No excuses for Matt Leinart today

[WisconsinCard]

Is he payed like a backup? Was he drafted like a backup? No and No

He is supposed to be our QB of the future. He is not that guy and that is what everyone is pissed about. If it was someone like AJ Feely or Kevin Kobb I would agree with but this is a guy that was drafted at number 10 and so the expectation level is much higher. It is not like he is a first or second year guy.

I would trade him for Kevin Kolb right now straight up. But I'll bet you Philly wouldn't.

 

[moklerman]

I'm impressed moklerman, you have done a total 180 on Leinart.

I don't know about a "total" 180 because I'm still holding him to the high expectations but I think he is receiving undue criticism in this case.

But, I'm mind-reading Whis here so I could be wrong. This is a totally different situation than some of the others that I've criticized Leinart for in the past. When Whis has put him in a situation where he's trying to see if Leinart can come in and bring the offense to a score and he misses a wide open receiver with a bad throw that's different than in this situation where Leinart was, IMO, just supposed to keep it close to the vest and run time off the clock.

He certainly wasn't running the "real" offense so I don't think it's fair to say that he should have been producing like Warner was. Leinart has had zero work with the first team and this is a precision/timing based offense. In the preseason when he was getting some first team work, I thought he should be more accurate with his throws. At this point in the season I think some latitude is warranted and by the end of the game he seemed to loosen up a bit and made a really good play to seal the victory.

He also made an adjustment from his last relief appearance in that he took what was safe rather than force the ball down field. It wasn't flashy to watch but he protected the ball and gave the defense and team the opportunity to hold onto the win. He wasn't turning the ball over and putting the defense in bad spots, he was playing field position and ball control. And the Cardinals won. Seems like a mission accomplished.

 

[Pariah]

I haven't read the thread (and won't subject my eyes to it), but there is no excuse for Leinart after he's had a week to prepare like the starter. This week wasn't that week.

Hell, even then, it's what, 3 or 4 practices? When he's the starter he needs to play like it. When he comes off the bench, is it any surprise he plays like a backup?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Wow!!!! If you are the one in his corner that has his back, he had better watch out. With friends like you, he doesn't need enemies.

Bro wake up. I am not "friends" with any players. They don't knwo you and you don't know them. Its pretty simple.

There are certain guys I root for. I LOVE Matt Leinart. I didn't think there was a chance he would fall to us in the 05 draft and I remember thinking "whatever team drafts him will win the Super Bowl within 3 years. He has "It" and its obvious"

And I have been waiting, and waiting, and arguing with every cards campos, moklerman, iowawarnergroupie, and on and on.

But I am not blind. I was worried when with the one throw he threw an INT against Chicago. And now I am convinced after watching todays game.

Matt doesn't need to cry himself to sleep tonight because AF doesn't see the future in him anymore. Go out and prove me wrong.

But as someone who feels he watches football with a critical eye there is no defense left out of this poster. At this point we are just making excuses and at some point he just has to make plays.

Thats all there is to it.

I root for the front of the jersey. Not the back of it.

 

[az1965]

That 20 yarder to Early came after he avoided a sack, he was hit and had to pull the ball down, get himself together, keep his eyes downfield and made the throw. People calling this lucky could say that 20 % of KW's completions are "lucky".

ENJOY THE WIN.

That was a heck of a play... I don't consider it lucky. But, other than that there is not much to cheer about his play except not turning the ball over.

 

[Evil Ash]

I haven't read the thread (and won't subject my eyes to it), but there is no excuse for Leinart after he's had a week to prepare like the starter. This week wasn't that week.

Hell, even then, it's what, 3 or 4 practices? When he's the starter he needs to play like it. When he comes off the bench, is it any surprise he plays like a backup?

Stop using common sense. It doesn't belong in discussions regarding QBs

 

[TJ]

Let's put things in perspective:

We are 7-3 with a 3 game lead in the division. Yay!!

Leinart wasn't horrible, but he certainly didn't do us any favors with his ultra conservative play. Like AZ Finest, I am a Matty fan tried and true, but he certainly didnt make a very persuasive argument for being the QBoF. Im not against seeking a better option next season, provided it's out there.

However, against popular opinion, the play calling did seem somewhat conservative. The Cards, even with Kurt, are notorious for getting up big in the 1st half and slow it down in the 2nd. Take it for what it's worth, but that's been the case all season long, irrespective of the QB situation.

