Where are our Team Leaders, seems they have Disappeared

[SissyBoyFloyd]

Mainly today I felt a loss of leadership on the Cards. I am not speaking of play makers during the game. I mean those locker room leaders that are there to make sure what happened today doesn't happen. I am not so shocked that we lost to the Lions, who are much better than their record and better than what most people think of them. Along with the Vikings, they have had one weird heartbreaking season. But one thing about the NFL teams, you rarely see them quit and give up. Pro players have too much pride for that. Congrats to the Lions today for playing their guts out and beating who was this morning the best team in the league.

Back to my opening statement. I didn't see any spirit on the Cards today. No desperation. No anxiety. No player who seemed disgusted or mad about what the Lions were doing to them. It seemed like business as usual. We'll comeback, like we always seem to do. Not today. It seems the only player who might have been yelling and screaming for the guys to get off their rear ends and make something happen was probably Fitz sitting at home on his couch talking to the tv screen.

Kyler is still learning I am sure. As is KK. But one thing Kyler needs to learn is to lead with authority. Get in these guys faces, instead of looking like a dejected disappointed little kid when they mess up a play, drop the ball, miss their block, etc. Don't worry about hurting your teammates feelings. Inspire, motivate, show some dang emotion when it is warranted.

And for KK, what the hell is the idea of not taking the easy FGs when you get in range after a nice drive. You can't and aren't supposed to make a TD every time in the red zone. Quit being cute. You aren't going to fool any of these other teams and coaches. Learn to play smart football. Take the 3 points when you can, punt and play field position. That is what wins games. No one is ever as smart as he thinks he is. Play the odds, take the easy points when you can. They add up to wins and keeps your team motivated.

That is all I got. Where are the leaders on this team? Someone better step up before it's too late.

 

[Chopper0080]

When the player who plays the most important position on the field isn't a leader, then you will consistently have a leadership problem.

 

[Cheesebeef]

When the player who plays the most important position on the field isn't a leader, then you will consistently have a leadership problem.

Also, when the other player you pay a massive premium to for leadership can’t stay on the field for more than 40% of the season, you’re going to have a problem too.

 

[slanidrac16]

I was totally against going for it on 4th on the 2 yard line. We were 10 points down and totally dominated at that point. As far as I know there are no 10 point plays. It gave the Lions all they needed to believe they could win this game. Then to add insult to injury they drive 98 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-0. Very similar to when we went for it in the 1st quarter against Carolina.
Same with the throw to Wesley that was ruled no catch. It was 4th and 4. I find it hard believe we don't have a sure fire play to get 4 yards and a first down.

We did that against the Bears too and Hopkins made a sensational catch for a td. On that play Conner was wide open crossing the middle and he had about a 90% chance of scoring on a much easier throw. If Hopkins doesn't make that catch we would have turned the ball over on downs and then who knows.

When you take a chance and it works you're a hero. When you fail you're a goat. We need to keep it simple and take what the defense gives us.

 

[WisconsinCard]

K1and K2 = hero ball. Too cool for old school football.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

When the player who plays the most important position on the field isn't a leader, then you will consistently have a leadership problem.

This

 

[az jam]

The head coach provides no leadership. Has anyone ever seen KK yell or get after the players like BA did? It starts at the top.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Kliff and Kyler absolutely are not leaders.

 

[cardcrazy]

We lost because….
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Translation: “Blah, blah, blah…”

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[Stout]

Translation: “Blah, blah, blah…”

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Exactly. "Remain calm, all is well" is complete baloney. He needed to come out mad and unwilling to take it any more, determined at all costs to lead the team out of the funk. Instead we got, "No, it's cool, it's totally different" when it is clearly the same.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Exactly. "Remain calm, all is well" is complete baloney. He needed to come out mad and unwilling to take it any more, determined at all costs to lead the team out of the funk. Instead we got, "No, it's cool, it's totally different" when it is clearly the same.

Exactly the attitude exuded by Kliff after Rams and Lions game.

It’s arrogance and complacency combined.

It’s especially clear from Kliff’s game plans whenever he faces “bad teams”. The “ let’s just show up” attitude is mind boggling considering his absolute putrid performance in the last half of seasons.

