I'm not going to defend Whiz after the Matt fiasco, that was so bizzarely handled and the resulting "fix" for it turned out to smell like so much ass that he lost me on that one.
Conrad, I like to think you're smart and reasonable most of the time, but this is just ridiculous. Obviously the Matt situation was unfortunate, but until Matt proves that he's a decent NFL qb, it's all completely speculative. Just think about it. The NFL is a league filled with teams desperate for starting qbs. Don't you think it's a little bizarre that the guy couldn't even get a job as an NFL backup? If he really is as good as some here like to profess, do you think there is a league wide conspiracy to blackball Leinart?
After Leinart was cut, what would you have done to fix it? There were no attractive available options at QB, and we're running into the same problem that every mediocre to bad team does, we don't have a qb, and we sure as hell don't have a dominant D to prop up the team. In fact, we have a BOTTOM THREE DEFENSE.
People can speculate as much as they want about who we should have or could have brought in at QB, but these things don't happen in a vacuum. Guys like Bulger seem like a better option at face value, but the team didn't want to pony up the money. Is that on Whiz? Maybe he wanted McNabb and the team didn't think he was worth the price. (At this point, obviously it's not) Is that on Whiz?
Do I wish Leinart was the knight in shining armor and the "gift from heaven"? HELL YES, every real fan here does. But wishing it so, and then irrationally holding on to that belief when all evidence points to it not being true is the definition of obtuse.
The bottom line is, Kurt covered up a lot of warts on this team. From a weak oline that benefited from his quick release, to a mediocre running game that was propped up by teams keying on the pass with 6 DB's, to a fraud of a defense that put pressure on the offense to score on almost every drive.
It's amazing that some here thought that losing your hall of fame QB, the heart and soul of the team, and your best defensive player would not affect things. It's hard as hell to win in this league, and damn near impossible if your qb isn't elite. We have the worst qb's in football and nearly the worst defense? What do people expect?
Does that absolve Whiz of all blame? Of course not. He plays some part in personnel decisions, and it's his job to lead the team. That being said, he was dealt a crap hand, and much of that is on the personnel department. Considering Whiz has given this team the ONLY credibility it has ever had in the last....well ever, you'd think people would have enough perspective to see what he'd do with a decent qb on board. But, then again, expecting perspective from many here is a tall order.
