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1. One has to marvel at the way the Cardinals' defensive line played versus what is arguably one of the most physically dominating offensive lines in the NFL. Not only did they hit QB Tony Romo an unheard of 20 times, they converged on him repeatedly with relentless pursuit...AND...they converged on RB Marion Barber with an array of thunderous hits.
Darnell Dockett was totally awesome in this game...and it was wise of the coaches to rest him a play or two here and there. His replacement Calais Campbell is particularly adept at chasing plays down from behind, like he is shot out of a cannon, and man, does he lay the wood on RBs from behind...one time forcing a nice fumble that the Cardinal defenders had a chance to pounce on but bobbled the ball.
How about Antonio Smith...what a game he turned in! This was his best game as a Cardinal and it would seem in light of recent lackluster performances the national spotlight in this game was a motivator for him to prove he's worth big bucks as a free agent this off-season.
What's perplexing about Dockett and Smith is that they do not play with this same intensity week after week. How would you like the Cardinals' chances if they did?
2. The DE rotation of Berry, LaBoy, Haggans and Okeafor is paying great dividends. These guys were conasistently getting to Romo by storming the edge and fighting back to the ball. Berry's first sack and strip was classic. LaBoy was attacking the edge with incredible tenacity...what a combination of quickness and power he has! Haggans is a real gamer, and Okeafor may be starting to shake off the cobwebs, which is good because we know how good he can be when he gets on a roll...seems he's always been a slow starter, but comes on strong mid-season and down the stretch.
3. The coaches have to figure out how to bolster the right side of the Cardinal defense in order to stop the screens, swing passes and reverses. Karlos Dansby looks slow reacting to all of those kinds of plays. He has to recognize the plays earlier and fly in there to blow up the timing of the plays so that at least the others can clean up.
4. Kudos to Clancy Pendergast for finally playing sticky man coverage...the cover schemes were aggressive and showed strong preparation. Now we know at least that Pendergast has the ability to scheme this way. Hopefully he will abandon the soft zones more and more. It seems both the Cowboy's long TDs were against soft zones...and both TDs were way too easy.
5. Rod Hood was the man in the secondary yesterday...his play was inspired. The Cardinals should hire Aeneas Williams during the bye week to tutor Eric Green and DRC...neither of these CBs have a sense of when to look back for the ball, which negates their playmaking abilities.
6. Antrel Rolle played his heart out yesterday...he nearly had a great interception, that Crayton niftily knocked away from him...and Rolle forced the runs up the middle well with some good hits on Barber. But, as we have seen his pursuit angles from the deep middle, both on pass coverage and on tackles are either way too shallow or way too deep.
7. Adrian Wilson's underneath coverage skills are getting better and better...he did such a nice job yesterday...how about the diving deflection he had on one pass late in the game.
8. Matt Ware's sack on Romo was huge...it would seem the Cards could use him more...
9. It will be very interesting to see what kind of contributions the Cardinals will get from Gabe Watson and Alan Branch, once Watson is back to full strenth and Branch jumps on the bandwagon. It's nice to have a veteran in Bryan Robinson for insurance, even though Robinson's play has been so-so at best thus far. He might emerge down the stretch too.
10. The Cardinals have to figure out a way to maximize Karlos Dansby's abilities...much the way Pendy did for Wilson...Dansby needs a more diversified role...and they need to send him after the QB more often, from inside and outside. Dansby's at his best when he can go flat-out after the ball off the snap. the good news is that dansby has been pretty darned good in coverage, which speaks well to his impressive athleticism and versatility.
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Anytime a D-line hits the QB 20 times the backs are going to do well. Hood covering TO all day gave up a total of 36 yards. Green had a few solid tackles and our number 1 pick has a long way to go.
1. One has to marvel at the way the Cardinals' defensive line played versus what is arguably one of the most physically dominating offensive lines in the NFL. Not only did they hit QB Tony Romo an unheard of 20 times, they converged on him repeatedly with relentless pursuit...AND...they converged on RB Marion Barber with an array of thunderous hits.
Darnell Dockett was totally awesome in this game...and it was wise of the coaches to rest him a play or two here and there. His replacement Calais Campbell is particularly adept at chasing plays down from behind, like he is shot out of a cannon, and man, does he lay the wood on RBs from behind...one time forcing a nice fumble that the Cardinal defenders had a chance to pounce on but bobbled the ball.
How about Antonio Smith...what a game he turned in! This was his best game as a Cardinal and it would seem in light of recent lackluster performances the national spotlight in this game was a motivator for him to prove he's worth big bucks as a free agent this off-season.
What's perplexing about Dockett and Smith is that they do not play with this same intensity week after week. How would you like the Cardinals' chances if they did?
2. The DE rotation of Berry, LaBoy, Haggans and Okeafor is paying great dividends. These guys were conasistently getting to Romo by storming the edge and fighting back to the ball. Berry's first sack and strip was classic. LaBoy was attacking the edge with incredible tenacity...what a combination of quickness and power he has! Haggans is a real gamer, and Okeafor may be starting to shake off the cobwebs, which is good because we know how good he can be when he gets on a roll...seems he's always been a slow starter, but comes on strong mid-season and down the stretch.
Three reasons why the front 7 has played way, way better the last two games and why gouys like Dockett, Smith, and Okeafer have come out of there shell.
1. The biggest reason for the turn around. Gabe Watson - Never has the need for his presence been more clear. Both Dockett and Smith credited Watson for their good play last year, and they are absolutely correct.
