Sunday (touchdown) drives
08/01/2002
Codding Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
I'm usually not a big fan of Sundays. Sure, I enjoy the proverbial "lazy Sunday afternoons," but through all the couch-sitting, nap-taking and TV-watching I may do, in the back of my mind I know that in just a few hours I'll go to bed.
And Monday will be waiting for me when the sun rises the next morning.
Growing up, it was the looming menace of school that ruined most Sundays for me. Now, the start of yet another workweek makes the last day of the weekend bittersweet. Because of that, no matter how relaxing my Sundays may be, no matter how much time I spend on the golf course, there's always that feeling, that awareness that this painfully brief two-day vacation will soon be dead. And Monday will be its executioner.
At least, that's how I feel for most of the year. From September through January, though, Sundays don't signal the end of the weekend. During those five months, Sundays are special, almost magical.
Because during those five months, Sundays are football days.
From that first kick-off of the regular season to the final seconds of the Super Bowl, Sundays carry more significance than any other day of the week because, while baseball and basketball are daily sports, football's different. Football keeps you in suspense for an entire week, making you wait seven days in between games and then... BOOM! Sunday rolls around and nearly every team in the league takes the field. Some at 1:00, some at 4:00. A couple teams play most Sunday nights, too. Oh sure, there's Monday Night Football and later in the season you'll even see some games on Thursdays, but when you think of the NFL, you think of Sunday afternoons in front of your TV or at the local sports bar with your buddies, flipping between a couple different games and maybe polishing off a few beers or some wings.
Quite simply, Sundays = Football.
With training camps underway and the preseason upon us, I figured it was time for my first football column of the 2002-03 season. And this year, like most years, there seem to be hundreds of questions surrounding the 32 -- yes, 32 -- teams in the league, as well as the players, coaches and even the TV commentators. Some questions have easy answers, some are just a bit trickier, and some may never be answered.
What are these questions? Glad you asked... .
10 Things We Know
1. How long is it going to take to get used to this whole realignment thing? A really long time. The Colts are supposed to be in the AFC East, not the AFC South. Tampa Bay's not in the NFC Central anymore? And what the hell are the Seahawks doing in the NFC? At least the league managed to keep some great division rivalries intact -- Browns/Steelers, Raiders/Broncos, Redskins/Giants, to name a few.
2. Do the Patriots have any hope of repeating? Sure, about as much chance as Madden has of fitting into a pair of 30-inch waist jeans. Remember, Bill Belichick's bunch was one idiotic "tuck rule" away from getting knocked out of the second round of the playoffs by the Raiders, and this season Tom Brady and Company will have huge Bullz-Eye's on the backs of their helmets.
3. What two games does Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe already have circled on his calendar in red ink? November 3 and December 8, weeks nine and 14, against the Patriots. Bledsoe may ask to play a little defense in both games just for a chance to legally pop Tom Brady in the mouth.
4. Will John Madden make us forget all about Dennis Miller? Unfortunately, we may never be able to scrub away the horrid memories from Miller's two years in the Monday Night Football booth alongside Al Michaels and Dan Fouts, who was also canned this offseason, but the Madden/Michaels combo may just be what ABC needs to breathe new life into MNF's stale ratings. As long as Madden has unlimited access to the telestrator, I'll be happy -- I love when he diagrams sunsets and intentional grounding calls.
5. Will Jacksonville's Fred Taylor stay healthy this year? Absolutely not. As a rookie in 1998, Taylor rushed for 1,223 yards and 14 touchdowns in 15 games. Since then, the former Florida star has played in a grand total of 25 games, including just two last season. He's still talented, no doubt, but you can't really flash that talent when you're standing on the sidelines in street clothes.
6. With Chris Carter and Dennis Green gone, could we actually go an entire season without hearing Minnesota's Randy Moss whine? Dream on. Head coach Mike Tice, Green's replacement, says he's going to get the ball into his star receiver's hands more than his predecessor ever did, but that doesn't mean Moss is going to be happy all year. Watch the sparks -- and the curse words -- fly the first time quarterback Daunte Culpepper fails to look in Moss' direction in the red zone.
7. Will Emmitt Smith break Walter Payton's career rushing record this year? Just 539 yards from the mark, Smith should break the record by about mid-season, give or take. In what has truly been a remarkable career, the 33-year-old future Hall of Famer is perhaps known more for his Super Bowl greatness than the regular season numbers he's posted throughout his 12-year career. But that will all change once Smith rumbles for that record-setting 16,727th yard.
