Kurt Warner Retires: The Time Has Come For Leinart

Today the 12 year career of Kurt Warner came to an end. I can't say I'm surprised, but I will say a few things about Warner.

First things first, any debate over whether or not Warner is a Hall of Famer is irrational. Though Warner only had (being generous) six good seasons, five of those seasons resulted in a playoff berth, four of those seasons ended with a Pro Bowl, three of those seasons ended with a Super Bowl berth, two included MVP awards, and one ended with a Super Bowl victory and game MVP award. In other words, when Warner was good he was great.

For his career, his numbers compare well to Troy Aikman's, Jim Kelly's, and Terry Bradshaw's; all Hall of Famers.

To sum things up for Warner, before 2007 he wasn't going to be a Hall of Famer. After 2008 he looked like he was going to be one. Now after 2009, Kurt Warner is definitely a Hall of Famer, and he's one of the rare instances where a players talent may not have been astonishing, but his will and positive attitude helped him achieve the highest level of success there is to achieve in professional football.

I will make one last comment about Warner, and it is a thought to chew on in your head. How much did having Orlando Pace, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Marshall Faulk, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin help Warner get to the Hall of Fame? All were All Pro talents without Warner. Warner was never an All Pro talent without them. I'm not saying Warner doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame, because he does. I'm just wondering if Kerry Collins, Drew Bledsoe, or Vinny Testaverde could have put up the same numbers in the same systems with the same results.

Anyway, the real story in Warner's retirement now becomes Matt Leinart. This past season Leinart had to fill in for Warner a few times and looked "alright," but for the most part his career has been a disaster. And while his draft day partners Vince Young, Reggie Bush, and Jay Cutler haven't exactly been excellent, compared to Leinart they've been Hall of Famers.

Part of the problem for Leinart is that the Cardinals quarterback job has never been "his." In 2006, Leinart's rookie year, he started on the bench but performed well in some instances. Leinart entered 2007 looking to take the next step, but lost his job midway through the season never to regain it. From 2007 to 2009 Kurt Warner revitalized a Cardinals franchise that had been dead for decades, leading the franchise to it's first Super Bowl, and in turn keeping Leinart on the bench.

Now Leinart enters 2010 as the probable candidate to take over the Cardinals quarterback job, and in all reality the franchise has no choice. The Cardinals have invested too much money over the past four seasons in Leinart to not find out if they already have their future quarterback. If the Cardinals can satisfy Boldin's needs, Leinart will inherit the most explosive offense in the NFL in a division that doesn't look to be more difficult in 2010 than it was in 2009.

In other words things are looking good for Matt Leinart.

2010 is actually a big year for all of those 2006 to 2007 quarterbacks. Vince Young and Jay Cutler need to prove themselves in Tennessee and Chicago, a failure in 2010 could lead to a new team in 2011 for either. Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell of the 2007 draft need to prove themselves in 2010 or both will be unemployed come 2011. But nobody has the pressure that Leinart has entering 2010, after all, Leinart is inheriting the undeniable best team of the bunch.

Anything short of a division title next year and Matt Leinart's tenure as the QB in Arizona becomes unsuccessful. The pressure is on for Leinart, the Cardinals coaching staff, and the Cardinals franchise in general to get back to the elite level of the NFC next year.

And that, at the end of the day, is why Kurt Warner was a Hall of Fame quarterback.

Ranking the Heisman Trophy Winners of the 00's

What changed in college football between 1999 and 2009? Somehow the Heisman trophy has transitioned to a Quarterback Club award, but is a quarterback the best Heisman Trophy winner of the decade?

To figure it out I crunched the numbers, the stats, the voting, the wins, and compared all ten Heisman winners. What I didn't do is take into account each players pro (or lack there of) career.

