AZ54

I'll always take wins and playoffs, and hopefully more wins in the playoffs.

For the Oline specialists out there what are your thoughts on James Brown? In his first couple games he was getting pushed around a lot, he still needs to improve his strength IMO. Lately he seems to settling into the role at LG and I thought he played ok today. Cutler had a lot of time to throw throughout the game and as someone who has watched more Cards games than most they do have a good pass rush. We still can't open holes inside for the running game but did seal the edge a few times for some nice gains. Is there potential for this guy to be on the roster next year? Better than Spencer/EWilliams at LG?

Just to comment on Bell...I like the way he ran the ball today. He often had nowhere to go but still fought forand got positive yards, plus he protected the ball well. I expect he'll be our #2 next week ahead of Allen.

I didn't state that either. Stop reading so much into what isn't written. Never have I said Oline is all we should draft, nor is it our only problem. I even said that in what I originally wrote ("we are in a spot where we have to throw number at some positions" ..... note the "s" on the end of that word) and Oline is just one of those positions. I think LB is another that needs a couple new bodies in the mix and one of them needs to be a high draft pick. Add TE to the list as well, we need more versatility out of the spot than we have now. Adams can't block but can catch and run. Spaeth can't run or catch. KDavis is not worth the contract we gave him and has no fluidity when he runs (meaning he can't cut nor does he have a feel for running routes). We can't go into next season with two stiffs as our top two TEs. I'm open to FA and/or draft to fixing these spots. If Lovie is gone chances are good that we won't draft a safety.

I said I'd rather take a chance on an Oline prospect with a 5-7th round pick than draft any punter. That statement, in and of itself, does not mean that is the only action I want the team to take regarding fixing our Oline problems. I also said that we should be throwing numbers at the problem which does mean that we'd have to be taking other actions to fix the Oline besides using just a late round draft pick on one.

I did say "most likely" there is a small chance he remains and I think that chance is smaller than what you believe. In other words this team will need a significant improvement not only getting into the playoffs but probably winning a playoff game. From Emery's perspective, he has to decide if it's a lack of talent on this roster or a lack of coaching. If it's talent then he's hitching his wagon to Lovie for another 4 years. If he has even some hesitancy on the coaching aspect then he has to wonder if he really wants to work with Lovie for another 4 years. For Lovie's entire tenure our offensive game plans have never been good and quite often don't (or can't) take advantage of the other team's weakness. Good coaches win without elite talent, maybe not in the playoffs but they can still win. Does anyone think Lovie can win games with average talent?

The fact this is being talked about publicly means around the league people know Lovie is most likely headed out the door.

With Podlesh's injury early in the year clearly affecting him in the first few games, then it appeared he had some bad form (maybe from compensating from the injury). Lately he's corrected that and appears to be punting better. With so many issues on our roster giving up a draft pick to grab a punter seems like a waste and I don't care what the odds are of a "hit" on a late round pick. We are in a spot where we have to throw numbers at some positions like Oline.

I think you are right on this one. Except for the "tag" I'd rather not go down that path with a QB. If he's ok then you offer him Ok money and structure the deal so we can break away after a couple years with minimal hit. 1) We have too many pressing needs right now and despite the questions around Cutler QB is not one of them. We must fix our LB depth, Oline, Oline, Oline, and TE. I can't see drafting a QB high this draft so at best we're looking for another backup QB if Campbell leaves. 2) I wouldn't mind a two year extension to his deal this offseason if he'd agree to one. Gives us time to draft a replacement QB after the 2013 season and let him learn from the bench for a season or two. If Cutler turns it around then we just trade the backup QB as the Packers have done a couple times. For his part Cutler would still be young enough to command a solid new deal on the FA market. Need to add that if we were to go with a new HC then it gives the new HC a decent QB to start with and that's better than nothing. He'd also have his shot at finding Cutler's replacement over a year or two, if that's the route we decide to go.

While Briggs and Urlacher are bashing the fans in the other corner has been Jay Cutler admitting: "We haven't given the fans much to cheer about".

I like Tebow as a TE as well, or as an H-back ..one who can occasionally pass. However, I don't want the Tebow circus. Tebow is a great football player but he should read the writing on the wall and give up on his QB fantasy and go to a position where he can have a productive career.

Yes it does sum it up nicely. Not all failure but a playoff capable team is the limit of Smith's capability. Teams that just scratch the surface of the playoffs are not capable of winning the Superbowl. We've never shown the ability to go out and match up with the heavy weights of the league, no matter who they are in each season. On the flip side his system won't bring you total failure either ala Detroit under Marinelli. There's always just enough to tease you but never enough to satisfy.

Briggs is right, when he was at Univ of Arizona fans didn't boo, they just quit going to the games.

Your right, most DBs don't flop and whine like the Packers DBs.

If Urlacher doesn't want to play in front of Bears fans, as he insinuated, then it's time for him to go.

