Good Article on Cardinals

MadCardDisease

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This is what has been driving me nuts about Kliff and his offense:

Kingsbury, a former college head coach hired away from becoming USC’s offensive coordinator by the Cardinals, mostly lives in “11” personnel (three wide receivers) in the shotgun formation (which Arizona uses 95 percent of the time, the most in the NFL, according to data from stats website TruMedia). He eschews motion — Arizona is 31st of 32 teams in its usage — despite it being more popular than ever among the brightest offensive minds. Arizona largely forgoes play-action (28th in usage) at a time when early-down play-action fuels the league’s best offenses.

His offense is so predictable and NFL defenses have figured it out.
 

kerouac9

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This is what has been driving me nuts about Kliff and his offense:



His offense is so predictable and NFL defenses have figured it out.
It's so weird because last season we used play action 31% of the time and ranked 6th in the NFL (according to Football Outsiders' Annual). We also did offensive motion 31% of the time and that ranked 31st.

I don't know if Kliff's going into his shell or what. I think part of the problem is that everyone knows that James Conner is washed. Last year we were fifth in first down runs -- 53% of the time. I don't think we're going that direction as often now, but I admit that I don't have time to research it.
 

Arz101

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It's so weird because last season we used play action 31% of the time and ranked 6th in the NFL (according to Football Outsiders' Annual). We also did offensive motion 31% of the time and that ranked 31st.

I don't know if Kliff's going into his shell or what. I think part of the problem is that everyone knows that James Conner is washed. Last year we were fifth in first down runs -- 53% of the time. I don't think we're going that direction as often now, but I admit that I don't have time to research it.
Chase Edmonds moved chains and was great #2 RB. I miss Chase Edmonds and so far Kirk is a better deep threat than Brown. DHop absence has dented their offense. But all of this is not an excuse as Kliff had a whole offseason to design plays. May be Kliff and/or Kyler are just dumb and dumber (just don't know which one is which)
 

football karma

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motion is designed to drive mistakes by the defense. You can do that with speed as well -- which has been the Kliff approach .......... except this year. Their time between plays is wayyyyy up.

i think a NFL trend has hit the Cards / Kliff pretty hard: the two high safety defense. From Fangio / Staley three years ago -- its been adopted all over the league. Scoring and avg yards per play NFL wide are down across the board as a result.

It doesnt help the Cards that the silver bullet for a defense like that is a running game.
 

cardpa

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Remember back when we first learned Hopkins was going to be suspended and it was said that Kingsbury has enough time to figure out how to deal with his absence, well I guess Kliff never got that memo. Now many are banking on Hopkins coming back to right the offense, somehow I just don't see it.
 
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Remember back when we first learned Hopkins was going to be suspended and it was said that Kingsbury has enough time to figure out how to deal with his absence, well I guess Kliff never got that memo. Now many are banking on Hopkins coming back to right the offense, somehow I just don't see it.
100% agree. They are banking so hard on Hops return. If I’m Hopkins agent, I’m writing an Eric Burkhardt type of memo to the Cards right now demanding a 500% increase on my contract or else hamstring issues will arise…
 

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motion is designed to drive mistakes by the defense. You can do that with speed as well -- which has been the Kliff approach .......... except this year. Their time between plays is wayyyyy up.

i think a NFL trend has hit the Cards / Kliff pretty hard: the two high safety defense. From Fangio / Staley three years ago -- its been adopted all over the league. Scoring and avg yards per play NFL wide are down across the board as a result.

It doesnt help the Cards that the silver bullet for a defense like that is a running game.
The Rams secondary played pretty far off the line all of last game and dared someone to make a play with the ball in their hands. It didn't really happen. Yet Kliff just kept running the same routes 5-10 yards down the field. At some point, you need to adjust the game plan. And I don't mean having Conner run the wildcat on first down inside the 10.

I also read that the Cardinals were facing the fewest stacked boxes in the league so far this year. Without a running game or an Oline that can stop 4 rushers, defenses can drop 7 into coverage most every down and feel fine about it. That makes the 10 yard and under routes all the more frustrating.
 

football karma

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Yet Kliff just kept running the same routes 5-10 yards down the field.
Without a running game or an Oline that can stop 4 rushers, defenses can drop 7 into coverage most every down and feel fine about it.
the top part is a direct result of the bottom part

its not that they didnt want longer routes: the Rams were in a defense to take them away
 
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