Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Of all the sportswriters who cover the Cardinals, the one who, imo, has been by far the most accurate, tell-it-like-it-is and insightful since the Green Bay playoff game last year (where he was the only Arizona sportswriter to pick---with conviction---the Cardinals to beat the Packers), has been Dan Bickley...
And I would be all the more impressed with Bickley were it not for two reasons: (1) his endorsement of starting Max Hall over John Skelton (which he may deserve a reprieve on seeing as he and the other reporters have fell repeatedly into the trap of trusting what the Cardinal coaches tell them); and (2) this morning's blog where he argues that last night's exciting win over the Cowboys was a costly one.
As for the first point...now that we have watched John Skelton start for three games (2-1, 2-0 at home)...the winning has been a nice surprise, but it's how Skelton has handled himself and it's the array of skills and intangibles (poise, fearlessness) that make any one who watches the Cardinals wonder how in the world Skelton was backburnered in a year where the QB play was about as poor as it ever has been.
Ken Whisenhunt loses a great deal of credibility in his handling of Skelton---more on Whisenhunt and the coaches later.
Yet for the second point---the most important aspect of last night's victory, which is far more important than losing two slots in the draft---is what John Skelton proved in the final two minutes of the game---what he proved is---despite the fact that his coaches---once spotted with an 18 point lead---were calling the most conservative plays imaginable, few of which catered to Skelton's strengths---despite that fact also that when Skelton was forced to pass in the two-minute drill to win the game, the Cardinal coaches---once again in egregious fashion---failed to account for All-World DE DeMarcus Ware, the one defensive player you have to double, when inexplicably they left Skelton's backside unprotected by asking Levi Brown to handle Ware one-on-one.
Yet---Skelton did not fumble the ball on Ware's sack---which other recent Cardinal QBs most likely would have---and---get this---after yet another simply stupid call on 3rd and 15 (another screen??? when clearly the screens were a bad idea all night---how about the WR screen to Max Komar earlier in the game on 3rd and 9?
)....yes, get this---did you see the look of calm and confidence on Skelton's face on 4th and 15?
John Skelton went ahead and won this game despite the coaches. And what he proved in doing so is that---if given coaches who can actually coach him up...if given WRs, TEs and RBs who can catch just even the accurate passes---he has the composure, the footwork, the mobility, the arm and the competitiveness to be an excellent NFL QB. How about the deep pass to Andre Roberts---best deep pass of the year by far---how about the touch pass to Roberts for a key third down conversion---how about the zip pass up the seam to Fitz on 4th and 15---great stuff---each pass requiring a different release point and velocity.
What Bickley did affirm very well in his morning blog is how last night's game once again exposed the Cardinals' "fatal flaws." In particular, despite what was a spirited effort on the Cardinals' defense's part for most of the game, they could not close the game out, even with the Cowboys' 3rd string QB in the game--- a player who had never played in an NFL game.
Once again we saw some late game gaffes on the part of the defensive coaches that have to make you question the coaches' understanding of how to prepare and how to win a game...most conspicuous case in point: how in the world, with the game on the line, is nickel CB Michael Adams matched up with Miles Austin? Why is DRC matched up instead on Sam Hurd? Irony: DRC---with the game on the line gets flagged playing Hurd anyway...and as any reasonable person would expect, Adams (who appears to be playing hurt), could not run stride for stride with Austin.
The coaches started the game with DRC on Austin---and looked what happened! Why they wouldn't end the game with DRC on Austin???
Yet once and once again---don't you come out of this game worrying that because the team won and the defense---in a non-pressure game---played better for most of the game (and didn't stink like rotten meat the way they did in Carolina last week and in every NFC West home game where the team went a dismal 0-3)---that no coaching changes will take place on defense next year???
What I would have loved Bickley to step up and say this morning is what a colossal mismanagement of NFL talent this coaching staff has coordinated this year.
What I would have love Bickley to have the cajones to point out is that the coaches have actually been doing their best to lose these games---when you start a NT who gets blown off the ball for 1 and 1/2 quarters (his only near tackle was a facemask that amazingly was not called), and your 1st rounder NT comes in and in two plays impacts the game in a major way: first by showing the extraordinary quickness to arrive into the flat to paste the WR on a WR hitch screen; and then second by batting down the next pass.
When the playcalling is so awful game after game...especially in clutch situations...
When the HC won't even consider going for it on 4th and 1...time and time again...
Look at the talent that the Cardinals had on defense last night---3 Pro Bowlers from last year in Dockett, Wilson and DRC---a one-time AP All-Pro safety in Rhodes---two solid vets in Haggans and Lenon---surrounded by young players who have the talent to become Pro Bowlers such as Calais Campbell, Dan Williams and Daryl Washington---and some good young players in Toler (nice pick-six), Schofield (nice first sack!) and Johnson (nice chop down tackle of Hurd on the slant---and nearly a nice breakup on the Austin TD---at least it was well read and played---he makes that play next time).
Yet...look at how these players tackle...they tackle like they have never been taught...almost all of them tackle high---epitomized by Adrian Wilson's ridiculous attempt to tackle Marion Barber high and getting piggybacked five yards into the end zone.
Why do they tackle high? Like Paris Lenon---he gets away with it every now and then---but, c'mon man---this is why RBs get two to three more yards every run. This is why EVERY big RB has it easy running versus the Cardinals.
Why don't the coaches correct the tackling issues?
Because the players are not listening to the coaches.
The players played last night's game for themselves...just as John Skelton did in the two-minute drill.
Thanks to Skelton---thanks to Larry Fitz keeping his head in the game right to the end when he was going o-fer all night---thanks to Max Komar catching a pass most of the others were dropping earlier in the game---and most of all, thanks to Jay Feely---a player who focuses better than anyone else on the team, especially in honing the fundamentals---
We Cardinal fans last night could sleep with visions of sugar plums in our heads.
