Kurt Warner Having Stellar Season as Leinart Learns

Earlier this summer, I wrote a column titled “Kurt Warner: A Magnanimous Man,” and in that column I said I felt he should be Arizona’s starter.

Granted, he’s only faced the lowly 49ers and deflated Dolphins, so it’s difficult to tell at this stage what kind of success he will have this season, but I feel somewhat vindicated.

Despite facing the dismal Dolphins and winning with precision, 31-10, Warner’s quarterback rating was an amazing 158.3 today versus 93.3 last week against the ’Niners.

This week, he went 19-24 and last week he was 19-30; however, this week he passed for 361 yards while he had 197 against San Francisco.

It’s still big time for any quarterback, especially one “too old” and “too far past his prime,” to put up the huge numbers he did today against any NFL team.

Plus, 197 yards against what was supposed to be an ascendant ’Niner defense wasn’t so bad either.

I mean, a quarterback rating of nearly 160 with three touchdowns?

Of course, it helped that wide receiver Anquan Boldin caught six for 140 yards and three TDs. It’s the 22^nd time Boldin has sprinted past the 100-yard milestone, which is now a Cardinal franchise record.

It’s been more than 10 years since a Cardinals’ receiver caught three TDs in one game. Who was that? Rob Moore burned the Redskins for three in 1997.

That’s the kind of day the Cardinals had.

Warner was also helped by wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s six receptions for 153 yards.

What’s missing from this picture? Matt Leinart, whom I really like. He has made progress in terms of maturing as a young man and a football player.

Leinart should have a great NFL future and it doesn’t hurt him sitting behind a quarterback who can still throw the ball with zip and tight spirals as he passes for 361 yards.

Against any NFL team, that is a huge day.