azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Urban: Whisenhunt had no choice but to sit his young quarterback
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt had little choice but to place quarterback Matt Leinart on injured reserve Tuesday afternoon.
These are the difficult choices an NFL coach must make.
Five games into the season, Ken Whisenhunt saw his starting quarterback break his collarbone. There are no steadfast timelines on how long Matt Leinart might be out. It could be six to eight weeks. It could be 10 weeks. It could be 12.
All Whisenhunt knew is that he wouldn’t be able to know.
So while there was a discussion about keeping Leinart on the active roster, that huge amount of “grey area,” as Whisenhunt called it, worked against Leinart’s hope to return in 2007.
“To hold a roster spot for that long is difficult with some of the areas we are banged up, with (only) the hope he can get back in time,” Whisenhunt said. “I am more concerned about him trying to rush back and maybe jeopardize the future.”
Leinart’s move to injured reserve wasn’t a surprise. It was the most likely scenario as soon as the crack was found in his collarbone Sunday, before the Cards’ win in St. Louis had even ended.
And in this NFL season, where, it seems, multiple key players are injured for significant time every weekend, the Cards can’t afford to float a roster spot.
Even Tuesday, they needed an extra hole, because not only was quarterback Tim Rattay signed but – thanks to a beat-up offensive line – the Cards had to sign guard Keydrick Vincent.
Levi Brown (ankle) is no sure thing to play yet, and Elton Brown must prove to Whisenhunt in practice he can play after an MRI confirmed some loose bodies in his knee. If the Browns can’t go, Reggie Wells must stay at right tackle instead of his left guard slot and Whisenhunt would rather avoid sticking rookie backup center Lyle Sendlein at guard again.
“It seems like we are taking our guards and playing them at tackle and taking our centers and playing them at guard. I thought I might be nice to get a guard in here,” Whisenhunt said.
So Vincent and Rattay are in.
And Matt Leinart, at least for this season, is out.
This is where Kurt Warner’s pleas to his locker mate will be important, that Leinart – who so easily can be detached from the team as any injured-for-the-season player can attest – stay connected. The Cards don’t want Leinart to lose ground, either as a player or a teammate.
But in the end, Whisenhunt’s decision was the only one that could be made.
NO VINNY
You can’t really blame Vinny Testaverde for changing course and turning down a chance to play for the Cardinals. The main reasons were family related, since his family lives in New York, is about to move to Florida, and suddenly Testaverde was considering coming to Arizona for a few months.
Testaverde had also only been a third-string quarterback the last couple of years, however. That’s a lot different than being a heartbeat away from the Cards’ starter.
HOOD WINS NFC AWARD
Cornerback Rod Hood was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week Tuesday, after his two interceptions in St. Louis – including a 68-yard return for a touchdown.
Hood is the second straight Cardinals to win an NFC weekly award. Steve Breaston won the special teams award after the Pittsburgh win.
A DAY FOR DANSBY
Karlos Dansby has apparently adjusted well to his new role as an inside linebacker.
After the Cardinals’ defensive coaches broke down tape of the game in St. Louis, Dansby was credited with 17 tackles – 13 of them unassisted.
“It felt like I had about 20 man, the way my body feels,” Dansby said.
Dansby said his big day was in part because the Rams left him unblocked sometimes and other times, he was left in the best position because of the blitzes the Cards were running.
“It’s the first time I ever had that many tackles,” Dansby said. “But it feels good. Once I got in the zone, it was on.”
Dansby is a little sore, but “hey, it’s football, man. It’s what I do.”
SOME NUMBERS
Whisenhunt is the third coach since the 1970 merger to have his first five games decided by seven or fewer points. The 1991 Giants, coached by Ray Handley, were 2-3 after five games and finished 8-8. The 1999 Bears, coach by Dick Jauron, were 3-2 after five games and finished 6-10.
The Cardinals have won three straight times at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, the first time they have won three straight at a particular road stadium since beating Tampa Bay at Tampa Stadium from 1986-88.
Warner’s 136.7 quarterback rating in the fourth quarter is the best in the NFL.
