Thoughts on Max Hall Starting

I must say I’m absolutely thrilled we made the change at quarterback.  I’m ready for the Max Hall era to begin in Arizona.  Maybe it will fizzle out.  I remember being excited for the Matt Leinart era to begin as well as the Josh McCown era too, so I may not be a good judge.  Whiz has proven to be a good judge though, and it got very hard to watch a game with DA.  Whiz said DA was pressing and trying to be perfect and that makes sense to me.  DA did make some big plays for us to get us to 2-2, but we really needed to make the change.  He just couldn't get a rhythm going, so we might as well see what we have with the kid. 

Why am I so excited about Max Hall?  He’s smart, he’s tough, he shows passion, he’s accurate, and he believes in himself.  He has everything you look for in a quarterback but the height.  Drew Brees is short too, and he just won a Super Bowl.  He is going to have his struggles for sure as a rookie, but I think he brings an instant upgrade.  The biggest problem is he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. His biggest advantage is that he's learning from Whiz. He comes from an NFL pedigree.  His Grandpa Wilford White played running back for the Bears, and his uncle was Danny White, the famous Cowboy quarterback.   

It’s too bad his first start is against Gregg Williams of New Orleans who is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league.  He is going to have to face some of the craziest blitzes and schemes that he’ll have to face all year.  We also don't know if Early Doucet or Stevie B will be back.  We can’t judge him on this game if he does poorly, but if he does well against Williams then that is a great sign.  If he can pull out a win against the Saints then I'm thinking Super Bowl as a rookie.  If he struggles I will still think anything is possible. 

It really doesn’t matter how he does if the defense doesn’t finally stand up and stop the other team from running the football.  It would be a waste for Kurt to come back with a defense that gives up 40 points against good teams.  They really have to get it together, so hopefully we can do that this week against the Saints.  They are the defending Super Bowl Champs, but I expect the Birdgang to have a shot against every team we play. 

Ideas to Fix the Defense

Moving On

I don't even want to talk about that last game.  This team is not in trouble yet, and we have too much talent to worry just yet.  We can still win the division and get it together by the playoffs.  We are still tied for first place right now, even after that debacle.  We have a lot of injuries right now and we need to make some scheme changes.  If you have read this blog before you will know that I have a lot of faith in Whiz.  I don’t have a lot of faith in Billy Davis though, and he has given me no reason to have any faith in him yet.  We have given up 40+ points in 4 of our last 6 games including last year’s 2 playoff games, because of that I have some tips for him from what I've seen.  Hopefully, this gets into the right hands, because I really think its what we need to do on defense to help the team.     

Defensive Suggestions

The problem with our defense isn’t the players, it’s the scheme.  We have a lot of talented players that aren’t being used in the right places.  Our talent isn’t suited to run a 3-4 base defense, especially without Gerald Hayes.  We need to install a 4-3 base scheme.  That’s where we are loaded on talent.  We are really deep on our d-line and not so deep at linebacker.  If Billy Davis doesn’t adjust his scheme to fit the talent he has he should be fired.  A good coach has to adjust the scheme to the talent he has, and not try to force the talent he has to play his scheme. We play the Saints next and then we have a bye, so we have a lot of time to work on the new base scheme and get it going for the rest of the season. It's not too late to make a change in the first week of October when you are 2-2.

Why we can’t run a 3-4

I hate to be negative, but we are missing the linebackers to stop the run in a 3-4.  We are missing our former captain Gerald Hayes and Dansby who were our 2 inside backers last year.  Hayes is out from injury and he is our strong side inside backer and our run stuffer.  Since we are missing Hayes, Paris Lenon has to play that spot, but he was really brought in to be the weak side inside backer to replace Dansby.  He is doing an admirable job, but he’s a fish out of water over there and it’s not capitalizing on the talent we have.  Daryl Washington was forced into the lineup early to fill that weak side spot, and while he can run as fast as the wind, he is having trouble shedding blocks like the scouting report said.  Joey Porter is more of a pass rush specialist on the outside then an every down outsider backer, and he is having trouble stopping the run.  That’s too many holes in our front 7 to stop the run.  If you can’t stop the run then the offense is going to have a lot of 3rd and shorts, and that’s the last place the defense wants to be. 

Why we should run a 4-3

We are loaded on our d-line, and we need to take advantage of it.  We are stacked and we should be getting more of them on the field than we are.  We all know about Dockett and Campbell, but our two backup defensive ends, Kenny Iwebema and Alan Branch, could be starting on any other team in the league.  The problem is they have Dockett and Campbell in front of them for playing time.  If we move to a 4-3 we can get one of them on the field at left end, and we can move Dockett to under tackle which he is more suited to play.  At that spot he is right next to Big Gabe Watson or the rookie Dan Williams, and they eat up blockers for him.  Dockett would probably be the best under tackle in the NFL right now if they played him there.  The role of that job is to penetrate and that’s what he does best.  It’s why Albert Haynesworth was so angry about moving to tackle in a 3-4 from under tackle in a 4-3, the tackle in a 3-4’s job is to eat up blocks which is a waste of Albert Haynesworth’s talent and not what he wanted to do. 

