KFFL Impact Report (Cards QB & RB)

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Arizona Cardinals QB and RB Breakdown
By Matthew Wilson, Edited by Cory Bonini

With his 4-7 team badly struggling on offense and its playoff hopes wilting in the heat of the desert sun, Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green has decided to give rookie QB John Navarre his first career NFL start this Sunday at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions. Rookie RB Larry Croom will also start in place of regular starter Emmitt Smith (toe) who will miss at least the next two weeks due to a sprained left toe.

The start at Detroit is a homecoming of sorts for Navarre. The Cardinals' 2004 seventh round pick played his college football at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Navarre, who was a three-year-starter for the Wolverines, holds seven Michigan season passing records. He is 6-6, 250 pounds, possesses good arm strength but has limited mobility. Navarre has not played in a regular season NFL game. Green has named former starter QB Josh McCown as Navarre's backup, with QB Shaun King serving as their emergency quarterback.

JOSH McCOWN
Navarre is the Cardinals third different starting quarterback in the last four weeks. Green had benched opening day starter McCown after Week 10 following a dismal 12-for-24, 90 yards, 0 TDs and 0 INTs effort in a 17-14 home win against the New York Giants. In nine games as the starter, McCown was 161-for-248 for 1,554 yards, 6 TDs and 6 INTs. His passer rating of 72.6 is one of the worst in the NFL. In defense of McCown, he played the first six games without star receiver Anquan Boldin, who was out after undergoing surgery for a knee injury suffered in training camp back in August. In addition, Arizona quarterbacks have been sacked 31 times this season, which ranks in a tie for seventh most in the league.

SHAUN KING
King started in Week 11 but was not effective in his team's 35-10 road loss to the Carolina Panthers. Although King was 28-for-52 for 352 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs, his touchdown pass and much of his passing yardage came after the Panthers jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead. In Week 13, King also started in the Cardinals' 13-3 home loss to the Jets, but McCown relieved him in the fourth quarter. King finished the game 14-for-26 for 119 yards with 0 TDs and 1 INT. McCown was equally ineffective, going 5-for-10 for 62 yards with 0 TDs and 2 INTs. Through Week 12, under the direction of McCown and King, the Cardinals are ranked 27th in passing offense, averaging 165 yards per game with a combined 7 TDs and 10 INTs. The team ranks 27th in total offense, averaging 281 yards per game; Arizona also ranks 29th in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE?
Although he has not stated it publicly, Green's decision to start Navarre strongly suggests that he has no confidence in either McCown or King, and their respective futures with the team are very much in question. Neither has been able to succeed despite the presence of the talented receiving duo of Boldin and rookie Larry Fitzgerald, serviceable TE Freddie Jones and the solid running game led by Smith. Green is likely thinking about the 2005 season and obviously wants to see what Navarre can do. It is debatable whether Navarre can play much worse than McCown and King have.

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THE FUTURE AT RUNNING BACK?
Larry Croom is an undrafted rookie running back who played at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. On the season, Croom has 11 carries for 27 yards for an average of 2.5 yards per carry. Ten of his carries came Sunday against the Jets in relief of the injured Smith. Croom also has two catches for 16 yards and two kickoff returns for 16 yards. Croom has not scored an NFL touchdown. The 23-year-old Croom is listed at 5-10, 205 pounds. With an aging Smith and the average RB Troy Hambrick (foot) out for the season, Green is also looking at Croom to see whether he has a future with the team.

The injury to Smith, which he suffered late in the first quarter of the Jets loss, is a crippling blow to an already weak offense. The injury is similar to the one that sidelined Chicago Bears RB Thomas Jones for two games, so expect Smith to miss at least that much time. Smith, a 15-year NFL veteran, currently ranks 17th in the league in rushing. He has 184 carries for 679 yards for a 3.7 yards-per-carry average and has scored 8 TDs. Smith's 184 carries led the team and is nearly triple the number of carries that Hambrick had received. The team had expected Smith to carry an even bigger load following the loss of Hambrick, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 11 at Carolina and has been placed on injured reserve.

FANTASY IMPLICATIONS
From a fantasy perspective, the already anemic Cardinals passing game has no realistic upside with the rookie Navarre under center. Some owners will undoubtedly look at successful Pittsburgh Steelers rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger and wonder if they can strike gold with Navarre, but this is extremely unlikely to happen. Roethlisberger is blessed with a strong offensive line, a group of experienced receivers, a strong running game and a strong defense. Navarre has a good receiving corps and average defense but not much else. Even the most desperate of owners should avoid Navarre and consider other options.

Best case scenario, the upsides for Boldin, Fitzgerald and Jones are very limited. The Cardinals next three games are against the soft defenses of the Lions, the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams. The opportunity for garbage time yards and scores is possible, but obviously not guaranteed. Boldin, Fitzgerald and Jones owners who are heading for the playoffs should consider replacing them if possible.

On the other hand, any Smith owner or any owner desperate for running back help should immediately pick up Croom. Although he is untested, he is the Cardinals' starting running back for at least the next two games unless he, too, succumbs to injury or they decide to go another direction unexpectedly (Denny Green making a decision and not sticking with it??? Get outta here!).

Croom's first game comes against the Lions, who are giving up an average of 137 rushing yards per game (last four weeks) to the running back position. In Week 14, Croom has a home game against the 49ers, who are giving up an average of 111 yards rushing per game. Finally, the Rams are allowing a whopping 148 rushing yards-per-game to the position.

It is difficult to gauge the upside of Croom because of his limited experience, and because opposing teams may not respect Navarre and stack the line to stop him. The possibility of RB Josh Scobey stealing carries from Croom is a legitimate concern as well. Pick him up and watch what he has to offer, but don't start him just yet.
 

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