Here is how it turns out:

10. Eric Crouch, Nebraska QB - In one of the worst Heisman races of all time, Nebraska QB Eric Crouch defeated Florida QB Rex Grossman in 2001 to win the award. That season Crouch rushed for over 1,200 yards and passe for over 1,500. He added 18 rushing touchdowns, and 7 passing touchdowns to that mark. Crouch also lead Nebraska to the Rose Bowl where the Cornhuskers would fall to the Miami Hurricanes for the National Championship.

09. Jason White, Oklahoma QB - In a race that included the names Larry Fitzgerald, Eli Manning, Matt Leinart, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger it's pure honor for Jason White to say he won the Heisman Trophy in 2003. There's no denying the White put up the best numbers in the country in at QB in 2003, with over 3,700 yards passing, and a 40 to 8 TD to INT ratio. White's Senior status gave him the edge over Fitzgerald who had an NCAA record of 18 straight games with at least 1 touchdown catch, as well as close to 1,600 yards and 22 TD's on the season.

08. Carson Palmer, USC QB - Palmer play in 2002 lead USC back to prominence as a college football program. It's hard to argue that Palmer deserved the award in 2002, but his chief competition, Penn State running back Larry Johnson, ran for over 2,000 yards that season. Still, Palmers ability to bring a fledgling program back to the limelight helped him with the award.

07. Chris Weinke, Florida State QB - The 28 year old former minor league baseball player picked up the Heisman in 2000 after a close race with Oklahoma QB Josh Heupel, Purdue QB Drew Brees, and TCU RB LaDanian Tomlinson. Despite the still competition, it's hard to argue that Weinke didn't deserve the award, having lead the nation with 4,167 yards, as well as having a 33 to 11 TD to INT ratio. Heupel would go on to defeat Weinke in the National Championship Game that January, while Brees and Tomlinson would go on to have Pro Bowl careers in the NFL, spending their first five seasons as teammates in San Diego.

06. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma QB - In what was considered the best Heisman race of the decade, Sam Bradford edged out 2007's Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow, and Texas QB Colt McCoy. The race was so close, with Bradford coming in second for first place votes (behind Tebow), but racking up enough second place votes to give him the edge over 2nd place McCoy, and 3rd place Tebow. Though he would eventually lose in the national championship to Tebow's Florida Gator team, Bradford deserved the 2008 Heisman trophy. His 4,464 yards with 48 TD's and only 6 INT is incredible. On top of that he added 5 touchdowns on the ground. Bradford would never get the chance to defend his Heisman as his junior year was cut short by injury. He declared himself eligible for the NFL draft later that season.

05. Mark Ingram, Alabama RB - Ingram won the 2009 Heisman in the closest vote of all time, but his receiving the award was well deserved. Despite a list of finalists that included Nebraska NT Ndamukong Suh, 2007 Heisman winner and two time runner up Tim Tebow, 2008 runner up Colt McCoy, and Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, Ingram's performance as the best player on the best team in the country make him worthy of receiving the award. Though Gerhart had better rushing numbers, Ingram's performance in the SEC Championship game solidified him as the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner.

04. Matt Leinart, USC QB - Though it wasn't the best Heisman performance of the decade,
when I think of Heisman QB in the 00's my brain automatically shifts to Matt Leinart. Leinart beat out Adrian Peterson, defending Heisman winner Jason White, Alex Smith, and teammate Reggie Bush, for the award in 2004, and absolutely deserved it. Though he didn't light up the sky, Leinart threw for close to 3,000 yards with 28 TD's and only 6 INT's on the season. More importantly, Leinart became the first (and so far only) player to win the Heisman and the National Championship in the same season in the 00's.

03. Tim Tebow, Florida QB - A year after being an impact player on a national champion as a freshman, Tebow took over the NCAA and won the Heisman as a Sophomore, becoming the first underclassmen to ever win the award. In 2007 Tebow passed for 3,393 yards, 31 TD's, 7 INTs, with 838 yards on the ground, and 22 rushing TD's. Tebow's production in 2007 was astounding, and he'd carry his performance over to a national championship in 2008. Tebow's 2007 was so impressive that he beat out (by a large margin) Hawaii QB Colt Brennan who broke all sorts of NCAA records that season.

