Leinart is on a short leash

By Chris Cluff  |   Monday, September 24, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

Arizona Cardinals
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Ken Whisenhunt says Matt Leinart is still Arizona's starting quarterback, but it will be interesting to see for how long after the first-year coach pulled the second-year passer for veteran Kurt Warner against Baltimore on Sunday.

Whisenhunt said Warner knew the Cardinals' no-huddle offense better than Leinart, which seemed obvious considering the 36-year-old former NFL MVP nearly rallied the Cardinals from a 20-3 deficit. The Ravens ended up winning on a last-play field goal.

Warner completed 15 of 20 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, while Leinart was 9 of 20 for 53 yards.

"It was something that we predetermined was going to happen about the second quarter just for a change of pace," Whisenhunt told reporters on Monday. "During the course of game-planning for these guys, we felt Kurt was much more comfortable with it and would operate it more efficiently.

"It's not maybe the perfect scenario, but I think out of respect for Kurt and what he's done, and also as Matt's worked hard and done what we've asked him to do, that's the best approach for us right now."

Whisenhunt obviously has no particular loyalty to Leinart, whom the team drafted 10th overall last year when Dennis Green was still coach.

"We're going to try to find ways to keep Kurt playing based on how he played yesterday," Whisenhunt said. "But I don't feel like Matt has done anything to lose the job.

"If Matt does not play well and continues to not play well, then that's something you have to look at," Whisenhunt said of Leinart, who has completed 54.1 percent of his passes for 454 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

"What we've said, not just with the quarterback position but with this team, is if you're not playing well and somebody else is playing better, they're going to play," Whisenhunt said. "But that's not the case here. That's not what happened yesterday with Matt and Kurt."

But the fact that Whisenhunt wants to see Warner play means it very well could happen later on.

And is that really the best thing for the Cardinals long term? Warner has proven to be rather brittle over the past few seasons, and Leinart has seemed to make good progress. He hit 62.2 percent of his passes for 299 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 23-20 win over Seattle in Week 2.

Warner agreed there is some danger of Leinart losing confidence if this continues.

"I think there's definitely a danger in that, but at the same time we've got to do what's going to be most successful for this football team," Warner said. "And Matt's going to be just fine. That's what he's got to understand."

We'll see whether he does in the coming weeks.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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