Official Game Day Thread - HOU @ ARI October 24, 2021
Oct 18, 2021 13:07:44 GMT -7
aris and cardinalsins like this
Post by End Zone on Oct 18, 2021 13:07:44 GMT -7
Updates October 23:
Still waiting on word about the COVID-19 test results for the staff and more players. DE Jones is cleared to play; DC Joseph is evaluating Jones condition. Looking doubtful that other staff and players will return. NFL's protocols are strict.
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HOU at ARZ Oct 24.
Hello and welcome to the Forum’s 7th Arizona Cardinals Game Day Thread (GDT).
It is my sincere pleasure to acknowledge the Cardinals fantastic 6-0 start to the season and strong potential to tie the 1974 team record and be 7-0 after the next game. How good is this 2021 Arizona Cardinals team? I do not know the answer, but I’m feeling very good about these raging Red Birds and thinking that I need to keep Saturday and Sunday afternoon dates open in January and early February 2022. I also know, based on big data analytics, that this Cardinals team is already within sight of qualifying for the post-season playoffs—and the month is not yet November! The playoff odds increased from 91% to 96% after the Cardinals dominating win 37-14 over the Browns last Sunday (see www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/arizona-cardinals-nfl-playoff-picture.html ). If the Cardinals beat the Texans and then the Packers, the odds increase to 99%. The above link provides other Cardinals post-season scenarios and percentages, such as the odds of earning homefield advantage and the coveted NFC Playoffs Bye Week. Did you know that the Cardinals Defense in 1974 yielded just 218 points? Or 13.62 points per game. The Cardinals Defense in 2021 has yielded 109 points in 6 games. Or 18.16 points per game. Those are scary numbers to an Offense-minded NFL.
Now I ask for your attention to the immediate matter at hand: Going to 1-0 by beating the Houston Texans (1-5) on Sunday. The number of games played between the Cardinals and Texans is shockingly low--just 4 games since 2005. The teams split the 4-game series with 2 wins apiece. The last game occurred at N-R-G Stadium (formerly Reliant Stadium), Houston, TX on November 19, 2017. The Texans, playing on their turf at Houston with 71,680 fans in attendance, roped and branded the HC Bruce Arians coached-Cardinals, 31-21. QB Blaine Gabbert (Att Comp Int, 34-22-2) led the Cardinals attack while QB Tom Savage (Att Comp Int, 32-22-1) led the Texans attack. WR Larry Fitzgerald (9 catches for 91 yards) pulled in a 20-yard pass for 1 TD. TE Ricky Seals-Jones (3 catches for 54 yards) pulled in 11-yard and 28-yard passes for 2 TDs. Cardinals RB Adrian Peterson managed just 26 yards on 14 carries. Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins pulled in a 28-yard pass for 1 TD. RB D'Onta Foreman ran 3 yards and 34 yards for 2 TDs. Cardinals total net yards 292. Texans total net yards 357. Cardinals penalties 10-90. Texans penalties 6-42. Other games were played in 2013, 2009, and 2005. Interestingly, the home team has won each game so far. Total points scored in 4 games to date -- the Texans scored 106 and the Cardinals scored 95. High game points were 31 and a win for the Texans (2017) and 28 and a win for the Cardinals (2009). Low game points were 21 and a loss for the Texans (2009) and 19 and a loss for the Cardinals (2005).
Texans History. The Houston Texans began in 2002, bringing the NFL back to Houston, TX after the Houston Oilers relocated to Nashville, TN and became the Tennessee Titans. The Texans are the newest franchise in the NFL today. From 2002 to 2011, the Texans experienced many challenges and few successes. The last couple years starting year 2019 saw a major downturn in Texans team fortunes across the board.
Notable games that first year in 2002: The Texans stunned the world and the Cowboys in the Texans first every game in 2002, winning 19-10. Later that same year, the Texans managed just 46 yards total offense in a game versus the Steelers--an NFL record low offensive output--yet, the Texans won the game! The Texans finished their inaugural season with a record of 4 wins and 12 losses. The Texans last made the playoffs in 2019 with a record 10-6, and won their first playoff game versus the Bills in OT, 22-19. The next week in the Division round versus the Chiefs, the Texans bolted to a 24-0 lead, then totally collapsed, losing the game 51-31! The Texans finished the 2020 season in the AFC South basement, at 4 wins and 12 losses. The Texans have not appeared in a Super Bowl. However, the City of Houston did host the Super Bowl in its new downtown Reliant Stadium in 2004.
