I give Vinny Testaverde all the credit for stepping back onto the football field this year after just a short retirement period.

Testaverde, who turned 44 years old last week, came out of retirement after the quarterbacks on the Carolina Panthers started dropping like flies.

Testaverde’s first start of the season for the Panthers was a good one. Testaverde completed 20 of 33 attempts for 206 yards. He hooked up with Steve Smith on a 65-yard scoring strike as the Panthers beat the Cardinals, 25-10, in Arizona.

Since then Testaverde has completed 25 of 48 attempts for only 235 yards in losses to Indianapolis (31-7) and Atlanta (20-13) going into Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field. He had zero TD passes and threw one interception during that span of time.

Testaverde’s numbers from Sunday are not that bad but they also don’t tell the whole story. He completed 19 of 37 pass attempts for 258 yards. He had a pair of touchdown tosses to go along with a pair of picks. His QB rating for the game was 69.4.

The problem I had Sunday watching the Panthers and Packers at Lambeau Field was the fact that Testaverde was on the field.

Watching Testaverde throw the ball Sunday reminded me of watching a father play catch with his 5 year-old son in their back lawn. For the majority of the day, all Testaverde’s passes were lob passes. It looked like he was playing basketball more than football Sunday.

The Panthers offense is so one dimensional when Testaverde is in the game. I don’t think he can throw a ball more than 35 yards anymore which leaves the Panthers with six choices in their whole play book – run left, run right, run up the middle, screen left, screen right, and screen up the middle. 

The Packers and Brett Favre mopped up the punchless Panthers, 31-17, at Lambeau Field in a game that was not as close as the score indicated. 

Favre and the Packers avoided looking past the trap game with the Panthers and ahead to their biggest two game road stretch since their title runs in 1996 and 1997.

Favre passes were clean and crisp as he picked apart the Panthers secondary all day long. Favre completed 22 of 30 attempts for 218 yards and he tossed three touchdown passes.

While Favre’s receivers have to worry about breaking their fingers while catching his rockets, the Panthers receivers only have to maybe worry about breaking a fingernail maybe on Testaverde’s wobbly, wounded ducks he throws.

The NFL needs to look into a way in which they can develop young quarterback’s who can withstand the pressure of the lightning quick defenses of the league and be successful at the same time.

I just cannot believe that there wasn’t someone better qualified to take the field Sunday for the Panthers than Testaverde. I think the NFL should look into the integrity of its game if the best they can do is suit up a 44 year-old quarterback as their starter.

It’s time for the NFL to develop a lower-tier league in the United States to develop young players who can step in right away and play in the league. Maybe each team should have a junior varsity team just like in high school that plays each Thursday night in their respective cities. It’s not like the biggest cash cow, THE NFL, cannot afford it.

Time to pull the wallet out Commish Goodell and start developing more younger talent because the integrity of your game is in question and you better take notice.