Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
One poster on my “saw” thread said I was too positive before and too negative this week. After week 1 I said the Cards were a legitimate contender. They are. I didn’t say they’d go 16-0. They played badly against the Lions. I highlighted what I thought were the main issues. There were some things I ignored. To make the playoffs they must correct some of the problems.
Correctable
Murray’s play. Basic concepts, like you don’t throw late over the middle, seem to have not been impressed on him. At least this time no one is going to post a couple of clips where he didn’t exhibit the problem, like last week. Part of my concern is can Murray take criticism. In my mind it’s time for tough love. Guys in the NFL, as opposed to the Big 12, are stronger and faster, leaving less margin for error. Murray has got to stop staring down his receivers. He must start using progressions. KK needs to more demanding. Activate Hundley and sit Murray for a series if he doesn’t get it. Don’t expect perfection; do expect improvement. Also the Cards need to improve their play action.
Johnson needs to drop off the active list. I was wrong about him. He can’t get separation or position to fight for the ball. Activate Brown who can at least fights for the ball. Isabella is now clearly the third receiver. Kirk will have to compete with Brown for playing time. Let Kirk return punts.
The Cards need to re-sign Campbell now and move Simmons to safety. He was a force in college when playing downhill. It’s the easiest DB position to learn. The Cards need someone in that secondary to play aggressively.
The D needs to blitz more, especially Reddick. His closing speed on his sack was stunning. This would free up Jones who’s constantly double teamed.
I’ve expected more creative play design from KK. He has some unique plays buy they don’t seem targeted at the opponents weakness. This opponent was weak against the run, but the Cards couldn’t spring anyone like the Pack continually did. Can he design plays to attack specific teams? I think so, but he needs to do it.
Not correctable
The CB grouping. PP is not the burner he once was. Sure they play a bunch of zone but that’s partly because PP has lost a step and was never physical enough to press receivers effectively. He’s still at least an average CB, but Murphy looks terrible. They need to help him & Simmons at safety could be a factor. Dre looks to have lost a step as well, but is holding up as well as could be expected. You can’t fix Murphy or get the speed up on the other guys. A better pass rush would help, but not enough.
The Cards are also stuck with the O-line. They’re okay at pass protection, but they need someone who can drive block. Who can you run behind?
Finally I still believe the Cards will be in competition for the playoffs. I never thought Murray would be an MVP candidate yet. That said he’s an outstanding runner and has a strong, accurate arm. He just can’t keep showing the defenders where the target is. Plus it would help if he looked for open receivers occasionally. These skills are not easy to develop, but if Murray wants to win big, develop them he must. I think they end 9-7 as they are but 10-6 is possible if Murray grows as a player.
Correctable
Murray’s play. Basic concepts, like you don’t throw late over the middle, seem to have not been impressed on him. At least this time no one is going to post a couple of clips where he didn’t exhibit the problem, like last week. Part of my concern is can Murray take criticism. In my mind it’s time for tough love. Guys in the NFL, as opposed to the Big 12, are stronger and faster, leaving less margin for error. Murray has got to stop staring down his receivers. He must start using progressions. KK needs to more demanding. Activate Hundley and sit Murray for a series if he doesn’t get it. Don’t expect perfection; do expect improvement. Also the Cards need to improve their play action.
Johnson needs to drop off the active list. I was wrong about him. He can’t get separation or position to fight for the ball. Activate Brown who can at least fights for the ball. Isabella is now clearly the third receiver. Kirk will have to compete with Brown for playing time. Let Kirk return punts.
The Cards need to re-sign Campbell now and move Simmons to safety. He was a force in college when playing downhill. It’s the easiest DB position to learn. The Cards need someone in that secondary to play aggressively.
The D needs to blitz more, especially Reddick. His closing speed on his sack was stunning. This would free up Jones who’s constantly double teamed.
I’ve expected more creative play design from KK. He has some unique plays buy they don’t seem targeted at the opponents weakness. This opponent was weak against the run, but the Cards couldn’t spring anyone like the Pack continually did. Can he design plays to attack specific teams? I think so, but he needs to do it.
Not correctable
The CB grouping. PP is not the burner he once was. Sure they play a bunch of zone but that’s partly because PP has lost a step and was never physical enough to press receivers effectively. He’s still at least an average CB, but Murphy looks terrible. They need to help him & Simmons at safety could be a factor. Dre looks to have lost a step as well, but is holding up as well as could be expected. You can’t fix Murphy or get the speed up on the other guys. A better pass rush would help, but not enough.
The Cards are also stuck with the O-line. They’re okay at pass protection, but they need someone who can drive block. Who can you run behind?
Finally I still believe the Cards will be in competition for the playoffs. I never thought Murray would be an MVP candidate yet. That said he’s an outstanding runner and has a strong, accurate arm. He just can’t keep showing the defenders where the target is. Plus it would help if he looked for open receivers occasionally. These skills are not easy to develop, but if Murray wants to win big, develop them he must. I think they end 9-7 as they are but 10-6 is possible if Murray grows as a player.