4th Quarter road woes

[Duckjake]

Our boys have been outscored 28-0 in the 4th Quarter of the two road losses.

Is that a result of travel fatigue? Other teams figuring out our schemes? Just bad breaks? Or as has been mentioned in other threads Palmer getting hit and not playing as well at the end of the game?

It's hard to put your finger on it because we were 9-0 in a comeback win over Detroit at home. So that would suggest road problems as the #1 reason. You could say better opponents on the road but are the Rams really any better than Detroit this year? Sure hasn't looked like it their last two games as the Rams were getting hammered by Atlanta and were hammered by Dallas while Detroit just won in Washington.

Theories?

 

[speedy]

Our boys have been outscored 28-0 in the 4th Quarter of the two road losses.

Is that a result of travel fatigue? Other teams figuring out our schemes? Just bad breaks? Or as has been mentioned in other threads Palmer getting hit and not playing as well at the end of the game?

It's hard to put your finger on it because we were 9-0 in a comeback win over Detroit at home. So that would suggest road problems as the #1 reason. You could say better opponents on the road but are the Rams really any better than Detroit this year? Sure hasn't looked like it their last two games as the Rams were getting hammered by Atlanta and were hammered by Dallas while Detroit just won in Washington.

Theories?

We have always just plain sucked on the road??

In both games Levi was getting punked and Palmer was getting hit a lot.

I dont know bud. I think our OLine has struggled on the road for as long as I can remember... Do the Cardinals have a curfew Friday and Saturday nights??? Our woes on the road have been atrocious and they are storied. Some of the worst blowouts I can remember have been on the road, especially East of the Mississippi. This seems to be a problem with the organization, not the different rosters and coaches... We are nearly guaranteed defeat when we kick off in the eastern time zone. Ridiculous.

 

[MrYeahBut]

My personal opinion is the Cards have very seldom, if ever, had a complete team.... offense, defense and special teams. Not that I can provide specific examples but one phase of the team just doesn't seem to show up.

The one road game that I will remember forever is the win at Carolina in the playoffs. Sat there with my mouth open the whole time watching in disbelief.

.

 

[speedy]

My personal opinion is the Cards have very seldom, if ever, had a complete team.... offense, defense and special teams. Not that I can provide specific examples but one phase of the team just doesn't seem to show up.

The one road game that I will remember forever is the win at Carolina in the playoffs. Sat there with my mouth open the whole time watching in disbelief.

.

Thanks for the memory jogger...

The Carolina game was EXCEPTIONAL. I sat in complete disbelief as well. I cannot readily recall another lopsided east coast victory on our behalf (I have followed this team since '88)...

I do belief this Cardinal team is the one of the most complete teams we have ever fielded. By half time of the Rams game, I was acknowledged this aloud. Outside of some of the OL play, I think our secondary is probably the most suspect at this point. Our D plays the run well, we can run the ball better than we have in decades, we can throw the ball, we have good special teams (and a great punter), and sometimes we can bring a little heat on the opposing QB.

I think our road woes could very well be attributed to other issues we just dont know about. We have ALWAYS sucked on the road. If I was running this business to be successful, finding the attributing causes of this would be my primary focus.

Anyone know our road record since '88?

 

[Duckjake]

Thanks for the memory jogger...

The Carolina game was EXCEPTIONAL. I sat in complete disbelief as well. I cannot readily recall another lopsided east coast victory on our behalf (I have followed this team since '88)...

I do belief this Cardinal team is the one of the most complete teams we have ever fielded. By half time of the Rams game, I was acknowledged this aloud. Outside of some of the OL play, I think our secondary is probably the most suspect at this point. Our D plays the run well, we can run the ball better than we have in decades, we can throw the ball, we have good special teams (and a great punter), and sometimes we can bring a little heat on the opposing QB.

I think our road woes could very well be attributed to other issues we just dont know about. We have ALWAYS sucked on the road. If I was running this business to be successful, finding the attributing causes of this would be my primary focus.

Anyone know our road record since '88?

I do know that our home record 2007-today is 31-18 so that'll tell you something. The surprise season was 2009 when the Cards were 6-2 on the road and 4-4 at home.

 

[speedy]

I do know that our home record 2007-today is 31-18 so that'll tell you something. The surprise season was 2009 when the Cards were 6-2 on the road and 4-4 at home.

from 1988-2012 we played 200 road games.

Our road record was 53-147.

We won 4 road games or more in only 4 seasons:

1998* (9-7) 4 road wins
2001 (7-9) 4 road wins
2008* (9-7) 4 road wins
2009* (10-6) 6 road wins**

*playoff years

** as you pointed out we won 6 road games, the one and only time we have have posted more than 4 road games in a season since 1988.

