Max Hall will start!

[CaptTurbo]

Saints are 30th in run defense. I would expect Timmy and Beanie to get a lot of work this week. Helps take some of the burden off of Hall too.

No way our coaches are smart enough to gameplan that. Plus Bill Davis will be sure to make it fairly easy on the opposition.

 

[Rats]

Anderson stinks. I expect Max Hall to be terrible. But this team is still in the hunt for their third consecutive division championship. And I expect them to be in it for a while--maybe all the way to the end.

None of the teams in the NFC West can win on the road. That's clear right now. But we have a road win in the division. The Seattle Seahawks don't. The St. Louis Rams don't (and they have a home divisional loss). We have an edge that no other team in the division does right now.

Anderson didn't give me the impression that we're in the hunt for the division, being in the hunt for the division gave me that impression. I think we can win the division with either terrible quarterback, but I'm more confident that we can do it with Anderson because I think that teams have to respect that he can reach all levels of the field (1) with his arm and (2) from the pocket.

Adjust expectations. If we can take care of business against the division at home (4 wins), and then get home wins against Tampa (young team on the road) and Denver (can't run the ball), then you're at 8-8 and have an edge in tiebreakers in the division.

It wouldn't be fun, especially if we have 30 point losses on the road. We won't be in the position where we're controlling our own destiny in Week 17 (St. Louis visits Seattle on the same day). But the division remains in reach, even if we go 1-7 on the road.

If these things happen I will reverse course and be on the Whiz bandwagon for as long as he is here. It will mean superior coaching and gameplanning put us in a position to get the most out of the talent we have and compete for a playoff spot. We have not seen that from this staff yet this year. We must run the ball and stop the run. That will keep us from getting blown out. We have to do this in our home games. Starting this weekend.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Note to Max Hall.

Safeties in the NFL are faster than you think. PLEASE, be more careful throwing the seam route.

 

[az1965]

It's official. This season is a rebuilding year, the playoffs have pretty much been written off. Yes, I knew that already but now even the illusion of competing for the playoffs is gone.

The playoffs were pretty much written off when the QB craziness started. DA was not going to take the team anywhere.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I agree with K9, we're in it until we're not in it. 10 years ago I would have been all geeked up over 2-2. Well, now I'm older. And I'm geekier.

Bring on the Saints, damn the torpedos, and kiss my grits. Amen.

+1

No playoffs ?

Just ask Manfredi and Johnson what happened when they doubted the playoffs before week 8.

We buried their remains with a tea spoon.

 

[ActingWild]

I actually have something to cheer for for the first time this season. Even if it doesnt work there is a bit of hope. I had no hope and no cheer for DA.

This.

With DA what you see is what you get, which is a lot of frustration, missed passes and interceptions. With Max, it may not be much better as a rookie but at least he has a chance to grow. DA had reached his ceiling which I'm betting is right beneath Max Hall's floor.

 

[crisper57]

At least Max Hall will get to practice with the 1st string this week. That's more than he had going for him last week.

This.

Also, they sky is the limit with this kid. Better to get him in there now and fastrack his development, rather than have him holding a clipboard for the next 3-4 years, a la Leinart. Let's see what we have in the kid and then make offseason moves based on what he shows us.

 

[LarryStalling]

Hall isn't really a running QB. He's more mobile than Anderson, but he only ran for 200 yds his entire college career.

But with his offensive line in college, he did not have to run for his life!

 

[chickenhead]

Here's our tom brady

I don't think he's our Brady (sorry if you're being tongue-in-cheek) but I do hope he can be our Pennington.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

While I am not really excited about turning over our season to an undrafted rookie I am excited about DA going to the bench. The decision to start DA was such a head scratcher, I am actually shocked that Whisenhunt in essence has admitted his failure in choosing a QB so early and benching him. Don't get me wrong, I am happy he did, but this coaching staff was absolutely convinced they could make DA into at least a respectable QB. Kudos to them for giving up on what really was a Quixotic fantasy.

If only we had better options beside an undrafted rookie and a 5th rounder out of a Division 20 school (I have no idea what level football Fordham plays, it obviously isn't even at Tenn State level like DRC played at).

Exactly how I feel. Whisenhunt was confident that Leinart didn't have it and Anderson does. Now 4 games into his career here in AZ, he says Anderson doesn't have it either. Not too confident the coach knows what 'it' is anymore.

 

[Red Hawk]

YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????...................

 

[ActingWild]

I do not in anyway think starting Hall as giving up our playoff chances (dismal as they may be). DA was COSTING us games. Just because he has a big arm and has played more than one year does not mean he would give us a better chance at winning. There are several examples of big armed quarterbacks absolutely stinking it up in the NFL. That's like saying we should get Jamarcus Russell to be our starter or Ryan Leaf (God, I hope Graves isn't reading this). Max Hall showed enough to the staff to let Leinart go and move him ahead of their 5th round pick. This offense was and is not moving with DA and that's been predicted AND proven. Best chance is to make a change...even if it's a rookie.

