Breaking Down Why There Are No Winners in Arizona Cardinals QB Battle

Ken Whisenhunt is dragging this quarterback competition out for as long as possible.

And according to the Associated Press via Sports Illustrated:

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Coach Ken Whisenhunt said he's not ready to announce whether Kevin Kolb or John Skelton will start the Sept. 9 game against Seattle.

That makes Arizona the only team in the NFL that hasn't selected a starter.

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We're less than two weeks from Week 1 of the 2012 NFL season and having yet to name a starter is only hurting the rest of Whisenhunt's offense. A quarterback has to develop timing and a rhythm with his receivers and get a feel for how well—or lack thereof in Arizona's case—the offensive line pass protects.

Then you have the pre-snap adjustments regarding which audible to make depending on the game situation.

The Cardinals are in a bind with John Skelton and Kevin Kolb and unfortunately the upcoming season doesn't have much promise.

Lack of Pass Protection Won't Help Either QB

Through four preseason game the Cardinals' line has allowed 18 sacks and 28 total quarterback hits.

This is a major disappointment, because Arizona allowed the second-most sacks in 2011 with 54. Clearly the line hasn't improved and the preseason only got worse when Levi Brown got injured.

According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports:

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A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that an MRI on the injured triceps of left tackle Levi Brown reveals a tear that will require season-ending surgery.

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So, even with Brown the Cardinals pass protection was easily exposed and his absence only makes this weakness more difficult to overcome. Also, a byproduct of this also affects the already inconsistent running game.

Last season, Beanie Wells did hit 1,047 yards but 366 of it came in two games (Giants, Rams). That's almost 35 percent of his rushing total which means he averaged only 56 yards per game otherwise. 

The play-action pass then becomes rendered moot and defenses simply blitz all day and force turnovers at a higher rate.

Schedule is Too Brutal to Overcome

Right now Arizona is the third best team in the NFC West.

The Seattle Seahawks have enjoyed one impressive preseason and field a better ground game, defense and are in a much better quarterback situation.

Outside of the division, though, the Cardinals have to face the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. Include Seattle and the San Francisco 49ers and that's potentially legitimate 10 losses we can presume.

Even if the Cards' defense manages to slow the potential onslaught, their offense still lacks the firepower from under center to match any game pace. Not to mention the defense has allowed 36 first-quarter points in the preseason.

Yes, the team impressed with a 7-2 finish last season but beginning 1-6 again can't happen. And after allowing so many first-quarter points the early game/season struggles remain.

Inability to See the Field

Other than Larry Fitzgerald in 2011 the rest of the Cardinals' receiving corps didn't produce much.

Receiving 153 targets last year, Fitz caught 80 passes for 1,411 yards and scored eight times. Undoubtedly impressive production, but he more than doubled Early Doucet who accumulated 689 yards on 54 catches and Andre Roberts tallied just 586 yards on 51 receptions.

Unsurprisingly, Arizona ranked just No. 17 in passing and No. 29 with a team completion percentage of 55.8. Even the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets had a better completion percentage.

Simply put, Skelton and Kolb lack the ability to see the field in order to spread a defense. If it's not a tossup to Fitzgerald then chances are they either got sacked or made an ill-advised throw into blanket coverage.

The exhibition versus the Tennessee Titans sums it up in a nutshell. Skelton and Kolb combined for three picks and were sacked four times. Sure, some of this attributes to the faulty pass protection but holding onto the rock too long is just as detrimental.

With almost 28 percent of the targets in 2011 going to Fitzgerald, another frustrating season will occur unless either figure out how to dish the ball elsewhere more consistently.

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