Oakland struggled at one point in the season, losing four in a row. But that was due in large part to the absence of Charles Woodson. And for a throw-based offense, the Raiders were putting the ball on the ground too much.

Special tribute

At this very unique time in our country's history, when our men and women of the Armed Forces are possibly being sent into harm's way, our ABC Sports crew is paying respect and giving thanks by hosting the pregame show aboard the U.S.S. Prebel. We were given a tour of the destroyer on Saturday afternoon. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who made this experience possible. Bob Griese, Dan Fouts, Mike Tirico, Junior Seau and I will be live on deck at 2:25 p.m. ET and again at 3:13 p.m. ET on Sunday. -- Joe Theismann

While the Raiders have the ability to run the ball, they're up against a tough Bucs' run defense. And the Raiders' confidence lies in their passing game. Therefore, a big key Sunday will be Rich Gannon's ability to throw effectively. Before the AFC championship game I said that if the Raiders drop four or five balls, they'd lose. The same applies on Sunday. The receivers have to hold onto the ball.

When a team's offense is predicated on the pass, the only way it will lose is by beating itself. Today's NFL rules favor throwing teams -- pass interference, the inability to touch a receiver after five yards, liberal holding with the offensive line, and defenders not getting anywhere near the quarterback. So, if the Raiders struggle, it will most likely be because of dropped balls.

The Raiders' offensive line outweighs the Tampa Bay defense right across the board. They can pound the front four, but they can't block the back seven. The Bucs get safeties John Lynch and Dexter Jackson up around the line of scrimmage and then allow their linebackers, with their speed, to speed to flow to the holes. The Raiders will get the Bucs thinking outside a bit more and spread them out toward the sidelines. Then, they can create some creases for Charlie Garner.

The size of the offensive line will come into play later in the game. In 1983, the Super Bowl I played in against Miami, the scenario was very similar -- our big offensive line vs. Miami's small defensive team. The theory is still the same -- throw the ball early, run the ball late.

Today's Raiders team differs from the one I saw in the Super Bowl in 1984. First off, Jim Plunkett wasn't the league MVP. He threw the ball well, but not nearly as efficiently as Gannon. But they had a great runner in newly named Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.

Defensively, the '84 Raiders were better with Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes at the corners; you don't get much better than that. But they're similar in that they got contributions in every phase of the game. Playing a 3-4 defense, the '84 Raiders were strong up the middle with Reggie Kinlaw. Today's Raiders have John Parrella and Sam Adams.

Despite playing the No. 1 ranked defense, the Raiders should be able to score enough points to beat the Bucs. These offenses are similar, but the Bucs are still in the embryonic stage, with only one year under Jon Gruden. The Raiders have a better offensive line, more explosive players, and a more mobile quarterback in their favor.

My pick: Raiders 28, Bucs 21.

A game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football, former NFL QB Joe Theismann won a Super Bowl and a league MVP award. He'll be writing a daily Cup o' Joe for ESPN.com during Super Bowl week.