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Titans on top? ESPN's Chris Mortensen thinks the Tennessee Titans will be the team to beat in the playoffs.wav: 354 k Real: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Tampa Bay analysis Martin Gramatica's miss Sunday hurt the Bucs in more ways than one, according to Chris Mortensen.wav: 301 k Real: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | ||
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ESPN.com's 2000 NFL playoff section Chris Mortensen archive: columns | ||
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Defense, McNair key for Titans |
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Man, you can't talk to anyone without hearing, "Who's going to the Super Bowl?" Sometimes I just want to scream, "How would I know!?" I didn't think the New York Giants would beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. On the other hand, I did suspect the Bears would knock the Lions out of the playoffs (I just didn't have the guts to make it official). Technically, the 12 playoffs teams are already seeded. You know, the Giants are the top seed in the NFC; the Titans have it in the AFC. I'm about to re-seed the field:
1. St. Louis Rams: There was something about the Rams I liked down the stretch when they won two of their final three games against playoff teams. They obliterated the Vikings 40-29 in Week 15, but it was the 38-35 defeat to Tampa Bay that reinforced their legitimacy as a contender. Yeah, their defense was sorry that Monday night. I already knew that. But to score 35 points on the Bucs' defense (on the road, no less) will get your attention. Only the Vikings had hit the 30 mark (exactly) against Tampa Bay. Then you go back, not too long ago, to their 38-24 trouncing of the New York Giants, with Trent Green at quarterback, at Giants Stadium. There are so many playmakers -- Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim, even Ricky Proehl -- to go with the two QBs, Kurt Warner and Green, that it's silly to dismiss their chances. And now they get Tony Horne back from injury for kick returns. Their defense played with some spunk against the Saints last week. And I remember this -- the New York Yankees floundered until playoff time hit in baseball. Then they remembered who they are -- world champs. The Rams might capture that feeling. Or, as a Rams executive told me, "We're good enough to beat anybody or lose to anybody." 2. New York Giants: Two games convinced me down the stretch that the Giants can pull this off. They wrecked the Pittsburgh Steelers, and then they beat the Jaguars. What was impressive about their win over the Jaguars was how the Giants suffocated a pretty well-balanced offense. Fred Taylor had his string of nine straight 100-yard rushing games snapped. In fact, take away Taylor's 41-yard TD run and he only had 11 yards on 12 carries. Giants defensive coordinator John Fox has his unit playing tight and physical. Their pass coverage seemingly has improved, though there is still the suspicion that they just don't match up well with the Rams' multitude of receivers, or possibly the Vikings, too. Offensively, we must remember that Kerry Collins has been there, done that, with the Carolina Panthers, who made the NFC title game with Collins at the helm in 1996. Tiki Barber and Amani Toomer have big-play ability. They will have to make big plays for the Giants to pull this off. 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I don't know if I'm into the cold-weather deal with the Bucs. I thought they played good enough to win in Green Bay, and they had to do it without their best player (linebacker Derrick Brooks, who hurt his shoulder in the first quarter). Three players are the key for the Bucs -- quarterback Shaun King, running back Warrick Dunn and receiver Keyshawn Johnson. They must be at the top of their game; if they are, the Bucs can go the distance. The defense, we know about. But the defense has shown it can be pushed around if it stays on the field too long. Martin Gramatica has to be near-perfect on field goals. He's got it in him. 4. Minnesota Vikings: Dennis Green will rally these guys. I really believe that. Without a bye, the Vikes probably would have been eliminated in the first round. But the extra week gives them a chance to heal, fix a few things with the defensive scheme, and put bad memories of a second-half slide to rest. The key is the health of quarterback Daunte Culpepper. If he's relatively healthy, then we should expect the best from Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Robert Smith. The bottom line: The Vikes have two weeks to get ready for a home game at the Metrodome, where they are very dangerous. If they win, they're in the NFC title game. And with their firepower, anything goes. 5. Philadelphia Eagles: I'm not sure I want to be the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday. It's going to be cold. The Bucs haven't played on Astroturf since Nov. 5, and the turf at Veterans Stadium is particularly unfriendly. Philly fans will be crazy. The Tennessee Titans barely escaped on Dec. 3. The Eagles' defense, coached beautifully by Jim Johnson, could give the Bucs fits. Even with Donovan McNabb at quarterback, the offense really has its limitations. Andy Reid will have to find a way to muster a running game, other than McNabb scrambling for yards. Otherwise, the Eagles just feel like a long shot. 6. New Orleans Saints: The Saints have had the magic this year, no question. But injuries that have stripped the team of so many players could be catching up to them. The Superdome hasn't necessarily been the friendliest place for them. Oakland, Denver and St. Louis have all traveled to New Orleans since Nov. 19 and left with a victory. The Saints' defense has a terrific front four but has been vulnerable. On offense, the absence of running back Ricky Williams is starting to show in recent weeks. For the Saints to pull it off, it will take young quarterback Aaron Brooks playing like a vet. That's a tall order, no matter how much promise he has shown. Then again, did you think the Saints would win the NFC West?
