You should have killed Seattle while you could, NFL

[Polaris]

Well you know as well as I do that sports "journalism" is fueled by hype, and the meme that the 'big bad evil Seahawks are baaack" makes for good press.

However, in this case the popular meme happens to be true. Teams *don't* want to play Seattle. Look at DVOA and adjusted DVOA and you quickly see why. Seattle is one of three teams that is white hot (on the road as well as at home) that is destroying everyone even AFTER opponent adjustments while other teams are fading (yes even the Cards are fading....Cards are still winning, but they aren't nearly as scary right now as they were a month ago). The other two teams besides Seattle that are white hot are Pittsburgh and KC.

Agree on all points. Good post.

Nothing that I am afraid of though... it doesn't get any better than a home playoff game.

I disagree slightly. A home playoff game WITH a one week bye is probably better Fortunately for Arizona they'll likely have that as well.

As for it not getting better than a home playoff game, you might want to take that up with the NFC East :lol: :lol:

 

[CallMeADawg]

I get the sentiment about home games being preferred. I do want to add though that the Cardinals have not beaten Russell Wilson in Glendale since Russell Wilson's very first start in the NFL his rookie season. Even then, he was in position to win that game too. Furthermore, the 2 wins he collected since then were both blowouts.

But, I am sure you will have some reason for why that doesn't count, right?

 

[chris98251]

Big part of me wants us to go the hard road, stomp the NFC East winner, come back and go to Glendale and make Palmer look so bad he retires, go to the Super Bowl and dissect the Patriots.

 

[CallMeADawg]

Big part of me wants us to go the hard road, stomp the NFC East winner, come back and go to Glendale and make Palmer look so bad he retires, go to the Super Bowl and dissect the Patriots.

I suspect that it will come down to the Steelers or the Pats in the AFC. Beating the Steelers in SB 50 after losing SB 40 in the fashion that we did, would make me so happy.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I get the sentiment about home games being preferred. I do want to add though that the Cardinals have not beaten Russell Wilson in Glendale since Russell Wilson's very first start in the NFL his rookie season. Even then, he was in position to win that game too. Furthermore, the 2 wins he collected since then were both blowouts.

But, I am sure you will have some reason for why that doesn't count, right?

This is the best team the Cards have put together in the Wilson era, so we'll see. They came up here and beat us, so not sure why you're so confident we'd win in the playoffs in Arizona.

No road game in the playoffs is ever easy, unless you're playing the AFC South winner.

 

[AZ_fan]

Well the beauty of it is we'll soon see. I remember the 2011 Giants who were the #6 seed as I remember. They won it all because they got hot late. Same goes for the 2005 Steelers. Honestly I think Seattle this year when compared with the field is at least as strong as either of those teams were when compared with the NFL in those years. That's no guarantee of course, but it's a lot better than I would have expected a month ago.

The 2011 Giants were actually the 5th seed.. (the only 5th seed to ever win the Super Bowl by the way)... the 6 seeds to pull it off were the 2005 Steelers as you said (sorry about XL) and the 2010 Packers who got hot and smoked everybody.

1 5th seed and 2 6th seeds have won it all... 3 seeds haven't been all that fortunate either... in recent history only a couple have pulled it off. The vast majority of SB winners are the obvious #1 and #2 seeds.

They are crowned the team "nobody wants to play" because-

A. They are an unusual low seed that is better than many of the seeds above them
B. They are the most talented team in the NFC coming off two straight Super Bowls, but will be playing the role of "spoiler" again because of their seed.
C. They are clicking and playing better than anyone (other than Carolina) in the NFC right now.

Seems pretty straight forward.

Most definitely. :th2thumbs:

Agree on all points. Good post.

Nothing that I am afraid of though... it doesn't get any better than a home playoff game.

I disagree slightly. A home playoff game WITH a one week bye is probably better Fortunately for Arizona they'll likely have that as well.

As for it not getting better than a home playoff game, you might want to take that up with the NFC East :lol: :lol:

Haha yeah I forgot to mention the bye week.

