Kolb Struggling While Learning New Cardinals System

Ask Jason Campbell how hard it is to go from playbook to playbook constantly.

Kevin Kolb is learning first hand how difficult it is being an NFL starting quarterback. Jumping in as a backup starter, Kolb provided flashes of excellence while backing up McNabb. Last year Kolb performed decently, but not at a higher level than Mike Vick. Vick was the future of the Eagles, and Kolb was expendable.

Both the Eagles and Cardinals got what they wanted out of the trade. After starting veteran Derek Anderson, the Cardinals got so desperate that they started undrafted free agent Max Hall as well as rookie Jon Skelton. A dreadful year that was not about to happen again, even if the Cardinals had to trade their entire draft for a quarterback.

Heck, they were probably trying to talk Kurt Warner into coming back even more than the Vikings were trying to lure Brett Favre for another season. Warner all but silenced a possible return by appearing on "Dancing With the Stars" and heading to the broadcast booth. After having to call the Cardinals first game in 2010, there was no surprise to see him bolt to the NFL Network.

Warner quietly rooted for the Cardinals to go after former teammate Marc Bulger. The team listened instead to it’s franchise player in Larry Fitzgerald. Fitz trained in the off-season with Kevin Kolb, and hinted for the Cardinals to trade for him all off-season.

In a weakened division, the Cardinals heart breaking losses have been eye popping. Their last three have all came down to the last drive. Drives that the offense could not muster the winning connections.

The team just has not been balanced for a full four quarters. Out of nowhere they’re down and it ends up being a game ending fourth down incompletion before you know it. Every team has defensive issues but this team needs Kevin Kolb to settle down immediately.

If you have had a chance to watch Kolb this year, he has struggled mightily in the pocket. The pass protection has not been bad, but for some reason he has had happy feet. Moving before the pocket breaks down, and ultimately forcing throws on plays that could have been extended with proper pocket presence.

It is as if his feet are moving like a shot clock fading in basketball. Automatically, even without a breakdown, he forces the pressure to himself by unneeded breakdowns.

These are basic skills for a starting quarterback to have down. Remember, Kevin Kolb has only started a handful of games before this season. He is just about as inexperienced as any rookie stepping onto the field this year, and it’s showing. Study sessions in the film room and behind McNabb/Vick only go so far.

The Cardinals coaching staff needs to sit Kolb down and explain to him that he needs to be more patient. Arizona has historically been one of the worst teams in the NFL at abandoning the run game. Whisenhunt and the Cardinals did everything in their power to ride Beanie Wells against the Giants.

Three touchdowns and 138 yards rushing were both career highs for the third year running back Beanie Wells.

Teams are not even getting pressure on Kolb—at least not to the capacity some NFL quarterbacks are getting drilled. Kolb has been sacked 12 times, and in large part the blame can go on him for not getting rid of the football. His pocket presence is almost as bad as David Carr’s when he started out in the NFL.

It’ll get better for Kolb. He has shown natural quarterback skills that warrant starting duties. The happy feet in the pocket has to decline if the turnovers and non sustained drives are going to stop. Three tough losses by a combined seven points may be the back breaker on a chance to win the division.

Who would of thought that Tavaris Jackson and the Seattle Seahawks would be tied with the Cardinals four games into the season and own the tie-breaker?