"It's difficult to envision many quarterback matchups in which resumes could be more disparate than Sunday's game pitting Josh Johnson against Donovan McNabb.

The Bucs' 2008 fifth-round draft pick is set to make his second start, this time against the Eagles' 1999 first-round pick, who is the franchise's career leader in passing yards, completions and touchdown passes. McNabb is set to return from a broken rib that sidelined him for two games.

Suddenly, Johnson squares off against a player he has admired.

"I've watched him his whole career," Johnson said. "He's a special player. I feel like it's an honor just to go out and finally see him live and be on the other side of the field."

After a rough first start last weekend at Washington, Johnson can benefit from a good example. He arguably played too timidly and lacked the sort of dynamic plays McNabb has made a career of - though that's probably expected given the difference in age (23 versus 32) and experience. Johnson finished 13 of 22 for 106 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 67.6 passer rating.

Johnson admires much about McNabb, but the 11-year veteran's ability to keep his cool is particularly impressive.

"You just watch his poise and you watch his playmaking ability and you watch how he leads that offense," Johnson said. "It seems like he's always in control when you put on the film. He's never flustered, and he's always under control. He's always doing something right at the right time."

Certainly there are worse examples. McNabb ranks third in victories among active quarterbacks with more than 100 starts (a .647 winning percentage). Only the Patriots' Tom Brady (.782) and the Colts' Peyton Manning (.672) rank higher."