You can take
the team out of the college stadium, but can you take the amateurs out of
the team? Apparently, not yet.
The first
thing the Cardinals coaching staff has got to do is put the right guys in
the right position. I have worked for twenty plus years in the restaurant
industry and one thing I can tell you is to know your position. You don’t
expect the run, bus, roll guy to cook your steak or the kitchen manager to
seat your guests. The Cardinals coaching staff , however, seems particularly
adept at position errors. For example, someone with the lack of speed of
Leonard Davis should not be playing tackle. Davis is much better suited to
guard. Dennis Green says that Davis is being paid too much money to play
guard, but Green should be focusing on how each player can benefit the team,
not how much each one earns. Secondly, moving David Macklin to the inactive
list proved to be a disaster when Eric Green had to leave the game.
Apparently, Green took issue with Macklin’s mistakes last week, but by
putting him on the inactive list the Cardinals were left with inexperienced
players at defensive back. Green should do better job at putting his
players in the best position to win.
Once you have the
right guys in the right position, you have to be able to execute. The most
perplexing series of events took place in the final 15 seconds of the first half
after Warner was sacked on the Seahawk’s 38-yard line. Instead of having Warner
return to the line, snap the ball and spike it to stop the clock, Greene rushed
the special team onto the field and forced a 53-yard field goal attempt which
kicker Neil Racker missed. Meanwhile, Green, Frank Bush and Keith Rowen looked
on the hastily attempted field goal like three hapless bystanders at the scene
of a car wreck.
Other mistakes
in execution led to Seahawk scores and Cardinal turnovers. Adrian Wilson was
out of his position at safety all day and allowed an easy touchdown in the first
half. In the second half, Adam Bergen fumbled the ball trying to get an extra
yard that meant nothing. Green then compounded the mistake by throwing the red
flag when every spectator in America, except apparently the Cardinal’s coaches,
could clearly see the ball left Bergen’s hands before he hit the ground.
However, the lowest point in the game came in the last five minutes when the
Cards had the ball and, in between each play, moved like their feet were stuck
in a monsoon drenched arroyo. The Seahawks could just kick back and relax as the
Cardinals ran the clock out for them. Kurt Warner showed a lack of leadership
by not yelling at the team to get them to move faster. A professional never
gives up no matter how bad things get. They just lied down and quit.
I should mention
the one bright spot I saw this week was Gerald Hayes. He made many tackles at
the line of scrimmage and had one interception. Way to go, Gerald! Hopefully,
next week your teammates will join you at your level of play when the Cards
return to the new stadium. We need a team that can live up to its multi-million
dollar venue.
Maybe Dennis and
Kurt should put them selves on the inactive list next week.
Knock one back with Bartender Al via his editor by emailing him at
james@azredbirdreport.com