SBNation.com User Blog: AZ Fan #1

You win as a team you lose as a team.

AZ Fan #1 — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 20:36:10 -0000

Everyone on this team played terrible today, the only players that should get immunity are LaRon Stevens-Howling and Daryl Washington. Other than that as everyone else sucked. OL continues to struggle they gave up 7 sacks. Cardinals need to evaluate the LT position possibly consider Nate Porter, coming and replacing D'Anthony Batiste. Paris Lenon was disappointing, and I think age is starting to catch with him 34 years old it starting to show. He got a nice INT, but he still was mainly responsible for giving up a huge chunk of yards in the running game.

If you didn't notices most of those runs where on his side. He wasn't able to get down there and congest the holes, Adrian Peterson practically had his way with this offense amounting 153 yard and a TD. Not saying Paris Lenon was entirely at fault, but he plays a very important position that is suppose to contain the RB. I just hope he can hold up the rest season, because that is a position that needs to be evaluated next off-season.

John Skelton looked mediocre today, there where many plays that he left on the field, and scoring opportunities that we missed. This team could have very easily had 30+ points, he has to be more effective in 3rd down situation and in the redzone. Surprisingly, Skelton put up pretty decent numbers, 25/36 69% 262 yards, TD and 1 INT, it simply wasn't enough to win.

Offensive play calling deserves a huge portion of the blame, Skelton's numbers look good because he was playing too much small ball. WAY too many short-intermediate, and check down passes. We rarely saw anything thrown down field. That play-calling may suit Kevin Kolb, because he lacks the deep ball and the WCO which relies heavily on that, but Skelton is a different QB he is a traditional pocket-passer, and more use to spreading the WRs. It was only till the near the end of the game when Skelton had to take over, and OC Mike Miller called plays that he was conformable with. It was disappointing because we stalled on plays that we could have easily converted.

Good news is that we play San Francisco 49ers at home, John Skelton has yet to lose a home game. Hopefully that doesn't jinx it, but I think the way the Niners have been playing, I think we can come up with an upset here. If we can contain Frank Gore we'll be ok.

We're bound to lose a couple of these close games.

AZ Fan #1 — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 05:29:40 -0000

Looking back at the last 6 games we've played, were very fortunate to be 4-2. It just seemed we were bound to lose one like the way we did. How fitting that Jay Feely hits a career long 61-yard field goal to tie up the ball game, only to miss a 38-yard field goal that could have won it? What made it worse was the way he missed it, hitting the goal post, it was simply epic.

More often than not, we'll come out with a win in these close games. I guess the football gods didn't want to hand us one this time. I tell you one thing: Cardinals might not be the best team in the NFL, but they are certainly the most interesting.

We got humbled today....

AZ Fan #1 — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:17:32 -0000

Fans might like what they hear, but we got humbled today. This was the second game were we gave up 8 sacks, the OL once again looked like crap, and Kevin Kolb is looking like well... you know. I'm not going to pin the entire game on the OL even though they were BY FAR the worst unit on the field, but Kevin Kolb looked like crap too. He missed so many wide open passes underneath. I could understand the inept running game but 28/50?? Come on, alot of those passes were crap, 3rd down conversion was atrocious, 34% opposed to there 28%. How do we lose that game? The running game is killing us, Kolb not making throws downfield is killing us, not providing adequate protection is DEFINITELY killing us. Today's game was a pathetic display, we are LUCKY to be 4-1!!!

With that being said... I gotta praise Kevin Kolb for taking the beating that he did. I honestly didn't think he had it in him to last, but to my surprise the guy actually took his asswhoppin' like a CHAMP! Second consecutive week where he gets sacked 8 times and lasts the entire game. I don't know if he can Brett Farve it all season, but I'm glad that he's getting up from these hits.... it shows me that he has swagger. I know he's hurting, but it best never to give the other team the satisfaction. You can't help but respect that.

Next week we face the Bill and you can believe that they have a MUCH better front seven than the Rams. Expect Mario Williams to be a terror in the trenches. Secondary is also projected to be better, I just hope we can have an adequate game plan around these guys. We can't afford to take any team for granted hear on out.

Kolb is starting to regain some of my confidence....

