rovolution
05-27-2008, 12:58 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ArfiQPzqS.743lOrkIzsM6JDubYF?slug=leinar tyoungneedtolooksh&prov=tsn&type=lgns
For young quarterbacks like Matt Leinart of the Cardinals and Vince Young of the Titans, life is not always picture-perfect.
Both players have been recent victims of this snapshot age, where things done in public or private can become Internet fodder. Pictures of Leinart partying with several young ladies in a hot tub found their way onto websites. So did pictures of a shirtless Young, partying and drinking from a bottle at an Austin nightclub.
To make any assumptions about Leinart’s or Young’s work ethic, based on a few pictures, is unfair. However, it’s not unfair to say Leinart and Young have reached a pivotal point in their NFL careers.
Both have thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes. And neither Young nor Leinart has been better than Jay Cutler of the Broncos, a quarterback taken later (No. 11) than both Young (No. 3) and Leinart (No. 10) in the 2006 draft.
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At this point, Leinart has more to prove than Young. Leinart’s career will be headed in the wrong direction if he fails to secure the starting job this season. Kurt Warner will turn 37 in June. He played well last season, but his best days have passed. This should be Leinart’s time.
Word from Arizona is that Leinart is working hard on his footwork, studying film, lifting weights. He’d better be. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt will give Leinart only what he earns. Not only does Whisenhunt need to win, he has no reason for blind loyalty to Leinart because he was not the coach when Leinart was drafted.
Leinart was limited to just five games in 2007 because of a broken collarbone. That hampered his progress. But even before the injury, Leinart was struggling. His completion percentage, yards per completion and quarterback rating were all lower than in his rookie season.
Because Leinart does not have overwhelming arm strength, he must improve his throwing accuracy and ability to read defenses. The Cardinals already have franchise receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. It is time for Leinart to play more like a franchise quarterback.
It is harder to criticize Young because he has been a winning quarterback with the Titans. However, if coach Jeff Fisher were satisfied with Young’s development, he would not have fired offensive coordinator Norm Chow and replaced him with Mike Heimerdinger.
The Titans made the playoffs last season, and Young has shown leadership qualities that motivate teammates, plus an ability to make game-winning plays with his arm and legs. But Young is coming off a season in which he threw nine touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The Titans ranked 22nd in the NFL in scoring, and there is a reason their kicker, Rob Bironas, went to the Pro Bowl. Once the Titans reached the red zone, they had trouble reaching the end zone.
The Titans had 543 rushing attempts last season, more than any other team in the NFL. Their offense needs more balance for them to make the leap from playoff team to Super Bowl team. Yet, their decisions to draft running back Chris Johnson in the first round and not to draft a receiver until the fourth round are telling. It means the Titans still plan to emphasize the running game, featuring LenDale White and Johnson. It also means the team is not convinced Young is ready to carry more of the offense.
Merril Hoge, an NFL analyst for ESPN, has gained a reputation as a Vince Young basher. But Hoge is not about to back off on Young—or Leinart.
“It’s not about me liking, or not liking, Vince Young personally,” says Hoge. “Vince Young is not an accurate thrower, and I’ve never seen a quarterback who was not very accurate become very accurate.
“Leinart is a guy who played on teams that always had superior talent in college. Now that’s no longer the case, and his weaknesses are being exposed. I wouldn’t have drafted either one in the first round.”
Eli Manning silenced many critics in 2007, and Young and Leinart can still do the same. However, the upcoming season, not Internet photos, will give us a much clearer picture as to where both quarterbacks are headed.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
Brilliant quote by Merrill Hodge. I had been screaming that since the 2006 draft. Pretty Boy is nothing more than Joe Flacco minus the arm strength. He was a 2nd Round choice at best IMO.
Vince has proven nothing in the league as a QB. He was a great RB in 2006 who threw the occasional pass, but i have serious doubts about him.
Be thankful Bronco Fans we got the best passer out of that draft by far.
For young quarterbacks like Matt Leinart of the Cardinals and Vince Young of the Titans, life is not always picture-perfect.
Both players have been recent victims of this snapshot age, where things done in public or private can become Internet fodder. Pictures of Leinart partying with several young ladies in a hot tub found their way onto websites. So did pictures of a shirtless Young, partying and drinking from a bottle at an Austin nightclub.
To make any assumptions about Leinart’s or Young’s work ethic, based on a few pictures, is unfair. However, it’s not unfair to say Leinart and Young have reached a pivotal point in their NFL careers.
Both have thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes. And neither Young nor Leinart has been better than Jay Cutler of the Broncos, a quarterback taken later (No. 11) than both Young (No. 3) and Leinart (No. 10) in the 2006 draft.
ADVERTISEMENT
At this point, Leinart has more to prove than Young. Leinart’s career will be headed in the wrong direction if he fails to secure the starting job this season. Kurt Warner will turn 37 in June. He played well last season, but his best days have passed. This should be Leinart’s time.
Word from Arizona is that Leinart is working hard on his footwork, studying film, lifting weights. He’d better be. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt will give Leinart only what he earns. Not only does Whisenhunt need to win, he has no reason for blind loyalty to Leinart because he was not the coach when Leinart was drafted.
Leinart was limited to just five games in 2007 because of a broken collarbone. That hampered his progress. But even before the injury, Leinart was struggling. His completion percentage, yards per completion and quarterback rating were all lower than in his rookie season.
Because Leinart does not have overwhelming arm strength, he must improve his throwing accuracy and ability to read defenses. The Cardinals already have franchise receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. It is time for Leinart to play more like a franchise quarterback.
It is harder to criticize Young because he has been a winning quarterback with the Titans. However, if coach Jeff Fisher were satisfied with Young’s development, he would not have fired offensive coordinator Norm Chow and replaced him with Mike Heimerdinger.
The Titans made the playoffs last season, and Young has shown leadership qualities that motivate teammates, plus an ability to make game-winning plays with his arm and legs. But Young is coming off a season in which he threw nine touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The Titans ranked 22nd in the NFL in scoring, and there is a reason their kicker, Rob Bironas, went to the Pro Bowl. Once the Titans reached the red zone, they had trouble reaching the end zone.
The Titans had 543 rushing attempts last season, more than any other team in the NFL. Their offense needs more balance for them to make the leap from playoff team to Super Bowl team. Yet, their decisions to draft running back Chris Johnson in the first round and not to draft a receiver until the fourth round are telling. It means the Titans still plan to emphasize the running game, featuring LenDale White and Johnson. It also means the team is not convinced Young is ready to carry more of the offense.
Merril Hoge, an NFL analyst for ESPN, has gained a reputation as a Vince Young basher. But Hoge is not about to back off on Young—or Leinart.
“It’s not about me liking, or not liking, Vince Young personally,” says Hoge. “Vince Young is not an accurate thrower, and I’ve never seen a quarterback who was not very accurate become very accurate.
“Leinart is a guy who played on teams that always had superior talent in college. Now that’s no longer the case, and his weaknesses are being exposed. I wouldn’t have drafted either one in the first round.”
Eli Manning silenced many critics in 2007, and Young and Leinart can still do the same. However, the upcoming season, not Internet photos, will give us a much clearer picture as to where both quarterbacks are headed.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
Brilliant quote by Merrill Hodge. I had been screaming that since the 2006 draft. Pretty Boy is nothing more than Joe Flacco minus the arm strength. He was a 2nd Round choice at best IMO.
Vince has proven nothing in the league as a QB. He was a great RB in 2006 who threw the occasional pass, but i have serious doubts about him.
Be thankful Bronco Fans we got the best passer out of that draft by far.