During this same time period, we had 7 different head coaches. They all posted similar road records (Wiz obviously having the best luck) during this 25 year stretch. Like I said, the problem has to be somewhere within the organization and what they are doing with travel/road games...

I'm happy you pointed this problem out. The way I see it, if we want any hope of a wild card birth this year, we wont lose another road game.

 

[Duckjake]

And now we've started 0-2 on the road.

Same old Cardinals. You can change the coaches, you can change the stadium, you can change the players, you can change the price of beer but one thing you can't change is:

5-11 with 'em. 5-11 without 'em.

 

[cardpa]

I heard the team feeds the players jelly donuts for breakfast before a East coast game so maybe that is the problem. The nearest Dunkin Donuts to their hotel gears up when they know the team is staying nearby.

 

[az240zz]

Curious as to how the rest of league fares in road games. I think, outside of the 5 or 6 elite teams, that the rest of league are losers when on the road.

 

[speedy]

Curious as to how the rest of league fares in road games. I think, outside of the 5 or 6 elite teams, that the rest of league are losers when on the road.

I'm sure the road is hard on everyone, but to only finish .500 or better 4 times in 25 years is telling. As duck pointed out, our home record since 2007 is pretty good. History has shown if we can even win 1/2 of our road games, we go to the playoffs. We were 2-6, 1-7, and 0-8 on the road many years between 88-12.

Becoming better on the road should be the focus of this organization

 

[JeffGollin]

Here's the dynamic as I see it.

When we fall behind in games, we have a QB (who only thrives in perfect conditions) having to come from behind within the context of (a) weak pass protection and (b) a defense that knows we'll have to throw the ball a lot.

Result - QB gets rattled and the offense begins to falter. Our opponent winds up with the ball (often with a short field) and our defensive players start lunging, grabbing at thin air, overrunning plays and failing to wrap up. And we wind up 28 & 0 in the 4Q.

I'm not sure about the road being a huge factor other than the crowd noise making it difficult for Carson to audible and contributing to his nervousness. I'd hope however that the team collectively take the Honey Badger approach to playing on the road (i.e. Don't Care).

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

We need a Bowels Adjustment in the 4th qtr.

 

[speedy]

Here's the dynamic as I see it.

When we fall behind in games, we have a QB (who only thrives in perfect conditions) having to come from behind within the context of (a) weak pass protection and (b) a defense that knows we'll have to throw the ball a lot.

Result - QB gets rattled and the offense begins to falter. Our opponent winds up with the ball (often with a short field) and our defensive players start lunging, grabbing at thin air, overrunning plays and failing to wrap up. And we wind up 28 & 0 in the 4Q.

I'm not sure about the road being a huge factor other than the crowd noise making it difficult for Carson to audible and contributing to his nervousness. I'd hope however that the team collectively take the Honey Badger approach to playing on the road (i.e. Don't Care).

It's not just Carson though Jeff; its been many (nearly all) of our guys under center over the last 26 years. Its a TEAM issue. Look at these numbers:

88 3-5
89 3-5
90 2-6
91 2-6
92 1-7
93 2-6
94 3-5
95 1-7
96 2-6
97 1-7
98 4-4
99 2-6
00 0-8
01 4-4
02 2-6
03 0-8
04 1-7
05 2-6
06 2-6
07 2-6
08 4-4
09 6-2
10 1-7
11 2-6
12 1-7
13 0-2

These are the road records for each season since 88. The problem HAS to be within the organization and how they travel/what they are doing. Carson having difficulty making an audible is a problem, but I feel this and many of the other issues we face are symptoms of a bigger problem. Many teams struggle on the road, but the playoff contenders find ways to win on the road.

My theory is: its not the players on the field, but the organization behind them. I dont know why they have their woes (sorry, never played for the Cardinals), but the problem is bigger than what can be addressed on a practice field during the week... Maybe spending a week in Florida with their families and friends (many are from this area of the country) will rejuvenate and bring the best out of them in Tampa this Sunday.

 

[Duckjake]

My theory is: its not the players on the field, but the organization behind them. I dont know why they have their woes (sorry, never played for the Cardinals), but the problem is bigger than what can be addressed on a practice field during the week... Maybe spending a week in Florida with their families and friends (many are from this area of the country) will rejuvenate and bring the best out of them in Tampa this Sunday.

I sure hope so but if I remember correctly the last time we spent a week on the East Coast between games we got annihilated the next week by the Jets.

 

[speedy]

I sure hope so but if I remember correctly the last time we spent a week on the East Coast between games we got annihilated the next week by the Jets.

yep.

 

[Mulli]

1st quarter road woes

 

[desertdawg]

I'm used to the 4th quarter woes, but today I was like Whoa, a totally different kind of whoa. When I'm in the club drinkin bub it's like whoa. Doing what it does with a buzz it's like whoa.