GLENDALE, Ariz. – Arizona Cardinals rookie Matt Leinart was on the fast track to NFL stardom after a strong statistical start to his professional career in close losses to Kansas City and Chicago.
Then he hit a speed bump, and Arizona began wondering what happened to its wonder boy. Following the Cardinals' loss to the Cowboys, Leinart asked for patience.
"It's not gong to happen overnight," Leinart said after tossing a pair of second-half interceptions that led to two Dallas touchdowns. "I'm not going to be freaking Peyton Manning in two weeks, tearing apart defenses. That's not how the game is."
It looked like that was the way the game would be for Leinart earlier this season.
Leinart arrived in the desert accompanied by all the hype expected for a player that won a Heisman Trophy and two national championships during his career at Southern California. And he exceeded the hype early.
In his first two starts in place of fumble-prone veteran Kurt Warner, Leinart completed 46 of 77 passes for 485 yards and four touchdowns with one interception as the Cardinals fell to the Chiefs and Bears by a combined four points.
It's been all downhill since.
He threw two picks in an inexcusable 22-9 loss to then-winless Oakland, then completed 14 of 35 passes for just 157 yards in a 31-14 loss to Green Bay.
Some believed Leinart would improve this week with the return of Larry Fitzgerald, who suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to Kansas City.
It didn't happen that way.
"I'm not a guru on the quarterback position," said Fitzgerald, who made six catches for 80 yards to lead the team in both categories. "I just try to make sure I'm where I'm supposed to be for him to play his best."
In Sunday's loss, Leinart completed 20 of 38 passes for 216 yards and no scores. He tossed interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the second half as the Cowboys stretched a 13-3 halftime lead to 24 points early in the fourth quarter.
"I am so mad at myself – two turnovers that led to 14 points, you can't have that and that was my fault," Leinart said. "[Dallas] is a good football team, but we didn't make the plays when we needed to and that falls on me. I've got to get better as a player."
Coach Dennis Green tried to deflect criticism from his quarterback by pointing to some dropped passes.
Excuses were plentiful earlier this season. But on Sunday, Edgerrin James ran the ball well until the game was out of hand, and the offensive line gave Leinart, who was sacked once, enough time.
"I feel I am struggling, but it is a learning experience," Leinart said. "A lot of young quarterbacks ... the greatest ones ever to play have gone through it in the past. I am hoping to go through this, [and] a year from now be laughing at this whole thing."
Matt Simpson is a staff writer for the East Valley Tribune.