Contact Darren Urban at [email protected]. Posted 10/9/07
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=1983
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Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt had little choice but to place quarterback Matt Leinart on injured reserve Tuesday afternoon.
These are the difficult choices an NFL coach must make.
Five games into the season, Ken Whisenhunt saw his starting quarterback break his collarbone. There are no steadfast timelines on how long Matt Leinart might be out. It could be six to eight weeks. It could be 10 weeks. It could be 12.
All Whisenhunt knew is that he wouldn’t be able to know.
So while there was a discussion about keeping Leinart on the active roster, that huge amount of “grey area,” as Whisenhunt called it, worked against Leinart’s hope to return in 2007.
“To hold a roster spot for that long is difficult with some of the areas we are banged up, with (only) the hope he can get back in time,” Whisenhunt said. “I am more concerned about him trying to rush back and maybe jeopardize the future.”
Leinart’s move to injured reserve wasn’t a surprise. It was the most likely scenario as soon as the crack was found in his collarbone Sunday, before the Cards’ win in St. Louis had even ended.
And in this NFL season, where, it seems, multiple key players are injured for significant time every weekend, the Cards can’t afford to float a roster spot.
Even Tuesday, they needed an extra hole, because not only was quarterback Tim Rattay signed but – thanks to a beat-up offensive line – the Cards had to sign guard Keydrick Vincent.
Levi Brown (ankle) is no sure thing to play yet, and Elton Brown must prove to Whisenhunt in practice he can play after an MRI confirmed some loose bodies in his knee. If the Browns can’t go, Reggie Wells must stay at right tackle instead of his left guard slot and Whisenhunt would rather avoid sticking rookie backup center Lyle Sendlein at guard again.
“It seems like we are taking our guards and playing them at tackle and taking our centers and playing them at guard. I thought I might be nice to get a guard in here,” Whisenhunt said.
So Vincent and Rattay are in.
And Matt Leinart, at least for this season, is out.
This is where Kurt Warner’s pleas to his locker mate will be important, that Leinart – who so easily can be detached from the team as any injured-for-the-season player can attest – stay connected. The Cards don’t want Leinart to lose ground, either as a player or a teammate.
But in the end, Whisenhunt’s decision was the only one that could be made.
NO VINNY
You can’t really blame Vinny Testaverde for changing course and turning down a chance to play for the Cardinals. The main reasons were family related, since his family lives in New York, is about to move to Florida, and suddenly Testaverde was considering coming to Arizona for a few months.
Testaverde had also only been a third-string quarterback the last couple of years, however. That’s a lot different than being a heartbeat away from the Cards’ starter.
HOOD WINS NFC AWARD
Cornerback Rod Hood was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week Tuesday, after his two interceptions in St. Louis – including a 68-yard return for a touchdown.
Hood is the second straight Cardinals to win an NFC weekly award. Steve Breaston won the special teams award after the Pittsburgh win.
A DAY FOR DANSBY
Karlos Dansby has apparently adjusted well to his new role as an inside linebacker.
After the Cardinals’ defensive coaches broke down tape of the game in St. Louis, Dansby was credited with 17 tackles – 13 of them unassisted.
“It felt like I had about 20 man, the way my body feels,” Dansby said.
Dansby said his big day was in part because the Rams left him unblocked sometimes and other times, he was left in the best position because of the blitzes the Cards were running.
“It’s the first time I ever had that many tackles,” Dansby said. “But it feels good. Once I got in the zone, it was on.”
Dansby is a little sore, but “hey, it’s football, man. It’s what I do.”
SOME NUMBERS
Whisenhunt is the third coach since the 1970 merger to have his first five games decided by seven or fewer points. The 1991 Giants, coached by Ray Handley, were 2-3 after five games and finished 8-8. The 1999 Bears, coach by Dick Jauron, were 3-2 after five games and finished 6-10.
The Cardinals have won three straight times at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, the first time they have won three straight at a particular road stadium since beating Tampa Bay at Tampa Stadium from 1986-88.
Warner’s 136.7 quarterback rating in the fourth quarter is the best in the NFL.
Contact Darren Urban at [email protected]. Posted 10/9/07
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=1983