AZ Fan #1 — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 06:09:30 -0000

Didn't think we could teach an old dog new tricks, but Kevin Kolb is starting to make a believer out of me. Which is saying a lot since I as other fans on these board doubted his abilities. I still think he has ways to go, but a 3-0 start is something to highly consider for the starting job. I think the benching was a good wake-up call for him, he has played much better with a chip on his shoulder. While I still ~~believe~~ know that John Skelton is still the better QB, I think Kolb has done a good job of handling the situation....thus far.

He is not flinching as much as he use to, and he doesn't feel the need to roll out to his right as often. One caveat though is that he needs to look downfield, more often Dolphins actually caught up with his mistakes. This crap throwing check down passes and out routes needs to stop. His passing patterns are starting to look very predictable. Teams are starting to game plan around Kolb, and he needs to better adjust to the tempo and find open receivers downfield.. We basically got shut out the first half of the game, but give credit to Kolb for making a solid comeback with the no-huddle in the second half.

I'm proud that Kolb is making strides to get better, BUT he has to keep to it up. 3 games is not enough to convince me, but I will admit that I'm starting to like what I see. As long as he keeps improving and doesn't regress to being "Korn on the Kolb", then I'll be ok with Kolb starting. Right now though he is gaining the confidence of the players, coaches and most of all the fans. All I got to say: Don't screw it up Kolb!

Beanie injured a good thing?

AZ Fan #1 — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 00:08:56 -0000

According to ESPN Analyst KC Joyner suggest that RB Beanie Wells RB is a blessing in disguise because it will give Ryan Williams more carrying opportunities. While I think Willaims has done a decent job, he still has way to go before he could unseat Beanie. Many people tend to forget that he's a rookie who didn't have an offseason last year because of the lockout, and because of a unfortunate knee injury that sidelined him last season. Technically, he is still a rookie at heart, and it still means he is prone to making critical mistakes in key situations. He already had 2 fumbles, one of which nearly cost us the game against New England. While he did regain some of his confidence in the Philly game (during garbage time), it still doesn't mean he's ready to take the reigns quite yet.

Dolphins have one of the best run stopping defenses in the NFL, and it doesn't bode well that we still don't have a cohesive running game that could get us in 3 and short yardage situations. So far OC Mike Miller has a done a good job of adjusting to Kolb's skill set of throwing quick short-passing routes, but unfortunately that is a temporary solution, Kolb will eventually need to spread the ball this game find open receivers downfield. I'm expecting to see him make solid throws in this game. As long as he can keep his jersey clean and the turnovers down this game he should be ok. If not it could be a LONG game for the Cardinals.

The good news is that our defense has been lights out for the last 3 games, meaning if they can keep rookie QB Ryan Tannahill and Co. from having a 20 point game we should come out with the win. Darnell Dockett might be out this game, but Adrian Wilson is projected to play, expect him to give Tannahill the proper NFL introduction.

With that being said, lets pray that Beanie Wells will come back stronger, and lets hope that Ryan Williams can do a serviceable job in his absences.

Cardinals D best in the NFL?

AZ Fan #1 — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:11:14 -0000

This defensive unit eats QBs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When you're talking about defense you're talking aboutthe 49ers, Giants, Steelers, and Ravens, but this year Cardinals have undoubtedly the best defensive core in the NFL. This defense is probably the best we've ever seen it and could possibly get better. Ray Horton deserves much of the credit for implementing this Dick LeBeau 3-4 defense. The fact that we sacked an elusive QB in Micheal Vick 5 times, shows that this defense could be a nightmare to Offensive Coordinators trying to game plan. Players that I've seen step up in this defense are Calis Campbell, Sam Acho, Adrian Wilson, Kerry Rhodes, and Patrick Peterson. But probably the player that I've seen most improvement out of is Daryl Washington. I think this guy could possibly emerge as one of the best MLB in the NFL when its all said and done.

The only downside to this defense is that Ray Horton is probably going to go head coach for another team. Hopefully, he'll stick around several more years. This defense kicks some serious ass, and fans are lovin' it.

NO FREAKIN' WAY!!!

