I've got tickets, going with the usual group of my dad, brother and Tony jr.
We did leave early yesterday obv.
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I've got tickets, going with the usual group of my dad, brother and Tony jr.
We did leave early yesterday obv.
Recipe for a blowout
It doesn’t take much to lose a football game in the NFL. A costly turnover here, a poor coaching decision there and boom, you’re headed for the showers with the knowledge that the next morning will bring nothing more than a bad headache and another notch in the loss column.
But to lose a game in style, to encounter defeat in the most humiliating of fashions, well, that’s a different beast altogether. To suffer a systematic failure in every facet of the contest that prompts a head coach to apologize for his team’s embarrassing performance requires something special. 17-10 losses like the one the Jacksonville Jaguars endured at the hands of the New York Jets on Sunday are quickly forgotten, resigned to the historical scrapheap of professional matchups that aren’t worth revisiting.
58-0 losses that set a new precedent for worst defeat in franchise history are the ones we remember. These are the blowouts that go down in history, if only to serve as a reminder that the phrase “Any given Sunday” is applicable to more than just your run-of-the-mill upset win.
The Arizona Cardinals made history on Sunday for all the wrong reasons. But in the process, the organization reaffirmed the tried-and-true blueprint for how to lose in spectacular fashion. There are mistakes, and then there’s Chernobyl.
This is not a story about the Seattle Seahawks, who played exceptionally well on Sunday. This is a look at how the Arizona Cardinals went down in flames and reminded us that parity is often times nothing more than just a word.
Recipe for a blowout loss (serves 53)
One-part poor quarterback play: Ken Whisenhunt is a man who wants to eat steak for dinner, but he’s severely lacking in several key areas that make a steak dinner worth eating. He’s got an empty propane tank (John Skelton), a broken piece of very expensive dinnerware (Kevin Kolb) and a bottle of cheap Cabernet Sauvignon (Ryan Lindley) that the vineyard told him to lay down for a few years before opening in order to let the wine mature. Whisenhunt is required to prepare and consume the meal anyway.
With Kevin Kolb and rookie Ryan Lindley standing on the sidelines, Skelton took control of the Arizona offense in Week 14. He completed just 11 of 22 passes for 74 yards with five turnovers. Not including punts, all nine offensive “drives” that Skelton oversaw consisted of seven or fewer plays. Five of those “drives” consisted of only three or fewer plays. Four resulted in punts, while five concluded with turnovers.
Lindley made an appearance in the second half, but we’ll get to that soon enough.
Eight-parts turnovers: Think of a blowout loss as a spicy Cajun dish, with turnovers playing the role of both garlic and hot sauce. No blowout is complete without at least four or five turnovers, but the Cardinals wanted something truly spicy. This is a meal you would likely witness consumed on the show Man v. Food, in which Adam Richman would be given 15 minutes to consume the entire dish without vomiting in order to have his picture plastered on the restaurant’s wall.
The Arizona quarterbacks accounted for six of the team’s eight turnovers, but defensive back and punt returner Patrick Peterson played an integral role as well. During the toxic landfill that also functioned as the game’s second quarter, Peterson muffed a punt and fumbled another that resulted in two Seattle touchdowns, both of which happened faster then the time it took for this writer to bang-out his 25 Sunday push-ups.
Seattle scored 30 of their 58 total points off of Arizona’s eight turnovers. In the team’s previous 13 games, only once had the Seahawks posted a total of 30 points (November 4 vs. Minnesota).
One-part turning point: Every good blowout features a turning point. This is the moment in the game when everybody witnessing the events transpiring on the field knows that the contest is about to get out of hand. At this point it’s no longer a question of whether or not the losing side will mount a comeback. This is the juncture when those watching begin to wonder how spectacularly awful the rest of the show will truly get.
Quarterback John Skelton accounted for five turnovers in less than three quarters of action.
The turning point in the Arizona-Seattle game took place with 10:20 remaining in the second quarter. Trailing 17-0, the Arizona defense momentarily stopped the bleeding by forcing a Seahawks three-and-out. But the Cardinals offense promptly jumped offside following the change of possession, which set up a first-and-14 from the team’s four-yard line.
Eight seconds later the score was 24-0 after Skelton threw a 19-yard pick-six to Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman.
From there, the rout was on.
One-part failure to utilize talent: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is the best player on the Arizona roster.
He didn’t record a reception until the 7:09 mark of the fourth quarter. Said reception went for a two-yard gain.
It was his only catch of the afternoon.
One-part lack of pride:A man’s true character and competitive spirit are displayed not during his moments of triumph, but in his time of despair.
