Cards' dilemma: Westbrook
How much attention do the Cardinals need to pay to Brian Westbrook?
Cards' dilemma: Westbrook
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
The video is of the Eagles’ game at Baltimore. You remember. It was the game where Donovan McNabb, under-performing for a month and terrible for the second straight game, was benched at halftime. It was the game where Brian Westbrook, with ankle and knee issues, looked really affected by the injuries, just lacking any burst. Remember that the Eagles appeared as if they were going to dust off Correll Buckhalter against the Ravens only to see him get hurt on his second carry.
So there was all of that. The Cardinals also knew that they were going to be without Rod Hood, the former Eagle, who is one of their starting cornerbacks. Faced with all of that, they made a decision. They decided to play a more conservative defense than their usual single deep safety (Cover-3), more bend but don’t break, with a second safety playing deep (Cover-2 or Cover-4, depending upon where the cornerbacks are). Maybe it was because of Hood. Maybe it was because it just didn’t appear as if the Eagles would be able to run it, given their physical condition, given the short turnaround for a Thursday game. But the Cardinals made a conscious choice to pull that extra safety back from the line of scrimmage.
And the result was that the Eagles ran it and short-passed it down their throats in the first half.
The next day, Eagles coach Andy Reid explained:
“They had been a Cover-3 team, primarily. Single safety middle, and brought one of the two safeties up into the box. Either (Antrel) Rolle or (Pro Bowler Adrian) Wilson, who are both very good. Wilson is probably, if not the best in the league right now, one of the best. With that, they decided they were going to change against us and play a soft Cover-2, Cover-4, and kind of blend that in there. That's the way they started the game for the first couple of series. With that, what that does is it limits your down-the-field throws and makes you concentrate more on catching the football and running with it in a little shorter of a passing game. Then, running the football. Those were the two things we did and that's why you saw what you saw. Then they changed. They kind of went back as the game went on. By that time, we had a pretty decent lead.”
After the Cardinals changed, the Eagles primarily threw the ball in the second half and did great with that, too. They scored every-which-way in a 48-20 win. And as you look back on it, the Cardinals might have been the last team to try to start the game against the Eagles with that soft approach, with a bias toward shutting off the home-run passing game.
And now the Cardinals are look at the video again. In the Eagles’ last two games, they have run the ball ineffectively – same as last time. Westbrook looks gimpy again and the blocking in front of him looks unexceptional – same as last time. Teams seem to have gone out of their way to commit their extra attention to Westbrook, and it has worked (with the exception of a single 71-yard screen pass against Minnesota).
So what will the Cardinals do? Would they even consider playing that safety back again, as on Thanksgiving? Would they really encourage the Eagles to run? Would they dare?
TRU2AZ.... YOUR OUT UR TREE UR SUPPOSED TO ACT LIKE YOU'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE...OOPS YOU HAVEN'T— BIGGZ043- can we beat Pittsburgh again?— lawrence2465
- I don't care what the teams did the last 2 weeks to neutralize Westbrook or the so-called injuries he may be nursing. The Cardinals cannot afford to ignore him and they won't. Plan on them stacking the box. Slant passes should be open. The o-line has to protect McNabb. If the Cards shift focus away from Westbrook, book your trip to Tampa by half time. This will be the breakout he's been talking about and the game will be a blowout. E-A-G-L-E-S!!!! EAGLES!!— BMan
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- davetheherman, you're an idiot— azcards13
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- the eagles will make the right play calls - passing - to offset all the westbrook attention.this is perfect andy ball— eir
- True tgrey, but it's clear from the last payoff games that both defensive coaches will and are adapting appropriately to whatever offensive sets and strategies that are presented. I'd say instead that the Eagles players took it upon themselves to turn around the situation and right the ship; that is with McNabb as their team leader. That was determination built on the will of the team members. The Cardinals had no such motivation, and laid an egg. Now there is plenty of passion, discipline, and motivation on both sides of the ball. The players are right when they say the game is 90% mental once you get in the playoffs. The sets, schemes, fronts, coverages, and blitzes are fine and good, but they will only be successful if every member of the team believe at the most basic t instintic level that if I don't do my job on every play I will have failed my teammates. You think Dawkin's post game tears where because of his fondness of the sets and situations? He cried because he believed in his teammates, they believed in him, and they accomplished their goal together. Thats why I give him props..., his heart is huge. Just remember though, the same passion lives in the hearts of the Cardinal players, or they wouldn't be where they are now. This is why I'm looking forward to a great game!— QienesTuPapi
- Eags had better bring the heat on Warner, else the Cards' receivers go big. THe Eags will win or lose on their Defense, just like last week and the week before.— Bake McBride
