Revenge of the Birds - Cardinals vs. Packers postgame coverageAn Arizona Cardinals community -- the best one there ishttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51297/rotb_fav.png2013-08-15T18:44:23-06:00http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/rss/stream/43723432013-08-15T18:44:23-06:002013-08-15T18:44:23-06:00Film review: What went wrong on 50-yd Jones catch
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<figcaption>Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Seth Cox breaks down the breakdowns in the Arizona secondary. </p> <p>When Todd Bowles came to Arizona as the replacement for Ray Horton, there wasn't really a divide among fans, simply because the majority of fans didn't want to see Ray Horton go.</p>
<p>The reality of the NFL is that you're only as good as what you've done lately, and Horton and his defense excelled in a nearly impossible situation to excel in, while Bowles failed in a similar situation in Philadelphia.</p>
<p>Using a system he didn't believe in, the 4-3 with his defensive ends lined up outside in a "nine" technique, and with players that have almost all been replaced in the secondary, Bowles work was nothing short of dismal.</p>
<p>Now he comes to the desert, for the first time instituting his defensive schemes, with half of the starting defense being replaced with guys he undoubtedly vouched for, and has some pretty big dreads to fill (sorry for the terrible pun).</p>
<p>While most will say that game one was a defensive success, some look at the fact that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a> took the ball with their first team offense, minus their top two receivers and getting a fourth round rookie accustomed to the left tackle position, and marched down the field, as the result of a big play in the passing game by <span>Aaron Rodgers</span>.</p>
<p>What happened on the 50 yards pass play that set up a very good goal line stand by the defense?</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062927/jones1.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Jones1_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062927/jones1_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376613332934"></p>
<p>It started with the coverage they used, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Cardinals</a> were playing in their 4-2-5 nickel package that Jess talked about <a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/13/4616744/defensive-formation-counts-for-the-arizona-cardinals-vs-green-bay" target="_blank">in his column documenting the formations used</a>.</p>
<p>It appears the Cardinals are in a cover one, moving strong safety <span>Yeremiah Bell</span> into man coverage with the tight end, and one of the inside linebackers taking the back out of the backfield, with the other linebacker blitzing when this is typically run, but when they drop they double cover the tight end and even <span>Jasper Brinkley</span>, who is lined up at the weak side inside linebacker position in this case, turns to cover the tight end, so the exact coverage doesn't end up looking like a cover one, but you can't really call it a cover two because there ends up only being one safety deep, so that seems to be the start of the issue.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062935/jones2.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Jones2_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062935/jones2_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376613395007"></p>
<p>Seconds after the snap we can see the next issue, as three of the receivers in the route are bodied up and covered but at the very top of the screen Cason's press coverage is easily beat and he's playing catch up from the beginning.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062943/jones3.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Jones3_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062943/jones3_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376613424173"></p>
<p>Hard to see in the picture but Cason actually is able to recover fairly well (I can't wait for All 22 footage which will make this much easier), and Brinkley now recognizes that no one, on third and two mind you, has the receiver out of the backfield, this was a mental error that was not addressed in the media, but was likely not overlooked in film review, as on a third and two early in the game you cannot have a blown assignment like this.</p>
<p>The missing piece to all of this was where <span>Rashad Johnson</span> was, as the play was in front of him, and he should feel comfortable enough leaving <span>Patrick Peterson</span>, at the bottom of the shot, alone on the boundary side of the field.</p>
<p>This means that he should have been shading to the wide side of the field where three routes were being run, and he may have been, but without the ability to see where he is, and by the fact he was so far away in when he comes over to help, there's no way of accurately tell here, but it seems he wasn't in place on this play.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062951/jones4.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Jones4_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062951/jones4_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376613475258"></p>
