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In case you've forgotten, let me reintroduce the NFL's most under-appreciated quarterback.

Jake Delhomme.

Other passers like Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers dominated Week 1 NFL headlines for various reasons. That vaunted San Diego was upset by the visiting Carolina Panthers became a bigger story than Delhomme's heroics in an unprecedented return from major elbow surgery.

Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross isn't surprised.

"Jake's definitely underrated," Gross said. "If he were playing in New York, Chicago or some bigger market, he would definitely be getting more attention."

Delhomme deserves the spotlight entering Sunday's home game against the Bears. Consider this:

Within the past five years, Delhomme has played in more Super Bowls than Favre (one) and as many conference championship games as Peyton Manning (two).

Just three other NFC quarterbacks — Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb, Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck and St. Louis' Marc Bulger — have started for the same team since 2003. Delhomme has won 62 percent of his games with a 44-27 record in that stretch. That is comparable to the winning percentages of more celebrated throwers like McNabb (65.7) and Hasselbeck (60.7) and far better than Bulger (47.8).

With eight touchdown passes, Delhomme ranked behind only Brady and Cincinnati's Carson Palmer through the first three games of 2007.

Not that Delhomme is ever mentioned in the same breath as those quarterbacks.