Apr 3 2013
After four months off, a new coaching staff, a new running back, a slew of new free agents, the release of Adrian Wilson, Kevin Kolb, and Kerry Rhodes and a new quarterback, the Birdgang Podcast returns to talk about it all. Joe quizzes Mario on some of the new players acquired through free agency and discuss why we like the acquisition of Carson Palmer.
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Oct 25 2012
Well, after a disappointing trip to the north, the Cardinals returned home on a three game losing skid that has quickly erased the undefeated first month of regular season play. For those who listened to the birdgang podcast this week, you already took a somber look back at the good times we had way back in September. So somber in fact, that I expected Bette Midler’s “wind beneath my wings” to play at any time as the mood was almost funeral-like.
But, I am choosing to look forward today. Although the Cardinals now stand at 4-3, crisis can still be averted. A good showing on Monday Night Football and a win can catapult them back into a first place tie with the 49ers and rejuvenate a Birdgang fanbase desperate to get back on track. 5-3 at the midway point of the season would be not so bad.
Many, including myself, have been dwelling on what has gone wrong recently. However, not all is bad. What have we learned? What has gone right?
I believe we have solved the quarterback mystery…for now anyway. Even if Whiz will not acknowledge it, Kolb is the starter. He did not look comfortable in the preseason at all but I think his confidence in his reads and the offense has improved and he has shown enough that he can win in the NFL. I think he can be the guy going forward. The effort has got to be build a line around him via free agency. There is no time to build through the draft, we have enough project lineman.
We now know what we thought we knew…the defense is legit. If the Cardinals end up with a winning record and get some positive publicity down the stretch, I think there could be potentially five pro bowlers on D (Dockett, Campbell, Washington, Peterson, Wilson). With the decline of Urlacher and Ray Lewis, Daryl Washington is quickly emerging as the dominant middle linebacker in the game. He can take over a game as few can.
Across the board, the defense seems to be understanding and working within the system…trusting their teammates on gap assignments and containment. They have a number of play makers on defense which is exactly what is needed to win with this team. The offense cannot outscore anyone so it is going to have to get done with turnovers, big plays and a short field. There is no other way right now.
The running game is not right. Myself, I expected Ryan Williams to blow up this year and pass Beanie as the feature back. I still see tons of talent there but with the injury to Wells, a huge opportunity was missed there. You have to wonder about his mental state after his second straight year of season-ending injury. So, for now, we go forward with Powell and Stephens-Howling. Neither is a feature back but both have good moves in space and can be effective in certain scenarios. The running game will need to be revisted at year’s end to fully evaluate the direction of the position on this team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wells move on.
I still don’t love the offense. At times, it can be effective but the stubbornness to run plays that it does not appear the Cardinals have the personnel for has been frustrating. However, there is a lot of talent at the skill positions. Andre Roberts has improved immensely…so much so that Michael Floyd cannot get on the field. I have been very disappointed with Floyd who I still think can be good but has made no impact really at all. Doucet has been pretty bad I must say. I see flashes…but the drops have been all too common and probably not something that can be fixed at this point.
The coaching staff is what it is. I think Ray Horton will be a head coach very soon and will be a huge loss when he goes ( I think he could end up in Philadelphia next year if they do not make the playoffs). Russ Grimm, as with many great players…is not a great coach. While it is true, you can’t polish a turd…we should still see some improvement with the players we do have on the offensive line. Did anyone ever think they would miss the days of Levi Brown or Leonard Davis?
The Cardinals typically do not play well in nationally-televised games (which does not help the perception of the Cardinals). However, home games are different and emotion plays a big part in football. If you can’t get up for the 49ers, who can you get excited about? The players don’t like each other and that is fine by me. I like when the defense plays angry…because I don’t like the 49ers either. I don’t even know really know why…but they are without a doubt, the enemy.
I expect a low-scoring game and I think defense and special teams will be the difference. Offenses both will be ineffective and a long punt or kick return I think decides this one…hopefully in the Cards favor. 13-10.
Oct 22 2012
This episode of the Birdgang Podcast was used as a time to reflect. Reflect on how it felt to be undefeated, to have an offensive line that was playing well, hope at the quarterback position. We also talk about losing out on free agent left tackle Chris Williams to the division rival St. Louis Rams.
To listen to the podcast, use the player below, or click here to use the direct link.
