AZ 26 SEA 24 Thoughts

Mitch

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The Cardinals absolutely dominated every aspect of the first half, except for another STs nightmare.

If anyone didn't know which team was still alive for a playoff berth---he surely would have thought it was the Cardinals.

Bruce Arians has proven that his teams in bad years will not quit. Over the past two seasons he is 4-0 in games after mathematical elimination from the playoffs. Tough part is his teams for the last two years only won 11 meaningful games.

While it was wonderful to watch the Seahawks implode down the stretch when they usually pull rabbits out of their hats or the officials' pockets....winning games like this are kind of like sifting for fool's gold.

The fact is the momentum of winning two meaningless games at the end of last season---did not carry over into this season. Even worse, those games gave the GM, HC and the staff the false impression that Justin Bethel could be the starting RCB, that Evan Boehm was ready to be the full-time starter at RG and that Brandon Williams would be ready to challenge for significant playing time.

As for the Seahawks, I said this earlier in the season to the hilarity of others, but it would not surprise me if Pete Carroll is let go. That team, despite its record over the past few years, is a total mess. Just in the past week, you have Earl Thomas running over to the Cowboys' locker room to tell them "come get me." Then, despite BA's locker room message last week of going to a "home game in Seattle" to "kick their arses"...and that being given national notoriety, how in the world could the Seahawks come out of the tunnel in the game so poorly motivated. Pete Carroll has lost that team and it is obvious. The penalties that team commits are of the utmost boneheaded variety, as we saw today. And the decisions---why play the last minute so ultra conservatively in order to set up a 48 yard FG by Blair Walsh...the very same PK who shanked a chip shot at home in mind that should have eliminated the Seahawks in the 2015 playoffs.

BA was all hugs and buddy-buddy with Carroll after the game, and Carroll was kind and gracious to give BA credit and kudos for the win and for his career (if this was his last game)...but then BA says at his press conference "welcome to my house." When Fitz was asked about that remark from BA he sort of bristled and said, "Well I don't know about that, but it was great to get back to .500 and end the season on a positive note."

This post game comment is, once again, poor form and poor sportsmanship. As much as I can't stand Pete Carroll, mostly because of the envy I have felt about how hard and tough his players usually play, has Pete Carroll ever called U of P a "home game" for the Seahawks? How would that feel to us Cardinals' fans if he did?

Well, Arians never beat Carroll at U of P. Not once in 5 tries. And winning meaningless games in Seattle the last two years doesn't quite seem as exciting as winning when the games really matter. The fact is too, that Carroll came to U of P in 2015 to put a licking on the 13-2 Cardinals in hopes of knocking them off their perch...and one could argue that the Cardinals, after that 36-6 pasting, have not been the same ever since. Curious that 31 year old Sean McVay of the Rams decided to rest his key starters versus the 49ers today (taking a 34-13 loss), recognizing that being healthy going into the playoffs is the wiser choice.

The standout efforts for the Cardinals today came from QB Drew Stanton (who is now 7-1 in his last 8 starts and who, according to Fitz, played the last two weeks with an ACL tear), the makeshift OL (even when Boone and Boehm were injured, Watford and Painter helped get the offense in FG range---thanks too for another boneheaded roughing the passer penalty, this time by Bobby Wagner, after a 3rd down incompletion), Ts Holden and Wetzel help up pretty well, all things considered, WR Larry Fitzgerald and RB Kerwynn Williams who carried the offense in the 1st half. RB Elijah Penny ran hard and well on his carries, one for a TD. On defense: DE Chandler Jones (17 sacks---a Cardinals record!), DT Olsen Pierre (who is becoming a beast in the pass rush), DE Robert Nkemdiche (for making his best splash play of the season) and DE Kareem Martin (for his QB pressures). On STs...K Phil Dawson closed out the season very well, as did P Andy Lee and LS Aaron Brewer---plus, the team got a very good kickoff return from D.J. Foster (and a nifty RB loop pass from Stanton late in the game for a key conversion).

Again, while these last two wins feel good...let's not forget that the Cardinals went 1-5 in 1 PM (EDT) starts and lost those games by a combined score of 265-120 (that's 26.5 to 12.0 ppg). Let's not forget that the Cardinals lost twice to the Rams by the score of 65-16. Let's not forget that the Cardinals lost both of their prime time games (both at home) to the Cowboys and Seahawks by a combined score of 50-33. Let's also not forget that before the defense finally got on a roll, they gave up 31 points to QB Tom Savage and the Texans at a critical point in the Cardinals' playoff contention.