AZ Fan #1 — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 20:35:15 -0000

Wow.... just hear at home recovering from a mild heart attack. That was by far one of the most thrilling games I've ever watched. The defense pretty much shut down Tom Brady up until the late 4th Quarter, when he started firing on all cylinders. Gotta admit that it's pretty scary going up against a player that has that ability to get the ball downfield very quickly and be able to conserve time. I think it speaks volumes of this defense that they were able to contain Brady long enough and give the offense good opportunities to score points. I think the game ball should go to the entire defensive front seven. The game changing play though was Quentin Groves blocking that punt inside the Patriots 20 yard line which resulted in a TD. Calis Campbell and Daryl Washington did a good job of getting pressure forcing Brady to hurry this throws and make poor decisions.

Offensively, I though we did a decent job, but they also made some critical mistakes which nearly lost the game for us. Kevin Kolb fumbled inside our territory, and Ryan Williams fumbled in a critical situation. I think everyone in Arizona was cursing a storm when that happened. Its a mistake that happened at the WORST possible time. I was almost sure we were going to lose that game. Gostkowski looked like a machine going 4/4; 2 from 50+ yards. I'm just glad he shanked the kick. We certainly were LUCKY to come out with the win.

As for Kevin Kolb he didn't lose it for us, but he sure as hell didn't win it for us either. Going 15/27 and throwing 140 yards in only check downs isn't going to help us win more games. More often that not, Kolb was put in more favorable throwing situations. Cardinals were able to run the ball and get more 3rd and short, not to mention ST played a HUGE role in ball placement. He's eventually going to have to throw down field. One guy who is definitely not happy was Larry Fitzgerald 1 catch for 4 yards. Either way Kolb can't be faulted for winning this game.

The good news is that we are ahead of the 49ers in the division depending one whether or not they lose tonight's game to the Lions. Birdies are streaking....

Now that the smoke has cleared...

AZ Fan #1 — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 07:39:33 -0000

were does this team go from here? With John Skelton out for 2-4 weeks due to a low-ankle sprain, it seems that Kevin Kolb will get the start this Sunday against he Patriots. For the last few days I've been trying to come to fruition with recent events. I'll be the first to admit it when I saw John Skelton go down in the 4th Quarter my stomach sank. What I felt was going to be, "A Season to Remember" came to a screeching halt. I think many fans including myself felt that if Skelton didn't get injured when converting 3rd and 15 on that play to Andre Roberts, he could of rallied this team to a victory. I'm going to give Kevin Kolb credit for rallying this team to victory, he pulled a win right when we needed him to. However, fans need to take under consideration that the Seahawks D did not game plan around Kevin Kolb. There is no question that Kolb looked good going 6-8 66 yards and a TD in the no-huddle, but that was only ONE drive. Granted it was a very important drive, however, I don't think he would have fared any better than Skelton if he had played the entire game.

Looking back at the game last week, I was presently surprised that Skelton started 11-15 and 124 yards in the 1st half. Many thought he couldn't improve 1st half numbers, this proves otherwise. If Skelton can keep this level of consistency in the 1st half, he should be able to manage the 2nd half. That wasn't the case last week.....

After reassessing the Seahawks game, it is no wonder why Skelton's numbers had dramatically declined in the 2nd half. For starters, the run game was non-existent. It was pretty pathetic performance by Ryan Williams, Beanie Wells, and LaRon Stevens-Howling, accumulating only 23 total rushing yards on 17 carries. Our biggest gain was an end-a-round to Andre Robert for a 15 yard gain, and that barely got us anywhere. You can't have a cohesive passing attack without a balance run-game. Besides, wasn't the game plan to run the ball, and not play into this very talented secondary? Regardless if you're getting yards or not, you have to run the ball, you don't just abandon the run if your not getting any yards... you run the ball because you don't want play-calling to be predictable.

Also another assessment is that running the ball gives you the opportunity to manage the clock. We lost the time of possession by nearly 7 minutes!!! If the opposing team defense is getting that much rest, they'll be able to rush the passer more often and more successfully. By not running the ball, we played right into Seattle's hands, we didn't do a good job of running the ball and wearing down the DL, and that is why they were successful at rushing the QB in the 2nd half.

What real BS though is that Skelton's numbers are much better than what fans make it out to be. 2nd half sucked, but I don't think all the accountability could be placed on one player, play-calling was VERY suspect. Why are we passing the ball with a 10 point lead in the 2nd half? Why aren't we running the ball on 2nd and short/goal? Why is Skelton throwing more than he should? The play-calling as I said before was atrocious. POINT BEING: I'm disappointed with the way things have transpired. All we had to do is have Skelton manage the clock, run the ball, and get into short yardage situations. Instead... Skelton was put in too many 3rd and long situations, OL penalties (damn replacement refs and their phantom calls; 10-102 yards), and not running the football. There was no need for it, but it still happened and that's what pisses me off.