There are usually a handful of players who step-up in the face of an impending blowout loss, amassing both yards and points in an effort to mitigate the collateral damage. Those in the fantasy football business refer to this late push as “garbage time.” Garbage time numbers can help ease the pain when looking back to see that your team lost 49-21 instead of 56-0.
There was a disturbing lack of pride displayed on the part of the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon. This is what made their blowout loss so magnificent. Not one, single player stepped up and made a play at any point during the game. This was such a horrendous performance that the Cardinals never even got in position to attempt a field goal in the hopes of preventing a shutout.
Trailing 38-0 at the half, the Cardinals came out of the locker room and mustered a grand total of 60 yards and zero points during the final 30 minutes of the contest, while the Seahawks piled up another 20 points and 255 yards of offense.
One-part breaking records: It wouldn’t be a true blowout if both teams failed to shatter some sort of organizational record for either success or futility. In this case, we have multiple milestones that were eclipsed by both teams on Sunday:
1. The 58-0 defeat constitutes the worst loss in Arizona Cardinals franchise history.
2. The 58 points surrendered by the Cardinals are the most points ever scored by an opponent in franchise history.
3. The Seahawks set a new franchise record for points scored in a game, with 58.
I’m sure there may be a few other milestones that were broken during Sunday’s matchup (has Arizona ever committed more than eight turnovers in a game?), but for now, these three will more than suffice for our recipe.
Two-parts quarterback substitution: The moment of true embarrassment. The point in time in which everybody knows the game is over. The starting quarterback of the winning team is brought to the sidelines to prevent injury. His job is done.
With 10:19 remaining in the third quarter and leading 45-0, rookie quarterback Russell Wilson was told his day was over. The former Wisconsin standout had completed seven of 13 passes for 148 yards with one touchdown and one interception in just over 30 minutes of game time. That was all it took.
For completely different reasons, Whisenhunt gave the hook to Skelton with 7:35 remaining in the third quarter in favor of Lindley. The rookie from San Diego State completed eight of 17 passes for 59 yards with no touchdowns and one turnover.
It was neither good nor bad. It was simply irrelevant.
These are the ingredients that comprise the recipe for a blowout loss. It is a recipe you are more likely to find in the Anarchist Cookbook than in Rachael Ray’s Open House. The Surgeon General has advised against any NFL team from attempting to prepare this meal, as it is both bad for the heart and bad for the mind. It is a meal that nobody who cooks it enjoys.
And with that being said, I’m off to In-N-Out Burger for lunch.
Hit me up on Twitter: @JoeFortenbaugh
Follow @footballpost on Twitter for the latest news
This story originally appeared on Nationalfootballpost.com
Going for it on 4th and 20+ in the forth quarter was a dickish move tho.
It was merciful compared to punting and pinning them on their 5 yard line.Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardBrodiesCombover.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonutsIt was merciful compared to punting and pinning them on their 5 yard line.Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardBrodiesCombover.
No it wasn't. I really don't care that they ran the score up but this was a dickish move.
It's up to the Cardinal defense to try and stop them. Not the Seahawks offense to take their foot off the gas because the Cardinals decided to take the week off. These are grown men. If that hurts their feelings or pride, then fucking put forth a little effort or put on an apron and go learn to cook. Even some of the Cardinals players said they thought the team gave up.
Russell Wilson is at least in the chase for ROY, so why should he have to start handing the ball off every play because the Cardinals are pussy's? No team in the NFL. NO TEAM, gets blown out 58-0 if they are giving effort. It's just not possible. They quit, and the Seahawks should have done everything in their power to score more points. Isn't that the point of football? To score points and to give up as few as possible? If this was peewee or even HS game, I could see the point. Sportsmanship. I get it. But these are grown men who make millions of dollars and can't even play one full game without simply giving up. Where's their pride? Self Respect? It's pathetic. But the Seachickens didn't do anything wrong. Except for adding that awful neon green to their color scheme.
They didn't run up the score. If they had kept their foot on the gas they wouldnt have pulled their starters with 10 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter and the score would have been 100-0.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hockey GuyQuote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonuts
No it wasn't. I really don't care that they ran the score up but this was a dickish move.
They only threw 9 times in the 2nd half and most of those were on third down. Not the Seahawks fault that the Cards gave up.
This is the NFL man, not USC vs Northeastern Southwestern State.
This is the 1st I've heard of that, because I wouldnt ever actually watch a Seahawks game, but it doesnt suprise me at all that Carroll would go for it on 4th and 20 or run up the score. The guys a scumbag and I hope GB gets to see them in the playoffs. I'll be at that game for sure.
