NFC West Gamble: Cardinals’ Kevin Kolb vs. Seahawks’ Tarvaris Jackson
By author
while Kolb was taken by Philadelphia in the same round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Jackson has more starts (36 to 19), so there is a little more data from which to base projections.
Jackson has a slightly higher QB rating (76.6 to to 73.2), and a better TD to INT ratio. Kolb has an advantage in completion percentage, 60.8 to 58.7.
Analysts see a much higher ceiling with Kolb, but that is more a referendum on Jackson than a vote of confidence in Kolb’s ability to be an elite QB.
Looking at Kolb’s 2010 performances, inconsistency is the cornerstone of his play. He looked great against the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons. Both of these these teams were bottom-third pass defenses, though, and were top-10 run-stoppers.
Kolb threw in a mediocre performance in a losing effort vs. the Washington Redskins. He struggled heavily in losses to Titans and the Cowboys.
| 2010 Kevin Kolb Game Log | |
|
DATE |
OPP
RESULT
CMP
ATT
YDS
%
AVG
TD
INT
RAT
Sun 9/12
Vs
L 20-27
5
10
24
50.0
2.40
0
0
56.3
Sun 10/3
Vs
L 12-17
22
35
201
62.9
5.74
1
1
76.0
Sun 10/10
@
W 27-24
21
31
253
67.7
8.16
1
0
103.3
Sun 10/17
Vs
W 31-17
23
29
326
79.3
11.24
3
1
133.6
Sun 10/24
@
L 19-37
26
48
231
54.2
4.81
1
2
56.9
Mon 11/15
@
W 59-28
0
0
0
0.0
0.00
0
0
0.0
Sun 1/2
Vs
L 13-14
18
36
162
50.0
4.50
1
3
37.0
Season Stats
115
189
1,197
60.8
6.33
7
7
76.1
Kolb may have a higher ceiling than Jackson, but he also has a lower floor…particularly when one considers the financial cost and player personnel investment to acquire him. Whisenhunt is putting his job on the line with this decision.
There are several QBs that figure to be available in the 2012 NFL Draft with more potential than Kolb. The Cardinals are looking for an immediate fix, and may have found one.
Jackson was signed by the Seattle Seahawks in what appears to be a stop-gap measure. Coach Pete Carroll demonstrated more patience than Whisenhunt, and likely better judgement. It is expected that Seattle acquired a placeholder and competition for Charlie Whitehurst by signing Jackson. More importantly, they signed a player that is very familiar with running the Seahawks’ new offense; it is the offense Darrell Bevell used in Minnesota with Jackson prior to joining the Seahawks earlier this year.
Seattle is expected to maneuver into position to draft a QB in 2012, which seems more prudent than the Cardinals’ approach. Expect Seattle to reap the rewards as both franchises look to rebuild their rosters.
| Tarvaris Jackson Regular Season Stats | |
| SEASON |
GP |
CMP
ATT
CMP%
YDS
AVG
TD
INT
RAT
2006
4
47
81
58.0
475
5.86
2
4
62.5
2007
12
171
294
58.2
1,911
6.50
9
12
70.8
2008
9
88
149
59.1
1,056
7.09
9
2
95.4
2009
8
14
21
66.7
201
9.57
1
0
113.4
2010
3
34
58
58.6
341
5.88
3
4
63.9
Career
36
354
603
58.7
3,984
6.61
24
22
76.6
| Kevin Kolb Regular Season Stats |
| Year |
GP |
CMP
ATT
CMP%
YDS
AVG
TD
INT
RAT
2007
1
0
0
0.0
0
0.00
0
0
0.0
2008
6
17
34
50.0
144
4.24
0
4
21.8
2009
5
62
96
64.6
741
7.72
4
3
88.9
2010
7
115
189
60.8
1,197
6.33
7
7
76.1
19
194
319
60.8
2,082
6.53
11
14
73.2