Cardinals try to ignore warning sirens over “Air Raid” offense

[CGI_Ram]

Cardinals try to ignore warning sirens over "Air Raid" offense

Kliff Kingsbury is bringing the "Air Raid" offense to the NFL.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Cardinals try to ignore warning sirens over “Air Raid” offense

Kliff Kingsbury is bringing the “Air Raid” offense to the NFL. Halfway through the preseason, his team is doing its best to ignore the warning sirens.

As explained by Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic, criticism has mounted over the team’s planned attack. The players are insisting that it’s no big deal.

“It gets frustrating when there might not be anything open and we go out there and look how we looked last week and people are talking about you,” quarterback Kyler Murray said recently, in reference to an ugly preseason outing against the Raiders, which may or may not have included specific game-planning from Oakland aimed at shutting down the NFL’s next “generational” talent.

“But you’ve got to understand it’s preseason and we’re running like literally six or seven plays,” Murray added. “There’s nothing to be too negative about because we know what’s really going on.”

What’s really going on is that the offense, for now, is keeping it very simple when performing in plain sight of Arizona’s opponents. The real offense supposedly will be unveiled Week One, against the Lions.

“[W]e know what we’re doing as far as what our approach is for the preseason games,” Cardinals passing-game coordinator Tom Clements said, via McManaman. “What we’re trying to tell the players is we’re going to execute plays that they know so they can show and give their best on those plays. They don’t have to worry about it. They recognize we’re not game-planning and we’re just trying to get better and treat it more like a practice game.”

That said, Murray has promised that Saturday’s practice against the Vikings in Minnesota will entail “a couple new wrinkles” from the offense. The real question is whether the Vikings defense will be throwing many extra wrinkles at Murray, including the kind of blitzing that had Murray asking Raiders receiver Antonio Brown after the most recent preseason game, “Why they gotta bring the house on me, bro?“

 

[Loyal]

We’re Effing DOOMED ~ Fans of Big Red

 

[Riverumbbq]

Arizona's “Air Raid” offense already has our DB's in stitches.

 

[Farr Be It]

Drafting a midget quarterback is supposed to make us elite! What are we doing wrong?!!

- Tardinal fan with Wussel Envy Syndrome

 

[jjab360]

Yeah, yeah, we've heard that before lol

 

[Zaphod]

Don’t get me wrong, I want to see our division opponents fall flat on their faces; but I have to be fair, I’d be nervous if the Rams started going all out in an effort to win preseason games.

 

[Akrasian]

Don’t get me wrong, I want to see our division opponents fall flat on their faces; but I have to be fair, I’d be nervous if the Rams started going all out in an effort to win preseason games.

Definitely shouldn't go all out - but it's a radically new system for the team, with some new key personnel. Keeping some things secret is one thing - but the offense having real experience running the system is important too.

 

[Mojo Ram]

If they can pass protect him they'll be okay. I don't think they can.

 

[nighttrain]

they couldnt protect Rosen, nothing has improved
train

 

[Flint]

Not sure keeping it all under wraps is the best play, nobody really knows what the cards are going to look like including them so there is sure to be growing pains. Are they really expecting to compete this year with the Rams and Hawks? By the time they get it figured out there’s going to be tape on them for everyone to see.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

Remember when we wondered if Fisher kept the offense simple in the preseason before realizing it just sucks? Yeah, "new wrinkles" my ass lol.

 

[oldnotdead]

Spread offenses like that require an elite o-line to make it work. Any team with a good 4 man rush will kill an offense like that in the NFL. It works in college because few teams have more than a single good pass rusher. But in the NFL most teams have at least two or more.

This is why this offensive scheme doesn't work at this level. You can beat poor or mediocre teams but when they play elite teams it falls apart. The Raiders aren't an elite team but they can bring it when they want. The Cardinal o-line is hardly one of the leagues best, so the results are predictable.

The Rams will simply play their nickel the entire game. They won't need a NT they will simply play with Rapp as their nickel. He's a better defender both run and pass than Nickell. That AZ five man o-line won't be able to handle a rush of AD and Brockers inside (double 3T's) and Fowler and Ogbo outside. Ebukam will be sitting in outside contain at SAM and he's got 4.4 to 4.5 speed so Kyler won't outrun him. AZ will need to keep their RB in for pass protection so Kyler will only have 4 WR's going against 6 defenders. If they take away his first read the kid will be running for his life after that.

