Drew Brees, Peyton Manning: Marquee QBs Take Center Stage as NFL Season Kicks Off
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Two of the NFL’s premiere quarterbacks – Drew Brees and Peyton Manning – will be in the spotlight this Thursday night when the 2007 NFL season kicks off as Drew and the New Orleans Saints visit Peyton and the Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts in primetime (NBC, 8:30 PM ET).
In his first season with the Saints last year, Drew revitalized New Orleans by passing for an NFL-best 4,418 yards and leading the team to its first NFC Championship Game. Peyton, who led the league with a 101.0 passer rating and 31 touchdown passes, guided the Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI and earned Super Bowl MVP honors.
Quarterbacks around the league find themselves in the spotlight as the NFL begins the new season, all hoping to lead their teams to a berth in Super Bowl XLII on February 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Following is a team-by-team look at the quarterback position in the AFC and NFC in 2007:
BALTIMORE: Steve McNair, a proven winner with an 89-58 (.605) record, enters his 13th NFL season and second year with the Ravens. In 2006, Steve led the charge as the Ravens won the AFC North and posted a franchise-best 13-3 (.812) record. He also joined two Pro Football Hall of Famers — Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young — as the only QBs in history to throw for 30,000 yards and rush for 3,500 yards.
BUFFALO: A first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, J.P. Losman showcased his skills while starting all 16 games last year for first time in his career. He set career highs with 3,051 passing yards, 268 completions, 429 attempts, 19 TDs and an 84.9 passer rating. J.P. became only the second quarterback in team history to finish a season with all the team’s pass completions (Joe Ferguson, 1977).
CINCINNATI: In four seasons as the Bengals’ starting quarterback, Carson Palmer has a 25-20 (.556) record and is 2-1 on Kickoff Weekend. The ’06 Pro Bowl MVP shattered the club’s 20-year single-season passing yards record last year set by Boomer Esiason (3,959 yards, 1986) with 4,035 passing yards. Palmer’s prize receivers, Chad Johnson and T.J. Housmandzadeh, combined for 177 receptions for 2,450 yards.
CLEVELAND: Third-year veteran Charlie Frye earned the starting job for the second consecutive year after battling stiff competition throughout the preseason. Last season, Charlie started 13 games and had the second-highest season completion percentage (64.1) in Browns history. Also, Charlie was raised in Willard, Ohio, which is 75 miles southwest of Cleveland.
DENVER: After starting the Broncos’ last five games of 2006, second-year signal-caller Jay Cutler is ready to kick off the ’07 season surrounded by All-Star wide receiver Javon Walker and newly acquired Pro Bowl running back Travis Henry. The highest quarterback drafted in Broncos history (No. 11 overall) became the first rookie in NFL history to throw multiple touchdown passes in each of his first four regular-season games.
HOUSTON: Acquired by the Texans in a trade with the Falcons in March, the Matt Schaub era will officially begin on Sunday. The fourth-year veteran has totaled two starts and has completed 84 of 161 passes (52.2) for 1,033 yards and six touchdowns. Matt displayed a glimpse of his efficient play in the preseason, completing 72.7 percent of his passes with two TDs and no INTs.
INDIANAPOLIS: Two-time MVP Peyton Manning aims to make his 145th consecutive regular season start (the most ever by an NFL quarterback), but his first as a Super Bowl defending champion. Peyton ranks second in Colts history with 92 wins (Johnny U, 118) and his 89 regular-season wins since 1999 ranks first among NFL quarterbacks. In the last eight Kickoff Weekend contests, Manning is 7-1 as a starter (.875).
JACKSONVILLE: Named the starting QB at the conclusion of the preseason by head coach Jack Del Rio, David Garrard enters his first season as the Jags starting QB. A fourth-round pick in 2002, David set career highs in games started (10), completions (145), attempts (241), passing yards (1,735) and touchdowns (10) in 2006. He has a 10-8 (.555) record as a starter.
KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs aim to make the playoffs for the second year in a row and will be led by veteran QB Damon Huard, who started a career-high eight games last season. Damon totaled 1,878 yards with 11 touchdowns –- all career highs. He posted a 5-3 (.625) record as a starter in ’06 and ranked second in the league with a 98.0 passer rating.
