Is something wrong with Cards Run Defense?

[Duckjake]

After the NE game last year the Cards run defense put together a stretch of 10 games allowing only one team to gain over 100 yards and 5 games where they held the opponents to 60 or less, shutting down some of the top backs in the NFL in the process.

In the most recent 6 games of this season the Cards have allowed over 100 five times and 3 games over 150. Is it just the injuries to first Hayes and now Dansby? Or is it something else considering the 270 they gave up to Carolina with both ILBs healthy?

 

[Pariah]

In Carolina and Tennessee they faced pretty formidable running backs. While the defense has been a lot more suspect in recent weeks, I'm not terribly concerned about the those two games.

JMHO

 

[Shane]

The run D had been bad since the Carolina game., They have just been off.

 

[CaptTurbo]

We stopped playing Wilson in the box as much as we used to from what I can tell.

 

[Buckybird]

I think teams have figured out to run on the outside. Berry is a straight up the field rusher & gets pushed around when teams run at him. Haggans doesn't lack the strength to hold the edge & Chike often takes bad angles or overpursues. Carolina burned us with cutback runs because we didn't mantain our lanes & overpursed.

Another big factor seems to be that AW is used more this season in coverage than in the box. That may be the biggest single reason.

 

[Doug]

Its a combination of injuries to Hayes and Dansby our two leading tacklers and the fact that teams are seeing that you can start inside and then bounce outside on us with MUCH success in the run.It takes a special runner to be able to do that but we've played the best so far this year.I can't think of any tough running back after this week we won't have faced this season.

But then again we allowed forsett to run on us also.


Gonna need some new Inside linbackers next season.Our depth being Highsmith has hurt us too.I'm kinda anxious to hear how bad Dansby's shoulder is.He really looked bad.He's been trying to protect that shoulder and playing with it for weeks now.I don't think they score on that last drive with a healthy Karlos Dansby playing in the game.shame

 

[Buckybird]

I can't think of any tough running back after this week we won't have faced this season.

Ryan Grant is no slouch

 

[Duckjake]

I think teams have figured out to run on the outside. Berry is a straight up the field rusher & gets pushed around when teams run at him. Haggans doesn't lack the strength to hold the edge & Chike often takes bad angles or overpursues. Carolina burned us with cutback runs because we didn't mantain our lanes & overpursed.

Another big factor seems to be that AW is used more this season in coverage than in the box. That may be the biggest single reason.

Good points. I had hoped the Cards had adjusted after Carolina but teams are still getting a lot more yards than they did during the playoffs and at the beginning of this season. And those were some top backs they shut down during that 10 game stretch.

 

[187]

Ryan Grant is no slouch

Grant doesn't have impressive speed so he doesn't worry me too much. Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, and Donald Driver are another story.

 

[football karma]

DJ --

since Carolina, the defense has given up 21,20,13, and 20 points; or an average of 18.5. That is just a tad lower than the full year average. FWIW -- last year, they gave up 26.6.


So in the big picture -- If giving up some rushing yards is the price to pay for the improvement in scoring defense -- so be it.

 

[Duckjake]

DJ --

since Carolina, the defense has given up 21,20,13, and 20 points; or an average of 18.5. That is just a tad lower than the full year average. FWIW -- last year, they gave up 26.6.


So in the big picture -- If giving up some rushing yards is the price to pay for the improvement in scoring defense -- so be it.

Yeah I noticed that. In those games the Cards have given up 417,472,314,and 532 yards but few points. Maybe Davis' bend but don't break is working. Well except for the 4th quarter yesterday.

The reason I brought it up however is that the increased rushing totals were so out of character for what we'd seen from the Cards and was wondering what posters thought might be the cause.

 

[82CardsGrad]

We just don't have enough talent on defense, period... That said, I can't begin to describe how impressed I am with Dockett. He is following up last season with arguably a better year this season. He is truly a one man wrecking crew on our front line. B-Rob has played admirably for a journeyman... Calais started well but, aside from swatting a few passes here and there, he's dropped off considerably. Watson and Branch have harshly fallen back to earth after playing well earlier in the season. Hayes is solid when healthy. Dansby is playing out of position as he should be playing OLB. Berry and Okeafor are shot... totally and completely shot. Haggans can be effective at times, particularly in pressuring the QB - but is never all too consistent.
And as was stated earlier, A-Dub has been playing more pass defense this year than last, and IMO, even when he has been up at the line, he's been far less effective this season stuffing the run versus years past.

We need serious upgrades at the DT and LB positions.

 

[earthsci]

We need serious upgrades at the DT and LB positions.

We'll be too busy trying to find another QB.

 

[82CardsGrad]

We'll be too busy trying to find another QB.

LMAO! Let's do it all!!! New QBOF! Updgrades at DT and LB positions! And while we're at it, two new OT's as to boot!!!

 

[football karma]

Yeah I noticed that. In those games the Cards have given up 417,472,314,and 532 yards but few points. Maybe Davis' bend but don't break is working. Well except for the 4th quarter yesterday.

Bill Davis announced as much in the offseason: he wanted fewer big plays, doesn't care so much about yards given, only cared about points allowed. What is implied is most fans hated defense: the dreaded "bend but don't break" defense.

As for yesterday's fourth quarter: while of little solace today, you put the Titans in that situation 10 times and the Cards stop them 80% of the time. I am convinced of that.

What Bill Davis was banking on was this: you start at your end needing a TD, and you will have to throw the ball around 12-15 times. The percentages will catch up with you and you will either turn it over, or turn it over on downs.

When that tipped ball went right to the Titans, I thought: there was the play the defense was banking on and the Titans totally dodged a bullet. As I said earlier -- that ball gets intercepted in the NFL (meaning: nice high deflection right into the middle of zone coverage) around 90% of the time, incomplete another 7%. It just wasnt the Cards day.

Finally, as Somers wrote in his blog -- yesterday just highlighed what we all know -- the Cardinals really could use a good rusher from the edge.

 

[Duckjake]

Bill Davis announced as much in the offseason: he wanted fewer big plays, doesn't care so much about yards given, only cared about points allowed. What is implied is most fans hated defense: the dreaded "bend but don't break" defense.

As for yesterday's fourth quarter: while of little solace today, you put the Titans in that situation 10 times and the Cards stop them 80% of the time. I am convinced of that.

What Bill Davis was banking on was this: you start at your end needing a TD, and you will have to throw the ball around 12-15 times. The percentages will catch up with you and you will either turn it over, or turn it over on downs.

When that tipped ball went right to the Titans, I thought: there was the play the defense was banking on and the Titans totally dodged a bullet. As I said earlier -- that ball gets intercepted in the NFL (meaning: nice high deflection right into the middle of zone coverage) around 90% of the time, incomplete another 7%. It just wasnt the Cards day.

Finally, as Somers wrote in his blog -- yesterday just highlighed what we all know -- the Cardinals really could use a good rusher from the edge.

Whatever Davis is running I like it a lot better than Pendy's Break but don't bend defense. Yesterday was bad because the Cards put the titans in "that" situation twice and stopped them the first time after a fumble following a 51 yard pass play which is what you would hope for. Then they turned around and let the Titans move out from the goal line again.

I think the reason the Cards have trouble holding leads is that they have little quality depth in the secondary and so their nickel and dime packages are suspect and of course as we all know too well can't run out the clock on offense.

But back to the rushing defense: What you say would make more sense if the Cards hadn't started the season shutting down teams running game including teams with top running backs.