Smooth Lemon

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Though Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt is trying his best to avoid the appearance that he'll periodically bench starting quarterback Matt Leinart when the time comes to break out the no-huddle, multi-receiver attack, the truth is that a real quarterback controversy is brewing in Arizona -- and that Whisenhunt is managing it for now by going to Kurt Warner only when necessary.

So while Leinart is still the starter, he'll be the finisher only if the team has the lead late in the game. And if Warner can continue to come off of the bench and erase deficits with performances that remind us of his efforts from years gone by, Whisenhunt eventually won't wait until the Cardinals are down by 10 or more points to make the switch.

And that would be a welcome change for many on the team. As a league source told us on Wednesday, a lot of the players privately want to see Warner in the game. "There's a strong sentiment that Warner should be the guy," the source said. "He's not as good as Warner right now. Warner is more effective at running the offense."

To the extent that the handwriting is on the wall, Leinart hasn't noticed it. "I'm not worried about what anyone else is saying," Leinart said, according to the Arizona Republic. "I know that this is my team. I know I'm the quarterback of this team. I'm competitive. I'm not just going to throw in the towel and give in to what everyone is saying. I'm going to go out there, work harder."

We're not sure that the primary goal of this effort is to get Leinart to take his job more seriously, but it doesn't hurt. Still, the bigger issue, for now, is that Warner is the better guy, for now, to help the Cardinals win.

Maybe it's because of Warner's experience. Or maybe it's because Warner is a better fit for Whisenhunt's offense. If it's the latter, and if Leinart doesn't adapt to the offense or vice-versa, the only possibly long-term solution will be for Leinart or Whisenhunt to find a new job.

Oh dear God...will this madness ever stop?

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Professor

PFT = fakest news website aside from the onion or brushback, LOL they are right sometimes, but most of the time, they are blowing smoke

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RoyWilliams

I usually dont trust a lot of the things they come up with.

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