Cardinals and Kolb Trying to Save Face

[Cheesebeef]

I'm confused are you saying if the optimist Wolfley is down on him that's a bad sign?

I think that's exactly what he's saying.

 

[JAB]

The 'D' got tough through spending the first half on the field during Skelton's atarts and saving his buitt from the turnovers in the second.

I really hate the defense excuse when it comes to Skelton. They definitely helped and definitely deserve a lot of credit but he still had to move the ball down the field and score points to win. John Skelton got better as the game went along Kevin Kolb got worse. Kolb had his opportunities to win games and failed more times than he succeeded. I don't care what the score is a come-from-behind drive in the fourth quarter when you're within a touchdown was within Kolb's grasp and he failed every time but once. Kolb's failure to hang in the pocket and to play well at the end of the game had as much to do with him losing games as anything else.

John Skelton
First quarter completion percentage 42% 0 TD 3 INT QB rating 30.8%
Fourth quarter completion percentage 57.1% 6 TD 3 INT QB rating 89.3%
Attempts 31-40 of game: 33 of 55 for 440 yards at 60.0% QB rating 90%

Kevin Kolb
First quarter completion percentage 60.4% 1TD 1 INT QB rating 76.8%
Fourth quarter completion percentage 50.7% 3TD 3 INT QB rating 74%
Attempts 31-40 of game: 13 of 29 for 149 yards at 44.8% QB rating 43.6%

Defense or no defense one quarterback performed when it matters and the other one didn't. In my opinion it had as much to do with their win loss records as anything else. Plus Kolb is as durable as wet paper.

I still think Skelton can learn to perform at the beginning of the game like he does in the clutch. I don't think there is a lot you can do after a quarterback becomes scared which I believe Kolb has become.

 

[Russ Smith]

That is what I'm saying. Wolfley is THE mouthpiece for the organization and will bend over backward to frame a discussion as being good for team. When Wolfley comes on this board to criticize Karlos Dansby and is shouted down and run off the board, he is forced to temper his criticism of the player. Wolfley spends two years hyping Brandon Keith as a first-round pick based on talent alone. Wolfley talks up Kevin Kolb for three months following the draft.

I don't agree with most of what Wolfley says, because I believe that it's filtered by the team (who's paying a lot of his salary and the source of his professional life following football). I don't necessarily agree with Wolfley's analysis of Kolb, but when Wolfley starts criticizing Kolb in ways unqualified (which is what this sounded like), then my ears prick up.

Felt like a sea change when it was happening. Kolb may have squandered the faith of the Arizona Cardinals organization.

OK I was just checking I knew you weren't very big on his opinion so wasn't sure why you were citing it.

I still like Kolb talent wise but I'm VERY concerned about his physical health. Said that late last year at some point it became a huge concern that he wasn't over the concussion yet.

 

[kerouac9]

OK I was just checking I knew you weren't very big on his opinion so wasn't sure why you were citing it.

I still like Kolb talent wise but I'm VERY concerned about his physical health. Said that late last year at some point it became a huge concern that he wasn't over the concussion yet.

I hope I can say this without sounding prickish: Can you point to what you saw last season that made you think that Kevin Kolb could be a good NFL quarterback?

 

[Cheesebeef]

I hope I can say this without sounding prickish: Can you point to what you saw last season that made you think that Kevin Kolb could be a good NFL quarterback?

i gotta ask the same question. I was all in on Kolb when we traded for him, but man, I just didn't see the talent I expected to. My biggest issue with him (besides him being really injury prone) was there wasn't one thing (IMO) he showed as a trait he could hang his hat on to show he's got anything special in him.

 

[JeffGollin]

I hope I can say this without sounding prickish: Can you point to what you saw last season that made you think that Kevin Kolb could be a good NFL quarterback?

In an early game, I recall our QB (& I think it was Kolb) hit Doucet wide open on a crossing pattern with Early having a pretty unmolested avenue down the right hashmark to the EZ.

I remember a similar play where the QB hit King in a similar manner. I was impressed that the QB "saw" the opportunity to make big plays in both instances. I think it was Kolb that I saw. unfortunately, he didn't do much after that.

 

[kerouac9]

In an early game, I recall our QB (& I think it was Kolb) hit Doucet wide open on a crossing pattern with Early having a pretty unmolested avenue down the right hashmark to the EZ.

I remember a similar play where the QB hit King in a similar manner. I was impressed that the QB "saw" the opportunity to make big plays in both instances. I think it was Kolb that I saw. unfortunately, he didn't do much after that.

Fair enough. Although I'm not sure you can build an offense around your quarterback hitting wide open receivers.

In King's case, his defender Dan Connor fell down 8 yards past the line of scrimmage.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I have no faith in Kolb
Do I wish him luck> Yes I do for the sake of Cardinals

on another note, Eagles is shopping CB Asante Samuel. Can we trade Kolb back for Samuel & 2nd pick? I like one of the comments here "We were scammed"!

As they say on Facebook ... LIKE.

 

[Stronso]

Every day you read about someone being hit by a bus, winning the lottery, getting shot in a drive-by, getting fired, meeting a new friend, breaking a tooth etc. etc.

Kevin suffered a concussion. His team had a rare opportunity to possibly sign the best QB in NFL history and someone who could totally transform an offense into a scoring machine. It didn't work out. Kevin is back along with his competition-buddy, Skelton. It is what it is.

Trying to read the minds and bruised egos of everyone concerned is well nigh impossible. Different people are going to react in varying ways.

Bleep happens.

Prediction - Everyone is going to buckle up their chin-straps and play football. They will try to maximize their W's and minimize their losses. Maybe they'll be successful; maybe not; maybe in-between. But trying to scope out the very core of each individuals inner-feeings figures to be futile and frustrating.

So buckle up and let's get it on.

100% agree with all of the above

 

[Russ Smith]

I hope I can say this without sounding prickish: Can you point to what you saw last season that made you think that Kevin Kolb could be a good NFL quarterback?

When he's been healthy and has played full games he has had some big games. He's been inconsistent and obviously last year was not good he wasn't strong in the pocket to put it mildly.

But I think the guy throws a good catchable ball and he has been more accurate than Skelton and he's a good athlete.

The problem is he can't stay healthy long enough to play enough games in a row to decide can get that consistency or can't he.

He's basically got about 1 season worth of attempts in the NFL(574) and 20 TD 22 picks 59% 7YPA. Not spectacularly obviously but not bad, but he did that over parts of 5 years and the last 2 of those were broken up repeatedly by injury.

he's more accurate than Skelton has a higher rating and pretty similar production in terms of TD's to INT's etc.

Of course the main difference is Skelton has won games and Kolb hasn't(with us) although I think alot of that is because the defense got a lot better as the year wore on and the guys learned the system.

Skelton was turning the ball over as much if not more than Kolb, he didn't make the D look better, they got better.

If I thought Kolb was healthy he'd still be my starter, I'm just not sure I believe he'll be healthy.