Pete Carroll on Matt: "I think he’s going to be a terrific player."

[Chopper0080]

So basically if Whiz doesn't coddle Matt and tell him he's a special little guy every night before he goes to bed, he'll be erratic? Color me scared.

If all it took was a bit of extra one on one time, and a bit of reassurance to make Matt Leinart a successful NFL QB, why wouldn't we do it? I understand that this might not be the prototype of how you want your "ideal" QB to be, but it is not about filling a prototype, it is about making Leinart successful which will help us win games. Who cares how that motivation needs to be delivered?

To me, if Whiz had to tell Matt that he was the man after every mistake in order for the Cardinals to be successful it would be worth it. Creating a successful team is getting the most out of every member of that team. In order to do that, you have to know each member, and you can use to motivate them. Great coaches know each of their players personalities, and adjust their approach of coaching that player accordingly.

 

[Gee!]

Its Leinart time!!

Boooooyyyyyaaaaaa..

You must be registered for see images

 

[ASUCHRIS]

If all it took was a bit of extra one on one time, and a bit of reassurance to make Matt Leinart a successful NFL QB, why wouldn't we do it? I understand that this might not be the prototype of how you want your "ideal" QB to be, but it is not about filling a prototype, it is about making Leinart successful which will help us win games. Who cares how that motivation needs to be delivered?

As I've responded on multiple occasions:


"Don't get me wrong, if Matt plays like a pro bowler because he's told that he's the man, I'm fine with it. Hell, if he's just effective with easy passes and in play action, with a more of an emphasis in the running game, I'd be thrilled with that, and see it as a real possibility."

 

[Cardiac]

I wish I had stock in popcorn because a LOT of posters are eating it during this thread.

I heard KW invented popcorn.

I also heard that ML owns all the popcorn companies in the US.

 

[Duckjake]

This board cracks me up sometimes. Some of the same posters who say that Whisenhunt won't be able to get Leinart to be a winning QB are the ones that claim he can take some guy out of college and make him a better player at WILB than Karlos Dansby was in only 4 months.

 

[PoolBoy]

I wish I had stock in popcorn because a LOT of posters are eating it during this thread.

I heard KW invented popcorn.

I also heard that ML owns all the popcorn companies in the US.

I'm out of popcorn. Leinart sucks

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Might as well join the crowd.

 

[kerouac9]

This board cracks me up sometimes. Some of the same posters who say that Whisenhunt won't be able to get Leinart to be a winning QB are the ones that claim he can take some guy out of college and make him a better player at WILB than Karlos Dansby was in only 4 months.

It's weird that people already seem to have forgotten that Whis was brought to the Cards expressly for the purpose of developing Matt Leinart. That's why we hired an offensive HC instead of going with the Bears' DC at the time (who was the candidate Graves wanted to hire).

If Matt Leinart cannot be developed by Whis, then that's a failing on his part. He came here essentially promising that he could turn Leinart into a solid pro quarterback.

 

[chickenhead]

It's weird when someone is acknowldging the possibility that Leinart might develop under some specific circumstances, and even then they are told they are wrong. Thankfully we'll see him play this year. It's like when there were interminable debates about McCown. When we finally got to see him on the field for a while, that pretty much settled it. Difference here is that we have seen some of Leinart, and the some are convinced this will be nothing more than a continuation of that. We'll see.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Tim Hasselback was on ESPN this morning talking about Leinart and thinks he will be fine. He said you can't judge ML by his first 2 years in the league. There was some other things but I was half asleep. But he was confident in ML being successful.

I agree with K9 and DJake on Whisenhunt. He probably had as much to do with turning Warner around as anyone. Warner was a mess when he got here. Why can't he do it with ML?

 

[Crazy Canuck]

I can tell you all, that I played with some extremely talented and productive hockey players who had very delicate psyches.

They required reassurance every day, and if a Coach got into their face their reaction bordered on tears.

And, believe me, some were just about the toughest, meanest SOB's you'd ever meet.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

I can tell you all, that I played with some extremely talented and productive hockey players who had very delicate psyches.

They required reassurance every day, and if a Coach got into their face their reaction bordered on tears.

And, believe me, some were just about the toughest, meanest SOB's you'd ever meet.

That's my brother-in-law: 250 solid, strong, angry, fierce fighter - I could make him cry with about 2 sentences. He HAS to please people (or beat them up)...

