Great Timing!

Just one day after I say that Matt Leinart will provide a test for the Bears first-team defense on Saturday, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt pulls the rug out from under my prediction, naming Derek Anderson as his starter instead of Leinart. Poor Whisenhunt - after enjoying Kurt Warner's production the last two years, choosing between these two QBs must be like choosing between a case of jock itch and a case of hemorrhoids (note - it's an analogy only. I'm not saying Whisenhunt has either malady, or that either QB is either malady).

In any event, the Bears should be familiar with Anderson - last November, he helped gift-wrap a 30-6 Bears victory over the Browns. Anderson was 6-17 passing for 76 yards, with 2 interceptions and a nifty QB rating of 10.5 before spending the end of the game on the bench. Anderson has been marginally better than Leinart this preseason (24-41 for 193 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs). However, the touchdown came in the 4th quarter of the first preseason game (against the Texans' backups), and last week he made 2 poor throws into the end zone, forcing his team to settle for a field goal when they should have had an easy TD. Consequently, even with the change in starting QBs, it looks like the point of my original post still stands. If the Bears can't stop Anderson, we're in for a long season.