- These are good points, but, in all fairness, both teams were coming off of short weeks with little time to prepare for the next opponent. The Cardinals' coach admitted that his team wasn't prepared for the Eagles, who turned their best offensive performance in weeks. The Cardinals strategy was simple; they thought the Eagles would have had another bad game offensively (Reid even hesitated on naming McNabb starter), and they would do their best not to blow it (they ran a prevent defense not because they didn't respect Westbrook; they just thought that the Eagles would stall their own drives). Their lack of a defensive game plan was exacerbated by early turnovers and a lack of awareness of where Westbrook was on the field (which cost them touchdowns). Blame these events on Warner and the defensive coordinator. Their strategy will be dictated by the day's events (early scores, turnovers). Coming out stacked up against the run and jamming the receivers (as the Giants and Vikings did) will likely be successful. The pressure is really on the Eagles, when it comes to their offense. An early bomb to DeSean Jackson or Kevin Curtis could change the Cardinals game plan.— tgray83
- The article begins... You are the Arizona Cardinals. Well, I am the AZ Cardinals and it's pretty funny listening to you goobers citing what situational defenses we will strategize and how the Eagles will counteract them. I've visited the websites of our previous opponents and they tried to find comfort in all of the regular season statistics as well. Numbers, strategies, and past statistics will not determine the outcome of this game. The coaches on both sides are too good to make major stategic mistakes. This game will be won by the team that hits his opponent in the mouth the hardest and the longest; the team that wants it the most. The players who demand their place in destiny. Whoever wins, and for me its going to be a really hard fought game, but throw your statistics away for this one and man up for this fight. May the best team win.— QienesTuPapi
- Does anyone seriously think that AZ defense is as strong up front as Minn and NY. I expect that our run game will be a little better vs AZ's front seven or eight than vs NY or MINN.— wildboark
- This article should be "Eagles Dilemma:Fitzgerald,Boldin,Warner...and the Red Sea of Cardinal fans! This is not the same ol Cardinals. Hope you enjoyed your Phillies title, cause thats all your gonna get! RED BIRDS win big on Sunday.— tru2az
- Finally, a decent piece! Kudos to you Hofmann. Hopefully you'll rub off on a few people over there.— machpelican3
- almar, no it is hard to believe we are 1 game shy of the big dance. I knew we could be dangerouis if we got into the playoffs, but after Baltimore, and again Washington, I really didn't think we were getting in....This is going to be a great game this weekend...— phigglesfan75
- It's pretty obvious what the Cards will do, given that their previous approach was a disaster and teams that have focused on Westbrook have made the Iggs look sluggish on offense. The Iggs have to walk a fine line between showing the run and simply wasting the first half, which they did against NY. The correct balance is about 4 passes to 3 runs; if you were a game theory mathematician or economist you would probably reach about this conclusion. If they go 60/40 running they will not score many points, but if they go 80/20 through the air, the Cards will not have to play them honest. Also, in case anyone hasn't noticed, Correll Buckhalter has been the Eagles best runner this year overall. Westbrook is still superior overall because of his blocking, receiving, and open field running, but Bucky hits the holes quicker and harder. If we want to commit to the run, we need Buckhalter to get at least 10 carries.— Bobby G
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- Point was, they wont play a safety back this time and they will stack the box. I agree with first post. Cant give up on run gm and need to try to run around the edges. Like how this article pointed out the gametime strategies of an offense dictating what the D gives them. Easy to forget how hard a game can be to coach and execute. Its not madden, you dont get 50 possessions in a half.— peteike
- GO EAGLES GO!!!!!!!!ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!— mick
- if the cardinals decide not to focus on westbrook, they will get burned big time. if they are banking on westbrook being hurt and slow, they are in for a big surprise. he will kill them. the only reason he was bottled up the first two weeks is because the defenses focused mainly on him and played man coverage outside.— Ryan
- They wanna play the other safety back?..... play a little soft off the ball?....go ahead, make my day.....BWestbrook.— Mark1npt
- They wanna play the other safety back?..... play a little soft off the ball?....go ahead, make my day.....BWestbrook.— Mark1npt
- TW, I wouldn't say the Cardinals kept Carolina's running game in check, they averaged 5 yards a carry. I would say Delhomme's six turnovers and the consequent scores kept Carolina's running game in check.— Bazalite
- Is it just me but can anyone else believe, after the season the EAGLES have had, we are just ONE GAME AWAY????— almar169
- That's pretty funny, Phrossty. It seems that the only one that brought up Thanksgiving night was you. LOL..."Eagles would do well..." Anyways, back to reality. As soon as the Eagles win, these Eagles haters like Axeman will come up with "...what did you expect, they're the Arizona Cardinals!" Another one bites the bullet and the Eagles advance to the last game of the season.— terry_l
- If you don't learn from your mistakes, you're destined to repeat them. Why would Cardinals change from aggressive, succesful, takeway forcing defense to a soft coverage that set up an Eagles blowout? Because the Iggle Fans wet dreams are made of 3 TD victory in the NFC Championship Game? I'm fairly certain the Cards have no interest in rehashing Turkey Day. Eagles would do well to forget it also. Both teams are VERY different from the contest 6 short weeks ago. "Just whupp the man in front of ya!" - Axeman— Phrossty
- The Cards formula against both Atlanta and Carolina was to stack the box and stop the running game - and it worked against Turner and Williams. They most likely will use this approach against the Eagles as well. The Eagles cannot afford to give up on the run early, as proved costly for Carolina, and must also run some pitchouts and screens to take advantage of the stacked box and try to get Westbrook and/or Buckhalter around and beyond the line of scrimage into the depleted secondary. Also, quick slants to WRs should be open, as they were last week agianst the Giants. The Eagles can run or pass with efficiency and they will need to do both this week.— topwonk
