SteelDogFan
09-27-2007, 09:40 PM
Hes got some good points but all in all I think he is not giving the Steelers enough credit for being as good as they are 3-0, or hes giving the Cards to much because I don't think their that good yet.
DAN DIERDORF
(On Arizona Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt facing his former team, Pittsburgh): Both Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm are in Arizona now. They both left Pittsburgh when Mike Tomlin got the (Pittsburgh) job. So yes, it is an interesting sidebar to the story. This is a Cardinal team that if Pittsburgh is going out there thinking that this is some kind of a walk over, they might be mistaken. Arizona is a little bit better than some people might think. They are 1-2, but they have two three-point losses. They lost to Baltimore 26-23 and lost to San Francisco, 20-17. The Cardinals are not a bad football team?
(On Arizona's quarterback situation): They've got this interesting thing going on offense. Whisenhunt has a two-headed quarterback monster. He's got Matt Leinart, who is his starter and obviously the quarterback of the future. But last week he pulled him and put in Kurt Warner. Warner had a Rams flashback and played a phenomenal half of football and turns in a quarterback rating last week of 150. So Whisenhunt is saying that he'll play both. Whisenhunt has said that Warner is more comfortable in a shotgun spread, no huddle offense and that he is more comfortable doing that than Leinart. I'm anxious to find out if he is going to alternate them and go with Leinart for a while, and then go with Warner for a while. It's going to be most interesting to see how he does it?
(On facing Pittsburgh's defense): The one thing I know for sure is that Matt Leinart will see some things from this Pittsburgh defense that he hasn't seen before. Dick LeBeau has them playing really great. They're the number two defense in the NFL so far through the first three games and they're just smothering everybody. Lebeau is a guy that will come from every different direction, with all the zone blitzes, the overloads, the whole nine yards. Who knows where Troy Polamalu is going to be? In that sense Warner is probably the better prepared of the two quarterbacks to face a defense like Pittsburgh's, but it is Leinart's team and we'll see how he does with it?
(On Arizona's familiarity with Pittsburgh): I certainly think Whisenhunt and Grimm, knowing the personnel, knowing what they do, are probably in a better position than most coaches to help out their guys. But the reality is, Dick LeBeau won't do anything predictable. He'll try to change it up as much as he possibly can?
(On Steelers offense): Offensively Pittsburgh is just not that fancy. They're going to come at you. They have really been running the heck out of Willie Parker and he's been responding. They've been giving Willie Parker the ball 25 times a game and he's responded with a five yards per carry average. Ben Roethlisberger has been really efficient. He is off to a phenomenal start -- six touchdowns and one interception. He has just been unbelievably effectiveThe question for the Steelers offensively is going to be whether or not Hines Ward plays? He got hurt in last week's game and he's a big question mark that probably won't be answered until he goes out and warms up before the game?
(On Arizona): It's an intriguing match-up. The Cardinals have a new stadium. They have a whole new look. They have a new coaching staff, and there's some optimism out in the desert that they're headed in the right direction?
(On Pittsburgh): The Steelers must have a little bit of the, 'Hey what about us?' syndrome because when you talk about the AFC all you hear people say is you've got the big three -- New England, San Diego and Indianapolis. Pittsburgh won a Super Bowl two years ago, and in some people's eyes they're a second level team in the AFC. That is probably a huge motivator for them.
DAN DIERDORF
(On Arizona Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt facing his former team, Pittsburgh): Both Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm are in Arizona now. They both left Pittsburgh when Mike Tomlin got the (Pittsburgh) job. So yes, it is an interesting sidebar to the story. This is a Cardinal team that if Pittsburgh is going out there thinking that this is some kind of a walk over, they might be mistaken. Arizona is a little bit better than some people might think. They are 1-2, but they have two three-point losses. They lost to Baltimore 26-23 and lost to San Francisco, 20-17. The Cardinals are not a bad football team?
(On Arizona's quarterback situation): They've got this interesting thing going on offense. Whisenhunt has a two-headed quarterback monster. He's got Matt Leinart, who is his starter and obviously the quarterback of the future. But last week he pulled him and put in Kurt Warner. Warner had a Rams flashback and played a phenomenal half of football and turns in a quarterback rating last week of 150. So Whisenhunt is saying that he'll play both. Whisenhunt has said that Warner is more comfortable in a shotgun spread, no huddle offense and that he is more comfortable doing that than Leinart. I'm anxious to find out if he is going to alternate them and go with Leinart for a while, and then go with Warner for a while. It's going to be most interesting to see how he does it?
(On facing Pittsburgh's defense): The one thing I know for sure is that Matt Leinart will see some things from this Pittsburgh defense that he hasn't seen before. Dick LeBeau has them playing really great. They're the number two defense in the NFL so far through the first three games and they're just smothering everybody. Lebeau is a guy that will come from every different direction, with all the zone blitzes, the overloads, the whole nine yards. Who knows where Troy Polamalu is going to be? In that sense Warner is probably the better prepared of the two quarterbacks to face a defense like Pittsburgh's, but it is Leinart's team and we'll see how he does with it?
(On Arizona's familiarity with Pittsburgh): I certainly think Whisenhunt and Grimm, knowing the personnel, knowing what they do, are probably in a better position than most coaches to help out their guys. But the reality is, Dick LeBeau won't do anything predictable. He'll try to change it up as much as he possibly can?
(On Steelers offense): Offensively Pittsburgh is just not that fancy. They're going to come at you. They have really been running the heck out of Willie Parker and he's been responding. They've been giving Willie Parker the ball 25 times a game and he's responded with a five yards per carry average. Ben Roethlisberger has been really efficient. He is off to a phenomenal start -- six touchdowns and one interception. He has just been unbelievably effectiveThe question for the Steelers offensively is going to be whether or not Hines Ward plays? He got hurt in last week's game and he's a big question mark that probably won't be answered until he goes out and warms up before the game?
(On Arizona): It's an intriguing match-up. The Cardinals have a new stadium. They have a whole new look. They have a new coaching staff, and there's some optimism out in the desert that they're headed in the right direction?
(On Pittsburgh): The Steelers must have a little bit of the, 'Hey what about us?' syndrome because when you talk about the AFC all you hear people say is you've got the big three -- New England, San Diego and Indianapolis. Pittsburgh won a Super Bowl two years ago, and in some people's eyes they're a second level team in the AFC. That is probably a huge motivator for them.