Arizona Cardinals Question Of The Day: What Happened To The Defense?
by JoeCB1991 on Dec 2, 2010 12:28 PM MST
in NFL Regular Season
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PrintA recent article in the Arizona Republic about the Cardinals defense in their week 1 matchup with the Rams compared to right now brings up some good points about the Defense. In that week 1 victory, the Defense forced three Interceptions from Sam Bradford, they also got two sacks in on him (along with several hits), and a blocked Field Goal by Adrian Wilson (who was outstanding in that game). Overall, the Rams were held to 325 yards of offense, Bradford was also 32 of 55 passing for only 253 yards (4.6 yards per attempt) and one Touchdown along with the three Picks. Besides his game against the Lions where the Rams were blown out and Bradford threw two Picks it was his worst game of the impressive rookie season he has had so far. But since then, the Defense has a whole has tailed off badly.
Currently, the Cardinals rank 31st in the NFL giving up 29 points per game, and 29th in giving up 395.8 total yards per game. The Run Defense is 31st in the NFL giving up 146.5 yards, and the Pass Defense is ranked 25th in giving up 249.3 yards per game. As a whole, the Defense has been absolutely awful since the game against Brett Favre and the Vikings where the Vikings overcame a 14 point deficit with under five minutes left in the game, and Brett Favre threw for a career high 446 yards (most of those yards also came in the 4th Quarter and Overtime).
The Defense has also been unable to generate a consistent pass rush, players have been out of position, tackles have been missed, coverage has been poor, and veteran leaders like Joey Porter, Adrian Wilson, Darnell Dockett, and Gerald Hayes have underperformed. Some of the young players that were expected to have big years like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (following a Pro Bowl year) and Calais Campbell have also been a disappointment. The scheme, and coaching by second year Defensive Coordinator Billy Davis has also been criticized, and many fans are calling for him to be fired. Some young players have played well though, Greg Toler has been good for most of the season in his first year as a starter, rookies Daryl Washington and Dan Williams have played well, and Alan Branch has been solid after moving from Nose Tackle to Defensive End.
So, what happened? In the article, Kerry Rhodes (who has been a good pickup this season) said that the Defense as a whole lost its Swagger that it had coming into the season. Maybe Billy Davis has just been outcoached. Maybe the players that the Defense lost (Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle, Bertrand Berry, Chike Okeafor, Bryant McFadden, Ralph Brown, etc) had a bigger impact than we expected. Maybe the struggling offense is putting the defense in too many bad positions that they aren't good enough to overcome. Maybe the players as a whole just aren't as good as we thought they were coming into the season (This can also be said about the Cowboys).
One thing I think is that the Defense has mentally been unable to overcome the loss against Minnesota, and they still haven't been able to get it turned around. Before that game, there were some flashes of being a good Defense in the games besides the one against the Rams (Most of the first Seahawks game and the Buccaneers game, along with the game against the Saints.) but since then they have just been unable to stop anything. The Defense has gone from a force field that flickers on and off at times into a giant wall made of tissue paper that is penetrated by any object that slams into it.
So, what do you think is the cause of the defensive struggles this year?
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Mentality affects performance
I think you identified the clear turning point in the season for the defense and that was the Vikings game.
At one time we thought that the offense had struggles and would need to be protected by the strength of the defense, but once they proved that they could not handle that pressure to an incredible comeback the team as a whole slid down further.
The offense continues to degrade, causing the defense to spend even more time on the field which then causes the defense to continue to degrade.
Even when the defense makes big plays (an interception, a blocked FG, and a missed FG) the offense is incapable of capitolizing on the luck and turning it into points.
It’s starting to bleed over to the one unit that has performed well. This past week even the Special Teams was affected by the poor mentality of the team and Ben Graham’s punts were getting closer to being blocked with each punt.
Two things will happen, either they will become disgusted with themselves and pull themselves out of the funk (but that will require better playcalling and scheming from the coaches as well), or they will shrivel and be completely worthless until the first regular season game next year when they will take a collective deap breath and take the field wondering if they are ready to start winning again.
Section 103, Row 19
The defense has been conditioned to underachieve for a long time.
When we had Warner, the defense didn’t have to play to its full potential because it could always count on the offense to put up 40 points if necessary. Early in the season, when it became apparent that the offense this year wouldn’t be able to do that, the defense actually stepped up and played very well… most of the time.
