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It was a classic Monday night Football meltdown. During the Arizona Cardinals 27-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson was shown by MNF cameras laughing on the sidelines with lineman Deuce Lutui. ESPN announcer and former Raiders coach John Gruden blasted Anderson.
Following the game, a reporter from KTAR asked Anderson about the incident. Anderson blew up at the reporter and took off.
MAX HALL: ALREADY GETTING SACKED AT RECORD LEVELS
How badly does Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt despise his former first round quarterback Matt Leinart? Well, here’s an indication. He’s already benched Derek Anderson, the former Cleveland Browns qb who deposed Leinart.
Former BYU and undrafted quarterback Max Hall will get the start for the Cardinals on Sunday. Hall was sacked six times in relief of Anderson in a blowout loss last week.
LARRY FITZGERALD’S KNEE GETS ICED ON SIDELINE DURING FRIDAY’S PRESEASON GAME
Matt Leinart is the new starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, replacing the retired Kurt Warner. The former USC signal caller spent a ton of his own money recently taking five of his offensive linemen on a Hawaiian vacation.
Here’s how to turn all those teammates back against you in a hurry: Hang the greatest wide receiver in football out to dry with a crappy pass. Leinart almost got star Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald killed or seriously injured against the Houston Texans. Fortunately, an MRI revealed Fitzgerald’s knee injury was only a sprain.
MATT LEINART: KNOWS HOW TO PARTY
DARNELL DOCKETT
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett promises he isn’t going to expose imself or shower online. At least not anymore.
The website SPORTSbyBROOKS first had the story last week that Dockett posted on his Twitter account that he was going to shower live on UStream because of a dare/$1,000 bet. Dockett then followed through and did EXACTLY that. He took his clothes off and showered live on the Internet.
Dockett has now apologized for the incident and says he plans to be smarter in the future.
MATT LEINART: UNBELIEVABLE AGAINST THE PACKERS
According to numerous reports, the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals have apparently spent the entire offseason thinking of ways to discard pretty boy former starting quarterback Matt Leinart.
Leinart is not on coach Ken Whisenhunt’s Christmas card list. The Cardinals signed third-string qb Brian St. Pierre to a big contract extension this summer. They promised St. Pierre a chance to compete for the Cardinals second-string quarterback job. Ever since, the organization has been trying to label Leinart a “bust.” Maybe even run him out of town.
Guess what? Busts don’t throw for 360 yards and three touchdowns IN ONE HALF of an NFL game. Not even in an exhibition game. Not even against third and fourth stringers. That’s precisely what Leinart did over the weekend, lighting up the Green Bay Packers.
Here are the HIGHLIGHTS.
Contrary to popular belief, Leinart, who won a Heisman Trophy and a national championship while at USC, has not been a complete bust in the NFL. He has started exactly 16 NFL games. In those games, Leinart has thrown for 3,164 yards. Those aren’t Kurt Warner numbers, but that’s not exactly “bust” material either. Further, Leinart was 7-9 as a starter on some pretty mediocre Cardinals teams.
Finally, if you’re a “bust” you don’t set the all-time NFL rookie passing record. That’s exactly what Leinart did. He threw for 405 yards against the Minnesota Vikings on November 26, 2006. Don’t believe it? See for yourself.
Leinart may not work out in Arizona and Whisenhunt’s going with Kurt Warner was OBVIOUSLY the right choice since the Cardinals went to the freaking Super Bowl. But, that doesn’t mean Leinart was a bust. He deserves a starting NFL job somewhere.
Incidentally, Leinart has thrown for 517 yards in the equivalent of just over one game of actual playing time. As for St. Pierre? He’s completed just 40% of his passes this preseason. St. Pierre’s quarterback ratings in the two games he played were 13.3 qnd 29.6. He has no touchdowns. Matt Leinarts’s rating this weekend was 109.5.
KURT WARNER RIDES SEGWAY AT ARIZONA CARDINALS TRAINING CAMP
For the third day in a row rumors are circulating that former USC star quarterback and first round draft pick Matt Leinart may actually be demoted to third string by the Arizona Cardinals.
Worse, he may lose his Cardinals backup job to Brian St. Pierre, a lifetime third-stringer who, at 30, has thrown exactly one official NFL pass in seven seasons. St. Pierre told his tiny hometown newspaper, the Newburyport News of Massachusetts, that the Cardinals promised him a chance to actively compete for the team’s second-string quarterback job in training camp. St. Pierre re-signed with Arizona as a free agent this offseason. He says the Cardinals “made it clear I have a future there.”
