Cards vs. 49ers - Week One Analysis - (From a Fan Not Spam)
Mac
For one of the few times in the history of the Arizona Cardinals we
can say this: The Arizona Cardinals are in sole possession of first
place in the NFC West following a victory over the 49ers couples with
Seahawk and Rams losses.
The Good:
Clock Management & Sticking with the Running Game: We controlled the
football for 15 minutes more than the 49ers, this was huge considering
our defensive line is depleted and needed to be kept off the field as
much as possible and also because the 49ers put up bigger offensive
numbers than the Cardinals did. A huge key to our great clock
management? Sticking with the running game... When's the last time you
remembered the Arizona Cardinals putting the ball on the ground 39
times in one game (sure a couple were Warner botches - but you get the
point). As I speculated a week or so ago, I think Whisenhunt and Haley
are going to give Edge plenty of chances this season.
Gerald Hayes, Travis Laboy, Adrian Wilson, Karlos Dansby and Bertrand
Berry - Hayes is Hayes once again, quite a presence in the middle -
was in on five tackles and made a big sack. Bertrand Berry caused a
fumble. Adrian Wilson was in on a number of tackles and a huge
interception that he returned for 24 yards. Dansby had seven tackles
and recovered a fumble. The shining knight on the defense was Travis
Laboy though; 2 sacks, a fumble recovery, and a couple solo tackles.
Anquan Boldin: He's not happy here and wants to be traded badly, but
all reports say he isn't showing any signs of it on the field and in
the locker room. He didn't catch a single pass in the first half but
he comes out in the second half and snags 8 balls for 82 yards and was
one of the major reasons we won this game along with Edgerrin James.
Kurt Warner - Was sacked and hurried all day but he didn't throw an
interception and he didn't fumble the ball.. In the end 19-30, 197
yards, and a TD.. Not huge but not bad either.
Honorable Mention: Fitzgerald, Hightower, Breaston
The Bad:
The Defensive Line: Frank Gore averaging 6.9 yards per carry?
Horrendous. Travis Laboy did his part but this team is going to get
eaten up if we let the opponents RB come anywhere close to the yards
per carry that Gore put up today.
The offensive line: I know Kurt Warner is very Bledsoe-esque in
taking the sack, but he was sacked four times and hurried / rushed all
day long.. Our average per rush was 2.8 which certainly needs to be
improved upon.
Honorable Mention: The secondary.
All In All:
It was a victory. When you are putting the ball on the ground trying
to eat clock as much as the Cardinals did you can't expect Kurt Warner
to put up those 300 yard passing days, and realistically Warner not
throwing for 300 yards shows that the Cardinals did exactly what they
wanted to do. In the second half I believe the Cardinals controlled
the ball 20 out of 30 minutes, any team that can do that is going to
win a lot of games. Of better mention is the fact that the offense
didn't turn the ball over, I can't remember the last game that Warner
didn't throw an INT nor did he fumble... The Edge was a warrior on the
ground pounding away a tough 100 yards. What bothered me most? The way
we were once again unable to benefit on the 49ers mistakes which was a
problem all of last season. The 49ers turned the ball over six times
today, we are the better team, we controlled the clock overwhelmingly
and yet we won by only ten points? Yes ten points is two possessions
but Rackers knocked a chip shot through with under two minutes left to
seal the game. Warner got sacked four times, he had to move because of
being hurried a bunch more, he's not going to stay healthy if he is
getting pressure like that put on him every game - our offensive line
needs to tighten up. The Niners aren't much of a threat in terms of
talent in the WR core and they don't have an established QB, so why
did they throw at a better percentage clip than us and for more yards
per completion? Once again, that can't happen when we play more
talented teams like Seattle who had an established QB and a lot of
talent at wideout..
After all those complaints, we won.. Now onto Miami where hopefully
we don't have a typical Arizona meltdown against a team we should
definitely beat. I can smell 2-0.
become...@hotmail.com
Warner threw almost 4 times that much in yardage last time they played
the 49ers and lost the game. Tells you how much turnovers make a
difference.
I am pleased with the win and I think Warner will have a solid season
and if he runs into a game where he's not that hot, they can always
throw in Leinhart in as a capable backup.
However no matter how easy a schedule looks, it's usually never that
easy. The dolphins don't look like last year's team. Pennington is a
talented and smart QB that will fight tooth and nail for a win just
like he did in Week 1.
I really hope the Cards make the playoffs with 10 wins or more, it
would be good for the franchise that has suffered way too many
dissapointing seasons... I still think they should of won 10 games
last year... but that's the past... now, we have to look ahead...
NFN Smith
> For one of the few times in the history of the Arizona Cardinals we
> can say this: The Arizona Cardinals are in sole possession of first
> place in the NFC West following a victory over the 49ers couples with
> Seahawk and Rams losses.
Nice.
>
> The Good:
> Clock Management & Sticking with the Running Game:
And that we were actually able to run the ball. Consistency in the OL
(pretty much the same line as last year) also helps, as does adding
Hightower's explosiveness -- we haven't really had that.
I must say that I'm disappointed with the situation with Al Johnson,
with the Cardinals putting him on IR, with the intention of cutting him
when he's recovered from injury. Sendelein seems to be adequate as a
starter, but now the OL has even less depth.
(The one thing I wish the Cardinals had done differently in the draft
was to do a mid-round selection of an OL. If takes several seasons to
develop an OL player, then you need to be drafting guys nearly every
year, with the expectation that you're going to develop them. This was
part of the problem with Vince Tobin's drafts -- although he recognized
that OLs take time to develop, and are often not impact players that
contribute right away, he didn't really do anything about *right now* OL
needs, until selecting Leonard Davis as a desperation move).
