FINALLY! Thank Goodness We Broke Up the Best Pass Defense in the NFL

[kerouac9]

The 2012 Arizona Cardinals had one of, if not the, best secondaries in the NFL. Their personnel?

Patrick Peterson
Greg Toler
William Gay
Kerry Rhodes
Adrian Wilson

With contributions from Mike Adams.

Of those six players, one of them is expected back in 2013.

Tank Job. I'd look up all the stats regarding the dominance of the secondary in 2012, but I'm too pissed off.

 

[ARZCardinals]

Had to expect a ton of changes with a new coaching staff.

Out with the old in with the new.

Always been that way always will.

I liked Rhodes...

 

[SweetD]

The 2012 Arizona Cardinals had one of, if not the, best secondaries in the NFL. Their personnel?

Patrick Peterson
Greg Toler
William Gay
Kerry Rhodes
Adrian Wilson

With contributions from Mike Adams.

Of those six players, one of them is expected back in 2013.

Tank Job. I'd look up all the stats regarding the dominance of the secondary in 2012, but I'm too pissed off.

How do you define "Best Def"? Yes there were top 5 in Passing yards, but that was because the O couldn't move the ball and every team had a short field. 2011 they were ranked 14th, with almost the exact same players.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Had to expect a ton of changes with a new coaching staff.

Out with the old in with the new.

Always been that way always will.

I liked Rhodes...

Yeah, I mean, if your team is already strong in a particular position or area, why leave it alone and focus on your gargantuan holes at other positions when you can create all new and exciting holes?

 

[RugbyMuffin]

This post is just in general, not directed at K9 personally whom is obviously full of so much positive, and happy emotion about the signing of Drew Stanton, that he had to do something

Yet, when talking about Horton, it wasn't a top 10 defense, and a host of other reasons why Horton's defense was not that good.... and that was a whopping 6 weeks ago.

Now, today, it is a horrible situation, and it was the best defense ever.

I dunno. This board sometimes......needs to pick a lane.

That great pass defense left the minute Horton did, so if the roster is getting gutting, then gut it.

Patrick Peterson
Greg Toler
William Gay
Kerry Rhodes
Adrian Wilson

5 out of those 6 players where here in 2011, and 4 out of those 6 players where here in 2010 when that defense sucked.

I was upset about losing this defense 6 weeks ago, when it went to the Browns.

That all being said, I agree with K9's one point, that our defense is NOT going to be what it was last year. It is taking 10 steps back at the least.

But, we are rebuilding, and it is a serious rebuild at that. Wait till the draft when we start trading offensive linemen.

 

[Phrazbit]

How do you define "Best Def"? Yes there were top 5 in Passing yards, but that was because the O couldn't move the ball and every team had a short field. 2011 they were ranked 14th, with almost the exact same players.

Off the top of my head they were defensively top 5 in completion %, QB rating, picks, yards per attempt... basically every relevant stat the Cards were at or near the top of the league in pass defense. Yes, they were arguably the best pass defense in the league, at least top 3.

 

[Ed Burmila]

Yeah, I mean, if your team is already strong in a particular position or area, why leave it alone and focus on your gargantuan holes at other positions when you can create all new and exciting holes?

"New and Exciting Holes".

This one time, I was in Tijuana....

 

[Buckybird]

Quit overreacting K9

I hear ya I've got steam coming from my ears right now. I usually go to 1 home game & road game each year & needless to say the Cards won't be getting one nickel of my ca$h this season at least!!!

 

[desertdawg]

Yamon, tankin like a mug, that's the impression I've had for a minute. I just found further proof too, an NFL insider just showed/emailed me a pic of the Cardinals 2013 company credit cards....it even says it right on the front!!!!

 

[Duckjake]

How do you define "Best Def"? Yes there were top 5 in Passing yards, but that was because the O couldn't move the ball and every team had a short field. 2011 they were ranked 14th, with almost the exact same players.

You forgot that 2011 was Horton's first season and it took the Defense half the season to adjust. And for Sam Acho to be ready to replace Joey Porter.

That's why the Cards started 1-6 and finished 7-2 remember?

 

[PJ1]

What is the plan? Without knowing this could make you crazy.

 

[Solar7]

Don't get me wrong - I'll miss Adrian and Rhodes. A lot. Especially given that our replacement is Yeremiah Bell, who is just too old to justify as our new starter, especially alongside Johnson, who I don't hate - but is average.

But Jerraud Powers and I expect Antoine Cason, are upgrades to William Gay on a defense where CBs aren't expected to be major tacklers.

 

[CardinalMike]

Well when you're done pouting you'll probably notice we were top 5 in pass yards. You will also notice we were bottom 5 in rush yards.

Easy to look like you have a good secondary when teams are running down your throat. We had the second most rush attempts against at 4.3 ypc.

While the defense was the lone reason to watch the team last year, I'm not shedding any tears over these overpaid average players getting cut.

 

[Chopper0080]

Yeah, I mean, if your team is already strong in a particular position or area, why leave it alone and focus on your gargantuan holes at other positions when you can create all new and exciting holes?

Quit spitting this reality around here.

