Why the NFC West race remains open

[nashman]

I agree thats what I was saying I see us winning almost every game from here on out the only tough ones I see are Giants in the meadowlands and Bears but honestly we could win those as well if we come to play! Any Cards fan shoud feel this way, the past is the past we are NFC champs and quite honestly the ONLY time we have looked like that this year WAS ON THE ROAD!! So why is it 82cardsgrad you seem to think we can't win on the road? Past is past this is NOT the same team or organization that has sucked on the road in the past! And don't count the couple of games last year when we had nothing to play for as the division was a wrap by then!

 

[Duckjake]

Right on! Even though Indy is a great team and Manning played amazingly well, I was still disgusted last week because I'm expecting us to win with the amount of talent on this team.

Kind of funny how much the fans can mirror a team as far as turning around the culture from expecting to lose to expecting to win.

Right on the money. I think that is why so many are disappointed this season. We thought the Cards had turned things around and were finally going to be competitive with the best teams in the NFL. But instead they come out against the Colts and look like the same old 5-11 teams we watched for years.

 

[Totally_Red]

Right on the money. I think that is why so many are disappointed this season. We thought the Cards had turned things around and were finally going to be competitive with the best teams in the NFL. But instead they come out against the Colts and look like the same old 5-11 teams we watched for years.

Same old, same old. Two critical turnovers in the red zone, then the defense folds. I thought I was back in 2006, or at least back at the Meadowlands against Brett Favor.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I agree thats what I was saying I see us winning almost every game from here on out the only tough ones I see are Giants in the meadowlands and Bears but honestly we could win those as well if we come to play! Any Cards fan shoud feel this way, the past is the past we are NFC champs and quite honestly the ONLY time we have looked like that this year WAS ON THE ROAD!! So why is it 82cardsgrad you seem to think we can't win on the road? Past is past this is NOT the same team or organization that has sucked on the road in the past! And don't count the couple of games last year when we had nothing to play for as the division was a wrap by then!

I'll believe the Cards can win on the road when, uh... they actually prove they can win on the road. And no time like this year to prove it as they will need to win another 2, 3, maybe 4 more games on the road in order to get to 9 wins this season - pending what they do with their remaining 6 home games...
We will certainly see if this is indeed a different team.

 

[Duckjake]

I'll believe the Cards can win on the road when, uh... they actually prove they can win on the road. And no time like this year to prove it as they will need to win another 2, 3, maybe 4 more games on the road in order to get to 9 wins this season - pending what they do with their remaining 6 home games...
We will certainly see if this is indeed a different team.

I'll be happy when the Cards show they can play some scoring defense. Home or road. Until then they'll be lucky to beat anybody. Just like they were last year.

 

[joeshmo]

Color me a skeptic at this point in time.

We already let two home games slip through the drains and of the next 7 games 5 of them are on the road.

We have a very tough road ahead of us.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Color me a skeptic at this point in time.

We already let two home games slip through the drains and of the next 7 games 5 of them are on the road.

We have a very tough road ahead of us.

As I've repeated time and again, getting to 9 wins this season will now take an effort and a set of events this team hasn't produced since they've been in AZ...with the possible exception of the '98 season I guess...
They would have to go 8 & 5 the rest of the season. With only 6 home games left, the math gets really, really tight...

 

[nashman]

God I hope the players have more confidence than some of you geesh! This team knows they can win on the road and they have done it against tougher teams than they have coming up (Giants exception, although Eli may be hurt). I believe in this team they will get things turned around!

 

[Russ Smith]

As I've repeated time and again, getting to 9 wins this season will now take an effort and a set of events this team hasn't produced since they've been in AZ...with the possible exception of the '98 season I guess...
They would have to go 8 & 5 the rest of the season. With only 6 home games left, the math gets really, really tight...

Didn't getting to the Superbowl require an effort far beyond that?

Doesn't mean we'll do it every year of course but at least we KNOW this team has the potential.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Didn't getting to the Superbowl require an effort far beyond that?

No... We played the Falcons and Eagles at home. After going undefeated at home in the regular season...
What needs to happen this year is far more difficult IMHO.

 

[Assface]

No... We played the Falcons and Eagles at home. After going undefeated at home in the regular season...
What needs to happen this year is far more difficult IMHO.

I seem to remember there being a game in Carolina.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I seem to remember there being a game in Carolina.

Of course. And we won an important road game. Of course, Delhomey helped us tremendously by picking that game to have his career worst game.

I still contend that for us to get to 9 wins this season, after starting 1 & 2 with the two losses coming at home, is far more difficult a task than what we faced in the post season last year.

 

[Assface]

Of course. And we won an important road game. Of course, Delhomey helped us tremendously by picking that game to have his career worst game.

I still contend that for us to get to 9 wins this season, after starting 1 & 2 with the two losses coming at home, is far more difficult a task than what we faced in the post season last year.

Outside of trips to NY and Chicago the road schedule doesn't look at all intimidating. The road teams we faced last year were much tougher.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Outside of trips to NY and Chicago the road schedule doesn't look at all intimidating. The road teams we faced last year were much tougher.

We won 3 road games last year in the regular season. We already have 1 win on the road this year. The Rams will be another. And after that, it's a total crapshoot...
If we lose just one of the 6 remaining home games, that would mean we would need to win a total of 4 road games this season to get to 9 wins. Can we go 5 & 1 (5 & 3 for the year) at home the rest of the way? Can we go 3 & 4 (4 & 4 for the year) on the road the rest of the way? I guess we can... but I won't believe we can until we actually do it...

 

[Doug]

After winning in that very humid early East coast game and we could have won it by more if we did'nt let them up off the turf by letting Kurt rest his shoulder.