 

[cardsfanmd]

I can tell you all, that I played with some extremely talented and productive hockey players who had very delicate psyches.

They required reassurance every day, and if a Coach got into their face their reaction bordered on tears.

And, believe me, some were just about the toughest, meanest SOB's you'd ever meet.

+1

I coach lacrosse from 4yr olds through HS (and hopefully will be in the college ranks in the next 5-10 years) and can testify to the same thing. Right now I have a defenseman who I just cannot scream at. His position requires him to be not only tough and very physical, but cold-hearted and merciless as well. He performs at a high level and will likely play D1 or D2 ball, but the kid just collapses if I get down on him. The way to get this kid better is to show him where he was wrong, show him what's right ands then make a joke. Even telling him "you're better than that" in a stern voice brings back a quivery "yes sir".

 

[Crazy Canuck]

+1

I coach lacrosse from 4yr olds through HS (and hopefully will be in the college ranks in the next 5-10 years) and can testify to the same thing. Right now I have a defenseman who I just cannot scream at. His position requires him to be not only tough and very physical, but cold-hearted and merciless as well. He performs at a high level and will likely play D1 or D2 ball, but the kid just collapses if I get down on him. The way to get this kid better is to show him where he was wrong, show him what's right ands then make a joke. Even telling him "you're better than that" in a stern voice brings back a quivery "yes sir".

Let me meet a boy's parents or his coaches at an early age, and I can tell you with certainty how to motivate the player.

 

[MrYeahBut]

I think everyone knows all people don't respond to the same tactics. I have some employees that I just tell them, 'Hey man don't do that crap' and it's over. Others I have to send a written reprimand, others I tell them what a good job they're doing and it stops the negative behavior. It's also basic to the process that you don't call people out in front of their peers.

Why should NFL players be any different? They're just people, some with fragile egos, some not.

 

[TJ]

I'm out of popcorn. Leinart sucks

Lax

if you have a problem with Leinart, you
have a problem with yourself

 

[Shane]

It's weird that people already seem to have forgotten that Whis was brought to the Cards expressly for the purpose of developing Matt Leinart. That's why we hired an offensive HC instead of going with the Bears' DC at the time (who was the candidate Graves wanted to hire).

If Matt Leinart cannot be developed by Whis, then that's a failing on his part. He came here essentially promising that he could turn Leinart into a solid pro quarterback.

Whole statement is pure conjecture. Source material making it fact?

 

[john h]

Haters the going to hate. Here is what I think is funny. I work with a lot of corporate execs on a day to day basis and one of the themes of any good leader in people I talk to is understanding the motivation of your people and responding accordingly.

I love how many on this board like to think that they are these Type A fire breathers who respond to competition like say a Kurt Warner did, but the reality is thats not likely the case.

Some people can be berated, some people need ot be supported, and some need to be incenticized. All different tactics and as long as the results follow, I don't think the psychology of the way you go about it as very important.

Matt may not like looking over his shoulder and now respond positively knowing not every bad throw leads to getting pulled. Some people need to be told their the guy.

You should probably check the rocks at the door of your glass house before thinking "Oh poor Matty needs to be coddeled"

I think all of us will take Matt being successful no matter how in fact he gets there. Petes points are A) Factual and B) come from a credible source so I don't see the need to deligitimize what he said. He sure as hell knows alot more about football and motivating players then anyone on this board to be sure.

But the reality is if you don't buy in anyway, you'll just use this thread as an excuse to bash. So do what you like.

And I'll even let you back on the bandwagon come next December when he's leading us to our third straight division championship.

None of us including Carroll have no idea how Leinart is going to perform next year. We have little NFL history to base much on. He was great in college on a great team with NFL starters now playing. We drafted him high as our QB of the future. It is time to show what he can do on a regular basis. Having been on the bench and watching Warner and knowing the system there will be no excuse if he does not perform at least average. Should we give up an entire season to see if he is what we hope he will be? That is for the coaches to decide. I would give him at least three games unless he is absolutely awful. I believe he has a truck full of money due in his final year if we keep him. Unless he does well this year he will be out of here. If Tebow is there at #4 (I do not think so) I would sure take a flyer on him as you never know where you might strike gold. He sure has the pedigree. Yes, I understand there are a thousand reasons he will not be an NFL QB but the same can be said of Warner.

