Why this team will not repeat last season's playoff success

[Buckybird]

I bet Warner has been hit or pressured more than any QB in the league not named Ben Rothlesberger.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

at the amount of $$$ he makes & his production, I would cut his ass when he is due his roster bonus & move on. Brown is mediocre at best as an NFL tackle!!!

I agree that the pass blocking was pretty poor today. There were a few running lanes but the oline has been in a slump the last two weeks.

I hate to say it, but Gandy is a little underrated. We're better with a healthy Mike Gandy out there.

If we clinch today, Gandy needs to sit until he's at least 95%.

But I have to disagree with about our prospects in the playoffs.

We can beat GB or DAL at home in the first round.

And, this team is mentally tough enough to go on the road and win a tough game against a good team. We'll have to bring our A game, but we can do it.

 

[Assface]

I bet Warner has been hit or pressured more than any QB in the league not named Ben Rothlesberger.

Cardinals have allowed the 8th most hits on QB this year.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categoryst...263-p=1&d-447263-s=PASSING_QBHIT&d-447263-n=1

 

[Buckybird]

And, this team is mentally tough enough to go on the road and win a tough game against a good team. We'll have to bring our A game, but we can do it.

I think this team is mentally & physically beat up right now. Prove me wrong Big Red.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I don't believe I commented on that play?

Duh buddy, why do you think I asked you about it?

 

[Duckjake]

That first fumble by Warner was not Levi's fault IMO. He was pushing the DE wide right and outside just like you are supposed to do. Kurt backed up 10 yards behind the LOS and held on to the ball to long. All he had to do was step up. Levi did his job.

It looked to me like Brown was chasing the DE wide right and outside. But there were so many times today that pressure came from that side of the line that I may have them mixed up.

Still can't run the ball in short yardage situations. How many 3rd and short runs have failed this year?

 

[Buckybird]

Still can't run the ball in short yardage situations. How many 3rd and short runs have failed this year?

One million and counting...

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Maybe it's just me, but i think Levi has played pretty well the 2nd half of the year, especially in the run blocking department.

 

[Shane]

Maybe it's just me, but i think Levi has played pretty well the 2nd half of the year, especially in the run blocking department.

he's played better than the early part of the season.

 

[Russ Smith]

Personally I think we're a better team now than we were last year. Now will we catch fire in the playoffs again is anybody's guess but on paper we're better.

We have a better pass rush, better secondary, better run game and better special teams coverage. the one difference this year to last year negatively is turnover margin, last year we broke even this year we're negative largely because in addition to the usual Warner fumbles and picks, we've had all the fumbles from Hightower and Wells.

We also have a somewhat similar situation to last year in that our best RB isn't overworked because he hasn't had a ton of carries, that's Wells. We have a very nice 1-2 punch going there. We're much more balanced pass to run, we're effective from multiple formations.

The main concerns for me now are health, Warner's hip, DRC's toe, Hayes and Dansby etc. We have to find ways to rest those guys without losing our edge so we can play well in the playoffs again.

 

[Big D]

That first fumble by Warner was not Levi's fault IMO. He was pushing the DE wide right and outside just like you are supposed to do. Kurt backed up 10 yards behind the LOS and held on to the ball to long. All he had to do was step up. Levi did his job.

I agree Levi did his job on that play but you forgot to mention your boy Hightower completely whiffing on his chip attempt.

 

[Catfish]

That first fumble by Warner was not Levi's fault IMO. He was pushing the DE wide right and outside just like you are supposed to do. Kurt backed up 10 yards behind the LOS and held on to the ball to long. All he had to do was step up. Levi did his job.

Hey Shane----I guess we don't always see things differently. I saw this one like you did. That should have been a non-factor for Lev's man. Kurt did not step up into the pocket where the protection was period. His mind seems to be running a little slow and less confident now that he is hurt, either from remnamts of the concussion, or from the pain of the new hip-pointer. But in any event he is slower reading and even slower making up his mind what to do after the reads, than he was before the cuncussion and the following hip pointer.You can really see it in the second half of his games as he is getting real conservative now. Good observation on your part, and as much as I have been on your case, you deserve props on this one.

 

[Buckybird]

His mind seems to be running a little slow and less confident now that he is hurt, either from remnamts of the concussion, or from the pain of the new hip-pointer. But in any event he is slower reading and even slower making up his mind what to do after the reads, than he was before the cuncussion and the following hip pointer.You can really see it in the second half of his games as he is getting real conservative now.

And why is this Catfish? To me thats the point I started this thread & my reason the cards won't repeat last years playoff success. Warner has been hit so much & is worried about another potential concussion. The line has this guy gunshy and is keeping Warner from seeing the entire field & his WR's thus limiting how potent our passing attack can be.

This passing game isn't clicking like it did last season & the numbers of Fitz, Boldin & Breason reflect that in some form whether it's there average per catch or yards. While coverage has been a factor, the hits & Warners injury play a big factor.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

And why is this Catfish? To me thats the point I started this thread & my reason the cards won't repeat last years playoff success. Warner has been hit so much & is worried about another potential concussion. The line has this guy gunshy and is keeping Warner from seeing the entire field & his WR's thus limiting how potent our passing attack can be.

