ARIZONA CARDINALS

It’s ‘night and day’ for John Skelton

Nov 4, 2011, 9:59 PM | Updated: Nov 5, 2011, 12:57 am

As the Cardinals prepare to welcome the 1-6 Rams to
Glendale, it’s beginning to become clear who the starting
quarterback will be: John Skelton.

Starting QB Kevin Kolb suffered a turf toe injury in the
loss to the Ravens and is listed as doubtful for Sunday
after not practicing all week.

Even though no official announcement has been made, many
expect it will be Skelton under center.

If it is, this will the second-year player’s 5th NFL
start.

The quarterback was 2-2 as the starter last season with
617 yards, two touchdowns and two picks.

For Skelton, the team’s fifth round pick in 2010, starting
in Sunday’s game will be completely different than his
experiences last season.

“It’s night and day,” Skelton said. “Last year, starting
at the end of the year, it was a watered down gameplan we
went in with a lot of stuff that was real vanilla and
compared to this year were going in with a gameplan that
gives us the best shot at winning and I’m completely
comfortable with everything.”

As a result of being more comfortable with the offense,
the 23-year-old doesn’t have to spend more time thinking
about the plays in the huddle.

“Last December it was hear the play, call the play, think
about the play, go out and execute the play,” Skelton
said. “Now it’s hear the play, call it and lets go out and
run it. Its just reading and reacting now.”

Even head coach Ken Whisenhunt is comfortable with Skelton
starting, if he has to.

“He’s much more comfortable than where he was last year,”
Whisenhunt said. “He’s another one that you wish you had
some time with in the offseason and he was having a good
training camp until he got the high ankle.”

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It’s ‘night and day’ for John Skelton