Byron Leftwich Set to Soar with Falcons

I can see this one in my mind's eye, plain as day:

Blackbeard the pirate, standing with his first mate at the end of the plank on a sinking ship.  As the ship goes under, Blackbeard forces his first mate to leap into the sea.

The irony, of course, is that the first mate gets a chance to swim to safety, while Blackbeard is stuck trying to save the ship.

So it was in Jacksonville, with Jack Del Rio as Blackbeard and Byron Leftwich as the first mate.

Del Rio decided that Leftwich wasn't his man shortly before the season started, releasing him into the free agent pool on September 1st.

I agree that Leftwich hasn't been the healthiest starting quarterback, or the most mobile. But I think it's safe to say his situation has improved—even if no one else recognizes it.

Instead of being denounced as the main problem on the Jags' sinking ship, Leftwich has the chance to swim for land in Atlanta, with an offense that could thrive under the right circumstances.

Critics will say the Falcons have no chance in the wake of the Michael Vick saga, but let's take a closer look.

There's no doubt, for starters, that Joe Horn is the best target Leftwich has had since Jimmy Smith retired before the 2006 season. Horn has amassed 8,500 receiving yards on just under 600 catches (14.8 per) and added 57 touchdowns in his 12-year career.

Dennis Northcutt, Jacksonville's "top" receiver, has 285 receptions for 3,570 yards (12.5 per) and just 11 touchdowns in his seven-year career.

Compared to Horn, in other words, Northcutt can't find the end zone.

Leftwich has to be happy working with an offensive genius like Bobby Petrino and an extended receiving corps of Horn, Roddy White, and Michael Jenkins—a far cry from the lackluster Jacksonville trio of Northcutt, Ernest Wilford, and QB-turned-WR Matt Jones.

The brightest spot in Atlanta, though, may be Alge Crumpler. Leftwich never had a tight end who could catch a pass in Jacksonville, and Crumpler will provide a welcome change.

Is this going to be a tough job for Leftwich to win?

Probably not.

NFL teams don't sign backup quarterbacks to multiyear contacts worth $3.5 million per season.  Leftwich was brought in to play, not to sit on the sidelines—and I expect him to be starting as early as Week Five.

In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to see him get some limited late-game snaps when Carolina makes the trip to Atlanta this weekend.

The bottom line is Byron Leftwich is going to be the man in Atlanta as long as he's healthy.

With a more talented receiving corps, a better tight end, and a pass-happy offense, we should see Leftwich earn the title of conquering hero...rather than ship-sinker.