chase in free agency also! Why cause he was a bell cow in Pittsburg, and could be for the cards if cards running game coordinator, HC, staff we’re not epically stupid! And GM was a boss instead of weak kneed yes man.

truth is as the thread states, we had 5 - 3 and outs 2 interceptions in the first half, first Conner run was out of the end zone, right before the pick 6 that sealed cards fate. That’s damnEd hard truth, and it did not have to happen that way, cards could have actually played their pro bowl running back, so he had pain, he lead blocked for Kyler early. Caught the poor executed trick play, scored hard to late to matter.

just makes me sick cards media, team don’t even mention it, the announcers and analyst harped on it the whole damn game- and idiots still never mention it. Rb can not be an afterthought against the rams or the NFCW ! Less then 1 mill for chase, 1.7 mill for Conner last year, drake took back up money after a 1000 yard year for cards last year.

you fans deserves another 75 years with no championship. Like cards deserve every bit of misery they feel right now, Michael , Keim allows whis, BA. KK to continue the same fundamentally flawed football filosphy for 1.5 decades now.
it’s not consumable, opposite of championship, no continuity, consistency, keep doing what your doing, will keep getting what your getting.

 

[wit3card]

Why am defending again, soft because we did not run the god damned ball! period BS end of story, soft teams don’t run and Allow hard premium pass rushes throw cards down, rip off their one dimensional identity, and have their way with cards.

kyler played at mvp level, sorry no qb can compete in the nightmare scenario, packers showed NFL how to beat us, just lead us where we want to go addicted to the pass! Allergic to the run - then to Detroit and the worse team in the NFL aggressively destroyed us as chase had 2 carries Conner 1 at the end of the 1st half!

I actually like Kliff a lot just not his behavior, Kyler would have to audible like 50% of the time to a RB run play, hero ball running himself only works at certain times. It does not force the defense to change.

again nit starting Conner who made the pro bowl as a 2nd string back up rb, now everybody denying this - he is not the back up my butt! I’ve been screaming that all year, don’t know what the hell others are watching. Yes he had more carries, more effective, played more games ect. Is earth more then chase in free agency also! Why cause he was a bell cow in Pittsburg, and could be for the cards if cards running game coordinator, HC, staff we’re not epically stupid! And GM was a boss instead of weak kneed yes man.

truth is as the thread states, we had 5 - 3 and outs 2 interceptions in the first half, first Conner run was out of the end zone, right before the pick 6 that sealed cards fate. That’s damnEd hard truth, and it did not have to happen that way, cards could have actually played their pro bowl running back, so he had pain, he lead blocked for Kyler early. Caught the poor executed trick play, scored hard to late to matter.

just makes me sick cards media, team don’t even mention it, the announcers and analyst harped on it the whole damn game- and idiots still never mention it. Rb can not be an afterthought against the rams or the NFCW ! Less then 1 mill for chase, 1.7 mill for Conner last year, drake took back up money after a 1000 yard year for cards last year.

you fans deserves another 75 years with no championship. Like cards deserve every bit of misery they feel right now, Michael , Keim allows whis, BA. KK to continue the same fundamentally flawed football filosphy for 1.5 decades now.
it’s not consumable, opposite of championship, no continuity, consistency, keep doing what your doing, will keep getting what your getting.

thesmel, it is up there "less and less playtime" and coaching.

But I'm not sold that kliff decided to run less because he wanted to run less. I'm not sure if we could have run anything. Our Interior Line RG/LG and our RT aren't great run blocker, pass blocker most of the time either. We couln't run a run around, the #1 down of Kupp yesterday, we did that in the first half of the season, tried it in the second half some times and never could do it.

Overall this team got worse, I can see we run less, I can see Kyler played worse, I can see Hopkins was missing, I can see our D played atroscious at times. There were to many holes that I can pin point it on one single point. Can it be that everything fall appart at the same time, yes it could. But it could also be that there was something that set everything up to fail. The Lions game was, unbearable.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Why am defending again, soft because we did not run the god damned ball! period BS end of story, soft teams don’t run and Allow hard premium pass rushes throw cards down, rip off their one dimensional identity, and have their way with cards.

kyler played at mvp level, sorry no qb can compete in the nightmare scenario, packers showed NFL how to beat us, just lead us where we want to go addicted to the pass! Allergic to the run - then to Detroit and the worse team in the NFL aggressively destroyed us as chase had 2 carries Conner 1 at the end of the 1st half!