8. Will Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren actually stick with quarterback Trent Dilfer for the entire 16-game season? Come on, you know better than that. He's not flashy, he's not impressive and he's certainly not gifted with the strongest arm in the league, but Trent Dilfer knows how to win. Period. The man who was released by the Ravens after leading them to a Super Bowl title in 2001 has won his last 14 starts, but that doesn't mean Holmgren will suddenly forget about Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle's starter heading into last season and a guy Holmgren has loved since his days with Green Bay.
9. Are the Carolina Panthers any good? No.
10. Who is the best player in the league? Without a doubt, it's St. Louis running back Marshall Faulk. Because of a few minor injuries, Faulk has played 14 games in each of the past two seasons, but that didn't stop him from logging 26 touchdowns (18 rushing/8 receiving) in 2000 and another 21 (12/9) last year to go along with his two-year total of more than 4,300 all-purpose yards. With apologies to his teammate, Kurt Warner, Randy Moss and the recovering Edgerrin James, Faulk is hands-down the most dangerous player on the planet. And man, is he fun to watch.
10 Things We Don't Know
1. Who's going to be the first player arrested this year for drugs, guns and/or beating up a woman? The race is on... . I don't really have anybody in mind right now, but I'm willing to bet it
won't be Jay Fiedler.
2. Who is going to be this year's New England Patriots? With this crazy thing called "parity" running rampant throughout the league (take notes, MLB), it seems like every team in the game has a legitimate chance to make a Super Bowl run... well, every team outside of Cincinnati, that is. Some darkhorse favorites this year are the Browns, Bills, Chiefs and maybe, just maybe, the Arizona Cardinals.
3. When this season's over, what will stand as the worst marquee free-agent signing of the year? My early choice would probably be Terry Glenn in Green Bay, but that seems to be a popular selection. The expansion Texans will probably have a few disappointments within their massive lot of signings this offseason (James Allen and Kris Brown come to mind), and don't be surprised if La'Roi Glover (Dallas) and Az-Zahir Hakim (Lions) both flop with their new teams.
4. Who's going to go down with an injury first, Terrell Davis or Jamal Anderson? Anderson, cut by the Falcons after the signing of Warrick Dunn and the drafting of T.J. Duckett, hasn't latched on with another team yet, but he could find a home as a backup before the season starts. Davis, meanwhile, will again have to fight for playing time in Denver with Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson and now rookie Clinton Portis. But even though they may not be full-time players this season, I guarantee at least one of these guys blows out a knee or breaks an ankle at some point this year -- the question is who hits the sidelines first?
5. How will Steve Spurrier's first year in the NFL unfold? He'll have some decent talent on the field so Spurrier's transition could be somewhat smooth... though I doubt the road will be completely bump-free. Running back Stephen Davis could be the key to the offense, but if the 'Skins can't get much help from the two-headed monster of Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel at QB, it may not matter how well the workhorse Davis performs... .
6. Is head coach Jon Gruden seriously considering using Warren Sapp on the offensive side of the ball in Tampa Bay? Reports say the Bucs may occasionally use the Pro Bowl defensive tackle as a guard, fullback or even a tight end. Sapp, a high-school All American at tight end who was originally recruited by the University of Miami for his offensive skills, says he loves the idea. "It was fun after I looked at a couple of those routes and blocking assignments. I said, 'Oh yeah, in a heartbeat. Just call me up. Say, '99, get in there.' I'm going." Great, this guy never shuts up on defense -- imagine what's going to happen if he scores a touchdown... .
7. Will Ricky Williams stay out of trouble in Miami and, more important, can he lead his new team to the top of the AFC? If his well-publicized run-ins with Ft. Lauderdale police are any indication, the former Heisman winner could be in for a long season off the field, but perhaps his "extra-curricular" activities will subside once the season starts. Of course, head coach Dave Wannstedt cares about his new addition's impact between the sidelines this season more than anything else, but while Williams will certainly boost the 'Phins running game, his questionable injury history is cause for concern.
8. They won the NFC East last year and advanced to the NFC Championship game, but with their current meager set of receivers, can the Eagles be considered an elite team? I love Donovan McNabb -- one of my absolute favorite players in the game. He was great at Syracuse and he's electric in Philly. But with Todd Pinkston and James Thrash starting at receiver for the Eagles, I just don't see Andy Reid's squad earning that "elite" status. Rumors of a potential deal with free agent Antonio Freeman would certainly give McNabb an upgrade on the outside despite Freeman's obvious decline in production, but when you're trying to gun down an offensive juggernaut like the Rams, you just can't get by with marginal talent. And aside from McNabb, this team fields a marginally talented offensive unit every Sunday.
