Blue and Green Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Every player on the Cardinals' special teams, and every player on the offensive line blocking for Edgerrin James should be fired before Dennis Green.I agree with you, but we all know that the head coach usually takes the heat if the team doesn't perform to expectations. Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 King Kaufman of Salon.com on the Bears-Cardinals game. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - King Kaufman's Sports Daily Denny Green is a big fraidy cat, and he's why the Bears are still undefeated. Oct. 17, 2006 | Thank you, heavy rain that turned my backyard into a mud puddle and postponed Game 5 of the National League Championship Series Monday night. You let me watch a Monday night football game I'd been planning to ignore, and had actually been ignoring until I caught the halftime score: Arizona Cardinals 20, Chicago Bears 0. The Bears came back to win a thoroughly improbable, insane and entertaining game, 24-23. And infuriating. Infuriating because the fired-up, underdog, overachieving Cardinals handed the game to the Bears by turning ultraconservative when they got a lead. They can blame fumbles or blown punt-return coverages all they want. The Cardinals lost because their coach was too chicken to win. And then coach Denny Green followed his gutless performance by screaming at the media -- of which he was once a member -- and denigrating the Bears, yelling, "You want to crown them, go ahead and crown their asses, but they are exactly who we thought they are, and we let them off the hook." What a clown. And who's this "we," Run-up-the-middle-for-no-gain Man? Your team played well enough to win. You lost for them. Or maybe offensive coordinator Keith Rowen did, but you're the boss. Still, I dare say that considering the undefeated opponent and the national TV audience, it was the most thrilling NFL game ever played in Arizona. That's not saying a lot but it's saying something. Here's how surprising Arizona's strong showing was to me. I actually saw the Cardinals score the touchdown that gave them a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. I saw the crowd go nuts, saw the annoyed look on Bears coach Lovie Smith's face. And then I turned off the TV. Figured I'd do some reading. Figured the Bears would win approximately 35-17. I tuned back in for the second half. That gave me plenty of time to watch the Cardinals give the game away. And I don't just mean on turnovers. If turnovers had been the difference in this game, Arizona would have won. The story of this game, in the postgame TV chatter and in the newspapers Tuesday, was that the Bears managed to win despite giving the ball away six times and not scoring an offensive touchdown. They scored two on defense, on fumble returns, and one on a punt return. There was some talk on the ESPN panel about the Cardinals having to learn how to win, and Matt Leinart, the rookie quarterback who had his second straight good game, talked in the postgame press conference about how the Cardinals need to "learn how to finish," that it's all a matter of confidence. Pretty silly. If kicker Neil Rackers hadn't clanked a 40-yard field goal, a chip shot by NFL standards, wide left, the Cardinals would have needed only one more defensive stop -- the defense had given up nothing all night -- and they would have been talking about how they'd had confidence, were learning to win, etc. etc. Leinart directed a crisp, eight-play, 39-yard drive to set up what should have been that go-ahead field goal. But if not for the petrified attempt to sit on the lead, the game probably wouldn't have come down to that field-goal try. Late in the third quarter, the Cardinals took over the ball at their own 40 following a Bears field goal. Arizona led 20-3. The Cardinals got two first downs to get into field-goal range at the Chicago 27. At that point, exactly, with a little more than five minutes to go in the third quarter, Green tried to put the game on ice. He tried to run out the clock. Twenty minutes of clock. To that point in the game, the Cardinals had had first-and-10 17 times. They had attempted eight passes and nine runs, a very nice mix. Six of the eight passes had been completed, for 58 yards, a healthy 7.25 yards per attempt. The nine rushes had gained 30 yards, 3.3 per carry. Tough running against an excellent defense, but enough to keep the Bears honest and open up some lanes for Leinart to throw. From that moment, first-and-10 at the Bears 27 with about five and a half minutes to go in the third, leading 20-3, to the first time they got the ball after falling behind 24-23 with 2:58 to go in the game, the Cardinals had first-and-10 11 times. Eleven times, they handed the ball to Edgerrin James for a run between the tackles. On one of those plays, he gained 12 yards. On the other 10, he gained a grand total of zero, and never gained more than two on any play. Not counting the 12-yarder, James gained positive yardage, one or two yards, on four of those 10 first-down runs. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher made the tackle on six of the 10 first-and-10 runs in that stretch that went nowhere. "They weren't blocking me, so that was easy," he said after the game. Twice in those 17 or so minutes, Leinart completed a third-down pass to earn another first down. All of the other first-down runs by James led to fourth down, except the two times the Cardinals fumbled on second down and the Bears recovered and ran it back for a touchdown. During that long sequence, longer than a quarter, it looked like two Cardinals teams were playing. When the Bears had the ball, the Cardinals defense attacked, flew around, unintimidated by the powerhouse opponent or the situation. They played like a team trying to win a game, and they pretty much dominated. When the Cardinals had it, they looked scared to death, like a team trying not to lose, hoping the clock would move faster than the Bears' ability to score three touchdowns. It was pathetic. And it was the coach's fault. Denny Green can pound on a table all he wants, but you can't win in the NFL that way, whether your players have "learned how to win" or not, whatever that means. And you certainly can't do it against a quick-strike team like the Bears. Any team with a great defense is a quick-strike team because it can score on defense, which is even quicker than a one-play drive. I hated to see the Cardinals lose that game, because the underdog win would have been such a great thing to watch. But I'm always happy to see gutless, conservative football turn a sure win into a loss. I keep hoping other coaches will take note. Maybe someday, we'll see an end to embarrassing, infuriating spectacles like the one Green's fear created Monday night. Link to post Share on other sites