Teams would have a hell of a time running on us with a front four of Calais, Big Gabe, Dock, and Branch or Iwebema; and that's without even bringing the linebackers into it.  Those 5 can eat up 6-7 blockers on every down.  Then Daryl Washington isn’t going to have to be shedding blocks from pulling guards and his speed can be utilized as the weak side backer.  He can cover a lot of ground and help in coverage, and that would be the best way to utilize his talent.  Paris can play middle and Haggans can man the other outside.  This needs to be our base scheme to best utilize our talent.  Then we can put Joey in on nickel and dime packages to get to the quarterback and that is capitalizing on his talent.    

That is the best way to utilize all of the talent this team has.  If Billy Davis can’t figure that out then Whiz needs to get rid of him and bring in someone who can.  Maybe Billy has another idea, but if we continue to give up 40 points a game he shouldn't last as the defensive coordinator.  It's tough to give up 40 points a game a win, especially without Warner.  A good coach utilizes the talent that he has, and he builds the scheme around that.  He doesn’t force his scheme on to the players.  That is what Whiz did on offense when he came to Arizona.  Everyone knew he preferred a power running scheme, but he adjusted his scheme around Warner and all of the receivers that we had.  That is what a good coach does, so that is what we better do on defense soon.  Otherwise it’s going to be a long season watching teams run all over us. 

No Need To Panic     

There is no need to panic yet as fans.  We are 2-2 and tied for first place, and we have a lot of talent on this team.  We just need to utilize it right.  We have the Saints and then we have the bye, and after the bye we should get Early and Stevie B back from injury.  We may even get Hayes back as well.  The next 12 games are yet to be played, and the football season is a marathon and not a sprint. The Pats went 16-0 and the Colts could have if they didn't bench the starters, and neither team won the Super Bowl. 

A Win is a Win

Cardinals Vs Raiders Game Thoughts
It doesn't really matter how that game ended, because the Arizona Cardinals are now 2-1 and tied for 1st place in the division.  I somewhat buy into the conspiracy theory that Sebastian Janikowski was on the take from the mob and had to miss that field goal because of a bet.  This is the kicker that got caught with ecstasy, got a dui, and got into a fight.  If any kickers are taking money to lose games the smart money would be on him.  He is also the guy who can boot it in from 60+ yards.  I can make a 32 yard field goal 2 out of 5 times and I'm not a kicker or in shape, and he is going to shank it that bad?  Regardless of how we won we still won.  We outplayed the Raiders overall for most of the game and deserved to win.  If it wasn't for 2 punt muffs it wouldn't have even been close.  I'm thrilled we came out with the W because there is a big difference between 2-1 and 1-2. 

Standard DA Encouragement/Criticism
We really need to see some improvement in DA, and I hope Whiz has him on a short leash this week.  He just has to get more accurate and stop leaving huge plays on the field.  I saw Josh McCown's stat line last night of 22-25, and you have got to wonder if he is really that much worse than DA.  McCown wasn't very good, but right now I have him rated above DA and that's kind of sad.  DA has to step up this week against San Diego for us to win, and I hope he does. 

Stevie B
It was very sad to hear the news Stevie B is out for the next few weeks.  We just have to manage through the bye until everyone is healthy.  It is a good thing we are 2-1.  We have the Chargers and Saints the next two weeks until we can rest up, so I imagine it's going to be tough to win those games without our #2 and #3 receiver.  Breaston is a huge loss and we are already down Doucet.  We are now running with Fitz and 3 rookies at receiver the next two weeks, so hopefully one of the rookies steps up big time. 

Bird Gang vs Raider Nation

What I want to see on Sunday

Raider Nation is coming to town this weekend.  I want to see them leave bruised up and wishing they never came.  Our D better unload on them and show everyone who they really are.  I also want to see "the Red Sea rise up", as Wolfley says, for the home opener.  I'll be there, and the rest of the Cards fans better represent for the first game.  I'm hoping too many Cardinals fans didn't sell their tickets for the cash.  Raider fan is one of the worst kinds of fans to host in your stadium.  After we kick their ass they will probably be picking fights. 

What I want to see on Defense

Per Kent Somers the defense held a players only meeting on Wednesday.  A-Dub wouldn't talk about it because he was so angry.  That's actually good news to me.  It sounds like the Bird Gang is fired up.  Adrian Wilson is the last person you want to piss off.  I feel bad for the Raiders. 

I want to see some of the new guys step up this weekend.  The first one I want to see step up is Joey Porter.  I love the leadership he brings off the field, but he's got to start bringing it on the field too.  I'm seeing Calais, Dock, and Haggans all bring the pressure in the first two games, but I haven't seen Joey bring it so far this year.  Getting to the quarterback is the whole reason we brought him in here. 

Speaking of nosetackle, I'm really hoping they put big Gabe Watson in this week.  I'm glad we drafted Dan Williams in the first round and kept B-Rob, but big Gabe was the best damn nosetackle I saw in the preseason.  He was bringing the heat on every rep he got, and Billy Davis hasn't activated him at all in the first two games.  I would think Billy would want that third nosetackle for the rotation, especially with the offense having trouble converting third downs.

