Post by End Zone on Oct 23, 2024 4:12:13 GMT -7
Hello, forum fans and guests. Welcome to the Arizona Cardinals Fan Forum and the Game Day Thread. On Sunday, October 27, the Arizona Cardinals (3-4) are on the road in Week 8 to face the Miami Dolphins (2-4). Kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium is at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Fox Sports will broadcast the game.
The Cardinals last played on Monday night in front of a limited national audience, and despite the weird kickoff time at State Farm Stadium at 6 p.m. MST, the Cardinals knocked off the LA Chargers 17-15. In that game, the 1-point home underdogs got a 32-yard walk-off game-winning field goal with 2 seconds left from recently signed Kicker Chad Ryland. When the game clock expired, Cardinals fans in the stadium and around the country erupted happily with a rare home win. While Ryland was the last-second hero, the real game hero was Running Back James Conner. He amassed 152 total yards from scrimmage and carried the team on his back through four quarters of football against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
Moving on to the next opponent, the Dolphins have lost four of their last five games. The team last lost on the road to the Indianapolis Colts, 16-10, last Sunday. In that game, the team was 3-point underdogs. This Sunday, the Dolphins are favored by 3 points. Why does that matter? The Dolphins expect to get QB Tua Tagovialoa back from Injured Reserve, where he spent most of September and October on concussion protocol due to another head injury, his 3rd serious injury in his career. Tagovialoa has a history of brain injuries, and there are healthcare provider concerns that he might have to quit professional football if he suffers another severe head injury. Tagovialoa’s team practice window officially opened on Wednesday, October 23. If he plays versus the Cardinals, he might be required to wear a Guardian helmet, which is designed to reduce impact to the head. On October 23, he refused to wear the helmet during team practice. Is four days enough time for Tagovialoa to prepare for a Sunday game? We will find out by Saturday when the final team injury list must be provided to the NFL. Activated players will not be announced until Sunday morning. I expect Tagovialoa to be cleared to play football on Sunday.
The Dolphins are a hobbled but proud team. Numerous starters have gone on the Injured Reserve list. The team has pulled many players off the Practice Squad and signed players from other NFL Practice Squads. WR Braxton Berrios was the most recent player to exit the 53-man roster. Last week, he underwent an MRI that revealed a torn ACL. His 2024 season is over. Berrios's most significant contribution to the team was on Special Teams, where he specialized in Kickoff and Punt returns. He had 7 punt returns and 3 kickoff returns for 179 all-purpose yards in 7 games. QB Tyler Huntley, recently signed off the Ravens Practice Squad, has started 1 game for the Dolphins in 2024. However, he also exited last Sunday’s game with an injury. He suffered a severe shoulder injury in the 3rd quarter of the game at the Colts game. Huntley did not return to the game. Just activated from the Practice Squad, QB Tim Boyle finished the game for the reeling Dolphins. As I write this Game Day Thread, the Dolphins have no idea who will lead the Dolphins on Sunday. The options include QB Boyle, Tagovialoa, and possibly Huntley. The emergency QB for the Dolphins is Skylar Thompson. QB Boyle finished the Colts game last week. He’s a capable QB. He was 8 of 13 for 74 yards and had no touchdowns or interceptions. Boyle previously appeared in 21 games with five starts for the Packers (2019-20), Lions (2021), Bears (2022), Jets (2023), and finally the Dolphins (2024). Since Tagovialoa went on IR, Miami has gone 1-3 while being outscored by opponents 81-40. Tyreek Hill, last year’s leading receiver, currently ranks 51st with 294 yards and a touchdown while the Dolphins’ offense ranks last with only 11.7 points scored per game. Tagovialoa was cleared to practice with the team early on October 23rd. His passing performances are fantastic when he is healthy. In the past, he averaged over 4,000 passing yards per year and was a running threat every game.
