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Going for it

Green could learn something from the doctor of love

Posted: Friday October 20, 2006 9:13AM; Updated: Friday October 20, 2006 11:55AM
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The Cardinals likely were too conservative in the waning moments of the Chicago loss -- given the proficiency of QB Matt Leinart.
The Cardinals likely were too conservative in the waning moments of the Chicago loss -- given the proficiency of QB Matt Leinart.
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Voices from Video land:

Jacob of New Rochelle, NY -- Was the Redhead jealous?

Barry of Big Bear, Calif. -- Hopefully, she won't get jealous.

Denny of Chatham, Ill -- I suspect that the main thought in your head was: "The Flaming Redhead will be watching this and I don't dare to even look at this lady."

And for all the rest of you anxious parents concerned about your young son's first date, let me explain that this She Says, Z Says show was strictly a professional engagement. Of course I must mention that I asked my co-performer, Brooklyn Decker, the swimsuit model, if she cared to go for a carriage ride in Central Park after the taping was over. She said OK. The carriage driver looked at me and said, "Are you kidding? The humane society would be on my ass if the horse had to haul anyone around with your weight." Thus the magic of the moment was lost.

And onto some real stuff:

Arizona-Chicago -- The Game That Won't Die. Craig of Monument, Colo., finds fault with the Bears' strategy. Not me. He thinks it was crazy of them to go for the first down instead of a 45-yard field goal, on fourth-and-10, down 23-10, with a little more than nine minutes left. I don't. It could be argued either way, but three points is not such a great thing at that point, and who says a 45-yard kick is a gimme? Point No. 2: The Bears defense "didn't even bother faking a blitz on the first two plays [of the last drive] ... practically begging Leinart to get in field goal range," says Craig of Monument.

Just hold it one second. This comes from a tape review I did of Arizona's last drive. First down on the Cardinals' 38, Bears are rushing with four, Cards are in a four-wideout formation. They stayed in three and four wides for each play on this drive, except for the last two. Leinart completes a 5-yard hitch to Anquan Boldin. On second-and-5 the Bears rush four again and Matt Leinart hits Edge James on a 7-yard circle route. Bears rush six, in other words, blitz two, and Brian Urlacher deflects the next pass. On second-and-10 at midfield, Chicago comes with six again and Leinart goes hot to Troy Walters on the left sideline for 6.

The Bears defense is blitzing, but Leinart is doing a great job on his hot reads. I mean, give the guy credit, he's a rookie for God's sake. On third-and-4 they come out in multiple wides again, so what do you do if you're calling the Chicago defenses? OK, they blitz one and come with five. Leinart hits his fullback on a swing route for 13 yards. First down on the 31. Bears rush five again. Leinart finds Boldin on a slant, a hot read, for 8. First down on the 23.

It's over, folks. The Bears are getting picked to death and they can't stop it, no matter how many they rush. "Just don't stop throwing," Joe Theismann says on TV.

Don't stop throwing? They stopped playing modern football. They came in with two tight ends, two backs and one wideout. "Attention Bears! We are now going to run up the middle." The Cardinals coaches take Leinart's sword away from him and tell him, "You have done a wonderful job, but from now on, we're handing this over to Sluggo, the human punching bag." The Bears, who can't believe their good fortune, line up with six guys down and three linebackers crowding in behind them. I close my eyes and ask the wife for a glass of water, please, because I know what's going to happen. And it does.

Hey, Craig. Please don't tell me how the Bears screwed this up because you're just making me mad.

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