Games within the games often as telling as scores

	Should David Garrard lead the Jaguars past the Titans, he could find himself the Jacksonville starter for quite some time. Chris McGrath/Getty Images

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards

Depending on the number of teams on bye weeks, there are anywhere from 12 to 16 NFL games to keep track of on a given weekend. But for the observant fantasy owner, there are many more.

That's right. I'm talking about the games within the games.

And I love those games. To me -- again from a fantasy perspective -- the games within the games are far more fascinating than the bigger contests surrounding them.

Here's just a few examples of the inside games I'll be following this weekend and why they might be of interest to you, too.

The game: Titans-Jaguars

The other game: David Garrard vs. Byron Leftwich

In an item touched on here last week, Garrard will make his second consecutive start at quarterback in place of Leftwich on Sunday, when the Jaguars host Tennessee.

According to the Associated Press, Leftwich said on Thursday that head coach Jack Del Rio told him before practice he was sticking with Garrard, who led the Jaguars to a 13-6 victory at Philadelphia last week and improved to 5-1 as a starter the past two seasons.

Del Rio has repeatedly said that Leftwich, if healthy, would be the starter. Leftwich, bothered by a sore ankle, declared himself healthy enough to play earlier this week and said he practiced without pain Wednesday and Thursday. Del Rio apparently didn't agree and made a move that opens the door to a full-fledged quarterback controversy in Jacksonville.

My prediction: I suspect Leftwich's "injury" will be slow to heal as long as Garrard continues to lead the offense successfully and the Jags keep winning.

The game: Vikings-49ers

The other game: Brad Johnson vs. Brad Johnson

Johnson comes off a miserable Monday-night outing against the Patriots. His three-interception effort was bad enough for head coach Brad Childress to break out the hook early in the fourth quarter, when Johnson gave way to Brooks Bollinger.

Not that there will be any controversy here. Bollinger, sacked the first three times he dropped back to pass Monday night, doesn't seem like a viable option. Childress said Wednesday he does not foresee rookie Tarvaris Jackson moving up the depth chart, but the coach reiterated he won't tolerate many high-turnover games from Johnson or anyone else.