Weekly Report from the Darkside (This Week: Code Dark Gray

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

so i don't have much time midweek to post any longer, but i just can't pull myself away from asfn altogether, so i'll try to collect my thoughts post game each week (like last week). so here's week 5 . . .

1. whiz cannot be HC and OC. this is being proven fairly concretely. however, there's no decorated offensive genius on staff, so we're stuck with what we got. this will suck all season. adjustments will be few, particularly mid-quarter adjustments.

2. i award this game ball to bill davis. and he should shove it down his own throat and choke on it. i am really looking forward to his quotes this week when he proclaims that this defense will be the best of all time. i mean, we're already #1 in the league, right? holy crap is he crap. i understand he has some passrush talent deficiencies, but the defense just folding, time and time again is inexcusable. but even more than (imo) is eliminating wilson and dansby as playmakers. i understand that wilson has limitations in coverage and that dansby is our leading tackler, but neither have been in a position to make game changing plays.

3. i still officially hate levi brown. imo he's our worst draft pick ever. both for his ineffectual play, his continual penalties, and for whom he should be (AP). dude is a human turnstile, and with last year's playoffs he's played enough games that we can't just chalk it up to his "being young." dude is soft, slow, weak, and mentally weak. he just sucks.

4. which brings me to our entire oline. they suck. continuity be damned. they suck. this was a texans team that couldn't stop the run. we run the first drive and then what? we can't run anymore. holy bejezus! and though warner wasn't sacked a great deal, he spent a lot of time on the ground and took a beating. anyone notice warner shove deuce away when he was helping warner up? i'd push him away too. "don't friggin' pick me up after i've been hit, don't let me get hit!!!" would be my response.

5. shoulder/dive tackles. unprofessional. i learned the proper technique in pop warner. how rolle and drc (and now hayes) continue to do with impunity is beyond me.

6. it was a good win (as all wins are good), but extremely low on the satisfaction spectrum. it didn't seem like any growth came out of the game. just more inconsistency. i'd be okay with inconsistency if it weren't for the fact that i'd prefer to see growth. we're not growing from our playoff run experience. that's sad.

7. cheese did a good job of reminding me that last year we were 2-2 at this juncture and pretty disheartened by the jets debacle. so maybe 2-2 isn't that bad. of course, we weren't dealing with a niners team that looks like they may be a credible threat (today notwithstanding) and a seattle team with a healthy hasselback (i think we may be in for a world of unfortunate hurt next week in the great northwest). i think we're going to hover around .500 all season, riding the rollercoaster. and i think both the niners and seahawks will do the same. the race for the nfc west title will much more interesting this year.

so overall a dark shade of gray in darkside land. but there's light, albeit dim light.

 

[Duckjake]

7. cheese did a good job of reminding me that last year we were 2-2 at this juncture and pretty disheartened by the jets debacle. so maybe 2-2 isn't that bad. of course, we weren't dealing with a niners team that looks like they may be a credible threat (today notwithstanding) and a seattle team with a healthy hasselback (i think we may be in for a world of unfortunate hurt next week in the great northwest). i think we're going to hover around .500 all season, riding the rollercoaster. and i think both the niners and seahawks will do the same. the race for the nfc west title will much more interesting this year.

We also weren't dealing with a team that had won an NFC Championship. Expectations were higher as we believed the team would progress and become one of the better teams in the NFL. Sadly they have not and look more like the 8-8 team of 2007 than an improving version of the team we saw last January.

 

[Doug]

Sadly its a mentally fragile bunch of over paid superstars.Or at least they think due to the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP.

If they could get over themselves for about 3 1/2 hours each week we might have another run at it.

I say Patience and things are gonna look up once Patrick comes back next week and we can add one thing to this team that most other teams use regularly.Thats called a tight end.Don't anyone tell coach Whiz about it just yet.We can't seem to cover one either yet.Mercedes Lewis and todays crew ate our lunch again.Its about all the 9ers have left.

Next week Baldy will be throwing to two of them.So Coach Davis better figure something else than A-Dub out very soon.

 

[82CardsGrad]

It's so hard to believe that this o-line still sucks after playing together for so long now. Amazing...