I really think we can beat the giants in just over two weeks in New York.With Eli gonna be playing in pain and knowing we can shut that running game down if we play our best and also they lost their number one tackler on the team for 4 weeks in Boley after Sundays game.Even more can happen to them to weaken them before we play them.

The giants are known for having a couple clunker games each season.I know they have 5 defensive ends they like to rush and are probably looking to draft another one in the first round next year too.

Yes Tuck is good but I don't see him affecting Gandy as much as Freeney's pure speed and spin moves can.I saw a guy in McNeil with the Chargers who started as a later round pick at OLT and was to me (as an old OT)a rookie of the year choice.Harrison got handled the other night in Pittsburgh by McNeil and that was about the only good thing I saw besides one great pass block by the tiny mite rb in the backfield for the chargers.

Gandy has to step up more than anyone on our team this year right now.Plus Beanie must evolve and contribute very much.As Hightower did over the long season.

So I'm not worried about home and away games.Cutler loves playing in Chicago as we all can tell.Even though its funny to me Denver is 4-0 right now after everyone had that coach fired and tar& feathered already.Thats an impressive job this seaon if not the best job by anyone in the NFL.

If denver can do what they're doing WE can also do what is against the norm as we started doing ever since Whiz came here the jinxs' have added up each year.I think we can at least split the giants and bears games and win the rest of our away games this year.WE SHOULD.

Going 7-1 in our away games will be good for us as we'll have to travel I'm sure this year in the playoffs unlike how it worked out last year in the Championship game.I just don't want to go to Nawlin's this year as an away game.

Our three toughest remaining games of the year come in the next five weeks so the BYE could'nt have come at a better time.IF it was used properly by all.Qwest field jinx was broken last year and going to the Giants on National TV and the Bears games will be our biggest challenges left on the schedule.

If the 9ers don't fall back as I expect them too then the very last game will have bigtime meaning also.I just don't think its gonna come down to that.

 

[az1965]

Color me a skeptic at this point in time.

We already let two home games slip through the drains and of the next 7 games 5 of them are on the road.

We have a very tough road ahead of us.

Did we let the Colts game slip away???

I don't think most of us had that game in the win column...

The should have been 2-1 instead of 1-2 so it is still recoverable provided we figure out what's going on on both sides pretty fast.

 

[Russ Smith]

No... We played the Falcons and Eagles at home. After going undefeated at home in the regular season...
What needs to happen this year is far more difficult IMHO.

The same Eagles team that embarassed us on national tv. The same Eagles team that took the lead against us on a huge pass play only to be unable to stop us on the winning drive.

I don't care if that took place in Kurt's backyard, that drive against the Eagles was completely different than anything this franchise had done since 1998.

not to mention we absolutely destroyed Carolina in Carolina after they beat us there the first time.

I get that we haven't played well on the road for years, but beating Carolina in the playoffs and then that winning drive against the Eagles those were huge steps for this team.

I'm not saying they will do it again this year, but we know they can, and that's not something we've been able to say in quite a long time about a Cardinal team. They're capable of it, whether it happens or not is anybody's guess.

 

[Russ Smith]

Of course. And we won an important road game. Of course, Delhomey helped us tremendously by picking that game to have his career worst game.

I still contend that for us to get to 9 wins this season, after starting 1 & 2 with the two losses coming at home, is far more difficult a task than what we faced in the post season last year.

You act as if Jake was intentionally throwing the ball to us, essentially every one of those picks was either caused by pass rush or a great play(DRC).

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Sando = most unbiased reporter on ESPN's payroll. Used to live in the Bay Area, wrote for a Seattle newspaper, yet makes it a point to give attention to all four division teams.

Unbiased and on ESPN....almost a contradiction considering some of the clowns they have working for them. I agree; I love Sando

 

[RMFN]

It's gonna take 9 wins to win the West. And I just don't see how the Cards get there...

As a Rams fan I just hoping for a one win



Talk to ya in about a month

 

[DoTheDew]

I feel this team got over their road woes in January when they crushed the Panthers. Their next road game that counted, against the Jags was another massacre.

I think what Sando's analysis really highlights is that the 49ers record is inflated due to an easy opening schedule, and ours is deflated (there is little shame in losing to the Colts at home and to a division rival who always plays us tough even when they are bad). A team being 1-2 is hardly reason to call their season over, especially when the only team in the division in front of them lost to the only top team they played so far (Vikings)

 

[Covert Rain]

houston = win imo
seattle = win
giants = loss
carolina = win at home
chicago = toss up possible win
seattle = win
st. louis = win
tenn = road game but I predict win
minn = loss at home
SF = revenge game WIN
detroit = win
st. louis = win
Packers = loss

Our season could easily go like this, thats how you get 8 more wins

The only problem is that it's almost a given the Cards will cough up a game they should win. It happens every single year without fail. Which means we will probably have to win against the Giants, Minnesota or Packers. That doesn't sound very promising right now.

 

[nashman]

Steel it sounds more promising than an OVERRATED niner team beating lots of good teams with a pathetic offense!

 

[82CardsGrad]

Steel it sounds more promising than an OVERRATED niner team beating lots of good teams with a pathetic offense!

You keep pointing back to the 9ers... In the end, chances are it will take 9 wins to get into the post season. Screw the 9ers. Somehow, some way, the Cards need to focus on getting to 9 W's. It's gonna be a huge challenge.

 

[nashman]

It is going to be a challenge but this team is capable and all we need to do to get into the playoffs is win our division I dont care if its by a game, four games, half a game doesn't matter just get it we know what can happen!