Very frustrating game to watch, obviously. A game where most of the minuses outweighed the plusses.
Cases in point:
Defense in General:
(-) * Came out of the gates not interested in tackling---save the hustle plays by Daryl Washington.
(-) * Still starting a player at NT who would not play for any other team in the NFL...and is backed up by a rookie 1st rounder who is a far superior talent and performer. Head scratch.
(+) * Despite all this the defense stiffens versus the run in the 3rd quarter...basically stuffing it left and right to keep the team in the game.
(+) * Holds the Panthers to 1 TD in 5 red zone trips.
(-) * Once again...when the team needed the defense to hold late in the game, they folded up their tents like anxious boy scouts headed for the comforts of home. The 10 yard run on third and 9 at the 3:00 mark was horrendous.
Offense in general:
(+) * Save two poor decisions---the int overthrow to a blanketed Stephen Spach and the throwback pass off a scramble that he could have easlily ran for a first down---John Skelton passed the ball fairly well.
(-) * Could not get into any rhythm due to numerous drops on passes that could not have been more accurate (Wells, Doucet, Spach)---which makes one wonder about all three of these players. All three have been major underachievers in the program this year. The eptiome was Spach's drop where he cowered at the thought of getting hit---the truth is, Spach, like Bryan Robinson would not get any major minutes on any other team---and furthermore, the fact that he's the go-to TE in this game proves once again that the Cardinal FO and the coaches cannot consistently pick, evaluate and develop players properly...the irony is that Whiz was a TE, and in his 4 years in AZ, the TE play has been flat-out awful. Whiz gets an F for not developing Ben Patrick...and moreover, from what we've already seen this year, should Spach have been playing the role of pass catching TE over Jim Dray?
(+) * THT runs hard...gets a key first down.
(-) * THT once again fumbles (which makes one wonder---should the Cardinals draft another RB?...seriously...THT and Wells are turnovers or dropped passes/assignments waiting to happen).
(+) * Skelton's best 3 passes: (1) the sideline pass to Fitz---on the money over the CB and inside the S; (2) The sideline pass to Breaston, where he adeptly dragged his toes; (3) the scramble right pass into the seam to Fitz for a nifty third down conversion...on a day where ther numerous 3rds and 4 did not turn out well at all.
(-) * Whiz playing dink and dunk with a strong armed QB...Whiz is lost as an OC---he really is. He never let Skelton establish himself as a threat right from the start...it's Whizzendung Chickendung.
(-) * Skelton reverted to throwing off his back foot in the 4th quarter, especially in the red zone (where he could have been picked off twice) and most especially on the post pass to Breaston down the middle that should have been a huge gain has Skelton stepped into his throw and thrown a dart.
(-) * Once again---the refusal to chip a DE...the epitome today was Jason Wright lining up to the left of Skelton in the shotgun, and on the snap he runs three inches by the Panther DE, and even if he hand punches him off his route the DE would have been no factor. Instead Wright zooms past him and out of the play, per usual.
Special Teams in General:
(+) * Good returns from LSH and Roberts.
(-) * Poor kick and punt coverage---worst of the season.
(-) * Let's see the Cardinals lost a game earlier this season on an on-side kick that Feely wasn't able to kick 10 yards (as he himself ran into the limp, barely bouncing noodle), yet they try the 8 yard wet noodle TWICE more in this game. Unreal.
Players Who Played Well:
11 Fitzgerald
63 Sendlein
92 Williams
93 Campbell
58 Washington
29 Rodgers-Cromartie
Players Who Were No-Shows:
26 Wells
83 Spach
80 Doucet
97 Robinson
55 Porter
53 Haggans
28 Toler
24 Wilson (in a game like this he should have had at least 10 tackles)
25 Rhodes (so should have he---he was shying away all game, like Spach)
It is what it is...
Meanwhile, we have a young up and coming pass rusher in O'Brien Schofield, only...wait a minute...was that Schofield in coverage?
Yup...was't even asked to rush the passer...
This Cardinal coaching staff is one of the absolute worst bunch of talent evaluators and developers---ever.
Take Skelton---how do you look at him and at Max Hall and arrive at the conclusion that Hall's the better player?
Even FOX asked Whiz about Skelton---the player who, thanks to Whiz's media theatrics, had to fight off a newly-signed steet FA for his first start---Whiz says:
"Good Poise...Pocket Presence...Accuracy..."
Yet Whiz had been hiding him under a rock???
Makes absolutely no sense. NONE.
Talent---and much of it---is wasting under this coaching staff.