People are bitching about Warner's new contract... well, as far as I'concerned, Wilson was by far the bigger rip-off! He has done nothing this season. And in fact, has been officially turned into a liability on defense. Never thought I would say that... wow....

I actually thought Rolle had one of his better tackling games. Though he still is putrid as a pass defender.

DRC is pissing me off. He's a 2nd year dude who has been bad more than good this season. Yet, after every play where he's been even remotely involved in a successful pass defense, he starts dancing, swaying his arms and doing that STUPID bobble-head thing... PUNK! Do yuor damn job! Master it and show some class...

Warner made some incredible throws today. Timing and accuracy were 100% better than any previous game. Encouraging...

McFadden is a solid tackler, but he is simply too short for CB. AJ owned him today. Period.

Campbell is awesome. Watson and Branch looked solid today. Haggans was pretty effective as well...

All that said, we still can't run. We still can't defend the pass. And we still can't play 4 quarters. We most certainly do have serious reason for concern...

 

[Rats]

I think you both are dreaming. Look at the schedule and tell me we can go 6-6 from here. I see 6-10 unless we get a pass rush and can play 4 qts in a game. I thought last season we could be 9-7 all the way up until we were 9-7. Not so this year. I agree we have an ego monster in that they won the NFC last year and almost won the SB so they see themselves as contenders. After the preseason and almost losing there 3 opening home games they should be humbled and teachable. Except Levi....he is a block head and needs to be sat down. Unfortunate as it may be we do not have an experienced coach to gameplan to the strengths of this team. That could be worth 3 wins a year but we have a guy who coddles rather than kicks the players in the ass. Their is a time for both and now is the time to tear into this ego monster and get it in line. He has to say the showboat and highstepping BS has to stop and play the game the way Fitz plays it. He needs to hand Boldin a ball and say goose meet gander. He needs to bench the 6th over all pick and say he isn't getting it done. Finally make adjmnts at halftime so the team thinks you give a damn and don't want to go play golf because the weather is nice. Shades of grey??? Abyss Black is what I see dead ahead.

 

[SuperSpck]

of course, we weren't dealing with a niners team that looks like they may be a credible threat (today notwithstanding)

?

So the 9ers are credible until it's not a good example.

To be fair, as Cheese said, the Cards that lost to the Jets and the Pats in blowout fashion couldn't do squat right.

Somehow, they parlay'd a hotstreak into a SB run.

Either way, the angst will only shorten your life. I am right with you, this season is going to be another roller coaster. I just wonder how this ride will end.

Hopefully my urine will not play a factor in any event.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

7. cheese did a good job of reminding me that last year we were 2-2 at this juncture and pretty disheartened by the jets debacle. .

Tell him Hello, and I hope his back is feeling better.


And I agree this was a bitter sweet win.

 

[Totally_Red]

It's so hard to believe that this o-line still sucks after playing together for so long now. Amazing...

People are bitching about Warner's new contract... well, as far as I'concerned, Wilson was by far the bigger rip-off! He has done nothing this season. And in fact, has been officially turned into a liability on defense. Never thought I would say that... wow....

I actually thought Rolle had one of his better tackling games. Though he still is putrid as a pass defender.

DRC is pissing me off. He's a 2nd year dude who has been bad more than good this season. Yet, after every play where he's been even remotely involved in a successful pass defense, he starts dancing, swaying his arms and doing that STUPID bobble-head thing... PUNK! Do yuor damn job! Master it and show some class...

Warner made some incredible throws today. Timing and accuracy were 100% better than any previous game. Encouraging...

McFadden is a solid tackler, but he is simply too short for CB. AJ owned him today. Period.

Campbell is awesome. Watson and Branch looked solid today. Haggans was pretty effective as well...

All that said, we still can't run. We still can't defend the pass. And we still can't play 4 quarters. We most certainly do have serious reason for concern...

Good analysis! Some of the Cardinals players are just NOT producing. Dan Kreider was worthless today, so was LSH. Boldin had a critical and costly fumble in the red zone. What can you say about the O-line and especially Levi Brown? Anthony Becht had two critical penalities, although it seemed like the offensive pass interference was really on LSH.

