Tag Archives: Larry Foote

Arizona Cardinals – Ode To Professionalism

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Over the last several weeks a lot of attention has been heaped on the Dallas Cowboys. Whether the conversation covered power rankings or flat X’s and O’s, they deserved all they received. However a closer look and the team that has more quality wins is the Arizona Cardinals.

Bruce Arians has to be NFL Coach of the Year for his team's performance.

Bruce Arians has to be NFL Coach of the Year for his team’s performance.

In their 6-1 start, they edged the 5-3 Chargers 18-17, pounded out a 23-14 win over the 4-3 49ers, and now a 24-20 victory over the 5-2 Philadelphia Eagles. The only blemish on their schedule was a 41-20 loss to the 6-1 Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning vs. Drew Stanton?? Those were the quarterbacks on the marquee in that defeat in Invesco Field with Carson Palmer nursing an injury.

How are the Cardinals doing this and more importantly can they sustain it? Did you know the Cardinals are ranked 24th in defense, 25th in total offense while being 22nd in gaining first downs?? They don’t have a top ten rusher, receiver, and Bruce Arians has used 3 different starting QBs thanks to injuries.

A closer look reveals Andre Ellington is 11th in rushing with 464 yards and 2 TDs. Yet that doesn’t explain anything. DeMarco Murray has that in his last 3 games alone.

Three keys to this team’s success are:

1. Their esprit de corps in executing Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles’ game plans.

2. Arizona is 2nd in the NFL with a +9 turnover ratio while keeping 6 opponents to 20 points or less.

3. Winning situational football week in and week out which can only be attributed to coaching.

“Situational football” is a phrase used by Bill Belichick in practicing specific moments that can arise in a game. What situation?? Take game 1 against the Chargers when they had a tentative lead with just a minute to go. Instead of lining up in a passive prevent zone and allowing Rivers to calmly lead his team in field goal range. They came after him on 3 successive plays with 0 coverage blitzes. Three incompletions and the Cardinals win.

John Brown is the Cardinal's version of the Steelers Antonio Brown. Diminutive and can flat out fly.

John Brown is the Cardinal’s version of the Steelers Antonio Brown. Diminutive and can flat out fly.

Another situation was this past Sunday with 1:39 to go in the game facing 3rd and 5. Rookie wideout John Brown sticks his foot in the ground 15 yards downfield then bursts pass S Nate Allen for the game winning 75 yard touchdown.

That is just it. The situation where all these cookie cutter coordinators are totally coaching their players what to expect, the Cardinals are going for broke. Carson Palmer pulled the trigger and led Brown perfectly on the game winning touchdown.

Arizona is keeping everyone close with this approach and finding ways to win it in the end.

Can they sustain the rate of committing just 5 turnovers in 7 games?? If they can they’d break the record of the 1990 New York Giants with fewest (13) in a season. Doubtful they can sustain it. Yet they have NFC tie breakers over San Francisco and Philadelphia. With a win this Sunday against Dallas, they will add another tie-breaker. Dallas better not overcoach this week.

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NFL Week 11: AFC North -The Defense Rests…Literally

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The glue to this year’s defense…Larry Foote

At one point last year the AFC North featured four of the top five defenses in the NFL. This year however has seen a reversal of that trend as only the Pittsburgh Steelers have maintained solid defensive play. For some teams you want to say it’s due to injuries or free agent losses yet the Steelers have been afflicted with the same things yet have stayed productive on that side of the ball.

Didn’t this team lose James Farrior, Aaron Smith, and William Gay in the offseason?? Then you factor in the 10 games lost due to injury to two former NFL Defensive Player of the Year recipients in Troy Palamalu (7 missed) and James Harrison (3 missed)?? Then you had FS Ryan Clark miss the 1st game due to sickle-cell complications against Denver. What is keeping this defense together??

Enter Larry Foote. The Steelers lost him too… back in 2009 when he played that season for the Detroit Lions. He almost signed with Arizona and former Steeler assistant now head coach in Ken Wisenhunt, for 2010 when Pittsburgh righted a wrong and brought him back. He started for the two winning Super Bowl teams while finding a role on the one that fell to the Packers in XLV. His best year was 2005 when he had 102 tackles and 3 fumbles to help he and Jerome Bettis play Super Bowl XL in their hometown of Detroit.  For 2012, he’s amassed 64 tackles, 3 sacks, forced 2 fumbles while recovering 2 more. He’s on pace for 114 tackles, 5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. If this keeps up, you have to include him in defensive player of the year discussions. This inspirational play is what leads the #1 defense in football into a pivotal match-up with the 28th ranked Ravens who are missing theirs.

