Jake Delhomme's days as a premier quarterback in the NFL are over. But if you think the Carolina Panthers had suffered enough for his 9 picks and 11 turnovers in the last two games, think about this: Their top backup in Week 1 was Josh McCown, who was put on the injured reserve after the game due to foot and knee injury. They should have drafted a QB in the last couple of years. They should also have given Jeff Garcia a call ...
But the Philadelphia Eagles snapped up Garcia after their QB Donovan McNabb broke a rib in a meaningless touchdown run late in their blowout against the Panthers. Good news is, Garcia will probably start next week. Bad news is, when Michael Vick is finally reinstated in Week 3, the Eagles will have four good QBs on their roster. One of them has to go, and that would likely be Kevin Kolb, a former top (second-round) pick.
The Oakland Raiders played better than many expected. Their running game was strong, and their passing game was effective as well. And the player who stood out in their close loss against the San Diego Chargers was rookie receiver Louis Murphy, who had outplayed first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey by grabbing a long touchdown. However, he should have had two but he just couldn't hang on to the ball when he fell down in the endzone in the second quarter. The mistake cost Raiders four points which turned out to be their margin of defeat. With the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs struggling, the Raiders could be a big surprise this season.
The other Bay Area team, the San Francisco 49ers, could be another surprise this season. I like Mike Singletary as a player, and I like him as a coach too for his no-nonsense style of play. Their QB, Shaun Hill (whom I had criticised before), may not be the flashiest player you'll ever see, but what he does is keep winning games. And if they start their season well, don't be surprised to see Michael Crabtree, their first-round pick this year who is still holding out, to report to camp immediately.
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