Here's what I will say about Kevin Kolb starting... if he wants to prove me wrong, then beat the Patriots on their home turf. I know for a FACT it won't happen, I'm probably the most pragmatic fan ever, but I can realistically say that WON'T happen. And no homers there is no WHAT IF? Kevin Kolb will undoubtedly, irrefutably, get the biggest ass-whoppin' of a lifetime. I will be surprised if Kolb finishes this game with a clean jersey.

Either way, I'm positive we are losing this week's game. Kevin Kolb will most likely be given another opportunity against his former team the Eagles. If Kevin Kolb doesn't win THAT game. I'm done with him.... as should many other fans supporting this team. If he can't beat the team that we traded him for, then that would be a HUGE slap in the face not only to the organization that brought him hear, but to the fans that supported him. We gave up a lot for him (2nd round pick, Pro Bowl CB, and precious cap space) if he doesn't win that game it will just show that he'll NEVER make it as a starting QB in the NFL. I sure hope I'm wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Let Kolb Start....

AZ Fan #1 — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 04:15:31 -0000

I want Kevin Kolb to start next week that way he can remind fans why they wanted him out in the first place. Figure that John Skelton won't be 100% and it would give him time to ale the low ankle sprain. Plus its a game that we are going to lose either way. If anything I think it would be fair to give Kevin Kolb ONE more chance to earn a starting spot which we know he's going to fail miserably, and who better to test his skills against one of the best defenses in football? I say Whisenhunt just gives Kolb next week watch his stock plummet, then restart John Skelton against the Eagles.

Will John Skelton throw 4000+ yards this year?

AZ Fan #1 — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 21:59:25 -0000

I think this is a fair question because if you look at his numbers last year.

2011 Skelton's Numbers:

GP:8|PYD:1913|COMP%:54.7|TD:11|TD%:4.0|INT:14|INT%:5.1|Y/D:7.0|SK:23|QBR:68.9

Look at this projected numbers if he played a full season.

Skelton's projected number if he played the entire 2011-12 season

GP:16|PYD:3826|COMP%:54.7|TD:22|TD%:4.0|INT:28|INT%:5.1|Y/D:7.0|SK:46|QBR:68.9

These number's don't look nearly as impressive, but considering that Skelton posted 1913 passing yard and played half a season him going 4000 yards does not sound so crazy.

So with that in mind do you think he throws over 4000+ yards. I personally think he'll throw around 4200-4400 yards. If he can get his completion percentage to around 60% better I think it is certainly a possibility.

I think this is a fair question because if you look at his numbers last year.

2011 Skelton's Numbers:

GP:8|PYD:1913|COMP%:54.7|TD:11|TD%:4.0|INT:14|INT%:5.1|Y/D:7.0|SK:23|QBR:68.9

Look at this projected numbers if he played a full season.

Skelton's projected number if he played the entire 2011-12 season

GP:16|PYD:3826|COMP%:54.7|TD:22|TD%:4.0|INT:28|INT%:5.1|Y/D:7.0|SK:46|QBR:68.9

These number's don't look nearly as impressive, but considering that Skelton posted 1913 passing yard and played half a season him going 4000 yards does not sound so crazy.

Whisenhunt made the right call.

AZ Fan #1 — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 05:40:20 -0000

I think Ken Whisenhunt starting John Skelton over Kevin Kolb was the right call. This is a case of Whisenhunt going with the what he knows best. Skelton time and time again has shown promise and potential of being a legitimate NFL QB. What the fans want to see is consistency and improvement from him. Looking at the preseason it was pretty apparent that Skelton had full command of the huddle, and showing great poise, and durability in the pocket. His accuracy has seemed to have improved, and most importantly he has shown that he can get off to a great start. Last season it was taking him all the way to the 4th Quarter to get warmed up, now it seems that the defense won't have to compensate for his mistakes as much early in the game. IF Skelton can play every quarter like it was the 4th quarter we could conceivably win every game. Skelton will have more help this year with fully loaded 2-back system once Beanie Wells fully recovers. As long as Skelton can convert on 3rd down and redzone numbers we'll win most of our games, and possibly clinch a playoff berth.

