Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
I may be in the minority, but I was extremely impressed with the Cardinals' effort tonight. The Seahawks get in every team's head---they even get in the ref's head. And in light of the bad taste the Cardinals have had in their mouths since the Seahawks' pounding of the Cardinals in Week 17 last year---and the stigma they have had of getting blasted by the Seahawks at home---this was one helluva gutsy performance.
It was like a heavyweight prize fight---both sides bringing all they had---both sides slugging it out toe to toe, punch for punch.
Yes, the Cardinals made some infuriating mistakes--some self-inflicted and others caused by non-calls, but mostly by they way the Seahawks manage to do what it takes to win games like these---like Bobby Wagner seeing on tape that he could leap Brewer, because Brewer is so low to the ground and he is not a big man---and for knowing how to time it up because the Cardinals snap the ball as soon as the holder turns his head.
Yes---Wagner grazed Brewer and it should have been a penalty---but that was impossible to see in real time and here we go once again, but why have replay and not be able to make sure the play was clean?
The Cardinals, for whatever reason, have snap count problems on offense as well. They snap the ball on first hut 95% of the time, which allows aggressive defenses like the Seahawks' to tee off on the snap and which puts an inexperienced RT like D.J. Humphries at a disadvantage, especially trying to block a DE as cat quick and fast as Cliff Avril.
The offense moves the ball anyway (thanks to big nights from David Johnson---41 touches and a great block on the Nelson play---Carson Palmer, J.J. Nelson, the o-line, and even Ifeanyi Momah!), but they just could not sustain their drives and turn them into several scores. The fumble at the end of the half really hurt. 17 seconds left and you just know that if you are tackled in bounds with no timeouts left, you won't be able to kick the FG.
Earl Watford who played his butt off---whiffed on the key 4th an 1 block---but he had a guy over him in Michael Bennett who makes All-Pro guards miss from time to time.
Our defense was the most dominant it has been versus a good team in the time BA has been in AZ---their performance was much like the one they had in Week 16 versus the Packers---the only major difference was that they couldn't get Russell Wilson to turn the ball over and the one strip sack they had was recovered by them. The near fumble by Christine Michael in the flat on the 10 yard line---man that would have been a game changer.
But the Cardinals got some lucky bounces of their own---like the blocked FG---it is amazing that the ball landed in the one place that could have stopped a TD return---right into Quigley's body. If that bounces beyond him Sherman was right there to scoop it and score.
They also got the shank by Hauschka at the end---which was poetic justice---and quite possibly could signify a reversal of the Seahawks' uncanny good fortune at the end of games---maybe the Cardinals stole a little of that magic for themselves---that is my hope.
The team surely missed Smokey Brown and hopefully he can give us some bounce at Carolina.
I don't want to see the Cardinals cut the Cat Man. I think he can work his way through this. Other good kickers have before.
The punt alignment by Amos Jones was an egregious mistake---you can't leave that spot in the line uncovered and you cannot have someone as small as Kerwynn Williams be the protector---tjhat's a real "C'mon, man." It looked like the punt team was disorganized on the play, as one guy was running in---man, at that point in the game, 4 minutes left...and all 3 TOs---use a TO. Man, that play was a backbreaker---but at least the defense didn't surrender a GW TD, which often happens by such a shocking momentum change and every one on the team fearing the worst after playing so hard and tough for the first 56 minutes.
Game balls to every man on the defense---Jones, Golden and Campbell were especially tremendous. And James Bettcher gets a game ball too. He's made very good strides the past three weeks.
The whole team needs to respond in a positive way to this game---they positives were aplenty---the best of which was they went after the Seahawks like they never have before---yes, they've beaten them in Seattle, but they have never quite put the pounding on them they way they did tonight. And this may be a turning point in this rivalry because now the Seahawks will dread playing the Cardinals, they way they dread playing the Rams and other tough teams.
The toughness part is the most important take away from this game. The Cardinals brought it big-time---and if they have the hunger to sustain it, they can take their play to the championship level that they have been aspiring to attain.