9. Which unheralded rookies will have the biggest impact this season? Recently, Mike Anderson, Kendrell Bell and Anthony Thomas have shocked the NFL with unexpectedly superb rookie seasons, and this year we'll surely see another handful of youngsters post surprisingly remarkable stats. Josh Reed in Buffalo and Brian Westbrook in Philadelphia could both fit the description by season's end.
10. Conversely, which highly touted rookies will be the season's biggest busts?
It's always fun trying to pinpoint the year's Rick Mirer or Curtis Enis. This season, Denver's Ashley Lelie and Giants rookie tight end Jeremy Shockey caught my attention. I'm probably way off, but half the fun is making these unfounded, potentially foolish predictions.
10 Things We May Never Know
1. Speaking of busts, just how good could Ryan Leaf have been? As my boss said to me earlier this week, there aren't enough harsh adjectives to describe this guy. From the second-overall pick in 1998 to a retired crybaby at the age of 26, Leaf is the definition of the word "loser." And how about that lifetime 50.0 QB rating to go along with 14 career touchdown passes and 36 interceptions? Unfortunately for Leaf, he gave up too early because he's definitely a gifted athlete with a great arm. Fortunately for us, though, he decided to call it quits because he was just too damn lazy to work on his skills. What a chump.
2. Why does Saints receiver Joe Horn always talk in the third person? "Joe Horn is one of the best receivers in the game, and if Joe Horn wants to talk in the third person, then damnit, Joe Horn's going to talk in the third person." God, that's annoying.
3. Why do the Jets insist on sticking with the ancient Vinny Testaverde at quarterback? Former Marshall standout Chad Pennington has been watching from the sidelines for two years now -- it's time to give him a shot. Besides, Vinny threw for just 2,752 yards last season with 15 touchdowns and 14 picks -- I'm pretty sure Pennington, 12 years younger than Testaverde, could put up those numbers with his helmet on backwards.
4. What the heck does Angie Harmon see in Jason Sehorn anyway? Doesn't she watch him get schooled by opposing receivers every weekend?
5. How far could the Raiders have gone last year had they not been robbed by the rulebook against the Pats in the playoffs?
Jon Gruden has his team playing real well in the postseason when the infamous "tuck rule" knocked them out of Super Bowl contention for good. And, let's face it -- if the Patriots beat the Rams in the Big One, everybody from the AFC had a shot.
6. Will Al Davis ever get rid of that stupid sweatsuit? I mean, come on. It's getting a little old, AD.
7. What the hell is Rodney Peete doing on an NFL roster right now? Peete, who believe it or not is now 36, could actually beat out Stanford rookie Randy Fasani for the honor of being Chris Weinke's primary backup in Carolina. Now that's an impressive QB rotation.
8. After signing Warrick Dunn this offseason, why did the Falcons select Michigan State's T.J. Duckett with the 18th-overall pick in the draft?
You've got Dunn in place, even though Atlanta overpaid for the tiny runner, and you're handing the ball to your inexperienced franchise player this year, quarterback Michael Vick. Unfortunately, Vick is going to have to rely on receivers like Willie Jackson, Shawn Jefferson and Darrin Chiaverini in the passing game. I'm not even sure Joe Montana could win with a receiving corps like that. Too bad you didn't spend your first round pick on a young, explosive wideout... .
9. Why do the Ravens insist on running onto the field every week with the ugliest uniforms on the planet? You've gutted your team, Art, now it's time to burn those grotesque unis.
10. Could somebody please tell me how to pronounce Dolphins defensive end Adewale Ogunleye's name? Because I have no idea. Seriously. I'm not even sure I spelled it correctly.
***************
There you have it -- just a little primer as we head into another football season. Soon, Sunday will again be the best day of the week and all this labor crap baseball is torturing us with will be a thing of the past because, strike or no strike, the football season will begin as scheduled on September 8 (overlooking, of course, the Giants/'Niners game three days earlier -- that doesn't count).
So get ready for your fantasy drafts and fork over a well-spent $180 for DIRECTV's NFL Sunday Ticket -- football season's almost here.
Oh, and if you figure out how to say Adewale Ogunleye's name, let me know. I appreciate it.
In the Bullz-Eye
The new starting third baseman in St. Louis, Scott Rolen. The former Phillie finally got his wish, getting shipped out of the Vet and into a contending stadium. Now that he's in the playoff hunt once again, Rolen will be counted on to contribute with both his bat and glove, giving the Cards a presence in the five-hole and at the hot corner. He's a quality player and I expect to see big things from him during these final couple months... assuming there will be a final couple months, of course.