Kolb starting it would be the best thing for Skelton

AZ Fan #1 — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:45:34 -0000

The more I think about it, the more I've realize that if Kevin Kolb does indeed win the starters job, the more it would benefit John Skelton. Ken Whisenhunt is going to give Kolb as many opportunities to succeed, and "giving" Kolb the starters position early in the season would be in the team's best interest. Kolb is already on a very short leash as is, and he has to pull a victory next week vs the Seattle Seahawks to keep his job. Seeing how he fared last year vs the Seahawks (loss 10-13), it is very probable that he falters again this season. Seahawks have gotten better defensively since last year, and they have two of the best safties in the NFL with Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor (who is the closest thing to an Adrian Wilson in the NFL). In any case, if Kolb doesn't lead this team to victory in the first game, then next game against the Patriots in Foxboro will also be an automatic loss. There is noway we beat the Patriots on their home turf.

With that in mind, Whisenhunt is going to give Kolb 2 games to prove himself before he pulls the plug on his starting career. Fans will be calling for Kolb's head and Whisenhunt will be force to make an adjustment at QB early in the season because he cannot afford to go 0-2 early in the season. The good news is that John Skelton will come in at a good situation because the next game will be against the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale. The good think going with Skelton is that he already beat the Eagles at home, and he has never lost a home game. The next game will be the Miami Dolphins at home, and that's another winnable game. We go to St. Louis which is another winnable game there, then come back to Arizona to play the Bills, and finally head to Minnasota to play the Vikings.

So basically after the first 2 games, which Kolb is going to be put in a very bad position if he starts. The next 5 games are very winnable. By the time we face the Niners at home, this team could have built more momentum as well as the overall confidence of Skelton, and the entire team. That's why its more beneficial to John Skelton for Kevin Kolb to start early in the season.

This of course is all theoretical, but I can guarantee you that if Kevin Kolb doesn't have a good game in his first 2 starts he is done. Cardinal fans will boo him off the field that's for sure. They are not going to tolerate another year of Kolb's pathetic performance.

Ryan Lindley To Start For Arizona Cardinals Vs. Broncos

AZ Fan #1 — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:53:12 -0000

Well it seems Ken Whisenhunt will be naming Ryan Lindley as the starting QB in the final preseason game against the Denver Broncos. Whisenhunt already stated that despite the outcome of Lindley's performance he will not be starting in the regular season. Realistically, it would be interesting to see how Lindley performs against a 1 string defense.

Here's my take on Ryan Lindley starting against the Broncos: Seeing how fast the Broncos front seven can come off the edge, and how shaky the OL performance has been, my guess is that he will struggle. Ryan Lindley's high completion percentage and yardage comes from playing 3rd string defense, this is a HUGE leap forward, and I don't think he's ready to make that transition just yet. He is still a project in the making, I think with some experience he'll eventually get acclimated to the speed of the game. I think this will be a good test to see where he's at as a starting QB.

With that being said, John Skelton and Kevin Kolb are still being evaluated. John Skelton still has the lead in this QB race despite the poor outing against the Titans. Whisenhunt still hasn't named a starting QB, and he won't till the end of the Broncos game. My guess is that Whisenhunt already knows who he's going to start, but he does not want the Seahawks to gameplan against whoever he's going to put in. I think this is a great move on his part, but it could create some uncertainly with the rest of the team.

This game was complete BS...

AZ Fan #1 — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 03:40:44 -0000

I'm not going to make excuses for John Skelton, he had a terrible outing I think we can all agree to that; however, this game wasn't his his fault. Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm primarily deserve most of the blame putting in a practice squad LT DJ Young in for the injured Levi Brown. Young got lit up the entire night, couldn't sustain his blocks, and blew multiple assignments. John Skelton needless to say, was not put in a position to succeed. He was raddled early in the game, faced too many 3rd and long situations, and looked as tough he was playing hurt. I think he tried to make the most of a bad situation, but poor protection up front is what contributed to most of the bad game play. His number could of improved too if Todd Heap didn't uncharacteristically drop that wide-open pass, and Jeff King doesn't fall down on that post pattern that resulted in a INT.

