Kurt Warner's getting another chance

[Listener]

Well, according to an article I read on Yahoo Sports, Kurt Warner gets to start this Sunday.

WHY?

Dennis Green is a great coach in all areas except the quarterback position.  Josh McCown won them their only game and very nearly led the team to a defeat of Carolina, which has a habit of self-destructing toward the end of the game before pulling it out in the final minutes.  Warner's three starts?  All losses.  McCown is 1-1 this season, and he was the QB in all the games the Cardinals won last year -- neither Shaun King or John Navarre won any games in their starts.

Gus Frerotte is 2-3.  He's not getting benched.

David Carr is 0-5.  He's not getting benched.

Kerry Collins is 1-4.  He's not getting benched.

No, only Dennis Green would bench a healthy, proven quarterback in favor of an 0-3 quarterback.

I really feel for Josh McCown.  He's not quite as good as some other starting QBs, but he's the best the Cardinals have, and Green should go with him.

[VikingJuice]

Well, according to an article I read on Yahoo Sports, Kurt Warner gets to start this Sunday.

WHY?

Dennis Green is a great coach in all areas except the quarterback position.  Josh McCown won them their only game and very nearly led the team to a defeat of Carolina, which has a habit of self-destructing toward the end of the game before pulling it out in the final minutes.  Warner's three starts?  All losses.  McCown is 1-1 this season, and he was the QB in all the games the Cardinals won last year -- neither Shaun King or John Navarre won any games in their starts.

Gus Frerotte is 2-3.  He's not getting benched.

David Carr is 0-5.  He's not getting benched.

Kerry Collins is 1-4.  He's not getting benched.

No, only Dennis Green would bench a healthy, proven quarterback in favor of an 0-3 quarterback.

I really feel for Josh McCown.  He's not quite as good as some other starting QBs, but he's the best the Cardinals have, and Green should go with him.

King and Navarre suck.  Frerotte, Carr, and Collins(probably but he doesn't block or run so it's hard to say for sure) would all be on the bench if there was a better option to go to.  Those backups would be respectively: Sage Rosenfels, Tony(I suck) Banks-yes that's his official name according to anyone who asks me, and Marquis Tuiososopo(cause Andrew Walter isn't ready yet).  None of those guys are favorable options.

I agree with you that I think Warner's career is long past being done.  He was damaged goods his last season in St. Louis and has just continued to decline since.  I don't understand Denny Green.  He and Brian Billick, who used to work together in Minnesota I might add, are both quite bizarre when it comes to evaluating QB's.  If you could remove that one authority from them and put someone else in charge of quarterback personnel, both would probably have won multiple Super Bowls by now.  I just don't get them.

McCown is the best option they have right now and he should start the whole damned season.  Let him take his lumps, and see if, over the course of a full season, if he's got it.  If he doesn't, move on.  But at least they would know.  Instead, they play him like he's on a carousel only playing in 3 and 4 game stints.  It reminds of the crap that Wayne Fontes used to do in Detroit in the early 90's.  It was three card monty with Erik Kramer, Andre Ware and Rodney Peete.  None stood out more than the other, none was allowed to really develop, and as a result, none lasted in the league with any one team for very long.  I fear that McCown's fate will be just like theirs.

I do understand the hesitation with McCown.  His best asset is his arm(he threw 100 passes of 50+ yards in the combine a few years back and then on his 51st throw, lobbed one 90 yards).  His worst liability is his head because he hasn't learned to read defenses yet and takes too many ill-chosen chances.  But if the guy never gets a sustained chance to prove himself, he will NEVER develop beyond those current limitations.

[Listener]

McCown is the best option they have right now and he should start the whole damned season.  Let him take his lumps, and see if, over the course of a full season, if he's got it.  If he doesn't, move on.  But at least they would know.  Instead, they play him like he's on a carousel only playing in 3 and 4 game stints.  It reminds of the crap that Wayne Fontes used to do in Detroit in the early 90's.  It was three card monty with Erik Kramer, Andre Ware and Rodney Peete.  None stood out more than the other, none was allowed to really develop, and as a result, none lasted in the league with any one team for very long.  I fear that McCown's fate will be just like theirs.

I have Andre Ware's rookie card somewhere.  Probably not worth much.

It's in the same box as Junior Seau's, which might be worth a tad more in a few decades.

[Bennyhana]

Whenever I catch myself thinking that a coach should put one player in over another, I try to remind myself that they actually know the PERSON, and not the stats, and that the coaches do what they do as their LIVING, and not just a Sunday distraction.

That being said, It's really hard not to criticize when you see coaches making suspect decisions that fail.  My observation with that was  back in 2003 when the Bears were a good team, and they had been winning up a storm with Shane Matthews at QB after Jim Miller got injured.  Miller came back in the playoffs, and the team choked.  I think it would be interesting to hear the REAL, honest reasons these coaches made the decisions they did.  Was it a gut reaction?  Was it based on personality?  Pressure from management?  Who knows.

[VikingJuice]

McCown is the best option they have right now and he should start the whole damned season.  Let him take his lumps, and see if, over the course of a full season, if he's got it.  If he doesn't, move on.  But at least they would know.  Instead, they play him like he's on a carousel only playing in 3 and 4 game stints.  It reminds of the crap that Wayne Fontes used to do in Detroit in the early 90's.  It was three card monty with Erik Kramer, Andre Ware and Rodney Peete.  None stood out more than the other, none was allowed to really develop, and as a result, none lasted in the league with any one team for very long.  I fear that McCown's fate will be just like theirs.

I have Andre Ware's rookie card somewhere.  Probably not worth much.

It's in the same box as Junior Seau's, which might be worth a tad more in a few decades.

Yeah, I once traded for a Ware RC(currently $.15) for a Barry Sanders Green($40), Barry Sanders Red($10) and John Elway($140) rookies.  I'd kick myself in the nuts if I could reach.  I can't believe I was ever that stupid.

[VikingJuice]

Whenever I catch myself thinking that a coach should put one player in over another, I try to remind myself that they actually know the PERSON, and not the stats, and that the coaches do what they do as their LIVING, and not just a Sunday distraction.

That being said, It's really hard not to criticize when you see coaches making suspect decisions that fail.  My observation with that was  back in 2003 when the Bears were a good team, and they had been winning up a storm with Shane Matthews at QB after Jim Miller got injured.  Miller came back in the playoffs, and the team choked.  I think it would be interesting to hear the REAL, honest reasons these coaches made the decisions they did.  Was it a gut reaction?  Was it based on personality?  Pressure from management?  Who knows.

It's 'cause Ron Turner is an idiot!  Just my two cents.

[Bennyhana]

yes, Ron Turner is an idiot.  However, at the time it was John Shoop, another idiot, who had the Offensive Coordinator job.

[VikingJuice]

yes, Ron Turner is an idiot.  However, at the time it was John Shoop, another idiot, who had the Offensive Coordinator job.

I thought Shoop got canned after the '02 Debacle.

[Jessie]

yes, Ron Turner is an idiot.  However, at the time it was John Shoop, another idiot, who had the Offensive Coordinator job.

I thought Shoop got canned after the '02 Debacle.