Bobby Petrino has a message: decent isn’t good enough.
At least that’s how many are interpreting his decision to replace Joey Harrington in the lineup, despite Harrington’s 80+ quarterback rating. The Atlanta head coach came to the decision after watching his offense stumble through another loss, pushing the Falcons’ overall record to 1-5.
“That’s the big part of it,” the coach said. “We need to make a change and get something going.”
Harrington has thrown 4 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions this season in 195 attempts. Byron Leftwich, widely considered a disappointment in the eyes of the Jacksonville faithful, has thrown 8 passes this season and one interception. His rating: a 2.1. Granted, that’s not a fair measuring stick in this instance, but the point is obvious: neither quarterback is a great option. Petrino might want to spark his offense, but I’m not sure Leftwich is the answer.
Harrington, a more mobile quarterback, has been sacked 21 times this season. I think the Falcons should take a long look at their offensive line, which, incidentally, supports the league’s 21st ranked rushing attack.
A bigger concern associated with Leftwich is his health. The former Jaguar has never played 16 games and his statline shows an alarming trend if you look at the number of games he has played each season of his career: 2003 (15), 2004 (14), 2005 (11), 2006 (6). It’s one reason Jacksonville gave up on him and instead opted to start David Garrard (a move that has benefited the team greatly).
The Falcons next play Sunday at a struggling New Orleans team. It might be the matchup Atlanta needs to cut loose the offense and get things going in the right direction. Leftwich is a spot starter for that game because of the matchup, and he should be treated as a week-by-week candidate throughout the year because (a) the talent around him is weak and (b) he’s a risk to end up on the IR any given week.
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