We have to be satisfied with the performance. The Texans of old would have folded by halftime. We came back and fought hard in the 2nd half... we had a chance to win... but we came up short. Clearly we are not a playoff team but we still put up a good fight.

Its like we also just let them know when we were gonna snap the ball. They beat our OLine off the snap.

If your OLine sucks that bad, "and you know this man", why the hell don't resort to some way to get the edge.

Hell, now that I think about it we had to call a qb sneak earlier on 3rd down inches.

Terrible execution.

For any normal team, that would've been a good play call. But because again we don't have the personnel to make that play it was a TERRIBLE play call.

Fk putting up a good fight. We could've won without that pick six.

Then we could've tied, but our coaches decided to put the game in the hands of two people that did not get us to that point. CBrown and OLine.

This is the second time CBrown came up short.

Most people will say, the Oline did not give him a chance. Well if we had a better Oline slaton would be getting it that situation. We needed someone who knows how to pick up 6 inches. Obviously he cant.

Also why did we have several of our Olineman standing around watching CBrown get pushed backwards. The only person I saw trying to push him forward was Leach.

Same situation as last year.

I don't want to end on a bad note. So:

Kudos:

Offense (second half)
Defense (second half)

The fact is that the ONLY thing that the Cardinals' defense does is stop the run. THE ONLY THING. This is why I am mystified as to why the Texans stubbornly continued to try to run the ball in the first half scoring zero points. And I'm mystified that they didn't notice that their successes moving the ball in the second half was basically 100% due to throwing the ball. And I'm mystified as to why with the game on the line the Texans tried to run the ball - up the middle - something they had not been able to do all day. At all.

Kubiak is undeserving of his paycheck. McNair couldn't fire that dumbass fast enough for me.

The team will be lucky to be 3-6 going into the bye. Playoffs, my ass.

OK, I've said this before but it's worth repeating. ZBS is not conducive to gaining a short yard. We do not have the O-line to move a DL off the line of scrimmage. Antoine Caldwell isn't even active because he lacks the experience to beat out White. I realize that Alex Gibbs is considered a GURU and we are lucky to have him, but short yardage is not the strength.

This team is built to pass. The catch in the back of the endzone was a good play, as Rich Gannon mentioned, Schaub simply let the pass sail. We should have spread out the defense and ran a draw up the middle.

I don't blame Chris Brown for not getting in, I blame the stubborn coaches who had faith in Myers and Briesel to get some push against Gabe Watson and Darnell Dockett.

I don't think I've been this P.O'ed about a Texans loss since the Rosencopter game last year. Serenity now...serenity now...serenity now.

I just don't understand the thought process behind that play call. Dockett is a probowler. What did he think would happen? Meyers has been getting handled, not just this game, but ALL YEAR.

That about sums it up.

As undersized as the OL is, the interior OL, anyway, I don't consider the Ts undersized, they do a decent job in pass protection. Why the team feels like it needs to run the ball 35 times a game and run the ball in critical situations is anyone's guess. That is just not this team. The need to spread it out and throw it around. Andre was saying that you can spread it out and THEN run. I guess the guys making the big money haven't thought of that yet.

Ditto!

Andre must be reading what I'm posting.

Is there any reason CB couldn't have just leaped into the endzone instead of tring to bullrush their DT's?? We're on the 1 YARD LINE, JUST LEAP IN!! I believe Hall, the RB we cut, made a play leaping into the endzone in a preseason game. And speaking of the running game, how long are we gonna continue to go with SS as our RB, he was HORRIBLE, again. I am so sick of our RB's lack of production. Why is Kubiak soo faithful to him, he's had only one good game all season. Change it up!!; start Moats, bring in Hall, or Foster, even start CB, just no more SS, please.

I don't know what you have against Steve, but he is one of the bright spots of our offense. It is not his fault that the coach does not know how to utilize him.

That's kinda my thought although I blame Schaub's bad pass in the end zone as the major fail of that drive. We could be 4-1 were it not for a couple of bad plays/calls.

Gotta like the comeback, though. I'm afraid I have to agree that the playcalling lost this game.

The playcalling lost all the games. Just think had we decided to commit to the pass earlier maybe we might have had 10 points in the first half. In which case we would have won the game. I know its a reach, but not much of one.

http://www.inthebullseye.com/archive/2009/20091011.html

I was thinking the same thing, assuming the Texans win in those overtimes, of course.