2. Maturation of Campbell and Iwebema. Coaches are no longer afraid of giving these two youngins playing time and giving the starters rest, giving the starters the ability to be a factor from quarter one all the way to overtime.
3. Berry - The pass rush is just different with him in the game. Call him old, injury prone, what ever but you can see the difference when he isnt in game in a rotation.
On the TD to Crayton my sense was that was on Rolle?
The way I saw it Rolle and Hayes were both in the area, for some reason Rolle turned Crayton loose just let him run by him, Romo hit him and the result was a TD. I know it was zone but I have to believe Rolle was in the wrong there given he's the FS.
Depth, Depth, Depth! That is what is different about this team.
Being able to rotate guys in and not see a serious drop off in talent is huge. We were able to keep pressure up on Romo the entire game. Best performance by the Cardinals front seven to date!
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the defense on whole was good enough -- just barely.
the good was really good:
dominated the line of scrimmage and didnt let the Cowboys run. Steady pressure on the qb and forced numerous turnovers, regardless of how many withstood official meddling.
the bad:
twice in the final three minutes gave up big passing plays that gave the Cowboys exactly what they needed.
The Barber td was inexcusable. If they do nothing but make the Cowboys run 5 or 6 more plays to get that TD, the Cards simply recover an onside kick and can run out the clock. This shouldnt have gone to OT.
In the end -- a huge sack on 1st down in OT and a stand on the next two plays let the D finish with a good taste in its mouth.
the defense on whole was good enough -- just barely.
the good was really good:
dominated the line of scrimmage and didnt let the Cowboys run. Steady pressure on the qb and forced numerous turnovers, regardless of how many withstood official meddling.
the bad:
twice in the final three minutes gave up big passing plays that gave the Cowboys exactly what they needed.
The Barber td was inexcusable. If they do nothing but make the Cowboys run 5 or 6 more plays to get that TD, the Cards simply recover an onside kick and can run out the clock. This shouldnt have gone to OT.
In the end -- a huge sack on 1st down in OT and a stand on the next two plays let the D finish with a good taste in its mouth.
It's funny if you remember the first year under Clancy the rule was no big plays, the cushions were huge, too big, but the rule was never let them get behind you, gang tackle.
This year the exact opposite is the case there's probably been 6 TD passes this year that were either completely blown coverages or just like the 2 yesterday guy runs untouched for 40-50 yards after the catch.
remember they also had a TD to Martellus Bennett that he dropped, he was wide open too, blown coverage.
Just seems like something is different this year, I tend to assume several of the blown coverages are on Rolle but hard to know wihtout knowing who is supposed to be where on a given play. He just always seems to be in the area but not in position to make the play.
Our Secondary is still young and is having some growing pains. There have been some blown coverages the last couple of games. Crayton was wide open after both defenders went the same way on that TD reception.
These are correctable things. They just need to get on the same page.
__________________ Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
not to nitpick -- but the secondary really isnt that young
Wilson is a 8 year vet
Rolle is in his 4th year (but granted, 1st as FS)
Green is in his 4th year
Hood is in his 5th year
Brown is in his 9th (?)
Francisco is in his 4th
Ware is in his 6th (?)
DRC is the only rookie
the Barber td was borderline fluke-y
but four guys who had a shot at him took bad, bad angles. Again, push him out of bounds at the Cardinal 35 and the game ends with a Cardinal win in regulation with Kurt kneeling on the ball.
not to nitpick -- but the secondary really isnt that young
Wilson is a 8 year vet
Rolle is in his 4th year (but granted, 1st as FS)
Green is in his 4th year
Hood is in his 5th year
Brown is in his 9th (?)
Francisco is in his 4th
Ware is in his 6th (?)
DRC is the only rookie
the Barber td was borderline fluke-y
but four guys who had a shot at him took bad, bad angles. Again, push him out of bounds at the Cardinal 35 and the game ends with a Cardinal win in regulation with Kurt kneeling on the ball.
I know. I meant you have guys like DRC (rookie) and Rolle (playing new position). I meant young as they haven't had the time together yet to get on the same page.
__________________ Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
I love our defense. They may not be on the same page too often, and sometimes give up huge plays, but down to a man, I love every one of those guys.
The highlight of the games to me is roaring as loud as i can and seeing the defense getting pumped up by the noise. There's a wonderful interaction between the fans and the defense that you can't help getting enveloped in.
NOTHING is sweeter than our defense forcing a turnover, then posing for the crowd. The defense respects the crowd as well, and shows us a ton of love.
I may love the offense, and Boldin is my favorite player in the game, but I pay the money because of the defense.
__________________
I'm the anti-TNT. I don't do drama.
On the TD to Crayton my sense was that was on Rolle?
The way I saw it Rolle and Hayes were both in the area, for some reason Rolle turned Crayton loose just let him run by him, Romo hit him and the result was a TD. I know it was zone but I have to believe Rolle was in the wrong there given he's the FS.
It was Rolle that let Crayton loose on the long TD.... I also believe Antrel was "involved" on Witten's catch that got the Cowboys into FG position at the end of the game...
IMO, Rolle played one of his better games yesterday. However, I still have huge concerns with him...
It was Rolle that let Crayton loose on the long TD.... I also believe Antrel was "involved" on Witten's catch that got the Cowboys into FG position at the end of the game...
IMO, Rolle played one of his better games yesterday. However, I still have huge concerns with him...
82, next time you are in Vegas, get a new york strip at Carnevino in the Pallazzo. Expensive yes. Awesome, absolutely!!!! Dry aged rocks!!!!
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