Let's also not forget that the only Cardinals who played consistently well throughout the seasons are: WR Larry Fitzgerald, OLB Chandler Jones, DT Corey Peters, DE Olsen Pierre, S Budda Baker, S Antione Bethea, S Tyvon Branch, CB Tramon Williams and P Andy Lee. These are the only players on the Cardinals who earned PFF grades for the season in the 80s.

No Cardinals player had a consistently good season at QB, RB, OL, TE, WR (other than Fitz), and ILB. Budda Baker and Kareen Martin were the only two draft picks over the past 4 years to make a consistent impact---and both were late season substitutions. Unfortunately, RB David Johnson, OLB Markus Golden and T D.J. Humphries were lost for the season to injuries. Player development, particularly of high draft picks, continues to be an area of utmost concern.

This was a team that was maddeningly inconsistent. It was also a team that only showed up when it wanted to. The injuries took their toll, but the last few weeks proved that the Cardinals could still win games if the defense stepped up, the offense could protect the ball and the STs could hold their own.

BA deserves kudos for not letting his team quit. His playcalliing the last couple of weeks have been some of his best. It's frustrating that the types of effort we saw the past two weeks were not evident in a number of previous games. However, BA ends this season, as he did last year on a high note, and he is now the winningest coach in the history of the Arizona Cardinals. There was a time when BA's teams were consistently competitive---more so that any other teams previously. There were stretches of games that were exhilarating to watch. For that, and for all the great moments over the course of 5 years, thanks to BA and the coaching staff.
 
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oaken1

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yeah...amazing how this team always manages to play well when the only thing it affects is if anybody gets to play next year.....for two years they play like crap when it counts...then step up once it no longer benefits the team.
 

ajcardfan

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F pete f'ing Carrol. Lying, cheating sob. He can go to hell and i will kick him in the damn face when i meet him there.

I'll take an 0-16 team over Carroll coaching it any day. It makes me want to puke when people praise that soulless phony bastard.
 

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F pete f'ing Carrol. Lying, cheating sob. He can go to hell and i will kick him in the damn face when i meet him there.

I'll take an 0-16 team over Carroll coaching it any day. It makes me want to puke when people praise that soulless phony bastard.
You think I praised that guy, I was talking about BA.
 

ajcardfan

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You think I praised that guy, I was talking about BA.

No i did not. It was the first post making arians look bad compared to carroll that set me off.

Anyone could say that it was arians giving the team some confidence and swagger to go up there and stick it to them again. That is just as viable a take as mitch's.
 
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Mitch

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Came for the PP21 blasting, didn't get it. I'm disappointed.

I vowed to stop last week for those who were screaming for it to stop. But, I think by now you and everyone else know exactly what I would say starting with the kickoff. If not, this is for those of you who want to read these notes---others, don't waste your time.

Let me put it this way: in my opinion, either the Cardinals find a coach who can bring out the best in Peterson or they should trade him while they can for very good value in return. Look---his man coverage is very good (although he did give up 26/394/4 TDs/83.6 QBR on 60 targets this year---plus 8 penalties)---but, in a way his man coverage allows him to hide and play in a bubble---and these days you cannot hide a player on defense---teams are too well coached---they will find that player and exploit him, as we have seen this year. Look at his feeble punt returns today. Why do they still after 4 years have him faking it out there? It's a joke. He even fair caught a line drive with wide open field in front of him. Then later he let a normal punt bounce on the 15 yard line (luckily it bounced backwards). Why did Amos Jones put Peterson, the worst tackler on the team, as a safety on the kickoff team? That's right, he was safety---right to side that Lockett ran through---and Peterson played it the same passive, run-toward-the sideline-way that he plays a screen to his side---and you know what---how does Peterson look his teammates in the face after plays like this? I mean 43 year old Phil Dawson made a far stronger effort to tackle Lockett. That's no lie. Budda Baker came screaming across the other side of the field to try to chase him down and almost got there, while Peterson was trailing the play. Then in coverage he got called for holding once again on the slot (which he tells the coaches he does not want to play) when the Cardinals DL was in Wilson's face again---and that let the Seahawks off the hook and helped them go for their first scoring drive. The TD he gave up to Baldwin was perfectly executed, although Peterson hasn't been turning back to the ball lately on fades, which the Seahawks picked up on....like the fade TD he gave up to Hopkins. The guy is hiding out there. But, the irony is, it's now too obvious. How many times did the camera man zoom in on Peterson after another one of his feeble tackling efforts? Heck, he made Russell Wilson look like Mike Iupati.
 

oaken1

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I vowed to stop last week for those who were screaming for it to stop. But, I think by now you and everyone else know exactly what I would say starting with the kickoff. If not, this is for those of you who want to read these notes---others, don't waste your time.