SlowBurn68 Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 There is a huge sucking sound anywhere Denny Green goes - When you lose a game like that it's all the coaches fault. Here's Denny's tirade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1h71vEQtCM Link to post Share on other sites
Blue and Green Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Colts over the Skins 24 to 13. Link to post Share on other sites
wheelco Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 There is a huge sucking sound anywhere Denny Green goes - When you lose a game like that it's all the coaches fault. Here's Denny's tirade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1h71vEQtCM"The Bears are what we thought they were" Better than you, that is . . . Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Basically. Link to post Share on other sites
Tweeds and Weedz Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Miami has the Dolphins, The greatest football team! We take the ball from goal to goal, Like no one's ever seen! We're in the air, We're on the ground, We're always in control. So when you say Miami, You're talking Super Bowl! Cause we're the Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins Number 1. Yes we're the Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins Number 1.Ronnie Brown gets 2,000 total yards and 15 total td's. Chambers has 1,300 recieving yards and 90 receptions with 11 td's. Culpepper tosses 29 td's, 11 ints, and 3,800 yards. Dolphins win the East.I am sure of all that. I hope they win it all. This is the best I've felt about this team in a long while. As for the rest, I'm not so sure. The NFC seems much stronger than the AFC, for sure. wow, you must feel real stupid now cuz your season is over already and u have no chance of ne thing you predicted even remotely coming true Link to post Share on other sites
Tweeds and Weedz Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 oh yeah....GO BEARS! Link to post Share on other sites
EL the Famous Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 ~ Tweeds and Weedz Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 I hate football. Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 It was pretty fun when Phillip Daniels almost ripped Peyton's head off, though, huh? "You know, 5' 5", headless, laser...rocket arm..." Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 I think that hit might have pulled out one of the bolts in Peyton's neck. Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 wow, you must feel real stupid now cuz your season is over already and u have no chance of ne thing you predicted even remotely coming true Yeah, I already went over that, thanks for your input. I'm considering dropping the Dolphins altogether. It's like an abusive relationship. They always beat me and I always come back for more... Link to post Share on other sites
parisisstale Posted October 23, 2006 Author Share Posted October 23, 2006 Huge game tonight!!! Winner will get a big leg up on the division. GO GMEN!!! Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Yeah, I already went over that, thanks for your input. I'm considering dropping the Dolphins altogether. It's like an abusive relationship. They always beat me and I always come back for more... Yeah, you should jump ship and become a Lions fan. That will be much more satisfying. Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Yeah, you should jump ship and become a Lions fan. That will be much more satisfying. I'm not a masochist, man. Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Giants, Giants, woo woo woo! God, I love watching Parcells suffer. Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 I'm happy because Tiki had another great game, and he's on my fantasy team. I have no depth, but if they stay healthy, a starting lineup of Westbrook, Tiki, Marc Bulger, Marvin Harrison, and TJ Whosyourmama (championship!) can probably win me the whole damn thing. The big if is health, because Westbrook is questionable every damn week... Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 It was pretty fun when Phillip Daniels almost ripped Peyton's head off, though, huh? "You know, 5' 5", headless, laser...rocket arm..." Link to post Share on other sites
Blue and Green Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Should the Steelers consider not letting Big Ben play for a while? Link to post Share on other sites
parisisstale Posted October 25, 2006 Author Share Posted October 25, 2006 Should the Steelers consider not letting Big Ben play for a while? Absolutely. Link to post Share on other sites
wheelco Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 being a bungles fan, I say let him play Link to post Share on other sites
Blue and Green Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I have no love for the Steelers but man that looked messed up when he was taken off the field sunday. I sort of felt bad for him. Only sort of..... Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 49ers shock the Bears Sunday 28-26 crack is wack Link to post Share on other sites
Blue and Green Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 49ers shock the Bears Sunday 28-26 crack is wackWhat would be so shocking about that? Link to post Share on other sites
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