I actually like Kliff a lot just not his behavior, Kyler would have to audible like 50% of the time to a RB run play, hero ball running himself only works at certain times. It does not force the defense to change.

again nit starting Conner who made the pro bowl as a 2nd string back up rb, now everybody denying this - he is not the back up my butt! I’ve been screaming that all year, don’t know what the hell others are watching. Yes he had more carries, more effective, played more games ect. Is earth more then chase in free agency also! Why cause he was a bell cow in Pittsburg, and could be for the cards if cards running game coordinator, HC, staff we’re not epically stupid! And GM was a boss instead of weak kneed yes man.

truth is as the thread states, we had 5 - 3 and outs 2 interceptions in the first half, first Conner run was out of the end zone, right before the pick 6 that sealed cards fate. That’s damnEd hard truth, and it did not have to happen that way, cards could have actually played their pro bowl running back, so he had pain, he lead blocked for Kyler early. Caught the poor executed trick play, scored hard to late to matter.

just makes me sick cards media, team don’t even mention it, the announcers and analyst harped on it the whole damn game- and idiots still never mention it. Rb can not be an afterthought against the rams or the NFCW ! Less then 1 mill for chase, 1.7 mill for Conner last year, drake took back up money after a 1000 yard year for cards last year.

you fans deserves another 75 years with no championship. Like cards deserve every bit of misery they feel right now, Michael , Keim allows whis, BA. KK to continue the same fundamentally flawed football filosphy for 1.5 decades now.
it’s not consumable, opposite of championship, no continuity, consistency, keep doing what your doing, will keep getting what your getting.

We seriously need to devote all our attention to that OL and DL. A OL really is only as good as its weakest link and we need a dominant guard, maybe even more so due to Kyler's height. With Kyler that interior of the OL might be even more important than the edges compared to a traditional QB. On the DL, we simply have no power. I look at the guys we have, their size fits the position but they seemingly do not have the strength or quickness. Running the ball is the basic starting point of football, we cannot dictate our will because our trenches are lacking

 

[QuebecCard]

American's, from what I gather, are essentially optimistic and probably this is what drives the CARDs angst.

It's all much easier to take if you remember these axioms:

"There is always a tunnel at the end of the light"

"Whatever doesn't kill you, just wait"

"Life is hard but, thankfully, short."

 

[Jetstream Green]

American's, from what I gather, are essentially optimistic and probably this is what drives the CARDs angst.

It's all much easier to take if you remember these axioms:

"There is always a tunnel at the end of the light"

"Whatever doesn't kill you, just wait"

"Life is hard but, thankfully, short."

According to Tolstoy, you just described the Russian character lol

 

[THESMEL]

thesmel, it is up there "less and less playtime" and coaching.

But I'm not sold that kliff decided to run less because he wanted to run less. I'm not sure if we could have run anything. Our Interior Line RG/LG and our RT aren't great run blocker, pass blocker most of the time either. We couln't run a run around, the #1 down of Kupp yesterday, we did that in the first half of the season, tried it in the second half some times and never could do it.

Overall this team got worse, I can see we run less, I can see Kyler played worse, I can see Hopkins was missing, I can see our D played atroscious at times. There were to many holes that I can pin point it on one single point. Can it be that everything fall appart at the same time, yes it could. But it could also be that there was something that set everything up to fail. The Lions game was, unbearable.

Man I’m trying to keep an open mind, but chase and Conner both had decent runs when finally given a chance, after game was determined, he was hurt is bull crap.
how would you know they are not good run blockers, even most the runs are trick plays from passing formations. i Don’t how anybody can rationalize and defend this anymore? Look at Detroit blow out and you see the rams playoff game. Except by the worse team in the NFL! Then look at the win against the rams, where we showed the tiniest of balance! Just sick of the Hopkins blaming! Just can’t compete lIke that, no one can.

 

[THESMEL]

We seriously need to devote all our attention to that OL and DL. A OL really is only as good as its weakest link and we need a dominant guard, maybe even more so due to Kyler's height. With Kyler that interior of the OL might be even more important than the edges compared to a traditional QB. On the DL, we simply have no power. I look at the guys we have, their size fits the position but they seemingly do not have the strength or quickness. Running the ball is the basic starting point of football, we cannot dictate our will because our trenches are lacking

We never even tried, damn it did you see Detroit destroy us! exact same game as the rams playoff loss! No runs until it was over! Oline has no chance to succeed, defense don’t need to play the run because we never ran! Just pin their ears back from the start and kill Kyler, just like they killed kurt when we ran 1 time to every 3 or 4 passes! only time we won was with a run game Effort! Whiz with edge and beanie, bA with CJ and DJ, KM with conner and chase.
it’s just the damned truth look at it.
forget to run, forget to win.

 

[Cardsfaninlouky]

Till Keim can put together a strong DL and OL to compete in this division and the playoffs, it does not matter who the coach is or the QB

Nice take. Kyler has his faults but our OL & DL needs physical players like yesterday, building a team always starts in the trenches other than the QB.

 

[Cardsfaninlouky]

We seriously need to devote all our attention to that OL and DL. A OL really is only as good as its weakest link and we need a dominant guard, maybe even more so due to Kyler's height. With Kyler that interior of the OL might be even more important than the edges compared to a traditional QB. On the DL, we simply have no power. I look at the guys we have, their size fits the position but they seemingly do not have the strength or quickness. Running the ball is the basic starting point of football, we cannot dictate our will because our trenches are lacking

Kenyon Green with our 1st round pick will help big time.

