Leinart Is Sharp in 23-16 Victory

Matt Leinart had one request for his head coach.

“Call anything,” he told Dennis Green.

The rookie clearly was confident.

Leinart showed why Arizona selected him with the 10th pick in the draft, and the Cardinals defeated the Chicago Bears, 23-16, in an exhibition game Friday night at Chicago.

He took over for Kurt Warner in the second quarter and completed 15 of 21 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.

“I feel comfortable with the offense for the most part right now,” Leinart said. “So they called a lot of stuff, and I just went out there and tried to execute.”

He entered with 5:13 left in the second quarter and completed 12 consecutive passes at one point while leading the Cardinals (2-1) to a field goal at the end of the first half and a touchdown early in the third quarter.

Leinart completed all six passes on his second possession as the Cardinals drove 54 yards in the final minute of the half, Neil Rackers’ field goal extending their lead to 10-6.

After Antrel Rolle intercepted Rex Grossman on the opening possession of the third quarter, Leinart was four for four as the Cardinals drove 42 yards against the Bears’ first-string defense for a touchdown that made it 17-6.

“It’s awesome,” Leinart said. “It’s good reps and experience for me just in case I’m thrown into the mix or if something happens. I can play at a high level, like Kurt plays at.”

Warner wasn’t bad either, completing eight of 11 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.

As expected, the Cardinals’ Edgerrin James did not play much. He carried three times for minus-two yards on the opening possession and did not return. In three exhibition games, he has one yard in seven attempts.

Grossman was 13 of 21 for 117 yards and an interception after two rough exhibition games for Chicago (1-2) but did little to end the quarterback debate among fans.

Grossman was booed, and backup Brian Griese was cheered when he entered with about five minutes left in the third. Then, he completed 10 of 14 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, and heard a “Griese! Griese!” chant late in the game.

“Every time he’s in there, I see the same looks and he makes nice passes,” Grossman said. “I congratulate him, but as far as looking over my shoulder, you can’t. You just can’t. As soon as you do that, you’re done.”

Coach Lovie Smith said there’s no reason for Grossman to look over his shoulder.

“He’s our No. 1 quarterback,” Smith said.

Bears running back Thomas Jones did little to distinguish himself, rushing for three yards in four attempts in the first half after sitting out the first two exhibition games because of a pulled hamstring.

Jones, who rushed for 1,335 yards last season, was dropped from No. 1 on the depth chart for missing voluntary off-season workouts. But the expected competition between him and Cedric Benson hit a snag before the first practice at training camp.

Jones pulled his hamstring while running during a physical on July 27.

Benson, meanwhile, got hurt and got into trouble.

Benson, the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2005, sat out his third game because of a sprained left shoulder and is questionable for the exhibition finale at Cleveland.

And the Bears disciplined Benson for leaving the sideline last week against San Diego and missing a mandatory postgame meeting.

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