But the offense turned out to be worse than anyone could have imagined. Monumentally bad. How many times can you ask the defense to come on the field after the offense goes 3 and out before the defense starts to get weary? How many times can you ask the defense to try to stop the other team when a turnover allows them to start drives in the red zone before the defense starts to slip up? How many quarters can a team go without an offensive touchdown before the defense starts to give up because it knows that the game is lost no matter how well the defense plays?
Once upon a time, the defense was underachieving because they could get away with it and still win games. Now, the defense is underachieving because what’s the point anyway?
by Vaegrin on Dec 2, 2010 1:20 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
agree mostly
This defense has been bad for a while, but not really sure they are just giving up because of the offense. I think the offense has just exposed the defense for what it really is.. crappy. I don’t think having Dansby and Rolle would make any difference. We need a new defensive coordinator and to rework/clean house defensively. I don’t even know where to start .
This is the Defense that gave up 90 points in the Playoffs
Only beat Green Bay because Kurt Warner had the game of his life. With DA, the result is more like what happened the week after that game.
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 Dec 3, 2010 12:43 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
2 reasons
1. Crappy LB’s
2. Time on the field, with Anderson not able to get 1st downs, the defense is on the feild for almost the entire game
They were out there for about 40 minutes on Monday
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.
LB's
are definitely a bigger problem than I thought they’d be.
Which goes back to the calls that have come out about changing to a 4-3 defense. I’m coming around to this idea. Porter’s old and too slow. Lenon has been good, I think he’d be very good as a strong side OLB, Hayes is a good MLB, and Washington would be an excellent WLB.
The only position we don’t have for that is a 4-3 rush end, think Peppers or J. Allen. But I don’t see why we couldn’t find one in the draft this year. Or make due with Dockett at end. Seems like he could drop some weight to increase quickness.
D. Williams at an under tackle position, Branch/Watson at the other tackle spot, Dockett and Calais at ends or Schofield. Actually, as of right now, put Schofield at rush end, he played with his hand down in college and was dynamic.
Bill Davis is just atrocious. They have to move on from him.
Oh lord, the LBs...
In the offseason nobody seemed that concerned about the linebackers, and I never understood that. We lost Karlos Dansby, and we replaced him with whom? Paris Lenon has been a nice surprise, but he’s a massive downgrade from Dansby in more ways than one. Daryl Washington shows promise, but he’s a rookie, and he’s raw. Dansby was a huge loss.
As for the outside linebackers, our pass rush was already old and weak last year… and we lost two of our three most productive players at the position: Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry. Sure, we got Joey Porter, and that helps—but he’s almost as old as Okeafor and Berry! And the young guys who were supposed to step up to replace our aging OLBS? Cody Brown got cut, Will Davis has been so-so even when he’s not injured, and O’Brien Schofield is a giant question mark coming off a debilitating injury.
Yeah, our linebackers are a problem. I don’t know why nobody saw that coming.
Some of us did see it coming.
Seeing all those potential linebackers get cut was a shock. Especially Cody Brown. Stevie Baggs was a big fat disappointment. Washington is going to be good but you can’t expect a rookie to walk in and play at the level Dansby did. Lenon has been better than advertised but he sucks in pass coverage. We need a whole lot of new blood at linebacker.
IS THERE ANY GOOD COACHES LEFT?
Well with Whisenhunt as the head coach, there is a great need to have another good off. cord. to run the offense. But when we are giving away players because they came from a college that the head coach doesn’t like (USC), or players that the head coach didn’t draft, or sign, then there is going to be troubles with the team. But coach Whisenhunt wants everyone to think he is the reason for the turn-around 2 seasons ago, but the only thing he has done in that time period, is sign Kurt Warner. Kurt Warner is the reason for the turn-around,and Todd Hailey, when we had an offense. Warner audibled most of Whisenhunts play calling, and when Leinart started doing the same, Whiz got rid of him. When we played against Tenn. in pre-season, Whiz and Fisher got together to try and make Leinart look bad, but that got shoved up there butts, because Leinart completed 4-6, with the blitz on every play and Whisenhunt calling long pass plays. The Cardinals will never be a contender as long as Whiz is the coach. No wonder Pittsburg didn’t want him.
