Okay, so if the cards were only 2 games better last year?

What have they done to be better than us this year,
or what have we done to get significantly worst than last year?

Not sure if this is the right forum but I could see if they were like Seattle (missing an all pro QB last year, having him return this year). I just don't see the Cardinals as a power house team. I see them as a 9-7 team that got hot in the playoffs (shrugs). I trully do not see them as the NFC's version of the Pats or anything dominant, they can be beat!

Your Thoughts?

No they really have not done much to improve. But they probably have a lot more confidence now, and maybe their team chemistry has improved. Basically they have continuity going for them.

Don't forget about Seattle either.

The theme of this decade has been, no one is going to run away with the NFC West. That should not change in 2009

AZ has a new offensive and defensive coordinator. We've got their number this season.

Not sure if they got better but they lost both OC & DC. Travis L. and 2 other players on the D-line are gone I think. E. James was released but he sucked and they picked up a good RB in the draft. I think this is the wrong forum.

i dont think this is the wrong forum. the state of the cards has a huge impact on the niners

2 Words: Beenie Wells.

They did something last year by going to the big dance that we are still hoping and speculating about ourselves. They have a very good WR group and they have also added Beanie. They're gonna be a good challenge for us ------ but I like our chances.

Originally posted by NJNiner:
2 Words: Beenie Wells.

Micheal Crabtree

My take :

They lost Laboy and Antonio Smith. However they chose not to try and bring Smith back because they wanted to make way for last year's 2nd round pick Calais Campbell. They replaced Laboy in the draft with 2nd round pass rusher Cody Brown and replaced Edge with Chris Wells. They also added 2 good 2nd day prospects to improve the OL (Herman Johnson and Trevor Canfield).

As for the OC & DC situation...former 49ers DC Billy Davis is the new DC after spending the last 2 years being the Cards LB'ers coach so he is familiar with the scheme in place and the roster (as opposed to when we hired him he had no familiarity with Nolan's defense). So before anyone tries to play the he sucked with us so he'll suck with them card, this situation is different than before and he has gained experience and has a chance to learn from his past mistakes. Only time will tell if he is ready for this role. As for the OC, Whizz takes over playcalling while 2 members of last years staff will handle the rest of the OC's duties (Russ Grimm is handling the running game and OL while Mike Miller handles the passing game). Whizz didn't fare so well in his 1st year as HC & playcaller (he then relinquished the duties to Haley) but he also tried to run the ball far too often and did not have a great run blocking line and had a rookie QB. He was a great playcaller in Blitzburgh but a lot of HC's seem to struggle trying to balance the two tasks.

The Cards may have been more then 2 games better than us had they not flopped the 2 games after they clinched the division (there was talk in the media of a lack of focus & will once they knew they were playoff bound). They got beat up pretty bad by the Vikes and Pats. Unfortunately they are still the team to beat in this division.

Originally posted by King49er:

Originally posted by NJNiner:
2 Words: Beenie Wells.

Micheal Crabtree

I thought we drafted Crabs to play WR not LB

If M. Rob scored the td on the monday night game and if JTO didn't s**t away the second game against Seattle....last season would have been very different.

But then again, if JTO didn't s**t away the second seattle game he still would have been starting.

We had our chances to make the playoffs. What would have been great was if Barry Simms blocks Joey Porter for at least 2 seconds longer to at least give Hill an opportunity to make a first down.

Originally posted by NickV:
If M. Rob scored the td on the monday night game and if JTO didn't s**t away the second game against Seattle....last season would have been very different.

But then again, if JTO didn't s**t away the second seattle game he still would have been starting.

We had our chances to make the playoffs. What would have been great was if Barry Simms blocks Joey Porter for at least 2 seconds longer to at least give Hill an opportunity to make a first down.

Or how about the play earlier where Gore had the corner and was barely touched and went down.

That was the play that lost the game, because if we score there, Martz doesn't get to go stupid like he did.

Originally posted by King49er:

Originally posted by NJNiner:
2 Words: Beenie Wells.

Micheal Crabtree

Crabs was a great pick for the 49ers but we were discussing how the cards improved during the offseason and Beenie Wells is a beast. The cards passing game is already a nightmare for our D, add a RB like Wells and our D will have thier hands full.

I think it's Seattle who improved the most in the division.

Beanie Wells???!!!

Maybe you guys have forgotten, but Adrian Peterson was supposed to run wild on us as well. Patrick Willis had something to say about that on the field. I'm guessing he'll deal with Beanie the same way.

It kind of cracks me up the way some of you who are not too sure about how well some of our rooks are going to do are just sure Beanie Wells will run all over us; based on what exactly? How one of the best young running backs in the league did against us last year?