The Head Coach for the Dolphins is Mike McDaniel. He is one of the youngest NFL head coaches in the League, born March 6, 1983. He is a former assistant coach and descendant of the Shanahan coaching tree. He began his NFL coaching career as an intern for the Denver Broncos in 2005. He also served as an assistant coach for the Texans, Commanders, Browns, Falcons, and 49ers from 2017-2021. He coached offenses mostly, holding his first Offensive Coordinator position in 2021. McDaniel appeared in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons in 2017, and Super Bowl LIV with the 49ers in 2020 as an assistant coach alongside Head Coach Kyle Shanahan. McDaniels has two Super Bowl coaching appearances, but no wins, and thus no rings. To his credit, he is a dynamic and creative Head Coach who makes the best of every situation. He will be prepared for HC Jonathan Gannon on Sunday.
The Cardinals are struggling to score points despite a well-stocked offense. The team’s average game-scoring total hovers in the high teens, which is not enough points to win most NFL games. Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing used QB Murray in various ways last Monday, under Center and in Shotgun, but that did not help Murray’s overall performance. Murray continues to struggle to read defenses and hit open receivers down-field. His average pass completion is under 10 yards. Then, when receivers are targeted, some passes sail too high, are forced into double coverage, or are dropped. The team’s #1 WR rookie, Marvin Harrison, is a ghost in most games this season. Somehow, Murray and Harrison must work out their communication differences and get on the same page. Some critics argue that Harrison has rookie jitters. Others say Harrison needs to settle down and let the game come to him. Either way, the rookie is not performing to anyone’s expectations, and he’s wasting many opportunities to help the Cardinals gouge opposing defenses and score touchdowns. I don’t mean to pile the team’s scoring problem on one player. Scoring is a team process. QB Murray shares much of the blame for the team being unable to overcome 3rd down situations, sustain long drives, and score FGs and TDs.
The Cardinals must be prepared for a violent, high-speed, and smartly coached game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. Just because the Dolphins team is beat up does not mean they won’t fight hard for a win. The Cardinals' Defense put on an excellent show for home team fans last Monday night. The Cardinals need to bring that same level of Defensive intensity to the game on Sunday, and hopefully on Offense, as well.
Go Cardinals. If the team wins this next game, the team will make .500 and stay in the hunt for the NFC West Division crown with Seattle and San Francisco.
Posted by: End Zone
Forum Administrator
The Cardinals last played on Monday night in front of a limited national audience, and despite the weird kickoff time at State Farm Stadium at 6 p.m. MST, the Cardinals knocked off the LA Chargers 17-15. In that game, the 1-point home underdogs got a 32-yard walk-off game-winning field goal with 2 seconds left from recently signed Kicker Chad Ryland. When the game clock expired, Cardinals fans in the stadium and around the country erupted happily with a rare home win. While Ryland was the last-second hero, the real game hero was Running Back James Conner. He amassed 152 total yards from scrimmage and carried the team on his back through four quarters of football against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
Moving on to the next opponent, the Dolphins have lost four of their last five games. The team last lost on the road to the Indianapolis Colts, 16-10, last Sunday. In that game, the team was 3-point underdogs. This Sunday, the Dolphins are favored by 3 points. Why does that matter? The Dolphins expect to get QB Tua Tagovialoa back from Injured Reserve, where he spent most of September and October on concussion protocol due to another head injury, his 3rd serious injury in his career. Tagovialoa has a history of brain injuries, and there are healthcare provider concerns that he might have to quit professional football if he suffers another severe head injury. Tagovialoa’s team practice window officially opened on Wednesday, October 23. If he plays versus the Cardinals, he might be required to wear a Guardian helmet, which is designed to reduce impact to the head. On October 23, he refused to wear the helmet during team practice. Is four days enough time for Tagovialoa to prepare for a Sunday game? We will find out by Saturday when the final team injury list must be provided to the NFL. Activated players will not be announced until Sunday morning. I expect Tagovialoa to be cleared to play football on Sunday.