 

[conraddobler]

Objectively the last time I saw Matt play he did well in a playoff game and he also did very well in the Bears MNF game on a pretty big stage his rookie year.

I think he has it but just like everyone else I'll have to wait and see, tired of talking about it actually.

 

[DemsMyBoys]

Carroll is from a school that practically invented P.R. and the soundbite. He made this statement in front of a bunch of mikes at the owners meeting. He's now the coach of a team we will play twice this year. He is the opposition. I'm not going to get all hot and bothered and put a whole lot of credence into anything he says.

 

[john h]

First off I am not being duped by Coach speak. I am failry confident Wiz, like many of us, is not sure what he has in Matt.

Listen I am in the camp that Wiz wasn't fully sold on Warner when he announced him the starter before 2008 (and the competition back then was alot harder then everyone likes to remember save the Oakland game in which Warner was quite underwhelming as well) but went with the vet because of the road heavy first 4 games. Otherwise if he knew Warner was going to turn out to be what he ended up being the next two years, he would have scrapped the comp all together and likely named him starter in 2007 as well.

So my point is Wiz is being smart. He is hedging his bets and bringing in competition in the most important position in sports. Its funny because if Wiz had said "Well I am going to just go into 2010 with Leinart as the starter and 2 rookies behind him" everyone would have been KILLING him (rightfully so) for putting all his eggs in Matts basket. Now that he did the right thing and tried to bring in Whitehurst and Anderson, its because he doesn't believe in Matt????

I am okay with you being somewhat skeptical, and even thinking long term Leinart isn't the answer ( I myself am not sure) but when every bit of positive news about Leinart that comes out is excused away, and every Wiz quote and PC is analyzed like the Zapruder film to "read between the lines" to make it seem like he doesn't have faith in the kid, it tells you that you likely are not giving him a fair shot.

The bottom line is the samople size is small, and his pedigree, time in the system, and attitude since Warner retired should all be seen as positive signs.

Ultimately you may prove to be right, but I don't see the harm in acknowldeging the POSSIBILITY that Matt hasn't exactly been in the best circumstances to thrive the last two years and this season could be his breaking out party.

Keep in mind Mitch, you were already to ship Warner out of here in pre-2007 so its not like there is not precendent here. I am not attacking you but I will be honest that it does draw my ire when Cardinal fans want to throw Matt out with the bath water, when its pretty obvious that hes our best option for 2010 and has earned the right to be the undisputed starter for 2010.

I am not sure anyone hates Matt. Some have worries that he will not be what we expected when we drafted him. Those are legitimate concerns. In the end it will be entirely up to Matt as to how he does on the field. We would be idiots not to hope he becomes an all pro. I sure do and think 99% of Cards fans hope the same thing. In reality I remain very much concerned. We have somewhat grown accustomed to winning and it is hard to give that up once you have tasted it. Matt will become an instant hero or will be blamed in full if we cannot continue with our winning ways. He is carrying a heavy burden.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I am not sure anyone hates Matt.

Apparently you don't read Mitch's threads.

 

[Shane]

Carroll is from a school that practically invented P.R. and the soundbite. He made this statement in front of a bunch of mikes at the owners meeting. He's now the coach of a team we will play twice this year. He is the opposition. I'm not going to get all hot and bothered and put a whole lot of credence into anything he says.

That pretty much sums up what Carroll said perfectly. Anyone who takes anything more than that away from it is being just a little silly. Right AZ Finest?

 

[DemsMyBoys]

I'd even question Carroll calling Whiz "Kenny".

Has anyone ever heard Whiz called "Kenny"?

 

[Big D]

I also don't think the quote is anything to get worked up about either way. I don't think it sheds any new light on anything or really tell us anything we didn't already know about Leinart.

Confidence is a just a huge factor in the way Leinart plays. Hell that's true for a lot of players. Leinart obviously isn't the most physically gifted QB in the world so to me his best attribute has always been the confidence and boderline cockyness he played with at SC and as a rook in '06. He surely hasn't looked like the same guy in that respect for the past couple years. I'd guess sure separating a shoulder and getting your collarbone cracked from hits as well as getting beat out for a starting job is going to rattle just about anyone's confidence.

All we can do is hope the guy gets his confidence back up and continues to improve and becomes a solid player for us. If not well just be glad we are finally in a position where a top 10 pick of ours that turns out to be a bust isn't going to be something that sets us back as much as it has in the past.