Derek Anderson - Awful, awful QB play (1 Viewer)

[SammyJankis]

To anyone that didn't watch the Cards-Rams game, you might be thinking that Anderson had a decent game. Heck, even John Lynch who covered the game, kept referring to Anderson having a good game and praised his courage to hang in there in the pocket. He's listed in the upgrades section this week in the FBG email.

I'm a die-hard Cards fan and I was horrified. Where do I start:

- His accuracy looked as bad as, if not, worse than with the Browns. All kinds of passes were thrown behind players, at the feet of players, etc.

- He demonstrated a complete lack of touch. The good news is that he has a cannon. The bad news is that he throws every ball 100 mph.

- He turned the ball over. His fumble likely would have lost the game, had Steve Breaston not raced down the field and recovered on the goal line after the Rams player fumbled it back.

- He displayed a complete lack of chemistry with Fitz. Yes he threw a TD on a play where Fitz was wide open. However, for the rest of the game, he continously tried to feed Fitz and they were not on the same page. At one point in the game, if memory serves, Fitz had 15 targets and 3 completions.

I was really optimistic about the Cards this year. I think their defense is really underrated. I like the idea of a committment to the run game. I knew that everything hinged on the QB play, and let me tell you I'm horrified.

I spend a good amount of time on the ASFN message board (local Cards message board), and let me tell you that the vast majority of Cards fans share my sentiment. (Caveat: They're a pessimistic bunch.)

A lot of this got washed away in the "hey its week 1, we got a win" emotion, but the upcoming schedule gets much tougher. (Falcons, Saints, etc.) We don't get the Rams every week. If Anderson continues to play this way, the Cards are going to lose and lose badly.

My feeling here is that the over/under on when the Derek Anderson experiment ends is week 5. Once we go to Max Hall (and that might be a good long term move), its going to be tough going for the offense and any Cards FF players this season.

Just a warning. As a Cards homer, I think DA is going to sink the value of any Cards FF players for the duration. (Though I pray I'm wrong.)

 

[Godsbrother]

Fitz owner here. I agree DA sucks but it is only week 1 and it may take a little while to establish some chemistry with his receivers. As it is I got 11.8 pts out of Fitz so I was happy enough...

 

[VaCatFan]

I see what you're saying. Strange thing is, his pass completion to the rest of the receivers and running backs wasn't that bad.

Overall to the receivers, he was 15/31 including 3/15 to Fitz, but.....

he was 12/16 to the rest of the receivers including 7/7 to Breaston and 19/26 for the team (not including Fitz).

How can he be so out of sync with Fitz and be hitting 75% to the rest of the receivers and running backs?

Not disputing what you're saying as you are a Cards fan. Just really strange to see the stats be so off.

 

[SammyJankis]

One other note: Doucet and Roberts are hurt and it was reported that Fitz is still gimpy.

 

[KnowledgeReignsSupreme]

He had no problems hitting Breaston all game.

 

[Da Guru]

Who would have thunk it..but the Cards may rue the day they cut Leinart.

 

[aesclepius]

Who would have thunk it..but the Cards may rue the day they cut Leinart.

No way. Anderson may not be the answer, but Leinart definitely wasn't. He had every chance to succeed, and he blew it.

 

[DoubleG]

He had no problems hitting Breaston all game.

Somewhere I read something like "Anderson misses open WRs like only he can" or some such drivel. Yet Breaston was 7 catches on 7 targets. That seems odd to me. I wonder if Fitz's injury has slowed him just enough to make it more difficult for him to jump/fight/run to the ball as he normally does. I'm not saying by any stretch that Anderson is a good QB - just thought the 7-of-7 to Breaston while Fitz seemed to struggle would indicate that the problem was more of "both/and" than "either/or" situation in regards to where some of the reason for the poor showing on Fitz's part.

 

[mbuehner]

Its funny, Fitzy owners saw a completely different game than everyone else. Its a GOOD thing that he has room for improvement after throwing for 300 yards on the road. If anything DA showed he's a strong horse for a QBBC stable, and a great value in any leagues that you dont have to pick starters.

 

[the spanker]

Fitz owners,

Wouldn't it be smart to go after Breaston in a trade since Fitz is gimpy and the other WRs are banged up?

 

[Inspiration]

Its funny, Fitzy owners saw a completely different game than everyone else. Its a GOOD thing that he has room for improvement after throwing for 300 yards on the road. If anything DA showed he's a strong horse for a QBBC stable, and a great value in any leagues that you dont have to pick starters.

Did you watch the game?

 

[thehornet]

DA wasnt that bad. Rotoworld is roasting him because they massively exaggerate the game play of the players they endorse and dislike (it goes both ways).

let me add, yeah, DA is a bad qb. but he's not the worst. people tend to blow a guy up more than he deserves when the going is tough. DA while bad is also a scapegoat for many fans, beat writers, message board posters, ff ballers, cardinal management and coaching alike.

 

[kutta]

I was at the game (road trip to St. Louis - good times). I agree 100% with the OP. Anderson consistently missed open receivers, and the receivers were constantly diving for the ball. He rarely hit anyone in stride down the field.

