Originally Published: September 26, 2007

Leinart in need of better protection

The metrics indicate Arizona's coaches gave backup Kurt Warner a much better chance to succeed against Baltimore, writes KC Joyner.

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Joyner By KC Joyner
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One of the new additions I made to my metrics this year is tracking sets and formations. These metrics can provide better context to certain numbers.

That is certainly the case when comparing the performances of Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner against Baltimore this past Sunday. At first glance, the numbers would seem to indicate Warner should have the inside track on the starting job in Arizona. Warner not only had a much higher total yards-per-attempt figure (13.6 vs. 3.1), he showed an ability to get the ball downfield on a more consistent basis.

However, it is unfair to assume both players were given an equal chance to succeed. To illustrate my point, take a look at each quarterback's production in different personnel sets:

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