Warner (Finally) Gets the Start…And It Is Well Deserved
The move has finally been made. Kurt Warner has been named the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals for at least the first game of the season against the San Francisco 49ers on September 7th.
It’s about time!
This move is fairly simple to make. Matt Leinart absolutely does not deserve to be on the field. His production has been below average at best, and he has not had the opportunity to learn like every other new quarterback has. He was thrown in during his rookie season as a raw college star, and he has not improved since.
Why?
Because former head coach, Dennis Green, didn’t have the guts to stand up to the public and the hype of the Matt Leinart draft and say, “Wait a minute. This guy is too new to be thrown to the wolves. Not to mention, he is coming off of an injury. I know his acquisition is exciting, but he needs ample time to develop into an NFL quarterback. We have a phenomenal quarterback in Kurt Warner who can still play well and mentor Leinart to become the star that we all know he can and will be.”
Instead, Green said, “Matt, can I have your autograph? Sure, you can start.”
The best part about the whole thing is that the good guy finally finished first. Not to say that Leinart is a bad guy by any means (although his rise to fame has clearly gotten to his head), but Kurt Warner is a class act.
Unlike Brett Favre, Warner took the deal to come to Arizona knowing and accepting that he would be the backup. A Super Bowl winner and MVP, not to mention all star, quarterback humble enough to take a seat on the bench and do whatever the coaches tell him. All because he truly loves the game.
For those of you who are Leinart lovers, here are stat comparisons since Leinart has been in the league, courtesy of NFL.com. The numbers speak for themselves:
Comparing year to year, Warner takes the cake. Better QB rating, better TD/INT ratio, better completion percentage, more passing yards. Leinart is a slightly better rusher and can hold on to the ball better than Warner, but he doesn’t put the points on the scoreboard.
The most important stat: Warner led the Cardinals to a 8-8 record last season after digging them out of the hole Leinart got them during the first five games he started before getting hurt. Leinart, on the other hand, led the Cardinals to a dismal 5-11 record in 2006 when he started for most of the season.
The bottom line is the Cardinals need to stick with whomever they choose. Since they chose Warner, he needs to stay in the lineup for the entire season. No more of the QB juggle. Stick with one guy and ride him out. Leinart should only play if Warner is hurt or the Cardinals are delivering a clinic on their opponent.
And because of Leinart’s lack of experience and results, I applaud Ken Whisenhunt for his controversial decision. He just may be the coach that the Cardinals need to take it to the next level.
Photos by NFL.COM and AZCardinals.com
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