Signs point to John Skelton, not Kevin Kolb, starting for Arizona Cardinals on Sunday by Bob McManaman on Nov. 25, 2011, under Arizona Republic Sports
There’s still a slim chance Kevin Kolb could return as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback Sunday, but judging from John Skelton’s comments Friday, it seems much more likely Skelton will make his fourth consecutive start instead.
He talked about Sunday’s game at the St. Louis Rams as being another opportunity for him “to move forward” and how he was looking to “redeem” himself after a rough performance against the 49ers.
Unlike Skelton, Kolb didn’t talk to reporters Friday, which is one sign he still may not be ready to start. He was limited in practice Friday and the team listed him as questionable because of his injured right foot, which includes turf toe and a bone bruise.
“He’s worked through it every day and he’s been sore,” head coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “But getting the rust off was what was important this week and seeing if he would be able to play from a standpoint of practicing one day and seeing how it reacted the next day.
“The next thing for him, when we travel, is to see how it feels on the turf on Sunday.”
But when talking about Skelton, who is 2-1 as the starter, and how frustrated the quarterback was after his performance last week in San Francisco, you got the feeling Whisenhunt is preparing to start Skelton again.
“He was more down and angry than I’ve ever seen him before after the game,” Whisenhunt said. “I think he was disappointed in the way that he played and it was good. It was good to see that from him. If he has to go in this week and play, it will be interesting to see how he responds.”
Skelton completed just 6 of 19 passes for 99 yards in the 23-7 loss to the 49ers and he was intercepted three times. He acknowledged Friday it was probably the hardest he’s ever been on himself.
“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “I think you always want to redeem yourself after a game like that one. I’m always going to be my own worst critic and be harder on myself than anyone else is going to be on me.
“It’s just another opportunity to move forward, I guess.”
Another reason to think Skelton will start Sunday is how he answered a question about his level of comfort running the offense after four weeks.
“With each game it’s more and more comfortable,” he said. “Like anything, experience will always help.”
As for Kolb, who is 1-6 as the starter, Whisenhunt said the quarterback has “done a great job of rehabbing (the foot injury) and trying to get back. It just takes a little bit of time.”
“He’s close to being able to play a whole game without any type of problems, even knowing that he would be sore.”
In addition to Kolb, the Cardinals listed four other players as questionable against the Rams. They are cornerback Michael Adams (hamstring), right tackle Brandon Keith (head) and tight ends Todd Heap (hamstring) and Rob Housler (groin).
Four players are listed as probable – running back Beanie Wells (knee), defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (groin), linebacker Paris Lenon (groin) and running back/kick returner LaRod Stephens-Howling (shoulder) – but each practiced fully on Friday.
The Rams have ruled out three players, including starting left tackle Mark LeVoir (pectoral) and starting defensive tackle Justin Bannan (shoulder). Notable starters listed as questionable included defensive end Chris Long (ankle) and linebacker James Laurinaitis (foot). Starting cornerback Justin King (knee) is probable.
Defensive coordinator Ray Horton said he has upgraded the team’s third-down packages to 50 percent of the playbook, up from 30 percent a few weeks ago.
He noted the Cardinals have improved on third-down defense and in the red zone, but said the defense isn’t creating enough turnovers. To do that, they need to put more pressure on the quarterback.
The Rams’ Sam Bradford has been sacked 31 times this season, tied for the most in the NFL.
“We have to dramatically get better there. That’s going to be the key this week,” Horton said. “We’ve already told our guys, ‘We have to win up front.’ “
Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald was named as the NFL’s best-dressed player in a recent Sports Illustrated poll of 250 players.
Friday, though, he was walking around in baggy black sweat pants that were ripped in multiple strips at the cuffs.
“Hey,” he said, “I gotta keep it funky in practice.”
-With one more sack, the Rams’ Long will reach double digits and join Green Bay’s Clay Matthews as the only players to each register at least 10 sacks in at least one season, along with their fathers, since the stat became official in 1982.
Long’s father, Hall of Famer and NFL analyst Howie Long, and Matthews’ father, Clay Jr., each had 10-sack seasons.
This entry was posted on Friday, November 25th, 2011 at 3:29 pm and is filed under Arizona Republic Sports . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
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