G21 SPORTS
K.O.'s CALLS
Kris "K.O." Olson
G21 Sports Writer
To read this article in Deutsch, Francaise, Italiano, Portuguese, Espanol, copy and paste the complete URL("http://www.g21.net/sports13.html") and enter it in the box after you click through.
BOSTON - I was knee-deep in depth charts, stats and schedules, doing my research to present you with insights for the 1998 NFL season. Then, it arrived. My 1998 Sports Illustrated NFL Preview Spectacular.
I cracked it open, and one of the first things I noticed was that SI and I agreed on a couple key points.
The Jags are the best. The Saints are the worst.
"Great," I thought. "In the fine journalistic tradition of Mike Barnicle and the Boston Globe, I can just crip the rest of the issue and be done with it."
Then, I turned the page.
The Jets as AFC East champions?!?!
Sigh. I guess I better get to work.
Sports writers love trends. For years, the big one in the NFL was that the NFC was vastly superior to the AFC. As last year developed, others began to emerge. Rumblings started about whether this would finally be the year Marty Schottenheimer would get "his" or John Elway would get "his". (Obviously, it turned out to be the latter.)
So let me be the first to identify the trend of this season. Are you ready?
Running backs aren't that important.
"Nice point, Brainiac," you reply sarcastically. "After all, the Broncos won it all last year with some mediocre talent named Terrell Davis in the backfield, and the Packers only had this guy, Dorsey Levens, who was second in the NFC in yardage."
Ah, but notice I didn't say a running *game* isn't that important. I just said that having a running *back* isn't that important.
Look, there's only one guy on this planet who is a complete, self-contained running game. His name is Barry Sanders.
Otherwise, a runner's success is directly dependent on the guys blocking for him. So even though Donnell Bennett (Kansas City), Robert Edwards (New England) and Charles Way (New York Giants) don't have gaudy resumes, their teams shouldn't panic, so long as the rest of those teams are sound (and don't make the mistake of having their best defensive back return kicks in preseason -- whoops, sorry Giants fans).
Having to rely on unproven talents like Bennett, Edwards or Way is preferable than spending big bucks to bring in an oft-injured big-money free agent to carry the ball at the expense of addressing a team's other, more pressing needs. Gee, I wonder who could have done that?
THE PICKS
AFC EAST
- New England 11-5
- Miami 9-7
- New York Jets 7-9
- Indianapolis 6-10
- Buffalo 5-11
New England: O.K., one last bit of Sports Illustrated bashing, and then I'm through.
How in the world do you write an entire preview of a team, complete with a column worth of triviata, and only mention the best feature of that team when your layout design forces you to do so?
That's what SI did with the New England Patriots. The only place you'll find the names Ted Johnson, Willie McGinest, Chris Slade and Ty Law is in the list of "probable starters." Never mind that the Patriots' defense carried the team in the latter half of the season and accomplished an almost impossible feat: They held an opponents' offense scoreless in a season-ending *loss* (Pittsburgh's only touchdown in a 7-6 win came on an interception return.)
S.I., meanwhile, dwells on the fact that Drew Bledsoe is playing for his fourth offensive coordinator in four years, certainly a valid concern. But if Bledsoe and his mates can find a way to put some points on the board, the defense will make them count.
Miami: The key moment in the Dolphins season may have already happened when Jimmy Johnson finally came to the conclusion that even he could not redeem the career of Lawrence Phillips. Now, he can concentrate on opening holes for the more-than-adequate Karim Abdul-Jabbar (who announced recently that, in a settlement of litigation brought by former Lakers' star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he will now be known as Lou-Al Sinder), squeezing another productive season out of Dan Marino and further honing a very good young defense.
New York Jets: Forgive him, Jets fans. Bill Parcells had the misfortune of seeing Vinny Testaverde play the game of his life to eliminate the Patriots from the AFC playoffs a few years back. That's one of the reasons Vinny's in Jets camp, keeping Glenn Foley from feeling all warm and fuzzy about his starting role. (All *I* need to know about Testaverde is that the lowly Baltimore Ravens deemed Jim Harbaugh enough of an upgrade over Vinny to let him go.) Just have this feeling that, as good of a face everyone tries to put on the Vinny-Foley situation, it will be an ongoing distraction in the team.
And I wish the Jets good luck with Curtis Martin. I'm sure that 3.25 average per carry he's had in the preseason will pickup when the real games start (if he's healthy enough to hit the field). Something tells me, without knowing all 53 names of the players that will end up on the Jets roster, that the money spent on Martin would have been better spent elsewhere.
Parcells may have a history of success everywhere he's gone, but there's also precedent for a second-year swoon (see the Patriots under Parcells.) That's the history that will repeat itself this year.
Indianapolis: Wouldn't be surprised to see a nice little rebound by the Colts. I'm not talking playoffs, here. But first pick Peyton Manning already had a few nice weapons to work with in Marvin Harrison, tight end Ken Dilger and Marshall Faulk out of the backfield, then drafted him a couple more in Jerome Pathon and E.G. Green. If the offensive line improves (and it couldn't be worse), this team could put some points on the board.
Buffalo: I wish writing could be like football. I could write one good column (I know, you're still waiting, right?) and then get signed for big bucks by the journalistic equivalent of the Buffalo Bills.
