Kevin Kolb didn't look all that hot this preseason. Friday night, as we know, he managed just a 39.2 quarterback rating in three quarters against a defense that just went 4-12.
His preseason accomplishments top out at six quarters, zero touchdowns and one interception. When we joked that he had "dolls' eyes," we didn't want a doll's stats to go with 'em.
Fortunately, there are a million ways to feel better about this. Comparing Kolb to his NFC Eastmates isn't really one of them, though, that doesn't stop a fatherly Rich Hofmann from trying to sooth a fretting fan base with some good old-fashioned Schadenfreude.
McNabb is completing a robust 47.1 percent of his passes, with one touchdown and one interception -- and he is the leader in this particular clubhouse, sprained ankle and all. Romo is completing 56.5 percent, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Kolb is sitting at 52.8 percent completions, with no touchdowns and one interception. And bringing up the rear... is Manning: 50 percent completions, no touchdowns, one interception.
So which one of these guys won a Super Bowl?
Which went to five conference championship games?
Which is the defending division champion?
And which is the unproven kid?
The point is, there is no way to tell based on exhibition results.
These things are true. And he's right, in that exhibition games aren't the best indicator. He's right in that Kolb is an unproven kid. And he's certainly right in pointing out that Romo stinks. We can all get behind that part.
But the other three signal callers have proven themselves in ways that make it possible for them to sleepwalk through the preseason without it meaning anything (Hoffman handily provided those resumes).
Kolb, on the other hand, is in a position in which it's polite to show some good decision-making, some grasp, some efficiency in moving the offense forward, if only so everyone can shelve their vomit buckets and get a little closure on the divorce with McNabb. He's got no history at all that says he'll have a season of which the other three have already achieved -- and we didn't get any indication.
Which doesn't mean it won't happen -- it just means that of any of the NFC East QBs, Kolb is the only one for whom the premature conclusion allows the creeping existence of worry.
The only comfort, then, is that the rest of the offense stunk, too, and therefore it's not even close to being all Kolb's fault.