AZ is trying to duplicate KC but they don't have the coach or the players to make it happen. What makes KC work is not just Mahomes, but more importantly Coach Reid. Kliffnotes hasn't proved he can do it in the NCAA, how is he going to do it in the NFL against far better opponents?

I will believe it when he proves he can.

 

[LesBaker]

This shit repeats........

 

[Zaphod]

Definitely shouldn't go all out - but it's a radically new system for the team, with some new key personnel. Keeping some things secret is one thing - but the offense having real experience running the system is important too.

I'm just glad our team isn't in that basement clawing their way out.

 

[shovelpass]

The Rams will simply play their nickel the entire game. They won't need a NT they will simply play with Rapp as their nickel. He's a better defender both run and pass than Nickell. That AZ five man o-line won't be able to handle a rush of AD and Brockers inside (double 3T's) and Fowler and Ogbo outside. Ebukam will be sitting in outside contain at SAM and he's got 4.4 to 4.5 speed so Kyler won't outrun him.

Where is Ebu playing in nickel? Is he one of the ILB? Because there really isn't a SAM LB in a traditional nickel, unless you run something like a 3-3-5.

Basic Nickel

Double A-Gap

3-3-5

Also saying Rapp is better in coverage than NRC without playing a meaningful snap is outrageous. Rapp will most likely take over an ILB spot in nickel D like Christian did last year.

 

[oldnotdead]

Ebukam doesn't often pass rush. His role is that of the SAM (strongside OLB) He's positioned wide on the strong side to provide contain and cover TE's and RB's in the flats. He's become a very good SAM who can also provide a pass rush when needed, i.e. a blitzing LB.

The position Ebukam plays is situationally very important. More than once his setting a strong edge turned the play inside where Fowler and the other LBs were. We saw his play against KC where he was covering the TE and picked off the pass. He's become a complete OLB and there aren't many of those.
On another play in that same KC game, Mahomes started to rollout to the strong side but almost came to a stop when he saw Ebukam ready to take him. That allowed Fowler an easy target for a TFL.

Ebukam's play in the flats allows them not to have to spread the LB's and safeties too thin. That quick slat is gone because the secondary and ILBs know Ebukam is outside.

Ogbo AD Brockers Fowler
Ebukam 5T 3T 3T 5T Rapp

Wade uses this alignment a lot, especially on 2nd and longs. He has his ILB over both A gaps. On the snap, if it's a pass the ILB drop into zone coverage. Remember this is with a 3 safety alignment so the Rams are in press man outside Weddle in the middle zone 10 yds off the LOS to take away the crossing route. Johnson deep cover 1 shaded to their biggest deep threat. So anything short to mid-range will be covered by Weddle, Rapp and 2 ILB's. If they execute, Murray won't have a quick throw open. The Raiders showed what happens then. He's not experienced in working through his progressions quickly and so he reverts to off schedule pass or run.

Poor kid was surprised and miffed that the Raiders actually game planned to stop him! How dare they and what was he supposed to do when no one was open and they blitzed him??!!! LOL

IMO this should be their base defense. With Littleton and Mathews inside over those A gaps.

Sorry the diagram doesn't translate. but both Ebukam and Rapp are not on the LOS but off a yard or two.

 

[shovelpass]

Ebukam doesn't often pass rush. His role is that of the SAM (strongside OLB) He's positioned wide on the strong side to provide contain and cover TE's and RB's in the flats. He's become a very good SAM who can also provide a pass rush when needed, i.e. a blitzing LB.

The position Ebukam plays is situationally very important. More than once his setting a strong edge turned the play inside where Fowler and the other LBs were. We saw his play against KC where he was covering the TE and picked off the pass. He's become a complete OLB and there aren't many of those.
On another play in that same KC game, Mahomes started to rollout to the strong side but almost came to a stop when he saw Ebukam ready to take him. That allowed Fowler an easy target for a TFL.

Ebukam's play in the flats allows them not to have to spread the LB's and safeties too thin. That quick slat is gone because the secondary and ILBs know Ebukam is outside.

Ogbo AD Brockers Fowler
Ebukam 5T 3T 3T 5T Rapp

Wade uses this alignment a lot, especially on 2nd and longs. He has his ILB over both A gaps. On the snap, if it's a pass the ILB drop into zone coverage. Remember this is with a 3 safety alignment so the Rams are in press man outside Weddle in the middle zone 10 yds off the LOS to take away the crossing route. Johnson deep cover 1 shaded to their biggest deep threat. So anything short to mid-range will be covered by Weddle, Rapp and 2 ILB's. If they execute, Murray won't have a quick throw open. The Raiders showed what happens then. He's not experienced in working through his progressions quickly and so he reverts to off schedule pass or run.