<p>Rashad is the deep man and this was the first that he was in the picture on the game film, but there was a misread somewhere, by someone.</p>
<p>This is an extremely difficult coverage, and a lot of the time as the single deep man you have to pick your poison on what route you want to try to jump, but you can't get caught this late coming over the top, even though he's in front of the play.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062967/jones5.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Jones5_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3062967/jones5_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376613516388"></p>
<p>How we know he's late coming over the top is because by the time the receiver catches the ball he's at worst even with Rashad, and Rashad is nearly on the numbers instead of pushing the sideline.</p>
<p>There were several breakdowns on this play, but one that the Cardinals can't have, and <span>Tyrann Mathieu</span> has been announced as the starter at the free safety position so hopefully there will be a deep ball versus Dallas we can compare too, is the single high safety being late, out of position, or slow to make the read defensively coming over the top to help.</p>
<p>It is an extremely difficult play to make, but the reality is if Bowles is going to be bringing pressure from one of the inside linebacker positions, and playing man coverage across the secondary, he needs to be able to trust the deep man, whoever it is, will be there to make a play on the back end.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While this was a small blip on an otherwise sparkling debut for Bowles and the defense, there's always room for improvement, and this was one spot that stuck out as needing work early.</p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/15/4626328/cardinals-vs-packers-film-review-what-went-wrong-on-the-long-pass-toSeth Cox2013-08-13T14:01:08-06:002013-08-13T14:01:08-06:00Defensive formations for Cards/Packers
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<figcaption>Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We saw the offensive formations, now what about the defense?</p> <p>The offense is done and if things continue, we can expect to see a lot of two tight end formations. Now we hammer away at the defensive formations.</p>
<p>The defense was on the field for 66 plays. They played a lot of nickel. They went with five defensive backs for two thirds of the game -- 44 of the 66 plays.</p>
<p>While in nickel, the base nickel formation was 2-4-5 like last season. That accounted for 32 plays. The first team defense also showed a 3-3-5 set on six plays and even went 4-2-5 on another six occasions.</p>
<p>When they weren't in nickel, they showed that they are a 3-4 team. They lined up in their base 3-4 for 19 plays. They did, though, show a 4-3 front three times.</p>
<p>What we did see is that the first team defense has some flexibility to give different looks, but that the team is still very much a 3-4 team that lines up a lot like they did under Ray Horton.</p>
<p>One observation after seeing practice is that they did not go with six defensive backs on any play. In practice, they do run dime formations quite a bit.</p>
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<p><i>Keep up with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Cardinals</a> news and opinions when you are not on the site. Follow Revenge of the Birds on Twitter at </i><a href="http://twitter.com/revengeofbirds"><i>@revengeofbirds</i></a> <i>and "like" us on </i><a href="http://facebook.com/revengeofthebirds"><i>Facebook</i></a><i>. You can follow me individually at </i><a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/senorjessroot"><i>@senorjessroot</i></a><i>.</i></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/13/4616744/defensive-formation-counts-for-the-arizona-cardinals-vs-green-bayJess Root2013-08-13T12:00:06-06:002013-08-13T12:00:06-06:00Cardinals offensive formations vs Packers
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>How did the team line up offensively in their first preseason game?</p> <p>Since it is the preseason and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> have a new coaching staff and offensive scheme, it might be worthwhile to see the formations the team uses to perhaps get some insight as to what the offense might look like when the games actually count.</p>
<p>As such, here is how the offense was set in its formations.</p>
<p>The offense ran a total of 63 plays, and one of them was the end of the game kneeldown, so for our purposes, there were 62 plays.</p>
<p>Of the 62 plays, the most prevalent formation was with "12" personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers). They ran 29 plays (47 percent of the plays) with two tight ends. We have heard on more than one occasion that two tight ends is Bruce Arians' favorite personnel. They ran the ball 18 times out of that formation and passed 11 times.</p>
<p>The next most common formation was with "11" personnel (one back, one tight end and three receivers), with 14 plays. They ran the ball six times and called eight pass plays.</p>
