SEA@ARI: Heroes and Goats

[kerouac9]

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1. Stepfan Taylor, RB. Because of some negative run plays in essentially give-up situations, Kulabafi's stat line (11 ru, 19 yds, 2 rec, 25 yds) doesn't look as impressive as his play. Taylor early in the game managed to keep the offense on schedule from a down and distance standpoint and made the most of the blocking that was available.

2. Alex Okafor, OLB. What more can be said about this guy? He's stepped up in a huge way from a really disappointing rookie season and early 2014. The flashiest player in our defensive front seven.

3. Cardinals fans at UofP who stayed the entire game. Special shout-out to those who sat through all 60 minutes of play until the disappointing final gun.

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1. Ryan Lindley, QB.

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2. Bruce Arians, HC & Harold Goodwin, OC. Any gameplan that conceives of Ryan Lindley throwing 44 passes is stillborn. The Cards' first 6 scripted plays included 4 Ryan Lindley pass attempts.

3. Phoenix-area Cardinals fans. I actually don't blame fans who decided to sell their tickets to this game. It's disappointing, but not shameful. But if you're a casual fan and were going to one game this season, this would be the one to go to. Instead, Arizona fans failed to materialize, and the Cards were going silent count on offense in their own stadium in the first half of the game. That's shameful.

 

[TJ]

Rashad Johnson not a goat? Dude looked overwhelmed against a 3rd string TE

 

[Chopper0080]

Thanks for the write up. An easy week for GOATS and you took some interesting choices, but it is tough to disagree.

Alex Okafor has been the unsung player of the year for this defense. I don't know that he is an individually special talent, but he can win one-on-one matchups which is all you need when you line up next to Calais Campbell. I am curious to see if his play leads the Cards to adjust how much they prioritize upgrading the OLB position.

If you asked me why the first 6 plays were scripted passes, I would argue it would be because the Seahawks were game planning to put this game on Lindley's shoulders. Right or wrong, Lindley was going to have to complete passes to back the Seahawks defense off the LOS in order for us to run the ball. He didn't. That being said, 3rd and 7 sounds a bunch better than 3rd and 14

 

[BigRedFan]

I liked the idea of passing and going deep early to use his asset, which is his strong arm. Problem was, he couldn't complete any.

 

[Stout]

Hard to argue with. Johnson's definitely a goat, as was the entire defense, but really, there's only so much room in the goat department here.

 

[Matt L]

I am waiting for the breakdown of the interior line play by Ted Larsen and Paul Fanaika

 

[kerouac9]

Rashad Johnson not a goat? Dude looked overwhelmed against a 3rd string TE

Hard to argue with. Johnson's definitely a goat, as was the entire defense, but really, there's only so much room in the goat department here.

I'll maybe have the stomach to look at those plays on the Coaches' Tape, but I kind of agree with the NBC Broadcast crew (who did a fantastic job) that at least a couple of those TDs were on Larry Foote just not being good enough to run with a 3rd TE.

For me, I think that Rashard Johnson played well enough in other facets of the game to keep him off the goat list. I think it's unfair to say that the entire defense was a goat when the offense had scored all of 6 points through three quarters. They were essentially a hopeless case. If there was someone more talented than Larry Foote manning the middle of the defense, maybe this D could be more like the 2001 Ravens--where the D clamps down and takes pride in a 6-14 loss or something--but that's not where this unit is. Particularly with Tyrann Mathieu playing with one hand.

 

[kerouac9]

I am waiting for the breakdown of the interior line play by Ted Larsen and Paul Fanaika

If someone else has an axe to grind, they're welcome to it. It seemed to me on a first watch that the interior O-line really struggled to hand off games and stunts to Fanaika's side of the field. I also think that Ryan Lindley didn't get rid of the ball quickly enough when Seattle was big-blitzing.

