NFL Odds: Leinart, Young in MNF showdown
This week's edition of Monday Night Football features a QB rematch from the 2006 BCS Championship, with Vince Young's Titans 4-point NFL odds favorites to top Matt Leinart and the Cards.
What motivates an NFL team during the preseason? In the case of the Arizona Cardinals, it could be the wrath of the coach.
Ken Whisenhunt was not at all pleased with his team’s performance in Week 1. Yes, the Cardinals beat the Houston Texans 19-16, overcoming the betting odds as 2½-point home dogs. But almost all of the good work was done by the third-stringers. The Texans took a 16-0 lead into the fourth quarter, sacking No. 1 QB Matt Leinart twice and picking off backup QB Derek Anderson on two occasions. Last week’s hero was rookie QB John Skelton from Fordham, who came in with 6:45 remaining and engineered a pair of touchdown drives for the victory.
“There were a couple of times in the first half offensively where it was a joke, to be quite honest with you,” Whisenhunt told the Arizona Republic after the victory. “Plays that we had run 25 times in two weeks looked like it was the first time we’d run it.”
Whisenhunt expects much more out of his quarterbacks on Monday night (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN) when they face the Tennessee Titans. Arizona no longer has Kurt Warner to save the day; the five-time Pro Bowler retired this offseason after enjoying a career renaissance in the desert.
The Cards are relying instead on Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner from USC who lost his starting job to Warner after a lukewarm 2006 rookie campaign (11 TDs, 12 INTs, 74.0 passer rating in 11 starts).
Anderson has even more to prove after signing a two-year contract with Arizona following his release from the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007 after leading the Browns to 10 wins, but has been abysmal otherwise. Whisenhunt has yet to indicate as we go to press how many snaps each QB will receive on Monday, but it would be de rigueur for Leinart to play the first half, followed by Anderson for most of the second.
It’s a tough spot for both men. The receiving corps they’ll get to work with is a shell of what Warner enjoyed; Anquan Boldin was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, Larry Fitzgerald (sprained MCL) is expected to miss the rest of the preseason, and Early Doucet (abdomen) will likely sit out Monday and perhaps next week as well.
Life isn’t that much easier for Vince Young. He’s had more success than Leinart ever since they met at the BCS title game, where Young’s Texas Longhorns beat Leinart’s Trojans. But Young also lost his starting job to a veteran, Kerry Collins in this case, and he’s still fighting off his detractors despite making his second Pro Bowl last year. The early results from Week 1 were promising: Young took the Titans into the end zone on their opening drive, although he also threw a pick in an eventual 20-18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks (-3½ home faves).
Collins didn’t play against the Seahawks, but Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher told reporters that the 16-year veteran is definitely the No. 2 QB on the depth chart, ahead of Chris Simms and rookie Rusty Smith from Florida Atlantic.
“As the preseason goes on, the other guys are going to get less reps, Kerry is going to get more, and Vince is going to get more,” Fisher said.
Again, both Young and Collins will have to make do with less than their usual arsenal. It appears WR Justin Gage will sit with an injured thumb; meanwhile, backup RB Stafon Johnson was put on injured reserve after breaking his leg in the preseason opener. Starter Chris Johnson is the focus of the offense, but he’ll be spelled on Monday by Javon Ringer and Samkon Gado, who was signed on Monday.
Comparing the QB depth charts and the injuries, the Titans have the clear edge on paper and deserve to be 3.5-point home favorites. Fisher is 16-10 SU and 15-10-1 ATS in exhibition play over the last six seasons; Whisenhunt is 3-10 SU and 4-9 ATS since taking over the Cards in 2007. Looks like Young’s about to get the jump again on Leinart.
This week's edition of Monday Night Football features a QB rematch from the 2006 BCS Championship, with Vince Young's Titans 4-point NFL odds favorites to top Matt Leinart and the Cards.
What motivates an NFL team during the preseason? In the case of the Arizona Cardinals, it could be the wrath of the coach.
Ken Whisenhunt was not at all pleased with his team’s performance in Week 1. Yes, the Cardinals beat the Houston Texans 19-16, overcoming the betting odds as 2½-point home dogs. But almost all of the good work was done by the third-stringers. The Texans took a 16-0 lead into the fourth quarter, sacking No. 1 QB Matt Leinart twice and picking off backup QB Derek Anderson on two occasions. Last week’s hero was rookie QB John Skelton from Fordham, who came in with 6:45 remaining and engineered a pair of touchdown drives for the victory.
“There were a couple of times in the first half offensively where it was a joke, to be quite honest with you,” Whisenhunt told the Arizona Republic after the victory. “Plays that we had run 25 times in two weeks looked like it was the first time we’d run it.”
Whisenhunt expects much more out of his quarterbacks on Monday night (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN) when they face the Tennessee Titans. Arizona no longer has Kurt Warner to save the day; the five-time Pro Bowler retired this offseason after enjoying a career renaissance in the desert.
The Cards are relying instead on Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner from USC who lost his starting job to Warner after a lukewarm 2006 rookie campaign (11 TDs, 12 INTs, 74.0 passer rating in 11 starts).
Anderson has even more to prove after signing a two-year contract with Arizona following his release from the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007 after leading the Browns to 10 wins, but has been abysmal otherwise. Whisenhunt has yet to indicate as we go to press how many snaps each QB will receive on Monday, but it would be de rigueur for Leinart to play the first half, followed by Anderson for most of the second.
It’s a tough spot for both men. The receiving corps they’ll get to work with is a shell of what Warner enjoyed; Anquan Boldin was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, Larry Fitzgerald (sprained MCL) is expected to miss the rest of the preseason, and Early Doucet (abdomen) will likely sit out Monday and perhaps next week as well.
Life isn’t that much easier for Vince Young. He’s had more success than Leinart ever since they met at the BCS title game, where Young’s Texas Longhorns beat Leinart’s Trojans. But Young also lost his starting job to a veteran, Kerry Collins in this case, and he’s still fighting off his detractors despite making his second Pro Bowl last year. The early results from Week 1 were promising: Young took the Titans into the end zone on their opening drive, although he also threw a pick in an eventual 20-18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks (-3½ home faves).
Collins didn’t play against the Seahawks, but Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher told reporters that the 16-year veteran is definitely the No. 2 QB on the depth chart, ahead of Chris Simms and rookie Rusty Smith from Florida Atlantic.
“As the preseason goes on, the other guys are going to get less reps, Kerry is going to get more, and Vince is going to get more,” Fisher said.
Again, both Young and Collins will have to make do with less than their usual arsenal. It appears WR Justin Gage will sit with an injured thumb; meanwhile, backup RB Stafon Johnson was put on injured reserve after breaking his leg in the preseason opener. Starter Chris Johnson is the focus of the offense, but he’ll be spelled on Monday by Javon Ringer and Samkon Gado, who was signed on Monday.
Comparing the QB depth charts and the injuries, the Titans have the clear edge on paper and deserve to be 3.5-point home favorites. Fisher is 16-10 SU and 15-10-1 ATS in exhibition play over the last six seasons; Whisenhunt is 3-10 SU and 4-9 ATS since taking over the Cards in 2007. Looks like Young’s about to get the jump again on Leinart.