That said, I'm putting on my tin foil hat here and stepping out on a limb. Maybe this is the reason why Whis went about the Leinart situation the way he did? He saw that Max was his guy and was hoping DA could at least be serviceable until the bye week, when Max would have had more time to learn the offense. Knowing that he eventually wanted Max over DA or Leinart, he had to choose which one to cut. ML would make more sense as because of his contract and he'd be a major pain in the locker room when he was benched for Max. DA on the other hand was brought in to be the backup and isn't going to be a cancer now that he's benched.

*Removes tin foil hat and returns to reality*

 

[kerouac9]

Just the fact that Hall can put air under the ball and let Fitz be fitz gives us a 100% better chance of winning games than having Anderson with his scud arm.

I unlike you dont think the defenses gave Anderson any respect at all. Heck he missed every open receiver down the field.

I agree that Hall can put air under the ball, but as Rugby notes above I don't think he can get a 30-yard pass to the sideline like even one-armed Warner could. You're essentially then running Fitz into the middle of defenses. Even when you look at Hall's college tapes, guys are having to wait for/come back to the ball.

Fitz can do that, but you can't live and die by that kind of offense. I'm not sure that Fitz getting 85 yards and a TD is the difference between winning and losing games right now.

You can see the respect that defenses gave Anderson's arm BECAUSE there were open receivers down the field, and because there were open receivers on intermediate routes. At least for the time being. It's because Anderon missed every open receiver that he's now holding a clipboard, but we're going to see teams pressuring the first five yards in front of the LOS until Max Hall shows that he can make that intermediate sideline throw that he missed on to end the half to Max Komar.

Derek Anderson gave you a strategic advantage. Max Hall gives you a tactical advantage (until the NFL gets to him as they do all QBs). Comparisons to Drew Brees and Tom Brady are extraordinarily premature. We'll complete more passes for sure with Max Hall as the starter (for now), but I'm not sure that we'll have a more productive offense or a more productive running game.

 

[TJ]

At least Max Hall will get to practice with the 1st string this week. That's more than he had going for him last week.

This is important to note. The offense is timing-based and we know from the last two seasons that the #1 QB needs reps with Fitz and Breaston (when he comes back). In addition, the offensive line needs to respect that Hall is more mobile than Anderson and will have to make the proper adjustments.

Another key aspect I want him to practice is handing the ball off. It is imperative that he gets this down so is not to botch a single one.

And finally, the kid needs to take some deep breaths and relax. Dont think of the fact that the Superbowl champs are in town. Keep it simple and stupid.

 

[Russ Smith]

At least Max Hall will get to practice with the 1st string this week. That's more than he had going for him last week.

Yep unlike what a certain Hall non believer said the other day, Whiz said in the presser yesterday that Hall got very few reps in practice last week because he was the backup and the gameplan was for DA, not Max. So this week he'll get a lot more reps, and the gameplan hopefully will cater to Max's strengths and hide his weaknesses.

 

[Shane]

Exactly how I feel. Whisenhunt was confident that Leinart didn't have it and Anderson does. Now 4 games into his career here in AZ, he says Anderson doesn't have it either. Not too confident the coach knows what 'it' is anymore.

When did he say DA has "it"

 

[dogpoo32]

Yep unlike what a certain Hall non believer said the other day, Whiz said in the presser yesterday that Hall got very few reps in practice last week because he was the backup and the gameplan was for DA, not Max. So this week he'll get a lot more reps, and the gameplan hopefully will cater to Max's strengths and hide his weaknesses.

Which hopefully means running the ball against a Saints defense that is ranked 30th against the run. But I've given up hope that Whis will do the obvious.

 

[desertdawg]

I am just really really really happy that DA is in the past. Really happy.

 

[Shane]

I am just really really really happy that DA is in the past. Really happy.

Till Hall gets hurt on play 4 of teh opening drive thanks to a Keith whiff.

 

[TJ]

Till Hall gets hurt on play 4 of teh opening drive thanks to a Keith, Levi and/or Faneca whiff.

FTFY

 

[desertdawg]

As you can see, Max Hall also supports our troops.

 

[Russ Smith]

we beat the Rams in their house, the Seahawks lost to the Rams in their house. That's our competition right now. I don't like doing those kinds of comparisons, but We don't have to be better than the rest of the league, just the rest of our division.

I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you!

 

[Russ Smith]

Note to Max Hall.

Safeties in the NFL are faster than you think. PLEASE, be more careful throwing the seam route.

Yep but EVERY rookie QB learns that the hard way. Remember the pick by AW against Bradford early in the game? Exact same thing, he was stunned, college safeties don't get that ball, but even Wilson did(he was moving forward that's why).

It's like playing against a 7 footer for the first time in basketball. You can tell someone over and over how tall the guy is but until he gets his shot blocked they just don't understand how tall 7 feet really is.

 

[ajcardfan]

Anderson gave you an illusion of competing for the playoffs?

LMAO!

No, I knew we were rebuilding. But the TEAM is not even trying to give the illusion of being a playoff contender.

 

[Indiana Hoosier]

Max, get your running shoes ready! Saints, will BLITZ AND MORE BLITZ.