Give Kubiak, Carr credit

I’ll have to admit, I thought years of inhaling Denver’s mile-high oxygen had finally taken its toll on Gary Kubiak when he expressed unwavering support for quarterback David Carr shortly after being named Houston Texans head coach.

And when he passed up Reggie Bush AND Vince Young, I was indeed convinced that Kubiak needed to spend more time at sea level.

I’d like to make one thing perfectly clear: Carr is no Peyton Manning.

This season, he’s been even better.

Take a look at the NFL passer ratings. Carr is No. 1, above Manning (No. 6 at 97.7) and any other quarterback plying his trade in the NFL. Carr also leads the AFC in touchdown passes (7) and he’s thrown only two interceptions through four games.

“It hasn’t been pretty and it’s not going to always be pretty,” said Kubiak of Carr’s performance. “But David is learning how to battle for a whole afternoon. That’s what I like about what I see from him.”

Under Kubiak’s tutelage, Carr has clearly come a long way. Last season, he finished No. 21 (77.2) among NFL quarterbacks. And if you don’t think Kubiak makes a difference, take a look a Denver’s Jake Plummer – without Kubiak as his offensive coordinator.

Plummer finished No. 7 last season (90.2). This season, he’s plummeted to No. 28 and Broncos fans are clamoring for backup Jay Cutler.

Kubiak and Carr deserve credit for the quarterback’s improvement.

It’s a start.