 

[juza76]

Hard to argue with. Johnson's definitely a goat, as was the entire defense, but really, there's only so much room in the goat department here.

he is so slow and he is weak tackler,several times he missed tackles against phisycal players
was benched last year and this season he played more snaps then anybody
ouch

 

[b8rtm8nn]

#freekulabafi

 

[82CardsGrad]

You're dead wrong about the Cardinal fans... Yes, there were a large amount of Seahag fans. We knew that was going to be the case. They are who they are and travel well. And, they were scooping up tix at ridiculous prices.
That said, UoP was rocking. Ridiculously loud, particularly so given the way the game was going. And at their loudest, the Hag fans didn't make a dent with respect to noise level...

Hard to believe you failed to mention Peterson - again. Not only did he drop an INT that would've certainly changed the direction of the game, but, he displayed one of the most pathetic attempts at a tackle I have ever seen from a professional football player. If there is any doubt about what separates Sherman and Peterson, it's this... Sherman has no issues with sticking his nose into the fray and making tackles. As for Peterson, he confirmed, as pathetically clear as can be done, that he has ZERO interest in tackling...

 

[kerouac9]

You're dead wrong about the Cardinal fans... Yes, there were a large amount of Seahag fans. We knew that was going to be the case. They are who they are and travel well. And, they were scooping up tix at ridiculous prices.
That said, UoP was rocking. Ridiculously loud, particularly so given the way the game was going. And at their loudest, the Hag fans didn't make a dent with respect to noise level...

Hard to believe you failed to mention Peterson - again. Not only did he drop an INT that would've certainly changed the direction of the game, but, he displayed one of the most pathetic attempts at a tackle I have ever seen from a professional football player. If there is any doubt about what separates Sherman and Peterson, it's this... Sherman has no issues with sticking his nose into the fray and making tackles. As for Peterson, he confirmed, as pathetically clear as can be done, that he has ZERO interest in tackling...

The Cards were using a silent count in their home stadium in the biggest game in recent memory. Maybe some percentage of that was dumb fans cheering when the offense was on the field. Maybe another piece of it was where the NBC microphones were sitting.

This isn't "here's what I thought I heard on TV"; this is "the offense was playing with a silent count in the first half." That's not perception--that's reality.

 

[Russ Smith]

Rashad Johnson not a goat? Dude looked overwhelmed against a 3rd string TE

The first TD was on HB not Johnson, the 2nd one was on Foote.

I'm not a huge Johnson fan but he wasn't the problem last night.

The problem was Bowles had to play russian roulette, if he had Deonne shadow Wilson so he can't run, that puts Foote in coverage. If he had Deonne in coverage or blitzing, that put Foote on the TE.

 

[Russ Smith]

I would have added Floyd to the goats. Sure he had the big catch later on and he drew the PI,. But when the game was competitive he dropped the big ball in his hands, not a great throw no but it was because as usual he was running with a piano on his back and falling over that he dropped it. And the other play where Lindley is throwing to Fitz and Floyd appears to run the wrong route and knocks the pass down.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

You're dead wrong about the Cardinal fans... Yes, there were a large amount of Seahag fans. We knew that was going to be the case. They are who they are and travel well. And, they were scooping up tix at ridiculous prices.
That said, UoP was rocking. Ridiculously loud, particularly so given the way the game was going. And at their loudest, the Hag fans didn't make a dent with respect to noise level...

Hard to believe you failed to mention Peterson - again. Not only did he drop an INT that would've certainly changed the direction of the game, but, he displayed one of the most pathetic attempts at a tackle I have ever seen from a professional football player. If there is any doubt about what separates Sherman and Peterson, it's this... Sherman has no issues with sticking his nose into the fray and making tackles. As for Peterson, he confirmed, as pathetically clear as can be done, that he has ZERO interest in tackling...

Reminded me of this:

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[82CardsGrad]

Reminded me of this:

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YES!!

 

[82CardsGrad]

The Cards were using a silent count in their home stadium in the biggest game in recent memory. Maybe some percentage of that was dumb fans cheering when the offense was on the field. Maybe another piece of it was where the NBC microphones were sitting.

This isn't "here's what I thought I heard on TV"; this is "the offense was playing with a silent count in the first half." That's not perception--that's reality.

I honestly can't recall seeing the Cards offense going with a silent count... I'll take your word for it, however, I will maintain that the noise from the Hags fans was not at all as loud as you seem to believe. And that if the Cards did choose to go with a silent count, it was few and far between...

