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Whiz should show the Cardinals the game tape and study it with the players for two distinct reasons: (1) to show the players the exact things they need to do to become an elite team; and (2) to be all the more ready for the Giants in the event that they see them again in the playoffs.
Here are some of the more intriguing aspects of the tape to study:
1. Even though the Giants boast one of the most potent running games in the NFL, if not THE most potent, their coaches were one step ahead of the Cardinals' in that they knew the Cardinals would be stacking the box and focussing primarily on stopping the run...which the Cardinals were, only the Giants, instead of forcing the matter, took what the Cardinals were giving them, and for one of the first times this year the Giants decided to pass to set up the run, and not vice versa.
2. Late in the game, where most teams would have run the ball and the clock, the Giants passed the ball to maintain possession...they basically did the opposite of whatever the conventional plan of action would suggest...thus setting up 2nd and threes, instead of 2nd and eights.
This will become more and more of a trend in the NFL, as teams ahead on the scoreboard will realize that being aggressive to sustain late possessions so as to be able to completely run out the clock is better than getting hammered on a three and out and giving the ball back for a possible comeback drive.
3. Study every blitz call the Giants threw at the Cardinals and adopt some of those schemes into their own...because, how many times did the Giants get a clear line and shot at Warner with a LB or a DB? It was uncanny. The Cardinals, under Russ Grimm, are well coached in this regard, but even he and the line got schooled yesterday by DC Steve Spagnuolo (the hottest HC prospect in the biz right now by far) and his extremely well coached, tough and disciplined defense.
4. Pick up on the emphasis Spagnuolo put on limiting the Cardinals' WRs' run after catch totals. (Think the Giants would have let Marion Barber or Steve Smith up their sidelines on underneath plays for long TDs?) Man, were the Giants quick and aggressive to the ball yesterday? How about the first 3rd and goal from the 3 yard line hitch screen to Anquan Boldin?...There must have been five Giants at or near the ball when Boldin took his first step...it was like a jailbreak...and they put a licking on Boldin as if he were the one sherrif in their way.
Study how the Giants attack the perimeters...which has been the major weakness of the Cardinal defense for years now...study how they blew up blockers and flew to the ball..study how they maintained contain and turned the Cardinals' WRs and RBs inside to the swarming help. Study their inside pursuit angles and swiftness to the ball...and the way they finish tackles.
5. Study how aggressive their DBs were in pass coverage...make no mistake about it, the Giants' DBs were very concerned and worried about the Cardinals' WR talent...they had more holds and pass interference calls in this one game than all their previous games. However, without being as aggressive as they were, the Cardinals may have scored enough points to win the game.
6. Study the blocking and tackling techniques and drill and emulate them as a focal point of practices.
7. Study how the Giants' DEs were able to loop back to the ball when Warner would step into the pocket...they were relentless and smart. Get the o-linemen to realize that they must do everything they can to sustain their blocks, as some of them tend to let go too soon...there's an old and wise blocking philosophy: take the man the way he wants to go and drive him out of the play...but always maintain contact and keep the feet moving.
8. Scrap the shotgun draw play...teams are trying to rush the middle anyway, which feeds right into their hands...the better "slow the pass rush" plays are slip screens, shuffle passes and swing passes.
This Philly game is intriguing. One would think the Eagles at home will be out of their minds, especially coming off two embarrassing games. Will the Cardinals be able to match the Eagles' intensity?
The West to East coast effect shouldn't be as dramatic in that the game is at night and not at 10 AM Arizona time.
Can Whiz have the Cardinals ready to play all out the way the Eagles will?
For the answer, go once again to the Giants' tape and remind the team that the Giants were missing four of their best players, were coming into a potential beehive where the home team was clearly going to be fired up and hungry (and had won seven in a row)...and what did the Giants do? They played with a purpose and a real concerted, effective game plan...and managed to play nearly flawlessly in many key aspects of the game. That's how elite teams prepare...and that's how elite teams win in hostile environments.
Another incentive...because the Cardinals can clinch their first division title since 1976...tell the players the Bidwills will have champagne on ice...and NFC West Champion T-Shirts and Hats. Just the thought of that should be an inspiration!
Wow! This is for real!
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Last edited by Mitch; November 24th, 2008 at 02:28 PM.
I doubt that there is one player in our locker room that felt they played their best game. I'm pretty sure that every player in that locker room learned a little bit about themselves and what it take to be a champion.
This is our reward for winning early and winning the games we were suppose to win. We get the advantage of learning on the job without the lesson costing us a playoff spot. This team will be better because of this loss.
The Giants beat us, period. No excuses. No alibi's. No bad call's. But we can hold our heads up high knowing in our hearts that there isn't a team in this league we can't beat IF we play close to our potential.
Now if we can go into Philly and clinh our division on national tv, how sweet would that be. That will get the bad taste of this loss out of our mouths rather quickly!
I want so much to clinch our division with a win. I know that if the Seahawks lose to Dallas and the 49er's lose in Buffalo we are the NFC West Champs. But I want to win it on a win.
__________________
"Every time we step off the field, if our opponents say, 'Man, I hate playing that team', then we are making progress."
Ken Whisenhunt 11-06-08
Whiz should show the Cardinals the game tape and study it with the players for two distinct reasons: (1) to show the players the exact things they need to do to become an elite team; and (2) to be all the more ready for the Giants in the event that they see them again in the playoffs.
I was thinking the same two things Mitch! Now the Cards have seen what an elite team looks like and they now know how far they have to go to become one! Also if we meet up w/ em again in the playoffs maybe we can take some of the things the team needs to learn as you mentioned in your article and make a game of it!!!
The fact is the Giants have one of the best offensive and defensive lines in pro football. That means you can basically have anybody at wide reciever, running back or in the defensive secondary. You will make them look much better then they actually are.
