The Setup
The Cardswere playing for pride
and the remotest possibility we could make the playoffs. As of
late, we've been on a roll - playing well (especially the defense) and had won 6
of our last 7. Cleveland was 4 & 9, banged up and just trying
to get better. They had lost 6 of their last 7 games (and
their last 3) and their starting QB (Colt McCoy was sidlelined
due to a concussion.
The Bottom Line:
Ho Hum! Another come from behind Cardinal overtime win.
It followed a pattern similar to previous Cardinal comeback
victories - we came out of the gate slow, the defense kept it
close enough and allow us to hang around within striking
distance by halftime, our QB (Skelton) and his supporting cast
heated up in the second half and we made enough impact plays
at the end to pull out the "W." Even our heros were
predictable - Fitz, Peterson, Schofield and Skelton (a backup
who's now something like 6 & 1).
The Lede
Cards Do it Again. This Time Against Browns. In OT"
Game Recap
Time to 'fess up. During most
of the season, our son, daughter-in-law and our new grandson (Josh
David Gollin) drop by in the afternoon. We usually go out to
dinner at roughly 6:00 pm (i.e. after the first quarter or so of
most Cardinal games (usually scheduled to start at 4:15 pm ET).
We'd all usually return home in time to catch the final minutes of
the Cardinal game and then tune in Boardwalk Empire or
rent a movie before turning in for the night. Which means that I
typically wait for the following morning to watch the DVR
recording of the game and then write it up (as I am doing right
now).
Now for the confession - As we pulled out of
our driveway to go out for dinner last night, I left convinced
that the Browns (and their running attack powered by Peyton
Hillis) was about to blactop the Cardinals and run us out of
Glendale; our defense looked that bad. Things didn't look all that
good as I tried to squint my eyes at the restaurant at the tiny
crawl at the bottom of the restaurant's flat-TV screen.
Fortunately (as they've done so often in the recent pass) the
Cardinals somehow found a way to prevail. That, in and of itself,
was pretty danged impressive.
1st Quarter
-
Check out this
opening series: Cribbs returned the opening KO to the
Cleve 24. Hillis over RT for +18. Wallace to Little for
+12. Hillis over LT for +12. Hillis up the middle for +1.
Wallace to Massaquois for +29. Hillis up the middle for
+3. Hillis up the middle for +1 & a TD. Drive took all of
3:27.
Cleveland 7 - Cardinals 0.
-
A
penalty on King on the
ensuing KO boxed us in at the 3. We managed to pick up a
first down off a couple of decent running plays but the
drive fizzled and we punted from our own 18. Cribbs
returned the punt 24 yards to the Cardinal 46 (Great way
to start a football game). But our defense toughened and
we held Cleveland to 3 & out. Punt was downed at the
Cardinal 10. Skelton was able to dink and dunk his way to
two first downs, but a completion to Heap (on 3rd & 11)
fell two yards short and we punted. Touchback. Cleveland
moved to their own 42 in 7 plays as the quarter ended.
1st Quarter Score:
Cleveland 7 - Cardinals 0.
2nd Quarter
-
7 plays later, 4th & 2 at the Cardinal
26, Dawson kicked a 44 yard field goal to widen the
Cleveland lead to 10.
Cleveland 10 - Cardinals 0.
-
The Howler returned the KO to the
Cardinal 22. We picked up a 1st down on 2 Beanie runs and
eventually made it tothe Cleveland 48, but Skelton got
sacked for minus-8 and we punted from our own 44. A
holding call helped pin Cleveland back on their own 8.
They picked up a first down on three straight runs by
Hillis but they got derailed by a false-start penalty and
punted from their own 28. Out of bounds at the Cardinal 35
(decent field position for a change).
-
1:49 til halftime, and Skelton went to
a non-huddle (effective way to wear out Cleveland's 335
pound DT's). He completed 4 of 5 straight passes to make
it 1st and 10 at the Brown 23. He then hit Doucet deep but
the Cardinal receiver fumbled out of bounds at the
Cleveland 5-yard line. Call was reversed; 2nd down at the
Cleveland 23. Skelton then hit Chester Taylor for +11,
Taylor ran up the middle for +3 and Skelton threw short &
to the right to Roberts for a 9-yard touchdown (We're back
in it!