MIAMI: Acquired by the Dolphins from the Chiefs in a June trade, Trent Green reunites with head coach Cam Cameron, who served as his quarterbacks coach for two years in Washington (1995-96). The two-time All-Star spent six seasons with Kansas City, and posted 21,459 passing yards, which ranks second in team history to Len Dawson (28,507) and ranks sixth in the NFL since 2001.
NEW ENGLAND: Three-time Super Bowl-winner Tom Brady enters his eighth season with lethal offseason additions at the receiver position featuring Randy Moss, Donte’ Stallworth and Wes Welker. The Patriots all-time winningest quarterback has an 82-26 (.759) record and is the only quarterback in history to start and win three Super Bowls before his 28th birthday.
NEW YORK JETS: Rebounding from an injury-shortened ’05 season, Chad Pennington led the Jets to a postseason appearance last year while garnering AP Comeback Player of the Year honors. Chad needs 385 yards to rank fourth in franchise history for all-time passing yards (12,358). An efficient pocket passer, he ranks second all-time in the NFL with a 65.10 (min. 1,500 attempts) passer rating (Kurt Warner, 65.59).
OAKLAND: The Raiders revamped the quarterback position in the offseason by signing free agent Daunte Culpepper and trading for veteran Josh McCown. Daunte needs 3,000 passing yards and 400 rushing yards this year to become the first quarterback in history with five seasons with those totals. Josh spent the first four seasons of his career with Arizona. He has played in 35 games with 22 starts, completing 498 of 862 passes for 5,431 yards and 25 TDs.
PITTSBURGH: Under new head coach Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger is primed to return the Steelers to the playoffs. With a 29-11 regular-season record as a starting quarterback, his .725 winning percentage ranks fourth in the NFL among active QBs. The four-year veteran will look to Steelers all-time reception leader Hines Ward and multipurpose back Willie Parker.
SAN DIEGO: In his first year as a starter, Philip Rivers made a major impact last season after serving in a reserve role for two years behind Drew Brees. Philip was named to his first Pro Bowl, while the Chargers compiled an NFL-best 14-2 (.875) record. He had the league’s highest fourth-quarter passer rating (116.6) and led the Bolts to three fourth-quarter comebacks.
TENNESSEE: Vince Young, a multi-dimensional threat, approaches his second season as a starting QB. In 2006, Vince led the Titans to an eight-win season while being named Associated Press Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year and became the first rookie quarterback since Dan Marino (1983) to make an AFC Pro Bowl roster. Vince’s poise took the Titans to five victories in which the team was tied or trailed in the fourth quarter.
ARIZONA: Entering his second NFL season, MATT LEINART brings excitement to the desert after an impressive rookie campaign. The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner started 11 games last year and set a franchise rookie record by throwing for 2,547 yards, including an NFL single-game rookie record 405 yards (11/26/06). Leinart, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft (No. 10), will rely on two wide receivers with Pro Bowl experience in ANQUAN BOLDIN and LARRY FITZGERALD and hand the ball off to four-time All-Star running back EDGERRIN JAMES.
ATLANTA: The Falcons and rookie head coach BOBBY PETRINO will look to JOEY HARRINGTON to guide them in 2007. Signed in the offseason as a free agent, Harrington has started 66 games in his five-year career after being selected in the first round (No. 3) of the 2002 draft by Detroit. The former Oregon star has 12,478 yards and 72 touchdowns in his career and owns a 3-0 record as a starter on Kickoff Weekend.
CAROLINA: A familiar face will be at quarterback for the Panthers as JAKE DELHOMME starts on Kickoff Weekend for a franchise-record fourth consecutive season. Delhomme has passed for 13,331 yards and 89 touchdowns in 61 games with the Panthers, including 60 starts. The nine-year veteran will again look to hook up often with Pro Bowl wide receiver STEVE SMITH, who has recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
CHICAGO: The 2006 NFC champions hope for a return trip to the Super Bowl behind quarterback REX GROSSMAN. The five-year veteran from Florida has a 17-6 (.739) record as the team’s starting quarterback, the third-best mark among active quarterbacks. Last season, Grossman threw for 3,193 yards, the second highest season total in team history and had a 100.0 passer rating in seven starts, the second most such ratings in the NFL.
DALLAS: Five-year veteran TONY ROMO made his first career start last season and finished the year as an All-Star, becoming the first Cowboys quarterback selected for the Pro Bowl since Pro Football Hall of Famer TROY AIKMAN in 1997. The former Eastern Illinois star passed for 2,903 yards with 19 touchdowns and posted a 95.1 passer rating, the third highest single-season mark in team history behind Hall of Fame quarterbacks ROGER STAUBACH (104.8 in 1971) and Aikman (99.0 in 1993).