As for Kevin Kolb he was up and down the entire night, the adjustment made for D'Anthony Batiste for DJ Young helped. He played like crap till 1:45 in the 2nd Quarter where he was able to go 5/5 80 yards for a TD. It was a good drive, but Titans had their 2nd-tier secondary and Larry Fitzgerald was compensating. That 53 yard throw where Kevin Kolb rolled out to his left to Fitzgerald was a game-changer, 9 times out of 10 that would have resulted in a devastating QB hit, or turnover. He got lucky, but after 3 games he finally got something together.

I'm not going to say Kolb looked good, but he did look decent in tonight's game. The real question is if he can maintain that consistency through a regular the regular season. I ~~personally think~~ KNOW he can't....and that's not being cynical, that's called being pragmatic. Looking at the situation how it currently is, even IF Kevin Kolb wins the starting job he will eventually have to fork it over to John Skelton this season. Why? Its a culmination of three of things.... 1) Kolb still has trouble staying in the pocket, 2) he is injury prone, and 3) he lacks consistency. I really want to see the man improve, but this preseason has shown that he is still the same guy, and defenses will eventually try exploit that as many times as they can.

Either way there is ONE more game left and since neither QB proved their worth so we are going to game 5. Let's hope both of them can have a better showing.

Korn on the Kolb

AZ Fan #1 — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 06:43:39 -0000

After watching last night's game it became apparent to me that Kevin Kolb is not the future of the Arizona Cardinals. I'll admit the guy almost had fooled when he had a great 1st drive. He was throwing the ball making good reads, and best of all he actually STAYED in the pocket. That was until the Raiders started rushing, that's when everything went to hell. Say what you want about the OL, but they aren't to blame for Kolb's lack of confidence. The guy literally flinches under pressure... like he's afraid to get hit. Everyone watching that game knew that he was more worried about getting hit than throwing the ball downfield.

The guy simply could NOT handle the pressure. I mean he looked good when he didn't have a man in his face, but when he had the slightest bit of pressure, he completely breaksdown. It was one screw up after another, and the Raiders KNEW that by rushing Kolb he was going to be unproductive. Its only going to be a matter of time before the rest of the NFL figures out by rushing Kolb ensures them the automatic victory.

What's even worse about it is how BAD he handled the redzone offense, after Kerry Rhodes intercepted Carson Palmer and took it all the way to the 5 yard line. We had to settle for the FG because he was careless with the football, and threw it to an OL, a penalty which set us back several yards. The fact that we weren't able to capitalize off a turnover, shows that Kolb doesn't have the intangibles to be a productive winner.

What bothers me though is that Kolb has yet to take any accountability of his mistakes. He continues say "WE" need to get better. The OL has been taking A LOT of Kevin Kolb's slack, most of which isn't their fault. From what I've seen is that he's getting adequate time and they are opening up seams for him to make throws. John Skelton has won the respect of his teammates because at least he comes out and admits he screwed up, and doesn't group his mistakes with the rest of the team.

At this point I just want Whisenhunt to name John Skelton the starter and be done with it. I'm starting to get tired of this nonsense.

John Skelton favored to start over Kevin Kolb.

AZ Fan #1 — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:58:02 -0000

NFL and ESPN correspondent Adam Schefter report that John Skelton is considered the favorite as the starting QB for the Cardinals. This is coming after Kolb has struggled in training camp and both preseason games. Kolb is expected to start against the Raiders, but if he continues to struggle he might not get another chance to start for a while.

I personally think this is GREAT news... actually this is the BEST news I've heard in nearly a year. I always KNEW the Kevin Kolb deal was a BUST. For starters he doesn't fit in our system, two he was too fragile, and three the guy has terrible pocket poise. Its unfortunate we gave up so much to get him. Now this doesn't mean I hate Kolb, but I just know he'll never be the QB we need him to be. The man is always falling apart, and we can't depend on him to last an entire season.

The fact that Whisenhunt is favoring Skelton for the starters spot, and not Kolb shows that money will be a non-factor. One more week for Kevin Kolb, and if he doesn't improve, fans and coaches will be done with him.

What are your thoughts?

Who won this round?

