Other teams cuts - and the obvious should we get them question.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Defensewins

One huge factor in QB stat comparison is Leinart played on a good playoff Cardinal team and Anderson played on one of the worst teams in the NFL. Throwing to Boldin and Fitzy is a little easier.
I understand the need to compare stats, especially with QB's. But as we have mentioned so many times before stats are a just a fraction of the entire picture. Especially with QB's.
What I mean by that is Leinart or any Qb can completes a 10 yard completion which statically is a big positive. But what gets missed is on that same play another reciever was running wide open for 20 yards further down and woud have been an easy TD and coaches will grade that as a big minus. It was a major blown opportunity. It is what the QB's do with the ball and where they choose to throw it to that is not reflected in the stats and is what is downgrading Leinart the checkdown king. It is not just TD's, Int's, and completion %'s and all the other stats.
When I watch Leinart play I am nor impressed at all. Regardless of Anderson.
Leinart is not comfortable and does not see the entire NFL field.

It could be seen as nitpicking, but it's not: Leinart didn't play on a good Cardinals team. He was the backup QB on a good Cardinals team, who started just one game on two teams that went to the playoffs. Leinart played on a Cardinals team every bit as bad as the worst Browns teams in the last decade, and a lot worse than the 2007 Browns offense, which was pretty good independent of it's quarterback, if only for ten games. Boldin was already a very good receiver when Leinart got in (and his stats reflect that), but Fitzgerald became an elite player in the 2008 playoffs, well after Leinart was buried, and certainly not because of Leinart.

I also really don't like the argument about quarterbacks seeing the field or not. Didn't like it with Campbell, and don't like it with Leinart because it assumes far too much. Even if there is a field vision problem, the only thing that fans can do (and game tape does not help with this) is presuppose that it's correct. And that's fallacious thinking.

For example, I can say from game tape that Mark Sanchez absolutely can't throw to his left. He's terrible there, both on film and on the stat sheet. There's nothing, however, to suggest that he has a vision problem to the left side. That's possible, but assuming as much would be wrong.

With that said, Leinart likely is who he is. He's a very good backup in this league, and probably a marginal starter. He may just be Jason Campbell, without the running ability to extend drives when you have coverages that can take away your best targets on third down. And ultimately, the Cards are going to have to try to improve on that.

But I disagree with Ken Whisenhunt (who has certainly earned the right to guess wrong at least once with his QB) that this decision can be made independent of Derek Anderson. Because that's who you have. I don't think he's necessarily wrong on Leinart, but this is how you take the revenue gained from at least making the playoffs in an absolute gimme division, and cost your franchise that revenue: by making decisions like this one.

And I think your points here are good ones: the best QBs take their shots at the deeper plays when they need to. But while it's safe to assume that Larry Fitzgerald is going to get open downfield a couple times a game no matter what coverage the other teams play, it's not going to be Derek Anderson's added ability to find him that makes the difference in the Cards season. It's going to be the negative plays that Anderson routinely makes on plays where Fitzgerald is well-covered that will have them losing a game for every one they win.