Once again, this was your quinttesential scripted Cards game. Get ahead big in the 1st half, slow down in the second, defense then allows the opposition to get within arms reach, offense can't eat enough clock to keep their offense off the field, they get the ball back, defense stops them. Game over.

 

[dogpoo32]

The Cards offense has disappeared in the second half before. Even with Kurt in. Non-issue if you ask me. Talk to Whis about it don't blame Matt. I agree he hasn't come in and impressed, but piling on when its obvious there are issues with game planning in the second half is nuts.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Let's put things in perspective:

We are 7-3 with a 3 game lead in the division. Yay!!

Leinart wasn't horrible, but he certainly didn't do us any favors with his ultra conservative play. Like AZ Finest, I am a Matty fan tried and true, but he certainly didnt make a very persuasive argument for being the QBoF. Im not against seeking a better option next season, provided it's out there.

However, against popular opinion, the play calling did seem somewhat conservative. The Cards, even with Kurt, are notorious for getting up big in the 1st half and slow it down in the 2nd. Take it for what it's worth, but that's been the case all season long, irrespective of the QB situation.

Once again, this was your quinttesential scripted Cards game. Get ahead big in the 1st half, slow down in the second, defense then allows the opposition to get within arms reach, offense can't eat enough clock to keep their offense off the field, they get the ball back, defense stops them. Game over.

Agreed and as long as Kurt is healthy next week I expect a deep playoff run.

But damn all bets are off at this point for a QBOF. As somebody who has given Matt every chance and wants him to be the guy after Kurt SOOOOO BAD, I just can't continually say I am not worried and that once Kurt is gone we will be okay.

Because while I wasn't sure of this before this season, the chasm between Matt and Kurt is the size of the Grand Canyon.

But HELLS YES we are 7-3! Now lets go 3-0 the next three weeks and lock this damn thing up.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

Didn't the Rams play well against New Orleans? 28 to 23 IIRC leading the majority of the game. The way the Rams are playing they could beat the niner's and Seattle.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I haven't read the thread (and won't subject my eyes to it), but there is no excuse for Leinart after he's had a week to prepare like the starter. This week wasn't that week.

Hell, even then, it's what, 3 or 4 practices? When he's the starter he needs to play like it. When he comes off the bench, is it any surprise he plays like a backup?

Pariah I usually agree with everything you say. But after 4 years, three years in the same offense, and aginst the 1-7 Rams, don't you expect Matt to play better - full week of practice as a starter or not?

I mean c'mon....some plays downfield, a good drive, EVEN A FG would have been a reason to think Matt is at the place he is supposed to be at this point in his career.

No matter what tact/perspective you want to take I don't think there is anyway you can walk away from watching todays game without more questions then answers on the career of Matt Leinart.

 

[moklerman]

but he certainly didnt make a very persuasive argument for being the QBoF.

I really don't think he was being asked to.

What is the deal with people? Has this offense been hitting on all cylinders all year? Isn't just within the last few games that they really started to click? If Warner was struggling to make it work for much of the season why would Leinart be expected to come in and duplicate Warner's recent franchise-like numbers?

Jeez, a little perspective would sure be nice. Whis basically called the equivalent of a big kid just sitting on a smaller kid. Let the little kid wear himself out kicking and thrashing. But the Cardinals were the big kid/better team and just wanted to run the clock out in the 2nd half.

This wasn't a case of Leinart and the Cardinals being down in the 2nd half and Leinart throwing picks, fumbling or being ineffective and failing to bring the team back. Look at the situation, people.

 

[Dayman]

I'm pretty indifferent about Leinart in this game. He made some good throws, and he made some that were questionable. His play resembled that of a QB who desperately didn't want to make a mistake, which is kind of understandable after the Chicago game. No throws into traffic and plenty of check downs. I would have liked to have watched him light it up, but I'm not too discouraged.

 

[TJ]

Hey it could have been worse

At least Brian St. Pierre wasn't out there

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

10/14 for 74 yards and zero turnovers. I think that's exacty what you'd ask for out your backup QB. Plus a big 3rd down conversion to Doucet. But go ahead and blast away.

A backup? maybe.. Not a guy drafted in the top 10 who was labeled the starter.