DETROIT: With the addition of first-round draft pick CALVIN JOHNSON (No. 2), the Lions’ offense and quarterback JON KITNA look to be even more dangerous in 2007. Last year, Kitna became only the second quarterback in team history to pass for 4,000 yards as the 11-year veteran threw for a career-high 4,208 yards. Kitna finished the season ranked first in the NFL in completions (372), second in attempts (596), fourth in yards (4,208) and ninth in TD passes (21).
GREEN BAY: As he enters his 17th season, BRETT FAVRE is within reach of a number of significant NFL milestones. Favre has 414 career touchdown passes and needs seven to pass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (420) for the most in league history. The eight-time All-Star has won 147 games and trails Hall of Famer JOHN ELWAY (148) by just one for the most wins by a quarterback. And the NFL’s only three-time Associated Press MVP ranks second with 57,500 passing yards and needs 3,862 yards to pass Marino (61,361) for the NFL record.
MINNESOTA: TARVARIS JACKSON became the third quarterback in team history to start a game as a rookie last year, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer FRAN TARKENTON (1961) and TOMMY KRAMER (1977). A second-round pick by the Vikings in the 2006 draft, Jackson started the team’s final two games and was one of only three rookies to pass and rush for a touchdown last year (Arizona’s MATT LEINART and Tennessee’s VINCE YOUNG).
NEW ORLEANS: All-Star DREW BREES made an immediate impact in his first season with the Saints, leading the club to the NFC Championship Game and setting numerous Saints records. The co-winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award with San Diego’s LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON became the first quarterback in team history to pass for 4,000 yards (4,418) and set season franchise marks in passer rating (96.2), 300-yard games (eight) and completions (356) as the Saints posted a 10-6 record to win the NFC South.
NEW YORK: The Giants hope to advance to the postseason for the third consecutive year behind quarterback ELI MANNING. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft has passed for 3,000 yards in each of the past two seasons and started 39 consecutive games. Last year, Manning threw for 3,244 yards and tied his career-high with 24 touchdown passes.
PHILADELPHIA: DONOVAN MC NABB missed the final six games due to injury last year and is looking for a bounce-back season in 2007. The nine-year veteran has posted a 65-33 (.663) career record and has led the Eagles to a Super Bowl and four NFC Championship Games. McNabb’s seven postseason wins are the most by a quarterback in Eagles history. The five-time All-Star has 152 touchdowns versus 72 interceptions in his career for a 2.11 ratio, the second best mark all-time behind Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (2.17).
ST. LOUIS: The Rams have high hopes for 2007 and will once again turn to All-Star MARC BULGER to lead the charge. Bulger, who has a career 36-24 mark (.600) as a starter, is coming off a season in which he passed for a career-high 4,301 yards and posted a 92.9 passer rating, including an NFL-best eight games with a rating of at least 100.0.
SAN FRANCISCO: In his first full year as the team’s starter, ALEX SMITH became the first quarterback in franchise history to take every snap in a season. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2005 draft passed for a career-high 2,890 yards and 16 touchdowns. The former Utah star enters his third NFL season with 23 starts under his belt.
SEATTLE: Aiming to help win the NFC West for the fourth consecutive year and reach the playoffs for the fifth season in a row, quarterback MATT HASSELBECK enters his seventh year with the Seahawks. The two-time All-Star is the highest rated passer in team history with an 85.1 rating and his 12 career 300-yard games are the most in Seahawks annals. In his six seasons in Seattle, Hasselbeck has averaged more than 3,000 passing yards per year.
TAMPA BAY: The Buccaneers added three-time All-Star JEFF GARCIA during the offseason to upgrade the quarterback position. The nine-year veteran started the final six games of the regular season for the Philadelphia Eagles last year and helped guide the team to the playoffs. Garcia saw action in eight games and passed for 1,309 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions for a 95.8 passer rating.
WASHINGTON: JASON CAMPBELL enters his third NFL season and is the team’s starter on Kickoff Weekend for the first time in his career. The club’s first-round selection in the 2005 draft (No. 25) started the final seven games of the 2006 season and threw at least one touchdown pass in every start. Campbell led Auburn to an undefeated season in 2004 and was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
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