If Joey can't step up and bring heat from the outside, then we should consider switching to a 4-3 because I think that will give us the best front seven.  We have 3 solid nosetackles, and we only have one outside linebacker playing well right now.  Paris is versatile enough to man the other outside spot in a 4-3, or we could move Daryl Washington out there as well.  Dansby played well outside in a 4-3.  Whiz always tries to put the 11 best guys on the field, so I would think that should apply to defense as well.

What I want to see on offense
This one is pretty obvious.  I want to see them convert a third down.  We need to sustain drives and keep the defense off the field.  That all starts at the quarterback position.  I want to see some improvement in DA.  He doesn't have to become Kurt Warner this weekend, but he does have to get better then he has been in the last two games.  He needs to stop throwing the ball in the dirt and give these receivers a chance. 

I also want to see them run all over this team.  Beanie is finally back and ready to go.  I can't believe he got his knee scoped and nobody knew about it.  He completes the three headed monster with Timmy and LSH. If we run the ball effectively then DA can't throw it into the ground.  Our O-Line is built to run block too.  Faneca may be out this weekend, but Rex Hadnot will fill in just fine.  He's a mauler and I kind of want to see him in game action. 

Fitz may have trouble because Nmandi is arguably as good or better then the famous Revis island. He doesn't get as much national credit because he's not in New York.  Our other receivers should step up, or we should send Fitz all over the field.  It should be a great battle, and I'm looking forward to watching it.

Prediction

I think it is going to be 27-13 Cardinals over the Raiders.  The D is going to be fired up for the home opener and feed off the crowd.  I just hope DA doesn't go out there and completely blow it.  I may start some "we want Hall" chants in the 2nd half.  He may be young and not know everything but at least he has shown some accuracy.  Throwing the ball where you intend to throw it is a pretty important skill for a quarterback, so hopefully DA can start to do that. 

Birdgang vs Dirty Birds Rundown

A Game To Forget

I'm trying to forget that game but the team better not.  I needed a few days to digest that loss before I could write about it.  I didn’t want to come out and put the whole team on blast for a lackluster effort.  It was an ugly game for the offense and the defense.  I have to think some of it had to do with west coast teams travelling to the east coast for an early game.  Historically, that never works out well for the travelling team, but we can't make excuses for that pitiful effort.

The Defense

The defense was the most disappointing part of the game for me.  I was kind of expecting the offense to struggle.  The Falcons offense came out of the gate and wanted it more.  The non-stop penalties by the defense just killed them.  They couldn’t stop a drive and get off the field because everyone was getting flags thrown on them.  I'm glad Whiz said he was embarrassed, and I hope everyone on that defense felt the same way.  They are going to need to come out next week with a lot more fire and intensity.  It's a good thing we have the home crowd to cheer them on. 

While I have an undying trust in Whisenhunt, my trust in Billy Davis isn't quite there yet.  Maybe that has to do with giving up 40+ points in the last 3 games against good teams.  We are going to need to have Gabe Watson active and on the field on game days if they are going to continue to struggle against the run.  He is a beast in the middle, and I’m surprised he is the odd man out between B-Rob and the rookie.  By all accounts I’ve read he was training as hard as anyone and had a great camp.  Dockett even tweeted that Gabe was training with him and he was feeding him hot sauce and gunpowder.  If Joey Porter continues to struggle we may be better off in moving back to a 4-3 to fit the personnel we have. 

The Offense

What can you say about an offense that cannot convert a third down?  I can say that it was pathetic to watch.  I really hope Whiz, Mike Miller, and Chris Miller can do something with DA’s consistency.  I don’t understand how some throws can be so pretty and some so awful.  A lot of people are saying they couldn’t protect him, but they were blitzing a lot.  He has got to get the ball out quicker.  Kurt lived for the blitz like that, because he knew he would have an open man and could make them pay.  DA just has to get better.  When he has thrown the ball the first two games, it looks like someone shooting a gun with a curved barrel like the carnies have at the state fair.  You aren’t quite sure how to aim it, because you know its not going to go where you aim it.  You’re always close but never on target, and more times than not it looks ugly.  Sometimes you get a lucky shot in there and it will be right on target, but most of the time you miss badly.  If he can’t play better than he has so far, then winning a playoff game with him is going to be like winning a giant ass panda at Adventureland. 

What Are The Options

So what are the options?  It’s kind of like going to a cheap Vegas buffet, they don’t look good. 

The first option is just to continue working with DA.  He has a rifle for an arm.  He just needs to get more consistent.  Sometimes he makes some amazing throws.  He could use a little help from his receivers and offensive line as well.  He definitely deserves one more start against the Raiders, but if he doesn’t show improvement then it may be time to consider benching him. 

The second option is to go with the rookie and give Max Hall the start.  This becomes the only option if DA continues to throw the ball in the dirt.  Hall looked great in the preseason, but that was the preseason.  He needs a lot more time to learn the offense and the defensive fronts he will be seeing, but if DA can’t complete a pass on third down we have no choice.  Whiz may have to go with the rookie a lot earlier than he ever intended. 

