Young quarterbacks all over the NFL are thriving _ Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Dak Prescott.
Several quarterbacks in their 30s seem to be heading in the other direction _ Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler.
With one group, we're counting the touchdowns. With the other, we're counting the days.
This could all change, as the regular season isn't even at the midway point. But through five weeks, it has been a young man's game.
It's always perilous to make sweeping statements, especially about quarterback play, as their ability to rebound from bad games is one of the aspects that has made these seasoned veterans so good.
So when Pittsburgh's Roethlisberger sarcastically says, as he did last weekend after his career-worst five interceptions against Jacksonville, "Maybe I don't have it anymore," brace yourself for a bounce-back game.
The Steelers will have their hands full when they play at Kansas City on Sunday.
Not surprisingly, an exception is New England's Tom Brady, who at 40 continues to add to his Hall of Fame credentials. He leads the league with 1,702 yards passing, with 11 touchdowns and one interception.
The Patriots play at the New York Jets on Sunday. Even though the Jets have won three in a row, New England opened Monday as a 9 {-point favorite. In an early-season twist, there's a three-team tie atop the AFC East among the Patriots, Jets and Buffalo Bills, all 3-2.
Then there are the two quarterbacks from the first round of the 2005 draft, No. 1 pick Alex Smith, and No. 24 Aaron Rodgers, who are having all-star seasons.
Kansas City's Smith is having a career year as he directs the league's best and only unbeaten team, with 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions, and an NFL-best passer rating of 125.8.
Green Bay's Rodgers was typically spectacular last weekend in a 35-31 victory at Dallas, throwing three touchdown passes, including the game-winner with 11 seconds left.
The Packers play at Minnesota on Sunday.