02. Troy Smith, Ohio State QB - In the most dominating Heisman poll of the decade, Troy Smith easily won the award in 2006. Smith passed for 30 TD's and just 5 INT's in 2006, while leading the Buckeyes to the national championship where the team would lose to the Florida Gators. Smith beat out Arkansas RB Darren McFadden, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, and Hawaii QB Colt Brennan to easily win the award. His Heisman win still stands as the second-most lopsided in the 75 year history of the trophy.

01. Reggie Bush, USC RB - The third Trojan to win the Heisman in the 00's, Bush was also (easily) the most deserving. His 1,658 rushing yards, 15 rushing TDs, 383 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 570 return yards, and 1 return TD were enough to top stiff competition from Texas QB Vince Young, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, and teammate and defending Heisman winner Matt Leinart. Bush's 784 first place votes were second only to Troy Smith's 801 in 2006 (a less competitive year for the trophy). Bush's performance was enough to make USC look unbeatable heading into that seasons National Championship, but the Trojans dynastic run would end that night at the hands (or legs I suppose) of Heisman runner up Vince Young's Texas Longhorn team.

Thoughts Heading In To Week 12

Kerry Rhodes

I'm in New York right now so I've heard a lot of hoopla about head coach Rex Ryan's benching of safety Kerry Rhodes. This comes after an offseason where Ryan compared Rhodes to future hall of famer Ed Reed. So far this season Rhodes has underachieved (a lot like his fellow Louisville Cardinals of the 00's) picking up zero interceptions through 10 games.

To make matters worse Rhodes got burnt not only by Wes Welker on Sunday (which isn't dishonorable), but also by Laurence Maroney (which is pretty dishonorable).

Personally, I feel as though Rhodes will bounce back and start in 2010, but Rex Ryan's stock keeps falling, and falling, and falling, to the point where he may not have a job after 2010 if Mark Sanchez doesn't take a huge step forward.

Landon Johnson

It's been that kind of year for the Carolina Panthers. After serving the Panthers valiantly in two starts since an injury to standout linebacker Thomas Davis, linebacker Landon Johnson was placed on the IR on Tuesday. This leaves James Anderson as the starter at weak side Linebacker in Carolina.

Whether the Panthers manage a 7-9 or 8-8 record or not (which they probably will) doesn't matter to me. After this season the Panthers need to do whatever it takes to clear house and start over with the new decade. It won't even be too hard to contend in 2010 with a new batch of faces. Most importantly the team needs to finally develop a young complementary receiver to Steve Smith (it's pathetic that Moosh is still asked to be that guy) and they need to find a Quarterback who raise that passing games level play.

As mentioned by Sebastian, a follower of Funk Football, Jason Campbell may be the right guy for that job. John Fox should probably take 2010 off and resurface in 2011. Maybe in the NCAA.

Matt Leinart

In case you were wondering, Kurt Warner plans to play this Sunday, despite being sidelined mid game last week due to a concussion. You have to wonder how much of this has to do with Warner's actual comfort playing this week, and how much has to do with the Cardinals lack of trust in backup quarterback Matt Leinart.

I have no intention to dissect any of Leinart's other two extend appearances in 2009, or from 2006-2008, because it wouldn't be fair. What we can look at are Leinart's numbers last week. Against St. Louis last week I'm sure you heard (from ESPN or some talk Radio show) that Leinart look pretty tentative at times, and made some really high and bad throws. While Leinart was in the Rams also managed to make it a game with the Cardinals.

To be fair to Leinart he was 10 of 14 for 74 yards, 0/0 TD to INT on Sunday. He also hasn't been the focus of a game plan going into a game since 2007, so there's a reason he may not be totally in sync with Boldin and Fitzgerald.