<p>After that was "13" personnel (three tight ends). They came out in this formation 10 times, running the ball seven times and calling three pass plays.</p>
<p>They went with one back, four wideouts and no tight end five times, passing four times and running once.</p>
<p>They went with an empty backfield three times, once with four receivers and one tight end and the other two times with five wideouts. They passed each time.</p>
<p>The one other formation was a jumbo package at the goalline. They went with one back, no receiver, three tight ends and a tackle eligible. Yes, they ran the ball.</p>
<p>Clearly this is early to draw conclusions, but if we can use this to predict a little, then we should not expect to see many plays for receivers not named Fitz, Floyd or Roberts. Over 87 percent of the plays saw three receivers or less on the field. I recall only twice where a tight end was lined up in the backfield when the ball was snapped.</p>
<p>We are going to see a lot of the tight ends and the top three receivers. It will be interesting to see how this evolves as we get closer to the season.</p>
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<p><i>Keep up with Cardinals news and opinions when you are not on the site. Follow Revenge of the Birds on Twitter at </i><a href="http://twitter.com/revengeofbirds"><i>@revengeofbirds</i></a> <i>and "like" us on </i><a href="http://facebook.com/revengeofthebirds"><i>Facebook</i></a><i>. You can follow me individually at </i><a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/senorjessroot"><i>@senorjessroot</i></a><i>.</i></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/13/4616702/offensive-formations-for-arizona-cardinals-vs-green-bay-packersJess Root2013-08-13T08:00:10-06:002013-08-13T08:00:10-06:00PFF grades for Cardinals vs Packers
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>what did PFF have to say about the team's performance vs the Packers?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> came away with a 17-0 win to kick off the preseason. People have talked about the play of the receivers, rookie <span>Tyrann Mathieu</span> and also the offensive. In fact, Pro Football Focus pointed these out in their <a target="_blank" href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F08%2F11%2Frefo-cardinals-packers-preseason-week-1%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.revengeofthebirds.com%2F2013%2F8%2F13%2F4616800%2Fpff-praises-tyrann-mathieu-undrafted-receivers-against-packers" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">refocus of the game the Cards played against Green Bay.</a></p>
<p>The offensive line was praised, especially given the context. <span>Chilo Rachal</span> had a poor grade (-3.5), but the line earned (minus Rachal) a pass blocking score of +3.6. The run blocking, though, was not good.</p>
<p>The play of <span>Jaron Brown</span> and <span>Charles Hawkins</span> was noticed. Brown graded at a +2.4 for the game and Hawkins at +1.1.</p>
<p>Mathieu was the star of the game, with the highest overall grade at +2.9.</p>
<p>Can they keep up the performance against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a> on Saturday in front of a home crowd? That is yet to be seen.</p>
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https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/13/4616800/pff-praises-tyrann-mathieu-undrafted-receivers-against-packersJess Root2013-08-12T14:00:03-06:002013-08-12T14:00:03-06:00Defensive snap counts for Cards/Packers
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>How did the snaps play out for everyone?</p> <p>We know the playing time for the offensive players. What about the defense? There were 66 defensive snaps. Defensive end <span>Ronald Talley</span> was the playing time winner with 51 snaps, while <span>John Abraham</span> made the most of his five plays, logging a sack and forced fumble.</p>
<p>Here is how it played out for everyone.</p>
<p>Defensive backs: <span>Tyrann Mathieu</span> 38, <span>Javier Arenas</span> 34, <span>Jonathon Amaya</span> 30, <span>Justin Bethel</span> 21, <span>Antoine Cason</span> 21, <span>Curtis Taylor</span> 20, <span>Tony Jefferson</span> 20, <span>Javon Harris</span> 20, <span>Ronnie Yell</span> 20, <span>Bryan McCann</span> 19, <span>Rashad Johnson</span> 17, Patrck Peterson 17, <span>Jerraud Powers</span> 17, <span>Yeremiah Bell</span> 17</p>
<p>Linebackers: <span>Zack Nash</span> 46, <span>Kenny Rowe</span> 40, <span>Kevin Minter</span> 30, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Daryl Washington</a> 24, <span>Colin Parker</span> 23, <span>Matt Shaughnessy</span> 18, <span>Reggie Walker</span> 17, <span>Jasper Brinkley</span> 17, <span>Kenny Demens</span> 15, <span>Sam Acho</span> 9, <span>Korey Jones</span> 8, <span>Lorenzo Alexander</span> 6, John Abraham 5</p>
<p>Defensive line: Ronald Talley 51, <span>David Carter</span> 35, <span>Padric Scott</span> 23, <span>Calais Campbell</span> 13, <span>Darnell Dockett</span> 13, <span>Jonathan Mathis</span> 7</p>
