Wow, now that was a game. Not perfect, but intensely entertaining. Since I’ve ridden him fairly hard for some dumb choices, I need to keep my commitment on last week’s preview that I would confirm Kingsbury as an NFL coach if he just offered a conservative game plan. Well he exceeded my highest expectations. His game plan was near perfect. If not for some kicking issues and a stupid penalty the Cards would have won easily.
Kingsbury clearly learned from last week’s loss. This was especially true of how he used McCoy. Gone were most of the deep throws. Throwing on the run was restricted to McCoy’s right with no cross field throws. He only threw deep after the Cards established the run and their short game.
The Cards ran often with limited success, but it kept the defense honest. Combined with short, high percentage passes the Cards dominated time of possession.
In my preview I chastised Kingsbury for wasting Ertz thus far in his Cardinal career. Kingsbury corrected that this week as Ertz and Green combined to doom Seattle. Play after play, especially on third down, they gave McCoy functional targets. McCoy was outstanding in finding them, getting rid of the ball quickly and placing the ball at advantageous spots for the receivers.
The Cards used a shuttle pass, looping screens and occasional designed QB runs to keep the Seahawk defenders off balance. The play calling was surgically precise and deftly executed.
Conner again demonstrated he is one of the most underrated runners and receivers in the league. He plays with determination, leaving it all on the field. When Edmonds returns Conner should be even more effective with a little more rest. It is worth noting Benjamin has run hard and might have had a TD without a weird time out by Kingsbury. He’s a solid third back, but not the threat Edmonds is.
Prater had a bad game. His history indicates this would likely surface at some point, but also tells us he should reset. He is still a unique, long range weapon. I don’t expect his position to be challenged.
On defense the Cards did their best work pressuring the QB since the Titans’ game. Chandler Jones attacked the QB successfully and actually defended the run effectively as well. Golden chipped in a late sack and helped keep Wilson on the run. The Cards’ D-line penetrated frequently and limited the Seattle running game by making several tackles for a loss. The only fault I saw with the defensive scheme was the overuse of zone pass defenses. Had Wilson been fully himself I suspect Lockett would have done more damage. The Cards might have been better served letting Murphy take a shot at him.
Finally when Seattle closed the game to 3 I was impressed by the composure and confidence the Cards displayed to maintain control of the game. This is massively important. This shows how much this team has grown and matured. Keim deliberately brought in people who’d been there, done that. This team was woefully short on how to win; how to finish off an opponent. These players, like Ertz, Green, Conner and even McCoy changed the tenor of this team. They are a force to be reckoned with. IMO they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. That not the same as a favorite, but they will at least be a major obstacle to other legitimate contenders.
Kingsbury clearly learned from last week’s loss. This was especially true of how he used McCoy. Gone were most of the deep throws. Throwing on the run was restricted to McCoy’s right with no cross field throws. He only threw deep after the Cards established the run and their short game.
The Cards ran often with limited success, but it kept the defense honest. Combined with short, high percentage passes the Cards dominated time of possession.
In my preview I chastised Kingsbury for wasting Ertz thus far in his Cardinal career. Kingsbury corrected that this week as Ertz and Green combined to doom Seattle. Play after play, especially on third down, they gave McCoy functional targets. McCoy was outstanding in finding them, getting rid of the ball quickly and placing the ball at advantageous spots for the receivers.
The Cards used a shuttle pass, looping screens and occasional designed QB runs to keep the Seahawk defenders off balance. The play calling was surgically precise and deftly executed.
Conner again demonstrated he is one of the most underrated runners and receivers in the league. He plays with determination, leaving it all on the field. When Edmonds returns Conner should be even more effective with a little more rest. It is worth noting Benjamin has run hard and might have had a TD without a weird time out by Kingsbury. He’s a solid third back, but not the threat Edmonds is.
Prater had a bad game. His history indicates this would likely surface at some point, but also tells us he should reset. He is still a unique, long range weapon. I don’t expect his position to be challenged.
On defense the Cards did their best work pressuring the QB since the Titans’ game. Chandler Jones attacked the QB successfully and actually defended the run effectively as well. Golden chipped in a late sack and helped keep Wilson on the run. The Cards’ D-line penetrated frequently and limited the Seattle running game by making several tackles for a loss. The only fault I saw with the defensive scheme was the overuse of zone pass defenses. Had Wilson been fully himself I suspect Lockett would have done more damage. The Cards might have been better served letting Murphy take a shot at him.
Finally when Seattle closed the game to 3 I was impressed by the composure and confidence the Cards displayed to maintain control of the game. This is massively important. This shows how much this team has grown and matured. Keim deliberately brought in people who’d been there, done that. This team was woefully short on how to win; how to finish off an opponent. These players, like Ertz, Green, Conner and even McCoy changed the tenor of this team. They are a force to be reckoned with. IMO they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. That not the same as a favorite, but they will at least be a major obstacle to other legitimate contenders.
