Last football season was ugly and the Arizona Cardinals’ disastrous quarterback situation was to blame.

There, I said it.

But this year things are turning around with the acquisition of former Philadelphia Eagle Kevin Kolb and a decent backup being developed in John Skelton.

Yes, the same Skelton who went 60-for-126 and just two touchdowns in five games. He also threw two interceptions and fumbled twice.

In his first preseason game against the Oakland Raiders, Skelton went 6-for-10 and a touchdown. Extrapolated over three additional quarters, Skelton could have gone 24-for-40 with four touchdowns. That’s a decent enough game for a backup quarterback.

“He didn’t start of as smoothly as you’d like in a game, but he certainly got into a rhythm and played very well,” said Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt of Skelton’s performance.

While he may have played well, Skelton needs to establish himself as a team leader. There have been few successful football teams in which the quarterback does not play an integral role, both on and off the field.

Whisenhunt said that Skelton needs to work on his play calling and figuring out exactly what those plays mean for himself and his teammates. But that will come with time.

Skelton was forced into the starting role much too early, as last year’s season showed, but the experience was good for him. He learned what it meant to lose and now, under the wing of Kolb, could learn what it means to win as a solid backup quarterback.

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