Arizona Cardinals Vs New Orleans Saints: Three Keys To Success

by Andrew602 on Oct 9, 2010 11:46 AM MDT in Arizona Cardinals Game Preview

The Arizona Cardinals will have their hands full with the defending champion New Orleans Saints this Sunday. I think we all can agree that the Cardinals must bounce back from their blowout loss to the Chargers with an impressive win this week. The 2010 schedule won't let up and the Rams and Seahawks could both take the lead in the division. Let's take a look at the three keys to success.

Move the football on offense - In 2010, the Arizona Cardinals' offense has faced it's share of problems. Giving most fans headaches has been the lack of production and failure to move the ball down field. The offense hasn't mastered any eye-opening drives. That in return has thwarted the Cardinals scoring opportunities. They've only averaged 14.5 points per game and have been outscored 82-17 in both of their losses this season. Max Hall will be the starting quarterback when the offense takes the field on Sunday. His accuracy is better then Derek Anderson's, and I believe he will look better then he did last week. As long as he can drive the Cardinals into scoring range, he'll keep the team in the game. At this point, field goals are better then scoreless drives.
Protect Max Hall - Without question, the Arizona Cardinals offensive line should have received their most grueling practice this past week. In a pathetic showing in which they allowed nine sacks to the Chargers defense last Sunday, the offensive line was not prepared and ugly. They failed to beat the defense to the punch and missed wide open blitzes at times as well. Hall didn't receive the time he needed to beat the Chargers secondary. It also didn't help that it was the most time he'd ever received in his short NFL career. He'll need all the protection he can get against a dangerous Saints defense that is mastered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
Pressure Drew Brees - This could potentially become the most important key to Sunday's game. Brees and the Saints offense hasn't looked the same as their magical 2009 team, but remains deadly nonetheless. We discussed the Cardinals porous pass rush earlier this week -- something that cannot continue if their hopes are of another playoff run. Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell have pressure on their shoulders to perform, but the player on the hot seat is Joey Porter. He was acquired this offseason to help alleviate the loss of Karlos Dansby and assist with the pass rush. Instead he's been blanked so far this season. If the score is close late in the game, pressuring Brees is all the defense has left.

What are your keys to success?

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All of those

And I’d add that the secondary needs to hold up against the Saints receivers. DRC needs to step it up too.

Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].

I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team(s), throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.

by JoeCB1991 on Oct 9, 2010 12:13 PM MDT via mobile reply actions

add to that

Adding on I would say that the best way to beat quick strike offenses is to keep them off the field. And that means controlling the clock with the run game to sustain drives. It also protects our sieve of a defense by keeping them on the sideline.

by pat6972 on Oct 9, 2010 1:01 PM MDT up reply actions

+1

run run run run run. then play action.

but running effectively and early is def. a top key

http://www.reverbnation.com/chrisfarmer

by Undrafteds on Oct 9, 2010 2:51 PM MDT up reply actions

The definition of Insanity

Is continually doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Yet the coach has not addressed the poor play of the offensive line or the defensive line.
Without improvement from the offensive line no QB no matter how great will be able to have success. Likewise poor defensive line play allows for our weakness in the secondary to be exposed. What I ‘ve said we all know to be true yet no linemen have to my knowledge been replaced either by someone on our team or from the waiver wire.
To go with the same personel after 4 weeks of hideous play leaves me for one wondering if the coaching staff can reconize the need for more athlectic, skilled, and,
motivated players than the ones they currently start.
I’m not so sure we won’t be blown out once again.

by rocketsfn on Oct 9, 2010 12:55 PM MDT reply actions

No excuses on Sunday

Cardinals have very few injured players compared to the Saints. N.O. is playing whoever is ready to go. If the Arizona team can not pull out a win over a team with a pronounced limp, I won’t know what to think. I mean, are the Cards a serious NFL franchise or are they a French Soccor team waiting and hoping that they don’t get hurt?

by Arizona Retiree on Oct 9, 2010 2:24 PM MDT up reply actions

Nice reference.

Talk about a team in complete meltdown. The french national soccer team was a joke at the world cup. There was a serious house cleaning afterward.

by hadrarius on Oct 9, 2010 4:39 PM MDT up reply actions

Key #1 and #2

1.) Keep the ball out of Drew Breeze’s hands.The Cards moved the ball well against S.D. in our first drive. The offense must take what the defense gives them. Stick to the 5-10 yard gain and eat up the clock. Let the rookie QB score a TD to boost his confidence. He must be told to throw the ball away if his receivers are not clearly open.