The last option is to send Fitz, Dockett, and A-Dub to LA to bring Kurt home.  I watched him last night and he seems to enjoy the new challenge, but to me he looks like a fish out of water.  He looks much better when he is behind center where he belongs.  I would put this at a million to one, but as Lloyd Christmas would say, “You’re telling me there’s a chance.”  Yes I am, but it’s not a good one.  We as Cardinals fans may have to rally together to get Kurt voted off.  We may need to start a campaign of voting for anybody but Kurt, but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.  He may get voted off next week, but still not have any desire to make a comeback and play football.  It’s not like he is out sitting on a ranch mowing his yard like Favre.  He has a lot of things going on now.

Tough Spot

We are in a tough spot as Cards fans.  I know the fear that comes over us in remembering the dark times before Whiz got here, but because of him I’m not worried.  We can still win this division this year.  We have the talent to do so.  They just need to continue to get better every day.  Once we get Hayes and Doucet back from injury we will be much better, so we just need to make it to the bye week with a decent record.  We are lucky to have Whiz in charge, so I’m confident he will make the right call at the right time.  We may end up having one down year, but I know we will never go back to the losing ways we came from. 

In Whisenhunt We Trust,

Ozzy 

Catching Up

First Things First

My apologies for the lack of updates if there is anybody out there actually reading these posts and was waiting for the latest one.  I finally got the new Madden so all of my free time lately has been spent winning multiple Super Bowls with the Cardinals.  Whiz has gone and made it tough on us Cards fans in Madden this year.  Now we have to cut Leinart from the team, and DA only has a 67 ranking.  It's not easy, or that much fun getting to a Super Bowl in Madden with a QB that has a ranking of 67. 

There is a lot to cover since my last post. Here are a few things that I wanted to hit when they happened, but winning my 3 peating in Madden got in the way.   

Captains

A-Dub and Dock are the defensive captains and that just seems right.  It's nice to see Fitz grow into the leadership role on offense.  When he first came into the league he didn't do that.  He was more of a quiet guy in the background, but he has really grown into a leader in his time here.  I was surprised a little with the pick of Lyle to be the other captain.  That shows he must be really coming into his own.  Russ Grimm has seemed to love him since he got here, and if you're good in Russ' book you're good in mine.  Ben Graham and Jason Wright are great choices for special teams captains.  Graham is the best coffin corner punter in the league, and Wright is a workhorse all around. He even played a little fullback last year when we needed him too.  He may need to see some action carrying the ball if Timmy and Beanie continue to have fumbling problems. 

Rams Game Thoughts

We really should have beat the Rams by a lot more then we did.  We owned the trenches, and had a lot of opportunities on offense.  Our defense just kept making stop after stop.  We completely shut down Steven Jackson who is one of the better backs in the league.  That game gives me a lot of hope for the season, but it also terrifies me.  Our offense couldn't do anything, and that wasn't because of the Rams defense.  Everybody on this team is too good to let the quarterback cost us the division.  Our offensive line was opening huge holes.  LSH looked like a bad mother out there.  I want to see more of him.  We should have just kept giving him the ball and running behind Levi and Faneca.  That left side is pretty nasty on the run blocking. 

Quarterback Struggles

I have a lot of hope that DA can "get his mind right", but there is the chance he may not.  It was pretty frustrating watching an open Fitz have to dive all over the field to try to get to the ball.  I really hope it's just a lack of time together that caused it.  DA did make some pretty amazing throws in the game as well.  He has to get more consistent.  If he can't, something has to change.  Whiz is going to be left with 2 options.  The first option is he can go to the ABC studio and bring Kurt back to where he belongs.  I can picture Whiz walking on to the set like the ending of "An Officer and A Gentleman."  If you haven't seen it, its one hell of a movie and you should put it in your Netflix queue.  The other more realistic option is to go with the rookie.  I really hope DA gets it together and it doesn't come to that, but we can't watch the rest of this team dominate on Sundays and lose the game because the quarterback keeps throwing the ball in the dirt.  Whiz may have no choice but to go with the rookie, and I know he won't hesitate if he thinks it’s the right move. He’s the smart one though, not me, so I know he’ll make the right call at the right time.

 Game Balls From Sunday

• A-Dub gets the first game ball.  He was an absolute beast out there, and he deservedly won Defensive Player of the Week for it.  He dominated the game.  He blocked a field goal, got two picks, and a sack.  That is sick.  If he keeps dominating the way he did he should earn serious MVP consideration.  Mike Sando put him at 10 on his MVP watch, which is a pretty cool honor for a safety. 
• Stevie B gets the second game ball and it's a shame he can't get the first.  His fumble strip probably won us the game.  It was that big.  He just hustles, and as Money Mike said, "That's something backpack boys do.  They make big plays in big moments."  He also caught 7 balls for 132 yards.  If you forget Money Mike is the one who sacked Aaron Rodgers and caused the game winning fumble in the playoffs and a fellow backpack boy as Darren Urban wrote about here.
• Kerry Rhodes gets a game ball for that huge pick at the end of the game.  He ran out of steam in the return, but he took it back pretty far and made sure to hang on to the ball.  He looks like he is going to be one hell of an addition to the Bird Gang.  I think he is going to be an upgrade from Antrel in coverage. 
• Sendlein the new captain gets the next game ball for his hustle on that play.  He probably knew he couldn't catch him and make the tackle, but he still gave it his all and ended up being right there to grab the new fumble.
• LSH gets one for his little breakout game carrying the ball.  I hope to see more of him this year.  He's fast and elusive.  Barry Sanders was a little back too.  Now I'm not saying he's as good as Barry Sanders who was the greatest of my lifetime, but I am saying we don't have to limit his carries that much because he's small.  Barry was out there every down and he was great for a long time. 
• Calais gets the last game ball for his sack.  That got my fantasy team 2 points. 