This passing game isn't clicking like it did last season & the numbers of Fitz, Boldin & Breason reflect that in some form whether it's there average per catch or yards. While coverage has been a factor, the hits & Warners injury play a big factor.

The above is mitigated by the fact that our running game is better... It's probably the reason we won the DET game.

But nobody will argue that KW was bad against DET. Much worse than his stat line showed.

Let's see how he looks in the first half against the (same 'ole sorry @ss) rams. Back at home in the friendly confines of the big toaster.

KW runs hot and cold. Maybe he'll pitch a perfect 30 minutes, and matty will get another chance to generate 27 threads about he is/ is not/ the future of the team.

 

[Buckybird]

The above is mitigated by the fact that our running game is better... It's probably the reason we won the DET game.

But nobody will argue that KW was bad against DET. Much worse than his stat line showed.

Let's see how he looks in the first half against the (same 'ole sorry @ss) rams. Back at home in the friendly confines of the big toaster.

KW runs hot and cold. Maybe he'll pitch a perfect 30 minutes, and matty will get another chance to generate 27 threads about he is/ is not/ the future of the team.

with ya Warrior!!! If Warner doesn't play well this week...

 

[Catfish]

And why is this Catfish? To me thats the point I started this thread & my reason the cards won't repeat last years playoff success. Warner has been hit so much & is worried about another potential concussion. The line has this guy gunshy and is keeping Warner from seeing the entire field & his WR's thus limiting how potent our passing attack can be.

This passing game isn't clicking like it did last season & the numbers of Fitz, Boldin & Breason reflect that in some form whether it's there average per catch or yards. While coverage has been a factor, the hits & Warners injury play a big factor.

Excuse me Bucky, but you said the O-line was to blame for Warner's performance. Not so. First this year, Warner complained that his performance was off, because Breaston and Boldin were held out hurt in an early game, and he didn't have HIS guys to throw to like he had practiced. The staff accommodated him by keeping Boldin out till he healed and that problem was cured. But then Kurt got hurt at the end of a game that was already decided when he was sacked and concussed. Every QB gets sacked occasionally, and Warner was one of the more blessed in the league from that standpoint until then. So what does he do, he demands all the reps in practice, insisting that he can go on Sunday, then he can't. Leinart has to start WITHOUT THE REPS, because Warner was too proud to step aside for the good of the team. HE PUT LEINART EXACTLY INTO THE SITUATION THAT HE SAID BOLDIN AND BREASTONHAD PUT HIM INTO THE 2ND OR 3RD GAME OF THE YEAR. Leinart said nothing, he just came in and did his job, and got the blame for nearly losing it. He got the reps the next week, and played well enough to win, except Vince Young, put the Titans on his back, (exactly what the staff game planned that he couldn't do, and marched his team down the field for a last second td to win). Not Leinart's fault, not the O-line fault.

This O-line has been maligned for having to do a job that no other O-line in the league is required. Play on an island without help. The only time we gave them help, we destroyed Favre and the Vikings. We ran the ball, we passed the ball, we stopped the run. We dominated. Strangely , the O-line has recieved no help since then.

I side with Shane on this one. Not the O-line's fault about Warner. He contributed to his own problems, first with his demands to be the big dog, when he was hurt too badly to be that guy, then by playing with confusion, and without confidence, thus allowing himself to get back into his old patterns of holding the ball too long and fumbling when hit, and of taking too long to read and react, then being unsure after his reads.

Our QB's have had good protection all year, better that most of them. Get off the O-lines back and get onto the coaches who have failed to help them with speed receivers like other teams do. We play great out of the two TE set, this has been pointed out by local posters, and national ones. They can't understand why we refuse to help big maulers to handle speed rushers. Neither do I. When we block with TE's we run the ball better, and because we run the ball better, we pass better because they can't just play the pass. They have to devote some time to the run, and that extra count lets our QB finish his reads. The problem is NOT the O'line, it is how we use the O-line, or don't use them as the case may be.

 

[ajcardfan]

But then Kurt got hurt at the end of a game that was already decided when he was sacked and concussed.

He took that hit in the first half of the game. Leinart played the entire second half.

 

[Buckybird]

Catfish, I agree with many of your thoughts, but I think Warner is gunshy about suffering another concussion when he sees a free man coming off the edge like he saw numerous times yesterday from Levi's side. Do the coaches have some blame for not giving them help? Yes, but they must feel these tackles can somewhat hold these guys off because they keep doing it & have been for the majority of 3 years now. Keeping 2 TE's in or 2 RB's in to block limits what personel you can have in the passing game. Kurt gets no pass in my book, but neither does the Oline. The pressure & hits just keep coming & that needs to change come January. Do you really think this passing game has been as scary as last season?

