Week 8 Heroes and Goats

[kerouac9]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/?p=563

Troy Niklas almost made the heroes list until he whiffed on a block that created a fumble.

Kevin Minter almost made the goats list for a terrible first half but was okay in the second half.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

If Minter gets a pass for second half improvement, so does Bettcher - the defense and approach pitched a second half shutout. But you took the slot for a goat with every OLB, so I don't know who would be left.

Honorable mention to Bethel for playing all snaps at CB and not blowing it.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Nice read and agreed.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I've been bashing our ILBers... and rightly so. But man, Woodley and the rest of our OLBers are just as horrible.
Amazingly unathletic. At best, they are inconsistent. Unable to get to the QB... Horrendous in space. Has any of our inside or outside LBers even tipped a pass this year, let alone grab an interception?? Heck, Cory Redding of all people got himself an INT... But our LBers?? Uggghhhhh........

Bettcher is quite a puzzle at present. I gotta wonder of Arians is also blasting him when he blows up on the team. I mean, after enjoying life with Bowles, watching Bettcher's mind-knumbing approach and style can't sit well with BA, can it??

As an aside - I love the Badger and the energy he brings. BUT - I'm this close to getting pretty upset with his celebrations everytime he lays a finger on some dude. C'mon Tyrann...get real buddy!

 

[PJ1]

I've been bashing our ILBers... and rightly so. But man, Woodley and the rest of our OLBers are just as horrible.
Amazingly unathletic. At best, they are inconsistent. Unable to get to the QB... Horrendous in space. Has any of our inside or outside LBers even tipped a pass this year, let alone grab an interception?? Heck, Cory Redding of all people got himself an INT... But our LBers?? Uggghhhhh........

Bettcher is quite a puzzle at present. I gotta wonder of Arians is also blasting him when he blows up on the team. I mean, after enjoying life with Bowles, watching Bettcher's mind-knumbing approach and style can't sit well with BA, can it??

As an aside - I love the Badger and the energy he brings. BUT - I'm this close to getting pretty upset with his celebrations everytime he lays a finger on some dude. C'mon Tyrann...get real buddy!

Agreed. For all the snaps Woodley gets he contributes nothing. The Badger is going to get some flags if he keeps it up. Saw the officials eyeing him a couple of times on late hits....He was lucky.....Minter was flagged and rightfully so.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Minter was flagged and rightfully so.

Amazingly, Minter is our defensive signal caller...and he might have the lowest football IQ of any Cards player over the past 15-20 years.

 

[Capital Card]

I kind of feel bad for painting Okafor as Captain Coverage-Sack; but, without him, QB's have ALL day to find an open receiver.

Hope he's ready for the Seattle trip. We really need him and the occasional pressure he manages to bring.

Also, game shape or not, I expected Freeney to be able to pick up the occasional coverage sack. Guess I was hoping for too much.

Go Cards!!!

 

[Buckybird]

JJ Nelson deserves to be a hero IMO. Let's not kid ourselves the speed factor is a big part of making this passing game fly at a historic Cardinal pace thus far & going forward. Smoke didn't play & #14 provided that early game deep threat. His 1 handed catch of a Palmer bomb was spectacular!!! He stepped up big time with little playin time.

 

[DVontel]

I know I said this a few times already, but I really do feel sorry for Bettcher at times because of what he has to work with in the front 7.

 

[Russ Smith]

I know I said this a few times already, but I really do feel sorry for Bettcher at times because of what he has to work with in the front 7.

It's not the front 7 it's the LB's. the DL is just fine, it's the LB's that are the problem right now.

 

[splitsecond]

Bettcher continues to baffle me with about 10-15% of his play calls, not taking pass rush into consideration. He uses zones in some bizarre scenarios, and seems to get outsmarted on matchups several times a game. The rest of the time his playcalling is fantastic.

 

[kerouac9]

If Minter gets a pass for second half improvement, so does Bettcher - the defense and approach pitched a second half shutout. But you took the slot for a goat with every OLB, so I don't know who would be left.

Honorable mention to Bethel for playing all snaps at CB and not blowing it.

I think that the defense was more successful in the 2nd half due to Frostee Rucker breaking Josh McCown than anything that Bettcher cooked up. My wife wondered how Cleveland could keep running McCown out there when he was so obviously injured.

JJ Nelson deserves to be a hero IMO. Let's not kid ourselves the speed factor is a big part of making this passing game fly at a historic Cardinal pace thus far & going forward. Smoke didn't play & #14 provided that early game deep threat. His 1 handed catch of a Palmer bomb was spectacular!!! He stepped up big time with little playin time.

I'll have to see more from Nelson before I believe it. It's a good first step, but not Hero play.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Freeney? Two sacks in three games. Happy?

 

[crisper57]

This article isn't official because Troy Niklas isn't on it. And he may have actually earned a hero designation for once!

 

[Capital Card]

My wife wondered how Cleveland could keep running McCown out there when he was so obviously injured.

Much respect to Josh for gutting that game out. Tough SOB. Not exactly sure what he hurt, but during the game, it looked to me like he was playing with broken ribs.

 

[crisper57]

Much respect to Josh for gutting that game out. Tough SOB. Not exactly sure what he hurt, but during the game, it looked to me like he was playing with broken ribs.

Ribs and/or shoulder. At one point, his arm was hanging limp after a Minter hit.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I agree that Niklas would have deserved a hero nod, but his whiff on that block was enough to tarnish his otherwise solid game.

Nelson also had a good game but it still looks like he isn't always on the same page as Palmer.

 

[Buckybird]

This article isn't official because Troy Niklas isn't on it. And he may have actually earned a hero designation for once!

Me, you & my grandmother could've scored those 2 TDs. When he produces more than catching 2 wide open short TD passes call me

 

[gmabel830]

Honorable mention to Drew Butler on the almost-hero list for looking like a decent NFL punter for once.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Honorable mention to Drew Butler on the almost-hero list for looking like a decent NFL punter for once.

LOL... yes, keeping him on the sidelines is where he looks best!

 

[Osbern61]

Nice article!

 

[Austin Zonie]

Honorable mention to Drew Butler on the almost-hero list for looking like a decent NFL punter for once.

Maybe we need a 3rd category between hero and goat. A "Did what you're supposed to" designation.

 

[crisper57]

Mike Jurecki ‏@mikejurecki 4m4 minutes ago
per .@pff Justin Bethel played all 66 snaps and allowed only four completions on 10 targets for 24 yards, and two pass breakups.

 

[kerouac9]

Mike Jurecki ‏@mikejurecki 4m4 minutes ago
per .@pff Justin Bethel played all 66 snaps and allowed only four completions on 10 targets for 24 yards, and two pass breakups.

FWIW, Pro-Football-Reference only has there being 63 defensive snaps yesterday:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201511010cle.htm

 

[crisper57]

FWIW, Pro-Football-Reference only has there being 63 defensive snaps yesterday:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201511010cle.htm

Either way, a good damn day for a guy thrown into the fire.