Stubborn coach will quickly extinguish Arizona Cardinals’ season
By Jim Koch
Arizona Cardinals’ head coach Bruce Arians should strongly consider Blaine Gabbert for the team’s starting quarterback position
Arizona Cardinals’ head coach Bruce Arians seemed to get a bit testy. Quarterback Carson Palmer had broken his arm against the Los Angeles Rams, and reporters were asking the obvious question. Would preseason standout Blaine Gabbert be given a shot to replace Palmer, or would the ever-loyal Arians stay with Drew Stanton?
“I don’t skip two and go to three” Arians responded. That’s fine, except for the fact that the erratic Stanton had just played pretty badly on that London field. The fifth-year Cardinal failed to generate any points, had a putrid 35.7 completion percentage and threw a terrible interception right before halftime.
Stanton’s job as Arizona’s backup for Palmer was more cut and dry in previous years. But this season is a little different. Management elected to bring in Gabbert for a look-see, as a possible heir-apparent for Palmer.
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Gabbert picked up the complicated Cards’ offense quickly during the offseason. The former first-round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars was excellent in the preseason, performing much better than Stanton. It was against questionable competition in most cases, but Gabbert got the attention of Cardinals’ observers nonetheless.
Stanton has been in this exact situation before, filling in for an injured Palmer. He did manage to win games for the organization. The 33-year old, Michigan State product never looked overly impressive in doing so, however.
One thing Gabbert can bring to the table is mobility. Stanton and Palmer tended to operate mostly from the pocket during their time in the desert. Gabbert’s elusiveness could come in handy, especially considering how poor the Cards’ pass-protection has been this season.
For now at least, Stanton is the guy. But there does appear to be a public outcry for Gabbert to take the reigns. If only Arians would cast his loyalty aside and make the move.