The Dolphins are a hobbled but proud team. Numerous starters have gone on the Injured Reserve list. The team has pulled many players off the Practice Squad and signed players from other NFL Practice Squads. WR Braxton Berrios was the most recent player to exit the 53-man roster. Last week, he underwent an MRI that revealed a torn ACL. His 2024 season is over. Berrios's most significant contribution to the team was on Special Teams, where he specialized in Kickoff and Punt returns. He had 7 punt returns and 3 kickoff returns for 179 all-purpose yards in 7 games. QB Tyler Huntley, recently signed off the Ravens Practice Squad, has started 1 game for the Dolphins in 2024. However, he also exited last Sunday’s game with an injury. He suffered a severe shoulder injury in the 3rd quarter of the game at the Colts game. Huntley did not return to the game. Just activated from the Practice Squad, QB Tim Boyle finished the game for the reeling Dolphins. As I write this Game Day Thread, the Dolphins have no idea who will lead the Dolphins on Sunday. The options include QB Boyle, Tagovialoa, and possibly Huntley. The emergency QB for the Dolphins is Skylar Thompson. QB Boyle finished the Colts game last week. He’s a capable QB. He was 8 of 13 for 74 yards and had no touchdowns or interceptions. Boyle previously appeared in 21 games with five starts for the Packers (2019-20), Lions (2021), Bears (2022), Jets (2023), and finally the Dolphins (2024). Since Tagovialoa went on IR, Miami has gone 1-3 while being outscored by opponents 81-40. Tyreek Hill, last year’s leading receiver, currently ranks 51st with 294 yards and a touchdown while the Dolphins’ offense ranks last with only 11.7 points scored per game. Tagovialoa was cleared to practice with the team early on October 23rd. His passing performances are fantastic when he is healthy. In the past, he averaged over 4,000 passing yards per year and was a running threat every game.
The Head Coach for the Dolphins is Mike McDaniel. He is one of the youngest NFL head coaches in the League, born March 6, 1983. He is a former assistant coach and descendant of the Shanahan coaching tree. He began his NFL coaching career as an intern for the Denver Broncos in 2005. He also served as an assistant coach for the Texans, Commanders, Browns, Falcons, and 49ers from 2017-2021. He coached offenses mostly, holding his first Offensive Coordinator position in 2021. McDaniel appeared in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons in 2017, and Super Bowl LIV with the 49ers in 2020 as an assistant coach alongside Head Coach Kyle Shanahan. McDaniels has two Super Bowl coaching appearances, but no wins, and thus no rings. To his credit, he is a dynamic and creative Head Coach who makes the best of every situation. He will be prepared for HC Jonathan Gannon on Sunday.
The Cardinals are struggling to score points despite a well-stocked offense. The team’s average game-scoring total hovers in the high teens, which is not enough points to win most NFL games. Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing used QB Murray in various ways last Monday, under Center and in Shotgun, but that did not help Murray’s overall performance. Murray continues to struggle to read defenses and hit open receivers down-field. His average pass completion is under 10 yards. Then, when receivers are targeted, some passes sail too high, are forced into double coverage, or are dropped. The team’s #1 WR rookie, Marvin Harrison, is a ghost in most games this season. Somehow, Murray and Harrison must work out their communication differences and get on the same page. Some critics argue that Harrison has rookie jitters. Others say Harrison needs to settle down and let the game come to him. Either way, the rookie is not performing to anyone’s expectations, and he’s wasting many opportunities to help the Cardinals gouge opposing defenses and score touchdowns. I don’t mean to pile the team’s scoring problem on one player. Scoring is a team process. QB Murray shares much of the blame for the team being unable to overcome 3rd down situations, sustain long drives, and score FGs and TDs.
The Cardinals must be prepared for a violent, high-speed, and smartly coached game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. Just because the Dolphins team is beat up does not mean they won’t fight hard for a win. The Cardinals' Defense put on an excellent show for home team fans last Monday night. The Cardinals need to bring that same level of Defensive intensity to the game on Sunday, and hopefully on Offense, as well.
Go Cardinals. If the team wins this next game, the team will make .500 and stay in the hunt for the NFC West Division crown with Seattle and San Francisco.
Posted by: End Zone
Forum Administrator