Cleveland 10 - Cardinals 0.
-
0:19 left til halftime. Touchback on
the KO followed by a knee.
Halftime Score: Cleveland 10 -
Cardinals 7.
3rd Quarter
-
The Howler
returned the 2H kickoff to the Cardinal 19. A pass
interference flag helped us pick up one first down but we
were forced to punt from our own 35. Cribbs returned the
punt 16 yards to the Cleveland 28. An offensive pass
interference penalty helped us hold the Browns to 3 & out,
but a holding penalty on Eason on the punt pushed us back
to our own 10-yard line. Nifty completions to the Howler
(+11) and King (+24) helped move us to the Cleveland 45,
but Skelton took a sack for minus-1 and we punted from the
Brown 46. Fair caught at the Cleveland 12. On the sixth
play from scrimmage, Wallace rolled right, got outside of
contain and hit Little on a deep crossing pattern. The
Brown WR outran D Washington (in an obvious mismatch) for
a 76-yard score. (Could have proved to be a backbreaker).
Cleveland 17 - Cardinals 7.
-
The Howler returned the ensuing KO to
the Cardinal 35. A facemask penalty moved us to midfield,,
and we were able to move to the Cleveland 29; but on
the 4th play from scrimmage, Skelton's pass intended for
Doucet was intercepted by Skrine and returned to the
Cleveland 30. They ran off two plays and got to their own
44 as the quarter ended. (Things were not looking good,
but "these are the Cardinals").
Third Quarter Score: Cleveland 17 -
Cardinals 7.
4th Quarter
-
On 1st & 10, Cleveland picked up +5
yards on two completions (one of which lost yardage when
Rhodes ate up their TE, Cameron from behind on a screen).
The third pass attempt was incomplete and they punted from
their own 49. Fair caught at the Cardinal 13. On the
second play from scrimmage, Skelton was sacked for minus-9
yards. But the Cards went back to the no-huddle, with
Skelton hitting Fitz for +23 and a 1st down on the very
next play. A 21-yard completion to Roberts three plays
later picked up another first down. Then Skelton hit
Doucet for +20 to put the ball on the Cleveland 14 and
then hit the Howler for an apparent +7. But a challenge
and booth review determined that the ball was downed for a
1st down at the Cleveland on-yard line. Beanie ran it in
from there. (We're -b-a-a-c-k)!
Cleveland 17 - Cardinals
14.
-
8:33 still left to play. Cribbs
returned the KO to the Cleveland 19. Lost yardage on a run
and a sack (by Schofield) moved them back to their own 14.
On the 3rd play from scrimmage, Schofield sacked Wallace
again at the Cleveland 5. Another challenge and booth
review determined that the back of Wallace's hand hit the
ground and caused a fumble. Cardinal ball on the Brown 5.
But Skelton couldn't punch it in. He was sacked (decliing
to risk a shovel pass on an inside roll out) for minus-6,
threw an incompletion and lost 4-yards on a completion to
Taylor. Feely then tied things up with a 33-yarder.
Cleveland 17 - Cardinals 17.
-
5:40 still left. KO was returned to
the Cleveland 17. On the second play from scrimmage,
Wallace hit Little for 31 yards to get to the Cleveland 48
and they managed to get to the Cardinal 46 (Remember, all
they need is a FG to retake the lead). But the defense
held firm (Key play was Carter stuffing Hillis for
minus-1) and Cleveland had to punt away. O-O-B at the
Arizona 11. 3:16 left. A pass interference call gave
Skelton some breathing room at his own 27 and he
eventually moved his team inside Cleveland territory at
their 42, but the drive stalled and Zastudil punted. Ball
was fair caught at the Cleveland 9. They played it
conservatively, forcing the Cardinals to use up 2
time-outs while picking up 6 yards on two Hillis runs
before throwing an incompletion.
-
Peterson fielded the punt at the
Cardinal 30, but was given no room by Cleveland gunners.