Hate to rehash old news BUT
I believe Leinart would have been more successful than DA. With game planning, captain checkdown should be able to move the balls. But ML’s ego collide with HC’s ego. We already knew who won that battle. Anyhow, our D is sucked because #1 the players are not coached well. #2 Fatigue by being on the field more than they should #3 confidence.
by safford on Dec 2, 2010 4:40 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Same here
I would rather have a conservative game manager who can minimize miskakes but with less big plays than a guy like DA who is a gunslinger that could complete a 40 yard bomb on one play and then throw a horrible pick into triple coverage on the next play.
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 Dec 2, 2010 4:44 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
If you're going to be a game manager, you need a very good defense that allows less then 20 points a game. Our defense this year has allowed the most points in the NFL, meaning we need a guy who can throw 3 to 4 td's every game
Matt is not a QB who can throw that many td’s a game.
by CanadianCard on Dec 2, 2010 8:03 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
WTF are you talking about?
The Cardinals will never be a contender as long as Whiz is the coach?? He took us within one play of winning the superbowl two years ago AND the Cardinals have NEVER been contenders without Whiz since they came to Az.
A very short sighted thought
Very curious how people “know” the the inner workings of Whisehunts decisions. The FO pressured Denny Green into playing Leinart when his time was ending here. The same pressure was applied on Whisenhunt when he came in but Leinart got beat out by a “washed up” QB, a QB that Whiz picked over Leinart because of his play not because of his dislike of Leinart (and even that was with a caveat, Warner had to learn to secure the ball or he would lose his position). The problem Leinart had wasn’t Whiz’s supposed ego but his inability to beat out QB’s that were meant to be his backups. That was the plan with DA, he was not suppose to be the starter. That’s why Leinart took all the snaps all offseason until camp came along. He got beat out by DA. Now the fact that Leinart got beat out by DA should exemplify how bad he was (or just how much of a practice warrior DA is and how much of a useless lump of human tissue he is on game day).
If you have ever read anything about Whiz, like when he was first being considered for the HC job, you would know that he was hired because of his intelligence and his success in Pitt as an OC. He was known for being intellictual and even headed. Since day one he has always stated the best players play regardless of if you got drafted or not, veteran or not. He came in with a plan on how to turn around the organization and immediately changed the attitude of this team and of it’s fans. Cards fans have always been pessimistic about this team and for the first time we are actually riled up about how bad our team. To me this shows how are expectations have been raised.
Obviously the decisions Whiz has made in regards to our QB were poor and costly, but I am not going to trash the guy who has changed this organization. Does anybody remember how bad we have been? When was the last time we had legitimate hope before the season began? For me it’s been a while.
Whiz deserves the chance to right the mistakes he has made and correct the ship. If he can’t do it in another season I will be sad to let him go.
by Jesse Reynolds on Dec 2, 2010 7:35 PM MST up reply actions 4 recs
Did you watch Leinart before Whiz got here?
He played pretty good for a rookie and threw downfield quite a few times. Talk about how much Whisenhunt did for this team but guess what his record is without Warner starting. 6-14. Pretty average for an Arizona Cardinal Head Coach. And lets look at the drafting The Whiz has done. 1st rounders: Levi Brown-Bust, DRC-No work ethic, Beanie-Still to be determined.
F Dallas
by Redbird Nation #1 on Dec 3, 2010 9:33 AM MST up reply actions
Dennie Green drafted Leinart and look at who else he drafted
Fitzgerald, Dockett, Dansby, Rolle. All of the teams Pro Bowlers (except for Dansby, who is still a top 10 LB. Ill take Dennies judgement of talent over Whisenhunts anyday
F Dallas
by Redbird Nation #1 on Dec 3, 2010 9:35 AM MST up reply actions
Come on
Don’t tell me 2005 was a good draft. Or 2006 for that matter
We are red, we are white, we are Danish Dynamite!
Im sayin Dennie Green drafted better than Whisenhunt.
Whos Whisenhunts best pick? Id say Breaston (5th rounder) .
F Dallas
by Redbird Nation #1 on Dec 3, 2010 11:05 AM MST up reply actions
The fact that the Defense is almost always on the field
Doesn’t help at all. I’m sure no Defense in the league can stay consistent throughout a game if they:
A)Are on the field constantly
B)Have no faith in the Offense
C)Are just plain worn out
They’ve been playing too long in the last few games. They’re worn out. It’s starting to show on their playing. They’re not able to tackle good, they’re slowing down considerably, and we aren’t getting that many sacks.