That's all for now.

-Oz

Happy Trails

Time To Say Goodbye
After tonight the Matt Leinart era in Arizona is most likely coming to close.  It was a filled with a lot of hope, and a lot of disappointment.  If I was a gambling man I'd say that he is going to be a New York Football Giant in 24 hours.  I'm pretty sure he'll settle for that backup role now.  Just hopefully we can get something for him, and we don't have to just cut him.  We need old Al Davis to get involved and get in a bidding war.  Unless he really wants to start, then he can go play with Maurice Clarett in Omaha in the UFL.

How about Max Hall tonight?  That pretty much seals the deal.  He looks fantastic. He has fire and intensity and a damn good arm to boot.  Thank you Bronco Mendenhall for running a pro offense and getting this kid ready for us.  I'm sure Whiz feels pretty comfortable with Hall as his backup now, so that pretty much seals Matt's fate.

Anderson looked solid as well.  When he came here there was a lot of talk of fixing his mechanics and helping him with touch passes.  They didn't say he was poorly coached by the old Mangenius last year, but it seemed to be implied.  That would be something if Whiz cleans up his inconsistencies with proper mechanics, because he has a cannon and when he is on he is on. 

Apology To Whiz
Sorry for defending Leinart and saying I thought he should be the starting quarterback of this team.  You know much more then I do, and I should get some credit for never doubting you.  I'm stupid. You're smart. I was wrong. You were right. You're the best. I'm the worst. You're very good-looking. I'm not attractive. 

Now that I've said that, let's get this season started. 

In Whisenhunt We Trust,
Ozzy

Poppin Bottles

A Night For Celebration
Tonight was a night to celebrate for a couple of Cardinals players, and all of the Cardinals fans.  Darnell Dockett gets to celebrate because he finally got his well deserved contract extension today.  Calais Campbell gets to celebrate because its his 24th birthday.  The fans get to celebrate because we don't have to worry about the CEO of the Birdgang going anywhere anymore, and it shows the organization is willing to pay to keep the top guys around. 

I can't tell you how great it is to see Dockett finally get rewarded with the contract extension that he deserved.  He has been as great a Cardinal as we fans can ask for, on the field and off, and it's great to see him join A-Dub in the future member of the ring of honor club.  I think we are probably going to retire the Nine-0 one day now since he is staying, but I'm getting ahead of myself because that won't be for awhile.  He just hit his prime.  He has quite a few years left where he is going to continue to wreak havoc on the NFL.  

It's also great to see the Bidwills and the organization give these guys what they deserve, and it shows they are willing to pay to keep the core group of guys like Rod has been saying for a long time.  The Bidwills have had a bad rap for a long time, and hopefully this will help to change those perceptions.  I don't think they've deserved it.  It's sad to see guys like Q, Antrel, Dansby, Antonio Smith, and Pace leave but they can't pay them all, and they tried to pay some of them and they chose to leave.  That's what makes Darnell Dockett extra special for choosing to want to stay and continue to build this team here even though others are leaving. 

I have to give Calais his birthday shout out as well.  I can't believe he only turned 24 today.  That means he hasn't even hit his prime yet.  We are going to have to think up a good nickname for him and Dock, because they are going to give quarterbacks nightmares this season.  Hopefully Calais had a good birthday, but I'm pretty sure he didn't have a good a day as Darnell did.  Calais will have his big contract day one day soon if he plays the way I think he's going to play, and hopefully he'll have a press conference with Whiz and Rod as well.

-Ozzy

The Boiling Point: Updated

The Word On The Street

The boiling point may have finally been reached. 

Jay Glazer is reporting that he's heard from several sources some members of the Cardinals spent the day shopping Matt Leinart.  Its nice to see someone other then Schefter break a story, and Jay must have heard from Matt. If you don't remember Jay is the one that trained Matt on some mma skills in the offseason and the video is here.  So is Whiz just doing this to see how Matt reacts, or is he going to be gone before the season starts?

We are in a tough spot here now.  There is no possible way we can get fair value out of this deal.  Matt has the chance to be a good quarterback in this league, and everybody knows we may have to cut him now depending on how the talk went and if he will be a good teammate if he doesn't start.  If we can get a 2nd round pick then it would be surprising.  Our best hope is that a bidding war breaks out among potential suitors. 

Who Would Take Him?
Who wants this reformed Hollywood party boy?  The obvious choice is Pete Carroll in Seattle, but the last thing we want to do is trade him within the division.  We will take a lesser trade than have to face him twice a year.  This is the order of interest as I see it, and as an fyi I have zero inside information just speculation.

Washington Redskins - Shanahan is new, and he only has McNabb under contract for 1 year and McNabb is hurt right now.  Matt is a better option then Sexy Rexy as a backup.  I imagine Washington will want to re-work Matt's deal to get 2 years of service out of him and not have to deal with that balloon he has in his contract for next year. 