It was like a heavyweight prize fight---both sides bringing all they had---both sides slugging it out toe to toe, punch for punch.
Yes, the Cardinals made some infuriating mistakes--some self-inflicted and others caused by non-calls, but mostly by they way the Seahawks manage to do what it takes to win games like these---like Bobby Wagner seeing on tape that he could leap Brewer, because Brewer is so low to the ground and he is not a big man---and for knowing how to time it up because the Cardinals snap the ball as soon as the holder turns his head.
Yes---Wagner grazed Brewer and it should have been a penalty---but that was impossible to see in real time and here we go once again, but why have replay and not be able to make sure the play was clean?
The Cardinals, for whatever reason, have snap count problems on offense as well. They snap the ball on first hut 95% of the time, which allows aggressive defenses like the Seahawks' to tee off on the snap and which puts an inexperienced RT like D.J. Humphries at a disadvantage, especially trying to block a DE as cat quick and fast as Cliff Avril.
The offense moves the ball anyway (thanks to big nights from David Johnson---41 touches and a great block on the Nelson play---Carson Palmer, J.J. Nelson, the o-line, and even Ifeanyi Momah!), but they just could not sustain their drives and turn them into several scores. The fumble at the end of the half really hurt. 17 seconds left and you just know that if you are tackled in bounds with no timeouts left, you won't be able to kick the FG.
Earl Watford who played his butt off---whiffed on the key 4th an 1 block---but he had a guy over him in Michael Bennett who makes All-Pro guards miss from time to time.
Our defense was the most dominant it has been versus a good team in the time BA has been in AZ---their performance was much like the one they had in Week 16 versus the Packers---the only major difference was that they couldn't get Russell Wilson to turn the ball over and the one strip sack they had was recovered by them. The near fumble by Christine Michael in the flat on the 10 yard line---man that would have been a game changer.
But the Cardinals got some lucky bounces of their own---like the blocked FG---it is amazing that the ball landed in the one place that could have stopped a TD return---right into Quigley's body. If that bounces beyond him Sherman was right there to scoop it and score.
They also got the shank by Hauschka at the end---which was poetic justice---and quite possibly could signify a reversal of the Seahawks' uncanny good fortune at the end of games---maybe the Cardinals stole a little of that magic for themselves---that is my hope.
The team surely missed Smokey Brown and hopefully he can give us some bounce at Carolina.
I don't want to see the Cardinals cut the Cat Man. I think he can work his way through this. Other good kickers have before.
The punt alignment by Amos Jones was an egregious mistake---you can't leave that spot in the line uncovered and you cannot have someone as small as Kerwynn Williams be the protector---tjhat's a real "C'mon, man." It looked like the punt team was disorganized on the play, as one guy was running in---man, at that point in the game, 4 minutes left...and all 3 TOs---use a TO. Man, that play was a backbreaker---but at least the defense didn't surrender a GW TD, which often happens by such a shocking momentum change and every one on the team fearing the worst after playing so hard and tough for the first 56 minutes.
Game balls to every man on the defense---Jones, Golden and Campbell were especially tremendous. And James Bettcher gets a game ball too. He's made very good strides the past three weeks.
The whole team needs to respond in a positive way to this game---they positives were aplenty---the best of which was they went after the Seahawks like they never have before---yes, they've beaten them in Seattle, but they have never quite put the pounding on them they way they did tonight. And this may be a turning point in this rivalry because now the Seahawks will dread playing the Cardinals, they way they dread playing the Rams and other tough teams.
The toughness part is the most important take away from this game. The Cardinals brought it big-time---and if they have the hunger to sustain it, they can take their play to the championship level that they have been aspiring to attain.
I just didn't like giving 2 little guys who rarely have played those roles, especially Williams since he's just been added to the roster again & not played. Maybe they possibly had a fake punt possibly in the game plan with him, but still a major blunder by the staff.
