DALLAS - (KRT) - The start of training camp means that 30 misguided, oversized rosters believe they have a chance to reach the next Super Bowl.
For millions of sports fans in this country, this July-to-February journey is the most joyful season of all. But there are some of you out there that just need to know who's going to be in Houston on Feb. 1 and are willing to skip the six-month buildup.
You have come to the right place.
First, we know that the Texans will play a bunch of games in Houston this year but none in January and certainly not in February. If the Texans can cut young quarterback David Carr's sacks in half, that would be nice. But even with 38 sacks instead of 76, he would have ranked third in the league last year.
And, yes, we know the other Texas franchise won't be scampering into Reliant Stadium next winter. A team that couldn't beat Houston there a year ago won't be playing in Super Bowls this year. Bill Parcells is a second-year turn-it-around coach as evidenced by his willingness to plow ahead with a Chad Hutchinson-Troy Hambrick backfield in 2003.
Atlanta will be the NFL's most exciting team, thanks to Michael Vick. A defense that allowed 4.6 yards per rush will keep the scoreboard operator hopping even when Vick is on the sidelines.
The Falcons' rivals in New Orleans are more of the same. Electric on offense, anemic on defense. There's a reason the Saints finished 2-5.
Carolina won't get there because Jake Delhomme, Rodney Peete and Chris Weinke rolled into one wouldn't make a quarterback.
Seattle won't get there because you don't go from last against the run to first in the NFC playoffs.
Arizona won't get there because it's Arizona. Sorry, Emmitt, but you knew that already.
San Francisco won't get there because the 49ers had a better coach last year before Steve Mariucci was canned in favor of Dennis Erickson. They're still kidding about that, right?
Detroit won't get there because Mariucci's not that good.
Philadelphia has played in the last two NFC championship games, losing when it was supposed to in St. Louis, losing when it wasn't supposed to against Tampa Bay. The continued decline of the defense assures Philly fans of no more late January pains. They'll be watching Ken Hitchcock's Flyers by then.
Washington will be improved, but a brutal first six weeks against Jets-Falcons-Giants-Patriots-Eagles-Bucs will take its toll.
The Bears won't get there, but they'll be happy to get to Soldier Field.
Minnesota won't get there because Michael Bennett's already out for much of the season.
Green Bay won't get there because the Packers' mystique took an enormous hit with the team's first Lambeau Field playoff loss.
Miami won't get there because 1,000 yards in seven games from Ricky Williams wasn't enough to get the Dolphins to the playoffs last year.
New England won't get there, but with eight picks in the first four rounds of the 2004 draft, watch out a year from now.
Buffalo won't get there because you don't get better by losing Peerless Price's 94 catches to Atlanta.
The Jets won't get there because you don't get better by losing Laveranues Coles' 89 catches to Washington.
Pittsburgh won't get there because when the team allows 30 points in consecutive playoff games, we know there's no Steel Curtain any more.
Cleveland won't get there because 30 points in the final minute of fourth quarters just will not happen again.
Oakland won't get there because Super Bowl losers don't get there a year later.
Tampa Bay is very, very good, and those three off-season arrests suggest some sort of "America's Team" in the making, but the Bucs won't get there because Brad Johnson's going to wake up any day now.
Baltimore won't get there because quarterback guru Brian Billick can't settle on a quarterback. Jacksonville won't get there because the Byron Leftwich Era doesn't start until 2004.
Cincinnati won't get there, and don't even think about asking for a reason. Denver won't get there because if Jake Plummer is the answer, it can't be much of a question.
San Diego won't get there because Junior Seau took the Chargers' soul to Miami.
Indianapolis won't get there because even after Jets 41, Colts 0 in last year's playoffs, it didn't bother to change that ugly change-every-play-at-the-line offense.
Tennessee had the right idea, drafting OU cornerback Andre Woolfolk, but the secondary's not good enough yet. St. Louis won't get there because the only turnovers the Rams create are their own.
That leaves only the two obvious choices. The Kansas City Chiefs need nothing more than total health and happiness for running back Priest Holmes, now that Dick Vermeil has turned the defense from awful to OK. Even by posting a zero in Oakland in the final game, the Chiefs led the NFL in scoring last year.
The momentum they will build by finishing with wins over the Lions, Vikings and Bears will get them to their first Super Bowl in 34 years where . . .
They will lose to the Giants. Decent special teams were all that New York needed to keep going in last year's playoffs. Kicker Mike Hollis, punter Jeff Feagles and return man Brian Mitchell (swiped from the Eagles, no less) make the difference.
Since Jim Fassel became coach in 1997, the Giants have been the NFL's best December team. Now they are good enough to make that meaningful in January.