That’s more than they’ve done for Leinart.
Leinart was the 10th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He wasn’t exactly a bust, throwing for 3,194 yards in 16 starts with 13 td’s before fracturing his collarbone five games into the 2007 season. Leinart was a semi-respectable 7-9 as the Cardinals starter. He even set an NFL record throwing for 405 yards as a rookie quarterback against the Vikings.
But injuries and a coaching change did in Leinart and his chance to be the Cardinals starting quarterback. New head coach Ken Whisenhunt benched Leinart in favor of veteran Kurt Warner. Obviously, it was the right move as Warner threw for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.
Equally obvious was the fact that Whisenhunt never liked Leinart and, since he wasn’t part of the previous regime, had no loyalties or allegiances to the young qb. Leinart had never experienced failure before. He was an absolute stud and legend at USC. Even though he’s still only 26, the Trojans have already retired Leinhart’s jersey where he won a Heisman Trophy and a National Championship.
Unfortunately, as a pro, Leinart has made more news off the field. He guest starred on Desperate Housewives, Punk’d, The Hills and Dancing with the Stars and was featured in a photo spread cavorting with coeds on the website Thedirty.com.
Since being hurt in October of 2007, Leinart has never gotten his job back. He never started another game and has thrown only one NFL touchdown since. Meanwhile, St.Pierre played in all four Cardinals preseason games last year. He completed 24 of 37 passes (64.9%) for two touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
Still, Brian St. Pierre is 30-years-old and has never completed an NFL regular season pass. For Leinart to lose his job TO HIM, despite having a $51 million contract, would be an absolute travesty and mark him as a bust for all time.
MATT LEINHART: SHOWN HERE IN WHAT, THUSFAR, HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS NFL CAREER
ELLIOT VALLEJO
ESPN has an article ranking all 106 players on the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. They attempt to rank the players participating in this year’s Super Bowl from best to worst.
No surprise, ESPN.com has Cardinals stud receiver Larry Fitzgerald as the best player on either team. They have Steelers MVP linebacker James Harrison ranked second with his defensive teammate, possible future Hall-of-Fame safety, Troy Polamalu third. The two quarterbacks were rated as fourth and fifth best. ESPN has Cardinals qb Kurt Warner ranked as better than Ben Roethlisberger.
So, who’s the worst player on either team? According to ESPN, it’s Cardinals first year offensive lineman Elliot Vallejo. It’s hard to argue with the pick or even gauge how good Vallejo is since he’s never gotten into an actual NFL regular season game. Vallejo is an undrafted free agent from Cal-Davis.
IS ELLIOT VALLEJO VOLUNTEERING AT THE SOUP KITCHEN OR EATING THERE?
CARDINALS COACH KEN WHISENHUNT HOISTS NFC CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
The long-hapless Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl. Arizona won the NFC Championship with a 32-25 victory over Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cardinals were led by wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who had an incredible first half, with three touchdown catches.
Quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, completed 21 of 28 passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He was in control and looked like the former Super Bowl MVP he is and coming off a regular season in which he threw for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns. Fitzgerald has already set the NFL postseason record with 419 yards receiving this year and he still has the Super Bowl to play in.
The Cardinals came into this season with only one playoff victory in the franchise’s last 50 years. The Cardinals have the longest championsip drought in professional football. They last won the NFL title in 1947. Although they’ve been around since 1898 (making them the oldest franchise in pro football) that 1947 champiuonship is the only one in club history.
The Cardinals home crowd was incredible. People in Arizona have literally never had anything to cheer for in the history of the franchise. Sunday was different. The sold out crowd was a screaming see of red.
KURT WARNER
LARRY FITZGERALD
PAT TILLMAN
Announcer Chris Collinsworth has called for former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Pat Tillman to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tillman was killed in action in Afghanistan while fighting for the Army Rangers during 2004.
Collinsworth made his plea during NBC’s Saturday’s broadcast of the Arizona Cardinals-Atlanta Falcons game. The Cardinals won the game 30-24. They have already honored Tillman and retired his jersey. The Cardinals also inducted him into the team’s Ring of Honor.
Tillman turned down a multi-million dollar contract as a professional football player to serve his country after 9/11. He became the first pro football player to be killed in action during wartime since Bob Kalsu of the Buffalo Bills. Kalso was killed in Vietnam in 1970.
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