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First, let me applaud the work of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. Both did a great job of managing their teams and avoiding the rookie mistakes that you usually see at the quarterback position. That said, I think we have to be careful about crowning them the next anything. Let’s just sit back and watch.

Quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are not born overnight. If a quarterback the caliber of Manning, Brady, Donovan McNabb or Philip Rivers threw only two touchdowns with four interceptions while averaging 166 passing yards over a three-game stretch, you would say they were in a slump. Those are Ryan’s numbers from his last three regular-season games, not to mention his playoff woes. Flacco fared slightly better over that same stretch, averaging 187 passing yards over the final three games, with only one touchdown and two interceptions.

It’s not my intention to diminish their fine work in their rookie seasons. I make these observations out of respect for the legacy of guys like Manning, Brady, McNabb and Brett Favre — just to name a few. I’ve grown tired of the media trumping up flashes of brilliance, while diminishing the body of work of some future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

– Jamie Dukes

• Did you miss the latest “Put up your Dukes?” Watch Jamie put the Dallas soap opera into perspective.