Poor kid was surprised and miffed that the Raiders actually game planned to stop him! How dare they and what was he supposed to do when no one was open and they blitzed him??!!! LOL

IMO this should be their base defense. With Littleton and Mathews inside over those A gaps.

Sorry the diagram doesn't translate. but both Ebukam and Rapp are not on the LOS but off a yard or two.

The point I'm getting at is that there's too many on the field. Or you'd end up with only 1 CB on the field.
This is a double A-Gap front with the ILBs dropping into coverage.

4(DL)Fowler, Brockers, AD, Ogbo
2(ILB) Littleton, Hager
3(S, "Big Nickel") Rapp, Weddle, Johnson
2(CB) Peters, Talib
Or 1(CB) Talib and 1(OLB) Ebu



I do agree about Ebu and his role, I recently rewatched last season and thought that he really played well to start the season. Though he wasn't covering a TE on the INT against the Chiefs, he was lined up agaisnt the RT containing the edge. I think it was the DAL game where he could've had a pick 6 if he caught it.

 

[CGI_Ram]

What we saw from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in preseason Week 3 | Baldy's Breakdowns

NFL Network's Brian Baldinger breaks down Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and analyzes the takeaways from his preseason Week 3 performance.

www.nfl.com

 

[CGI_Ram]

No Offense, But Cardinals, Kliff Kingsbury Still Aren't Revealing Much

As team opens regular-season practice, players anxious to show gameplan

www.azcardinals.com

No Offense, But Cardinals, Kliff Kingsbury Still Aren't Revealing Much

The offseason and preseason work over, the Cardinals officially had their first regular season practice Monday, yet there is still a mystery surrounding the offense that coach Kliff Kingsbury will unveil Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

Whether that will be an advantage, Kingsbury acknowledged Monday, “I don’t know.”
“You can go back and see stuff I did the last 10 years in college, not that this is what that’ll look like or not,” Kingsbury said. “But it’s not like this is my first year of calling plays in football.”

That doesn’t mean the Cards are going to stop playing coy – “You’ll have to see Sunday,” running back David Johnson said when asked about what the offense will look like – or tamp down the excitement the players have to finally get to run it.

“I think Kliff and the guys have done a great job keeping it under wraps,” running back Chase Edmonds said. “We’ve kept it really vanilla, super vanilla and super basic in preseason. After seeing some of the install plays we have, it’s very creative. I can’t wait for the opening up … it’s kind of like Christmas, or Christmas Eve-type of deal.”

Some of the Cardinals’ coaches have been working on Lions’ prep fully since the third preseason game in Minnesota ended. Kingsbury said the initial Lions’ study began in the summer, but as the Lions don’t know exactly what Kingsbury will do on offense, the Cardinals can’t be certain how Lions coach Matt Patricia will tweak his defense from his rookie head coaching season.

The Cardinals only kept two tight ends on the roster and seven wide receivers, but Kingsbury said Monday the Cards could use a reserve offensive lineman as a tight end in certain situations.

Rookie quarterback Kyler Murray has looked mostly solid in his preseason games and practices, save for a rough outing against the Raiders. He has found a nice chemistry with fellow rookie KeeSean Johnson, but the Cardinals also figure to lean on the usual suspects – running back David Johnson and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk.

“Preseason was rough because we couldn’t do much,” David Johnson said. “He’s already started doing a little bit and it looks really good for our offense and as a whole, with what he is doing with his creativity.”

The concepts have long been part of practice, although Kirk said the players don’t dive into specific opponents – the Lions this time around – until the week of the game.

Kingsbury had the Cardinals go through a “regular” game week leading up to the Vikings’ preseason game, including practice schedules. That’s where the Cards are now, spending Labor Day laboring and then the players getting Tuesday off as the coaches finalize the game plan leading into the bulk of the practice week.

“It’ll be a fun show,” tackle D.J. Humphries said. “I think we’re going to shock a lot of people.”

 

[Crazy-Legs]

I said last year, after they hired their HC, that he wouldn't last. It was clear from the get-go the man had no clue what it takes to win in today's NFL...

With Kingsbury I get the feeling that he's not as talented as some would you want you to think and he too is going to be a disaster in AZ. If he makes it 2 years I'll be shocked...

AZ needs to fire their GM. It's clear the guy has no idea whatsoever what the heck he's doing...