Warner, the Cards, & some personal thoughts

[Cards232]

That fact is that Warner made a poor play on the int.. But here are some other facts. There were only seconds left on the clock & the Cards had no time-outs. The thing we could least afford was a sack in that situation. The play was designed to be a quick hitter. Warner knew the Steelers would be coming & they did. He threw an int. against the best defense in the league & to the best defensive player in the league who made a GREAT PLAY.

The fact is that Warner played a NEAR flawless game vs. the best defense in the league. Not one team, nor one qb, had even remotely the success that Warner did last night. He threw for nearly 400 yards all while playing a little over 3 minutes in the first quarter. But, the fact is that Warner is not perfect. The fact is neither was Bradshaw when he threw 3 int.'s in the '79 SB while not only winning the game, but MVP as well. The fact is that even Joe Montana wasn't perfect, even when he threw 3 int.'s while winning the the NFC championship vs. the Cowboys, the game best know for "the catch" by Dwight Clark.

Some of you justifiably complain about some of the Warner "worshippers" here b/c they seemingly think he can do no wrong. Yet on the other hand, you rail on Warner when he's not perfect.

Warner had a 145 & 112 qb rating vs. the 2 top defenses in the league on the 2 top stages in all of football. He set a record for the most yards total ever in SB's, eclipsing Montana. He now owns the 3 most productive games ever in the SB.

It wasn't a perfect night for Warner, but it was nearly so. I'll take what he gave last night vs. what any other qb in the league would have done in similar circumstances. Warner is money in crunch time. He had a perfect career qb rating in the playoffs in the last drive when his team was tied or behind coming into this game & his team scored a td on every one of those drives. Last night just continued that legacy.

The game wasn't just about Warner. The team overall played a great game. The team brought pride & respect to the desert. They played w/ skill, & more importantly, heart. But make no mistake, Warner was the leader of that effort, the leader of the team. He wasn't the only difference, but he was the leader of that difference on the field. He wasn't perfect last night, but he lead the team within 35 seconds of immortality. When have the Cards & immortality ever been so close to being used in the same sentence & that way?

Football can be a game of inches. Not too many claiming the Cards as the worst team to ever play in the SB this morning. The sun is rising & the future looks bright. Three cheers for both of the warrior teams last night that gave us one for the ages.

 

[cardsfanmd]

That fact is that Warner made a poor play on the int.. But here are some other facts. There were only seconds left on the clock & the Cards had no time-outs. The thing we could least afford was a sack in that situation.

No, the thing we could least afford was a pick-6!

The play was designed to be a quick hitter. Warner knew the Steelers would be coming & they did. He threw an int. against the best defense in the league & to the best defensive player in the league who made a GREAT PLAY.

There is no way you can excuse that throw. Kurt is great, but even he would tall you the same thing. Damn, I could have done better by getting sacked or throwing it into the stands.

Warner is great and I have been one of the few who has had his back since he came here, but the pick was awful. Either way, he had a great game and we wouldn't have had a chance without him IMO.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I was dissapointed in the playcall as well. Until someone stops it once, I would go to Fitz in the corner every time we are inside the 5.

 

[joshstmarie]

I was dissapointed in the playcall as well. Until someone stops it once, I would go to Fitz in the corner every time we are inside the 5.

agreed, even all my non cardinal fan friends were calling for a throw to fitz. he was open. show me someone who can stop that play..its not humanly possible.

 

[moklerman]

There is no way you can excuse that throw. Kurt is great, but even he would tall you the same thing. Damn, I could have done better by getting sacked or throwing it into the stands.

I can excuse the throw but not the read and/or the call. I know, semantics but if we're going to break it down, that was the real problem. Overall, I think Haley let the Steelers take the Cards out of their game on offense. There should have been the normal alotment of screens and quick passes to the outside to let Boldin, et al make a play. On that particular play I would have liked to have seen that type of play to Boldin over what they actually called. With only 18 seconds it would have been tight if he didn't get in but a lot safer and just as good of chance of success IMO.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Actually I don't really fault Kurt on that throw. Thats a timing throw and was a good call. the problem was is that Harrison (who has admitted he was free lancing - he was supposed to be covering Tim on the flat) just made an exceptional play.