February, too.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6340066.htm
For millions of sports fans in this country, this July-to-February journey is the most joyful season of all. But there are some of you out there that just need to know who's going to be in Houston on Feb. 1 and are willing to skip the six-month buildup.
You have come to the right place.
First, we know that the Texans will play a bunch of games in Houston this year but none in January and certainly not in February. If the Texans can cut young quarterback David Carr's sacks in half, that would be nice. But even with 38 sacks instead of 76, he would have ranked third in the league last year.
And, yes, we know the other Texas franchise won't be scampering into Reliant Stadium next winter. A team that couldn't beat Houston there a year ago won't be playing in Super Bowls this year. Bill Parcells is a second-year turn-it-around coach as evidenced by his willingness to plow ahead with a Chad Hutchinson-Troy Hambrick backfield in 2003.
Atlanta will be the NFL's most exciting team, thanks to Michael Vick. A defense that allowed 4.6 yards per rush will keep the scoreboard operator hopping even when Vick is on the sidelines.
The Falcons' rivals in New Orleans are more of the same. Electric on offense, anemic on defense. There's a reason the Saints finished 2-5.
Carolina won't get there because Jake Delhomme, Rodney Peete and Chris Weinke rolled into one wouldn't make a quarterback.
Seattle won't get there because you don't go from last against the run to first in the NFC playoffs.
Arizona won't get there because it's Arizona. Sorry, Emmitt, but you knew that already.
San Francisco won't get there because the 49ers had a better coach last year before Steve Mariucci was canned in favor of Dennis Erickson. They're still kidding about that, right?
Detroit won't get there because Mariucci's not that good.
Philadelphia has played in the last two NFC championship games, losing when it was supposed to in St. Louis, losing when it wasn't supposed to against Tampa Bay. The continued decline of the defense assures Philly fans of no more late January pains. They'll be watching Ken Hitchcock's Flyers by then.
Washington will be improved, but a brutal first six weeks against Jets-Falcons-Giants-Patriots-Eagles-Bucs will take its toll.
The Bears won't get there, but they'll be happy to get to Soldier Field.
Minnesota won't get there because Michael Bennett's already out for much of the season.
Green Bay won't get there because the Packers' mystique took an enormous hit with the team's first Lambeau Field playoff loss.
Miami won't get there because 1,000 yards in seven games from Ricky Williams wasn't enough to get the Dolphins to the playoffs last year.
New England won't get there, but with eight picks in the first four rounds of the 2004 draft, watch out a year from now.
Buffalo won't get there because you don't get better by losing Peerless Price's 94 catches to Atlanta.
The Jets won't get there because you don't get better by losing Laveranues Coles' 89 catches to Washington.
Pittsburgh won't get there because when the team allows 30 points in consecutive playoff games, we know there's no Steel Curtain any more.
Cleveland won't get there because 30 points in the final minute of fourth quarters just will not happen again.
Oakland won't get there because Super Bowl losers don't get there a year later.
Tampa Bay is very, very good, and those three off-season arrests suggest some sort of "America's Team" in the making, but the Bucs won't get there because Brad Johnson's going to wake up any day now.
Baltimore won't get there because quarterback guru Brian Billick can't settle on a quarterback. Jacksonville won't get there because the Byron Leftwich Era doesn't start until 2004.
Cincinnati won't get there, and don't even think about asking for a reason. Denver won't get there because if Jake Plummer is the answer, it can't be much of a question.
San Diego won't get there because Junior Seau took the Chargers' soul to Miami.
Indianapolis won't get there because even after Jets 41, Colts 0 in last year's playoffs, it didn't bother to change that ugly change-every-play-at-the-line offense.
Tennessee had the right idea, drafting OU cornerback Andre Woolfolk, but the secondary's not good enough yet. St. Louis won't get there because the only turnovers the Rams create are their own.
That leaves only the two obvious choices. The Kansas City Chiefs need nothing more than total health and happiness for running back Priest Holmes, now that Dick Vermeil has turned the defense from awful to OK. Even by posting a zero in Oakland in the final game, the Chiefs led the NFL in scoring last year.
The momentum they will build by finishing with wins over the Lions, Vikings and Bears will get them to their first Super Bowl in 34 years where . . .
They will lose to the Giants. Decent special teams were all that New York needed to keep going in last year's playoffs. Kicker Mike Hollis, punter Jeff Feagles and return man Brian Mitchell (swiped from the Eagles, no less) make the difference.
Since Jim Fassel became coach in 1997, the Giants have been the NFL's best December team. Now they are good enough to make that meaningful in January.
February, too.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6340066.htm