Hurr durr hurrQuote:
Originally Posted by ShadyJ
Agree. There is only one thing in the realm of public opinion that you are "required" to do in a game like that, and it is to pull you starting skill position players once the game is out of hand. Seattle did that and still dominated. It's not their fault.Quote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonutsThey didn't run up the score. If they had kept their foot on the gas they wouldnt have pulled their starters with 10 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter and the score would have been 100-0.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hockey Guy
They only threw 9 times in the 2nd half and most of those were on third down. Not the Seahawks fault that the Cards gave up.
This is the NFL man, not USC vs Northeastern Southwestern State.
slightly related to this, but something I have always wondered about is when a team that is ahead by a close margin, and the other team just failed on their last chance to do anything (onside kick, 4th down try, etc) and there is like 45 secs left in the game, and then the backup qb comes in to just do the kneel downs. That's almost insulting to the backup, I have always thought.
...and if the backup gives a shit, it fucks with his career stat lines for rushing with the 3 "carries" for -4 yards.
I'm sure when he cashes his 7 figure paycheck, he'll get over it. Where do I sign up to travel with an NFL team, suit up, take a few snaps, and then call it a day? Backup NFL QB's have the easiest job in the world. Look at Matt Flynn. Gets 2 million dollars to sit on the sideline for 3 hours every Sunday.Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
Im glad your team is doing great this year Tony! In all seriousness you do know they are 1 and done in the playoffs if they even make them right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBHk9rc4hHcQuote:
Originally Posted by badguy23
Not if the game is in Seattle, Badguy.Quote:
Originally Posted by badguy23
Updated Super Bowl Odds: Seattle makes a move
The events that transpired in Week 14 caused a big shake-up in the Super Bowl odds department. Houston’s humiliating loss at New England on Monday night vaulted the Patriots to the 9-4 favorite, while Atlanta’s defeat at Carolina dropped the Falcons to a less-than-inspiring 8-1. San Francisco (4.5-1) and Denver (4.5-1) are still hanging tight. Baltimore (20-1) and Chicago (40-1) are starting to slide.
It's very possible for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to earn a first-round bye.
But today we want you to take a look at what’s happening out west, where the Seattle Seahawks—winners of four of their last five games—have quietly climbed inside the top-10 and now reside on LVH’s board at 18-1. And now that you’re looking at the Seahawks, we want you to start peering into the future.
Believe it or not, there’s a very real chance that Pete Carroll’s squad could wind up with a first-round bye when the regular season comes to a close. The Seahawks head to Toronto this weekend to take on the Bills and then return to Seattle for back-to back home games with the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams. If Russell Wilson and company can run the table and the Niners leave New England this weekend with a loss, Seattle would win the NFC West.
That means at least one playoff game at CenturyLink Field, where Seattle is 6-0 both straight-up and against the spread in 2012.
Let’s take this equation one step further, shall we? Assuming Seattle wins out and San Francisco loses at New England, the Seahawks would then need just one more loss from the Green Bay Packers (at Chicago, vs. Tennessee, at Minnesota) to claim a first-round bye, assuming the New York Giants (at Atlanta, at Baltimore, vs. Philadelphia) don’t win out.
If everything breaks Seattle’s way, the Seahawks could be one home win from the NFC Championship game. And at a current price of 18-1, that would create some very enticing opportunities for Seattle backers to hedge their Super Bowl futures bet come January.
Joe Fortenbaugh - National Football Post
I'm pumpedQuote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonuts
Thats not happening, but they do have a real shot to win the division and get the 3 seed which would be the best case scenerio for the Packers. Pats will roll SF because its a bad spot for them with the division on the line next week at Seattle. I'l have to break out some Pete Carroll school girl pom poms for that game. The 2 biggest morons as coaches go head to head to quote Bart Scott CANT WAITQuote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonuts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcXYz0gtJeM
Good luck Seahawks from the grave..........
NO I DON'T HAVE A GUNQuote:
Originally Posted by limitles
Hawks PWNING again
4 more TDS for wilson today all in 1st half , guy is on fire
Sat Eli, and picked up Russell The Muscle yesterday off waivers.
Hello league Finals!
55
Happy with today's result. Unhappy with the entertainment factor. The half-time show with PSY was actually more entertaining than the game.
Very few games in this league are worth the time.
Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll faced accusations of running up the score after his team laid a 58-0 whooping on the Arizona Cardinals last week.
