Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt dismisses report that John Skelton is QB favorite

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt shrugged off a report by ESPN.com that John Skelton is the favorite in the race for the starting quarterback job over Kevin Kolb.

“As far as favorites and long shots, I really haven't ever thought of it in those terms,” Whisenhunt said. “We've always been true to what we've said. We're going to stick to the process.”

Whisenhunt said Kolb will start this week against the Raiders as originally planned, and Whisenhunt will “let it play itself out.”

Neither quarterback has separated himself in the competition. Through two preseason games, Kolb has completed just 2 of 9 passes for 25 yards with one interception. Skelton is 7 of 12 for 67 yards and an interception. Both struggled last week in a loss to Kansas City.

The prevailing thought among media members who cover the team is that Kolb will have to lose the job, given the investment the Cardinals made in him when they acquired him from Philadelphia. The Cards traded cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a second-round pick and signed Kolb to a five-year contract extension worth $63 million.

But Kolb may be doing that with his performance thus far. Aside from the questions about his durability following multiple injuries, Kolb still hasn't demonstrated good pocket presence. The joke in camp is that he's got his bags packed before every snap and he's ready to move.

“That's something that we're working on, stepping up in the pocket and staying with your reads,” Whisenhunt said. “That's one of the areas that he's made improvement. I've seen it. We've just got to translate it to the games.”

On the flip side, Skelton has struggled with his accuracy and his reads in camp, showing a tendency to lock onto one receiver. The Cardinals have two meaningful games left to make this vital decision.

“I don't go through it on a daily basis,” Whisenhunt said. “People talk about keeping stats, who had more completions. If you did that you'd be changing your evaluations every day. You kind of have to look at the whole thing.”

For more news and analysis from Cardinals blogger Craig Morgan, follow @CBSSportsNFLARI on Twitter.