Tale of the tape: NFL analyst chooses Skelton over Kolb

The Arizona Cardinals QB battle has not even really begun
yet, but that has not stopped people from weighing in with
their thoughts.

You can count NFL.com’s
Bucky Brooks among those with an opinion, though his
may be worth a little more than some, since he broke down
the film before coming to a conclusion.

On Kolb, the analyst for the NFL network said there is
little doubt the QB’s inexperience in the team’s offense
contributed to his struggles.

Without the benefit of minicamps and OTAs to work out the
kinks, Kolb suffered through his growing pains during game
action. For instance, he didn’t appear to have a complete
mastery of the Cardinals’ passing game, so he would
struggle moving on to his second or third read in the
progression when the primary target was covered. As a
result, he took a number of hits and sacks within the
pocket, and appeared jumpy when rushers closed.

Brooks adds that Kolb “must rediscover his nerve within
the pocket” if he is to turn into the QB the Cardinals
thought they were getting.

As for Skelton, Brooks notes that the QB has
“significantly improved his mechanics” since entering the
NFL as a fifth-round pick from Fordham. That has helped
the QB get over struggles with accuracy — to an extent,
of course — which bodes well for his future.

This is a huge development for the Cardinals because it
allows Whisenhunt to incorporate square-ins, seam routes
and skinny posts into the game plan to take advantage of
the superior size, strength and physicality of his
receiving corps.

Brooks says Kolb’s status as the big-time acquisition with
a big contract will give him first crack at the job,
saying he “must show a better mastery of the scheme and
play with confidence expected from a franchise-caliber
quarterback.”

But I don’t believe Kolb can make a dramatic turnaround
with his performance, so I would opt for Skelton in this
competition. We will soon see if Whisenhunt agrees with my
assessment.

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