Don't overlook Culpepper's season; it was one of the best ever

What timing. Daunte Culpepper turns in one of the greatest seasons ever by an NFL quarterback, and nobody notices. He can thank Peyton Manning for that.

It's like releasing a great film the same year Titanic comes out. Nice work, pal, and thanks for dropping by the Oscar ceremony; we have some consolation prizes for you backstage.

Manning's 2004 season was, well, titanic. He broke Dan Marino's season record for touchdown passes, a mark I thought would stand forever, and produced a passer rating of 121.1, surpassing Steve Young's 1994 record of 112.8. It was a phenomenal performance.

Culpepper? He was merely fantastic. He flirted with Young's record, finishing at 110.9. His completion rate of 69.2 percent was just a shade behind Ken Anderson's 1982 record mark of 70.55 percent. He passed for 39 touchdowns and 4,717 yards and was intercepted only 11 times.

His numbers were remarkable, but there was more to it than that. When I watched him play, 1 saw a quarterback who has blossomed as a decision-maker. He was much more patient within the Vikings' offense and forced fewer throws. Mentally, he was on top of his game.

Culpepper has improved steadily since he became a starter in 2000, but I think he still is perceived as a gifted athlete more than a gifted quarterback, a guy with mobility and a strong arm who can heave the ball downfield while Randy Moss runs under it and makes a play.

That misperception was laid bare while Moss sat out the better part of 5 1/2 games this season. Culpepper kept on passing, making household names of Nate Burleson, Marcus Robinson and Jermaine Wiggins. During that stretch of games, Culpepper showed me what a great quarterback he is.

Of course, there's another reason Culpepper has been overshadowed this season. The Vikings have underachieved. While Manning led the Colts to the AFC South title and a 12-4 record, the Vikings limped into the playoffs at 88.

Ultimately, a quarterback is judged by his ability to win, and the Vikings haven't done enough of that on Culpepper's watch. So many times--and not just this season--they have let games slip away when they failed to make a key stop on defense. That isn't Culpepper's fault; he typically played well in those games. But wins and losses rest on the shoulders of the quarterback, and losing has a way of making folks look the other way.

Don't. It would be a shame to overlook one of the finest seasons an NFL quarterback has ever played.

The Troy Aikman Show airs at 5 p.m. ET every Thursday through the Super Bowl on Sporting News Radio. Listen online at radio.sportingnews.com

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