Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
It funny how fast a coach can go from walking on water to drowning in it. Once again the feared phrase, “Same old Cardinals,” echoes through the corridors of a stadium. While I have sympathy for Whisenhunt’s plight; much of it was his call. It now seems likely this team will go from first to worst in the NFC West with little hope of immediate redemption.
The most grievous of the decisions was the handling of the quarterback situation. Cutting Leinart at the end of pre-season was inexcusable. Whisenhunt had several years and numerous games before deciding Leinart was not an NFL QB. Whisenhunt needs to have a long talk with Allen Iverson about the value of practice if he’s going to cut people based on how they practice. Whisenhunt may be right that considering the future roster bonus Leinart wasn’t worth it, but delaying the decision until the start of the season was unpardonable. The selection of Anderson was also hard to swallow based on his history. Did anyone actually look at recent film on this guy? The final straw was entering the season with no experienced back-up, but instead falling in love with 2 rookies. Whisenhunt apparently couldn’t choose between.
The theory was that Leinart didn’t have the “hearts and minds” of the team. Well if they won a few games with him at QB that would have taken care of itself. I’m quite sure that the Anderson has neither hearts nor minds now. Leinart was also criticized for not having a strong arm. Max Hall hardly has a cannon. By my count the Cards threw deep less than once per game in the first 5 games. By contrast the Cards threw the ball to the wrong team far more frequently. Leinart took what the defense gave him. I’m not saying he looked like a great QB, but he at least did not regularly beat himself. That might have been good enough to win this division. This was a “he’s just not my type of guy” call and pandering to one’s own ego is always dangerous.
The same thing generally could be said for the wide receiver group. The Cards went with only 3 experienced receivers. When one got hurt they were starting a rookie. Then a second starter got hurt and that left two rookies starting. It’s not like injury to Doucet could be classed as surprising. They had to know they would likely be starting rookies at some point. Finally, all those rookie receivers had no idea what a “hot” read was; thus putting pressure on a weak offensive line. Decent unsigned players were available, though the best ones would have cost veteran minimums.
Another issue in my mind is the Steeler connection. As in past years, the Pittsburgh alumni once again left Whisenhunt searching for answers. Grimm has still not been able to build an offensive line that can run block consistently or pass protect. In the past two seasons Grimm was aided by Warner’s having learned to get rid of the ball quickly, but no one could get rid of it quickly enough to make the current group acceptable. Both tackles are more like revolving doors than roadblocks and blitzes are rarely picked up by any of the line. Admittedly the running backs haven’t been of much help. Ex-Steeler Alan Faneca gives you all he’s got and that is precisely the problem. It’s no longer enough. I will concede that the personnel Grimm has is mediocre at best. The play calling hasn’t helped much either. Still this line has been below average for his tenure and it’s time for a change.
Then there’s the loudest of the Cardinals. Ex-Steeler Joey Porter has always talked a good game. He’s sort of the Buddy Ryan of linebackers. That said, there is a big gap between his talk and his performance of late. He has occasionally been decent against the run and average against passes in his zone. However the Cards brought him in to revive a weak pass rush and he simply hasn’t produced the desperately needed sacks. On play after play in game after game, opposing QBs have all the time in the world. The secondary needs work, but with the time the rival QB is getting, the best corners in the league wouldn’t hold up.
Then there’s Clark Haggans, another guy from Pittsburgh. He was certainly a solid backup, but he has major limitations as a starter. The current backup players, unless you count Washington, have been pedestrian at best. O’Brien may provide a glimmer of hope.
Whether we’re talking players or coaches, Whisenhunt's tenure has left the Cardinals looking like an old folks’ home for Steeler castoffs. This is as much Graves fault as Whisenhunt. Even if Whisenhunt wants these players Graves should be cautious and make certain a player can still play at the level Whisenhunt recalls. This isn’t supposed to be fantasy football. Clearly in the NFL coaches and players move for a variety of reasons, but over-loading from one team because those players know the expectations of a coach appears to be a questionable strategy if they can’t fulfill those expectations.
Though he coached briefly under Bill Cowher, Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis can’t really be considered primarily an ex-Steeler. He was supposed to be the guru who could transform the AZ defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 alignment. It is fair to say he’s coached in many other places. It’s also fair to say that in his only stint as a defensive coordinator he was a dismal failure with the Niners. I still maintain this team’s personnel were better suited to a 4-3, especially when he got here. To make this work it now appears they may have wasted a first round pick on Williams. The old folks’ brigade has not helped. Coverage from the inside linebackers is also been a major issue when Washington doesn’t play and with the line unable to pressure the passer. This is a major fault. The loyalty Whisenhunt has for his staff is admirable, but not seeing reality is a deficiency . Clearly this defense is not improving year to year.
