Cardinals QB Leinart does not worry about his starting job

With the retirement of quarterback Kurt Warner, the Arizona Cardinals’ next choice of starting quarterback could only be Matt Leinart unless they sign a veteran like Jake Delhomme or Derek Anderson to compete with Leinart for the starting job. That means there is still possibility for Leinart to lose his starting job; however, he seems not to worry about that much.

"It’s my time and I know that," Leinart told KTAR-AM. "I’m working my butt off to get ready. … Competition makes you better, I’m aware of that. To be honest with you, I’m not really worried about anything. I don’t know if that’s cockiness or not. I’m confident that I can do it. I’ve been in the system for three years. To me it doesn’t really matter because I’m focused on my job.”

Leinart also said that he would take the doubts from doubters as his motivation to do a better job at his position. With such confidence, Leinart is taking his time to prove his ability to be a starter in the fifth year of wearing Cardinals jersey.

Cardinals lost Monday game to 49ers

Being the second team to beat the Minnesota Vikings really caused a lot of fans to believe that the Arizona Cardinals will have a second straight NFC West crown for sure. But the San Francisco 49ers denied that belief.

With a relentless defensive attack, the 49ers forced the sloppy Cardinals into five first-half turnovers and kept Kurt Warner from finding a groove. Warner threw two interceptions in the opening half after going 130 passes without a pick.

As for the 49ers, Alex Smith threw touchdown passes after two of Arizona’s seven turnovers, and Frank Gore ran for 167 yards and another score. The 24-9 victory just made the 49ers believe more about their place in the playoffs.

Not the Cardinals need to win two of the final three games to clinch the division crown. Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers all do not seem difficult to win but the loss to the 49ers just proves that anything may happen, even though the Cardinals defeat one of the strongest teams of this season.

NFL announced fined players

This week the players who received fines from the NFL include the Arizona Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle, tackle Levi Brown, the Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jacob Lacey, the Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, Cleveland Browns linebacker Kaluka Maiava, New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw and safety Michael Johnson.

Cardinals Rolle was fined $7,500 for hitting tight end Kevin Boss of the Giants in last Sunday’s win, and Brown was fined $5,000 for a chop block, the same as the Panthers Williams, who did the chop block in last Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills while picking up a blitz.

Colts Lacey received a fine of $10,000 because he went to the ground to celebrate after a touchdown in a win over St. Louis Rams and the league considered that was unsportsmanlike conduct.

Browns rookie Maiava, Giants Bradshaw and Johnson each was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness. Maiava hit Packers receiver Greg Jennings in the game, Bradshaw struke DT in Cardinals jersey named Darnell Dockett in the face mask last Sunday, and Johnson hit Kurt Warner in the head in the same game.