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<p><i>Keep up with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Cardinals</a> news and opinions when you are not on the site. Follow Revenge of the Birds on Twitter at </i><a href="http://twitter.com/revengeofbirds"><i>@revengeofbirds</i></a> <i>and "like" us on </i><a href="http://facebook.com/revengeofthebirds"><i>Facebook</i></a><i>. You can follow me individually at </i><a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/senorjessroot"><i>@senorjessroot</i></a><i>.</i></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/12/4612822/cardinals-vs-packers-defensive-playing-timeJess Root2013-08-12T12:00:07-06:002013-08-12T12:00:07-06:00Offensive snap counts in Cards/Packers
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<figcaption>Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Who got lots of snaps? Who didn't get so much?</p> <p>The snap counts are out for the preseason games last week. That, naturally, includes the game between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a>. At this point, you can't read too much from the data because they are trying to play everybody to see what they can do.</p>
<p>What is different from the regular season is that in the preseason, especially in a team's first game, more playing time does not necessarily mean something good, other than opportunity. If you are play a lot, it means that your road to making the team has a lot of obstacles, as those who play most typically are the ones that don't make the team. It isn't always the case, especially when there are injuries affecting the depth chart (which was the case for Arizona).</p>
<p>By the logic of playing more isn't necessarily good, tight end <span>Jim Dray</span> has much to worry about. He played 48 of the offense's 63 plays. Of course, that does have a lot to do with injuries, as <span>Jeff King</span> and Kory Sperry both missed the game with injuries.</p>
<p>Rookie <span>Stepfan Taylor</span> was next with 36 snaps.</p>
<p>Here it is by position:</p>
<p>QB: <span>Drew Stanton</span> 33, <span>Ryan Lindley</span> 17, <span>Carson Palmer</span> 9, <span>Caleb TerBush</span> 6</p>
<p>RB: Stepfan Taylor 36, <span>Alfonso Smith</span> 27</p>
<p>WR: <span>Jaron Brown</span> 31, <span>Dan Buckner</span> 29, <span>Charles Hawkins</span> 21, <span>Robby Toma</span> 19, Nick Edwards 17, Jarrett Dillard 10, <span>Michael Floyd</span> 9, <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> 8, <span>Andre Roberts</span> 6</p>
<p>TE: Jim Dray 48, <span>Mickey Shuler</span> 29, <span>D.C. Jefferson</span> 21, <span>Rob Housler</span> 7, <span>Alex Gottlieb</span> 6</p>
<p>OL: <span>Mike Gibson</span> 34, <span>Bobby Massie</span> 33, <span>Nate Potter</span> 33, <span>Chilo Rachal</span> 30, <span>Senio Kelemete</span> 25, <span>Jamaal Johnson-Webb</span> 24, <span>Earl Watford</span> 23, <span>Joe Caprioglio</span> 23, <span>Adam Bice</span> 22, <span>Scott Wedige</span> 18, <span>Paul Fanaika</span> 17, <span>Jonathan Cooper</span> 17, <span>Lyle Sendlein</span> 9, Levi Brown 9, <span>Eric Winston</span> 9</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Defensive snap counts coming next.</p>
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<li><a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/10/4608248/arizona-cardinals-bubble-players-who-trended-up-and-who-trended-down">Arizona Cardinals bubble players: Who trended up and who trended down</a></li>
</ul>
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https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/12/4612658/playing-time-on-offense-for-the-arizona-cardinals-against-the-greenJess Root2013-08-11T08:00:05-06:002013-08-11T08:00:05-06:00The good, bad, ugly from Cards/Packers
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<figcaption>Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A look back at the preseason opening.</p> <p>Game one of the preseason has to be considered a success for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> and the Bruce Arians era.</p>
<p><span>Carson Palmer</span> and the offense looked comfortable with each other in the passing game, leading to a solid day for the veteran.</p>
<p>While there wasn't much to take away from the game in terms of what I'll be doing in the regular season (note this will typically be a Wednesday column in order to utilize the All-22 tape to give us a great look at what happened) there was still plenty to talk about.</p>
<p>Welcome to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly post game recap.</p>
<p><b>The Good: So that's what a clean pocket looks like</b></p>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038591/CARDSPACK1.png"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038591/CARDSPACK1_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Cardspack1_medium"></a> <br id="1376204772484"></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038599/cardspack2.png"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038599/cardspack2_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Cardspack2_medium"></a> <br id="1376204849167"></p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038671/cardspack4.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack4_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038671/cardspack4_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206488750"></p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038679/cardspack5.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack5_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038679/cardspack5_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206513051"></p>