And I would be all the more impressed with Bickley were it not for two reasons: (1) his endorsement of starting Max Hall over John Skelton (which he may deserve a reprieve on seeing as he and the other reporters have fell repeatedly into the trap of trusting what the Cardinal coaches tell them); and (2) this morning's blog where he argues that last night's exciting win over the Cowboys was a costly one.
As for the first point...now that we have watched John Skelton start for three games (2-1, 2-0 at home)...the winning has been a nice surprise, but it's how Skelton has handled himself and it's the array of skills and intangibles (poise, fearlessness) that make any one who watches the Cardinals wonder how in the world Skelton was backburnered in a year where the QB play was about as poor as it ever has been.
Ken Whisenhunt loses a great deal of credibility in his handling of Skelton---more on Whisenhunt and the coaches later.
Yet for the second point---the most important aspect of last night's victory, which is far more important than losing two slots in the draft---is what John Skelton proved in the final two minutes of the game---what he proved is---despite the fact that his coaches---once spotted with an 18 point lead---were calling the most conservative plays imaginable, few of which catered to Skelton's strengths---despite that fact also that when Skelton was forced to pass in the two-minute drill to win the game, the Cardinal coaches---once again in egregious fashion---failed to account for All-World DE DeMarcus Ware, the one defensive player you have to double, when inexplicably they left Skelton's backside unprotected by asking Levi Brown to handle Ware one-on-one.
Yet---Skelton did not fumble the ball on Ware's sack---which other recent Cardinal QBs most likely would have---and---get this---after yet another simply stupid call on 3rd and 15 (another screen??? when clearly the screens were a bad idea all night---how about the WR screen to Max Komar earlier in the game on 3rd and 9?
)....yes, get this---did you see the look of calm and confidence on Skelton's face on 4th and 15? John Skelton went ahead and won this game despite the coaches. And what he proved in doing so is that---if given coaches who can actually coach him up...if given WRs, TEs and RBs who can catch just even the accurate passes---he has the composure, the footwork, the mobility, the arm and the competitiveness to be an excellent NFL QB. How about the deep pass to Andre Roberts---best deep pass of the year by far---how about the touch pass to Roberts for a key third down conversion---how about the zip pass up the seam to Fitz on 4th and 15---great stuff---each pass requiring a different release point and velocity.
What Bickley did affirm very well in his morning blog is how last night's game once again exposed the Cardinals' "fatal flaws." In particular, despite what was a spirited effort on the Cardinals' defense's part for most of the game, they could not close the game out, even with the Cowboys' 3rd string QB in the game--- a player who had never played in an NFL game.
Once again we saw some late game gaffes on the part of the defensive coaches that have to make you question the coaches' understanding of how to prepare and how to win a game...most conspicuous case in point: how in the world, with the game on the line, is nickel CB Michael Adams matched up with Miles Austin? Why is DRC matched up instead on Sam Hurd? Irony: DRC---with the game on the line gets flagged playing Hurd anyway...and as any reasonable person would expect, Adams (who appears to be playing hurt), could not run stride for stride with Austin.
The coaches started the game with DRC on Austin---and looked what happened! Why they wouldn't end the game with DRC on Austin???
Yet once and once again---don't you come out of this game worrying that because the team won and the defense---in a non-pressure game---played better for most of the game (and didn't stink like rotten meat the way they did in Carolina last week and in every NFC West home game where the team went a dismal 0-3)---that no coaching changes will take place on defense next year???
What I would have loved Bickley to step up and say this morning is what a colossal mismanagement of NFL talent this coaching staff has coordinated this year.
What I would have love Bickley to have the cajones to point out is that the coaches have actually been doing their best to lose these games---when you start a NT who gets blown off the ball for 1 and 1/2 quarters (his only near tackle was a facemask that amazingly was not called), and your 1st rounder NT comes in and in two plays impacts the game in a major way: first by showing the extraordinary quickness to arrive into the flat to paste the WR on a WR hitch screen; and then second by batting down the next pass.
When the playcalling is so awful game after game...especially in clutch situations...
When the HC won't even consider going for it on 4th and 1...time and time again...
Look at the talent that the Cardinals had on defense last night---3 Pro Bowlers from last year in Dockett, Wilson and DRC---a one-time AP All-Pro safety in Rhodes---two solid vets in Haggans and Lenon---surrounded by young players who have the talent to become Pro Bowlers such as Calais Campbell, Dan Williams and Daryl Washington---and some good young players in Toler (nice pick-six), Schofield (nice first sack!) and Johnson (nice chop down tackle of Hurd on the slant---and nearly a nice breakup on the Austin TD---at least it was well read and played---he makes that play next time).
Yet...look at how these players tackle...they tackle like they have never been taught...almost all of them tackle high---epitomized by Adrian Wilson's ridiculous attempt to tackle Marion Barber high and getting piggybacked five yards into the end zone.
Why do they tackle high? Like Paris Lenon---he gets away with it every now and then---but, c'mon man---this is why RBs get two to three more yards every run. This is why EVERY big RB has it easy running versus the Cardinals.
Why don't the coaches correct the tackling issues?
Because the players are not listening to the coaches.
The players played last night's game for themselves...just as John Skelton did in the two-minute drill.
Thanks to Skelton---thanks to Larry Fitz keeping his head in the game right to the end when he was going o-fer all night---thanks to Max Komar catching a pass most of the others were dropping earlier in the game---and most of all, thanks to Jay Feely---a player who focuses better than anyone else on the team, especially in honing the fundamentals---
We Cardinal fans last night could sleep with visions of sugar plums in our heads.
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