Chris Mortensen archive: columns Mort's Mailbag: Sept. 12 Mort's Mailbag: Sept. 7 Mort's Mailbag: Aug. 31	Mort's Mailbag How long will it take for you and the rest of the world to see that the Vikes are the real deal this year? There are still question marks with Daunte Culpepper at QB and the defense is still suspect -- albeit with a very impressive performance against Miami. With the coaching and the raw talent, they at least deserve to be ranked higher than the Lions! NFC Central: Bucs, Vikes, Lions, Bears, Pack. T.S. -- Winona, Minn. Mort: T.S., you might be right. I just have to see them against a more potent offensive team first. And even though the Patriots are not that team, I am very impressed the Vikings could go on the road and win that game. Rams WR Isaac Bruce has 10 receptions for 157 yards for the potent St. Louis offense in the season's first two games. How can you say the Rams are the No. 1 team in the NFL. They barely beat the Broncos, who are good but not great, then they nearly get beat by the Seahawks, who got blown out by the Dolphins the weak before. When here we have a Bucs team that beat a strong Pats team, then come out and blow away a good team in the Bears. I was wondering, am I missing something here that makes the Rams better than the Bucs? Michael Ritchie -- California Mort: Michael, wow, I never get caught up too much in "this team beat that team" stuff. The Rams, I think, beat a very good team in Denver against a great coach (Mike Shanahan) who had all summer to game-plan against them. Then to come back after an emotional Monday night game, in a short week, traveling cross-country to play a non-conference game against a Seahawks team that was playing home for the first time after a bitter loss ... outdoors ... well, I was impressed. You don't blow teams away in the NFL by 20 points every week. And they are the defending Super Bowl champs ... so champs until beaten. I will say this -- I would pay money to watch the Bucs and Rams play. And I have no clue who would win. We get to see them Dec. 18 (in Tampa, Monday night). Can't wait. Hope both teams stay healthy. I'm a diehard Steelers fan and it's killing me to see what's happened to them. What is the deal with this offense? Is it the quarteback, is it Bill Cowher or is it the offensive package of Kevin Gilbride? Do you see them turning this around any time soon? Mike Abbott -- Vienna, Va. Mort: Mike, I'm sorry, but it's probably all of the above. The main thing is, they must solve the quarterback problem. Once that happens, things can turn north in a hurry in this league, so don't lose hope. Do you think the Rams can get back to the Super Bowl with the defense they have? They have already given up 30 points a game to Seattle and Denver. Juan -- Orangeburg, S.C. Mort: Juan, it's obviously a concern. But I like what Rams VP Jay Zygmont and coach Mike Martz told each other on the way back from Seattle -- when you're 2-0, you make corrections; when you're 0-2, you've got problems. I think they are certainly capable of returning to the Super Bowl, though they must make those corrections. Do you think the Seahawks will draft a QB or sign a free agent after this year? Tony -- Gainesville, Fla. Mort: Tony, the Seahawks have two No. 1's next year -- including the Cowboys, which could be a top-10 pick. However, a lot will depend on how they feel about Brock Huard. He may be the young guy with all the potential that Mike Holmgren desires. We'll see. Why didn't the Steelers rehire Chan Gailey to work with Kordell Stewart. I mean, they only invested their future and millions in him, wouldn't it make sense to reunite them since they were so successful? Paul Morgan -- Dallas, Texas Mort: Paul, it probably would have made sense, but it would have meant changing coordinators for the third straight year. And I'm not sure that Chan would have wanted to return to Pittsburgh with all the controversy there. Congratulations on giving the Buffalo Bills the due respect they deserve. I understand how it's hard not to place St. Louis first with Kurt Warner and the points they put up, but do you think they can honestly put numbers like that up against a top defense like the Bills? The Rams have the weakest schedule in the league and their defense is absolutely horrible -- and very few NFC teams have top-dog defenses besides the Bucs. Do you think the Rams can compete with teams like the Bills or the Bucs with awesome defenses and offenses? Erik Ferro -- Buffalo, N.Y. “ I went into this season thinking the Giants would be much better than most people believed. They might be even better than that. ” — ESPN's Chris Mortensen Mort: Erik, I know the Rams had trouble putting up big numbers vs. the Bucs last year. They do have a weak first-half schedule, though the Broncos are not weak at all! I think the Rams' offense is more likely than not to score 24 points per game against a good defensive team. Their talent is unreal. Maybe we'll have a Bills-Rams Super Bowl to settle the point, huh? It just seems to me that one of two things is going on with the Denver Broncos: 1) They can start a can of soda at running back and be succesrsful; or 2) They are geniuses when it comes to dafting backs no one else wants. What do you think? Levan -- Brooklyn Mort: Levan, I think it's a combination of both. They know what they need in a running back. Plus, Mike Shanahan and his line coach, Alex Gibbs, have worked together numerous years, so they have a great understanding about what they want and how it all works. In short, they usually have lighter offensive lineman who often run the defense east-and-west (sideline to sideline). And then you take a powerful north-south runner (Davis, Gary, Anderson) and put it together. Shanahan's play-calling, formations, etc., all generate this success, but they obviously have an eye for talent, too. With the Giants' new offensive presence in the first two weeks, do you see them having a legitimate shot at the playoffs? Ryan Palazza -- McLean, Va. Mort: Ryan, I went into this season thinking the Giants would be much better than most people believed. They might be even better than that. What they cannot afford is a major injury to a key defensive player, because their bench is pretty thin. Yes, I believe they are a playoff team. Hail Sir Mort! 1) Do you feel there is a movement this year to call more offensive pass interference to get the recievers honest again? 2) Will this affect coming drafts in regards to the big Jerry Rice and Chris Carter types who are known to Michael Irvin a few people around? Thanks Mort, you da man! George Hadley -- Westchester, Calif. Mort: George, it's too early to tell on the offensive pass interference. But if you look around the league, the "big" receiver is definitely the trend again. So, yes, I think upcoming drafts will be influenced, although the teams with big receivers may look for the small, speedy athletic types who work well in the slot out of three-and-four receiver sets (such as the Rams' Az Hakim, who is 5-10, 178). When DE Lamar King was drafted out of Saginaw Valley in 1999 he was one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. How is he doing for the Seahawks this season and do you think he has a chance to get to the Pro Bowl someday? Hugo de la Sablonniere -- Jonquiere, Quebec, Canada Mort: Hugo, Lamar King is doing well and the Seahawks truly believe is will be a very good player in this league for a long time. The Pro Bowl thing, well, we've got to wait and see ... maybe in a couple of years.
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