New York Football Giants - Jim Sorgi just went on IR for the year, and the G-Men don't have another legit backup quarterback.  They could use somebody like Matt, but the value would be less to them because they have Eli as the starter.  It would probably be only a 1 year thing. 

New England Patriots - Bill Bellichick is one crafty dude.  If he can get a steal on Matt I think he may take it.  Brady and Leinart are friends as well, and Billy can make anyone a winner.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Are they really going to start Byron Leftwich for 4 games?

Cleveland Browns - Jake Delhomme, really?

Kansas City Chiefs - Maybe Todd Haley will do Whiz a favor.

Minnesota Vikings - The bonespur in Brett's ankle is not good news for Chilly.

There could be a dark horse that comes in to play as well.  Our best hope is a bidding war between a few teams, otherwise we are looking at a conditional late-round pick. 

We don't have anything to worry about yet.  Whiz is the captain of this boat, and he will take the SS Birdgang through the stormy waters.  I think we can start Max Hall and still win the division because of Whiz's brilliance in game planning.  When Big Ben was a rookie the Steelers went 14-1 with him including the playoffs.  From what I heard then, Whiz just had to dumb down the playbook for him and give him less reads or only half the field to work off with since he was younger.

I think our D can carry us no matter who the quarterback is.  We have a stable of running backs that are all studs.  We have the best receiver in the league, and three young receivers that are all ready to break out.  The quarterback just has to manage the game and the get the ball near those guys.  I think we'll be ok no matter what.  I also think Leinart is going to be a good quarterback, so we need to get some type of fair value if we part ways with him.  I just hope the situation hasn't detiorated so bad we have to take a deal for no value.

In Whisenhunt we trust,
Ozzy

The Decision: Part Deux

Rumor Mill

I heard a rumor that Coach Whiz started this quarterback controversy because he was angling to get his own hour on ESPN to annouce his decision.  It's looking like his agent isn't doing as good a job as Maverick Carter, because I heard the best offer he got was a 15 minute segment on Good Morning Arizona.  Now he wants to scrap the whole thing and pretend it never happened, but Matt went out to the reporters after practice and ran his mouth so now Whiz is in quite the pickle.

Seriously though, if you didn't see this is what Matt said today after practice. 

"I feel like I've outplayed the competition, training camp, preseason," he said. "I think my plays speaks about that. For me, this goes beyond the football field.

"The philosophy is you want the best 11 guys to play. I feel like I've proved that with my performance. I don't really know what else I could possibly do, so it probably goes beyond football. For me, I just really want an explanation and I haven't been given one."

Now the Birdgang is a family, and you don't go out and say that to the media about your family.  You can walk right up to a member of your family and say that and spit in their face, but you don't bring that stuff outside the family. 
 
After practice he should've walked right up to Whiz and said that to him and not to the reporters.  If Whiz was testing how Matt would react to the switch, that reaction wouldn't look good on the test.  Kent Somers tweeted that Matt did go talk to Whiz this afternoon, so that is good news for him.  He finally manned up and went and spoke to him face to face.  I would've paid a lot of money to be a fly on the wall in that room. 
 

What Now

So what is Whiz going to do?  He has two quarterbacks that played well so far, and he has two rookies that we should keep because they have played damn good too.  Even with Matt's outburst to the media today, I'm still in the Leinart camp for now.  At least that showed some passion, and he was in a tough spot. If Whiz does go with DA I'm not going to argue with it.  DA has looked like a good quarterback.  A little inconsistent at times, but it is his first year in the offense.  I just think we need to see what Matt has in him as a starter.  We spent a first round pick on this kid, and he was one of the best college quarterbacks I have ever seen.  I bow to Whiz though. He has never had a losing season with the Cardinals, so he knows what he's doing and whatever decision he makes I'll support it.  He may have seen all he needs to see from Matt, but then I wonder why he didn't make the trade for McNabb if he knew enough about Matt.

 

Possible Reasons For "The Decision"

I want to take a minute to speculate on some of the possible reasons Whiz could end up choosing DA over Leinart that is on the football field, and not beyond the football field like the cocky kid says.  

 

Whiz calls all of the plays.  He knows exactly what Leinart should be doing on every play.  He knows the progressions he should be going through.  Leinart could be reading his progressions wrong.  Leinart has been careful with the football and as efficient as you could ask him to be, but he has only made short throws.  I don't go back and watch the tape from different angles and see what receiver downfield Matt could've missed.  I don't have the time or the resources to do that, but Whiz does and that's how you get a true evaluation.  

Maybe Matt really does have a softer arm like so many critics say.  If that is true, than as long as he is efficient and completes passes they would be fine.  Tom Brady dinked and dunked his way to 3 Super Bowl rings.  The problem becomes he can't make the outside throw, and Larry Fitzgerald lives on the outside.  We don't want to have Larry crossing over the middle of the field getting hurt like he did in the first game.  Anquan got hurt for the playoffs last year doing the same damn thing for Matt, and if that play and those two injuries are a result of Matt not having enough arm strength to go outside than I would start Anderson too and I'd probably cut or trade Matt based on the rookies play.  I know they say receivers are paid to go over the middle, but you have to be smart and protect Larry "The Legend" from unneccessary harm.  He is the best damn wide receiver in the game right now, and I don't want to see him on the sidelines with those huge diamonds on his ears.  He needs to be in his game day diamonds, and not his track suit diamonds.