 

[lauraw]

In pass protection, we have the 2 worst OT in the NFL in myHO..Run-blocking Levi Brown is an animal, and probably should be an OG, Gandy is GONE. We have others on our team that are ready to jump in knowing the playbook NOW, we don't need to waste a 1or2 rd pick on an OL unless there's a John Hanna out there or a Randall McDaniell..USE FA for OL.. They are ready to go!! We need defense and a bonafide KR withinthe 1st 5 rounds.. or FA,, If Cleveland has aFirst rd pick, trade boldin and our #1 for their#1 and Cribbs, who could move into our #3receiver- spot behind Breaston, ahead of Early Doucett. Make Cribbs much the weapon Boldin was..
Throw in a 4th rounder if we have to to makeit happen!!! Pay Cribbs Boldin-$$ now then a gradual raise to hit 6-6.5+escalators like pro bowl, # of TDs etc..over 5-6 years..

 

[Catfish]

Catfish, I agree with many of your thoughts, but I think Warner is gunshy about suffering another concussion when he sees a free man coming off the edge like he saw numerous times yesterday from Levi's side. Do the coaches have some blame for not giving them help? Yes, but they must feel these tackles can somewhat hold these guys off because they keep doing it & have been for the majority of 3 years now. Keeping 2 TE's in or 2 RB's in to block limits what personel you can have in the passing game. Kurt gets no pass in my book, but neither does the Oline. The pressure & hits just keep coming & that needs to change come January. Do you really think this passing game has been as scary as last season?

What I see is that when we run we dominate. We run successfully when we use 2 TE sets a lot. It is different from what Kurt prefers, but just as successful, because he is protected two ways. Even without that, I dispute your assessment about not protecting our QB's. Someone posted recently that were in the top five teams in allowing QB sacks (I believe that is correct), but it could be top ten. even at that, that is not bad protection. Most teams can't give their QB's that kind of protection. Kurt causes a lot of his own problems with hits by holding the ball too long, and by not setting his back foot all the time to throw. They have worked on this with him over and over, but he continues to refuse to throw the ball away when coverage is complete downfield. That is called a coverage sack and is not on the O-line, They got him gloves to hold onto the ball when he gets sacked, and that helped for a while, but not lately. He still throws without setting his back foot all the time, and this puts the ball where our receiver has to fight the defender for the ball instead of Kurt putting it where only our guy can get it. A lot of those are going incomplete now, and some are being intercepted. Again, that is on Kurt, because he had time to read and throw. Just didn't do it right.

On the play you said that Levi let his guy go around and sack Kurt, Kurt did not step up into the pocket that was formed b y the O-lline, Levi included. The sack came from around and behind Levi, but had Kurt stepped up into the pocket the two steps that he should have, the man could not have got to him. The QB is part of this equasion too, and his failure to take to small movement up brough on the hit. The line blocked for more than enough time for him to throw the ball, he just didn't settle into his protection, he lagged back and took an unnecessary hit. Kurt has slow and lazy feet, you can see it when he tries to make the hand-off on the stretch play, Most of the time he can barely reach the ball carrier. Sometimes he can't even get there. They have tried to work with him on bad footwork, both in St. Louis, and New York, before he came here. Haley worked a lot with him last year. he has regressed this year, now that Whiz is calling plays. Whis is too busy to see all these things that he is trying to do by being head-coach AND calling plays which is really offensive coordinator duties. Its not that his play calling is bad, he fails to get Kurt to stay out of his bad habits, because he is already looking back into the playbook for a new play.

 

[Buckybird]

he's played better than the early part of the season.

I'm gonna bring this up again. It's not like we have been playing some of the better defensive pass rushing teams lately. The Niners, Lions & Lambs made Levi & Bridges look like turnstiles at times. And why does Wiz refuse to give either any help with back or TE's?

Shane you still think Levi is playing better?

 

[Zeno]

I think Levi has been playing better as of late. One thing is for sure he has cut down on the stupid penalties that he had a rash of early on.

Is he elite? Nope. has he justified his draft position? nope. But he is playing better now at the end of the season than the start.

 

[Buckybird]

I think Levi has been playing better as of late. One thing is for sure he has cut down on the stupid penalties that he had a rash of early on.

Is he elite? Nope. has he justified his draft position? nope. But he is playing better now at the end of the season than the start.

didn't he get beat 3 times on a 3 man rush? To me Brown is taking a step back the last 3 weeks

 

[ajcardfan]

didn't he get beat 3 times on a 3 man rush? To me Brown is taking a step back the last 3 weeks

He and Bridges both had tough days pass blocking. Bridges also seemed to mess up on a couple of runs, IMO. But, I do think Brown is actually our best run blocker. He's punishing people on runs, he gets paid back on passes.

 

[Buckybird]

He and Bridges both had tough days pass blocking. Bridges also seemed to mess up on a couple of runs, IMO. But, I do think Brown is actually our best run blocker. He's punishing people on runs, he gets paid back on passes.

with us being a pass 1st team most of my concerns have to deal with protecting what makes the offense go...& thats Warner & those WR's. If Warner doesn't get time or gets hurt we are most likely done this year.