Oct 2 2012
Anyone who watched Sunday’s Cardinals win will tell, that was an ugly one…but in the NFL, any win is a good win and the Dolphins showed up ready to play. For the majority of the game, the Dolphins appeared to be the better team on that day. However, the Cardinals defense kept them within striking distance and a comeback felt possible even after an extremely lethargic first half and I am not just talking about the team. The vibe in the stadium felt almost like a preseason game to me. I guess it says a lot about how far the Birdgang fanbase has come, if we have now come to a level where we expect wins without much effort. The season is still young and the Cardinals don’t roll like that…there has to be dramatics otherwise it just is not a Cardinal game.
When I saw the inactive list pregame, I had a feeling the game might be an uphill battle. It was not the sheer number of regulars who were injured, but the names and what their roles mean to the team. Larod Stephens-Howling as a returner has been so reliable that I take a quality return game for granted, plugging in either Powell or Smith is just not the same. And sure, I have come to expect seeing Beanie Wells and Todd Heap in street clothes but to not have Dockett in the lineup was concerning.
The absence of the great Nine-O was big, really big. I knew that his presence would be missed, I just didn’t really how much. Nick Eason and David Carter are ok in spot relief, but they don’t have the presence of Darnell Dockett. In a 3-4 scheme, down lineman don’t look great statistically so if you don’t watch Cardinal games you wouldn’t really get what Dockett means to them. Of course he is the vocal leader and, in my mind, the intensity of the D was not up to what we have grown accustomed to lately. On the field, when he isn’t sucking up double-teams to keep Lenon and D Wash free to make plays, he is disrupting the backfield and moving the QB off his spot. The Cardinals sorely missed that push the majority of the game.
The defense played ok overall and did create some opportunities at times but they looked out of sync to me. Early on, Wiliam Gay was bullied by Davone Bess and Brian Hartline so often, I thought they were going to steal his lunch money. Toler came in to shore things up somewhat which was good to see but it still was not what I expected as Ryan Tannehill was getting a fair amount of time to find open receivers or set up a lemonade stand…whatever. Eventually, the D did rise up though and pressure the young rookie at crucial times into making some mistakes.
I do give credit to Miami though. They came in with a gameplan that appeared to involve quick reads to minimize the pass rush and quick snaps to cut down on noise issues playing on the road. For the most part they were effective at executing it. Tannehill was better than I expected. Given what he was being asked to do, he did well. He certainly did not lose them the game. On the other hand, the Miami coaching staff did him no favors with some of the play-calls to end the game. On Tannehill’s fumble with 2 ½ minutes left, why were they even attempting a pass? Reggie Bush seemed to be getting stronger and another first down, the game may have been over. Weird. But again, I’ll take it.
Offensively, the Cardinals just could not get in a flow until late in the game. I was thoroughly confused what the game plan was as I expected to see a heavy dose of Ryan Williams. Instead, we see just activated William Powell for the entire middle third of the game. I can only assume Williams is not considered a good pass-blocker at this point as they were playing from behind and passing was essential.
Kolb was Kolb. When he is in a rhythm and confident, he can be very good. When he is behind and pressing, he is…well, not so much. The first pick was, I guess, a back shoulder fade that no one told Fitz about and the other was a ball that should have obviously been thrown away although I question why that play was even called. In that spot, I am ok with three runs into the line and hope Ryan Williams is the back I think he can be. No reason to get tricky…but I digress. With the game on the line, Kolb was sharp. His rapport with Andre Roberts has been a pleasant surprise. He is accurate and he is getting more decisive as time passes, which I like. Although he nearly lost the game, some could argue he also won the game in a lot of ways.
Given that there is an extremely short week before the Rams game, there is a couple things I am hoping get fixed asap. I am hoping that Massie’s rough day at the office was an anomaly as he has been pretty decent up to this point. Cameron Wake is no joke but I am thinking that he learns from that experience. I also really would like to see Patrick Peterson protect the ball when he is returning. He is a great returner, no doubt. He was very lucky to not lose any of the THREE fumbles he had due to his tendency to carry the ball like a picnic basket.
From what I have seen, the Cardinals are better than the Rams…but it won’t be easy and they should not be taken lightly. Any road game in the NFL is tough but on a short week, even tougher. I expect the defense to rise up and lead the team once again in a low-scoring affair. 17-13 Cards. Let’s see if we can run it to five because I think we will need ten wins to bring the playoffs back to the nest.
Sep 26 2012
Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep….ya’ll hear that noise? That my friends is the sound of the birdgang bandwagon loading up and backing out of the station. Oh yeah, we are rolling. Fans are coming out of the woodwork and partying like it is 2008.