Let me put it this way: in my opinion, either the Cardinals find a coach who can bring out the best in Peterson or they should trade him while they can for very good value in return. Look---his man coverage is very good (although he did give up 26/394/4 TDs/83.6 QBR on 60 targets this year---plus 8 penalties)---but, in a way his man coverage allows him to hide and play in a bubble---and these days you cannot hide a player on defense---teams are too well coached---they will find that player and exploit him, as we have seen this year. Look at his feeble punt returns today. Why do they still after 4 years have him faking it out there? It's a joke. He even fair caught a line drive with wide open field in front of him. Then later he let a normal punt bounce on the 15 yard line (luckily it bounced backwards). Why did Amos Jones put Peterson, the worst tackler on the team, as a safety on the kickoff team? That's right, he was safety---right to side that Lockett ran through---and Peterson played it the same passive, run-toward-the sideline-way that he plays a screen to his side---and you know what---how does Peterson look his teammates in the face after plays like this? I mean 43 year old Phil Dawson made a far stronger effort to tackle Lockett. That's no lie. Budda Baker came screaming across the other side of the field to try to chase him down and almost got there, while Peterson was trailing the play. Then in coverage he got called for holding once again on the slot (which he tells the coaches he does not want to play) when the Cardinals DL was in Wilson's face again---and that let the Seahawks off the hook and helped them go for their first scoring drive. The TD he gave up to Baldwin was perfectly executed, although Peterson hasn't been turning back to the ball lately on fades, which the Seahawks picked up on....like the fade TD he gave up to Hopkins. The guy is hiding out there. But, the irony is, it's now too obvious. How many times did the camera man zoom in on Peterson after another one of his feeble tackling efforts? Heck, he made Russell Wilson look like Mike Iupati.
yeah... be careful Mitch. I brought up the idea of mortgaging that 2 first round draft pick value the PP21 has and got called crazy, stupid,..moron came up I think.... anyway, yeah... basic team dynamics... you cant keep the youngsters performing when PP is allowed to put forth minimal effort and continually gets praised by the staff....rather he intends to or not he leads by example,...his example has shown in Mathieu, a guy who was once the best form tackler on the team and now wiffs on easy tackles. Baker is a rookie...still stoked to be in the nfl... but in time that will start to show in him to, because thats just the way the cardinals roll...
 
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Mitch

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yeah... be careful Mitch. I brought up the idea of mortgaging that 2 first round draft pick value the PP21 has and got called crazy, stupid,..moron came up I think.... anyway, yeah... basic team dynamics... you cant keep the youngsters performing when PP is allowed to put forth minimal effort and continually gets praised by the staff....rather he intends to or not he leads by example,...his example has shown in Mathieu, a guy who was once the best form tackler on the team and now wiffs on easy tackles. Baker is a rookie...still stoked to be in the nfl... but in time that will start to show in him to, because thats just the way the cardinals roll...

That's exactly right, oaken. Tackling is an attitude. If some can run and hide, others will try to follow. Mathieu's performance this year was disappointing...and just what I worried about with regard to PP's influence.

BTW---I've been called very name in the book---but who cares? I am not here to please the masses or be like a dumb driven cow seeking the comfort of the herd. I'm here to express my honest views, for right or for wrong. If people think I am not worth their time, they will ignore my posts. Which is fine. If they take the time to call me an idiot or stupid, what does that say about them?
 

b8rtm8nn

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I am pretty disappointed in this post Mitch, I thought it was a great opportunity for you to comment on BA successfully outcoaching Pete in the last game of the season, which is a hell of an achievement given all the injuries.

The title of this thread is misleading...
 

oaken1

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That's exactly right, oaken. Tackling is an attitude. If some can run and hide, others will try to follow. Mathieu's performance this year was disappointing...and just what I worried about with regard to PP's influence.