Then there’s the issue of an offensive coordinator. Whisenhunt decided he’d just handle this himself when Haley left for KC. The head coach assuming two roles has become fashionable lately. I’m sure ownership likes the cost savings. However, the real cost is the lack of a second voice on player and personnel selection. I am not convinced naming Grimm Assistant Head Coach provides an objective second opinion. Clearly Haley and Whisenhunt often disagreed, but in the end looking at more options is almost always the best route to go. The offense has become pedestrian and predictable. Neither quality is likely to be a winning trait in the NFL.
When I initially looked at the Cardinals' last off-season losses I wasn’t extremely concerned. I felt Leinart would be adequate at quarterback. I thought the safety change was at worst a push. The offense had worked without Boldin on most occasions and numerous adequate depth guys were available. Dansby’s loss was easily the biggest, but Washington offered a decent alternative. I never expected the Cards to simply ignore these losses or see them as insignificant. The failure to go after a solid pass rusher was huge.
I actually picked the Cards to win this Monday, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they lost every one of their remaining games. Their current status is shaky. They have no QB, huge offensive line holes, questionable tight ends, no receiver depth, and some veteran players, like Wilson, are starting to show wear and tear. Except for linebacker they’ve gotten little help from last years’ draft unless Williams gets religion.
Looking ahead, Alan Branch may be their best pass rusher and depending on a new players’ agreement, he may be leaving soon. Fitzgerald could opt out if things do not improve. This is a team heading downhill at a furious place. The real question is, “Was the previous improvement primarily due to Haley and Warner or Whisenhunt?”
For the remainder of this year, the young players should play. Bench Anderson! He’s not the future. Start O’Brien and see what you have. Start Washington; he falls for too many play action fakes and over-pursues, but he won’t improve sitting on the bench. I don’t know how the Cards can fix this mess with one draft, even assuming they don’t lose anyone. Whisenhunt must be more flexible if he is to succeed and take some chances. The Cards must spend some money in free agency. Sadly it looks like they will get an early selection in the draft, so that helps.
The most grievous of the decisions was the handling of the quarterback situation. Cutting Leinart at the end of pre-season was inexcusable. Whisenhunt had several years and numerous games before deciding Leinart was not an NFL QB. Whisenhunt needs to have a long talk with Allen Iverson about the value of practice if he’s going to cut people based on how they practice. Whisenhunt may be right that considering the future roster bonus Leinart wasn’t worth it, but delaying the decision until the start of the season was unpardonable. The selection of Anderson was also hard to swallow based on his history. Did anyone actually look at recent film on this guy? The final straw was entering the season with no experienced back-up, but instead falling in love with 2 rookies. Whisenhunt apparently couldn’t choose between.
The theory was that Leinart didn’t have the “hearts and minds” of the team. Well if they won a few games with him at QB that would have taken care of itself. I’m quite sure that the Anderson has neither hearts nor minds now. Leinart was also criticized for not having a strong arm. Max Hall hardly has a cannon. By my count the Cards threw deep less than once per game in the first 5 games. By contrast the Cards threw the ball to the wrong team far more frequently. Leinart took what the defense gave him. I’m not saying he looked like a great QB, but he at least did not regularly beat himself. That might have been good enough to win this division. This was a “he’s just not my type of guy” call and pandering to one’s own ego is always dangerous.
The same thing generally could be said for the wide receiver group. The Cards went with only 3 experienced receivers. When one got hurt they were starting a rookie. Then a second starter got hurt and that left two rookies starting. It’s not like injury to Doucet could be classed as surprising. They had to know they would likely be starting rookies at some point. Finally, all those rookie receivers had no idea what a “hot” read was; thus putting pressure on a weak offensive line. Decent unsigned players were available, though the best ones would have cost veteran minimums.