>
> Gerald Hayes, Travis Laboy, Adrian Wilson, Karlos Dansby and Bertrand
> Berry
All good.
>
> Honorable Mention: Fitzgerald, Hightower, Breaston
Especially Hightower.
>
> The Bad:
> The Defensive Line: Frank Gore averaging 6.9 yards per carry?
> Horrendous. Travis Laboy did his part but this team is going to get
> eaten up if we let the opponents RB come anywhere close to the yards
> per carry that Gore put up today.
First half offense (especially Red Zone). Three turnovers, and no
points to show for it.
> The offensive line: I know Kurt Warner is very Bledsoe-esque in
> taking the sack, but he was sacked four times and hurried / rushed all
> day long.. Our average per rush was 2.8 which certainly needs to be
> improved upon.
I'm less negative on the line, especially in the second half. They made
it possible to run with the ball.
It's worth emphasizing that the game was quite different in the second
half. The Cardinals were able to move the ball on the ground and eat
clock. Additionally, for all of Gore's activity in the first half, he
did very little in the second half. Running off long drives kept him
off the field, and by the time he got back, the 49ers were far enough
behind that they had to abandon the running game. It also helped a
bunch that in the second half, Warner was going to Boldin.
In that context, I'm not especially concerned about completion
percentage from the 49ers, or DL performance. Yes, the first half
wasn't especially good on either side of the ball, but perhaps some of
that was simply getting into rhythm in the first game. Additionally, I
think the coaching staff did a good job of making adjustments at
halftime, and I think the team played fairly well in the second half.
Obviously, there's room for improvement, but I think the cardinals are
on the right track.
Smith
Mac
especially if our defensive line doesn't improve against the run,
Williams and Brown are a couple decent running backs who have the
potential to put up similar numbers to what Frank Gore did this
weekend. I have always been a big Chad Pennington fan and I wouldn't
rule him out in any game but this is the type of game that has been
trouble for the Cardinals in the past; meaning this is the type of
game we should win but have found ways of losing in the last couple of
seasons. This is a victory on paper, but at the same time it's the
major test for the Arizona Cardinals to see how we have grown compared
to the games last season against the 49ers and that terrible Panthers
game.
Smith, good to see you back around I have a feeling about this
season, us Cardinal fans are going to have something to be happy about
for the first time in a long time. A couple responses to your
message:
1. I am also disappointed in the plan with Al Johnson, I really had
high hopes for him the season and it's sad to see it unwind the way it
is.
2. I am also excited about Tim Hightower based on his preseason
performance, he didn't show me much in week one outside of that
touchdown.
3. Drafting an offensive linemen would have been nice... But I can't
blame them for not doing so.. Going into the draft our #1 problem was
secondary and I think we could the best secondary player in the draft.
Our #2 need was bringing in a defensive end to give us some depth
after having lost Calvin Pace, this was done with the pick of
Campbell. The third hole, although being a Breaston fan I didn't
consider it much of a need, was WR after losing Bryant Johnston, we
filled that hole by drafting Doucet. Following that we drafted more
depth at DE and Tim Hightower (who we are all happy with and who
filled a hole). They wound up taking OL Brandon Keith in the 7th round
who supposedly has a ton of raw talent. I think what prevented the
Cardinals from using a middle round draft pick was A. The return of
Elton Brown and B. Knowing they could get an OL of talent later in the
draft. The Cardinals got attacked for their draft but I think they did
alright.
4. The Cardinals are going in the right direction so I am keeping my
fingers crossed for this weekend. We could really use to get Branch
and Watson back to man that middle DL our DL was probably our biggest
problem this past weekend..
Go Cards.
become...@hotmail.com
Yes, you are absolutly correct, these are the games that Superbowl
bound teams win and teams that are good (but not quite playoff
caliber) end up losing). The cards lost to way too many crappy teams
last year but somehow beat teams like the Seahawks and the Steelers.
If the Cards can come out with a blowout win (like a 38-7 victory), it
will give a big boost to the team and quite honestly I think the Cards
need a game where they completly dominate the other team, there just
hasn't been enough of those games in Cards history.
Kurt Warner always has a few games in the year where he puts up
incredible numbers and this may be a game that he will be able to do
that. However, if the dolphins play as hard as they did against the
Jets and don't have all those penalties, the game may come down to an
OT victory in the end.
Go Cards!
Mac
The line for the game has the Cardinals being a six point favorite
which is surprising to me but it is just another sign that the
Cardinals are expected to win this game and win relatively easily. I
will say this, I see the Jets as being a pretty talented team, if the
Cardinals play the way they did against the 49ers and the Dolphins
play the way they did against the Jets we might have a close game
again. But like you said, how great would it be to march in there and
just win the game easily? It would show us a lot about this football
team.
become...@hotmail.com
>
> - Show quoted text -
Hey, look what happened. It wasn't 38-7 but it was quite close to my
optimistic prediction. Kurt Warner had one of those games that I was
talking about, where he looked like the Kurt Warner of the Rams
1999-2001 era. I think the Cards MAY have been 2-0 with Leinhart, but
I don't think he would of thrown for over 350 yards against the
dolphins... However, we know how little 2-0 actually means... so this
team has got to keep on trucking... Go Cards, can this be the
cinderella story of the 2008 NFL season or are they just the Lions of
2007 that looked great in the first half of the season?