The guy has had several chances to show what he can do.. and always does NOTHING.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I'm pretty indifferent about Leinart in this game. He made some good throws, and he made some that were questionable. His play resembled that of a QB who desperately didn't want to make a mistake, which is kind of understandable after the Chicago game. No throws into traffic and plenty of check downs. I would have liked to have watched him light it up, but I'm not too discouraged.

Now this is viewpoint I can agree with.

I guess at this point I am just expecting more. We were about 10 yards away from Leinart blowing this game and the board melting down and asking for Matt to be hung in effigee outside of UOP.

But credit goes to the defense for that, not Matt.

 

[Pariah]

Pariah I usually agree with everything you say. But after 4 years, three years in the same offense, and aginst the 1-7 Rams, don't you expect Matt to play better - full week of practice as a starter or not?

I mean c'mon....some plays downfield, a good drive, EVEN A FG would have been a reason to think Matt is at the place he is supposed to be at this point in his career.

No matter what tact/perspective you want to take I don't think there is anyway you can walk away from watching todays game without more questions then answers on the career of Matt Leinart.

Contrary to seemingly popular belief, I'm open to differing points of view. But to answer your questions: no, I don't expect a backup to come off the bench and play as well as the starter (especially when the starter is Kurt Warner playing at a really high-level).

Believe it or not, the Rams are an NFL team chock-full of NFL calibre players with a defensive minded coach. I'd expect Leinart to play better than average if he'd prepared all week with the guys he played with today, but coming in cold at the half? No, I don't expect him to light it up. He wasn't awful for the most part, IMO, he just wasn't special.

When he prepares all week like the starter and struggles, then lets sound the warning bells. Until then, we have a backup that is rarely called into action and probably gets the reps in practice that reflect that.

JMHO

 

[Pariah]

Now this is viewpoint I can agree with.

I guess I don't understand why you'd disagree with me, then.

 

[moklerman]

I guess I don't understand why you'd disagree with me, then.

Or me?

 

[Pariah]

A backup? maybe.. Not a guy drafted in the top 10 who was labeled the starter.

'cept he's NOT starting, and draft position means nothing now.

otherwise, great points.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I guess I don't understand why you'd disagree with me, then.

Or me?

He brought up the point about the Chicago game making him more gun shy. He also said that he wasn't looking for anything "special".

As a guy firmly in Matts corner, I was. At this point I want him to come play like Kolb did earlier this year and make plays. He didn't do that. The difference between the offense in the first and second hald was the Pats compared to the Browns. I didn't expect that much difference out of a 4th year QB.

I am disappointed. We were a red zone stand from giving up a game we absolutely dominated in the first half. The only difference was Kurt for Matt.

I want to buy in, but right now its difficult.

 

[RonF]

The way I see it is Whiz okay with having future performance reviews based on Leinart's Play? IMO, Leinart has never played well enough in the past four years to show that he should be the starter. It will be interesting to see what happens next year.

 

[Totally_Red]

2 cents worth

The Cardinals escaped with the win. Hopefully Kurt is cleared and back at practice on Wednesday. The whole offense seemed to slow to a grinding halt in the second half. Whether conservative play calling, Matt's tentativeness, or something else, that second half performance by the offense doesn't give me confidence for going forward very far without Warner behind center.

The Cardinals will just not win many games with their defense, special teams, and running game IMO. The overwhelming strength of this franchise is the wide receiver corps and Kurt Warner. If anything the second half of this game reinforced that reality to me.

 

[Pariah]

play like Kolb did earlier this year and make plays.

Kolb had the benefit of practicing with the first unit, didn't he? Wasn't McNabb out for about 3 weeks?

 

[Shane]

I haven't read the thread (and won't subject my eyes to it), but there is no excuse for Leinart after he's had a week to prepare like the starter. This week wasn't that week.

Hell, even then, it's what, 3 or 4 practices? When he's the starter he needs to play like it. When he comes off the bench, is it any surprise he plays like a backup?

why do we make excuses for Matt? I'm quite certain you have seen your fair share of back ups that have came in and been stellar over your many years of football enjoyment. Not getting a weeks worth of reps isn't a valid argument. Heck teams sign back up 40+ yoa QBs who have been out of football for over a year and come in and on 3 days of practice they perform at a high level.

Matt shouldn't be looking like a deer in headlights when he plays. Ever!