Texans team troublesome problems (a mouthful of T’s, y’awl hear that?) started in 2019 and persist into 2021 for the owner Janice McNair, General Manager Nick Caserio (hired early 2021) and Head Coach David Culley (hired January 2021). The Texans major internal challenges today are: (1) How to win a football game, and (2) What to do about #4 QB Deshaun Watson.
The Houston Texans is an NFL team in deep doo-doo off and on the field. Normally, that kind of franchise Red Flag would open the flood gates for every NLF opponent to gain an Easy Street win. However, as we know, Easy Street has rarely smiled on the Cardinals. Older Cardinals fans know legendary Arizona Cardinals teams that quickly played down to the lowest of the competition, and found curious ways to play dumb football and to give away Easy Street win games. In 2021, Easy Street still is no friend of the Cardinals. Every win is Hard Street.
ESPN in July 2021 ranked the Texans at the bottom of its 3-year power rankings through 2024. How so? The future for starting QB Deshaun Watson at the Texans is very uncertain given his legal problems (at least 22 women made sexual assault allegations). The team is desperately trying to trade Watson but unwilling to let him go for less than half the gold in the world. The Texans did not have a good 2021 Draft. The team's Dead Cap Space is preventing top Free Agent signings. The active player roster is one of the oldest in the NFL. The team ranked 31st in defensive efficiency in 2020, yet cut DE J.J. Watt, an off & on healthy player that dominates his position. ESPNs category rankings include: Overall roster NFL rank 32nd; Quarterback NFL rank 31st; Coaching NFL rank 32nd; Draft NFL rank 32nd, and Front Office NFL rank 22nd. The best news for the Texans happens in 2023 when the Texans realize great relief and have $124.8M in cap space for all kinds of new player contracts. Watson's horrendous mostly guaranteed multi-million-dollar contract does not expire until in 2024.
Watson, a 26-year-old freeloading quarterback, is not injured. He is on an NFL roster—the Houston Texans', specifically. He shows up at the team facility every day, healthy enough to practice and play, but he does little of the former and none of the latter. He works out with Texans staff members but is not part of anything related to the weekly game plan. When the team practices, he's often in the weight room or conducting a workout plan of his own. He has been involved in some meetings but isn't a steady presence. He told the team in no uncertain terms that he intends to never play for the Texans again, and he would like to be traded as soon as possible. The NFL trade deadline is November 2nd. Are there potential suitors for a top-tier NFL QB. Absolutely, but with caveats! How about suitors for a QB with major legal problems hanging over his head? Whoa, Nellie! No suitor has stepped forward publicly yet; and meanwhile, the QB’s legal problems just drag on and on. It may be mid-2022 before Watson’s NFL future is known.
New Head Coach David Culley has a solid reputation for character and leadership. He and his Texans players are not having an easy year in 2021, already suffering a 1-5 record. Bet on it that HC Kliff Kingsbury will show his old friend and NFL colleague much respect, but no mercy, when the two HC's face off this weekend.
