What I learned. What did you learn?

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Kyle Rudolph does what you are speaking about the best. Personal opinion is that you are underestimating Gesicki's blocking. He is an effort blocker but Miami asks him to block in a different way than we ask Maxx to block. Gesicki is more than capable and willing to get on the edge and bury a defensive back or get in the way of a pursuit LB. He struggles when the Dolphins ask him to sit and single block EDGE players which they do a lot.

Is he as good of a blocker as Maxx, no. Is he as willing of a blocker, yes. Is he a better pass option that teams would need to account for, yes and significantly so.
I would go hard after Rudolph.
 

Chopper0080

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I would go hard after Rudolph.
The benefit with him is that he is signed for 2022. The bad part is that the Giants are a weird franchise right now and they are playing him 61% of snaps. Despite being 1-4, I don't know that the Giants are looking to get rid of players.

I like Gesicki better, but Rudolph fits as well.
 

ajcardfan

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This is why we get beat next week.

Browns front 4 are at least as good, if not better. Plus they have the DB's to back them up.

They have a good O line and we can;t stop the run. Chubb might run for 200 next week.

Pretty sure Brown's will be our first loss, but that's fine. If anyone said 5-1 with Texans, Packers, Niners, Panthers and Seahawks to come I'd take it. I fancy us to be at least 8-3 after that run.
I think that the Browns are the toughest match up for us so far. I actually liked our chances better going into both the Titans and Rams games when every body thought we would get crushed. The Browns strengths are against our weaknesses.

To win, we will have to have more explosive plays than they do. So, I do give us a little chance. Their secondary is really not good and is prone to getting torched. See the Chargers yesterday.
 

Chris_Sanders

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Weird thing so far this year is that the Cards are playing better on the road then at home. Worst two games this season thus far have been the two home games.

Has it really been "home" though? Disgraceful amount of tickets sold to opposing fans.
 

HomerPimpson

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Couple things I "learned" after yesterday:
Our offensive and defensive lines have been upgraded considerably. It's one thing on paper, but the proof is in the doing. We brought in Watt and Hudson, but again, prove it. Forget stats and PFF grades, how are you helping win games? Show me. Yesterday was the 2nd game in a row we started a drive at the 1 yard line and got points. The week before it was 7, yesterday it was 3. That's an offensive line pushing opponents all the way down the field, giving our defense field position and time to rest. On defense it was the 2 4th down stops, something we frankly haven't seen from this team. It wasn't the only time, they had a failed goal line stand a couple of weeks ago where they showed the same want-to and determination.

This isn't the same team we're used to criticizing and second-guessing. From Kyler's improvement to coaching (and yes, even from Vance) to Keim bringing in Green, drafting Moore, and bringing in Watts and Hudson, this whole team is in some kind of zone right now.
 
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slanidrac16

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Couple things I "learned" after yesterday:
Our offensive and defensive lines have been upgraded considerably. It's one thing on paper, but the proof is in the doing. We brought in Watt and Hudson, but again, prove it. Forget stats and PFF grades, how are you helping win games? Show me. Yesterday was the 2nd game in a row we started a drive at the 1 yard line and got points. The week before it was 7, yesterday it was 3. That's an offensive line pushing opponents all the way down the field, giving our defense field position and time to rest. On defense it was the 2 4th down stops, something we frankly haven't seen from this team. It wasn't the only time, they had a failed goal line stand a couple of weeks ago where they showed the same want-to and determination.

This isn't the same team we're used to criticizing and second-guessing. From Kyler's improvement to coaching (and yes, even from Vance) to Keim bringing in Green, drafting Moore, and bringing in Watts and Hudson, this whole team is in some kind of zone right now.
I’ll add this. We worry about our running game and if you look at the stats you would think it was a problem. BUT! With 4 minutes left in the game ( with Garcia at center) we ran the ball for two yards. A first down to Hopkins. Connor up the middle for 7 yards( when they KNEW we were going to run. Then a four yard run for a first down. Game over.
Last year we would have turned it over on downs and prayed our defense could hold up.
 

HomerPimpson

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I’ll add this. We worry about our running game and if you look at the stats you would think it was a problem. BUT! With 4 minutes left in the game ( with Garcia at center) we ran the ball for two yards. A first down to Hopkins. Connor up the middle for 7 yards( when they KNEW we were going to run. Then a four yard run for a first down. Game over.
Last year we would have turned it over on downs and prayed our defense could hold up.
It builds incredible trust on the other side of the ball. When you stop them at the 1 as a defense you're probably thinking great, 3 and out and I'll be right back out there, but this offense rewards defensive performance--as your example shows the offense repays that trust by ending the game.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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The benefit with him is that he is signed for 2022. The bad part is that the Giants are a weird franchise right now and they are playing him 61% of snaps. Despite being 1-4, I don't know that the Giants are looking to get rid of players.

I like Gesicki better, but Rudolph fits as well.
But the giants just put about everyone on IR. So now might be the right time to strike on a player that was likely earmarked to help achieve success this year which is now meaningless. He wasn’t signed to be a long term piece of the giants plan. Getting draft compensation and out from under the contract may be just what they seek at this juncture. This could be a perfect storm.
 

Chopper0080

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Has it really been "home" though? Disgraceful amount of tickets sold to opposing fans.
From out of state and from the TV, I agree with this. I am curious when we may see this flip. Good news is that if Seattle is out of it, only the Packers and Rams are likely to be huge crowds crowds in AZ.
 

Chopper0080

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But the giants just put about everyone on IR. So now might be the right time to strike on a player that was likely earmarked to help achieve success this year which is now meaningless. He wasn’t signed to be a long term piece of the giants plan. Getting draft compensation and out from under the contract may be just what they seek at this juncture. This could be a perfect storm.
That is 100% normal thinking. That said, Giants and Gettleman are weird and don't follow normal thinking.
 

DVontel

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From out of state and from the TV, I agree with this. I am curious when we may see this flip. Good news is that if Seattle is out of it, only the Packers and Rams are likely to be huge crowds crowds in AZ.
You sure about the Rams?
 

SissyBoyFloyd

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At least we got a few weeks of seeing what a good TE can mean to the Cards. We had been waiting a long time.
 
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5. Our defense gives up yards....between the 30 yard lines but only 95 pts. in 5 games. Oh, and 12 of those pts. came on a pick and special teams. That's mean 83 pts. or an average of 16.6 pts per game. WOW!


Waht have you learned?
Yep! I've learned that Vance Joseph just might be a better coach than most amateur commentators (that'd be us, ASFN) think he is!

I know it's frustrating watching team put up a lot of yards and long drives against the Cardinals, but PA (Points Against) is the ultimate metric for defense and Birdgang is 7th best in the league after 5 games, and they played against the 9th, 10th, 15th, (SF - was top ten prior to Cards), 19th, and 27th scoring teams. (By comparison top ranked scoring defense, Buffalo, has played against the 5th, 11th, 26th, 28th, and 31st scoring teams.)

Watching the Cardinals defense this year it is evident that this year's team is comprised of players that plug into the system well. Granted SF had to play their rookie backup QB, but the Cards were without two starting corners, and lost starting ILB Simmons for a good part of the game. Backups are making an impact in every facet of the team, even practice squad call up CB Whittaker made some plays.
 

JosiahLee

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Kylar won’t step up into the pocket and is creating sacks and pressure.
Yeah Sunday felt like his rookie season the way he didn’t step up in the pocket. With that said he’s had 4 outstanding games and now one “decent” game. I expect he will learn from it, especially since it’s highly likely other teams are going to try and contain him like that.
 
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