Kind of the opposite of the Cards. The cards best playerr are at the star positions. There offensive line is average at best and has reallly benefitted from Russ Grimm's coaching. their d-line is a patch work unit with only one very good player dockett.
You can watch all the tape you want and scheme as much as you want the Giants are a much better team then the cards.
Another incentive...because the Cardinals can clinch their first division title since 1976...tell the players the Bidwills will have champagne on ice...and NFC West Champion T-Shirts and Hats. Just the thought of that should be an inspiration!
That would 1975.
And it will happen Thurday and make that Turkey (Eagle) taste soooooo much better!!!
Whiz should show the Cardinals the game tape and study it with the players for two distinct reasons: (1) to show the players the exact things they need to do to become an elite team; and (2) to be all the more ready for the Giants in the event that they see them again in the playoffs.
Here are some of the more intriguing aspects of the tape to study:
1. Even though the Giants boast one of the most potent running games in the NFL, if not THE most potent, their coaches were one step ahead of the Cardinals' in that they knew the Cardinals would be stacking the box and focussing primarily on stopping the run...which the Cardinals were, only the Giants, instead of forcing the matter, took what the Cardinals were giving them, and for one of the first times this year the Giants decided to pass to set up the run, and not vice versa.
2. Late in the game, where most teams would have run the ball and the clock, the Giants passed the ball to maintain possession...they basically did the opposite of whatever the conventional plan of action would suggest...thus setting up 2nd and threes, instead of 2nd and eights.
This will become more and more of a trend in the NFL, as teams ahead on the scoreboard will realize that being aggressive to sustain late possessions so as to be able to completely run out the clock is better than getting hammered on a three and out and giving the ball back for a possible comeback drive.
3. Study every blitz call the Giants threw at the Cardinals and adopt some of those schemes into their own...because, how many times did the Giants get a clear line and shot at Warner with a LB or a DB? It was uncanny. The Cardinals, under Russ Grimm, are well coached in this regard, but even he and the line got schooled yesterday by DC Steve Spagnuolo (the hottest HC prospect in the biz right now by far) and his extremely well coached, tough and disciplined defense.
4. Pick up on the emphasis Spagnuolo put on limiting the Cardinals' WRs' run after catch totals. (Think the Giants would have let Marion Barber or Steve Smith up their sidelines on underneath plays for long TDs?) Man, were the Giants quick and aggressive to the ball yesterday? How about the first 3rd and goal from the 3 yard line hitch screen to Anquan Boldin?...There must have been five Giants at or near the ball when Boldin took his first step...it was like a jailbreak...and they put a licking on Boldin as if he were the one sherrif in their way.
Study how the Giants attack the perimeters...which has been the major weakness of the Cardinal defense for years now...study how they blew up blockers and flew to the ball..study how they maintained contain and turned the Cardinals' WRs and RBs inside to the swarming help. Study their inside pursuit angles and swiftness to the ball...and the way they finish tackles.
5. Study how aggressive their DBs were in pass coverage...make no mistake about it, the Giants' DBs were very concerned and worried about the Cardinals' WR talent...they had more holds and pass interference calls in this one game than all their previous games. However, without being as aggressive as they were, the Cardinals may have scored enough points to win the game.
6. Study the blocking and tackling techniques and drill and emulate them as a focal point of practices.
7. Study how the Giants' DEs were able to loop back to the ball when Warner would step into the pocket...they were relentless and smart. Get the o-linemen to realize that they must do everything they can to sustain their blocks, as some of them tend to let go too soon...there's an old and wise blocking philosophy: take the man the way he wants to go and drive him out of the play...but always maintain contact and keep the feet moving.
8. Scrap the shotgun draw play...teams are trying to rush the middle anyway, which feeds right into their hands...the better "slow the pass rush" plays are slip screens, shuffle passes and swing passes.
This Philly game is intriguing. One would think the Eagles at home will be out of their minds, especially coming off two embarrassing games. Will the Cardinals be able to match the Eagles' intensity?
The West to East coast effect shouldn't be as dramatic in that the game is at night and not at 10 AM Arizona time.
Can Whiz have the Cardinals ready to play all out the way the Eagles will?
For the answer, go once again to the Giants' tape and remind the team that the Giants were missing four of their best players, were coming into a potential beehive where the home team was clearly going to be fired up and hungry (and had won seven in a row)...and what did the Giants do? They played with a purpose and a real concerted, effective game plan...and managed to play nearly flawlessly in many key aspects of the game. That's how elite teams prepare...and that's how elite teams win in hostile environments.
Another incentive...because the Cardinals can clinch their first division title since 1976...tell the players the Bidwills will have champagne on ice...and NFC West Champion T-Shirts and Hats. Just the thought of that should be an inspiration!
Wow! This is for real!
Saw none of this last night. Does anyone think the Giants would have come out in a nickel soft-shell defense versus the Eagles with Donovan McNabb on the ropes?
Last night's game was like taking the girlfriend you've been raving about to your friends and family to a party and watching on in disbelief as she drops f bombs, gets stinking drunk and pukes on the rug.
When you look at how easy it was for the Eagles to score---even Collinsworth kept pointing out how easy it was---as in giving up TD runs in the red zone from eight yards out...or giving up two passing TDs to receivers who were not covered at all.
At least Warner and the offense generated three scores amidst their bevy of mistakes.
The defense was invisible all night...and has now given up 85 points in the last two games. Please, don't make the short field excuses. Sometimes a short field can make a defense dig in and put tighter clamps on the opposing offense.
The Cardinals---even if the coaches didn't help them--should have learned from the Giants' game, and taken pages out of their book. Instead, they gave this game nothing, zero, nada. It truly is a disgrace.
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