The Texans started out the 2021 season with 4 QBs on the roster. STARTING QB - #4, Deshaun Watson, 6'2", 215 lbs, 25yo, 5th year, NCAAF Clemson; BACKUP QB - #5, Tyrod Taylor, 6'1", 217 lbs, 32yo, 11th year, NCAAF Virginia Tech; BACKUP QB #2, Jeff Driskel, 6'4", 235 lbs, 28yo, 6th year, Louisiana Tech; BACKUP QB #3, Davis Mills, 6'4", 225 lbs, 22yo, 1st year, Louisiana Tech. So far, QB Watson has played no games and has not been activated this year. QB Taylor played two Texans games, beating the Jaguars, 37-21, and losing to the Browns, 31-21. At halftime of the Browns game, it was determined that Taylor suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury; he was replaced by QB Mills. Later, Taylor was placed on IR where he remains thru October 18th. He is day-to-day and healing, per HC Culley. In place of Taylor, Mills has started the last 4 games, losing all of them and going 0-4. Mills most likely will start against the Cardinals on October 24th. Versus the Colts at Indianapolis last week, Mills (again he is 6’4”, 225 pounds, 22 years old, 3rd round draft pick from Stanford University) completed 29 of 43 passes for 243 yards and 2 interceptions in front of a noisy indoor crowd at Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium. Rookie QB Mills can play NFL level football and he is learning the game fast. His 2021 stats: Games started 4, Completions 88, Attempts 139, Yards 912, Average 6.6, TDs 5, INTs 7, Sacked 13, Yards lost 83, Fumbles 2 (none lost). Mills worst outing of 2021 was versus the Bills, a comparable Defense to the Cardinals. At that game, Mills completed only 11 of 21 attempts for 87 yards. The Bills smashed the Texans, 40-0. Mills situational statistics that jump out at me: he is most productive as a passer in the 2nd quarter, completing 70% or more passes (22 of 31) for 311 yards and 2 TDs, and 1 INT. However, Mills throws a lot more in the 4th quarter, but his completion rate drops off to 62.5% (30 of 48 attempts) for 281 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs. A potential harbinger of things to come, Mills does not play well on grass fields. He completed just 8 of 18 passes (44.4%) in 2 quarters at Cleveland for 102 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. The Cardinals SFS has a grass field!
For now, let's put the QB's legal problems aside and focus on Watson's behavior issues, namely his mannerisms on and off the field that put him under the Court's, media's, and NFL Commissioners' microscopes. What's this man's inner problems? Whatever is going on between his ears, the man's decision-making processes are front and center and they started a long time ago. Watson's former Head Coach Swinney at Clemson once mentioned Deshaun Watson and Michael Jordan in the same breath--meaning, much championship greatness was standing before all to appreciate. We know that Watson has many athletic gifts and accomplished good things as a young NFL QB and during his first 4 years at the Texans. His behavior issues are now robbing him of a first-class ride into the HoF in the future. The coaches note Watson's endless sulking and lack of focus, and an increased sense of self-importance and gross vanity. He's a major team distraction. 11 teams' GMs passed on Watson at the 2017 Draft before the Texans initially passed his name to the Commissioner. What did the 11 GMs see that the Texans GM and owner decided was worth the Draft risk? Opinions vary. Here is an article from 2016 that hints of things to come for Watson in 2020 and 2021. Zebras do not change their stripes. Nor did Watson change his stripes between youth and manhood. www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/09/12/clemson-qb-watson-apologizes-to-fans-for-negative-energy/90262114/
Watson versus the Cardinals. No record and no statistics: so, no worry? QB Tom Savage played when the Texans last hosted the Cardinals in 2017. Savage is no longer with the Texans. QB Blaine Gabbert played QB for the Cardinals in the 2017 game. Gabbert also is no longer with the Cardinals. Savage handily beat the Cardinals defense at that mid-November gift game. Both teams have undergone nearly complete roster and coaching staff turnovers since 2017. Let’s move on to 2021.
QBs. With just 4 games played between the Texans and the Cardinals since 2002, and the last game was played in 2017 with different rosters and coaching staffs, this game starts with a literal blank slate. There is no way for me to firmly state, like a “Wolf of Wall Street” stock guru, that team past performance guarantees future results. The past is totally gone between these two teams and there is no historical town or fan rivalries. Both teams want to just WIN NOW. However, the Cardinals have 3rd-year QB Kyler Murray and he is one of the most dynamic and thrilling young QBs in the NFL today. Houston has QB Deshaun Watson (inactive for certain), backup QB Tyrod Taylor (likely staying on IR), and 2nd backup QB Miles Davis (0-4 as a starter). The Cardinals should easily win this next game, but still have to prepare for it and fight hard on Sunday. No NFL team is ever a walk-over, including the proud Texans! That said, the Texans have been outscored 71-3 in its past two road games, and by 91 points overall during the 5-game skid.
Other Texans player news as of October 18th. The Sad Stuff. After the Colts beatdown of the Texans, WR Brandon Cooks publicly called out the Texans as an undisciplined team. RB Mark Ingram said the lack of discipline led to bad football and the loss versus the Colts. HC Culley said the mental mistakes are very frustrating. And the heavy words and dirge music continues emanating from the Texans locker room. The Good Stuff. TE Jonathan Greenard recorded 2 sacks versus the Colts. Top WR is Cooks, with 40 catches, 481 yards, and 1 TD.
