Arizona: Does John Skelton have "it?"

[RugbyMuffin]

Arizona: Does John Skelton have "it?"

The Cardinals entered 2012 camp with $63 million man Kevin Kolb the likely favorite to be the starting QB this year. But he was injured in the first preseason game, opening the door for back-up John Skelton to take the No. 1 job.

That's good news for Cardinals fans.

Skelton has all the early earmarks of a hidden gem, a guy who has proven a knack for helping guide a bad team to victory, even if he puts up pedestrian numbers.

The Cardinals are 13-19 over the past two seasons: 7-4 in games started by Skelton; 6-15 in games started by somebody else.

More impressive is the dramatic fashion in which the Cardinals have pulled out those victories with Skelton at quarterback. Compare his flair for drama to that of some of the most prominent big-name young quarterbacks in the game today:

John Skelton: 11 starts, 5 fourth-quarter comebacks, 6 game-winning drives
Cam Newton: 16 starts, 1 fourth-quarter comeback, 1 game-winning drive
Andy Dalton: 16 starts, 4 fourth-quarter comebacks, 4 game-winning drives.
Aaron Rodgers: 62 starts, 3 fourth-quarter comebacks; 6 game-winning drives.
Matt Ryan: 62 starts, 11 fourth-quarter comebacks, 16 game-winning drives
Joe Flacco: 64 starts, 6 fourth-quarter comebacks, 11 game-winning drives



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...21/season-storylines/index.html#ixzz24MhLeSy1

 

[Garthshort]

IMO, Whiz is missing the boat by claiming that there is no hurry or need to name a starting QB, yet. And indications are that Skelton will start, tonight, and play into the second quarter. And since there are also indications that the starting OL will play into the 3rd quarter, I'm expecting that KK will also play while the starters are in. In effect sharing PT with JS. Here's my point:

1. It looks like JS will be named the starter at some point. By delaying that decision KW is STEALING reps from his starting QB. Both in the game and in practice and whether it's JS or KK, they NEED the reps. I know there is always the risk of injuries but compare us to Seattle. Pete Carroll is splitting games between two QB's, a half each. Our QB's will probably average (through the PS, about a quarter per game), while Seattle's QB's will be closer to a half per game. Wasn't this week's games supposed to be dress rehearsals?

 

[Buckybird]

Im assuming "it" is being a difference maker at QB who can win playoff games & a Super Bowl. My answer...no!!! Prove me wrong bones

 

[wembley88]

Comparing to Rodgers and Ryan overlooks the fact that the Packers et al were probably out of sight before the end.

 

[Goldfield]

Skelton still has a ton to prove. But for a 6th round pick out of Fordham I think he has done well sofar. He has shown improvment from year to year. I think he can be a good game manager for us. I doubt he becomes a star, but if he can limit mistakes and take the plays the defense gives us we can do well.

 

[cardpa]

Arizona: Does John Skelton have "it?"

The Cardinals entered 2012 camp with $63 million man Kevin Kolb the likely favorite to be the starting QB this year. But he was injured in the first preseason game, opening the door for back-up John Skelton to take the No. 1 job.

That's good news for Cardinals fans.

Skelton has all the early earmarks of a hidden gem, a guy who has proven a knack for helping guide a bad team to victory, even if he puts up pedestrian numbers.

The Cardinals are 13-19 over the past two seasons: 7-4 in games started by Skelton; 6-15 in games started by somebody else.

More impressive is the dramatic fashion in which the Cardinals have pulled out those victories with Skelton at quarterback. Compare his flair for drama to that of some of the most prominent big-name young quarterbacks in the game today:

John Skelton: 11 starts, 5 fourth-quarter comebacks, 6 game-winning drives
Cam Newton: 16 starts, 1 fourth-quarter comeback, 1 game-winning drive
Andy Dalton: 16 starts, 4 fourth-quarter comebacks, 4 game-winning drives.
Aaron Rodgers: 62 starts, 3 fourth-quarter comebacks; 6 game-winning drives.
Matt Ryan: 62 starts, 11 fourth-quarter comebacks, 16 game-winning drives
Joe Flacco: 64 starts, 6 fourth-quarter comebacks, 11 game-winning drives


Rodgers has so few comebacks because he lights it up in the first three quarters so there is no need to comeback. Many comebacks are either a result of a poor defense that can't hold a lead or poor play by the offense earlier in the game.