Relive every game this season online and on-demand with enhanced viewing features, including the "All-22" coaches film. Get NFL Game Rewind.
Carroll can expect more of the same this week after the Seahawks converted a first down on a fake punt against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Seahawks had a 30-point lead at the time in a game they ultimately won 50-17.
With 12:49 to play in the fourth quarter, Seahawks punt protector Chris Maragos took the direct snap, stepped to his right and flipped the ball to running back Michael Robinson, who darted through the middle for a 29-yard gain.
It was a neat little play, but one we're sure the Bills thought little of while trailing 47-17.
After the game, Carroll acknowledged the fake punt shouldn't have happened.
The intense race for the playoffs is in full gear. Check out the latest situation in the postseason chase. More ...
"I feel bad about this," Carroll said. "It was part of our game plan, it was something I could have called off, and I didn't. It's unfortunate that it comes across like there's something wrong there. That's my fault, totally, for not stopping it from happening ... in the sense that it looked bad."
Carroll's strategy brought to mind a similar situation with the Baltimore Ravens last month, when John Harbaugh called for a fake field goal with his team holding a 41-17 lead over the Oakland Raiders. The Ravens scored a touchdown on the play, and Harbaugh drew criticism for the move.
Harbaugh had no regrets. Carroll can't say the same.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadyJ
WHO CARES
THEY'RE WERE JUST PRACTISING ON SUNDAY ANYWAY
I hope the hawks have this sort of controversy every week. Unbelievable how well they are playing right now.
No need for Carroll to apologize. This is the NFL and you should go for the throat when you get the chance. Look at how quickly Tom Brady got the Pats back into the game last night.
How Much Heat Does Pete Carroll Deserve for Classless Calls
"I feel bad about this," said Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Carroll, whose Seahawks had just hung 50 points on their opponent for the second week in a row, faced his post-game press conference in the awkward position of having done his job too well.
The week before, Carroll took heat for throwing downfield on the already-defeated Arizona Cardinals, widening a 45-point margin of victory to 58. Carroll apologized, though he was just trying to get his 26 million dollar backup quarterback Matt Flynn some action.
This week, already up on the Buffalo Bills by 30 points in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks faced 4th-and-4 from the Bills 43-yard line. Carroll's team dialed up a clever fake punt that went for a 29-yard gain:
"It was something I could have called off, and I didn't. It's unfortunate that it comes across like there's something wrong there. That's my fault, totally, for not stopping it from happening ... in the sense that it looked bad." - Pete Carroll
Did it look bad? Yes. Was it the epitome of class? No. Should Carroll feel bad?
Absolutely not.
Unlike Carroll's days at USC, where he regularly matched a roster full of future Pro Bowlers up against rosters full of future high school gym teachers, he's coaching in the NFL. His players are all professionals, paid very well to do their job to the best of their ability. His coaching staff and assistants are all professionals, too. Carroll's job is to help his staff get the most out of his players.
If they don't do their jobs, they get fired.
If Seahawks special teams coach Brian Schneider told Carroll he found a way to exploit the Bills' punt-return coverage for a sure first down, it's Carroll's job to pat him on the back and dial it up—not tell Schneider it would look bad.
If Seahawks punt protector Chris Maragos spent practice time this week with long snapper Clint Gresham and tailback Michael Robinson perfecting their execution, it's their job to make that practice pay off—not hear the play call and say "Gee Coach, that would look bad. Let's just punt."
Unlike Carroll's days at USC, the team on the other side of the field isn't a bunch of undergrads playing for room, board, tuition and a jersey they'll hang in their closest and tell their grandkids about. The Buffalo Bills are professionals, too—they're just not as good at their job.
If there's any doubt Carroll and his staff are doing the right thing by never taking their foot off the pedal, the football-watching world should learn a lesson from what happened just hours after Carroll expressed his regrets:
On Sunday Night Football, the San Francisco 49ers built up a shocking 31-3 lead on the New England Patriots. The 49ers shifted into neutral and tried to coast it home; the Patriots went on a furious 28-point tear, tying the game.
Fortunately for Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers, they immediately regained the lead and secured the win. But the lesson is clear: In the NFL, almost no lead is safe.
Of course, sportsmanship is important, and of course every fan wants their team to win "the right way." But every fan wants their team to win—and every coach wants to win, too.
Pete Carroll's on his third season as Seahawks head coach, and his team has gone 7-9 two years in a row. The victory over the Bills clinched Carroll's first winning season; that's a huge win for the Seahawks (and Carroll's career).