Injury Reports. Injury is part of the NFL game. The Cardinals mostly avoided major injuries at games 1-4. At game 5, the 49ers came to play at SFS and their aggressive plays took out the Cardinals starting TE and C; both players were sent off to IR. COVID-19 positive tests by mid-week then sidelined several players, some coaching staff, and the GM just prior to game 6; the NFL enforced mandatory protocols, forcing more testing, isolation, and observation. Staff returns to offices and sidelines is TBD prior to game 7.
See FLCF’s most recent posts. Moderators will post player injury data provided by the Cardinals medical or coaching staff no more than 24 hours prior to the game. It is NFL policy that, “If any player has a significant or noteworthy injury, it must be listed on the practice report, even if he fully participates in practice and the team expects that he will play in the team’s next game. This is especially important for key players whose injuries may be covered extensively by the media.” Moreover, the policy also reads, “The information must be credible, accurate, timely, and specific within the guidelines of the policy, which is of paramount importance to maintaining the integrity of the game.” Teams found in violation of the policy face the risk of being fined or forfeiting Draft picks.
Roster Information. The Cardinals team roster information (updated weekly) can be reviewed at www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/ARZ . Roster Rules 2021 (COVID-19): (1) Expansion of practice squads to 16 players, including up to 6 who have more than 2 accrued seasons; (2) The ability to protect up to 4 practice squad players per week from being signed by other teams; (3) Elevation of up to 2 practice squad players to the active roster, without removing any current players, before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game; (4) Elevation of 1 additional practice squad player within 90 minutes before kickoff in the event of a late COVID-19 positive test result; (5) Players placed on injured reserve can return after 3 weeks, rather than 6 weeks as in normal seasons; (6) Removal of the limit for how many players can be activated from injured reserve.
Odds. ESPN rates the Cardinals an 89.0% chance of winning (as of October 18th). Per ESPN, the Cardinals are giving -17 points. Per NFL.com Game Theory, the Cardinals are giving -18.5 points. O/U is a merciful 47.5 points for ESPN and NFL.com. I have RARELY seen an ESPN or NFL points spread that lopsided. The Cardinals are 5-1 above the spread, per the big money guys at Vegas. Other Texans stats of great interest to folks with money to burn: points per game: 15.3, points allowed 287, total yards 308.5, passing 221.3, rushing 87.2, yards allowed 401.2, passing 259.8, and rushing 141.3. The Texans have lost 5 games in a row by 28, 3, 40, 15, and 10 points. They played just 1 NFC team, CAR, in that time span, and lost 24-9 on September 23rd. Houston ranks 29th in total offense (294.3 yards per game) and 26th in total defense (391.2) this year.
Referee Crew Information. The Footballzebras.com site announced late on October 19th that #115 Referee (Vincent) Land Clark and his crew will officiate the Texans at Cardinals game at State Farm Stadium on October 24, 2021. Clark officiated the Cardinals @ Washington Football Team game on September 20, 2020. His crew penalized the Cardinals 6 times for 42 yards, and penalized the WFT 11 times for 97 yards. The Cardinals won that game, 30-15. Clark has officiated 5 games so far in 2021, the last being Ravens @ Colts on October 11, where his crew handed out 13 total penalties. For all Referee Clark's records, see: www.pro-football-reference.com/officials/ClarLa0r.htm . Clark is a Referee since 2020. Prior to promotion to Referee, he performed as a Field Judge. Clark is a product of the NFL Officiating Development program. Outside of the NFL, Clark is the chief building official for the City of Albuquerque, NM. . Other officiating information: For 2020, NFL games averaged 156.4 plays; there were 40,032 total plays; 99.1% of the plays were officiated on the field without Instant Replay Booth involvement; only 364 of the plays were reviewed; the most commonly reviewed plays were pass completion (82), incomplete pass (47), and runner broke the goal line plane (44). For all Crews, see www.footballzebras.com/2021/06/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-season/ .
Weather. For October 24th, Glendale's forecast is 83F and sunny at kickoff. The average weather is high 82F degrees and low 58F degrees. This time of the year is the start of the "High Season" for tourists and snowbirds transitioning to sunny Arizona after a scalding off-season. Rain occurs on average just 1 day in October. None of this matters though. Expect the roof to be closed due to excessive outdoor heat and the potential for a T-Shower.