As back breaking as that play was I think both the call and play were good. Its easy to say something was a bad call when it doesn't work out.

 

[Cards232]

No, the thing we could least afford was a pick-6!

There is no way you can excuse that throw. Kurt is great, but even he would tall you the same thing. Damn, I could have done better by getting sacked or throwing it into the stands.

Warner is great and I have been one of the few who has had his back since he came here, but the pick was awful. Either way, he had a great game and we wouldn't have had a chance without him IMO.

Good point. But don't misunderstand, I'm not saying it wasn't a bad throw, it was. My point was more about perfection. I agree about the play call. In that circumstance, I would call a play for a pass where only one player could possibly come up w/ the ball, like the fade to Fitz.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Int's happen... And given Kurt's overall performance, I am more than willing to cut him some slack on that play.

HOWEVER, what really pisses me off and what I find totally inexcusable is the fact that we let Harrison run 100 f'n yards for a TD. Are you kidding me?? I still can't believe we couldn't tackle the prick before he scored... This - not the throw, cost us the game...

 

[Divide Et Impera]

The biggest thing we are all forgetting is that our running game is so mediocre (at best) that we have no faith in running a dive from the 2 yard line. You HAVE TO give Hightower a shot or two down there. Run a dive, spike the ball if you don't get in and take the FG....

A 10-10 half makes a 26-20 Cards win....

 

[82CardsGrad]

The biggest thing we are all forgetting is that our running game is so mediocre (at best) that we have no faith in running a dive from the 2 yard line. You HAVE TO give Hightower a shot or two down there. Run a dive, spike the ball if you don't get in and take the FG....

A 10-10 half makes a 26-20 Cards win....

With 18 seconds on the clock and no timeouts?? Uh, no......

 

[RolleRocks]

I can excuse the throw but not the read and/or the call. I know, semantics but if we're going to break it down, that was the real problem. Overall, I think Haley let the Steelers take the Cards out of their game on offense. There should have been the normal alotment of screens and quick passes to the outside to let Boldin, et al make a play. On that particular play I would have liked to have seen that type of play to Boldin over what they actually called. With only 18 seconds it would have been tight if he didn't get in but a lot safer and just as good of chance of success IMO.

Mistake by Kurt.

He'll admit that.

I have rewatched that play multiple times.

Kurt had to make that throw in a hurry. If he hesitated, Q would no longer have been open.

Maybe he should have shied away from that throw after ready the defense while at the LOS, and dismissed that throw as too risky.

I just didn't like the formation....everyone bunched into the middle of the field and then still throwing into the midde.

I would have prefered a play that bunched the players in the middle and then took a receiver to the outside...or a formation that spread the players out and then flashed a receiver across the middle.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

The biggest thing we are all forgetting is that our running game is so mediocre (at best) that we have no faith in running a dive from the 2 yard line. You HAVE TO give Hightower a shot or two down there. Run a dive, spike the ball if you don't get in and take the FG....

A 10-10 half makes a 26-20 Cards win....

Great point. What was the timeout situation at that point of the game? Thats the high percentage play there.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

With 18 seconds on the clock and no timeouts?? Uh, no......

With no timeouts I agree thats not the right call.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Kurt played a great game. Someone should have run that play down.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

With 18 seconds on the clock and no timeouts?? Uh, no......

Uh, yeah. Run a dive and get back to the LOS quick. This will leave 8 seconds on the clock at best and 3 seconds at worst by getting back and spiking the ball.

The best case scenario would have run the dive and gotten a TD. It's safe and not likely to end in a TO.

The worst case scenario is that we get stuffed, get back to the LOS, spike the ball and kick the FG for 3.

Our weakness in the run game cost us the ring more than anything - especially on that play....

 

[82CardsGrad]

Uh, yeah. Run a dive and get back to the LOS quick. This will leave 8 seconds on the clock at best and 3 seconds at worst by getting back and spiking the ball.

The best case scenario would have run the dive and gotten a TD. It's safe and not likely to end in a TO.

The worst case scenario is that we get stuffed, get back to the LOS, spike the ball and kick the FG for 3.

