"I don't understand the idea that Daunte can't be great without great players. You watch, when he's done, people are going to remember him for his own talents. He's going to go down in history."
In truth, Culpepper already has. His 2004 stats gave him one of the top six seasons by a quarterback in league history – 4,717 passing yards, a 69-percent completion rate and 39 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. His passing/rushing yardage total of 5,123 yards was the best in NFL history. And consider what Culpepper has done through five years: Three Pro Bowl berths, the second-best completion percentage in league history and the third-best passer rating. Yet, while
Peyton Manning is regularly mentioned in media essays about "greatest quarterbacks ever," Culpepper can barely sneak into the margins without some kind of scrutiny. And that was before he lost Moss.