I think the Cards will be lucky to win six games this year, and what was left of my enthusiasm for Cardinals offensive players is quickly diminishing.

 

[shakaka]

The main problem regarding Fitz is that he was clearly not at full speed. There were a few potential big plays where Fitz just couldn't get to the ball like he normally does. But yeah, the QB didn't look very good overall when he had to lead guys accurately, hobbled WR or not. Hopefully Beanie comes back full strength and helps loosen the coverage a bit. Hightower is a scrub who only gets yards on draw plays in passing situations. He should be thanking his deity that Beanie had a knee booboo.

 

[todisco1]

I was at the game (road trip to St. Louis - good times). I agree 100% with the OP. Anderson consistently missed open receivers, and the receivers were constantly diving for the ball. He rarely hit anyone in stride down the field. I think the Cards will be lucky to win six games this year, and what was left of my enthusiasm for Cardinals offensive players is quickly diminishing.

How did Breaston do so well if Anderson was that bad? I didn't see the game so I can't judge either way, but it's weird that Breaston had a great game and caught all his targets, yet many are saying Anderson couldn't hit the side of a barn he was so bad. Were his throws to Breaston good but to everyone else they were horrible?

 

[damageinc]

I watched the game and Anderson was absolutley awful. There were 4-5 throws that should have been picks. A better team would have made him look silly. Fitgerald was visibly upset a few times at the throws which were 10 yards off course. The backkup QB had his helmet on at one point and I thought he was coming in. If Da had some accuracy he would be a must start with the weapons he has . Fitz, Breaston, This kid Williams and a pass catching RB in hightower.

Some blurbs from the papers after the game. Brutal stuff.

ST. LOUIS -- Somewhere in Houston, Matt Leinart was laughing.

Through three quarters Sunday, Derek Anderson had sprayed enough passes around the Edward Jones Dome and missed enough open receivers to give the sad-sack St. Louis Rams -- already buoyed by the debut of quarterback Sam Bradford -- reason to believe a rare victory was within their grasps.

ow on to Derek Anderson, whose ragged performance didn't exactly inspire civic trust. Some of his throws probably made you fling objects at the television, and I'm guessing your accuracy was better than his.

"I missed some chip shots," Anderson said. "It was like missing a 4-foot birdie (putt) on a few of them."

At one point, you could almost hear Larry Fitzgerald's body language screaming for Kurt Warner. You could feel the belief leaking out of the team like a punctured tire. You could hear Matt Leinart laughing all the way from Houston.

There was one particularly awful moment in the first half. Just before a third-down snap, Whisenhunt called a timeout. Apparently he didn't like what he saw and dialed up another play. It was sheer genius, a tweaking of Xs and Os that allowed Fitzgerald to burst free behind the secondary. Alas, Anderson threw an uncatchable pass that was all smoke and no touch. Fitzgerald ended up on his stomach, staring at the end zone in disbelief.

"He made some really good throws, and he made some throws that were not so good," Whisenhunt said, carefully selecting his words.

And then came Anderson's moment of redemption, a fourth-quarter drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Fitzgerald.

"We needed that drive more than I think anybody knew," Anderson said.

The implication: Anderson was that close to losing the confidence of his teammates on offense, that close to igniting yet another quarterback controversy in the Valley. Did anyone else notice Max Hall wearing his helmet on the sideline?

This team lost a ton of star power in the offseason, but they still have playmakers on both sides of the ball. Pro bowl safety Adrian Wilson had a blocked field goal and a brilliant interception on the first two defensive drives of the season, followed by an impressive sack later. New QB Derek Anderson was throwing into traffic, missing receivers, not hitting guys in stride. How he won this starting job I'll never understand. He's going to get these receivers hurt, forcing them to stretch to catch balls in vulnerable locations. Anderson and Larry Fitzgerald clearly have no chemistry together just yet. Fitzgerald's negative body language speaks the whole story.Even the game winning TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald was a very poor throw.

 

[SammyJankis]

Bumping this back up after the debacle yesterday.

Am struggling to see how any Cards are going to have any value going forward. Max Hall is a better choice long term, but is going to struggle in the immediate.

 

[Billy Costigan Jr]

I'm so glad I traded Gates for an early pick in my 3 keeper league...keeping Fitzgerald instead of course.

 

[TommyGilmore]

Who would have thunk it..but the Cards may rue the day they cut Leinart.

No way. Anderson may not be the answer, but Leinart definitely wasn't. He had every chance to succeed, and he blew it.

Which would you rather have:1. Leinart playing most of 2010, playing like a wild west gunslinger, throwing for 18 TDs and 20 INTs, keeping Max Hall on the bench, leading the team to an 8-8 finish and a playoff berth (and likely 1st round exit), with Larry Fitzgerald getting 1000+ yards.or2. Max Hall playing most of 2010, playing extremely conservatively, throwing 10 TDs and 9 INTs, leading the team to 4 wins, with Larry Fitzgerald getting 800 yards and threatening to demand a trade?

 

[SammyJankis]

Who would have thunk it..but the Cards may rue the day they cut Leinart.