One bright and shining light is WR Steve Breaston who got a lot of praise during the telecast from Rich Gannon when he wasn't cheerleading for the Texans.

On Kurt Warner, he can be Peyton Manning light when he gets time, but this offensive line has gone south this season IMO.

Between slow outside linebackers and an offensive line that can't pass protect consistently and can't run block period, the Cardinals upside this season just does not look that good. Everything has to go right to eke out a win at home against a 500 team, albeit with a decent offense. Not encouraging at all IMO.

 

[cardpa]

Grimm is trying to turn all the OL into Springsteen fans.

 

[Doug]

I'm staying next to the LIGHT on this one.I'll NEVER go to the darkside.When Warner can still light em' up that fast and put points on the board that easily and then make a touchdown saving tackle on an interception that ends in another CC Field Goal Block.

You guys just can't see anything good happening either.The team is mentally fragille as they try to play a perfect game and it can't be done and then they collapse on themselves.

Lets see how the future plays out,one game at a time guys.One game at a time.Thats how we did it last season.I'm not looking any further than Qwest field and if YOU ARE then you are missing the boat on enjoying a good thing.

Life is too short.We're about to right our record to tie the Division leader who does'nt look all that great to me.

Ben Patrick is coming back and we can see if he can pass block and catch like he did last year.Becht can go back to the bench.Kreider needs to stay on the bench.He has'nt opened a hole yet nor caught a ball this year.

 

[LVG]

One of the advantages of living in Vegas is that you get 5 solid hours to think about the game on the way back.

Just some thoughts:

1. Tackling was atrocious. Shoulder bumps? Please! Wrap the guy up! Time to break out the tackling dummies.

2. Oline = reason we don't have a running game. I don't know if the coaches are not doing their job, or if this is as far as the talent can go. Regardless, if you want to have a run game, we have to either get our oline playing better, or find better talent at the position.

3. Closing out games (ties into #2): If we can't run, we can't close out games. Clang, clang, clang, punt was our play calling in the 2nd half. Good running drains the clock, tires out their defense, helps our defense, and closes out the game. It wouldn't matter if we had a backfield consisting of Jim Brown, Emmett Smith, and Barry Sanders, not with this line. Better oline = better run game = more wins.

4. Pass Rush (D-line): We need to get a better pass rush. Like the oline, a good pass rush will stop the run and help the secondary. I think teams are identifying 24 now, and specifically changing their schemes to account for him. We need new wrinkles and a better pass rush (a good to great DE would work wonders here) to put pressure on their offense. My personal opinion is that every time their QB is not counting the blades of grass in their visor, defense didn't do it's job.

5. Attitude. After that turnover in the red zone, the offense went catatonic until the end of the 2nd quarter. Then they came back to life, and thank god, because if they were catatonic from mid way through the 1st through most of the 2nd, they were straight comatose in the 2nd half. We have to be able to shake off mistakes and get back onto the field. Every new series, we should be playing like it's 0-0. The O plays best when they are settled down.

6. Adjustments - we are being out adjusted every game. I think Whiz has taken on too much during game time (my guess) - we need more help for the man. Either get him a OC, or get him a OCQA Assistant, but get him some help. Someone needs to be responsible for adjustments on O during the half, and I just don't think it's getting done.

7. D Play calling - just seems to conservative in my opinion. Would like to see some more aggressiveness, especially when we are leading. Falling back into zone allows them to pick us apart.

8. CB's playing off the line - notice during the game that we were playing around 10 yards off their WR's, but they were generally playing 0-5 yds off ours? That initial contact at the line is critical - it disrupts timing routes and stops the quick slant pass. We need to be more aggressive with the initial bumps.

JMHO.

 

[Duckjake]

Oline = reason we don't have a running game. I don't know if the coaches are not doing their job, or if this is as far as the talent can go. Regardless, if you want to have a run game, we have to either get our oline playing better, or find better talent at the position.

I wonder if the Cards are tipping their run plays. There was one run with Wells where the Texans Defenders were racing to the hole before Warner even finished pulling away from Center. It looked like the Texans not only knew it was a run they knew exactly where it was going.