1. Tennessee Titans: A member of the Dallas Cowboys offensive staff pointed out that they have played four of the hottest defenses since Nov. 19 -- Baltimore, Tampa Bay, the New York Giants and Tennessee. He said the Titans had the best defense of the group. They're not as strong against the run as the Ravens, but the Titans maul teams in different ways. They play nasty. They have speed on the edges. Overall, the Titans don't play sexy football. They just play football. On offense, a rested Eddie George figures to be a force in the playoffs. But the key is quarterback Steve McNair. A year ago in the playoffs, he made big play after big play. But his ankle might be a real problem. He is not the same quarterback. Will the rest do the trick? If it doesn't, the Titans at home can still beat the most formidable opponent by a field goal -- as long as Al Del Greco has solved his slump. Still the best bet. 2. Oakland Raiders: They have a way about them. Few people look at them and fear their offense, but they scored more than 30 points in nine of their 16 regular-season games. Coach Jon Gruden has instilled a great competitive heart in his team, led by MVP candidate Rich Gannon, the 35-year-old quarterback who will leave no stone unturned as he readies for this chance of a career. Same can be said for receiver Tim Brown, who has been waiting a long time for another visit to the playoffs. The thing about the Raiders is they have a tendency to stun teams with their tenacity at the start of games. They're pretty solid in every phase of the game, including special teams, which was a point of emphasis for Gruden. 3. Denver Broncos: Mike Shanahan has been doing this too long to dismiss the Broncos. Somehow, he's going to find a way for the offense to score points. The shaky part concerns the quarterback. Brian Griese gives Denver its best shot, but his bum shoulder may not hold up. And his backup, Gus Frerotte, has some Vinny Testaverde in him; he can make some big throws, but he can do the bonehead thing. The defense has its bad moments, but it also comes up big in turnovers. Did you know the Broncos' defense is second only to Baltimore in takeaways with 44, including 27 interceptions? This is not unlike the Denver defenses that were part of two Super Bowl titles. 4. Indianapolis Colts: If the playoffs are all about momentum, then perhaps we are selling the Colts short. They have cranked out impressive wins against the Bills, Dolphins and Vikings to qualify for the postseason after being on the brink of elimination. The defense has improved, thanks in part to Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who again has been able to stake his team to early leads. Manning is a true star. He will be ready for the playoffs. He'd better be. If the Colts are to reach the Super Bowl, they will have to face some formidable defenses, starting with the Dolphins. As good as Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison are, somebody will have to make big plays for the Colts to make the long run to Tampa. 5. Baltimore Ravens: When you have a record-setting defense and a seven-game winning streak heading into the playoffs, you must be taken seriously. The tricky part, as you know, involves quarterback Trent Dilfer. Despite efforts to get Dilfer's confidence (and the team's confidence in him) back up last week, he showed that there are still liabilities. The receivers haven't distinguished themselves, either. However, if Ravens coach Brian Billick can crank up his running game with Jamal Lewis, and Dilfer can avoid the bad turnovers, then there is hope. 6. Miami Dolphins: It doesn't seem fair to have such a dim outlook for the champ of the AFC's most competitive division. But let's face it -- The Dolphins have limitations on offense. This will be the ultimate test for quarterback Jay Fiedler, who at least is healthier and coming off a game in which he was 12-for-12 passing on third down. But his receivers get an adequate rating, at best. The Dolphins' defense will have to rise to the occasion, but there have been some cracks in the wall down the stretch. Can they patch it up? In this year's NFL, don't act like you know all the answers, because you don't. |
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