NFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

YOUNG NFC QUARTERBACKS ON THE RISE

It is the day football fans across the country have been waiting for since he burst upon the scene at Virginia Tech.  After spending the 2001 season primarily as a backup, Atlanta Falcons quarterback MICHAEL VICK begins a new era for the team this Sunday as he takes over the reigns as the club’s undisputed starter.

The No. 1 selection in the 2001 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech (which retired his No. 7 jersey last Sunday), Vick joins DAVID CARR of the Houston Texans, the top pick in the 2002 draft, as starters on Kickoff 2002 Weekend.  The duo is among a plentiful contingent of young quarterbacks around the NFL who hope to lead their teams to success for years to come.  Seven, or nearly half, of the 16 NFC starters this weekend are 27 years old or younger, with an average age of 28.1. 

Vick – whose Falcons head to Green Bay for a matchup against three-time NFL Associated Press MVP BRETT FAVRE and the Packers – spent his rookie season as the No. 2 man behind CHRIS CHANDLER, seeing action in eight games and starting two.  But in that limited span, the 22 year-old did enough to impress teammates and opponents alike, as well as former San Francisco 49ers great and fellow left-hander STEVE YOUNG.

“Michael has the physical ability to defy belief and a true desire to orchestrate the offense,” says Young, who worked with Vick at an offseason minicamp.  “That’s an interesting combination that I think will be fun to watch unfold.”

Against the Miami Dolphins on December 30, Vick showed the ability and athleticism that has Falcons fans so excited.  After replacing an injured Chandler late in the first half, Vick rallied the team from a 21-7 deficit and drove Atlanta to within one yard of a game-tying touchdown in the final seconds.  He accounted for 277 of the team’s 388 total yards, with several big pass plays and electrifying runs, including twice turning apparent sacks into big gains.  On the day, he finished 11 of 20 for 214 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while also adding 63 yards rushing on five carries.

“Michael Vick is the best athlete in the NFL,” said Dolphins’ cornerback PATRICK SURTAIN after the game.  “It doesn’t always matter how well you defend a receiver because his arm is so good that he can throw it right past you.”  Adds Dolphins head coach DAVE WANNSTEDT, “You don’t prepare for an athlete like that.”

Vick, who devoted himself throughout the offseason and training camp to mastering the Falcons’ offense and is anxious to showcase his skills, says  “I know what I am looking for on the field and I have a good understanding of what’s going on.  I am the leader of this football team and I have to play like it.”

Vick’s cousin, New Orleans Saints starting quarterback AARON BROOKS, is another young NFC QB on the rise.  Brooks, a 26-year-old entering his second full season as the Saints’ starter, tied the club record for TD passes in a season (26) in 2001, and set the Saints’ season record for offensive yards (4,190) and rushing yards by a quarterback (358).  He will try to improve on those numbers as the Saints open the season against new NFC South divisional-rival Tampa Bay.

Another young NFC quarterback who has displayed promise is Cowboys second-year man QUINCY CARTER (24), who hopes to continue the momentum built by his strong finish last year in which he led Dallas to wins over the division-rival Redskins and Giants, as well as an upset over the playoff-bound 49ers.

In Detroit, second-year QB MIKE MC MAHON started three games last season, displaying the ability to make plays with his arm and his legs.  Rookie JOEY HARRINGTON was selected by the Lions with the No. 3 pick in the April draft after a record-setting career at the University of Oregon.

Other young quarterbacks have already established themselves as NFL stars.  Minnesota’s DAUNTE CULPEPPER is in his third year as a starter and is one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons.  Another headache for opposing defenses is the Eagles’ two-time Pro Bowler DONOVAN MC NABB, entering only his fourth year at the helm of the Philadelphia attack.

St. Louis’ KURT WARNER and San Francisco’s JEFF GARCIA already may have turned 30 but only have a combined five seasons experience as NFL starters.  Still, they are in the elite category at a position filled with promising performers.