Well, after watching the San Diego Chargers, Houston Texas and Oakland Raiders all move the ball pretty much at will against the Arizona Cardinals in the pre-season I don't think it's too early to come to the conclusion this defense is in for a long, long season. I know it's pre-season, I know they are just playing their base defense and that a lot of guys hold back to avoid injury. However, there are just some glaring issues that are based on players who just don't seem to be able to play their position competitively and with the lack of depth there are very few options.

With the transition to a new coach staff, and eventually a total switch over to a standard 3-4 instead of the hybrid they are trying to play this year due to personnel issues, I think we all knew this could be a cross your fingers kind of a year for the Cardinal's defensively. However, I don't think anyone expected to watch Oakland, who has a terrible offense, Houston which has a really poor O-Line, and then last night the Chargers basically run and pass up and down the field over the Cardinals D. Lets take a look at some of the things that are good, and then look at the area's that seem to be major weaknesses for the rest of this season:

1. We have some really good defensive tackles that are young, tough and improving. The best tackle, even though he is converting to end in the new alignment is clearly Darnell Dockett, but in addition to him we now have a lighter, faster Gabe Watson, rookie Alan Branch who is showing real potential and depth guys like Jonathan Lewis and Ross Kolodeizj. While none of them is playing like an All-Pro, the tackles look like they can at least hold the middle and get some push, and with our improved depth at the position we don't lose much when players are rotated.

2. The inside linebackers are very good and potentially great as a unit. The move of Karlos Dansby to inside linebacker has the potential of getting the best out of Dansby, and Gerald Hayes last year proved his value as a run stuffing MLB/ILB. I think they could be a very good tandem. With the drafting of Buster Davis in the 3rd round and free agent Pago Tagafau of Idaho having a chance to make the team you have a very solid group of interior linebackers that is still really young and learning. They are all good run stoppers, with Dansby also being a good coverage linebacker as well.

3. The Cardinals have one of the strongest safety tandem's in the NFL, with depth and potential to still improve. Adrian Wilson is a Pro-Bowl safety who just keeps getting better, and the addition of Terrance Holt at FS gives them a solid defensive backfield. With Aaron Francisco and Hannik Milligan as reserves this is a strong, deep, tough group of safeties that is just reaching it's prime and looks to be a strength of the team for a few years to come. The only issue is going to be that the cornerbacks right now are so weak that the safeties are going to have to be on their games to avoid the deep throws that are sure to come in the regular season.

Ok, now to the parts that are going to be a weekly fright show this season unless Coach Pendergast and the rest of the staff are true miracle workers:

1. Our defensive ends/OLB's are getting virtually no pressure what so ever on the quarterback. Look, i'm a big fan of Bertrand Berry and consider him one of the best free agent signings the Cardinals have made since the moved to the valley, but the facts are that for the last two season's he has struggled with some injuries and is now facing a position change to OLB/DE in a new scheme. He is starting his tenth NFL season, he's three years past his Pro-Bowl year and unless he picks up during the season it appears he has lost a step off his pass rush. On the other side Chike Okeafor, who led the team in sacks last season 8.5, is out for the year with a biceps tear and in his place is either Calvin Pace or Daryl Blackstock. Lets face it folks, we are in trouble here and the best we can hope for is that Berry finds the game he had 3 seasons ago and stays injury free and that Blackstock elevates up to his potential. Quite frankly if Okeafor wasn't injured I believe Pace would probably be cut this year as he just has never turned the corner and developed into a real force.

As for the DE's, Darnell Dockett and Antonio Smith, they are both good run stoppers and are each capable of putting some pressure on the QB, but neither one is a speed rushing sack accumulator like this defense needs, and while they are both solid contributors they aren't going to help create a pass rush. Any way you cut it there is going to be little or no edge pass rush from the base defense given the personnel that we currently have on the roster.

2. Our linebackers are getting torched by RB's and TE's in pass coverage. The effort looks to be there, they are in the right position, but the one thing you can't coach is speed and too often our linebackers, with the exception of Dansby, just aren't able to run with most backs and TE's in coverage. Last night Antonio Gates just ran through the the linebackers like they weren't there, Darren Sproles left them grabbing for air and even guys like Lorenzo Neal was getting open and running past guys. Imagine what that first Monday night game with Frank Gore and Vernon Davis of the 49er's is going to look like?