I'm not defending Leinart, but I'm also not going to slam him like everyone else is going to. 10 of 14 and minimal mistakes in relief is all you could ask for from a backup entering a game the coaches didn't plan on him playing in.

Why There's So Much More to Eli vs Brees Than Meets the Eye

It was the year 2004. The New England Patriots had just defeated the Carolina Panthers for the franchises second Super Bowl Championship*, Peyton Manning had just won his second MVP, everyone wondered whether or not Brett Favre would retire, and the San Diego Chargers were the owners of the #1 overall pick for the second time in four years.

Heading into the 2004 NFL draft, San Diego Chargers franchise were still stuck in a post Super Bowl XXIX hangover. The team made the playoffs in 1995, but were defeated at home by Jim Harbaugh and the Colts. The next several years would filled with futility.

In 1998, the franchise drafted Ryan Leaf #2 overall, one pick after Peyton Manning. Heading into the draft there was a lot of debate over who the Colts should take with the #1 overall pick; they selected Manning, the less physically gifted, but far more disciplined player. In the time since Manning would make the Colts a perennial playoff team, while Leaf was off the Chargers roster by 2001; the year the team selected Drew Brees with the #32 overall pick.

From 2001 to 2002 Brees showed signs of eventually developing into a great Quarterback. The Chargers looked like a team improving with each game, and in 2002 the team went 8-8, with Brees starting all 16 games.

2003 was a disaster however, and once again the Chargers landed the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft. With a starting record of 2-9 in 2003, Brees looked as though he'd never pan out to be a full time NFL starter. In 1998 the Chargers missed out on one Manning, in 2004 the franchise had an opportunity to make good and draft Peyton's brother, Eli.

And so they did. And just like that it seemed as though Eli Manning would pull the plug on Drew Brees' tenure as San Diego's QB.

But something happened that April afternoon; Eli, under the guidance of his father, former NFL/NCAA star QB Archie, decided he didn't want to play in San Diego. Eli had learned from his fathers mistake of what happens when you end up with a bad franchise. Archie spent his entire career with a New Orleans Saints team that never got close to good; and both Eli and Archie watched what happened to Brees to and Leaf. In 2004, San Diego was the place where good QB's went to die.

So Eli informed the Chargers that he wasn't going to sign, and the Chargers made a trade which sent Philip Rivers, who the Giants selected #4 overall, to the Chargers in exchange for Eli, and some draft picks.

San Diego didn't have the guy they wanted, but they had a solid QB they thought they could develop, and after the draft they decided they were going to give Rivers time to develop, and let Brees continue to play out his contract.

On the other side of the country were the New York Giants. In 2000 the team went to the Super Bowl with QB Kerry Collins. Since 2000 Collins was a solid, though sometimes erratic QB in Jim Fassel's offense. After a disappointing 2003 season, in which Collins missed the final 3 games of the season, the Giants cut ties with both Collins and Fassel. Collins would end up in Oakland for the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

In June, about six weeks after acquiring Manning, the Giants signed Kurt Warner to a deal. Warner was the league MVP in 1999 and 2001, as well as the Super Bowl MVP in 1999. The Giants figured that the supposed "declining" Warner could serve as the transitional QB to Manning.

Under Warner, the Giants would start the season 4-1, before winning only one of their following 3. At 5-4, it seemed as though Warner was truly declining, and the Giants decided to give up on pursuing .500 and a potential playoff opportunity and figured to let Eli develop instead. The Giants would win only one game in seven tries under Eli, but the torch had officially been passed. Warner signed with the Arizona Cardinals, the final team he started against in 2004, for the 2005 season.

(Note: In 2003 Warner's last game as a starter was against the Giants who he started for the following season in 04. Weird right?)

Meanwhile in San Diego, Drew Brees had developed in a pro QB. With Rivers holding a clipboard, Brees took the Chargers back to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years in 2004. Although they were one and done to the New York Jets, the future was looking bright in SD.