<p>Carson Palmer threw the ball six times (the one missing shot is from a smoke route to Larry) and each time he had a clean pocket to step up and throw the ball in.</p>
<p>One of the things I was watching closely in this game was what type of protection the line could afford Palmer, would he be able to set up and throw the ball into those deep Arians routes, and they were deep, the average depth of target for his six throws was 20.3 yards (this is where the wide receiver was when the ball was caught, dropped, or overthrown).</p>
<p>While there wasn't any blitz packages or exotic looks, the fact that this preseason, the Cardinals were able to make it look like their starting quarterback didn't even come onto the field is something to smile about.</p>
<p><b>Other good things:</b></p>
<p><span>Jasper Brinkley</span>, <span>Reggie Walker</span>, <span>Kevin Minter</span> and <span>Rashad Johnson</span> did well in defending the running game of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a>.</p>
<p>Brinkley and Walker were keys in the Cardinals goal line stand against the Pack and were making plays consistently coming down hill.</p>
<p>As for Johnson, he struggled a little bit in coverage, but overall he played a nice game as a guy coming up from his free safety position and making plays in the run game.</p>
<p>Minter lived up to his reputation as a pure middle backer, as he looked comfortable flowing too and through the trash in the run game. There were a couple of disengaging problems, which made him late in tackle attempts, but overall you can't ask for much more from a rookie.</p>
<p><b>The Bad: Where's the pass rush?</b></p>
<p>It's only fair that I point out the lack of pass rush from the first team defense going against what is supposed to be a porous Packers offensive line.</p>
<p>In seven rush attempts the Cardinals first team defense yielded not a single pressure (five attempts by Rodgers and two by Harrell).</p>
<p>Again, there's nothing but vanilla game planning going on, but if I am giving credit to the offensive line of the Cardinals, I have to raise the question about the pass rush.</p>
<p>We did see the type of impact <span>John Abraham</span> will have on this team though, and as I noted on Twitter on that particular play <span>Sam Acho</span> was lined up as the OLB opposite Abraham, so that may have been to see if they could get any type of pressure from the OLBs at all, but the question remains, who's going to bring the heat?</p>
<p><b>Other bad things:</b></p>
<p>The kicking game was an abject failure, from both the veteran and the rookie, and that could be something to watch as we move forward through the preseason.</p>
<p>If the Cardinals play like I think they will during the season, they'll be in a lot of games, and that means it could come down to the kicking game, and although it's just one preseason game, that's not something I want right now.</p>
<p>Defensive line depth is a concern until <span>Dan Williams</span> and <span>Ricky Lumpkin</span> get back on the field.</p>
<p>While the DL didn't play badly, there is going to be times when the second and third string guys need to make plays, and I didn't see a lot of that last night.</p>
<p>The first team safeties, and even parts of the second team when <span>Tyrann Mathieu</span> was playing out of the slot corner position, are worrisome in coverage.</p>
<p>No one outside of Mathieu has shown great instincts on the back end, or the athleticism to make up for their slow reaction to plays.</p>
<p>What was a strength of the team in 2012 is now an area of concern.</p>
<p><b>The Ugly: Seal the backside on running plays please</b></p>
<p>There was a reason the Cardinals brought in <span>Eric Winston</span> and it was because of his superior ability in the zone blocking scheme.</p>
<p>While the Cardinals are not going to a pure zone, they are going to run it at times, while also utilizing a power run scheme as well.</p>
<p>Well at least in game one, Winston, Brown, and the tight ends on the first team did a really bad job of sealing off the backside and opening up cutback lanes for <span>Alfonso Smith</span> (who got the start after <span>Rashard Mendenhall</span> was held out).</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038687/cardspack6.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack6_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038687/cardspack6_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206558375"></p>
<p>In a zone scheme Winston has to seal off the defensive end who is lined up head up on the guard, it's a tough block, but a key to the success of this play.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038695/cardspack7.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack7_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038695/cardspack7_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206587754"></p>
