My Cardinals scouting report

[SmootsDaddy89]

I hope beastmode stays around tbh.

[DaveThePanther2008]

Great Job Beast Mode..... 

You do better than 85% of the damn sports writers out there. 

Most make statements like This team is on a destiny mission.  No fact just a bunch of bandwagon statements.

I think it is going to be tough.  I think we can score on them as we did last year.   Last I check Carson Palmer didn't play defense.  McDermott and Shula usually come up with a good game plan.

Go Panthers

 

[Semaj]

8 hours ago, Beast Mode said:

 

Conclusion:

On paper this should be a really good game, the Cardinals and Panthers are the clear cream of the crop in the NFC this year so I expect a close, high scoring game.  I think ultimately the team that's won 16 of 17 games this season and has the league MVP will prevail.  I'm taking Carolina by a touchdown, 34-27. 

 

Why can't there be more Seahawk fans like you Beast mode?  I want to despise the entire fan base but I just can't because of your rational and polite post.  By the way, whats your take on how they will deal with Cam's duel threat capabilities? 

[CPantherKing]

This game will come down to Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Shaq Thompson v. Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, and David Johnson.

The next battle will be Star and KK against their 3 interior OL. If they choose to double both, which they will likely do, then this means they need 6 blockers.

That leaves 2 WRs not named Larry Fitzgerald to beat 4 DBs. So, for the Cardinals to even get to this match up which will favor them, they will have to pull resources from the previous 2 levels they have to beat and buy time to develop routes from a non mobile QB while winning the previous 2 levels.

Good luck with that Cardinals.

[B.BERSIN]

12 hours ago, Beast Mode said:

So .. not sure how many of you really follow the Cardinals during the season, maybe you paid a little extra attention to them this year since they were your biggest threat to HFA and now your lone obstacle to a trip to Santa Clara.. but I figured since I'm a Seahawks fan and get to see these guys 2x a year + various division games they play.. I'd give you guys a rundown of what to look for on Sunday!  (Not as though Ron Rivera will need my advice, but.. you know)

Cardinals Offense:

First things first, I think that given your injuries in the secondary.. where Arizona can really give Carolina some problems will be with their offense.  I think that while Russell Wilson does great things when he scrambles like his head is cut off, that a team like Carolina is almost better off facing that type of QB at the moment than a guy that can stand in the pocket and read/react to a blitz and target the weak links on the back end of your defense.  Carolina's front 7 is the best in football, but outside of Josh Norman.. there are some holes back there as I am sure you are well aware of.  Arizona loves to spread you out and use their speed to stretch a defense out vertically.  Then when they get you concerned about that vertical presence with John Brown and Michael Floyd, they will slice you up underneath with Larry Fitzgerald.  Arians is using Fitzgerald just like he used Hines Ward in his later stages as a player, and Fitzgerald hasn't aged a damn bit.  Just ask Green Bay that after the 4th quarter and OT on Saturday. 

Arizona will use rookie RB David Johnson for the most part, with Andre Ellington spelling him for a few plays here and there.  Since Johnson is a dangerous threat in the passing game, he stays out there a lot on 3rd downs.  I don't foresee Johnson doing much running the ball against a stout front 7, but he may make an impact in the passing game .. especially if the pressure from your front 7 + blitzes get to Palmer consistently forcing him to use Johnson as a check down. 

If the field conditions don't improve in six days (doubt that will happen) I think this absolutely helps out your defense.. as it will nullify some of their speed in the passing game. 

Another thing to look for when you play on Sunday is Bruce Arians is one cocky SOB.  This works against him as much as it works for him.  He's cut from the same cloth as Pete Carroll.. and even though Pete got a fake punt over on you guys, he also did the terrible thing of passing on a FG late.. and the clock management was utterly awful.  I don't expect the clock management gaffes to happen to Arizona, but in a close game or if you guys build an early lead.. look for Arians to try something out of the ordinary or even gamble on a 4th down attempt in a spot most coaches wouldn't.  His ego almost backfired miserably against the Packers as he threw the ball on 2nd and 9 late in the game Saturday giving Aaron Rodgers 40 more seconds to work with.  He's done that type of thing his entire time in Arizona.. again.. because he's pretty damn cocky.  