So, I think all our problems start with the Offense. Fix it, and give the Defense something to believe in. Not that I’m saying the Defense doesn’t need some fixing. I’m saying that the Offense is a huge part of why the Defense is getting killed.
by Skii on Dec 2, 2010 6:19 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Time on the field
has undoubtedly skewed their stats horribly. They’ve given up way too many big plays too. That’s not always a result of having been fatigued either.
If the Offense was actually able to score on more than one drive the whole game
Then they’d be able to stay on the field longer, meaning the Defense wouldn’t have as many chances to mess up.
So, you’re right. Their immense time on the field has messed up their stats big time.
Just researched
(when I was writing my ridiculously long post) that we have, unsurprisingly, the worst time of possession in the league.
Our D spends almost 2/3 of the game on the field and that’s a lot of wear a tear.
by Jesse Reynolds on Dec 2, 2010 10:20 PM MST up reply actions
That's pathetic
I can understand why our Defense does so bad at times. They’ve got nothing left in them. Maybe that’s why DRC seems to lose the guy he’s covering, or the fact that our secondary can’t seem to make a tackle for their lives at different points in the game.
Of course, a good player deals with everything and tries his hardest, but I can understand why our Defense has pretty much given up: No matter what they do, they’ll always be back on the field after about half a minute if they’re lucky.
That stat no doubt shows you that we’re going to draft Andrew Luck/Jake Locker in the 1st Round. Or pick up Kevin Kolb. I’m fine with either.
+1 for doing the research......but not happy to hear this...
but when you combine that stat with much of the commentary here, it paints a pretty bleak picture of what could be going on with the D…
that’s part of the equation
But the defense is also sucking big time too. First play of the game after a long week on MNF, they let Gore rip off a run for 25 yds. And then he continued to rip off runs until he got hurt. I can understand fatigue later in the game, but its no excuse for the first drive, particularly when they know (or should have known), that SF was going to run Gore a lot.
Both sides of this team are a let down this year.
I don't know man
This team is already testing my fair weather fan-ness in me.
Skii took the words right out of my mouth. They are literally defending all the time with DA’s “three and out” routine. Skill is different from stamina, and there are players like Rhodes who get tired easily. There is also the “season is lost so who cares” mentality out there. Of course, that’s not entirely true. But even if you enjoy playing football regardless, you’d try harder if you know there’s something at the end of the tunnel. Right now, there’s nothing for the defense to play for, both short term (DA sucking) and long term (record already sucked).
So basically it all depends on Anderson. He needs to give the spark our defense needed. And that’s where we’re officially fucked.
Some very good commentary here..
I tend to agree with most. I believe our defense is average, but with the right scheming(which they’ve proven they can do), it is able to perform at high levels. I never liked Davis. The ineffectiveness of the offense, and specifically, the failure of the QB position has taken its toll over the season. I don’t think Davis is a very good DC, and seems outmatched by the OC in most games. I think the D has not seen improvement in the offense, and so they are not giving 100% all the time. That’s critical because if 10/11 aren’t going 100%, that’s when mistakes happen.
I think both of these are on Whiz. He fired Clancy and replaced with Davis. And then the QB spot was obviously messed up….This has to be fixed….
Some players have cashed it in already.
The last two games the D has not showed up at all. There is not word to describe this “offence”. Where do we need to be in the draft to get the QB we want. We will win 3 out of 4 to close the season, loosing to the 49ers again, not becouse we improve, but becouse thats the mentality of the team. If we lost out at least it would look like we were planning for the draft, but we wont. will go atleast 2 and 2 and put us out of reach of the QB our team needs. We wont win out becouse the team has lost it’s will to do that.
good write up Joe
hard to add anything.
lost quality players, then the quality players, our best players, have underperformed all year.
its easy to blame Davis, but he isn’t on the field. Good players can work through bad schemes and at least make the tackle after a 5 yard gain rather than whiff and then chase after them 65 yards and watch another TD.
http://www.reverbnation.com/chrisfarmer
Change of coach/coordinator can make an immidiate impact though
Take a look at Dallas. I’m not calling out Whiz yet but Davis, yeah I think he should be gone. And hire a freaking offensive co-ordinator too!
by Birdman from Mesa on Dec 5, 2010 8:35 AM MST up reply actions
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