As most any football fan in Denver will now tell you, the search for a franchise quarterback can be arduous and sometimes painful.
Yet quick success doesn’t always guarantee ultimate success. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, one of a group of youthful passers who appear to have championship potential, will make his 50th start today. He has 33 wins in his previous 49 starts, which puts him in select company.
Tom Brady — no surprise — leads the way among active quarterbacks with 38 wins in his first 50 starts for the Patriots. The Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger is just behind at 36 wins in his first 50 starts. Those two have five Super Bowl wins to their credit.
But the rest of the active leaders — Tony Romo (35), Philip Rivers (34), Donovan McNabb (31) and Michael Vick (31) — have zero Super Bowl wins to their credit.
Vick has a chance to break free with the team the Eagles have assembled around him this season, but he may have to beat Brady to do it.
Must-see game of the week
Chargers at Patriots 2:15 p.m.
The skinny: Since the Patriots knocked the Chargers out of the postseason to close out the 2006 and 2007 seasons — in the AFC divisional round and AFC championship game, respectively — there has been a tidy little simmering rivalry here. That was especially true after the playoff game to close out the 2006 season when the Patriots beat the Chargers in San Diego and then mocked then-Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman’s gestures to the crowd.
The difference will be: What the Chargers can do against the Patriots’ defense. Lost in Brady’s 517 yards passing last week was the fact the team’s defense surrendered 488 yards, which included a 400-yard passing game by the Dolphins’ Chad Henne. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has usually chosen coverage over pressure when facing a quarterback who is among the league’s best. So he figures to throw plenty of different looks at San Diego’s Philip Rivers. The Patriots have won their last nine home openers.
The call: Patriots 31-28
Catch them if you can
Bears at Saints 11 a.m., KDVR-31
The Bears’ defense was at its turnover-causing best last weekend and will need a similar effort in this one. The Saints’ backfield combo of rookie Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles gives them plenty of options. Bears QB Jay Cutler, however, does like to play indoors. In his past four starts in a dome, Cutler has completed 66.9 percent of his passes, with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
The call: Saints 28-24
Jaguars at Jets 11 a.m.
Look for the Jets to try to rattle Jaguars quarterback Luke McCown, who became the team’s starter in the days leading up to the opener. McCown did not throw a touchdown pass against the Titans last week, but he played it safe moving the offense, completing just over 70 percent of his passes. The Cowboys did put up 390 yards on the Jets.
The call: Jets 23-13
Cowboys at 49ers 2 p.m.
The 49ers won coach Jim Harbaugh’s debut despite just 209 yards of offense against the Seahawks. But San Francisco won the special-teams battle, with Ted Ginn Jr. returning a punt and a kickoff for scores. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is taking some heat after completing just 5-of-12 passes, including an interception in the fourth quarter, in the loss to the Jets.
The call: Cowboys 24-9
Eagles at Falcons 6:20 p.m., KUSA-9
If the Falcons want to really be one of the NFC’s power brokers, they must win a game like this at some point. They failed in the opener in Chicago last Sunday. The Eagles, on the back of two first-quarter touchdowns by DeSean Jackson, cruised to a 31-17 win in last season’s meeting between the teams.
The call: Eagles 33-27
Quick hits
Raiders at Bills 11 a.m.
After the Bills’ thrashing of Kansas City at Arrowhead last week, they officially have people’s attention. The call: Bills 20-17
Packers at Panthers 11 a.m.
Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton did just fine against Cardinals in the opener, but Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers should offer Newton a far more stern test in this one.
The call: Packers 27-9
Chiefs at Lions 11 a.m., KCNC-4
It is amazing how many team executives and coaches say that setting aside egos and working together are important components of a championship team — and then don’t follow those golden rules. The rift between general manager Scott Pioli and coach Todd Haley has affected the Chiefs.
The call: Lions 23-13
Browns at Colts 11 a.m.
Without their franchise QB, the Colts are a team that just may be an underdog to almost anyone they play. And that includes a Browns team that has lost at least 10 games in a season nine times since 1999.
The call: Browns 21-20
Buccaneers at Vikings 11 a.m.
The Buccaneers have won the last four meetings between these teams.
The call: Vikings 24-23
Seahawks at Steelers 11 a.m.
The Seahawks drew the short straw this week. No team does angry better than the Steelers after an opening-day meltdown, and that accurately describes what happened vs. the Ravens.
The call: Steelers 30-14
Ravens at Titans 11 a.m.
Titans coach Mike Munchak makes his regular-season home debut in this game. The Hall of Fame lineman needs plenty more from $53 million running back Chris Johnson than he got last week.
The call: Ravens 27-17
Cardinals at Redskins 11 a.m.
The Cardinals have never beaten Mike Shanahan in a regular-season game — the former Broncos coach is 4-0 as a coach against Arizona.
The call: Redskins 28-24
Texans at Dolphins 2:15 p.m.
Thanks to Tom Brady, the Dolphins sport the worst defensive ranking in the league. Texans coach Gary Kubiak is 4-0 against the Dolphins while at Houston and looks to follow New England’s lead and put the ball in the air. The call: Texans 31-21