Regarding the NFC East and home games... you gotta remember now... the 7-9 Seahawks and 7-8-1 Panthers won their home game (against us, injuries suck) as a 4 seed. Just sayin' ... :mrgreen:

I get the sentiment about home games being preferred. I do want to add though that the Cardinals have not beaten Russell Wilson in Glendale since Russell Wilson's very first start in the NFL his rookie season. Even then, he was in position to win that game too. Furthermore, the 2 wins he collected since then were both blowouts.

But, I am sure you will have some reason for why that doesn't count, right?

This is the best team the Cards have put together in the Wilson era, so we'll see. They came up here and beat us, so not sure why you're so confident we'd win in the playoffs in Arizona.

No road game in the playoffs is ever easy, unless you're playing the AFC South winner.

Thanks Largent... you said what I would have said...

To Dawg... Sorry, I don't put any stock at all in last years blowout win in Arizona (and in Seattle) with Carson on IR. It would be like beating the Seahawks with Tavaris starting.

I'd even go as far as the playoffs would have been a lot different last year. We are 9-1, Seahawks are 6-4... then Palmer goes down and we finish 2-5 while Seattle runs the table and gets HFA. Even a split of the 2 games would have kept Seattle out of HFA and I like our chances to win the division with a 3 game lead with 6 to go... kinda like the 3 game lead this year.

Too bad we'll never know. ... and no I'm not complaining... injuries happen... and ruin seasons a lot of times.

 

[CallMeADawg]

This is the best team the Cards have put together in the Wilson era, so we'll see. They came up here and beat us, so not sure why you're so confident we'd win in the playoffs in Arizona.

The exit of Burnt Toast (Cary WIlliams) is a good start toward why I think there will be a change in outcome. He played in 100% of the defensive snaps, and unfortunately I do not have a sub to PFF but I can only imagine that his rating was terrible, in addition to the problems he causes that dont land on the stat sheets. The upgrade to Shead is a big deal, IMO.

 

[Polaris]

This is the best team the Cards have put together in the Wilson era, so we'll see. They came up here and beat us, so not sure why you're so confident we'd win in the playoffs in Arizona.

The exit of Burnt Toast (Cary WIlliams) is a good start toward why I think there will be a change in outcome. He played in 100% of the defensive snaps, and unfortunately I do not have a sub to PFF but I can only imagine that his rating was terrible, in addition to the problems he causes that dont land on the stat sheets. The upgrade to Shead is a big deal, IMO.

I also point out that the key Arizona drive that put them ahead in the 4th qtr was assisted by FOUR first downs by penalty, and Seattle hadn't gotten one of those in their favor all season.....until the Baltimore game. It was the worst performance by DVOA by the Cards all year, and it was Seattle's best at that point in the season. I'm not saying that all the calls were bogus (but IMHO a couple of them were ticky-tack at best) but the officiating WAS lopsided in favor of Arizona. I didn't say that; Football Outsiders did.

 

[CallMeADawg]

I also point out that the key Arizona drive that put them ahead in the 4th qtr was assisted by FOUR first downs by penalty, and Seattle hadn't gotten one of those in their favor all season.....until the Baltimore game. It was the worst performance by DVOA by the Cards all year, and it was Seattle's best at that point in the season. I'm not saying that all the calls were bogus (but IMHO a couple of them were ticky-tack at best) but the officiating WAS lopsided in favor of Arizona. I didn't say that; Football Outsiders did.

I would add that the Seahawks also put themselves in crappy down and distance far too many times due to boneheaded pre-snap penalties that have largely fell off since the gelling of the line after getting Lewis in at center and the team having the reps on that line in live play, which is also another reason why I think the outcome changes. As for the penalties that granted first downs for AZ, that is what it is. Had we not shot ourselves in the foot, I dont think those penalties matter much at all.

The line is better, the secondary is better, and RW has had 5 games after the bye (during which the offense was adjusted, per PC) to get comfortable with the way forward for this team. All of this is showing in the results, but my expectations are a bit tempered given that the only Playoff teams we have played in those games were PIT and MIN.