The Leinart Factor (and why the Cardinals are better off since his injury)

by Tom V.

I’m a big fan of Matt Leinart, so it’s hard for me to say this. But here goes: the Cardinals are better off since his season-ending injury. It’s true. Arizona lucked out when Leinart broke his collarbone, leaving the offense in the hands of Kurt Warner; a very capable Kurt Warner, I might add.

Need some proof?

Kurt Warner is better than Matt Leinart. At the stage both these players are at, it’s not even a contest. Kurt Warner has more experience, something that Leinart can gain only through time playing in the NFL. The problem is, the Cardinals are a contender this season. They obviously don’t want to wait until Leinart matures in a couple seasons, evidenced by the dual-quarterback scheme. Ken Whisenhunt wants to win now, and Kurt Warner gives the Cardinals the best opportunity to do that.

Look at the numbers: though he’s thrown 43 fewer passes, Kurt Warner has two more touchdown passes this season and is only 67 yards behind Leinart. And he has three fewer interceptions and his quarterback rating is more than 40 points better. Point is, Warner wins ballgames that would otherwise overwhelm Leinart.

It ends the “controversy.” For those of you who thought controversy was brewing, you don’t need to worry anymore. With Leinart sidelined for the rest of the season, the job is Kurt Warner’s. No more unconventional dual-quarterbacking, a system that seems doomed to fail. Fans don’t need to worry about potential riffs in the locker room, and fantasy owners can rest easy if Kurt Warner is on their rosters.

It also means Leinart’s confidence can remain intact. No one knows if he was hurt at all by the decision to play Warner over him, but now he doesn’t need to worry about anything but rehab.

This was win-win for everyone. Okay, so Matt Leinart’s probably not happy. But Whisenhunt can rest easy knowing Warner is in control of the offense, fans don’t need to worry about a controversy, and the Cardinals are a better team. Leinart’s injury isn’t the best thing for the franchise, but it seems like this is going to work out after all.