 

[Cards Czar]

The first TD was on HB not Johnson, the 2nd one was on Foote.

I'm not a huge Johnson fan but he wasn't the problem last night.

The problem was Bowles had to play russian roulette, if he had Deonne shadow Wilson so he can't run, that puts Foote in coverage. If he had Deonne in coverage or blitzing, that put Foote on the TE.

I agree with you 100%. Everytime Deonne was in playing the middle they would run right up the middle. When Foote was back in and on a passing down they threw to the TE. They even stated that on TV all night.

 

[Russ Smith]

You're dead wrong about the Cardinal fans... Yes, there were a large amount of Seahag fans. We knew that was going to be the case. They are who they are and travel well. And, they were scooping up tix at ridiculous prices.
That said, UoP was rocking. Ridiculously loud, particularly so given the way the game was going. And at their loudest, the Hag fans didn't make a dent with respect to noise level...

Hard to believe you failed to mention Peterson - again. Not only did he drop an INT that would've certainly changed the direction of the game, but, he displayed one of the most pathetic attempts at a tackle I have ever seen from a professional football player. If there is any doubt about what separates Sherman and Peterson, it's this... Sherman has no issues with sticking his nose into the fray and making tackles. As for Peterson, he confirmed, as pathetically clear as can be done, that he has ZERO interest in tackling...

I agree although he was trying to cause a fumble. That said, why is nobody calling out Cromartie?

Watch the play again. Cromartie comes in from the side, sees Lynch, and stops dead in his tracks. It's like the Shonn Greene play all over.

Then he pursues the play down the sideline, gets there, and then STOPS AGAIN.

He quit twice on that play.

 

[D-Dogg]

The Cards were using a silent count in their home stadium in the biggest game in recent memory. Maybe some percentage of that was dumb fans cheering when the offense was on the field. Maybe another piece of it was where the NBC microphones were sitting.

This isn't "here's what I thought I heard on TV"; this is "the offense was playing with a silent count in the first half." That's not perception--that's reality.

There was a significant number of Cards fans yelling during our offense. Seattle fans were not out in any sort of force, but the dumb fan factor was huge.

However, while it was consistently loud in there from jump, it wasn't as loud as the end of the KC game or really any other game for that matter. It was just loud the whole time. The decibel meter never topped 108 last night, where it's been above 110 a lot in other games and up to 114 during the KC game. However, it was like that on every single defensive play, and then the dumb fans just kept screaming on offense.

I expected a stadium full of seahawk fans, but that just wasn't the case.

 

[Chopper0080]

I am waiting for the breakdown of the interior line play by Ted Larsen and Paul Fanaika

lol.

Where Larsen and Fanaika struggled last night was in terms of talent and athleticism. Where Cooper struggles is in terms of technique and consistency. It isn't difficult to understand. Larsen and Fanaika are as good of players as they are going to be. No one is arguing that. Cooper is very raw in the only area of his game would was able to work at during his rehab which was technique. That makes him inconsistent. Coaches value consistency from their lineman.

 

[kerouac9]

I honestly can't recall seeing the Cards offense going with a silent count... I'll take your word for it, however, I will maintain that the noise from the Hags fans was not at all as loud as you seem to believe. And that if the Cards did choose to go with a silent count, it was few and far between...

The easy way to see the silent count is when the RG looks back at the QB and then taps Sendlein's leg to start the count.

 

[don7031]

I am waiting for the breakdown of the interior line play by Ted Larsen and Paul Fanaika

"Breakdown of the interior line play by Ted Larsen and Paul Fanaika" <--- an apt postmortem on the offense.

 

[seesred]

IMO Mathieu should not have played yesterday. There buy the coaches deserve that goat tag. At the half they might as well have brought in the kid to play QB. Mathieu could not tackle and was slow on the field. On that long run he couldn't even keep with Rashid.

Another goat for you the guy who decided we should play our new running back Williams. That is BA. Calling passing plays at times three passes and out! The worst day for a coach I like very much. But he blew it last night.

GBR
40

 

[MrYeahBut]

I stayed until the 2 min warning.... maybe I'm a kid, but not a full grown goat...