Hey, I never claimed to be a psychic

By: Jamey Codding (jameycodding@bullz-eye.com)

01/28/2003

Codding Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home

I hate this time of year. The weather sucks, the holiday season's over, the sun goes AWOL for days on end and my face is about as dry as an AA meeting.

Even worse, football season is over and Opening Day is still months away. Oh sure, the NBA provides some mild entertainment and we've got March Madness to look forward to, but that's it. Besides, the NCAA tournament doesn't tip off until March 18 and most NBA games these days offer up as much excitement as the Super Bowl halftime show.

Unless we're talking about a Pacers game -- Ron Artest is always good for a compelling temper tantrum or two.

But for a sports glutton like me, this time of year offers no variety, no alternatives and very few options. College or pro hoops... and that's pretty much it. I've never been a big hockey fan, the golf season doesn't heat up for another couple months and I can only handle so much of the Williams sisters.

On a bright note, at least we've got the Pro Bowl this weekend and the WWF, right? Right? Anybody... ? Bueller... ?

I've got to have Sunday night football. And what about Wednesday night baseball? Where's a Saturday afternoon of nothing but college football when you need it? I want my MNF.

I really hate this time of year. My wife, on the other hand, loves it.

To make matters even worse, the highlight of Super Bowl Sunday was when Celine Dion stopped singing "God Bless America." I mean, we're talking about the Super Bowl here, theoretically the best game of the year, the match-up that supposedly closes out what was a phenomenal football season.

And we get 48-21? What the hell kind of closure is that? I'm not ready to let go of the season and slip into a basketball-induced coma, not after such a pathetic Super Bowl XXXVII. So instead, I'm going to review the year that was in the NFL, answering the questions I asked before the season even started in one of my previous columns. I originally broke the column into three sections: 10 things we knew heading into the season, 10 things we didn't know and 10 things we may never know; I'm going to break these hindsight answers into two separate columns, with the second part coming next week.

That way, I can hang on to the season just a little while longer. And watch the calendar as Opening Day inches just a little closer.

*********

10 Things We (Thought We) Knew

1. How long is it going to take to get used to this whole realignment thing? 
Initial observation: A really long time.
Hindsight: I still had a hard time dealing with the Colts and Titans fighting for the AFC South crown, and it would've been real interesting to see the Bucs and Packers, who both finished 12-4, battle it out twice this year in the old NFC Central.

2. Do the Patriots have any hope of repeating? 
Initial observation: Sure, about as much chance as John Madden has of fitting into a pair of 30-inch waist jeans.
Hindsight: Not only did the Pats fail to repeat in 2002, they didn't even make the playoffs. Instead, they were a mediocre 9-7, which ironically tied them for the best record in the AFC East but still wasn't enough to earn a postseason nod. On the bright side, Tom Brady proved that he was no fluke, completing 62% of his passes for 3,764 yards and 28 touchdowns along with an 85.7 QB rating.

3. What two games does Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe already have circled on his calendar in red ink? 
Initial observation: November 3 and December 8, weeks nine and 14 against the Patriots. 
Hindsight: Maybe Drew should've just called in sick those two Sundays. The former Patriot icon had a remarkable season overall, throwing for better than 4,300 yards with 24 touchdowns while leading the Bills to an 8-8 finish, but his two "revenge" games against New England were miserable: 28-45, 302 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT and four sacks in an embarrassing 38-7 loss; and 32-51, 328 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT and two sacks in a 27-17 loss.

4. Will John Madden make us forget all about Dennis Miller? 
Initial observation: ... the Madden/Michaels combo may just be what ABC needs to breathe new life into MNF's stale ratings.
Hindsight: There's no question that Madden was much better than Dennis Miller, but how did his arrival affect the game's ratings? Well, they actually dropped slightly, from 11.5 in 2001 to 11.4 this year. Of course, much of that had to do with simple bad luck: After going 14-2 last season, the St. Louis Rams found themselves on the MNF stage three times this year as they battled through a shocking 7-9 performance; and the Chicago Bears, 13-3 in 2001 but just 4-12 in 2002, also were given three prime-time appearances, including a November 18 game against, you guessed it, the Rams. Meanwhile, Mike Vick's Falcons weren't featured once but the Seahawks and Redskins were.