0:43 left. Skelton went three and out to end the quarter
and regulation play.
-
End of Regulation Score:
Cleveland 17 - Cardinals 17.
Overtime
-
Browns won the toss and chose to receive.
Touchback on the KO. On 2nd & 15, boxed in at his own 15-yard
line, Wallace scrambled right past a couple of missed tackles
and wound up 1st & 10at his own 30 (30 yards or so away from a
winning field goal). They tried Hillis. Stopped by DWash
for +2. A short pass to Little was stopped by A-Dub for +2.
Wallace then threw deep to Massaquoit (who had just bumped
into Marshall, and gotten up off the ground to complete his
route. He couldn't quite jump high enough to snag the pass.
Browns punted from their own 35.
-
Remember Patrick Peterson (who had
all but disappeared on previous punts)? Finally, he was able
to field a punt with a tiny bit of wriggle room at his own 28.
After deceiving his defenders into believing that the ball was
headed out of bounds, he fielded the punt and broke to the
right for the far sideline, beating his opponents to the
corner and motoring down the sideline for 32 yards. Cards ball
on the Cleveland 40. After running Beanie twice (once for +6
and into a brick wall for minus-2), with everyone expecting
the Cardinals - on the Cleveland 36 - to use their final
down to pick up a few additional yards & make a Feely FG
easier, the Cards dialed up a pass to Fitzgerald - wide open
on a deep crossing pattern and finally brought down at
the Brown 4-yard line where Feely booted home the 22-yard
game-winner. Final Score in OT:
Cardinals 20 - Cleveland 17.
Game Stats
-
(One hidden game decider) Cleveland was
penalized 9 times; Cardinals just twice.
-
Skelton went 28 for 46 and 313 yards, 1
interception and 1 TD
-
Cards passed 46 times; only ran the ball
24.
-
Beanie was held to 51 yards on 15 carries.
-
Heap led the team in receptions with 7 for
69 yards. Roberts caught 6 for 60; Doucet 3 for 37 and Fitz
3 for 65.
-
Skelton was sacked 4 times. Cards sacked
Wallace twice.
-
Cards recovered one fumble (by Campbell);
had no interceptions.
-
Defense held Hillis to 99 yards.
-
Adrian Wilson led the team in tackles with
8,followed by Marshall 7, Lenon 7, Washington 6, Rhodes
5.
-
Schofield was credited with both Cardinal
sacks (but both of those sacks came at an extremely timely
point of the game on a single set of downs late in
regulation).
Bright Spots
-
Playmakers: (Seems to be becoming a
pattern):Schofield (2 sacks and a key tackle), Peterson,
Fitzgerald
-
Below the Radar - Heap (7 catches),
Marshall (key stops, late-game pass breakup on Massaquoi
pass), Rhodes (key tackle from behind of Cameron for minus
yardage to blow up screen play). Carter (instrumental in
stoning Hillis in second half). Skelton (when knocked down, he
didn't stay down but instead would get up to make a key play).
-
Offensive line (while giving up 4 sacks
and plenty of room to improve) did protect Skelton well enough
to get the job done - especially in the 4Q and OT.
The Dark Side
-
I didn't like the way our defense got
mauled early in the game by the Cleveland running attack.
-
Our defense allowed itself to play a bit
out of control, missed a few tackles and allowed Wallace to
escape pressure too often.
-
Doucet could be more reliable catching the
ball. So could Roberts (although 6 grabs for 60 yards is
nothing to sneeze at)
Last Word:
The Cards are now at .500 (7 & 7). If we were somehow able to run the
table,we could wind up 9 & 7 (with an outside shot at a
playoff spot) with Cincy and Seattle (also 7 & 7) remaining on
our schedule. Cincy is better (though different in approach)
than Cleveland. Seattle is like a tougher version of
Cleveland. We still have our work cut out for us. Regardless
of whether or not we make the playoffs, if we can finish off
our incredible run, this team will be forever known in
Cardinal (if not NFL) history as "the team who dug its way out
of a 1 & 5 hole to wind up a ridiculous but gutty 9 & 7.
The dream continues.
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