Our weakness in the run game cost us the ring more than anything - especially on that play....

And somehow all of those risks are better than our #1 passing offense taking a shot from the 2? Ok...

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Wow. Yeah, it's always a brilliant idea to pass in an area of the field where the concentration of defenders is greater than at any other part of the field.

And running a dive and getting stuffed is a risk? Ending up with a FG is a risk? Going into the half with a 10-10 tie is a risk?

Man, I thought you were only this dense in P&R....

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Why wouldn't both Haley and Kurt expect that in this circumstance the Steelers best pass rusher would be coming full-out, and not dropping into coverage?

(This certainly is what I got from Kurt's explanation on the NFL Network)

 

[moklerman]

I think it was a bad read/recognition(Warner never saw Harrison. He thought Boldin had his guy beaten to the inside and didn't see the support.), horrible transition on the return and a risky play call. There was lot's of poor decisions/execution to do around on that play.

I don't think any play in the first half can be a crusher though. The Cards played near-flawless football for most of the 2nd half and had a 23-20 lead with 36 seconds to go.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Wow. Yeah, it's always a brilliant idea to pass in an area of the field where the concentration of defenders is greater than at any other part of the field.

And running a dive and getting stuffed is a risk? Ending up with a FG is a risk? Going into the half with a 10-10 tie is a risk?

Man, I thought you were only this dense in P&R....

Did you watch the play??? Running a dive would have been the worst playcall ever. The Steelers did an all out blitz, there is no possible way Hightower doesn't lose 2-5 yards there. Had Harrison done what he was told and not freelanced Q would have been wide open.

Disparaging 82 just because you dont like him due to that fact that he isn't an advocate of wimping out of wars and assuring that terrorists have rights or encouraging the murder of unborn American citizens is funny. I expect nothing less (or more I guess in this circumstance) from you.

 

[conraddobler]

Ok for the last time this spin stuff on the situation is infuriating me.

Kurt himself after the game claimed that he couldn't see the guy because of his lineman, I haven't looked at the replay again it's too painfull but during the game they replayed it and I don't see how Harrison was behind a lineman in Kurt's sight from what I saw live and right after on the replay, yet that was what Kurt said.

The problem with Kurt's explanation is that he himself knows this goes on all the time with that defense that's exactly what it is, they fool you with who drops and who comes and the tape shows tons of times this happens it's not a fluke he was back there it was pure odds.

Kurt claims he did not see the guy because he was hidden behind our olinemen, that explanation is either it or Kurts just saying that to pass muster with our coaching staff for the blunder because he knows he shouldn't have thrown the ball.

His explanation though proves he knows to watch for that.

 

[CardLogic]

Int's happen... And given Kurt's overall performance, I am more than willing to cut him some slack on that play.

HOWEVER, what really pisses me off and what I find totally inexcusable is the fact that we let Harrison run 100 f'n yards for a TD. Are you kidding me?? I still can't believe we couldn't tackle the prick before he scored... This - not the throw, cost us the game...

Guys are being overly critical, and with less than 20/20 hindsight. Who can guarantee that Hightower doesn't get popped at the 1 yard line, the ball pops up, and the Steelers return it for a touchdown. "Not likely", you say. Guess what, neither is what happened very likely either. But that's football.

And DEI just because someone has a difference of opinion what right to you have to call names questioning his intelligence? Seems quite immature to me...

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Did you watch the play??? Running a dive would have been the worst playcall ever. The Steelers did an all out blitz, there is no possible way Hightower doesn't lose 2-5 yards there. Had Harrison done what he was told and not freelanced Q would have been wide open.

Disparaging 82 just because you dont like him due to that fact that he isn't an advocate of wimping out of wars and assuring that terrorists have rights or encouraging the murder of unborn American citizens is funny. I expect nothing less (or more I guess in this circumstance) from you.

This from an avowed racist....

 

[green machine]

It was a bad throw, bad decision, bad play call, bad job of tackling. The whole play sucked.

A better option would have been a fade to Fitz or someone, because either he catches it or it is incomplete, and surely not run back for 6.

But, this is hindsight, and what happened happened. Nothing you can do about it now.

 

[cardsfanmd]

This from an avowed racist....