| After Matt Leinart apparently went color blind in | | | | that the Oakland game was not the only problem. |
| the Arizona Cardinals third game of the | | | | Leinart's offseason activities have led to his work |
| preseason, in which he threw three interceptions | | | | ethic and dedication being questioned, but the |
| in less than two quarters of play, the team has | | | | former Trojan attended every offseason |
| reportedly awarded the starting quarterback job | | | | workout the team held. He could still very well be |
| to Kurt Warner. Leinart went 4-12 for a measly | | | | the quarterback of the future in Arizona, but |
| 24 yards and the aforementioned picks against | | | | most people were expecting him to be the signal |
| the Oakland Raiders, a performance that | | | | caller of the present as well. |
| apparently sealed his fate as 2008 backup. | | | | There is still a chance that Matty Hollywood |
| The 37-year-old Warner steps in more than ready | | | | regains his job as starter this season, but it may |
| to go. Warner appeared in 14 games last season | | | | take an injury to Warner, who does have a |
| in Leinart's absence due to injury, throwing a | | | | history of getting hurt when he holds onto the ball |
| whopping 27 touchdown passes in the process. He | | | | for too long. For now, the Cards are going with |
| posted a quarterback rating of nearly 90 and | | | | Warner, who does give the team the best chance |
| eclipsed 3400 yards through the air. The former | | | | to win this season. Warner's got perhaps the best |
| Super Bowl MVP is entering his fourth season with | | | | wide receiver tandem in the league in Larry |
| the club, appearing in 30 games in his Cardinals | | | | Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and don't sleep on |
| tenure thus far. Leinart missed all but five games | | | | tight end and resident giant Leonard Pope in the |
| last season due to injury, but was handed back | | | | red zone. Warner could very well throw 30 |
| the starting role during the offseason. | | | | touchdowns in the 2008 campaign, but will that be |
| Many NFL pundits, including myself, expected a big | | | | enough to propel the Cardinals to the playoffs? |
| step forward from the USC product in 2008. The | | | | Arizona plays in a pretty weak NFC West and a |
| team has expressed concerns about Leinart's arm | | | | postseason berth isn't completely out of the |
| strength, which is a bit perplexing. Leinart's lack of | | | | question, but it would certainly be a surprise. With |
| the proverbial "laser rocket arm" was | | | | Warner at the helm, I still don't see the club |
| well-documented during the months leading up to | | | | winning more than seven games. Were Leinart |
| the 2006 NFL Draft and was probably a factor in | | | | the starter, I'd probably knock off one or two of |
| Leinart's draft day slide. Leinart's arm strength, or | | | | those victories. So is it better to go 7-9 with a |
| lack thereof, shouldn't come as a surprise to | | | | stop-gap quarterback or let your future |
| Cardinals management. | | | | quarterback take his lumps while learning the |
| It comes as a surprise to me that the team gave | | | | position and go 5-11? Leinart would gain valuable |
| up on Leinart, at least for this season, after one | | | | experience while the team got a look at whether |
| bad preseason game. I know Leinart's | | | | he truly is their guy going forward or not and the |
| performance against Oakland was nothing short | | | | team would land a better pick in the 2009 draft. I |
| of putrid, but this seems like a bit of a knee-jerk | | | | know Herm Edwards would tell me that "you play |
| reaction. Leinart fared well in the two previous | | | | to win the game," but you must look at this |
| games this preseason and it's odd that one bad | | | | situation from a long-term, franchise-oriented |
| game would automatically unseat him as the | | | | standpoint. But more wins sell more Arizona |
| starter. | | | | Cardinals tickets, a correlation that surely isn't lost |
| I am going to give the Cardinals coaching staff | | | | on Cardinals ownership. |
| the benefit of the doubt, though, and assume | | | | |