 

[Buckybird]

But Jerraud Powers and I expect Antoine Cason, are upgrades to William Gay on a defense where CBs aren't expected to be major tacklers.

I heard that when McFadden came in from the Stealers too.

 

[Buckybird]

Well when you're done pouting you'll probably notice we were top 5 in pass yards. You will also notice we were bottom 5 in rush yards.

Easy to look like you have a good secondary when teams are running down your throat. We had the second most rush attempts against at 4.3 ypc.

While the defense was the lone reason to watch the team last year, I'm not shedding any tears over these overpaid average players getting cut.

If it wasn't for the defense we would've gotten beat 87-6 every game. I'm giving credit where credit is due.

 

[SweetD]

Off the top of my head they were defensively top 5 in completion %, QB rating, picks, yards per attempt... basically every relevant stat the Cards were at or near the top of the league in pass defense. Yes, they were arguably the best pass defense in the league, at least top 3.

Except for Points Against and Wins. The games I care to remember last year we lost due to No Offence and the Defense giving up big plays. Of the 22 Ints Wilson had 1, Rhodes had 4. As I stated Rhodes will be a loss but it is not the end of the world.

 

[SweetD]

You forgot that 2011 was Horton's first season and it took the Defense half the season to adjust. And for Sam Acho to be ready to replace Joey Porter.

That's why the Cards started 1-6 and finished 7-2 remember?

I also remember 4-0 and 1 - 11

 

[ASUCHRIS]

"New and Exciting Holes".

This one time, I was in Tijuana....

Ha, I figured double entendre was on the way, glad you pounced on it.

Methinks our opponents will be more than happy to stick it to our hometown heroes next year.

Considering Warner was able to take this sad sack of a franchise to the Super Bowl, does that alone merit his Hall of Fame credentials?

We're all gluttons for punishment.

 

[CardinalMike]

If it wasn't for the defense we would've gotten beat 87-6 every game. I'm giving credit where credit is due.

I don't know, I was just as upset after 58-0 (at SEA) as I was 7-6 (at NYJ).

 

[CardsFan88]

I think we have a chance to upgrade going forward.

PP is going to get top dollar.
Toler is too expensive
Gay was a good price for this year, but who knows 2014 and forward
Wilson was gone probably after this year anyways.
Rhodes contract dictated he was either going to go or was going to need to be re-signed to a rich contract given his play

So I fully acknowledge that our pass defense was not a problem and was a really big strength of the team, aided by our A gap and other pressure, we have to play for 2013-14-15, not just try to keep what we had in 2012.

I would have liked for us to do that, but they decided it either wasn't going to be possible, or wouldn't of worked out as well with whatever defensive changes Bowles is going to make.

We still have options available to us, and in the end it might be better going forward and perhaps even cheaper then it was going to be and it's with players our current coaches want. Just because these guys were #5 last year doesn't mean they'd be that high again this year, even with Horton. With Bowles it's an entirely different prospect. I'm not discounting what they did, just trying to understand without praising or damning what they are doing.

Perhaps it blows up in our faces, but it's clear they made these decisions and were proactive at the beginning portions of free agency to address them.

They definitely have a plan. It may suck, but at least they are out there making it happen.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I don't know, I was just as upset after 58-0 (at SEA) as I was 7-6 (at NYJ).

I wasn't effected in the least by the 58-0 blowout.

I was LIVID after the 7-6 Jets game. That was piss poor on all levels.

 

[kerouac9]

How do you upgrade over an already playoff-caliber defense? A top 5 defense?

We've taken two steps back: one was shedding a bunch of talent in the secondary, and the other was downgrading from one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL to one of the worst.

Meanwhile, we added a thoroughly mediocre back to replace the thoroughly mediocre back we cut last week--for the same price.

Congrats to the Arizona Cardinals for their low-risk approach. We don't want to risk winning more than 3 games and missing out on a top-shelf draft pick.

 

[Buckybird]

How do you upgrade over an already playoff-caliber defense? A top 5 defense?

We've taken two steps back: one was shedding a bunch of talent in the secondary, and the other was downgrading from one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL to one of the worst.

Meanwhile, we added a thoroughly mediocre back to replace the thoroughly mediocre back we cut last week--for the same price.

Congrats to the Arizona Cardinals for their low-risk approach. We don't want to risk winning more than 3 games and missing out on a top-shelf draft pick.

You know the Jets are somehow going to go 2-14 to screw us out of Bridgewater because that's the way the Cardinals ball always bounces.

 

[SweetD]

How do you upgrade over an already playoff-caliber defense? A top 5 defense?

We've taken two steps back: one was shedding a bunch of talent in the secondary, and the other was downgrading from one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL to one of the worst.

Meanwhile, we added a thoroughly mediocre back to replace the thoroughly mediocre back we cut last week--for the same price.

Congrats to the Arizona Cardinals for their low-risk approach. We don't want to risk winning more than 3 games and missing out on a top-shelf draft pick.

They were a top 5 Passing Def, due to Campbell, Washington, PP, the aggressive scheme Horton ran and the very poor Offence. Shorter field equals less passing yards and more running. Watch the games and you will see our secondary get killed and out of place.