Leading up to this Sundays game, you will hear a lot of talk along these lines: The Cardinals didn't give the Eagles there best shot, they now run the ball, they have a brand new defense. Look, I give the Cardinals all the credit in the world. No one, and I mean NO ONE thought they would get this far. I can only imagine what the odds were for the Cardinals to host the NFC Championship game. They needed 2 extensions of 24 hours to sell out their first home playoff game- in years. Since then, everyone seems to be hoping on the Cardinals bandwagon. This week, they needed about 6 minutes to sell out the game for Sunday.
To be honest, that is about the only difference between these new Cardinals and the old Cardinals.
I did some research on this "new running game of the Cardinals", and I just didn't see it. During the regular season, the Cardinals averaged a league low 73.6 rushing yards per game. So from that point, there was no where to go but up. They rushed it around 21 times a game, and averaged about 3.5 yards per carry. That was last in the league.
This post season, the only thing the Cardinals have improved on running wise? They are running it more. Thats it. This postseason, they have ran it an average of 35 times per game, 14 times more then the regular season. In those 71 carries in 2 games, they have accumulated 231 times, for an average of 3.3 yards per carry.
That is less then they averaged in the regular season- when they were last in the league.
So for all of this talk of the Cardinals new running attack, it really isn't there. Also, if you break down the numbers when it comes to carries, you will see they havn't even really committed to running it that much more.
In there first game, a close 30-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons, they ran it only 24 times- 3 times more then there season average. So when the game is close, they are the same old Cardinals. They rushed it over 40 times, but that game was a blow out, and they didn't really have to throw it.
And look at the competition they have run it agaisnt. In the first playoff game, they faced the Falcons, who during the season gave up almost 5 yards a rush, 25th in the league. In the playoff game vs the Falcons, the Cardinals averaged 3.1 yards per carry. In the second game, they faced the Panthers running defense, who also gave up around 5 yards per carry during the regular season. In that game, the Cardinals once again ran it for around 3 yards a carry.
This season, the Eagles defense was 4th in the NFL in stopping the run, giving up around 3.5 yards per rush. If they Cardinals got 3.3 vs a defense that gave up 5 yards a carry, what is there new running attack going to get vs the Eagles? 2? 1.5? In the Post Season, the Eagles have faced the best running team in the league- the Giants- and the best running back in the league- Adrian Peterson- and have given up 4 yards a carry. There is no way the Cardinals are getting 3.3 yards vs the Eagles.
With doing something more, you would think you would get better at it. But they have gotten worse the more they have run it. So when you everyone talk about how the Cardinals run it more, and the Eagles need to worry about it, lets hope they are right. I hope the Cardinals run it every play. If they do, this game will be over- and quick.
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1 comment:
like the blog man, i love how u break down the stats for us, much appreciated.
can u do me just on thing tho? when u are talking about possesive, it is proper to use their instead of there. like when u say "there running game" its actually their. just a pet peeve of mine, thanks and keep up the good work!
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