Enter: 2005.

In Arizona, Kurt Warner truly looked finished, as he and the Cardinals would go a putrid 5-11; topped only by Kerry Collins and 4-11, Raiders. In 2006 the Cardinals drafted Matt Leinart to take over for Warner, and Collins headed to Tennessee where he was set to keep the seat warm until Vince Young was ready to steer ship.

In New York, things were looking good. Though the Giants were one and done, Eli had lead the team to an 11-5 record and an NFC East title.

2005 was good for San Diego, but not great. The Chargers would go 9-7, but Brees would earn a spot in the Pro Bowl. Due an injury in the last game of the season, Brees missed the Pro Bowl, and the same injury likely caused the Chargers to decide to let Brees go and hand the keys over to Philip Rivers.

In 2006 both Warner and Collins would due their duty and start the season, then hand the starting job over to Leinart and Young. Leinart looked promising, and Young would go on to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Brees, who had signed with New Orleans for 6 years/60 million (SD offered a 5 years/50 million incentive laden deal) took the Saints to the deepest they'd ever gone in the playoffs.

Rivers and the Chargers won 14 games, though they lost in the divisional round to the Patriots. The same playoffs where Peyton Manning would go on to win the Super Bowl.

Eli and the Giants went back to the playoffs, but like Rivers, were one and done.

In 2007, Warner had a comeback year. Leinart failed to progress as a sophomore, and Warner started 11 games and passed for over 3,000 yards for the first time in six seasons.

Kerry Collins spent most of 2007 on the bench.

Drew Brees and the Saints came down to earth, but more because of the Saints defense than Brees' play.

Philip Rivers and the Chargers made it into the playoffs and in the first round defeated Vince Young's Titans raising questions about Young's ability to play QB at the pro level. In the following round the Chargers would defeat Peyton Manning's Colts. The Chargers would end their season as victory number 18 in the Patriots recording breaking 18-0 run, a run that ended with Eli Manning.

In 2007 pressure began to build for Eli. The New York media began to critique his leadership and ability to win the big game. All of that ended when Eli lead the Giants on a miracle run, which included a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.

The effects of the 2004 NFL Draft came into full form in 2008.

In 2008, Warner and Collins won back their starting jobs. Warner beat out Leinart in training camp, Collins took over after a Vince Young meltdown following week 1. Warner would lead the Cardinals to their first Division championship since moving the Arizona, and Collins would lead the Titans to the best record in the NFL.

Eli and the Giants kept their Super Bowl momentum going, earning the team home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Rivers would lead the league in passer rating, as the Chargers would win the AFC West with an 8-8 record.

And Drew Brees would challenge almost every major passing record as the QB for the Saints.

Warner, Collins, Eli, and Rivers all played in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Only Warner would advance.

Warner would lose in the Super Bowl to another QB from the 2004 draft, Ben Roethlisberger, who the Pittsburgh Steelers took in the first round, after Eli and Rivers were off the board. Rumor has it however, that if the Giants couldn't get Eli, they were going to select Roethlisberger, who they valued over Rivers.

Instead the New York Giants landed Eli Manning and a Super Bowl XLII victory. The Chargers landed Philip Rivers and have been a contender ever since. The Cardinals landed Kurt Warner who helped turn the franchise from the league's worst franchise into one of it's most feared. The Titans landed Kerry Collins who gave the team it's best single season run of the decade. The Saints landed Drew Brees who, like Warner, helped ressurect a fledgling franchise. And the Steelers landed Ben Roethlisberger, who rewarded the team with two Super Bowl rings since 2004.

All because Eli Manning didn't want to play for the Chargers.

So when you watch Eli vs Brees this weekend, think about how these two are linked. Think about How Brees' awful 2003 season has shaped the NFL since. Think about all the names mentioned in this entry.

One thing is for sure though, things worked out pretty well for all six franchises.