Granted, Rob Johnson's first and only start for the Jaguars last year (20-for-24, 294 yards, two touchdowns) was nice. And Johnson will certainly be an upgrade to Billy Joe "My Dog Ate My Playbook" Hobert and the other clowns who got under center for the Bills last year. But while Johnson and running back Antowain Smith form a nice, young offensive nucleus to build around, it's hard not to imagine a drop off in the play of aging stars Andre Reed and Bruce Smith. Perhaps Marv Levy had the right idea.
AFC CENTRAL
- Jacksonville 13-3
- Tennessee 10-6
- Pittsburgh 9-7
- Cincinnati 7-9
- Baltimore 3-13
Jacksonville: While others may be Tuna Toadies or Jimmy Johnson junkies, I'm in Coughlin's Corner. I just think the man's done everything right in building the Jaguars from Day One. From acquiring Mark Brunell to lead the team, to maximizing the value of virtually every draft pick he's made, Coughlin has been on the mark more often than his brethren in the coaching and GM ranks.
Add in that the team has an embarrassing loss to the Broncos in the playoffs to motivate them, and I see the Jags in the Super Bowl this year.
Tennessee: You start with Eddie George, who has broken the so-called Heisman curse. You add in another year of development of quarterback Steve McNair, aided greatly by the addition of the Yancey Thigpen (free agent) and Kevin Dyson (first round draft pick) wide receiver tandem, and I think it adds up to the most exciting brand of football the Vanderbilt stadium has ever seen, not to mention a playoff spot.
Pittsburgh: For years, you've wondered how they do it. Keep rolling after the losses of key players from the season before, like Kevin Greene, Rod Woodson, Bam Morris, and now, Greg Lloyd and Yancey Thigpen.
Kordell Stewart will still cause defenses fits. But it may take some time before Charles Johnson, Will Blackwell or Courtney Hawkins steps forward to fill the void left by Thigpen. By then, the Steelers playoff hopes may be on the ropes.
Cincinnati: Are you ready for some football? Boomer Esiason wasn't (at least not the part that involved 300-pound defensive linemen jumping on your back), so the man who led the resurgence of the Bengals in the second half of last year bolted for ABC's Monday Night Football booth (I guess reclaiming your privacy on blaming the whole matter on a right-wing conspiracy can work for the Chief Executive, but not Frank Gifford).
In his place, the Bengals are left with the erratic Jeff Blake and the uninspiring Neil O'Donnell.
Baltimore: Maybe I'm too much of a fantasy football guy. But I liked the Ravens a whole lot better when they were chucking the ball around to Michael Jackson, Derrick Alexander and, last year, Jermaine Lewis. Sure they didn't win much doing it, but it was fun to watch.
Now, Testaverde is gone, replaced by noodle-armed Jim Harbaugh, and instead they will try to grind it out with Errict Rhett, a guy who has never averaged over four yards per carry. That won't be fun for anyone, be they fantasy leaguers or fans who just want to see the Ravens win.
AFC WEST
- Kansas City 12-4
- Denver 11-5
- Seattle 10-6
- Oakland 5-11
- San Diego 2-14
Kansas City: As I mentioned before, who cares who's running the ball for Kansas City? They racked up the AFC's best regular season record in 1997 with Greg Hill and Marcus Allen, so it's not like anyone would be a huge drop-off. All they need Donnell Bennett, Rashaan Shehee, Kimble Anders or whoever is running the ball to give them enough to keep defenses honest so that Elvis Grbac can spread the ball around to his wealth of targets: Andre Rison, Derrick Alexander and rising tight-end star Tony Gonzalez.
To an already impressive defense, you add Chester McGlockton. Schottenheimer still may not get to the Super Bowl. But he'll get awfully close.
Denver: I'm frankly surprised John Elway came back for another season. I mean, I've watched these celebrity golf tournaments, and it looks like with a little more time to work on his game, I think he could finally be the one to rise up and challenge former Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Rick Rhoden as that tour's top money winner.
Instead, it's back to Mile High, this time sans the monkey on the back. Something tells me the slight drop-off in motivation will bring the Broncos back to the pack.
There's still time to ask former offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman (who went the other way from Elway on his retirement decision) to be your caddie, John.
Seattle: Hate Dennis Erickson, but the reality of sports these days is that if you spend money, as long as you do it wisely, you can win. So as long as Ricky Watters has something left in the tank (and I think he does), the Seahawks should be a playoff team. Last year's draft picks (Walter Jones and Shawn Springs) should be a year better as well.
Oakland: Rod Woodson is one heckuva football player, but unless he's going to add line play to his already versatile set of skills, the Raiders still have a way to go.
San Diego: Hey Ryan, now that we've traded away half of our team and given you this big, fat contract, you don't mind if we trade away your only experienced wide receiver, too, do you?
The Chargers trade of Tony Martin for a draft pick has to be one of the more baffling transactions I have ever seen. This Mikhail Ricks guy out of Stephen F. Austin better be good...
(NEXT WEEK: The NFC)
+++ the Previous G21 SPORTS +++ The NEXT G21 SPORTS +++
The MAIN EVENT
TALK BACK TO THE G21
Copyright, 1998, GENERATOR 21.
E-mail your comments. Send your snide remarks to Our Editor.
DAY ONE: TODAY: JENNIFER BLUE learns about "Fiends" during a jaunt to Santa Monica..
ON DRUGS: ADAM SMITH looks at the on-going injustice of the federal medical marijuana cases against PETER McWILLIAMS & TODD McCORMICK.
BarnesandNoble SEARCH: Every writer here still reads offline. We support Barnes and Noble and hope you will, too. This is the place to find the best and brightest!