For the first time since I was lying in my crib (not my house…an actual crib), the Cardinals are 3-0 after an impressive beatdown of the previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. And by beatdown, I mean that I was legitimately concerned for Michael Vick’s safety. Vick was harassed on seemingly every play and even when there was no pressure he waited and waited and waited….but the receivers were locked down well enough that there was just nowhere to go with the ball. The Eagles greatest weapon, Lesean McCoy was pretty much neutralized as soon as the Cards began to build a lead. I actually thought the Eagles might consider giving Nick Foles some time behind center, if for no other reason than to prolong Vick’s lifespan. But, it may be too early for them to open that can of worms. Needless to say, it was a dominating defensive performance.
Sep 23 2012
For the first time since 1974, the Arizona Cardinals have begun their football season with a 3-0 record. For comparison’s sake, the song “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band came out that year. So, yeah, it was a long time ago. For that reason, the Arizona Birdgang Podcast crew including Joe, Mario, McStats and I hit the studios to record another episode. This time, we entitled it “Dead To Rights”.
Sep 21 2012
Remember the Super Bowl year? Cardinal merchandise tents popped up on every corner and even the Rackers jerseys were sold out in the stores. People who normally came by my office to tell me that the Cardinals sucked and would never be good suddenly appeared in Cardinal red and wanted to talk about how good “we” looked. Yes, the same people who were wearing Cowboy gear during the season yet had never been to Texas.
Well, welcome to the 2012 version of Cardinalpalooza if they beat Philly and run their record to 3-0 for the first time in my lifetime. The Birdgang (no not you Philly) is the talk of the NFL after an unbelieveable win in Foxboro. The Patriots are a highly explosive team that was held largely in check by the Big Red D and the offense was just good enough to get it done and hold on for the win. The Cardinals are going to need an equal effort to take down Vick and company.
At New England, I saw a lot that I liked. The play-calling was much-improved minus the last two minutes of the game ( a sweep to a virtual rookie…for real?) The coaching staff did a good job of tailoring s game plan to suit Kolb as well as incorporate the playmaker known as P2. I liked it…I liked it a lot actually. The only thing I would like to see is a couple throws to soften the defense and make them pay for stacking the box ( calling Michael Floyd…where are you?). There is one on one coverage to be had…just gotta find it.
I also have been reasonably happy with the O-line. They are playing ok and since I have heard absolutely no mention of Bobby Massie, that tells me is doing pretty well. Sure I would like to see more of a run game, but I think that will come if they test the field deep…and even if Fitz is covered, please throw it his way. He will catch it…I swear. Kolb has even been ok. I really don’t need him to be great, just manage the game and don’t make any critical mistakes.
Defense, what I can say? Keep balling. I am a defense guy and this one looks damn good. We finally have a pass rush to go with our down lineman, an athletic linebacking corp and a secondary that I think could be great with the addition of Gay and Fleming. Philly will be a test as they have struggled with running QBs in the past.I think the pass rush can get there and hopefully force Vick into stupid turnovers as has been his M.O. I think the Cards may need a defensive of special teams TD to get the win this week but I am confident.
So, throw on the black jerseys and be loud. I think we can help the defense win this one. Go Cards!
Ray Horton for president. #birdgang
Sep 17 2012
In this episode we discuss this weeks HUGE win agains the Patriots and look ahead to next weeks game against the fake Birdgang (Eagles)! Click this link to listen or use the player below.
Jul 17 2012
Since the arrival of Larry Fitzgerald to the Valley of the Sun, he has made the Cardinals an exciting team to watch. Before he arrived, the Arizona Cardinals never really had a true superstar caliber player. Since then, we have seen him play in the Superbowl, star in Nike commercials, the creation of “Fitz Knows” T- Shirts, and he even appeared on the cover of the ever so popular Madden Football video game.
So just how great is Larry Fitzgerald? Well, most fans have forgotten or didn’t even notice that he finished fourth in overall receiving yards behind Calvin Johnson, Wes Welker, and Victor Cruz. Larry had 80 receptions, 1,411 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Fans shouldn’t be surprised by these numbers, but considering the quarterback play last year these numbers are outstanding. Could you imagine if he had a ProBowl QB like Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, or Drew Brees throwing to him last year? I’ve been thinking about it a lot actually. Larry’s stats weren’t a product of outstanding quarterback play, it was a product of greatness. The receivers that were ahead of Larry had QB’s that threw 5,000 yards or close to it. I’m not saying Larry would’ve had more yards than those receivers above him, but you do the math folks.
Larry Fitzgerald is no doubt the greatest wide receiver to ever wear a Cardinals uniform. With the right QB throwing to him the next 5-6 years, he could be the greatest of all time.
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