Perhaps Carroll feels bad for embarrassing the Cardinals and Bills. But he doesn't feel nearly as bad as if he'd had to take the podium and explain how punting from inside enemy territory was the "classy" decision, even though it led to a historic collapse and loss.
- Ty Schalter
9er's vs Seahawks. It's Gonna Be A Showdown!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR1_xbq2ucU
If you dont understand keeping your foot on the gas, and faking a punt up 30 your clueless. Should he feel bad for beating up on bad teams no, but theres also sportsmanship that you teach your kids at a young age you win and lose with class.
Things I dont understand about fans. You will never admit when someone from your team does something wrong. I will be the first to admit to things done that arent right, but most people the fan part of their brain just doesnt allow it. This is the same guy that said the fail mary was a good call and really a catch when everyone on the planet even people who know nothing about football disagreed. At least this time he maned up for being a deuchebag. It hurts me to have to root for the Seahags to beat the niners which I highly doubt they can do. If they couldnt beat GB at home how will they beat SF who is alot better then GB?
What these idiot sportswriters miss is the real point of the fake punt. I guarantee it wasn't the spec. teams coach saying "ooh we found a weakness in their punt coverage". that's just LOL.
When you're up 30 (or down 30 for that matter) it's a good time to try some plays that are not normally practiced, or not normally used in game situations. Carroll didn't really care if he converted there, but wanted to see how it would play out against a team not expecting it.....very much like what might happen if he called it in a close game during the playoffs.
Of course in this dog-and-pony show that is the American media, he has to apologize for being a good coach.
Wouldn't it be better to keep that play up your sleeve and save it for a situation that counts? Isn't this the reason coaches use very bland schemes in the preseason, so as not to give too much information away?Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
I was going to go with this vid, but I have to take advantage of any opportunity there is to make a post involving Big Ern.Quote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonuts
:facepalmQuote:
Originally Posted by ShadyJ
GTFO of here with that nonsense. We can disagree over the finer points of gas, pedal, scores etc, it doesn't make anyone clueless.
Never admit when my team is wrong?? You have no idea what you are talking about. You're blinded by your hatred of Pete Carroll.
Sportsmanship is about playing hard for a full 60 minutes, and shaking the hand of your foe win or lose.
Lastly, if you don't see that this Hawk team is completely different from the team that played Green Bay I don't know what to tell you.
Now that's out of the way, why are your rooting for the hawks this week, who is your team?
Soul Train VersionQuote:
Originally Posted by vegas1369I was going to go with this vid, but I have to take advantage of any opportunity there is to make a post involving Big Ern.Quote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonuts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZId13DCPb4
Not the way it worked. The hawks had the play automatically dialed up in case they saw a certain look from the bills. Punt protector Chris Margaros correctly identified the look and audibled into the fake. If you are of the mind that the play was bad form, and I would agree it is at least open to debate, then Carroll or special teams coach Brian Schneider should have called the play off knowing it was still in the toolbox.Quote:
Originally Posted by SrslySiriusWouldn't it be better to keep that play up your sleeve and save it for a situation that counts? Isn't this the reason coaches use very bland schemes in the preseason, so as not to give too much information away?Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
If anything this give team something else they need to prepare for going forward.
My thoughts exactlyQuote:
Originally Posted by SrslySiriusWouldn't it be better to keep that play up your sleeve and save it for a situation that counts? Isn't this the reason coaches use very bland schemes in the preseason, so as not to give too much information away?Quote:
Originally Posted by gut
OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!! This is the greatest video in the history of the internet!Quote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonuts
TBags what's your better move the front kick or robot?
I bet that front kick so vicious
I wasnt meaning you specifically although your demonstrating it since the coach actually admitted wrong doing, but you (the fan) cannot.Quote:
Originally Posted by tony bagadonuts:facepalmQuote:
Originally Posted by ShadyJ
GTFO of here with that nonsense. We can disagree over the finer points of gas, pedal, scores etc, it doesn't make anyone clueless.
Never admit when my team is wrong?? You have no idea what you are talking about. You're blinded by your hatred of Pete Carroll.
Sportsmanship is about playing hard for a full 60 minutes, and shaking the hand of your foe win or lose.
Lastly, if you don't see that this Hawk team is completely different from the team that played Green Bay I don't know what to tell you.
Now that's out of the way, why are your rooting for the hawks this week, who is your team?
Sportsmanship is defined in alot of ways not just generically saying what you said above. Theres other things as well like not faking a punt up 30. They said on espn that other teams will take that out on the Seahags. Its a respect thing that they have for eachother.