There's some kind of head coach macho-ism that exists to say that the team who wants it more should get that final yard. But for Kubiak there needs to be some kind of realization that his offense is built for the pass first.

Almost felt like I was watching the Run n' Shoot out there this afternoon, or least the pre-RnS Red Gun version or something. The biggest difference is that this offense uses more tight ends and naked boots, but like the RnS, these guys need to figure out how they are going to score inside the 5-yard line. Find a jumbo package, run a draw from 4-wide, whatever, but what they are doing now obviously isn't working.

And it's a shame considering how close this team really is to being 4-1 right now. But instead, we're probably looking at another 8-8 finish at this rate.

If we're gonna win 9 games this year we have to immediately pass 75% of the time...we have no run game and everybody knows it.

BTW, now that the broncos are 5-0 and we are 2-3, well, I have to move.


Thank you McNair.

They called the play action pass on the perfect down and had a man wide open in the end zone with minimal pressure on the QB. If the players can't complete an open 1 yard pass then I blame the players (or whoever got them). You can't blame the play calling when they made what should have been a game tying call.

And the worst part is, this is the easy part of our schedule. We should be no worse than 5-2 after 7 games. Instead, we're 2-3.

Argh.

That is a good point. Dreesen's foot was about 3 inches out of the back of the end-zone. The play call caught the defense by surprise and it was open.

And on the other hand we really aren't that far from 1-4.
Lets face it, we're plateauing under Kubiak - he may have hit his limit at .500 ?

Re-watching the game and noticed when the Cards ran 4 - WRs in their formation, we actually had only 3 Downlinemen and kept Cushing on the field as a "blitzer" so we still rushed 4.

That first drive Warner did a great job of finding mis-matches in our defense. He hit Fitzgerald out of the slot when we had DeMeco Ryans covering him while Zac Diles blitzed. Ryans couldn't keep up and Fitzgerald out ran him to the next window between the safety and CB. Also, Warner passed to Hightower out of the backfield when we ran a Zone-Blitz that had Connor Barwin dropping into coverage.

The second drive, Steve Breaston made a push-off on Glover Quinn at 5:32 1st Qtr for a completion. You can see Kubiak yelling at the refs.
The next play, Fitzgerald comes in motion and continues to run in the flat out of the reach of Pollard. Bolden took the CB deep out of the play leaving Fitz on Pollard for a quick pick up. That set up 2nd and 1 and they run a play-action pass and Fitzgerald schooled Dunta Robinson on a comeback and Dunta lost his footing. They ran up the middle next, and Pollard stopped the run for a 1 yard gain. Shotgun, RB goes left for an empty backfield, we rush 4 and get some pressure making Warner step up to hit Urban coming across underneath zone coverage. The zone had a big hole as Robinson went back toward the endzone, Ryans and Diles covered other players. Warner hits a slant and Quinn and Wilson create a fumble for Ryans to pick up. Score remains 7-0. Defense gave the offense the ball and created a turnover in the Red Zone.

Our offense gets into the Red Zone and Schaub overthrows Andre in the endzone. Kris Brown gets his FG attempt blocked. :(

Cards 3rd drive. Hightower gets stopped by Okoye in the backfield. Bolden catches a pass over the middle (couldn't see play b/c they were showing blocked FG replay). 3rd and 7 - shotgun Hightower tackled immediately in flat, Cards go 3 and out. Punt.

After Dre dropped the 3rd and 2 slant pass, we punted setting up Cards next drive. Tight trips left, Fitz to right, Wells follows pulling guard for 2 yard gain, Bulman makes tackle. 4-Wrs, Shotgun with RB to Warner's left, Cushing bltzes and we rush with 4 DLs, Breaston slides behind Zone CB Reeves and in front of Pollard. Beanie runs "Wildcat" and we stop him for gain of 2 yards. Hightower tries to go outside for a gain of 1. 3rd and 7, shotgun with 2 RBs, Stephens-Rowling can't catch pass. Okoye was in Warner's face. Cards Punt.

