I can only speak for myself, but a lot of healing went on for me yesterday.
1) For starters, I got to watch my most hated team, the Philadelphia Eagles, go down 32-25. It would have been particularly nightmarish to have them win the title, knowing they went through us and WE LET THEM THROUGH. Now that they are gone, I am going to sleep easier.
2) Secondly, and much more importantly, we got to watch what a REAL OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DOES WHEN GIVEN PRESSURE LOOKS FROM THE OPPONENT. It was such a pleasure to see how the Cardinals, who actually HAD THE Plaxico option in their WRS corps, still play intelligently and go to the small ball stuff to burn the Eagles. As we mentioned in the comments last night, we saw AZ give the Eagles EVERYTHING that was required:
SLANTS, SCREENS, FLARES, DRAWS, CHECKDOWNS!
How many screens did the Cardinals run today? Maybe more than the Giants ran all season?! And I am lmao when On 3rd and goal from the 8 when the Cardinals are down 25-24, they ran a screen(!) to Hightower for a TD! The screen works all day to slow down the pressure, the blitzing. And they even used one to deliver a TD too!
A breath of fresh air.
It gives me, for one, a lot closure to see how someone with half a clue can keep the chains moving, how UNDESERVING WE REALLY WERE. The contrast was so stark. I am so proud of how the Cardinals played, how they beat that garbage pressure. At least SOMEONE was able to unmask the Eagles gimmicks. Like Crazed Giant Fan joked about last night in the comments- this was a revolution in playcalling. NOT!
I must have been six years old- we had this game where it had these mini prerecorded disks for football plays. It was a 2 player game, and each kid would switch from defense to offense after each possession ended, just like in the real game. The offense would pick a play and the defense would pick 1 from an assortment of many defenses to choose. Then the disc went into the audio box and you would listen to the outcome. You quickly learned that the draw and the screen beat the blitz like a drum. This was not rocket science. We were barely able to read and we knew that pressure meant appropriate counter-responses. So to see on one drive alone how the Cardinals used a draw, checkdown dumpoff, and screen was just so sweet. That drive ended in a TD. The Cardinals are deserving of their invite to the SB, they did what the Giants would not do, and I applaud them.
Monday, January 19, 2009
I can only speak for myself..
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SLANTS, SCREENS, FLARES, DRAWS, CHECKDOWNS!
I know it....
You know it....
Everyone who reads this blog knows it....
The problem is our present "Browning O.C. Kevin Killdrive, DOESN'T KNOW IT!!!
AND THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM...
Andy I'm sure you speak for most of us. Having spent six years in the Philly area as a Giant fan and losing to them twice each year created a deep hatred. Their fans are arrogant and unsportsmanlike. They deserve their Hell. We now have to count on Reese to use our ELEVEN draft choices to continue to strengthen the team. I have faith
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3843754
Packers hire Capers to be their Dcoordinator. Dodged a bullet there, eh? Who else is on the short list?
Like you Andy, the Eagle/Cards game was a mixture of enjoyment and frustration.
The Cards just picked apart the Eagle D with their playcalling in the first half. They almost blew it when they started to sit on their lead a little too early (I thought Eric Mangini was suddenly coaching), but they managed to pull it out, and on a screen pass of all things. I'd forgotten what one of those looked like.
The Steelers? What can one say? I don't know how they do it. They are the one of least impressive perennial SB contenders I've ever seen, with an overrated QB to boot. They just seem to be just getting it done, even when they screw up (like at the end of the first half.) It helps when you're playing a one dimensional thug team like the Ravens. Good riddance, if I had to look at Ray Lewis's stupid face for two more weeks, I would've puked.
Steelers are -7, but that number means little. I think the Cards can get it done.
even after the WIN ANQUAN BOLDIN wants out....i think Mr. Reese can make a great move here and bring in BOLDIN....young tough physical WR, much better than BURRESS in my opinion...we have the $$$ and the extra second round pick make it happen....and he is better than TJ Houshiahagdgejduduhflf
....he is the best reciever "available" by far
i completely agree with nature to trade for boldin--he is a beast--as long as boldin's head is on straight which i trust the giants would determine.
i really hope the giants promote w/i for dc because these guys know spags system and will be more likely to keep it. i want a very aggressive defense--no death wish read-n-react rust sh*t.
lb coach bill sheridan named giants new dc. yeah!!!!
Okay, I admit it. I've got a man-crush on Todd Haley.
I'm glad Coughlin went with Sheridan, because he was also Spagnuolo's top choice for his defensive coordinator.
Anquan Boldin is a terrific choice to replace Plax. He's big, physical and plays hurt. One thing that troubles me is it seems while his team is about to go to the Super Bowl he is seen arguing on the sideline with his O.C. Todd Haley. I just hope he is not another "Diva" wideout, because he could be the answer to our WR problem. He is definitely a #1 type wideout.
Just saw this on yahoo sports
on Jan 19, 2009 11:18 am EST
Anquan Boldin even less valuable than previously thought
By MJD
Not content to just have a screaming match with the offensive coordinator on the sidelines (which landed him on our list of five least valuable people of Championship Sunday), Anquan Boldin carried his hissy-fit to the Arizona Cardinals postgame celebration, too.
While most of the other Cardinals were still on the field being showered in confetti and picking up their NFC Championship trophy, Boldin had already bolted out of the locker room. The behavior prompted CBS's Mike Freeman to call him a naughty word.
He tried to ruin the Super Bowl celebration with his childishness.
In the game, Boldin got into a heated argument with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. After the game, instead of celebrating with his team, Boldin abruptly left the field, then abruptly left the locker room.
It was awful behavior.
[...] I have to say in nearly 20 years of doing this, I've never seen a player more concerned about his arguing with a coach over making a Super Bowl.
I just wonder if Boldin isn't costing himself some money here, too. He doesn't want to be a Cardinal anymore. I think he's made that pretty clear. But who's going to want to give a guy a huge contract when he's fighting with a coach when he should probably be happy about going to a Super Bowl?
Presumably, he's worried about his touches. Meanwhile, the team is going to the Super Bowl. Obviously, Boldin's placing a lot more importance on the former than the latter. Teams are on a character kick these days. It doesn't pay to be a selfish malcontent.
It's disappointing to see from Boldin. He showed such unbelievable selflessness and courage by coming back from a catastrophic injury earlier in the season. Maybe there's more to the story than I know, but looking at at it from the outside, I wouldn't have expected this from Boldin.
Initially the thought of Boldin sounded pretty good.
But he made such an incredible A**
of himself yesterday...having his big temper tantrum.......After the Cards won the game.
I'm afraid he's jusy another huge egomanic & big trouble to the TEAM
concept.
I was soo HAPPY to see the Eagles lose yesterday. Not only because I hate the Eagles, but because the Cards demonstrated that the way to beat them was what Andy has been advocating in this blog. Exactly what clueless Gillbrown wouldn't do.
I was also very happy to see the Steelers beat the Ravens. I don't particularly like the the Steelers
but the Baltimore bully boys had to go. What they did to Cris Johnson from the Titans was criminal. The NFL is highly remiss for not punishing the jerks from Baltimore for their attempt to severely injure Johnson.
You are all talking about how thuggish the Ravens were, but I think the hit that knocked out the Ravens RB with 3 minutes to play was a total personal foul, helmet strike. He lunged at the guy helmet first. Thug play. I hope the league fines the guy.
Now that the Giants have lost Spags, we must hope that Reese has been grading his staff as well as his players. I am sure he is aware of Gilbride's strengths and weaknesses.
It will only impress me more if Reese gets rid of Gilbride. And sad the reverse will also be true.
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