The Ravens ranked 28th in defense?? We wouldnt’ lie to you but first the tale of the tape:

North Division

W

L

T

PCT

PF

PA

HOME

ROAD

DIV

CONF

STRK

LAST5
Baltimore Ravens Ravens 7 2 0 .778 254 196 5-0 2-2 3-0 6-1 W2 4-1
Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers 6 3 0 .667 207 177 4-0 2-3 1-0 3-3 W4 4-1
Cincinnati Bengals Bengals 4 5 0 .444 220 231 2-3 2-2 1-3 2-5 W1 1-4
Cleveland Browns Browns 2 7 0 .222 169 211 2-3 0-4 1-3 2-5 L1 2-3

Going into this pivotal game between the Steelers and Ravens is how quietly Pittsburgh has won 5 of their last 6. Slowly they have crept into contention. The offense revised by Offensive Co-ordinator Todd Haley was starting to make waves and then… the Roethlisberger injury. The good news is, it happened during the game where Byron Leftwich was able to knock off some rust. Wide out Antonio Brown is out for this one and Leftwich needs to be patient and lean on his running game and defense.

Has there been a more deceiving 7-2 team than this year’s Baltimore Ravens?? Yes we know they have won 6 of their last 7, but against who?? That isn’t entirely fair either, this team did beat New England and found a way to win against Dallas 31-29. However we have to be honest in assessing their season may have peaked at that point.

Since that October 14th win they have lost Ray Lewis to a tricep injury that will sideline him until the playoffs. Then in a big game on the road against the team they knocked out of last year’s playoffs, Houston drew and quartered them 43-13. In light of last week’s 55-20 blowout of Oakland, the Texans game is more of an indicator of how strong they are at the present. On the road this team is averaging only 15 points and their two road wins came courtesy of Cleveland and a lackluster 9-6 win over the Chiefs.

If this game were taking place in Baltimore, we believe the outcome would be different. However these two play again in three weeks at the “Big Crabcake” which give the Steelers more urgency to win this one at home and we think they will.

The downfall of the Ravens defense is as big a story this season as Peyton Manning bringing life to the Broncos offense. Haloti Ngata, long since thought to be the best defensive linemen in football, is dinged up yet playing at a high level still. His 31 tackles and 3 sacks are a season’s worth for other interior linemen. If Dannell Ellerbe can make a few more splash plays he could help lead the Ravens to an upset in Pittsburgh. On the season he has 60 tackles and 3.5 sacks yet won’t get recognition with such a low defensive ranking or we’d be asking “What is the glue holding together the Baltimore defense?” now wouldn’t we?? He is to the linebackers what SS Bernard Pollard is to the Ravens secondary: They both live in the shadows of future Hall of Famers Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and possibly Terrell Suggs. This game is where Ellerbe and Pollard (69 tackles) need to make some turnovers happen. Between them, only 1 interception, no forced fumbles, & no fumble recoveries or these two would be recognized among the best defenders in the league this season.

One ace up the Ravens sleeve is Jacoby Jones. He hasn’t been here for all the Ravens v. Steelers games for the past decade so he hasn’t been burdened with past big game losses. His explosiveness on kickoffs (14 returns / 540 yards / 2TDs) has been a welcome addition to a team that depends too much on Ray Rice on offense. Also Joe Flacco, in a contract year, has been dismal on the road. Look at these stats: 71 of 136 for 719 yards, 3TDs and 4 interceptions. He’s only completing 52% of his passes when he constantly checks down to Ray Rice?? It’s not like he’s faced the 1985 Chicago Bears. He faced the 11th ranked Chiefs and couldn’t muster a touchdown in a 9-6 win and only threw for 153 yards with one touchdown against the 24th ranked Browns. Now he’s supposed to go into Pittsburgh on a Sunday night against the #1 defense in football?? Last time we saw him against the #2 defense Texans he was sacked for a safety as the Ravens lost by four touchdowns. Again we say “in a contract year”. The Ravens should go shopping for a quarterback after this season because this isn’t leadership. Everyone talks of Michael Vick regressing, what is this?? Its been masked by the Ravens record but that should get exposed in Pittsburgh. Stay tuned.

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Super Bowl XLV Pick? After Further Review

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Super Bowl XLV Preview (Part II)

The Chancellor & Super Bowl LI Trophy at the Hall of Fame.

Man, I love the roman numerals of the Super Bowl.  We’re two days away from the 45th Super Sunday and in the back of my mind I can hear the late Don Meredith when he announced when he was right outside the San Gabriel Mountains and about to bring you the 11th Super Sunday! I wish I had his voice or Dick Enberg’s to start this one off… yet time marches on.  So let’s get after the finale of this game.

Are the Steelers on the verge of 3 Super Bowls in 6 years? Does that qualify as a dynasty?  I don’t think it qualifies as a dynasty because there wasn’t a back to back win involved.  Early Super Bowl era dynasties were winning two in a row to separate themselves from other champions.  Then Dallas went 3 of 4 as did the ‘00’s Patriots, which changed the landscape. So who’s going to win??

