My antennas go up when a guy like Pete Carrol talks QBs. This is a guy who sent 4 of them to the pros in his 9 year stint with USC (Palmer, Leinart, Booty, Sanchez). Look out for Matt Barkley, another Carrol protege, to make noise in the NFL too. To me, his credibility on this topic is 2nd to none.
Ive made these arguments many times in the past but it's worth repeating.
With what was given to him, Leinart did a decent job as a rookie. Recall that he was in a system ran by a lazy coach who knew his days were numbered with the team. The only fire Denny Green showed that season was the Bears postgame interview. Anyway, here are some facts to ponder when looking at 2006; his rookie season:
- Leinart's 1st start against KC = 22 for 35 253 yards 2 TDs 1 INT
- 2nd start against the Bears (best team at the time) = 24 for 42 232 yards 2 TDs no INTs
- Against another one of the best defenses at the time, he set an NFL record for most passing yards in one game by a rookie = 405 yds
- Sent Anquan Boldin to the pro bowl
What has happened since then was the emergence of a brand new coach, a significant change in the offense and the resurgence of an HoF caliber QB in Warner. I dont care who you are, that is a lot of change for a rookie to handle. Think about it: in 3 years he was in 3 different offenses (Carrol, Green, Whisenhunt). Imagine every year, memorizing a 200+ page offensive playbook then throwing it away and starting from scratch.
Furthermore, the 2008 QB race was closer than people really want to admit. In one preseason game, Leinart three 3 INTs, yet before that, both Warner and Leinart were neck and neck. I'm not taking all responsibility away from Matt, just saying that his one bad game came at a horrible time (how often did we see 5 turnover games from Warner?)
People want to throw him under the bus for his time during mop up duty in 2009. Trust me, I was one of the hardest on him but later I put things in perspective. Warner had taken nearly every 1st string snap in practice. Since this is a timing-based offense, rhythm is key to success. Warner had the chance to develop it, Leinart didn't. Before the Titans game, Leinart was given a significant portion of the snaps (not as many as Warner typically gets) and he did just fine in that game.
Other proponents for Leinart want to compare him to Aaron Rodgers. I don't. I compare him more to Steve Young. From 1985-86, he started 19 games for a bottom feeding Tampa Bay Buccaneer team. His overall record: 3-16.
Look here at the stats for those two seasons. They are not pretty. He was deemed a "bust" after just two seasons and was subsequently traded to SF after TB drafted Testaverde. After sitting for 4 seasons behind Joe Montana, another legendary QB, he took the reigns and had an HoF career himself.
Whether you are a Leinart proponent or detractor, consider what the man has been through since being in the NFL. No one is saying that Leinart is better than Warner or that the offense will improve, but rather he will be an upper echelon quarterback in this league. Now that Warner is out of the picture, Leinart can focus on success rather than constantly looking over his shoulder. Trust me, Derek Anderson is not going to phase him one bit.