 

[Snakester]

Skelton has only 11 starts. Lets not judge the man until he has another 32. He is getting better with each game. He has all the physical tools, he just has to get his mind right for the position. Reading defenses and knowing the offense. By the end of this year if he gets to start all 16 games, I think we will see a solid QB that will complete 60% of his passes and can manage a game and not turn the ball over much. I see us having a wining record with him starting.

 

[jlove]

With the QB's we have on the team right now, Skelton should be the starter with Lindley as the 2 and then Bartel as 3, dump Kolb. Kolb has shown nothing. Skelton, although a bit inconsistent with his accuracy at times, has shown the ability to pick this team up and win.

I like Skelton, but there is a guy in Seattle that I like wayyy more. Seattle drafted the guy that I wanted the Cardinals to draft. Wilson is a stud. He has the IQ, accuracy, arm and the legs to be a legitimate starter in the league. The only thing he doesn't have is height, a la Drew Brees and Doug Flutie. How did their careers go? I like Lindley and think he could be an eventual starter but if the Cards had drafted Wilson, we might already have kicked Kolb to the curb and named a starter in Wilson.

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

Given the chance....

I think "Big Red" Skelton will prove that he has the "it". I don't think this yo-yo-ing approach by Coach Whiz' really helps to build his confidence. ...And yet, Skelton seems to go along with it. I have yet to see him pouting or frustrated on the sidelines. The thing I really like about him is he doesn't fall apart after a pick. He comes right back in attack-mode and usually the results are good. I am in no way comparing him to Brett Favre but people forget that Favre had a ton on int.'s to go along with all those TD's he threw. It's the gun-slinger mentality. ....BUT IF a gun-slinger gets off more good shots then bad? Just sayin'.

I do wonder if we should go to an arena-style of football offense. Hike the ball to the QB and zing...it's outta' there. I don't think our o-line is going to offer much protection to whoever is QB-ing. But that is another thing I like about Skelton, in that he moves pretty well.

Hopefully, he'll play well tonight and we can move forward as a team.

Mark in SC GO CARDS!

 

[crisper57]

Yes, I can say he already does. "It" is a critical factor in 4th quarter heroics, and we've seen that from Skelton in spades.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

I don't know if he has all of 'it' but I think he has enough of 'it'...

 

[Goldfield]

I think he has shown flashes of it.

A throw I think about as an indicator would be the quick throw he made with pressure in his face to Early last year in the endzone and Early fell down. That was one of those plays Skelton had to make a quick play and he made the perfect throw. It would of tied the game if early didn't fall down. Imo that play spoke volumes of Skeltons "it", or play making ability. The guy stays calm in the pocket, which is exactly what Kolb lacks.

 

[daves]

Arizona: Does John Skelton have "it?"
The Cardinals are 13-19 over the past two seasons: 7-4 in games started by Skelton; 6-15 in games started by somebody else.

In 2004-2005, the Cardinals were 11-21 overall; 9-10 in games started by Josh McCown, 2-11 in games started by somebody else.

McCown was a 3rd-round pick from an FCS school whose QB rating was around 70 in his 2nd year and peaked in the mid-70's in years 3-4.

I like Skelton and am hopeful that he can continue developing into a legitimate QBOF... at least an average starting-caliber QB... but concerned that, like McCown, he has some nice intangibles and is a guy many of us enjoy pulling for, but may ultimately have a limited upside as a solid backup-level QB. There's reason to hope for more, but i don't think there's enough evidence to conclude as much.

This year should go a long way toward showing how high Skelton's ceiling is, and whether he has "it" and can sustain "it" long-term.

...dave

 

[SeattleCard]

In 2004-2005, the Cardinals were 11-21 overall; 9-10 in games started by Josh McCown, 2-11 in games started by somebody else.

McCown was a 3rd-round pick whose QB rating was around 70 in his 2nd year and peaked in the mid-70's in years 3-4.

I like Skelton and am hopeful that he can continue developing into a legitimate QBOF... at least an average starting-caliber QB... but concerned that, like McCown, he has some nice intangibles and is a guy many of us enjoy pulling for, but may ultimately have a limited upside as a solid backup-level QB.

This year should go a long way toward showing how high Skelton's ceiling is.