I don't know what Whiz is thinking, but once he makes up his mind and goes on Good Morning Arizona to tell Tara Hitchcock his decision I will fully support it.  We are back to back NFC West Champions for the first time in ever, and he even took us to the Super Bowl.  I think he could start Max Hall and build a good enough gameplan to win a 3rd division, but Hall is going to have to wait awhile for his shot, unless something crazy happens.

In Whisenhunt We Trust,

Ozzy    

Game Summary: Cardinals vs Bears

Cardinals 14 - Bears 9

First Things First

Before I even get into the quarterback situation, I have got to show a little love to the defense with the first team pitching a shutout.  We blocked a field goal and Gould shanked one, but our D looked damn good last night and that's exciting to see.  Adding D.W. and Toler added a different level of speed to that back half of the field.  The Defense was flying to the ball and playing with passion.  That's what I wanted to see.  If the Linebackers and Secondary can play at the level of the D-Line then the Birdgang is going to have a top 5 defense.

 The Big Story
So what is Whiz going to do?  Is he really going to bench Leinart and start DA?  I think there is no way he can do that.  If he does, I'll support it, because like I've said before he knows a hell of a lot more then I do about how to coach a team in the NFL.  I think Matt has earned it.  From everything I've read this offseason he has put in work, but don't listen to me, this is a quote from Norm Chow from 710ESPN Los Angeles.
 "You know, he started out well and then whatever happened, happened, but I still think he’s going to have a terrific career," Chow said. "I’ve talked with him over the offseason, I know how hard he’s working, how much this means to him. I don’t have any question in my mind that he’s going to be successful at that level."  Chow is the legendary college Offensive Coordinator who coached him in college and is now at UCLA.

Leinart has been efficient and accurate and managed the game well all preseason.  He came out with fire last night and went 9 for 10 for a td and would have had led the offense to another td if Beanie didn't fumble.  Maybe Whiz has seen something in practice.  Maybe he hears something from some of the players.  Maybe they don't want to deal with that $11 million dollar roster bonus he's due after the season, but I agree with Norm that I think Matt is going to have a terrific career in the league. I hope its for us.  Maybe I'm wrong and all the haters out there are right and he'll fall on his face, but I don't think so and I hope Whiz gives Matt a chance to prove the haters wrong.

Quick Hits
-How about Timmy last night?  He was running like a man on a mission.  He was showing some Ricky Bobby shake and bake out there.  Maybe that'll quiet down all the Beanie rumblings.  He really is one of the most underrated running backs in the league.  He can run, catch, and block, and that makes him a complete back. You can see why Whiz loves him but he doesn't seem to get the respect he deserves, at least yet.
-What about that dive by Stevie B into the end zone?  Part of me thinks he was doing that for his quarterback, because he wanted Matt to get a td pass on the books. 
-That trio of undrafted rookies look damn good.  Max Hall, Stephen Williams, and Max Komar have all been solid finds.  I don't know if all 3 can make the roster, but they are all making a strong push. 
-How long is Whiz going to make us wait?  What more does he need to see?  I think he knows by now, so he is just going to torture us and Matt until he makes it public.



-Ozzy

Breaking Down The Bears Game

What do we want to see tonight?

Offense

I think its pretty obvious what we want to see tonight on offense.  We want to see some good play from the quarterback position.  We were spoiled with Kurt Warner, and we didn't even realize it.  I've made it clear I'm on team Leinart, but if DA looks good I'll support him.  From DA we want consistency.  He can't throw only 1 out of 3 passes on target and just completely miss on the other passes, or I think he is still in danger of being cut.  From Leinart we want to see confidence.  He needs to go out there and own the field.  He needs to believe in himself and move the ball.  He needs to make Whiz look like fool for even doubting him.  It would help if the line can give him some time to throw the ball.  It would also help if the running back didn't lose yards on 2nd down after he just made an 8 yard throw. 

Defense

On defense I'm looking for Daryl Washington and Greg Toler to come out and play well in their first chance with the starters.  We need both of them to step up this year if our D is going to have a chance at being a top 10 defense in this league.  I think we have the best defensive line in the NFL, so we really need our cornerbacks and linebackers not to get beat on short routes.  If you give Nine-0, Calais, and Joey 3 seconds one of them will get to the qb and disrupt the play.  The Bears pass the ball a lot, and I don't want to see our secondary get eaten alive the way it was in the playoffs.  I don't know if it's the players or the zones Billy Davis is using, but a good quarterback seems to have no problem picking us apart.  That needs to stop and that needs to stop now.

Wrap Up

"Who in the hell treats the 3rd game of the preseason like it's some kind of ...?"
This is probably the biggest game of Leinart's career.  He's like a 16 year old that needs to get an A to get that new Ford Mustang his dad promised him.  Our offensive is loaded with weapons, and any decent quarterback should be able to put up big numbers this year.  All you have to do is get the ball near Fitz and he'll make the catch.  Beanie and LSH are poised to break out on to the national scene and Timmy will be as consistent as always.  I really have my doubts about Whiz not showing confidence in Leinart, but he knows a hell of a lot more than I do about coaching football.