<p>As we can see the rest of the offensive line has won on this play, and <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> is countering back to block the OLB, meaning there is one guy that can make the play here and that's Winston's man <span>Ryan Pickett</span>.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038711/cardspack8.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack8_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038711/cardspack8_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206623619"></p>
<p>Unfortunately for Winston he wasn't able to seal the backside and Pickett makes the play resulting in a minimal three yard gain for Alfonso Smith.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038727/cardspack9.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack9_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038727/cardspack9_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206697985"></p>
<p>On this play the key block that needs to happen comes from rookie DC Jefferson.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038735/cardspack10.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack10_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038735/cardspack10_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206720342"></p>
<p>We can see that the rest of the offensive line has won, there's literally one man to beat if Jefferson can maintain his block, and Smith has eyes on him right away.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038743/cardspack11.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Cardspack11_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3038743/cardspack11_medium.png"></a> <br id="1376206751649"></p>
<p>Jefferson loses his man, and is able to fill the hole and makes a play on Fonzo for a short gain.</p>
<p>While the second and third string offensive lines made some excellent blocks later in the game against fellow second and third stringers, these were key blocks missed by guys that were running with the first team in both Winston and Jefferson.</p>
<p><b>Player of the Game:</b></p>
<p><b>Tyrann Mathieu</b></p>
<p>Mathieu did exactly what you expect of him, he lined up everywhere in the secondary, was asked to blitz, and ended the night with a pass break up, a sack and a nifty 24 yard punt return.</p>
<p>While other players played well, Brinkley and Minter at the inside linebacker positions and <span>Javier Arenas</span> at corner <a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/9/4607998/arizona-cardinals-position-battles-trended-up-trended-down" target="_blank">as Shaun pointed out,</a> as well <span>Charles Hawkins</span> and <span>Jaron Brown</span> fighting for that fourth wide receiver spot, I thought Mathieu showed the most of what his impact can be in his limited reps in game one.</p>
<p><b>Final thoughts</b>: This was the exact type of game the Cardinals needed to start the Arians era, a game with a big play from Palmer to any of the wide receivers, the offensive line keeping Palmer upright, and the defense pitching a shutout.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While there is still plenty to work on, hello running game and pass rush, there were a lot of good things to take away from game one of the preseason.</p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/11/4610602/the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-from-cardinals-vs-packersSeth Cox2013-08-10T14:00:07-06:002013-08-10T14:00:07-06:00Who was the Arizona Cardinals' player of the game
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<figcaption>Hi, I'm the HB and I make plays. What do you do? | USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Player of the game in the Arizona Cardinals victory over the Green Bay Packers</p> <p>The first preseason game is behind us, putting a check in the W column. In watching the game there were a few players who stood out as candidates for player of the game in my mind. My nominees are:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Carson Palmer</span>, QB. Palmer is up here for going 4/6 for 77 yards, a TD pass and posting a 149.3% QB rating. Keeper, right?</p>
<p><span>Patrick Peterson</span>, CB. PP21 is up here for picking off <span>Graham Harrell</span> and putting the Cards in excellent field position to score, which they did. It's PP21 showing the world they need to watch him.</p>
<p><span>John Abraham</span>, DE. Abraham makes the list for peeling off the left end and strip sacking Harrell. A great start to the recent signing by GM Steve Keim.</p>
<p><span>Sam Acho</span>, LB: Acho is very cerebral, knows where to be and how to play the game. He's always in position to make a play, and that's why he's here now. Cashing in on Abraham's strip sack, Acho scoops up the loose ball for the Cards. Can't get enough turnovers.</p>
<p><span>Tyrann Mathieu</span>, CB: The HB was all over the place in yesterday's game. He sacked Harrell and added a TFL. He made some nice moves on the punt he returned. He made things happen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm giving my vote to the rookie, HB takes it home this week. He made things happen yesterday in a couple of different wrinkles in the game. If he continues to build upon what he did, his name could be very big soon.</p>
<p>What do you think? Tell the world in the poll below.</p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/8/10/4608716/arizona-cardinals-vs-green-bay-packers-player-of-the-gameC Deveau