5. Will Jacksonville's Fred Taylor stay healthy this year? 
Initial observation: Absolutely not.
Hindsight: For the first time in his NFL career, Taylor did in fact play in all of Jacksonville's 16 games this season, finishing with 1,314 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 287 attempts. But it wasn't enough as the Jags finished with a dismal 6-10 record, better than only the Bengals and Texans in the AFC.

6. With Chris Carter and Dennis Green gone, could we actually go an entire season without hearing Minnesota's Randy Moss whine? 
Initial observation: Dream on.
Hindsight: Not only did the Vikings slump to a 6-10 record this year, but Moss again found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. He was arrested after using his Lexus to push a traffic officer who tried to stop him from making an illegal turn down the street, and after impounding his car police found a small amount of pot in the ashtray. After spending the night in jail, a teary-eyed Moss actually said, "I don't know if trouble is out to find me, but I'm certainly not out to find trouble... . I'm trying to be there, trying to change, trying to change for the best." What a joke.

7. Will Emmitt Smith break Walter Payton's career rushing record this year? 
Initial observation: Just 539 yards from the mark, Smith should break the record by about mid-season, give or take.
Hindsight: Smith rolled past Payton with a 109-yard performance against the Seahawks in week eight, but for the first time since 1991 he failed to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, finishing with just 975 yards and five touchdowns. Now, Emmitt reportedly will not be retained as the Cowboys' starting running back next season, though he could return in a back-up role.

8. Will Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren actually stick with quarterback Trent Dilfer for the entire 16-game season? 
Initial observation: Come on, you know better than that... . Holmgren (won't) suddenly forget about Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle's starter heading into last season and a guy Holmgren has loved since his days with Green Bay.
Hindsight: Dilfer led the 'Hawks to a 2-5 record before suffering a torn Achilles' tendon and giving way to Hasselbeck. Seattle went 5-4 over those final nine games and Hasselbeck was magnificent, throwing for 2,766 yards and 13 touchdowns while posting two 300-yard performances against the Chiefs and Rams, and two more 400-yard efforts against San Fran and San Diego. Mr. Dilfer, you may now reassume your customary back-up role.

9. Are the Carolina Panthers any good? 
Initial observation: No.
Hindsight: They started 3-0, fell to 3-8 and then won four of their last five. Under head coach John Fox, the Panthers look like they're improving, but they've still got some work to do.

10. Who is the best player in the league? 
Initial observation: Without a doubt, it's St. Louis running back Marshall Faulk.
Hindsight: My sincerest apologies to Priest Holmes. I didn't believe that Holmes would repeat his 2001 performance and he didn't. Instead, he surpassed all expectations by running for 1,615 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 672 yards receiving and another three scores... despite missing the final two games of the year with a hip injury. Faulk, meanwhile, finished with 1,490 total yards (953 rushing) and 10 touchdowns in another injury-shortened season. Here's a prime example of why you should never qualify something with the phrase, "without a doubt." One of life's lessons.

*********

So there it is, a rearview mirror look at 10 of the things we thought we knew -- or, I suppose, 10 of the things I thought I knew -- before the 2002 NFL season started. I was dead on with some and just as off with others, and the worst part is it's all in writing. I can't dispute any of it.

Oh well, I'm sure next week I'll look even more foolish when I revisit my "10 things we don't know" and "10 things we may never know" lists. 

Should be high comedy. Or just comedy. Or maybe just kinda funny. Either way, don't miss it.

In the Bullz-Eye

Tampa defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. Just days after his defense led the Buccaneers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII, Kiffin was granted permission to talk with the San Francisco 49ers about their head coaching vacancy. Should Kiffin bolt for a more prominent position and, undoubtedly, much more money, or should he instead stay with the team and the system he's already comfortable with? Should be interesting.

Questions/comments? Send all e-mails to jcodding@bullz-eye.com.