Drew Brees is the hottest quarterback in the NFL right now, but TampaBay's Jeff Garcia is having a banner season. They''ll meet on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Brees is one of three nominees for NFL Fed Ex Air Player of the Week Award and Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte, former Tulane standout, is up for Fed Ex Air Ground Player honors.
No other quarterback has completed a great percentage of his passes that Garcia the past six games, and only two have a better passer rating during that span.
Saints coach Sean Payton expects to see a different Garcia than his team saw on opening day. "The difference is going to see a player who's gotten a lot of reps," said the Saints coach. "It doesn't matter who you are, at that position you've got to have that playing time and experience."
LSU coach Les Miles has been saying that about his quarterbacks all season, too.
Garcia didn't get much playing time before the opener, and it showed. He struggled to move the team and finished by forcing a pass into coverage that was picked off by linebacker Scott Fujita.
Garcia was benched and Bucs coach John Gruden went with Brian Griese the next four weeks. Now, it's hard to imagine the Bucs without Garcia at quarterback. He ranks fifth in the league is passer rating with a 94.5 mark and is a big reason the Bucs are atop the NFC South.
"He's certainly playing with confidence and he's always been a guy who's been capable of bring his team back," said Payton. "He's a guy who's going to get it done for you."
"We;re playing a lot better since Garcia got here," said Gruden. "We did some really good things last year and we're doing some good things this year. I don't think we're on the cutting edge of being great right now, but we've done some really good things, done some decent things running it, done some decent things throwing it and will continue to do that if we want to stay alive."
Next, it was time for the Bucs coach to answer our questions.
Q: Do you remember the four NFC South teams all having such impressive records this late in the season (the division is rated as the best in the NFL)?
A: No, I don't, but I remember it every year being pretty much the same. When you have a MVP candidate at quarterback playing for the Saints and you have one of the really great rookie quarterbacks in the league that I've ever seen in Atlanta and Jake Delhomme coming back in Carolina and Jeff Garcia steadying the waters here in Tampa, there's a big reason why these four teams are where they are. They've all played solid defense and they have gotten very consistent play from their quarterbacks.
Q: The competition and tight race probably isn't a lot of fun for the coaches, but do you think the next five weeks will be a lot of fun for the fans?
A: It will be great. The NFC South has finally taken shape. We didn't really have any common rivalries and now that we're familiar with one another over the last seven seasons, the stage is set for a great finish.
Q: Does the way Jeff Garcia came back after he was benched show you what he's made of?
A: He was hurt. People can write and say what they want. He was hurt. He really wasn't benched. He missed all of training camp. He hurt his ankle. He's come back and played as consistently as he did last year. He won-lost record and completion percentage speaks for itself. He's a winner. I think you guys need and everybody needs to step back and tip their hats to the veteran quarterbacks this year, the Kurt Warners
Q: From what seen on film, are Drew Brees and the Saints offense are playing at even a higher level than you've seen the last two years?
A: I don't know about that.. They've been pretty good since Drew Brees got in town. I wish he would have signed somewhere else, but that's the way it goes. I saw play the other night against the Packers. They're going to throw for yards. They're going to make some plays. They're going to come out throwing it, throwing for yards and they're going to make some plays in the process. I have seen Carolina, I have seen Atlanta and a couple of teams at least get their way and slow them down and do some good things, too. They will be a stiff challenge. We have a lot of respect for their players and Sean Payton does a heck of a job with his staff, so we're really going to have to play great.
Q: What is the key to slowing down the Saints offense?
A: We're pretty good on defense. It's not like we're chopped liver. We can't blow coverages. I think in the game the other night, the first touchdown, no one covers that guy. We can't do that. We can't blow coverages. We have to get a good four-man rush, five-man rush, get a blitz, whatever we do. We have to tackle. We have to try to eliminate the big plays. We're pretty good on defense, at least that's my belief.
Q: What do you think of Lance Moore and his emergence? Is he sort of like a secret weapon?
A" He's not a secret any more. he's caught a lot of balls down there, he's obviously a very reliable guy and to me that's they key for the Saints. Drew Brees puts them into good plays every snap. He knows where to go, the hot receiver. He knows who to get it to and the audible. You have to have reliable, accountable people. To have a guy like Moore, who is also a talented guy, that is a double edged sword for a defense. Their offense has done a great job. Nobody says anything about their defense. All I know is that they had three interceptions the other night and could have had five or six.
Q: Does Moore remind you of Wes Welker?
A: That might be a good comparison. They have all kinds of weapons. He's not just a serviceable receiver. He's capable of ripping you. We have a lot of respect for him. You throw in Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, Devery Henderson and all those other guys. That guy Deuce McAllister, whatever his name is. He has 100 touchdowns. He seems to play his best football against us every year. We're going to have our hands full, but we're excited about it.
Q: It seems in the last two games, he Saints' secondary has played better. Do you agree?
A: I think they've done a great job personally. Coaches Gary Gibbs and Joe Vitt, I think those guys have done a hell of a job adjusting. There's no Charles Grant. Mike McKenzie goes down. They changed their front using some creative blitzing now. I'm impressed with them. I think they have some young players Sedrick Ellis, who has a chance to be outstanding. I always thought Scott Shanlee, Scott Fujita and Jonathan Vilma are three of the hardest playing Jessie's in pro football, so it will be a stiff test for us.
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Drew Brees is the hottest quarterback in the NFL right now, but 