 

[Totally_Red]

I wonder if the Cards are tipping their run plays. There was one run with Wells where the Texans Defenders were racing to the hole before Warner even finished pulling away from Center. It looked like the Texans not only knew it was a run they knew exactly where it was going.

We seem so predictable on offense. Bring Beanie in, run the ball. At least with Tim Hightower in the game, there is some suspense for the defense. I suspect that is why there was SOME success with Tim on the ground in the first series. And I loved that key blitz pickup by Hightower that allowed a key completion. All in all, Hightower had a decent game IMO.

 

[joeshmo]

2. i award this game ball to bill davis. and he should shove it down his own throat and choke on it. i am really looking forward to his quotes this week when he proclaims that this defense will be the best of all time. i mean, we're already #1 in the league, right? holy crap is he crap. i understand he has some passrush talent deficiencies, but the defense just folding, time and time again is inexcusable. but even more than (imo) is eliminating wilson and dansby as playmakers. i understand that wilson has limitations in coverage and that dansby is our leading tackler, but neither have been in a position to make game changing plays.

I have to completely dissagree. Wilson and Dansby have both been put in places to succeed without a doubt. Both have been asked to blitz, a lot. Wilson has been put into the box at the detriment of the secondary and the deep ball mind you becuase thats where Wilson is most confortable. Despite putting both of those guys in position to make something happen, more so then any other defenders they have done jack squat with those opportunities. Wilson and Dansby were supposed to be good pass rushers, well Dais is giving them a lot of blitzes and they have failed 99% of the time. Got to blame it on the players in this case.

5. shoulder/dive tackles. unprofessional. i learned the proper technique in pop warner. how rolle and drc (and now hayes) continue to do with impunity is beyond me.

The whole D was doing it in the second half. It was everyone, Wilson, Dansby, Hayes, DRC, and so on. They didnt do it in the 1st half if you noticed, why, becuase they got cocky after the first half and looked for the big hit highlight reel the 2nd half instead. Antonio Smith knows the mental side of this team like no other player and he said it best, "They went into the locker room up 21-0 thinking they were all that, Texans went into the locker room thinking they needed to hunker down" Typical Cards mentality, get big heads after only 2 quarters of play. Paper champ syndrome.

 

[Stout]

People know where we're going to run because we tell them. Motion a TE to one side, he slows down, and guess where the run is going? Right in front of the TE. Almost every damn time. Too, too easy to key on.

 

[LVG]

People know where we're going to run because we tell them. Motion a TE to one side, he slows down, and guess where the run is going? Right in front of the TE. Almost every damn time. Too, too easy to key on.

And to stop that, you run the counter, or a play action. Adjustments...

[edit] - oh, and Ouchie, I'm probably going to steal your color coding idea...

 

[football karma]

Bill Davis basically told everyone what was going to happen when he became DC: he wanted to cut down on big plays, and force teams to put 9, 10 , 11 plays together to score.

That was on full display in the second half. It wasn't prevent -- but it was playing to make sure there weren't any sub- 1 minute TD drives. I saw plenty of blitzes, and give Schaub credit- he made four or five throws for completions where I thought he was about to get sacked.

Lets face it, if the offense simply puts together enough for (lets say) two second half drives ending in FGs -- this game isnt all that dramatic.

Dont interpret my remarks as meaning I think everything is rosy. Hardly --

the problem I see is that Davis wants to play a scheme (when ahead in particular) where the Cards regularly drop 7 to cover to prevent the big play, but don't have enough dynamic pass rushers up front to make it really work.

 

[chickenhead]

I'm to reserved to be a kool-aider and too much of a fan to be a darksider.

Right now I'm focused on the Cards getting to 3-3, and then on getting to 4-4. After the Bears game we have three winnable games awaiting us, whereas .500 in the next four looks like the bigger challenge.

You never know: we could beat the Giants on the road, which would be awesome and make everything look different, or we could lose to the Rams at home. But it looks like that SEA / @STL / TEN sequence could be the key to a leg up in the division.

Not trying to look too much ahead: if anything, looking ahead just makes it seem that much more important to win now. You can't expect that the opportunity to save your season will be there. But if you win now, you take even greater advantage.