AZ Fan #1 — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:47:50 -0000

Well this was another terrible outing by Kevin Kolb, this time going 1/5 for 21 yards. At some point he has got to realize that isn't going to win the support of coaches and especially fans. How is this Kevin Kolb any different from the Kevin Kolb we saw last year? It was the same guy who constantly runs out of the pocket and draws in oncoming pressure from the Defense. Lets face it, John Skelton's numbers didn't look very good (3/6, 35 yards and INT), but one thing is for sure.... he definitely showed much more improvement. What really impressed me more about this game was how he was able to handle the pressure despite the OL allowing the pocket to collapse the way it did. One thing is for sure Skelton handled the 1st team MUCH better than Kevin Kolb has thus far. IMO I think that Skelton wins the second round. Now I leave it up to you: Who do you think won this round?

Poll

Who do you think won round 2?

John Skelton

68 votes

Kevin Kolb

3 votes

Tie

31 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed

Who do you WANT to win the starting QB job?

AZ Fan #1 — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 01:55:26 -0000

A recent segment on NFL Total Access, Willie McGinest reports that players in Arizona are "gravitating" towards John Skelton.

This news does not at all sit well with Kevin Kolb considering he is still trying to win the loyalty of his fans, coaches and players.

So raises a huge questions amoung Cardinal fans: Who do you WANT to win the starting QB job? Personally, I'm with the players and rooting for John Skelton to win the starting job this season. I think he has the most upside, overall the better athlete, and takes better command of the huddle than Kevin Kolb. I know I've been anything but Kevin Kolb's biggest supporter; however, I do hope he does well enough to where we can get some trade value for him. Practically speaking, I don't see Kevin Kolb being anything more to this team as a gorified back-up. Skelton on the other hand... I could see us going places.

What's really intriguing about John Skelton though is that he is only 24 years old. He has yet to reach his peak-level, and he has plenty of miles on him. Kolb will be 28 in August, and is nearing the 30 mark... when player performance ususally declines. With all of Kolb's past injuries (mostly concussions) it is highly doubtful that he will be consistent when he reaches his 30's.

I think many fans get caught up in Kolb being a nice-guy, being from a football background, and the amount of money he was given. In football though all of that is irrelevent, what matters is how much you are able to produce on the field. And so far Skelton has been getting it done.

A recent segment on NFL Total Access, Willie McGinest reports that players in Arizona are "gravitating" towards John Skelton. This news does not at all sit well with Kevin Kolb considering he is still trying to win the loyalty of his fans, coaches and players. So raises a huge questions amoung Cardinal fans: Who do you WANT to win the starting QB job? Personally, I'm with the players and rooting for John Skelton to win the starting job this season. I think he has the most upside, overall the better athlete, and takes better command of the huddle than Kevin Kolb. I know I've been anything but Kevin Kolb's biggest supporter; however, I do hope he does well enough to where we can get some trade value for him. Practically speaking, I don't see Kevin Kolb being anything more to this team as a gorified back-up. Skelton on the other hand... I could see us going places. What's really intriguing about John Skelton though is that he is only 24 years old. He has yet to reach his peak-level, and he has plenty of miles on him. Kolb will be 28 in August, and is nearing the 30 mark... when player performance ususally declines. With all of Kolb's past injuries (mostly concussions) it is highly doubtful that he will be consistent when he reaches his 30's. I think many fans get caught up in Kolb being a nice-guy, being from a football background, and the amount of money he was given. In football though all of that is irrelevent, what matters is how much you are able to produce on the field. And so far Skelton has been getting it done.

Poll

Who do you WANT as our starting QB this season?

John Skelton

90 votes

Kevin Kolb

72 votes

162 votes | Poll has closed

If the Haley plan doesn't fall through

AZ Fan #1 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:00:34 -0000

Why don't we go after Kurt Warner, and see if he might want to try his hand at coaching. We've always talked about how great Warner was as a mentor and a leader. Well, there is vacant position at the QB coaching spot, and who better than to have Kurt Warner teach these young guys a thing or two about hurling the ol' pigskin. Its not like we've never talked about it before; many fans were saying this years prior to his retirement. If Warner wants to give coaching a try this would be a good opportunity to leave the broadcast booth and get back onto the field.

