Oct 8 2012
#Birdgang Back Upright; Ready To Fight The #BillsMafia
Alright Birdgang, we have had a few days to digest the Thursday night debacle…breathe. It is one loss and although the bandwagon was getting pretty full, I doubt many were expecting an undefeated season but hey…it’s fun to dream right ? All in all, 4-1 after five is better than I expected and I will certainly take it at this point. However, that does not mean I am not concerned. Let’s take a look back to see what’s what.
Going into this game, I had some serious concerns on a short week, on the road and on national TV. For Birdgang, we know these are problems. In addition, the injuries are really piling up and the Rams are not performing at the same level of suckiness as has come to be their standard. They are actually decent. So, unfortunately I was not terribly surprised by the outcome….disappointed, without a doubt. I am especially disappointed because most of the country who hate on the Cardinals but don’t ever see them play just had their opinions validated.
Regarding the game itself, let me first say that this was not on Kolb. Given the circumstances and the lack of protection, he played well enough to win the game just like he has every other game this season. Kolb threw for nearly 300 yards and moved the ball on a day when the running game was non-existent. He was tough too. He was pounded relentlessly the entire game and kept getting back up. Put it this way; if it were a boxing match, it would have been a TKO. Let’s not forget, it got to the point where Anthony Sherman was at tailback because there was no one else. And in addition to the protection issues, there were several drops that were at the worst possible time.
At this point in the season, is there any single player more disappointing this year then Michael Floyd? It pains me to say it because I had high hopes but he has been a complete non-factor and the dropped passes have been a real problem. Thankfully, Andre Roberts has really developed in the last year and has made up for Floyd’s lack of productivity. I am just hoping that pick was not a bust because this team can not afford first round misses especially when the offensive line was/ is/ always has been such a glaring need.
Which brings me to the current offensive line…or at least so they call themselves. The tackles are not ready, we know this. I wasn’t that comfortable with it going into the season when we were talking Levi Brown and Jeremy Bridges, I certainly am not comfortable with this version. Make no mistake, the offensive line in Arizona has really never been good…ever. Don’t even try to tell me, “what about the Super Bowl team”? Negative-that one was no good either.
A good QB who makes quick decisions can mask offensive line issues. That was a strength of Kurt Warner but he really had no running game either. People forget that was a 9-7 team that got blown out several times. Now, I am not hating…I am just saying, it is an issue that ownership seems to ignore every year and yet try to plug holes with journeyman backups. It is not going to work and is getting our QBs killed.
We all wanted Kolb to stay in the pocket which I think he has done. The problem is the inside pressure largely flowing directly over Adam Snyder. He is getting beaten like a dirty rug repeatedly. And, there is no one on the bench that is going to be any better so they better scheme something up that will work otherwise it could get ugly at times.
I will say, as bad as it was…the Cards could have won. Peterson had some good returns that gave them decent starting field position and Kolb did get them to the red zone several times. If Feely would not have missed an easy one early in the game, it could have been totally different. Late in the game, the score would have been 17-6 and they could have settled for a FG when they were forced to go for it on fourth inside the 10 yard line. That would have made it 17-9 and they did get the ball back which would have given an opportunity to tie. But, it did not play out that way.
From what I have seen, Buffalo looks pretty bad but the Bills Mafia will be out in full force so Birdgang needs to rise up and help out as it will be a dog fight. Winning the games you aren’t supposed to win doesn’t matter much if you lose the ones you are supposed to win.