 

[SissyBoyFloyd]

A quick point: Have you noticed how K & K's play where Kyler would fake a handoff up the middle and take it outside for 10 or 20 yards, is now losing 5-10 yards. Every team has trained their outside players to forget about stopping the inside run and just stay put on the outside about 5 yards deep up the field. That forces Kyler to stop, panic, and either give up falling, running way to deep losing more yards, or simply heaving it out of bounds to prevent a loss. That has taken away a good % of Kyler's main threat. Plus it puts a defensive man on each side to prevent Kyler from connecting on a screen pass and shorter passes to the outside, thus all the tip passes and interceptions. Great D adjustment on those team's part.

As team's figure out how to stop something you do so well, you have to come up with something new, different, or at least abandon what doesn't work any longer. Kyler will have more success running and passing up the middle from now on.

At least that is the way I see it.

 

[AZCB34]

Exactly the attitude exuded by Kliff after Rams and Lions game.

It’s arrogance and complacency combined.

It’s especially clear from Kliff’s game plans whenever he faces “bad teams”. The “ let’s just show up” attitude is mind boggling considering his absolute putrid performance in the last half of seasons.

I would argue ignorance and complacency,

Tomayto…tomahto

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

A quick point: Have you noticed how K & K's play where Kyler would fake a handoff up the middle and take it outside for 10 or 20 yards, is now losing 5-10 yards. Every team has trained their outside players to forget about stopping the inside run and just stay put on the outside about 5 yards deep up the field. That forces Kyler to stop, panic, and either give up falling, running way to deep losing more yards, or simply heaving it out of bounds to prevent a loss. That has taken away a good % of Kyler's main threat. Plus it puts a defensive man on each side to prevent Kyler from connecting on a screen pass and shorter passes to the outside, thus all the tip passes and interceptions. Great D adjustment on those team's part.

As team's figure out how to stop something you do so well, you have to come up with something new, different, or at least abandon what doesn't work any longer. Kyler will have more success running and passing up the middle from now on.

At least that is the way I see it.

Whenever teams do this by definition they have to commit resources that would be deployed otherwise. It’s incumbent upon kliff to figure out what they’re giving up to take this away. Has he not figured that out yet? There’s no such thing as a perfect defense. There aren’t enough defenders on the field.

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

I thought AJ Green, being a multi time pro bowler and veteran, would bring some additional leadership to the team, but seriously he looks like he's disinterested in playing football at all most of the time. I think Kyler is extremely frustrated by him. We need more dogs on the team, not lazy divas. With Hopkins getting older, AJ Green being gone next year, Keim needs to pull his head out of his ass and draft a 6ft+ alpha WR, enough with the 5'8 Kirk's, Isabellas, Moores who will never be anything more than a slot WR3 at best.

 

[reebokalone2001]

A quick point: Have you noticed how K & K's play where Kyler would fake a handoff up the middle and take it outside for 10 or 20 yards, is now losing 5-10 yards. Every team has trained their outside players to forget about stopping the inside run and just stay put on the outside about 5 yards deep up the field. That forces Kyler to stop, panic, and either give up falling, running way to deep losing more yards, or simply heaving it out of bounds to prevent a loss. That has taken away a good % of Kyler's main threat. Plus it puts a defensive man on each side to prevent Kyler from connecting on a screen pass and shorter passes to the outside, thus all the tip passes and interceptions. Great D adjustment on those team's part.

As team's figure out how to stop something you do so well, you have to come up with something new, different, or at least abandon what doesn't work any longer. Kyler will have more success running and passing up the middle from now on.

At least that is the way I see it.

Why didn't our outside player (except Kennard) do that? Why do they overpursue almost every single time?

Exactly, everyone sees that but Kyler.

 

[reebokalone2001]

I thought AJ Green, being a multi time pro bowler and veteran, would bring some additional leadership to the team, but seriously he looks like he's disinterested in playing football at all most of the time. I think Kyler is extremely frustrated by him. We need more dogs on the team, not lazy divas. With Hopkins getting older, AJ Green being gone next year, Keim needs to pull his head out of his ass and draft a 6ft+ alpha WR, enough with the 5'8 Kirk's, Isabellas, Moores who will never be anything more than a slot WR3 at best.

Totally with you, but I doubt Keim's ability to do so. Every 6'+WR pick since he took over the regime in 2013 has failed, Ryan Swope, Chad Willimas, Hakeem Butler, and KeeSean Johnson. On the other side, he did find some Gems in small receivers like John Brown and JJ Nelson (borderline).

A sidetrack topic, his Oline drafts have been putrid at best. Watching how Mason Cole got dominated by Akeim Hicks last night makes me wonder where we would be if he did not Trade for Hudson this offseason. God, I am so envious looking at the success that Colts and Cowpies have at drafting Olines.