State Farm Stadium Information. See www.statefarmstadium.com/ for all necessary information to enjoy a great day. Additionally, see the Arizona Cardinals website at www.azcardinals.com/.
Next week's game: GB (5-1) visits ARZ (6-0). This is a Thursday Night Football (TNF) game. Kickoff is at 820pm ET sharp. This game could be the NFC Conference Championship precursor.
Odds and Ends. The Cardinals learned a very valuable no-cost lesson last week. HC Kingsbury was 2,000 miles away at game kickoff. But to all the Cardinals players and coaches on the other end of the Zoom feed on Saturday night, he might as well have been right there with them in the team’s Cleveland hotel. And that’s not only because they were all on Zoom anyway, since nothing could be in person, per NFL-mandated intensive protocols enacted after Arizona turned up a handful of positive tests at the end of last week. It was also because his message drilled home a simple point that quickly alleviated the shock of a football team losing its head coach the day before the road game. HC Kingsbury reiterated that the Team had all worked for this opportunity and that all the preparation work was already done. Coaches and players were all ready and on the same page. The COVID-19 was not going to have any affect on the game. No one in Arizona asked for 2020 pandemic and uncertainty to rear its head again, with the Cardinals' 2021 season going the way it was, 5-0 at that time. But if the pandemic’s shown the Cardinals team one thing, it’s that COVID-19 doesn’t mind being an unwelcome guest at an inopportune time. So it was that DE Chandler Jones and a couple of executives returned positive tests last week. That tests sent Arizona into the intensive protocols, and on Friday, resulting daily testing turned up positive tests for Kingsbury, quarterbacks coach Cam Turner, and DL Zach Allen. The Cardinals are a much stronger team mentally because of this latest COVID-19 trial. The Cardinals “whole of team” passed the that unplanned trial with flying colors on Sunday, thrashing the Browns, 37-14!
Cardinals Football Trivia Q&A. #97 DE Simeon Rice, was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in 1996, Draft round 1, #3. How many years did he play for the Cardinals? 5, 1996-2000. How many sacks did Rice have with the Cardinals? 51.5. Interceptions? 1. Why did Rice not play for the Cardinals after the 2020 season? Rice wanted a huge payday and the Cardinals were not willing to meet his demands. Rice went on to play football for how many other pro teams? 5, the Buccaneers, Broncos, Colts, the UFL New York Sentinels, and also basketball for the Philadelphia Power of the USBL. Did Rice earn a Super Bowl ring? Yes, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII and 2 years after signing a $30 million, 5-year contract with then mastermind GM / HC John Gruden. How many total sacks did Rick accumulate in his career? 122, ranked 20th on the NFL's record books.
Texans Football Trivia Q&A. I am going to show mercy with the Houston Texans trivia Q&A due to their 2021 season of repair and despair. DE J.J. Watt is well known for his DE prowess during his days at Houston. But, he also occasional plays on Offense. How many TD catches does JJ have? 3 TDs, and all in 2014, and the 3 TDs are the same number as WR Andre Johnson had that same year. Who was the 1st inductee to the Texans Ring of Honor? Ding Ding Ding -- WR Andre Johnson of course. Johnson is credited with NFL records for most games with 10+ catches and most seasons with 100+ catches. Last Texans Trivia Q&A is: What Texans RB was the first player in NFL history to have 100+ yards in his first 3 post-season games? RB Arian Foster is the player. Foster also was undrafted and eventually rushed for 6,472 yards in his career with the Texans.
PutMeIn Bottom Line. Cardinals 41, Texans 10. 1-0 Sunday night. 7-0 Monday morning. TE Ertz gets his first swim in the raging Red Sea and the waters will be awesome for him. He will get at least 1 TD. QB Murray is hitting almost all receivers—and what a fantastic Foursome the WRs are today! RBs Edmonds and Connors are hitting gaping holes and romping for yards and 1st downs. The Defense is getting stronger by the week and will show harder steel and even more rage versus the Texans. Anyone want to try another 4th down run or pass on the Cardinals D? Just try them. I dare you. The coaching staff is feeling success with almost every call. All the Cardinals team hard work is paying off now. Go Cardinals! Beat the Texans!