Good chance Skelton is the starting QB next year

AZ Fan #1 — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:57:28 -0000

John Skelton isn't the answer at QB... at least not right now. I think we can all agree that he has progressed significantly since last season; however, he still needs some more work. I think an offseason would definitely do him some good (which he didn't have last year). Regarding the QB position, it’s apparent that Kevin Kolb isn't the answer either. I'm sorry (Kolb fans), when you go 1-6 and get bailed out by your back-up then something is definitely wrong. It is not like Kolb is new to the game, he's practically in his 5th year; where QB maturation is supposed to be at his highest. And he has been making questionable decisions all season long, which cost this team a playoff spot. It’s WAY too early to say that Skelton can or cannot be the future of this franchise, but one thing is for certain; in these past few months he's shown that he can make comebacks even when this team was down late in the 4th Quarter. That’s HUGE. When a QB can come through for you like that in the end, good things will eventually come out of it. The good news is that Skelton is only 23 years old, and still has a tremendous amount of upside in his early career. Not a bad pick up considering we got him in the 5th round last season.

Whisenhunt said from the very beginning that he was a "project" when they first drafted him. They knew he had the physical tools and the mental capabilities of an elite QB, but they needed to get him some experience and work him into the playbook. He can make all the throws, and the accuracy is there, but he has to do a better job of reading the defense. That's going to come with more playing time and experience. Right now though he's a work-in-progress and you really can't expect too much out of him. He has been steadily improving despite not having an offseason (the most important time for a QB to develop), lack of first team reps, and a nagging high ankle sprain which he has kept quiet about (probably why his throws are little higher because he isn’t able to set his feet). If you look at his numbers from last year you’ll see a significant improvement.

Completion percentage is something that people need to take notice. Last year he had 47.6%, this year that rose to 54.9% that an improvement +7.3%. Eventhough those aren’t numbers to boast about, it still shows that Skelton has been improving in the past year. He’s also been taking more shots downfield, and a reason why his average yardage has rising from last year. Something that Kolb has yet to do, or possibly can’t do. Either way, him taking risks have either resulted in a HUGE gain, or a turnover. From the looks of these numbers, he’s been winning most of the battles through the air. Once he gets a hold of adequately adjusting to scanning defensive schemes, he’s going to be much tougher to beat. I think the general consensus for the coaching staff going next year will be that his numbers are expected to improve.

Three things that I would love to see him work on this season would be: 1) his decision making in the pocket 2) being able to convert on 3rd downs and 3) REDZONE efficiency. If he can improve on those key elements, then there is no doubt in my mind that he could one day be a good QB. As of right now though I like what I'm seeing out of him, and he definitely has MORE upside than Kevin Kolb at this point of his career.

I think Skelton's numbers could have been better too, because this year's offensive play calling has been horrendous. I don't understand why OC Mike Miller continues to make stupid decision by throwing it on third and short or when we are close to the end zone. Beanie has not being fully utilized this entire year, and BOTH Skelton and Kolb where throwing the ball when they had NO reason to be throwing it to begin with. In the Ravens game when we had the lead, I couldn't understand why Kevin Kolb was trying to throw the ball instead of running the clock. Mike Miller deserves much of the blame because of his inability to convert on 3rd down and extend drives. Both Skelton and Kolb struggled because of stupid play calling, but Skelton handled the job better that's why they had more wins. I don't know if it was the lack of the offseason, but he really screwed offensive production this year with bad play calls, hopefully this year more player become acclimated and grasp his offensive scheme.

As for Kevin Kolb, Cardinals have to find a way of restructuring his contract. There is NOWAY he should get 10 million for a season that he didn't even play half the time. I’m also concerned with his health, concussions are serious, and they can be detrimental to a player’s livelihood. Kolb doesn’t have the body to take serious punishment, and I think he has a little too much pride in himself to give up. While I do respect Kolb for his courage and his admiration for getting back onto the field, I don’t think he should be pushing his body to its limits. Hopefully, Kolb can find some other way to contribute to the game he loves, but as a QB in the NFL it’s not going to happen. I would think that he would best be suited as a future NFL Head Coach one day.

Last week I was disappointed with the outcome, but I'm certainly NOT surprised. Cardinals should find a way to handle the Kolb mess, and find a veteran QB during the offseason, and then give Skelton the opportunity to compete for the starting job (which he'll probably win). People have to show some patience with this kid because he still young and is only going to get better.

I have a GOOD feeling about next year (as long as Kolb is not starting). Right now though, I just want to finish 8-8, and beat the Seahawks this week, and end the season on a good note.