A secret weapon at QB

January 27, 2004|Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist

HOUSTON -- The Patriots have shown the world what they can do with high-octane, high-profile quarterbacks during these playoffs. Now let's see what they can do with an aw-shucks quarterback whose weekly goal is to stay out of trouble.

"I don't need to win this game by myself," says Jake Delhomme of the Carolina Panthers. "I've got a couple of studs behind me, and some weapons to throw to. I'm just a link in the chain."

Jake Delhomme doesn't have to tell us he's happy to be here. Isn't that obvious? A year ago, the primary item on his professional resume was taking the Frankfurt Galaxy to the 1999 World Bowl championship. Six years after leaving Southwest Louisiana (now University of Louisiana-Lafayette) as the school's all-time passing leader, he had thrown just 86 passes as a New Orleans Saints backup. Now he's one of two starting quarterbacks preparing for the sport's biggest game, and it doesn't bother him that in this QB matchup he's the "who's he?" party of the second part. Ask yourself: Did you see him on camera during the State of the Union address?

He can't even be sure that people will get his name right. One inquisitor not too long ago referred to him as "Jack."

"That doesn't bother me," he insists, "because that's not what I'm all about. I could care less about statistics and accolades as long as I can help the Carolina Panthers win. I just don't have that kind of ego to let that stuff bother me."

In the absence of conflicting evidence, we shall take what he says at face value. If it's an act, it's a very good one.

Much like Tom Brady, he is a game manager. At no point during this season have coach John Fox or offensive coordinator Dan Henning asked Delhomme to win the game for his team. He has thrown as many as 49 passes (in a 37-17 loss to Tennessee), but nine times in the regular season he threw in the 20s, and in the NFC Championship game against Philadelphia he was asked to throw the ball only 14 times.

Fox doesn't come right out and say, "Look, quarterback is not one of our great strengths. All we want our guy to do is not lose the game for us." What he does say is "I feel very confident that Jake Delhomme is good enough to win the championship for us, and time will tell."

Delhomme knows who he is, and he happens to share that confidence. Asked his reaction to the way the Patriots handled co-MVPs Steve McNair and Peyton Manning on successive playoff weekends, Delhomme says, "I'm not going to be intimidated. If I'm intimidated, I'd be doing an injustice to the Carolina Panthers. You've got to understand that those defenders practice, too, and they're going to win some battles. You've just got to win more of them during the course of the game. Certainly, they are good defenders, but that's why you play the game."