In a championship game, that can be a big deal. 

Cardinals Defense:

Unlike the Seahawks defense which basically runs only a handful of plays and coverages, the Cardinals will line up in a bunch of different looks and bring the heat over and over and over.  I expect Patrick Peterson to line up over Ted Ginn for much of the game.. as he has the speed to hang with Ginn and the size to make it difficult to beat him over the top, but the Cardinals aggression leaves them ripe for huge chunk plays in the passing game.  Deone Buchanan will be a very important part of the game on Sunday for the Cardinals, he's a strong safety that Arians deploys like a LB.. so I imagine Deone will have a big part in slowing down Greg Olsen and helping stop the running game of the Panthers.  The Cardinals secondary outside of Peterson is very average at best.. especially without Tyrann Mathieu at CB/S.  The Cardinals losing Mathieu would be like the Seahawks losing Earl Thomas.. Honey Badger did a LOT for this defense.  Especially given how frequently the team blitzes.  Honey Badger would be very Polamalu like in being deployed on blitzes or baiting QB's into throwing to where they think he is about to blitz from.. and he was just such a game changer back there for the Cardinals secondary.  The issue I see from Carolina's perspective is will they have a WR that can make the Cardinals pay?  Philly Brown and Devin Funchess will be asked to do a lot on Sunday for this very reason.  I think Jerricho Cotchery can be really big on Sunday as well, especially to get those 4-6 yard grabs for first downs. 

That said.. you guys are 16-1, so it's not like the league has suddenly gone "wow, Cam's not working with a lot of weapons here!" ... very clearly you guys are doing a lot of things right.  I think if you can get Stewart going in the running game just like you did on Sunday that the Cardinals are in trouble on defense.  If they bottle up the run and make you guys a bit one dimensional, thats where things can get a little interesting. 

Cardinals Special Teams:

Not a whole lot to write home about here.  Chandler Catanzaro played at Clemson, so I'm sure he's familiar with the kicking conditions in the Carolinas.. hes pretty steady kicking FG's but has missed a lot of PAT's.  Their punting game is average.  Their kick coverage unit though got ripped apart by the Seahawks ST unit.  A lot of that could be because of Tyler Lockett, but they just simply were not good covering kicks and punts.  That could be big in a closer game, especially with a guy like Ginn who is still dangerous enough returning punts to where he can swing some field position. 

Conclusion:

On paper this should be a really good game, the Cardinals and Panthers are the clear cream of the crop in the NFC this year so I expect a close, high scoring game.  I think ultimately the team that's won 16 of 17 games this season and has the league MVP will prevail.  I'm taking Carolina by a touchdown, 34-27. 

 

Thanks Beast Mode, one question here, how's their OL? Do we have an edge over them?

[Ja Rhule]

Cardinals OL is very good and underrated.

[Jangler]

I wonder what the record for the most sacks in the NFCCG is? 

No need to looke it up, because a new one will be set Sunday.

[Nomad82]

The weather may determine the outcome. We're expecting a snow storm in the Triad.

[Jangler]

Cool, slow field. Advantage Panthers.

[d-dave]

Like most games, this is going to come down to lines: if our lines win more often than their lines...we win.  I mean if we can do our usual 100+ rushing yards, keep the chains moving, eat time and then get in Palmer's face early and often, I feel pretty good about our chances.

This will be an interesting coaching game, that's for sure!

[MadHatter]

I see this game coming down to one thing and one thing only.....can we get pressure on Palmer?

If we do...we win.

If we don't...it will be another long night against a Cards team.

[KB_fan]

This is encouraging:

Pro Football Focus ‏@PFF 1h1 hour ago

Arizona's OL allowed more total pressures (15) in the divisional round than New England, Carolina, and Denver combined (12)

13 retweets 8 likes

 

[teeray]

I honestly feel like we match up better against Zona than we do Seattle.

 

[PghPanther]

The dominance of the Panthers the 1st half of the game against Seattle was set by the play of the lines.............any reasonable skill players would have excelled in such an environment.......

So for me I'm more interested in how our D line matches up to their O line.................and our O line matches up to their D line.

Championship games are won in the trenches first..................most teams at this level have all the skill players they need to make plays..........the question how do their lines compare to each other.