No way. Anderson may not be the answer, but Leinart definitely wasn't. He had every chance to succeed, and he blew it.

Which would you rather have:1. Leinart playing most of 2010, playing like a wild west gunslinger, throwing for 18 TDs and 20 INTs, keeping Max Hall on the bench, leading the team to an 8-8 finish and a playoff berth (and likely 1st round exit), with Larry Fitzgerald getting 1000+ yards.or2. Max Hall playing most of 2010, playing extremely conservatively, throwing 10 TDs and 9 INTs, leading the team to 4 wins, with Larry Fitzgerald getting 800 yards and threatening to demand a trade?

Agreed. The decision to cut Leinart made no sense. They were effectively gambling that Anderson would be serviceable this year and gave themselves no outs if he wasn't.Their only options are choosing between bad and worse.

 

[videoguy505]

MODS>Please re-title this thread "PAC-10 quarterbacks can't cut it in the NFL"

TIA.

 

[Ranethe]

Who would have thunk it..but the Cards may rue the day they cut Leinart.

No way. Anderson may not be the answer, but Leinart definitely wasn't. He had every chance to succeed, and he blew it.

Which would you rather have:1. Leinart playing most of 2010, playing like a wild west gunslinger, throwing for 18 TDs and 20 INTs, keeping Max Hall on the bench, leading the team to an 8-8 finish and a playoff berth (and likely 1st round exit), with Larry Fitzgerald getting 1000+ yards.or2. Max Hall playing most of 2010, playing extremely conservatively, throwing 10 TDs and 9 INTs, leading the team to 4 wins, with Larry Fitzgerald getting 800 yards and threatening to demand a trade?

Agreed. The decision to cut Leinart made no sense. They were effectively gambling that Anderson would be serviceable this year and gave themselves no outs if he wasn't.Their only options are choosing between bad and worse.

@ Ken Whisenheimer, way to handle your QB situation and get your team ready for the season.

 

[kutta]

It's easy to look back now and say Leinart should not have been cut. But it is very telling that no team was interested in him, and he is not even good enough to be a 2nd string backup somewhere - he is a third stringer in Houston. No one in the league wanted this guy.

Leinart is horrible and the Cards would be in the exact same mess with him. At least now we can get the young guys some time and get ready for next year.

ETA: I totally agree that the Cards totally screwed up this last summer with the QB situation. We should have gotten a better veteran to come in.

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

MODS>Please re-title this thread "PAC-10 quarterbacks can't cut it in the NFL"TIA.

C'mon guy, Aaron Rodgers is from the Pac 10.I figured even with a bad QB that Fitz would find a way to be productive, but boy was I wrong. I mean, DA did make a 1000 yarder out of Braylon Edwards one year, right?

 

[Ranethe]

It's easy to look back now and say Leinart should not have been cut. But it is very telling that no team was interested in him, and he is not even good enough to be a 2nd string backup somewhere - he is a third stringer in Houston. No one in the league wanted this guy.Leinart is horrible and the Cards would be in the exact same mess with him. At least now we can get the young guys some time and get ready for next year.ETA: I totally agree that the Cards totally screwed up this last summer with the QB situation. We should have gotten a better veteran to come in.

He's a 3rd stringer in Houston now, I don't know that it stays that way all year considering he's only been with the team for a few weeks. So it's not accurate to say "no team was interested in him", obviously a team was. Leinart may or may not be horrible (I know the groupthink around here has already answered that), I'm of the opinion that he didn't get a realistic shot to accurately gauge that. Had he had a full season as the unquestioned starter, as opposed to the path his career took, then they would have known for sure. They can lose just as easily with Leinart as they are losing with DA. It was a foolish move to cut him after he arguably outplayed DA in the preseason.

 

[cvnpoka]

It's easy to look back now and say Leinart should not have been cut. But it is very telling that no team was interested in him, and he is not even good enough to be a 2nd string backup somewhere - he is a third stringer in Houston. No one in the league wanted this guy.Leinart is horrible and the Cards would be in the exact same mess with him. At least now we can get the young guys some time and get ready for next year.ETA: I totally agree that the Cards totally screwed up this last summer with the QB situation. We should have gotten a better veteran to come in.

man, anyone in cleveland woulda told you before the season that anderson would be a disaster and leinart had to be better.

 

[socrates]

hmmmm . . . I am not so sure I disagree with Whisenhunt's decision entirely. The Cards should have brought in a better option this summer, and they failed to do so. I do fault the Cards for that, whether it is Whisenhunt or the team management. Leinart was not the answer. Anderson was brought in presumably as either a short-term band-aid or a serviceable backup. I have no problem with bringing in Anderson and giving him a shot. Max Hall and John Skelton each have displayed some intriguing skills. Skelton is extremely raw and a long way from contributing. Hall, on the other hand, was arguably the best QB in camp. He is not going to wow anyone with his physical abilities or post gaudy numbers, but perhaps he gives the team the best opportunity to win, and winning should be Whisenhunt's goal, not getting the best fantasy numbers out of his players for you and me. I say we let this develop before we bring the hammer down on Whisenhunt and the rest of the team.