Horrible game by the replacement referees and the vast majority of bad calls went GB way as usual. We got one bad call on the PI down the sideline. I don't disagree on a couple of Jeffrey's OPI calls but the one on his TD catch was a bad call, that stuff happens every play in the endzone. Other than that clearly the Packers DBs were allowed to get away with a lot of contact beyond 5 yds all game, why? Either it is or it isn't a penalty .... call it the same way for both teams.

If fans don't boo how are we supposed to express our displeasure of the poor offense we've been subjected to year after year? I'm supposed to accept mediocrity because the players accept it? Should I cheer the defense after it gave up two long drives to Seattle and after I spent $1000 to visit the city, attend the game, and cheer these guys on? Maybe he wants a more European approach and we should throw stuff like flares and metal objects onto the field at the players? He doesn't think the fans know football? I guess we should follow his naive approach to believing the Bears are headed toward a 16-0 record and will go the Superbowl. It is correct, everyone has a choice here. If Ulracher doesn't like football fans in Chicago he never had to sign a contract for millions of dollars to play here. Fans don't have to pay to watch him play either. Since, according to some, Urlacher is the bigger man in this argument (not physically), I hope he votes with his feet and follow his convictions this offseason then I'll believe him. Take your wares to the FA market after this season. I'll do my part too and stay home next year. Even better, I won't spend money to see him stand on the sidelines in AZ this week.

IMO Tice's main deficiency is that he hasn't done enough to emphasize the run. It started in week 2 against the Packers and has continued off and on throughout the season. We don't have the best Oline but we aren't that bad in run blocking, at least some aspects of it. Results have been far lower than I expected considering the addition of Marshall to what is basically the same offense as the year before.

Seeing what we have in place to determine the value of Hester for next year.

The only thing Know was close to is 170lbs. He is nowhere close to being ready to play in the NFL. First he has to learn how to run again.

This proposed 4th and 15 rule is interesting. It still keeps the excitement and quick strike capability of a kick return as part of the game and we need that. 4th and 15 gives reasonable odds to the offense to try to keep the ball if they choose. The story is wrong about losing a kickoff specialists as you still need to kick FG and I can't think of any teams that have a kicker just for kickoffs especially with today's rules.

With an average offense I might agree but with two new OG, and bringing in a 3rd new guy (Brown), who was a UDFA and had never seen game action, is not an Oline I have confidence in on a 4th and short situation. At this point in the game we hadn't done much in the running game and were only moving the ball passing. What did Lovie see that made him feel these guys could push the Seahawks for a yard? Statistics as cited in another post about league-wide success rates and more points scored on balance are not relevant without context. For that stat to be valid it would have to include all populations of offense versus all defenses (good to bad versus bad to good). More simply put: Do you really believe the AZ Cardinals would have the same success rate against the Steelers D on 4th and 1? How many times would they try that from the 10 yd line versus taking a FG? Then on the other side of the coin is New England with the leagues best offense going for it. Their team is not concerned that they'll struggle to make points during a game like we are. They can go for the quick kill because they know, and you know, you have to keep up with their offense all game long. Even so, does Belicik go for it against the Ravens? Or does he go for it against the Saints who have the worst D in the league? At the game I was surprised we were going for it. Mostly I just didn't like the opportunity for a momentum swing it provided their team. You always have to consider the downside risk when gambling and I felt and still do that having two scoring drives early in the game went in our favor far more than any confidence gain our Oline would get from Lovie supporting them on a 4th and short even if they failed.

Don't like the 4th down play simply because we had a makeshift line in there. You just put a couple solid drives together take the points, build the momentum and confidence of the Oline. Instead we came out with the opposite. The D is definitely feeling the loss of key players to injury. There is a big dropoff in speed from Conte to Steltz, Peanut battling a bone chip, lost Jennings (who is very fast), Briggs battling injured ankle. Urlacher is just slow these days and watching him in person at the game it was even more obvious. Time to draft his replacement. The only D line who had the ability to worry Wilson when he scrambled was SMC and he wasn't on the field enough IMO. How slow is Izzy chasing down Wilson? Seahawks new it and used our personnel groupings to their advantage on the called QB runs. Late in the game when he did put SMC on the field I didn't like Lovie/Marinelli using him just as a spy, at least not with that deep of a drop. If we were going to shadow Wilson he should have done it closer to the LOS instead of dropping 5-8 yards deep.

Cutler flips a football at a defender and is fined $10000. No injury whatsoever there. Jared Allen intentionally leaves his feet on an illegal blindside block and drives into the head of his opponent with his helmet, giving him a concussion and tearing his knee apart in the process. Punishment for this is only twice as much as flipping a football at someone: $21000. Nonetheless I'm off to get my flight to Chicago and will be at Sunday's game against Seattle. Thankfully the forecast says this Arizonan will be in 60 degree weather.

Would you prefer tangled-Webb?