Sports Radio Interviews

Kurt Warner: ‘Whatever It Is, We Have Got to Figure It Out.’

SRI continues to work in new writers. This post is courtesy of Tim Gunter from 790 the Zone in Atlanta.

The Arizona Cardinals surprised a ton of people last season when they beat the Eagles in the postseason on their way to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. It wasn’t their first round pick, Matt Leinart, that took them there. It was their crafty, fiery, and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner, that led them to a division and conference title. Kurt was involved in resurrecting the St. Louis Rams in the early part of the decade and now he is trying to do the same with these Cardinals. With the departure of Todd Haley to the Kansas City Chiefs, so far this preseason they are having a tough time transitioning to their new offense. Things just aren’t the same as last year’s potent offense and this has Cardinals fans very worried about the upcoming season. Kurt Warner joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix to talk about the preseason and where the team is, why their offense has been anemic this preseason, whether it’s the preseason and guys just aren’t focusing, and how Kurt is health wise heading into the season.

On thoughts on the preseason and where the team is:

“Well I think it has yet to be determined. I don’t think anybody is excited about what we did in the preseason. I know I am not excited about the way I played especially last night (Thursday). I am frustrated with what he have not been able to put together and you know that starts with me. Being able to make the right decisions, make completions when they are there to be made, and to help everybody get on the same page. We are not just there right now. It’s been frustrating. There’s been a lot of good things but its been overshadowed by the little things that we haven’t been done that have cost us. And come this Sunday, if we don’t get those things done, if we don’t correct those things its going to be a long afternoon.”

Is it a case of just being on the same page?

“It’s so much being on the same page. But its about getting comfortable to the point where we can all play football the way we play. We have all taken our turn. There has been times where guys have been open and I have just missed them. There has been times where I expect a receiver to do something and they do something different. Another time, we will have a protection break down and I expect somebody to be picked up and they are not. That stuff throws our rhythm off and we are very much a rhythm team. I am very much a rhythm quarterback. You know throwing on time, anticipating and doing those things. And when I am not playing my game and I am not doing that well enough, it affects the whole offense. That’s where it starts and that’s what go to be corrected and move forward.”

Do you need the games to matter again to recapture the feeling of last year’s playoffs?

“I hope that does it. But its hard to say cause you can’t play this game without passion. If you don’t bring it every time you do some of the things that we have done in preseason. I hope that the games changes that. I hope game-planning the challenge of knowing that it counts and putting in new plays and doing some of those things will push guys to put in the extra effort. But I don’t know. It’s one of those things where I feel like I am working hard in trying to go out there and practice and trying to be perfect. I get into games and I am a little bit off. I didn’t feel like I was in rhythm last night. Those are things that we have got to iron out. Whether having the game plan or not fully comfortable with what the other team is doing because we haven’t watched them a lot. Whatever it is, we have got to figure it out and we have just got to get back into a relaxed state where we play and do those little things and just play football fast and at a high level. When we do that we have the skill-set to be successful. But I don’t know what it is. I don’t think anybody could put their finger on it or we would have stopped it but now. We just continue to harp on it and say it but then week in and week out we continue to make those mistakes. I am trying to look for the answers myself. What am I doing? What did I do here? Why did I rush this? Why did I knot have a little more patience with this read? Tying to figure those things out internally and I think we all have to do that. And when we figure that out, it will all come together.”

Do you guys miss Todd Haley?

“He brought a lot to the table there is no question. He was a huge part of our success last year. Any time you lose anybody whether it’s a player, whether it’s a coach that’s instrumental in what you do there is a transition period in getting comfortable and feeling things out. I know that has been a part of the process but I am not going to say that’s the reason that we have not been successful, that’s the reason we haven’t done the little things that we need to do. I am not going to put that all on Todd but he was very much a vocal, in-your-face, challenging type of coach that would really push guys. Sometimes it showed itself in anger and frustration with guys yelling at each other on the sidelines. The one thing that I appreciated about Todd is that he pushed us to be great and he wasn’t worried about being our best friend. He just wanted us to respect him for making us better players. So I appreciated that part of him. . . .”

Listen to Kurt Warner on XTRA Sports 910 in Phoenix with Bickley & MJ

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, football interviews, Kurt Warner, NFC East