Arizona Cardinals History: Vote for Quarterback

[abomb]

OK, so Gene Stallings edged out Vince Tobin for the "Best of" for head coach. Today, let's look at starting QB. I basically took the statistical leader for each season.

 

[Osbern61]

I voted Lomax, but I'll admit his play while the Cards were in St Louis influenced me.I thought he sucked in '85 and '86 but his stats weren't all that bad even then.

 

[stewdog1]

I went with Rosenbach pre-concussions. He would have been a good one if he lasted. In his only year starting he threw for over 3000 yards. Not bad when you don't have much to throw to.

I would have voted Lomax, but this is in Arizona, not STL.

 

[NEZCardsfan]

IMO, Steve Beurlein's career here only lasted the 1993 season. It wasn't his fault Buddy Ryan gutted that '93 teams' offense.

Beurlein's 1993 season:

258-418 3164 yards 18Tds 17 Ints

The team won 4 of the final 5 games and looked promising heading into the offseason.

Offense was 8th in yards and 9th in points. Only time the AZ Offense was in the top ten of scoring offense.

 

[Duckjake]

You have to love the Cardinals and their QB's in Arizona. Lomax develops a hip problem and has to retire. Kelly Stouffer never shows up. Rosy leaves for the Rodeo. They had Chris Chandler but let him go, he throws for 28,484 yards in his career. They replace him with Buerlein who Buddy runs off. Steve has 24,046 career passing yards. So the Cards eventually draft Plummer who takes the Cards to the second round of the playoffs the same year Chandler QB's Atlanta in the Super Bowl. Plummer leaves for Denver. He only has 26,900 career passing yards.

It's the Namath curse.

 

[abomb]

Good info. Thanks guys.

A-Bomb

 

[Russ Smith]

I voted Lomax but mainly because he's the best QB we've ever had even if most of it was in St Louis.

That and because you left Mike Buck off the poll.

 

[Wildfire]

I voted fo Lomax, but, being an OLD timer with the Cardinals, I would have voted for Jim Hart, the GREAT QB of the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

[D-Dogg]

Timm. What was that never was.

 

[seesred]

Steve B to Ricky Proel. Could have, would have got screwed by a guy named Buddy.

GBR
40

 

[RedViper]

Plummer is the only guy that actually got the job done. He won us a playoff game. The only reason we got to the playoffs were those incredible comeback victories against Philly, New Orleans, and San Diego to end the 98 season. If not for Plummer in those games, the haters would still be saying, Cards haven't won a playoff game since 47. Sure he was a mixed bag, but his supporting cast was almost entirely awful. IMO he still has problems, but on a well coached team with a solid line and a running game, they are actually a dark horse pick to win the superbowl. But for me, I don't care about apologizing for him so much, look at him now, etc. Even if he was out of the league now, the main thing is that finish in the 98 season. For that alone he gets my vote.

 

[Boyd Cardinal]

I voted for Lomax, but feel that Rosenbach would have been special if not for the injuries. He really IMO would have been a exceelent pro QB if injuries hadn't derailed his career. Bugel, who I'm no fan off, said the team even broke the huddle better with Rosenbach at QB.

 

[Russ Smith]

Plummer is the only guy that actually got the job done. He won us a playoff game. The only reason we got to the playoffs were those incredible comeback victories against Philly, New Orleans, and San Diego to end the 98 season. If not for Plummer in those games, the haters would still be saying, Cards haven't won a playoff game since 47. Sure he was a mixed bag, but his supporting cast was almost entirely awful. IMO he still has problems, but on a well coached team with a solid line and a running game, they are actually a dark horse pick to win the superbowl. But for me, I don't care about apologizing for him so much, look at him now, etc. Even if he was out of the league now, the main thing is that finish in the 98 season. For that alone he gets my vote.

My only argument there is we wouldn't have needed those incredible comeback victories if he hadn't thrown 20 picks that year.

Jake was exciting to watch and at that point in his career even I thought we had a franchise QB, just cut out the turnovers and he seemed destined to be a great QB, it just never worked out here.

Plummer never had the talent here he has in Denver but he played with Rob Moore, Frank Sanders, David Boston, all at the peak of their careers, it's not like he was throwing to Bryan Gilmore and Nate Poole for 6 years here.