Steelers Front 7 on Defense: I believe in LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, and James Harrison.  This is one of the best linebacking corps ever in the NFL and it’s time to recognize them. When they brought back Larry Foote #50 from his Detroit sabbatical he has helped solidify their goal line defense.  Watch Fox #57 along the goal line also.  I’d like to see him on the field more instead of Lawrence Timmons.  James Farrior has played so well for the Steelers everyone forgets he started as a Bill Parcells New York Jet. He absolutely knocked Shonn Greene’s chinstrap loose with a great hit in the AFC Championship Game.  They scrape into running lanes and stonewall runners and pass rush with the best of linebacking corps that I have seen, but what makes this group different is the muscle with which they can stand up to blocking linemen.

Brett Keisel, beard and all, along with Casey Hampton and emerging Zigy Hood are just immovable.  They are only allowing 60 yards rushing which is among the best in history near the 2000 Ravens numbers.  This is the NFL and if you can’t run you can’t win.  If they haven’t been moved in 18 games what makes you think they’ll be moved in the 19th??

Packers Front 7 on Defense: B.J. Raji is coming into his own as a pro player up front but its Cullen Jenkins who has been playing like his brother Kris.  The Packers have become stronger against the point of attack when opponents try to run.  They still miss the speed of Brady Poppinga, and Nick Barnett but have made up for it from stellar play by Clay Matthews.  He has grown into one of the best pass rushers and is taught by one of the best ever in former Steeler Kevin Greene.  A.J. Hawk has been a pin to hold down running games and cover tight ends also.  Not since Lawrence Taylor has a defense leaned so much on one play making linebacker.

The Packers can be run on somewhat between the tackles and some off tackle.  They have proven to be stout during the playoffs but only faced one grade “A” running back in Atlanta’s Michael Turner.  The Falcons had some success but the Packers taking a commanding lead took the ball out of his hands. Can they stop Mendenhall? Hmmmmm… Can they slow him? Uh

The George Halas Trophy that is awarded to the NFC Champion.

Advantage Steelers: As the question went unanswered earlier, if you can’t move a defense in 18 games how do you expect to do so in the 19th?? To be run on you have to be pushed off the ball and this defense can’t be moved. After a few penalties and an 18 play drive where they were tired, they stopped the Jets on 4th and goal in the AFC Championship Game.  Keep in mind that the Packers began the season unable to protect Aaron Rodgers and they really haven’t in the playoffs.  He’s just escaped and run from any spirited danger.  He’s not running from Woodley and Harrison.

I see Matthews getting after Big Ben as well but he’s too much of a focal point where the Steelers can gameplan to minimize his effectiveness.  A lot like what happened with A.J. Duhe when he was with Miami against the Redskins and make him go through additional blockers.  The Packers will also abandon the run first which will allow Woodley, Farrior, and Harrison will collapse Green Bay’s pocket

The Lamar Hunt Trophy is awarded to the champion of the American Football Conference.

Steelers Receivers v. Packers Secondary: Mike Wallace came into his own this year and rookie Antonio Brown, are both speed receivers that may sneak deep. At tight end Heath Miller is a sure handed receiver and a good blocker.  Hines Ward is one of the reasons the other receivers will get deep by putting lumps on Packer defensive backs and linebackers with his run blocking.  He’s also still there to help the Steelers with the possession routes and is a former Super Bowl MVP who is playing his last game.  Look for Hines to get Big Ben out of trouble at least 7 times in this game.

Charles Woodson, Sam Shields (The U), and Tramon Williams #38 have been good on the corners all year.  Woodson, last year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has become one of the best defensive backs in football.  When they go to a nickel defense, Woodson will cover Hines Ward or blitz from the slot.  Shields and company have smothered receivers in this year’s playoffs.  Each had two interception games in this year’s playoffs, Shields in the NFC Championship, and Tremond putting the Falcons away on the last play of the 1st half.

Each group is young and fast…

Advantage Push:

Packers Receivers v. Steelers Secondary: The Packers receivers are going to get open in this football game.   Greg Jennings is on a tear, Donald Driver is a possession receiver with a ton of fight in him, and Jones is a capable big play receiver who can make the big play left in one on one coverage.  Will Jones drop the easy pass like he did in the Wildcard v. Philadelphia or will he catch the ball and dominate like he did against Atlanta?  They have been getting open with great routes for the last two years for Aaron Rodgers.

This secondary of the Steelers is its weakest link and they are weak on the corner.  They bank on superior rush to keep them from being exposed.  Ike Taylor, and nickel back William Gay can be taken advantage of.  Before the Ravens game in week a stat was put up on NFL.com that they were 22nd against the pass as a secondary.  The strength is Ryan Clark and present NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu. Troy’s made timely plays in this season that earned this award outright.  He’s the most instinctive player in the NFL. Ryan Clark made the two biggest plays in the AFC Championship game forcing the two third quarter turnovers that allowed Pittsburgh to come from behind.

Advantage Packers slightly…

Pick for the Game: Steelers 27-24. The pass rush will get to Rodgers and the Packers won’t be able to run the ball. Roethlisberger will be the MVP