In Whisenhunt we trust,
Ozzy

Player Profiles: Darnell Dockett aka Nine-0

Player Profiles

Darnell Dockett

The first profile on BigRedBirdGang has to be about Nine-O. He is the CEO and founder of the Birdgang, and he is one bad mother…

“Shut yo mouth”

“I’m just talking bout Nine-0.”

“Then we can dig it.”

This is a man that has been pushing Cadillacs across the field in the offseason to train, so what lineman do you think can stop him? This is a man who gets down and dirty in the trenches on every play and is yet to miss a game in his career (I’m knocking on wood right now). He put himself and the Cardinals in the Super Bowl record books with 3 sacks in that game, and once he gets back to the big stage you know he is going to go for 4. He is like popeye, but from what I can tell from his tweets his version of spinach is jerk chicken with oxtails and rice.

He is the Birdgang CEO and like his tattoos say he is a Limited Edition. We as Cardinals fans are truly blessed to be watching him. He grabbed our rookie Dan Williams when he saw him in the weight room and made him train the way Nine-0 trains.  Coach asked him "why?" and he said "we are going to need this kid."  That's what a leader does.  He gets respect across the league for the work he puts in and it shows with his 2 Pro Bowls despite playing in Arizona with limited national media coverage, and we all know it should have been 3. Don’t just listen to me, last year before the Texans game, Texans coach Gary Kubiak said he was the most disruptive player that he has seen on film all year. I’ve heard John Lott say he is the strongest guy on the team, and when Lott talks you better listen because he speaks the truth.

History Lesson:

Our boy Dock had a tragic childhood and struggled through adversity with one version of the story being documented here. His life story would make a very compelling movie and maybe one day it will be. How he made it through everything and came out the way he did is the most impressive thing about him.

He played his college career at Florida State University and was a 4 year starter. We were lucky enough to draft him in the 3rd round. The rumor I heard at the time was that Denny Green called him about 8 or 10 picks before the Cards pick and told him not to get the other line every time it beeped. If that is true, then God bless Denny Green for bringing Nine-O to Arizona.

He always seems to show up when the competition is the toughest and the lights are the brightest. We can only hope that he gets rewarded with the long term deal that he deserves, and the Bidwills can make this warrior a lifetime Cardinal.  Then one day we can retire the Nine-0 in the rafters of the Bird's Nest, because as I see it right now nobody else deserves to wear his jersey number on the Cardinals, except me and the rest of the fans.

In Whisenhunt we trust,
Ozzy

Defending Leinart

I’ve had enough of the negativity around our boy Matt. I’ve heard enough of it from the media and by some people that call themselves Cardinals fans. Stop overreacting after 2 preseason games because he is going to be a fantastic quarterback in this league, and if he isn’t Whiz has a plan. The only thing that can stop Matt from being successful is if he lets all of the doubts and negativity from all around him to enter his head. He has to believe in himself first. That is one of the things that made Kurt so successful. Kurt had so much belief in himself it was infectious, and a quarterback needs to believe in himself first. Leinart is the guy who won two National Championships and a Heisman Trophy at USC. He went 37-2 only losing a triple overtime game in his first season, and the epic National Title game against Vince Young and Texas. Lots of people said it was the talent around him, but USC hasn’t won a National Title since he left. He is the all-time leader in touchdowns and completion percentage for USC, and I have no reason yet to believe he can’t have that same success on the pro level.

I hated him his entire college career because he was a Trojan. The day of the draft I sat around and watched him start to slip, and the hate subsided and an excitement started to grow inside me that maybe he could play for the Cardinals. I couldn’t believe it as team after team passed on him, and I saw him getting closer and closer to the Cardinals number 10 pick. I’m sure some of the people that say they are Cardinals fans now didn’t even know the draft was on, but I sat around waiting for our first pick like I do every year hoping they get the player I want. I didn’t even consider him that year, because I try to be realistic at who would fall to us at our pick and I thought there was no chance he would. When the Commissioner called his name I got so excited you would’ve thought I just got drafted. My friends and I got together and celebrated that night and called it Happy Leinart Day. We drank beers and toasted to Matt Leinart excited about the future and how we may finally break the long cycle of losing. We had been living in the dark ages for a long time, and now we had the Golden Boy to take us to the Promised Land.

After everything that has happened I’m glad he has had to wait for his chance. I’ve seen a hunger in him and a look in his eyes in the offseason that I haven’t seen since Apollo took Rocky to that gym in the ghetto. I don’t know where it went this preseason. He needs too and I know he will get that eye of the tiger back. I’m sure that’s why Whiz is benching him for the Bears game. He has to light that fire in Matt again, and he needs to push those doubts aside with a strong 2 minute drill. If Matt can’t find that fire and belief in himself than Whiz may have to go with Anderson, but this also lets Whiz see if Derek can show any consistency at all. Now we can also see if Anderson is worth keeping over the two rookies, because Hall has been great and Skelton has potential. If Anderson takes this opportunity and blows up I’ll love that too, because I don’t care if I’m right about Leinart I care if the Cardinals win.

There are a lot of haters out there and I can’t wait to see Matt prove them wrong. As T.O. would say, "Thats my quarterback."

-In Whisenhunt we trust,

Ozzy