BTW---I've been called very name in the book---but who cares? I am not here to please the masses or be like a dumb driven cow seeking the comfort of the herd. I'm here to express my honest views, for right or for wrong. If people think I am not worth their time, they will ignore my posts. Which is fine. If they take the time to call me an idiot or stupid, what does that say about them?
I know Mitch....I called you most of them, lol....

surprised to see we are on a similar page... my point in trading both PP21 and Badger was based on this and Badgers contract.... those two are very close... if we trade one the other may well become a cancer...there is some risk involved, but the benefits could also be huge...

but like you said, a coach who can get those guys active and aggressive would be good too
 

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F pete f'ing Carrol. Lying, cheating sob. He can go to hell and i will kick him in the damn face when i meet him there.

I'll take an 0-16 team over Carroll coaching it any day. It makes me want to puke when people praise that soulless phony bastard.

I’d take five straight playoff seasons, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory and anyone that wouldn’t gladly is lying to themselves... laughably.

That said, I hate his ass and couldn’t be happier to beat him today.
 
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Mitch

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Doesn't anyone think the vast number of injuries has something to do with the schemes? Every OL has the pressure of winning his one on one battle with no help, play after play---often when they know their man is a stud like DeMarcus Lawrence or Aaron Donald. Do you think that pressure wears on players? Why do the Cardinals' OL drop like flies every year? So every year we can make injuries an excuse, right?

How about the QBs? Palmer breaks his arm while getting hammered for the umpteenth time on a straight on blitz up the middle. Stanton suffers an ACL tear getting chased all over the field in his second start (he lasted only 2 starts the last time Palmer went on IR). Gabbert didn't get knocked out, but he also hurried so many of his passes so he wouldn't get hurt.

How about the WRs...other than Larry. They are always injured it seems, going back to Michael Floyd. One time in camp this year, was it 6-7 of the 10 WRs were injured?, when BA threw a conniption.

BA is notorious for putting players in harm's way. Not just scheme wise, but he put the bull's eye on their back with the Rams and now with the Seahawks. The Rams have punished the Cardinals the past 2-3 years. And they had Gregg Williams bounty-hunting our guys.
 

ajcardfan

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I’d take five straight playoff seasons, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory and anyone that wouldn’t gladly is lying to themselves... laughably.

That said, I hate his ass and couldn’t be happier to beat him today.

Wrong. I hate pete carroll that much. For reasons beyond football.
 

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Doesn't anyone think the vast number of injuries has something to do with the schemes? Every OL has the pressure of winning his one on one battle with no help, play after play---often when they know their man is a stud like DeMarcus Lawrence or Aaron Donald. Do you think that pressure wears on players? Why do the Cardinals' OL drop like flies every year? So every year we can make injuries an excuse, right?

How about the QBs? Palmer breaks his arm while getting hammered for the umpteenth time on a straight on blitz up the middle. Stanton suffers an ACL tear getting chased all over the field in his second start (he lasted only 2 starts the last time Palmer went on IR). Gabbert didn't get knocked out, but he also hurried so many of his passes so he wouldn't get hurt.

How about the WRs...other than Larry. They are always injured it seems, going back to Michael Floyd. One time in camp this year, was it 6-7 of the 10 WRs were injured?, when BA threw a conniption.

BA is notorious for putting players in harm's way. Not just scheme wise, but he put the bull's eye on their back with the Rams and now with the Seahawks. The Rams have punished the Cardinals the past 2-3 years. And they had Gregg Williams bounty-hunting our guys.

I think the QB position is the only one where playing for Arians puts a bull's eye on you
 
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Mitch

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I am pretty disappointed in this post Mitch, I thought it was a great opportunity for you to comment on BA successfully outcoaching Pete in the last game of the season, which is a hell of an achievement given all the injuries.

The title of this thread is misleading...

The title (AZ 26 SEA 24 Thoughts) is misleading?

I think Pete Carroll's coaching in the game was pathetic. But, I think Carroll has lost that team, so it doesn't fully surprise me. Earl Thomas wants the Cowboys to come get him. What does that tell you about the current state of affairs in Seattle?

Like I said, it's hard for me to get too excited about a win like this when the games really don't matter. Why couldn't BA have had the team ready to play in Houston? Or in London? Or in Washington? Those games mattered much more than this one.

I think the Seahawks players were tanking this game until the fans started booing them at half-time. Did they look like they even wanted to be there in the first half? That team is toast.
 
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