Match-Ups to watch this week...

As a NFL fan I'm excited to see how Arians attacks the Seahawks defense. I have so much respect for the man, my love of the NFL is trumping my blind homerism. However he attacks the defense it may well be something unseen before.

The Cardinals run game vs the new look Seahawks defensive line is a matchup that may end up being huge. While the Cardinals run game hasn't been good, Arians commitment to it is unwavering. We'll see if the Seahawks shored up any issues form last week.

Arians vs Earl...will they try to go deep on Earl too? I bet you they will. As a side to that Lane vs Brown. I wonder if anyone has tried to rough up Brown yet this year? I'd be curious on the results if the Hawks let Lane do that.

Wilson vs Bowles (sp?) will be a good match up. I always thought Percy was brought in to keep opposing defenses from doing exactly what AZ likes to do; blitz inside gaps to cloud Wilson's vision and get physical with the Seahawks twinkish receivers. So, Wilson and Bevell are going to have to come up with something to make the Cardinals pay for their blitzing. Lynch is not a back who can make teams pay for run-blitzing, but Michael could be. So could clever ways to get Richardson involved.

What you got as an intriguing matchup?

The scary one? Lewis on Brown or Campbell.

And Mathieu on Baldwin.

Mathieu on Baldwin is a good one. Baldwin will run at slot then?

I'm wondering if Lockette will see more time given Petes odd plea this week?

pehawk":1w866arc said:

Mathieu on Baldwin is a good one. Baldwin will run at slot then?

I'm wondering if Lockette will see more time given Petes odd plea this week?

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I expect Baldwin in the slot quite a bit. I don't think we have a guy who can take on Peterson, Kearse or Richardson on him is sacrificial, but Lockette can at least match up for size and speed, and to block Peterson too. So, yes.

Mathieu on Baldwin will come down to how much contact they allow. Mathieu can't let Baldwin get an easy release as the hot.

I keep saying it, eventually it will come true, Gilliam is going to get a red zone target. Last week he got a block on a DE at the goal line from motion. It was a run, but that is a play just waiting to happen.

Someone pointed out that Stanton throws to his right 85% of the time. I don't know how accurate that is but regardless I think Sherman gets a couple of chances to make a big play in this game. Hopefully he can capitalize and I think he will. Ellington while the numbers don't bare it out is dangerous but with Wags back I think that minimizes his impact on the game. Wagner's speed will be a big plus on Sunday. I think AZ is going to have a really hard time moving the ball and see Seattle actually matching up very well against them. When healthy our run defense has been very good. That means Stanton has to beat us. I just don't see that happening in Seattle.

On the offensive side of the ball I'm curious to see how our running game does in this match up. They rank 3rd in the NFL but really haven't faced a ton of good rushing offenses. J. Bell ran for 6 yards a carry last week. Murray had some success in their game earlier this year too. Not saying its bad but I expect Wilson/Lynch and company to do their thing and win this tough matchup. Their pass defense is 29th(I believe) so Wilson should be able to pick his spots.

I feel pretty confident about this game and just see the match ups as favoring us. Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts on this game.

Stanton vs Seattle. This is his toughest game yet, let's see what you got Drew.

Our DBs vs their receivers: It feels like Sherm's had Larry's number in recent matchups, let's see if he really has regressed this year against a resurgent Fitz.

John Brown vs Earl Thomas, Brown's had his way with a few guys going deep, but he hasn't faced anyone with the game speed of Earl.

Byron vs Floyd, Maxwell owes Floyd one after last year. The good news is Floyd appears to have developed the dropsies.

Darrell Bevell vs Darrell Bevell: Don't come out of the game with regrets, like last week.

I was going to say Honey Badger on ADB, but will we see that a lot? Isn't he playing a lot of Safety? I've only caught one Cards game this season.

Patrick Peterson playing WR against Sherm when the Hawks are up by 21. :lol:

If Wagner plays I am interested to see how effective he is in our run D, whomever he matches up with.

I would also like to see a few targets to Moeaki.

SomersetHawk":2opc6gsf said:

Our DBs vs their receivers: It feels like Sherm's had Larry's number in recent matchups, let's see if he really has regressed this year against a resurgent Fitz.

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I was under the impression that Fitz wouldn't play this Sunday.

I can in no way take credit from the post below. However it is how I have felt about Stanton to the T!


Before joining then leaving the Cleveland Browns, Mike Lombardi was a frequent guest on the B.S. Report with Bill Simmons. One of the things that he talked about was that a lot of quarterbacks were good "between the 20s", and that their games would break down inside the red zone when the field gets smaller vertically.