 

[Vacard]

Kenyon Green with our 1st round pick will help big time.

Keim will move him at guard

 

[DVontel]

Keim will move him at guard

That’s what he primarily played in college sooo…..

 

[Cardsfaninlouky]

Keim will move him at guard

That's where he needs to play, take Pugh's spot.

 

[wit3card]

Man I’m trying to keep an open mind, but chase and Conner both had decent runs when finally given a chance, after game was determined, he was hurt is bull crap.
how would you know they are not good run blockers, even most the runs are trick plays from passing formations. i Don’t how anybody can rationalize and defend this anymore? Look at Detroit blow out and you see the rams playoff game. Except by the worse team in the NFL! Then look at the win against the rams, where we showed the tiniest of balance! Just sick of the Hopkins blaming! Just can’t compete lIke that, no one can.

We didn't see them run very well till the opponent didn't play the run at all. At the beginning of the game our run is always pedestrian at least. Our O this year worked more like the pass sets up the run and not vice versa. And that is my point. We don't know if this "pass sets up the run" is because Kliff is the believe that it should work like that or that our O-line isn't capable of doing it.

I can't rememeber 1 run were the opponent knew we run that did work. Or at least did work over LG/RG/RT

Look I think we all know that we need to be more balanced and that you need to be more to know what you have to do, but it is something totally differnet to execute it.

Basically, we have to much holes to pin point one that was the problem.

Giving up 14 points in 2 drives is a problem

Same problem against the Lions.
First drive FG Lions
than we have 3rd and 4 get a LT false start into a 3rd and 9, Kyler sacked -1 (can happen)
TD Lions
than we have incomplet, 6 yards Conner, 3rd and 4 sack -8 by Kyler and punt
Punt Lions
we have penalty Beachum false start, incomplete, 14 yards to Ertz, Conner 2 yards, 13 yards to Ertz, 5 yards Edmonds, 2 Yards Ertz and 3rd and 3 Kyler Sacked for -12
PUNT
we march to the 6 yard line and don't get any points ... rewatch yourself I'm not commenting but we couldn't run on theme and so ...
TD Lions

so basically this run alone shows what more or less happend in the Playoff game as well, just, the Rams are a better team and don't let you march so easily.

But you could discuss, that we learned to be more patient but the rest ...

Kyler had a -1 yard run in the middle because von Miller beat Beachum .... c'mon ...
Than we try to run again after the TD and 2 yards by Edmonds ...
Kyler gets sacked for -8
and then Kyler throws the ball in front instead of sideways/backwards so that the trick play is an iillegal forward pass
TD LA Rams
Kyler holds the ball to long, sacked -7 yards pressure A. Donald and Gaines so basically C and LG
incomplete to Kirk, Moore short for 6 yards and punt
Punt LA Rams @1 yard line
Conner up the middle 3 yards (better than Edmonds but not great) AJ Green never gets controll and Scott fumbles it out of bounds next is the Pick 6 and with Kyler of that day the nail in the coffin.

GOSH if I go over this game again, I understand why Kyler reacts so overblown because someone says he was the culprid of unbearable... he was and nobody called him out.

Basically yes there was one or two things you could argue, yes D didn't play great, yes Green again droped a crucial catch, and we couldn't run really efficiently. Overall it wasn't as bad as playcalling wise or plays wise. It is a given that our O-line isn't great we can't figure that one out it seems. But even if so, Kyler has to throw after 2.5 seconds this is still football not a EA game. And yes some players need to step up, but give them at least the chance to as a QB.

Yes the Rams were the best team of the NFL this year after all is said and done, but our team showed that it could beat them. I think with Hopkins, Kyler wouldn't have faltered so easily, but after Rams made it to 10-0 Kyler seems to have panicked and yes ... we know the result.

Overall the comments that we saw now from Mortesen seem accurate, it is what Kyler looks like if he doesn't lead.

And we see that we coulnd't really run the ball really well and at the end of the day, do you want to take the ball out of the hand of the best player on your offense, which we maybe can all agree on, that kyler is on a good day.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Murray the same player he was when he entered the league 3 years ago…

Kyler Murray has not shown 'significant improvement,' according to Greg Cosell

...

247sports.com

 

[Stout]

Murray the same player he was when he entered the league 3 years ago…

Kyler Murray has not shown 'significant improvement,' according to Greg Cosell

...

247sports.com

Yeah, the experts that are paying attention know exactly what's going on with KM.

 

[cardpa]

Yeah, I remember when I said I felt Murray was already near his ceiling and wasn't going to get much better and I got crucified for it. Maybe I was right all along.

 

[Chopper0080]

Yeah, the experts that are paying attention know exactly what's going on with KM.

Here is where I can buy into potential Kingsbury criticism. If you believe that he was hired to develop Kyler, you can argue he has underperformed because we have not seen that development from Kyler.