Another issue in my mind is the Steeler connection. As in past years, the Pittsburgh alumni once again left Whisenhunt searching for answers. Grimm has still not been able to build an offensive line that can run block consistently or pass protect. In the past two seasons Grimm was aided by Warner’s having learned to get rid of the ball quickly, but no one could get rid of it quickly enough to make the current group acceptable. Both tackles are more like revolving doors than roadblocks and blitzes are rarely picked up by any of the line. Admittedly the running backs haven’t been of much help. Ex-Steeler Alan Faneca gives you all he’s got and that is precisely the problem. It’s no longer enough. I will concede that the personnel Grimm has is mediocre at best. The play calling hasn’t helped much either. Still this line has been below average for his tenure and it’s time for a change.
Then there’s the loudest of the Cardinals. Ex-Steeler Joey Porter has always talked a good game. He’s sort of the Buddy Ryan of linebackers. That said, there is a big gap between his talk and his performance of late. He has occasionally been decent against the run and average against passes in his zone. However the Cards brought him in to revive a weak pass rush and he simply hasn’t produced the desperately needed sacks. On play after play in game after game, opposing QBs have all the time in the world. The secondary needs work, but with the time the rival QB is getting, the best corners in the league wouldn’t hold up.
Then there’s Clark Haggans, another guy from Pittsburgh. He was certainly a solid backup, but he has major limitations as a starter. The current backup players, unless you count Washington, have been pedestrian at best. O’Brien may provide a glimmer of hope.
Whether we’re talking players or coaches, Whisenhunt's tenure has left the Cardinals looking like an old folks’ home for Steeler castoffs. This is as much Graves fault as Whisenhunt. Even if Whisenhunt wants these players Graves should be cautious and make certain a player can still play at the level Whisenhunt recalls. This isn’t supposed to be fantasy football. Clearly in the NFL coaches and players move for a variety of reasons, but over-loading from one team because those players know the expectations of a coach appears to be a questionable strategy if they can’t fulfill those expectations.
Though he coached briefly under Bill Cowher, Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis can’t really be considered primarily an ex-Steeler. He was supposed to be the guru who could transform the AZ defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 alignment. It is fair to say he’s coached in many other places. It’s also fair to say that in his only stint as a defensive coordinator he was a dismal failure with the Niners. I still maintain this team’s personnel were better suited to a 4-3, especially when he got here. To make this work it now appears they may have wasted a first round pick on Williams. The old folks’ brigade has not helped. Coverage from the inside linebackers is also been a major issue when Washington doesn’t play and with the line unable to pressure the passer. This is a major fault. The loyalty Whisenhunt has for his staff is admirable, but not seeing reality is a deficiency . Clearly this defense is not improving year to year.
Then there’s the issue of an offensive coordinator. Whisenhunt decided he’d just handle this himself when Haley left for KC. The head coach assuming two roles has become fashionable lately. I’m sure ownership likes the cost savings. However, the real cost is the lack of a second voice on player and personnel selection. I am not convinced naming Grimm Assistant Head Coach provides an objective second opinion. Clearly Haley and Whisenhunt often disagreed, but in the end looking at more options is almost always the best route to go. The offense has become pedestrian and predictable. Neither quality is likely to be a winning trait in the NFL.
When I initially looked at the Cardinals' last off-season losses I wasn’t extremely concerned. I felt Leinart would be adequate at quarterback. I thought the safety change was at worst a push. The offense had worked without Boldin on most occasions and numerous adequate depth guys were available. Dansby’s loss was easily the biggest, but Washington offered a decent alternative. I never expected the Cards to simply ignore these losses or see them as insignificant. The failure to go after a solid pass rusher was huge.
I actually picked the Cards to win this Monday, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they lost every one of their remaining games. Their current status is shaky. They have no QB, huge offensive line holes, questionable tight ends, no receiver depth, and some veteran players, like Wilson, are starting to show wear and tear. Except for linebacker they’ve gotten little help from last years’ draft unless Williams gets religion.
Looking ahead, Alan Branch may be their best pass rusher and depending on a new players’ agreement, he may be leaving soon. Fitzgerald could opt out if things do not improve. This is a team heading downhill at a furious place. The real question is, “Was the previous improvement primarily due to Haley and Warner or Whisenhunt?”
For the remainder of this year, the young players should play. Bench Anderson! He’s not the future. Start O’Brien and see what you have. Start Washington; he falls for too many play action fakes and over-pursues, but he won’t improve sitting on the bench. I don’t know how the Cards can fix this mess with one draft, even assuming they don’t lose anyone. Whisenhunt must be more flexible if he is to succeed and take some chances. The Cards must spend some money in free agency. Sadly it looks like they will get an early selection in the draft, so that helps.