Slaton couldn't convert 3rd and 1 following Leach, Winston and Myers. Texans punt. Cards start at their own 32 yard line. Warner has pass knocked down by Okoye. Shotgun, Fitz in motio for screen. Reeves couldn't get off block, Mario was pass rushing, Cushing blocked by TE, so Fitzgerald gets 10 yards after making the catch behind the LOS. Play-action, Bulman takes Warner down and Warner throws into the dirt. Sendlein called for holding anyway for loss of 10. 1st and 20, Shotgun w/ 4-WRs, Urban makes out and gains 12 as McCain gave him too much cushion. Cushing was the 4th rusher as we only play Okoye, Williams, and Smith on the DL. 2nd and 8, 4WRs, shotgun, we blitz Cushing and Ryans this time: Warner completes pass to Bolden while Quinn tried to cover. 1st and 10 - 4WRs, play action fake reverse, Breaston is wide open between Ryans, Quinn, Pollard, Wilson, Robinson, and McCain. That was good for 22 yards... Definitely a breakdown in Zone coverage. 2 minute warning. Wells goes up the middle, Cody stops him for 4 yards. 2nd and 6 - WRs to left, I formation, Reeves gets called for PI on Bolden during the Slant route. 1st and Goal - Shotgun 4WRs: we rush Barwin, Okoye, Smith, and Williams. Cushing and Ryans both stand in the middle of the field and Cushing takes the RB coming out of the backfield. Warner has plenty of time - Dunta Robinson trail Fitzgerald in the back of the endzone and Warner finds him for a TD. I believe we could have sent Ryans or Cushing on a delay-blitz. Cards up 14 - 0.

What was it with Schaub? He was high seems like all game. Not only that endzone play, but several sideline plays in the first half. Then in the 4th quarter, with a chance to tie it up, he floats a lazy ball out to Walter on the Sideline and Dominick Cromartie quick sixes the int. Schaub had his head up his ass the whole game.

I would have to respectfully disagree with that statement. Completing 70% of his passes for 371 yards is not exactly having your head up your ass. He was off target on some throws, he should have put more mustard on the pick, and he should not have rushed the throw to Dressen, but QB play was not our issue yesterday. My biggest complaint with Schaub is he is such a slow starter. Once he gets going, he is good, but man, we can't wait until Q2to get the O going.

Based on Kubes comments in the post game interviews, I am looking for a shake-up in the play calling next week against the Bengals. I think he is finally going to listen to Roy P (;)) and use the passing game, which I would imagine ranks near the top of the NFL, to set up the run. Get Slaton and Moats into space and get some points on the board.
"We've got to move the football," Kubiak said. "If we've got to go out there and throw it all the time, that's what we'll do."

I'm not sure that Schaub is 100% healthy. That stupid ankle twist he had in the pre-season may be causing him to throw a little high. He had several throws that went higher than where they should be. I think maybe he's not getting his feet set properly. The 4th and 1 play in the 3rd QTR with 10:55 left in the game, Schaub overthrew AJ by 5 yards in the back of the endzone. It is really apparent when he rolls to his left and has to throw.

We had a 3rd & 1 on the 20 yard line and Kevin Walters motioned into the backfield. Andre was out wide and Schaub was able to sneak for the one yard gain. I would have liked to have seen that formation on the goal line and have Schaub pitch it out to Walters. Andre could have blocked Rolle, while Walters went wide. On this same drive, Schaub over threw AJ in the corner of the Endzone. Then on 2nd and goal, we had David Anderson go in motion to the left and gained 3 yards. Then 3rd and goal, we had I formation and 3 TEs, with Dreesen going in motion behind Schaub and Chris Brown scored the TD.

That is when the defense started doing better. Why? We played more man-to-man coverage. For some reason, these young players haven't figured out how to play Zone. When we went man, and blitzed Cushing or Ryans, we got hits on Warner and made him inaccurate.

Schaub was doing well, but in the 4th at 13:52, he overthrew a wide open OD. Then turned around and threw a dart to David Anderson. Ball at the ten, and Bob's favorite was called, Slow whiteboy reverse to Walter. Then empty backfield screen to AJ for a TD. D. Brown and Studdard got out there to block.

That Cromartie pick was just a good read by the CB. Schaub was a little late on that throw and Cromartie just jumped it. He looked left first and came back to the out route on the right where Cromartie was waiting.

On the run play before the pick, Dockett blew up Briesel and it looked like he was hurt. Supposedly, Briesel will most likely miss this week. Wonder why we thought running behind a hurt OL was a good idea on the goal line.

You are quite correct WMH. I said that in the aftermath of the game when I was still too hot over the outcome. But I do stand behind that fact that he was wild high on some of those out passes. And Kubiak doesn't seem to listen to anybody when it comes to thinking he can run the ball with our undersized line.

RP, you may well have hit the nail on the head. Schaub just seems like one of those people that doesn't heal very fast.