Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb "was scared" Friday night in the Cardinals' 31-27 preseason victory.
"He is skittish," Kelly said after the game, according to The Associated Press. "Anytime anybody gets close to him, he starts looking at the refs. As a defensive lineman, you love a quarterback like that. He ain't even trying to look at the routes no more. He is paying attention to us, and you ain't going to get nothing done like that."
Not surprisingly, Kolb didn't take too kindly to those comments.
"Scared? Scared of what?" Kolb said, via Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official website. "Taking a hit? I have never been afraid of anyone on the field, and that will never change. That includes No. 93 (Kelly).
"There's a fine line between holding in the pocket and trying to escape to make a play. Tommy Kelly is too clueless to know the difference. I don't mind people criticizing my play. Don't ever question my toughness."
Kolb actually had his best game of the preseason last night, posting an August-high passer rating of 59.0 despite the times he was sacked (3) matching his number of completed passes.
Kolb clearly has issues, and his inability to earn the starting job could be very bad news for some folks in the Cardinals' front office. But the fact he has remained in the lineup despite continually taking a beating this summer is a sign that toughness isn't an issue.
Follow Brian McIntyre on Twitter _@brianmcintyre_.
