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Greg Williams coach of the year?
Dan Pompei of the Sporting News picks his playoff teams and Superbowl prediction and also picks Greg Williams to be Coach of the Year!
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Super Bowl 38 pick: Rams over Raiders
08/28/2003
Dan Pompei
Sporting News
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Preseason Football - The countdown begins.
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What makes a Super Bowl winner?
The cliche answer is great defenses, and the last three Super Bowl winners -- Tampa, New England and Baltimore -- support that logic. But before the 2000 season, the argument can be made that 12 of the previous 13 Super Bowl winners (the lone exception being the 1990 Giants) were offense-dominated teams.
So great offenses also can win. In fact, it says here great offenses will win this season when the Rams beat the Raiders in the Arena, er, Super Bowl.
What wins Super Bowls are transcendent players who redefine their careers at the ultimate moments. Think John Elway helicoptering to a first down in 1998. Think Joe Montana dissecting the Bengals on the game-winning drive in 1989.
What wins Super Bowls are coaches who give transcendent players advantages by putting them in positions to succeed. Think Jon Gruden and Bill Belichick the last two seasons or, if you prefer, Joe Gibbs in 1988.
Assuming Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk are healthy and can play as they did two seasons ago, no team has more game changers than the Rams. Some would say it is a big assumption that they will be healthy, but it may be a bigger assumption that two of the most gifted players in the game can lose their gifts so quickly.
This team also has the premier offensive mind in the game. Mike Martz is the coach whom offensive coaches at every level of football study in order to better prepare their teams.
Think Warner throwing beautiful spiral after beautiful spiral on February 1 in Houston, just as he did when he was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1999 and 2001. Think Faulk dancing through gaps, around linebackers and by defensive backs. Think Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt bursting out of their breaks, making effortless catches and then running away from everyone.
Think Martz making 11 offensive players look like 18, temporarily paralyzing a defense that can't possibly keep up with so many shifts, motions and personnel changes.
Think Rich Gannon throwing short, precise strikes, each one a dagger, to Jerry Rice, Jerry Porter, Tim Brown, Charlie Garner, Doug Jolley, Teyo Johnson and Tyrone Wheatley. But those short strikes don't hurt as much as Warner's long ones.
Think Rams 34, Raiders 28.
AFC picks
Division winners: Dolphins, Steelers, Titans and Raiders
Wild-card teams: Colts and Bills
AFC championship: Raiders over Dolphins
NFC picks
Division winners: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, Rams
Wild-card teams: 49ers and Giants
NFC championship: Rams over Packers
Super Bowl winner: Rams
Award picks
Defensive player of the year: DE Jason Taylor, Dolphins
Offensive rookie of the year: TE Dallas Clark, Colts
Defensive rookie of the year: CB Terence Newman, Cowboys
Comeback player of the year: QB Kurt Warner, Rams
Coach of the year: Gregg Williams, Bills
Senior writer Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Sporting News. Email him at pompei@sportingnews.com.
You can also find this article at:
Super Bowl 38 pick: Rams over Raiders
08/28/2003
Dan Pompei
Sporting News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preseason Football - The countdown begins.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
What makes a Super Bowl winner?
The cliche answer is great defenses, and the last three Super Bowl winners -- Tampa, New England and Baltimore -- support that logic. But before the 2000 season, the argument can be made that 12 of the previous 13 Super Bowl winners (the lone exception being the 1990 Giants) were offense-dominated teams.
So great offenses also can win. In fact, it says here great offenses will win this season when the Rams beat the Raiders in the Arena, er, Super Bowl.
What wins Super Bowls are transcendent players who redefine their careers at the ultimate moments. Think John Elway helicoptering to a first down in 1998. Think Joe Montana dissecting the Bengals on the game-winning drive in 1989.
What wins Super Bowls are coaches who give transcendent players advantages by putting them in positions to succeed. Think Jon Gruden and Bill Belichick the last two seasons or, if you prefer, Joe Gibbs in 1988.
Assuming Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk are healthy and can play as they did two seasons ago, no team has more game changers than the Rams. Some would say it is a big assumption that they will be healthy, but it may be a bigger assumption that two of the most gifted players in the game can lose their gifts so quickly.
This team also has the premier offensive mind in the game. Mike Martz is the coach whom offensive coaches at every level of football study in order to better prepare their teams.
Think Warner throwing beautiful spiral after beautiful spiral on February 1 in Houston, just as he did when he was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1999 and 2001. Think Faulk dancing through gaps, around linebackers and by defensive backs. Think Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt bursting out of their breaks, making effortless catches and then running away from everyone.
Think Martz making 11 offensive players look like 18, temporarily paralyzing a defense that can't possibly keep up with so many shifts, motions and personnel changes.
Think Rich Gannon throwing short, precise strikes, each one a dagger, to Jerry Rice, Jerry Porter, Tim Brown, Charlie Garner, Doug Jolley, Teyo Johnson and Tyrone Wheatley. But those short strikes don't hurt as much as Warner's long ones.
Think Rams 34, Raiders 28.
AFC picks
Division winners: Dolphins, Steelers, Titans and Raiders
Wild-card teams: Colts and Bills
AFC championship: Raiders over Dolphins
NFC picks
Division winners: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, Rams
Wild-card teams: 49ers and Giants
NFC championship: Rams over Packers
Super Bowl winner: Rams
Award picks
Defensive player of the year: DE Jason Taylor, Dolphins
Offensive rookie of the year: TE Dallas Clark, Colts
Defensive rookie of the year: CB Terence Newman, Cowboys
Comeback player of the year: QB Kurt Warner, Rams
Coach of the year: Gregg Williams, Bills
Senior writer Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Sporting News. Email him at pompei@sportingnews.com.
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