Here are my Week 3 Observations: Quarterback Edition

• I can't believe how much I underestimated the Jaguars.  They look like a team that could win the Super Bowl purely on defense, just like Baltimore 2000 and Tampa Bay in 2002.  The only thing holding them back is Byron Leftwich.  I really think that if Brad Johnson were their quarterback they would be a favorite.  That is not to say that Johnson is a better quarterback, it is to say that Johnson is a better--here comes the buzz word--game manager.  Leftwich is a quarterback in the mold Brett Favre in that he is a gun slinger who takes chances.  With the defense that Jacksonville has, they should look into getting a smart, veteran QB for next season.  If they do that, they will be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

• As for a team I overestimated, Miami has looked terrible (or, as the Spaniards say, el terible).  Everyone's opinion seems to be that Daunte Culpepper is either rusty, or just isn't very good without Randy Moss.  The fact is that any quarterback would look worse after losing Randy Moss.  Daunte hasn't regressed, we all just thought too much of him while he was in Minnesota.  That being said, I do think he will turn things around and have a solid, productive season.  He has good receivers in Chris Chambers, Marty Booker, and Randy McMichael, and a running back, Ronnie Brown, that can suck defenders into the box.

• It really surprised me how much everyone was singing the praises of Rex Grossman after week two.  The guy ad a great game, no doubt about it, but to think that just one game was an indication of how the rest of his career will go is ludicrous.  I'm glad to see he was back to his old self this week.

• Congratulations to Redskins QB Mark Brunell for setting a new NFL single-game record with 22 consecutive completions.  It would be absurd to expect him to continue throwing like that, but I do think that this is closer to what should be expected of him for the rest of the season.  In the first two games Washington's offense was awful, and everyone jumped all over Brunell.  After all, Clinton Portis is one of the best running backs in the league, Santana Moss emerged last year as one of the most explosive receivers in the league.  They signed WR Antwaan Randle El and traded for WR Brandon Lloyd.  In addition to this, they brought in Al Saunders as offensive coordinator he made the Chiefs one of the most prolific offenses in recent memory.  Looking at all of this, the consensus was that Brunell was over the hill, was holding his team back.  I think he was just learning a new offense.  Now that he has a few games under his belt, he will start to feel more comfortable in the new system, and we should expect him to have a very good season.

• Congratulations are also owed to Brett Favre for reaching the plateau of 400 career touchdown passes.  The fact that Dan Marino is the only other quarterback to reach this mark speaks volumes about its significance as well as Favre's significance in the history of the game.  Having watched him play for so many years, he never seemed like the type of quarterback who would throw 400 touchdowns.  He has never even thrown 40 touchdowns in a season, but he only needs 18 more this season to tie Marino's record of 420.  He reminds me Hank Aaron in that regard.  Hammerin' Hank never his 40 home runs in a season, but he has the all-time home runs record.  I guess slow and steady really does win the race.

• I can't help but feel a little sorry for Kurt Warner.  He lost his starting job in New York to a hot shot rookie (some kid named Manning).  And now it looks like the same thing is happening again, this time with rookie Matt Leinart.  Head Coach Dennis Green originally said Leinart would start Week 4 in Atlanta, but changed his mind the next day.  It looks like Warner will keep his job this week, but it is just a matter of time before Leinart takes over.  I predict Leinart will get his first start, pending injury to either himself or Warner, in Week 7.  Warner will have just gotten dominated by Chicago, and their next three weeks include a game against Oakland, a game against Green Bay, and a bye--just perfect to ease a rookie into the starting role.