Test Of Time Old pros: Vinny may lose battle of ages By Rich Cimini New York Daily News 10/9/05 Steve DeBerg was the oldest. He was 44 when he started a game for the Falcons in 1998. It was a disaster. In a 28-3 loss to the Jets, he threw an interception, lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and completed only nine of 20 passes for 117 yards. Warren Moon was a younger 44 when he made an emergency start for the Chiefs in 2000. He, too, stunk. The once-great Moon went 12-for-31 for 130 yards, losing - and this is the saddest part - to the Chargers' bratty bust, Ryan Leaf. Doug Flutie was 42 last season when he started the Chargers' regular-season finale, but the game was meaningless (they had secured their playoff position) and he was replaced at halftime of a win over the Chiefs. Today, it's another old story, except this time the lead character is Vinny Testaverde, who will become the fourth-oldest quarterback to start. In a game layered with desperation and nostalgia, he will face the undefeated Bucs, attempting to make history - and trying to save the Jets' season. Logic says there's no way an almost 42-year-old quarterback, who hasn't taken a competitive snap in nine months and has had only two weeks to learn his playbook, can beat the NFL's top-ranked defense. Then again, in the Jets' star-crossed universe, nothing is logical. "It would be the story of the NFL so far this year," Moon said. Said DeBerg: "It would be an absolutely unbelievable feat. It's hard to fathom that somebody could do that, especially considering the opponent. God bless him if he can do it." Because of injuries (Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler) and ineffectiveness (Brooks Bollinger), Testaverde becomes the Jets' third starter in three weeks. A once-promising season has turned into a QB merry-go-round, and it could spin out of control if Herm Edwards' hunch about Testaverde goes bad. "It's a back-to-the-future kind of deal," said center Kevin Mawae, who believes Testaverde provides a "sense of security" - and, no, he didn't mean social security. Testaverde's physical prowess is well-documented, but he didn't have training camp and he threw only twice a week on his own (50 balls in each session). Even DeBerg and Moon went to camp with the Falcons and Chiefs, respectively, giving them time to absorb the playbook and condition their bodies. DeBerg says he admires Testaverde - they played together with the Bucs - and he hopes he does well. But, when asked if he could imagine what it would be like to jump into a new offensive system and play almost immediately as a 40-something quarterback, DeBerg said: "No, I can't imagine that. That's amazing. I know Vinny's in real good shape, but if you haven't been in the system, wow, that's extremely difficult." Testaverde joked that he bought a can of Rustoleum and sprayed it over his body. His timing figures to be off, and his mobility, well, he moves like traffic on the LIE. Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said he's not worried about that. "I'm just excited to have a quarterback," he said. Testaverde has the arm strength to create opportunities downfield, but the key is protecting him. The Jets already have allowed 14 sacks, and now they're facing a defense that forced Daunte Culpepper and Brett Favre into three interceptions each. With Curtis Martin playing on a bum knee, Testaverde may not have the support of a running game. "The good thing about Vinny is he'll make up for his lack of mobility by getting the ball out," said Heimerdinger, who has simplified the protection schemes. "I know he's not going to hold it. I know they're not going to get real close to him before the ball comes out." Testaverde, who was watching the Jets from his couch only two weeks ago, is trying to become the second-oldest quarterback to post a complete-game victory. Moon was 10 days shy of his 42nd birthday when he won a game for the Seahawks in 1998. Testaverde has a bigger ambition: he's still chasing that elusive Super Bowl. "That's what I dream about, but not everybody gets their dreams," he said. "Dan Marino wanted to win a Super Bowl. There are so many stories like that. You don't always get what you want. But if you don't try, you won't know."