3. Our starting corners would be nickle corners on most other NFL teams. I like Rodderick Hood, and I'm really happy with how he has come in and taken the job away from Antrel Rolle, but the fact's are that he couldn't start for the Eagles. In the same vein while Eric Green is showing some remarkable improvement you'd be hard pressed to find an NFL play off caliber team who would have him right now as their number one corner, which is pretty much what he is on this team. I think Hood and Green can be a good tandem, but man oh man don't you think Alex Smith, Mark Bulger and Matt Hasselback are just counting the days to their games against those corners? On top of it Rolle looked totally lost last night as the 3rd corner, getting beat, turned around and only getting bailed out of one play when a guy dropped a pass in full stride while Rolle was two steps behind him. I'm sure despite what he says to the press that his confidence is shot right now but it's going to be up to him to fight back and be the kind of corner his potential says he can be. By every account he's a smart, decent, hardworking guy, but this is the first real challenge in his career and he better rise up or the Cardinals are going to be looking for a third corner when the camp cut downs are made.

The bottom line, at least as I see it in these games, is that teams with quality tight ends, accurate QB's and decent receivers are going to be throwing on this team all season long. If you have average or weak corners and can't generate a pass rush, and your linebackers can't run with tight ends or RB's out of the back field, most teams are going to just pick you apart. With the talent on this roster I don't see a lot of room for the defense to be better then average, but that might just be good enough to get them into the play offs. Hopefully improved special teams and an explosive offense will provide enough punch to compensate for a defense that is dangerously thin at area's where it is already weak.

By Mark Wahlstrom | Permalink | No Comments »
Cardinals vs Chargers post game
By Eli Wahlstrom | August 26th, 2007
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Saturday night the Arizona Cardinals fell to 0-3 in the preseason with a 33-31 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Lucky for Cardinal fans the record doesn't matter, but the impressive offensive play and lack of defense does.

The key to success for the Cardinals offense the last few games has been the O-line. The pass protection has been near perfect and the run blocking seems much improved from last year. Rookie 1st round pick Levi Brown looks great and hasn't allowed a sack in the preseason, hopefully he'll only get better as the year goes on. Anyone that knows anything about the Cardinals knows the biggest issue was the lack of blocking for Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Edgerrin James and anyone else in the back field last year. Given good blocking with the weapons the Cardinals have the offense should be literally unstoppable this year.

In just a little over a half of playing Matt Leinart racked up 196 yards 1 touchdown and completed 10 of 16 passes. Anquan Boldin had another great game proving why he's one of the best receivers in the league, Boldin finished up with 5 catches for 143 yards including an 80 yard catch and run for a touchdown. J.J. Arrington had 7 carries for 26 yards leading the Cardinals in that department. Arrington also almost took the opening kick off back for a touchdown but was taken down after a 70 yard return. The special teams looks better than last year but still has some work to do. The improvement in the return game and Neil Rackers getting back to his pro bowl form should really help out the Cardinals in that aspect of the game.

Right now it looks like Arizona will need 30+ points a game from the offense because the defense just isn't cutting it. The defense doesn't have to be great just good. The secondary still gave up too many big plays and the run defense was less than average even without LaDainian Tomlinson suiting up for Chargers. Antrel Rolle still struggled even while playing with the second team but Rod Hood who filled in at Rolle's position on the first team did a solid job. on a positive note Eric Green looked like a real cornerback and gave a little bit of hope to the struggling secondary. Even though the defense made plenty of mistakes there's still lots of upside and promise on that side of the ball, the play calling has been very basic which might be the excuse for the lack of pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. Still either Calvin Pace or Darryl Blackstock is going to have to step up and fill in for the injuried Chike Okeafor. Neither Blackstock or Pace have been making plays since Chike went down and the defense can't afford that.

The Cardinals showed a lot of promise against San Diego and if not for a last second field goal made by Nate Kaeding the Cardinals would have had a win. I like what I'm seeing so far and expect even better things next week against Denver.

Original post by Eli Wahlstrom

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