Stanton has been successful in his brief appearances with the Cards at moving the ball downfield. He has good arm strength. He's been challenged in the red zone because the reads are more difficult to define when you can't depend on the deep players in coverage to be the 20-25 yards downfield that they usually are in the middle of the field.

Take Stanton's first interception in the middle of the 2nd quarter. It's the Cards' first down and 10 inside the red zone following a long reception by John Brown.

The play call is a simple enough concept with three receivers bunched to the right side of the offense with Troy Niklas lined up in-line next to the left tackle.

The concept anticipates that the middle of the field is going to be open because the cornerbacks are playing zone technique with outside leverage.

The designed option is for the interior receivers--Fitzgerald and John Brown--to pressure the deep defenders with deep posts into the end zone, while Michael Floyd runs a shorter post route underneath.

On the opposite side of the field, the tight end is going to run a similar post route with Andre Ellington providing an outlet option.

The slide isn't illustrated very well, but the Lions here are running a very, very soft zone scheme. The pass rush is generated from the front four, and the defensive backs are in "Quarters" coverage, with each DB responsible for a quarter of the field. Because the strong safety is lined up a little more shallowly, it's possible Stanton was reading 3-Deep coverage.

Regardless, the linebackers underneath are clearly playing zones. Stanton may also have anticipated the outside linebacker to his right would bail into the flat at the snap.

Regardless, I think that if he had the authority, considering the situation (1st down, plenty of time on the clock), Stanton probably should have audibled to a running play up the middle. He is not in a favorable situation.

At this point in the play--following a short drop and as the receivers are beginning to make their cuts and Stanton is making his decisions--it's difficult to defend the choice that Stanton makes to try and deliver the ball to Troy Niklas.

There's a passing lane available to a wide open Michael Floyd on the right with Brown and Fitzgerald blocking ahead of him, and there's a passing option on the left with Andre Ellington releasing to the flat.

Instead, Stanton makes the choice to throw to the rookie receiver who's missed a ton of practice time and is triple-covered.

The over-the-shoulder cam gives you a better idea of what Stanton is seeing and why he'd make the choice that he does.

What he sees is a wide open middle of the field that should have Niklas running into it very shortly.

It takes a lot of experience for a quarterback to stop reading his receivers and start reading the defense instead. If Stanton had been reading the defenders a little more, he might have seen the clear zone coverage with everyone watching his eyes and made a head- or shoulder-fake to move that stubborn middle linebacker off the spot.

Stanton's second interception is a little more frustrating because it's just a terrible choice from the get-go.

The situation is inside the two minute warning in a second-and-6 on Arizona's own 40 yard line. The play is a quick hitch to Jauron Brown. John Brown is going to run an inside slant and draw the interior defender inside the play.

What you can't see is that before the snap both defenders move into press coverage on the receivers. That should interrupt this option on the play and move Stanton into the rest of the play.

Instead, he waits and waits for John Brown to get off the jam at the line of scrimmage and open up Jauron Brown's route.

Stanton's patience isn't rewarded. As you can see here, Stanton's done a three-step drop and the receivers on the right are into their patterns.

Only now has John Brown managed to get off the line of scrimmage, and as Stanton's releasing the ball the cornerback makes a fantastic play to reverse his momentum and intercept the ball.

My biggest issue with Stanton is he reads the defense and often times decides who he is going to throw to before the ball is even snapped. It is frustrating to watch him stare down receivers. In one of his quotes he even mentioned that he makes his first read and then tries to scramble or throw it away or hope he has time to make his second read. That quote take from it what you will. But to me it was in order of his thought process.

1. Stare down receiver
2. If I wait to long scramble or throw it away.
3. Maybe my offense is doing good so I might make a 2nd read

Ringless, thank you! I don't have to answer in specifics right now, but thank you.

ringless":2iw242k9 said:

My biggest issue with Stanton is he reads the defense and often times decides who he is going to throw to before the ball is even snapped. It is frustrating to watch him stare down receivers. In one of his quotes he even mentioned that he makes his first read and then tries to scramble or throw it away or hope he has time to make his second read. That quote take from it what you will. But to me it was in order of his thought process.

1. Stare down receiver
2. If I wait to long scramble or throw it away.
3. Maybe my offense is doing good so I might make a 2nd read

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I heard some cardinal fans taking the spread as a sign of disrespect. Don't think that at all, I have taken the spread as an indicator that Stanton vs our secondary is a bad matchup.

I expect Arians to really try and get the run going.

I'm hearing that Stanton is like a Kraepernick in terms of his reads, but without Kaep's running ability when things break down. Fair summary?