Logan Thomas Named Cardinals' Starting QB vs. 49ers in Week 17

Perhaps looking for a spark after being blown out by the Seattle Seahawks 35-6 in Week 16, the Arizona Cardinals have elected to start rookie Logan Thomas and bench Ryan Lindley for their upcoming game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.   

"We'll go with Logan, and to be honest with you, I'll have a quick hook," Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians told Bickley and Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Monday, per ArizonaSports.com. "I want to see what he's got with a week of preparation for our future, and into the playoffs what's the best thing for us."

The switch isn't a huge surprise. For one thing, Lindley really struggled against Seattle—to his credit, he's far from the only quarterback who has struggled against that defense this season—finishing 18-of-44 passing for 216 yards and an interception.

His career has also been defined by one pretty dubious statistic, per ESPN Stats & Information:"It has nothing to do with the way Ryan played," Arians said of the switch. "I was very happy with Ryan, I thought he did his part in the game and a lot of other guys did not."

It's hard to imagine the team would turn to Thomas—who is all of 1-of-9 for 81 yards and a touchdown in his career—if that were actually the case, though.

According to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss, Thomas' time as starter might not last very long:The Cardinals are obviously hoping Drew Stanton can return for the playoffs. The chances of the team earning a bye and giving Stanton another week of rest were hurt significantly by Sunday's loss, as the Seahawks will clinch the top overall seed in the NFC if they beat the St. Louis Rams in Week 17.

Mark Maske of The Washington Post weighed in on the Cardinals' quarterback situation:That means the Cardinals might have to go with either Lindley or Thomas in the Wild Card Round. It's hardly an ideal situation for the team, in other words. At the very least, though, seeing how Thomas fares in Week 17 will give Arians an idea of how the team can perform with him under center should he be called upon in the playoffs.


Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2308124-logan-thomas-named-cardinals-starting-qb-vs-49ers-in-week-17