Cards' QB job still up for grabs
To start Matt Leinart or not to start him? That is the question that has beleaguered Arizona’s head Coach Ken Whisenhunt ever since the Cardinals selected the quarterback in the 2006 NFL draft.
Whisenhunt elected not to in last week’s pre-season game against Chicago and gave the reins over to Derrick Anderson, who led the Cardinals to14-9 pre-season victory over the Bears
It was a no-brainer for Whisenhunt, after Leinart went four-of-six for a measly 28 yards in his last start and produced no points for a second straight pre-season game with the team’s first offence.
Anderson started and put up points on the board which bodes well for him, since Arizona have been struggling in that department. Anderson completed 7-of-12 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown.
Leinart came in late in the second quarter for the Cardinals (2-1) and finally had a solid performance with the team’s first string players, failing to connect on only one pass as he went 9-of-10 passing for 84 yards, with a touchdown in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead.
With both quarterbacks posting solid numbers, Whisenhunt is back to square one in terms of who should be the team’s starting quarterback heading into the 2010 season.
"I don't have to make any decisions right now," Whisenhunt said. "The starting QB evaluation covers more things than just this game."
Since the beginning of camp, the starting gig was Leinart’s to lose, and it seems that he has done everything to do that. But the former Trojan star doesn’t see things as such.
"I feel like I've done everything I can as a quarterback to get to this point," Leinart said. "I've played well in three games, and I'm continuing to work hard to get better, to continue to lead this team, and that's all I can do. I've just got to let my play speak for itself."
Aside from last week’s outing, Leinart’s play hasn’t been saying much. Nor has Chicago (0-3) who have suffered another pre-season loss.
"We're not where we want to be right now," Coach Lovie Smith said.
The Bears finally got on the score board in the fourth quarter with a 22-yard field goal from Robbie Gould and a three-yard touchdown pass from Dan LeFevour to Juaquin Iglesias.
Veteran middle linebacker Brian Urlacher sat out this game due to the strained left calf muscle he suffered in the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders. He should be ready to play in the pre-season finale, but the coaches might bench their defensive leader, to allow him to fully recover and have him healthy for the opener.
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