...dave

Very well put and good Skelton/McCown comparison that I hadn't thought about. Very legitimate concern. I guess we will see it all play out in the days ahead.

 

[Goldfield]

Good comparisons, but I never felt McCown was anything more than a backup.

In fact I think Skelton is a much better player

 

[Krangodnzr]

Everyone knows I'm critical of Skelton, but he does have the elusive "it". What he lacks is the refined skills that a QB should have before they enter the NFL.

 

[Bodha]

Skelton has everything but skill.


John has elite, HOF level confidence in the pocket. Among the best to ever play.

His leadership is so-so. He doesnt take command. Mostly thats due to the fact that hes never been named starter. Hes always had to contend with someone else. I think if he were finally given the reins, "this is your team" he could step up in this department.


But he doesnt have the accuracy of Brees or Aaron or Manning. Thats pretty important when it comes to QB'ing.


So it depends on what you mean by "It"

 

[LarryStalling]

Krang, don't you think that part of the problem with Skelton is his lack of snaps in his professional career? When you look at his progress, hasn't he performed admirably for a backup qb? Until this preseason he has never had many starting snaps in practice. First year, he was third string. virtually no snaps with first string until DA was ditched and Max was hurt. Last year, no OTA's and was relegated to second string because of the signing of Kolb and trying to get him up to speed because of the lack of time to learn with the team. Now this year he is having to split first team snaps as the coaches try to salvage KK. To me, his performance is admirable considering the restraints he has operated under.

 

[BigRedRage]

Skelton has everything but skill.

lol, ok. that makes sense. The dude has serious natural talent, all you can really question is his accuracy and his accuracy seems improved over last year in games.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Krang, don't you think that part of the problem with Skelton is his lack of snaps in his professional career? When you look at his progress, hasn't he performed admirably for a backup qb? Until this preseason he has never had many starting snaps in practice. First year, he was third string. virtually no snaps with first string until DA was ditched and Max was hurt. Last year, no OTA's and was relegated to second string because of the signing of Kolb and trying to get him up to speed because of the lack of time to learn with the team. Now this year he is having to split first team snaps as the coaches try to salvage KK. To me, his performance is admirable considering the restraints he has operated under.

Things like accuracy tend to not improve once qbs are in the NFL. And Skelton has had lots of first string snaps in this offseason and in all the weeks he's started in his career.

I'm not saying he won't improve, but where he is deficient, he likely won't improved based on many years of empirical evidence.

 

[john h]

Arizona: Does John Skelton have "it?"

The Cardinals entered 2012 camp with $63 million man Kevin Kolb the likely favorite to be the starting QB this year. But he was injured in the first preseason game, opening the door for back-up John Skelton to take the No. 1 job.

That's good news for Cardinals fans.

Skelton has all the early earmarks of a hidden gem, a guy who has proven a knack for helping guide a bad team to victory, even if he puts up pedestrian numbers.

The Cardinals are 13-19 over the past two seasons: 7-4 in games started by Skelton; 6-15 in games started by somebody else.

More impressive is the dramatic fashion in which the Cardinals have pulled out those victories with Skelton at quarterback. Compare his flair for drama to that of some of the most prominent big-name young quarterbacks in the game today:

John Skelton: 11 starts, 5 fourth-quarter comebacks, 6 game-winning drives
Cam Newton: 16 starts, 1 fourth-quarter comeback, 1 game-winning drive
Andy Dalton: 16 starts, 4 fourth-quarter comebacks, 4 game-winning drives.
Aaron Rodgers: 62 starts, 3 fourth-quarter comebacks; 6 game-winning drives.
Matt Ryan: 62 starts, 11 fourth-quarter comebacks, 16 game-winning drives
Joe Flacco: 64 starts, 6 fourth-quarter comebacks, 11 game-winning drives



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...21/season-storylines/index.html#ixzz24MhLeSy1

I think we will find out just who John Skelton is this year. The real proff comes in real games not in training camp. He has most of the tools needed to be a top QB. Will he develop accuracy? Will he become a great reader of defenses? Will he stand in there under pressure? Will he be able to take the team down the field for a TD or FG with less than 2 minutes? Will the team respond positively to John? I really hope so because if he is not the answer we are likely years away from a QBOTF. I give him a 50% chance of success. I give Kolb a 10% chance of success. I think this year will determine how good we will be for the next 5 years. We have some good runners but the NFL is still a throw first league and rare teams win with a run first offense anymore. A real good QB is a must to be successful any more and they are real hard to find.

