The 2004-05 National Football League season concludes on Sunday when the New England Patriots meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb will be making his first appearance in the Super Bowl after leading Philadelphia to the National Football Conference title last Sunday.
With the season coming to a close, here is a review of how the black starting quarterbacks in the NFL fared this season.
Donovan McNabb led the Eagles to their fourth consecutive NFC East Division title and a 13-3 regular season record (15-3 overall). McNabb completed 300 of 469 passes for 3,875 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. McNabb’s passer rating for the regular season was 104.7. He also rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns.
In the Eagles’ two playoff victories, McNabb completed 38 of 59 passes for 519 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating of 110.4 is the best among quarterbacks in the postseason.
Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings had the most impressive season among the black quarterbacks in 2004. Culpepper completed 379 of 548 passes for a league-leading 4,717 yards with 39 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Culpepper also led the NFL with a passer rating of 110.5.
Culpepper was on a pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season record for touchdown passes of 48 before a mid-season injury to star receiver Randy Moss slowed down the pace.
Culpepper led the Vikings to a 9-9 season a spot in the NFC playoffs. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 54 yards in a 31-17 victory over Green Bay in the NFC Wild Card game. In the Vikings 27-14 loss to the Eagles in the Divisional playoffs, Culpepper threw for 316 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another score.
Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons led his team to an 11-5 regular season and the NFC South Division title. The Falcons finished the season at 12-6 with a berth in the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to Philadelphia 27-10. Coming off of a broken leg injury that cost him most of the 2003 season, Vick completed 181 of 321 passes for 2,313 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Vick also rushed for 902 yards and three touchdowns to lead all NFL quarterbacks.
In the NFC Divisional playoffs against the St. Louis Rams, Vick rushed for 119 yards and threw two touchdown passes in the Falcons’ 47-17 victory. He was held to 36 yards rushing and 126 yards passing in the NFC Championship Game against Philadelphia.
Byron Leftwich of the Jacksonville Jaguars had a breakthrough season in his first full year as a starter. Leftwich completed 267 of 441 passes for 2,941 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Leftwich also displayed a flair for the dramatic as he led Jacksonville to four victories in his team’s last possession of the game.
Aaron Brooks of the New Orleans Saints completed the year passing for 3,810 yards with 21 touchdowns and 16 touchdowns. After a rough stretch in the middle of the season, Brooks led the Saints on a four-game winning streak which nearly earned them a spot in the playoffs.
Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans could only play in eight games as he suffered a series of injuries, including a bruised sternum that sidelined him for the final five games. For the season, McNair passed for 1,343 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.
