Gunzlingr
10-03-2007, 03:21 PM
It's hard not to be intrigued with the little twist the Arizona Cardinals are putting on their two-back offense this season. Two quarterbacks, that is.
Edgerrin James has received almost every rushing carry in the desert through four weeks, but the guy handing him the ball keeps changing. Second-year quarterback Matt Leinart is head coach Ken Whisenhunt's guy when the Cardinals start the game, or have a lead to protect. But in an unconventional approach that has worked like magic the past two weeks, Whisenhunt goes with veteran quarterback Kurt Warner if Arizona falls behind and needs an injection of no-huddle offense.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say Whisenhunt is stealing a page out of Tony LaRussa's book and looking for the best possible lefty, righty matchup depending on the game situation. All I know is it has worked so far, with Arizona upsetting undefeated Pittsburgh 21-14 Sunday, and erasing a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit at Baltimore in Week 3 -- a game the Cardinals narrowly lost 26-23.
Leinart is starting to voice his frustration with the quarterback rotation, but that doesn't mean Arizona is ready to walk away from the approach that is at least partially responsible for the Cardinals 2-2 record, tying their best four-game start in the 20 seasons since moving from St. Louis.
More... (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/10/02/week4/index.html)
Edgerrin James has received almost every rushing carry in the desert through four weeks, but the guy handing him the ball keeps changing. Second-year quarterback Matt Leinart is head coach Ken Whisenhunt's guy when the Cardinals start the game, or have a lead to protect. But in an unconventional approach that has worked like magic the past two weeks, Whisenhunt goes with veteran quarterback Kurt Warner if Arizona falls behind and needs an injection of no-huddle offense.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say Whisenhunt is stealing a page out of Tony LaRussa's book and looking for the best possible lefty, righty matchup depending on the game situation. All I know is it has worked so far, with Arizona upsetting undefeated Pittsburgh 21-14 Sunday, and erasing a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit at Baltimore in Week 3 -- a game the Cardinals narrowly lost 26-23.
Leinart is starting to voice his frustration with the quarterback rotation, but that doesn't mean Arizona is ready to walk away from the approach that is at least partially responsible for the Cardinals 2-2 record, tying their best four-game start in the 20 seasons since moving from St. Louis.
More... (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/10/02/week4/index.html)