 

[john h]

IMO, Whiz is missing the boat by claiming that there is no hurry or need to name a starting QB, yet. And indications are that Skelton will start, tonight, and play into the second quarter. And since there are also indications that the starting OL will play into the 3rd quarter, I'm expecting that KK will also play while the starters are in. In effect sharing PT with JS. Here's my point:

1. It looks like JS will be named the starter at some point. By delaying that decision KW is STEALING reps from his starting QB. Both in the game and in practice and whether it's JS or KK, they NEED the reps. I know there is always the risk of injuries but compare us to Seattle. Pete Carroll is splitting games between two QB's, a half each. Our QB's will probably average (through the PS, about a quarter per game), while Seattle's QB's will be closer to a half per game. Wasn't this week's games supposed to be dress rehearsals?

I think Whiz absolutely knows who the starter for the season will be already. When he chooses to announce it really does not matter very much. The players know who has been playing best. Regardless of what management thinks I believe Whiz will start the QB he thinks will have the best chance of winning. That is his job and he is no politician. All the reports from the TV/internet gurus say Kolb has been terrible. They cannot all be wrong. We just made a bad decision when we signed him and then compounded it when we gave him the big money even knowing he had a concussion problem. Our season IMHO rides on the play of John Skelton. We are all in on him. Just hope he stays healthy as he is a tough guy who will stand in and take a hit.

 

[john h]

Skelton has only 11 starts. Lets not judge the man until he has another 32. He is getting better with each game. He has all the physical tools, he just has to get his mind right for the position. Reading defenses and knowing the offense. By the end of this year if he gets to start all 16 games, I think we will see a solid QB that will complete 60% of his passes and can manage a game and not turn the ball over much. I see us having a wining record with him starting.

A win in his first two games would do wonders for his confidence which needs to be strong all year long. That is a tall order but not impossible.

 

[Mitch]

Most of what is being said about John Skelton in these posts is moot.

We are talking about a relatively unheralded 5th round draft pick who surprisingly has not only garnered starts and playing time in his first two years in the NFL, and starts where he was thrust into the lineup with minimal preparation---and yet even more surprisingly has won 8 games and only lost 4 (+4) in the last two years---while the other more adequately prepared QBs combined have won 5 and lost 11 (-6).

Here is a young player who hasn't played one full season yet---and this is his third year in the league. To hold him to standards that one would expect of a veteran player is totally unfair and presumptuous.

No one---I repeat---no one---could or should be able to say with all certainty what John Skelton is capable of...not under the circumstances and his current body of work.

What I love about the guy thus far is---he's tough.

John Skelton is Cardinal tough.

When I was writing my Cardinal Tough articles two years ago---that's the main issue I had with the Kolb interest.

And why was I so focused on toughness, especially at the QB position?

The one QB who has made this offense work was tough as nails and smart as a whip---he commanded the pocket, and waited until the last second in the times that he had to for one of his WRs to break free and then he would release the ball.

For the same reason---this is why I was hoping the Cardinals would draft Andy Dalton---the guy is tough and smart and you could see it in how he played at TCU.

It looks to me thus far that Ryan Lindley is tough, but not quite as fearless in the pocket as Skelton...but then again, Skelton's total calm back there is extraordinary.

But, as much as I like Skelton---I see good throwing mechanics from him most of the time, yet the one bad habit he has is getting lazy with his feet and not stepping into his throws. This is what causes some of his passes to soar on him, because he is throwing the ball off his back foot and not following through---which means that he is releasing the ball too quickly, which again is a reason why balls can sail.

This is a correctable error---one that could well improve with experience.

This is what teams have coaches for---to drill these fundamentals and to help the players improve.

Someone said Skelton doesn't have command of the huddle...I don't see it...it looks like the players respond very well and enthusiastically to him. Yes, he screws up calling a play in the huddle occasionally---but so do all young inexperienced thrown-early-into-the-fire QBs.

Again is that a correctable error with experience?

Of course it is.

 

[Totally_Red]

At this point answering that question is nothing more than a projection. Check back in about 4-5 months.