He just never took the next step here, he has in Denver.

 

[Russ Smith]

I voted for Lomax, but feel that Rosenbach would have been special if not for the injuries. He really IMO would have been a exceelent pro QB if injuries hadn't derailed his career. Bugel, who I'm no fan off, said the team even broke the huddle better with Rosenbach at QB.

That's my standard explanation for how the Cards have been this bad this long, name another NFL team who lost 2 franchise QB's prematurely to injury like that. Lomax goes down early, we get Timm, and then he goes down WAY early.

Timm was tough as nails too, loved his chances to be a very good NFL QB.

 

[Boyd Cardinal]

Russ, I agree, Rosenbach was a tough nut. His career was a tragedy. In 90, he outplayed another rookie QB in the same division that went by the name of Aikman. In no way am I saying that he was a better QB than Aikman, but his first year numbers were better and he was instrumental in a huge upset in 1988 when Washington St. knocked off #1 ranked UCLA who Aikman played for. This team's luck never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Billy Flynt]

like it or not fellas, Plummer is the only qualified here. Lomax was on the downswing and could have been a HOF candidate if injuries did not be set him. You can't vote based on STL numbers- it's a AZ poll. Rosenbach was a diamond in the rough but there is not enough info to vote for him. Beuerlein is the same- gone before you could truly assess his value.

Sorry jake-bashers, it's no contest. Now if Leinart had been on the list....

 

[Billy Flynt]

BTW-

I hope Esiason reads thos board... he just loves to bash the Cards' organization.... one vote... HA!

 

[Russ Smith]

Russ, I agree, Rosenbach was a tough nut. His career was a tragedy. In 90, he outplayed another rookie QB in the same division that went by the name of Aikman. In no way am I saying that he was a better QB than Aikman, but his first year numbers were better and he was instrumental in a huge upset in 1988 when Washington St. knocked off #1 ranked UCLA who Aikman played for. This team's luck never ceases to amaze me.

yep his 2nd season he started every game, took every snap, and put up better numbers than AIkman did in his 2nd season, and Aikman had started a bunch of games as a rookie, Timm only one.

 

[Russ Smith]

like it or not fellas, Plummer is the only qualified here. Lomax was on the downswing and could have been a HOF candidate if injuries did not be set him. You can't vote based on STL numbers- it's a AZ poll. Rosenbach was a diamond in the rough but there is not enough info to vote for him. Beuerlein is the same- gone before you could truly assess his value.

Sorry jake-bashers, it's no contest. Now if Leinart had been on the list....

Well define the criteria for voting. Lomax played one year here, 20 TD's, 11 picks 58% the team was 7-9. The next year, he can't play, Hogeboom starts, we go 5-11, lose the last 5 games, and fire the coach with 5 games left in the season. Seems to me the Cards franchise in Arizona never really recovered.

If you judge QBs on the same criteria you judge coaches, then yes Jake is the clear winner, he had the 9-7 year. But I don't judge QB's that way because QB's can play poorly and win if the team is good enough, just ask Kyle Orton. Jake's best year here wasn't as good as Lomax' only season. If we're voting on longevity too, it's got to be Jake, if we're just saying who was the best QB to play here, it's got to be Lomax.

 

[Duckjake]

I voted fo Lomax, but, being an OLD timer with the Cardinals, I would have voted for Jim Hart, the GREAT QB of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Without Coryell Hart was awful. With Coryell Hart was great.

From '73 to '77 Jim Ray threw 85 TD passes and 70 Interceptions.

The rest of his career he threw 124 TD's and 177 Interceptions.

In his 19 year career he only had 4 seasons where he threw more TD's than interceptions. And one of those was a season where he threw 1 TD pass and no INT's.

Coryell was a great coach.

 

[Pariah]

What, no Jim McMahon?

 

[LVCARDFREAK]

Where is Stoney Case?

 

[jw7]

Where is Chris Griesen?

 

[abomb]

What, no Jim McMahon?

I basically took the statistical leader for each season.

A-Bomb

 

[abomb]

Where is Stoney Case?

I basically took the statistical leader for each season.

A-Bomb