2.) Do not get greedy. This kid is not Warner. Do not have him throw the ball into a tight window, down field, into coverage. This will destroy his confidence, as it did Anderson against S.D. Someone got greedy and called for a pass down field and ended our first drive with a pick.
The drive must be seen as a methodical march toward the goal line that ends in a TD and eats the clock. There is no reason to hurry things up. Make their defense stay on the field and work as long as possible. I would be satisfied with 5-10 yards per play, as long we do not turn the ball over. Protect the drive at all cost. Keep the ball moving, slowly and deliberately. Take the short pass and end runs, to make the defense chase the RBs and receivers to tire them out. If we follow this recipe the 5-10 yard plays will be good for 10-15 yards as the defense becomes exhausted. This will boost the confidence of the whole team when a drive ends in a TD and gives our defense something to protect.

by Arizona Retiree on Oct 9, 2010 1:10 PM MDT reply actions

agreed

the first drive in the SD game was the best of the year. the bogus holding call (IMO) on our FB took 7 pts off the board.

on the next play, thats on DA. a poor decision to throw into triple coverage. before that turnover, AZ was feeling it. Unfortunately, after the INT, the game spun out of control.

I think we can all agree, methodical sustained drives are what we need to see more than once on Sunday. I am optimistic it will be the best Cardinals game this season.

http://www.reverbnation.com/chrisfarmer

by Undrafteds on Oct 9, 2010 2:56 PM MDT up reply actions

OL and Rush Defense

Max Hall can’t do anything if he’s sacked 9 times a game. Rushing game has been killing us. We have like 10 other problems but these two piss me off the most in the first 4 games. Penalties are also a problem.

by KholdStare88 on Oct 9, 2010 1:33 PM MDT reply actions

Run Run

and run some more, and even if we cant get it in the end zone…take 3…oh yeah and I wanna see more Branch if DD decides to get punked all game long

by Cardsfan928 on Oct 9, 2010 2:00 PM MDT reply actions

Home crowd is going to be ecstatic

by safford on Oct 9, 2010 4:59 PM MDT reply actions

Keys to the Saints game

1) Max Hall has to make accurate passes early.

The Saints will stack the box to stuff the run and blitz Hall to pressure him into mistakes. The Saints’ secondary is beat up. It will be their weakness on on defense. According to some over at Canal Street Chronicles they have been having trouble covering tight ends too. That should be a favorable factor for us. Who he gets the ball to won’t matter so much as just completing passes. The offense cannot afford to be one dimensional or we’re in for another stomping.

2) The Cardinals must win the turnover ratio.

Drew Brees currently has a 73% completion percentage. The defense needs to prevent the big play as always but more importantly they need to force some turnovers. The Saints offense will methodically work it’s way downfield while eating the clock and they’ll do it passing the ball. Getting the Saints off the field while putting our offense on a short field is important. Our offense could use the help. Max Hall needs to make good decisions with the ball and not put it into the Saints’ hands. Keeping the ball off the ground goes for the rest of the offense too.

3) The Cards need to get out in front on the score or at least keep it close.

So the defense needs to show up. No one can reasonably expect a prolific offense with a rookie QB. They have to remain balanced on offense to have a chance. The defense needs to keep them in the game. Getting a defensive or special teams TD would be a boon. So far this season the Saints haven’t been the scoring machine that they were. Our D better get themselves motivated to deal some vengeance on sunday or that machine may come to life.

Bonus points;

Give Beanie the ball! This waiting until nearly the end of the first half is ridiculous.

Fitz should have his best game yet this season. Hall is more accurate than Anderson. The Saints’ secondary is hurting. I expect Fitz to be finding his way open even in double coverage.

A screen pass to LSH would be a good way to break the NO defense. Once that guy is in space he could take it all the way.

by hadrarius on Oct 9, 2010 5:33 PM MDT reply actions

Decoy

Fitz is a security blanket and the Saints are banged up. Because of that hopefully he will pull even more attention than he normally does. That should open up a rookie for a potentially big day. I would love to see Andre Roberts have a big game.
For some strange reason, maybe it is delusions from denial, but I feel like this is a game we will win. I gotta feelin the D is going to assert it’s self.
If not I am going to raid AZ Retirees med cabinet and pop myself to cloud nine for a week….

by Jesse Reynolds on Oct 9, 2010 6:51 PM MDT up reply actions

Limiting mistakes (penalties, turn overs)

is a great point … penalties can kill drives and hurt a young QB’s confidence

and with a rookie QB play calling will be important, because the Saints will do everything they can to confuse Hall and trick him into throwing into coverage … if we can confuse them with our sets and get them in the right defense it will help allot

the only other thing I would say is we need to stop them from running the ball and make them one dimensional (which is what they will try to do to us) … Ivory and Betts are both capable of going off, and if we allow them to run the ball we have no chance

the Saints have been letting teams hang around, and I think all we have to do is keep it close until the fourth quarter, and we’ll have a shot … plus it would be great to see how Hall reacts to ‘crunch time’ possessions at the end of a game … if he’s got the nutz to make da magic o0

by quid pro quo on Oct 9, 2010 7:33 PM MDT up reply actions