AFC race is wide open again
September 5, 2003
By Pete Spadora
SportsTicker Staff Writer
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Ticker) - Two years ago, unknown quarterback Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to their first Super Bowl title. Last season, with a year of experience under his belt, Brady failed to make the playoffs.
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Rich Gannon led the aging Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl and earned Most Valuable Player honors.
This year, both teams can be considered among several that figure to have a good chance to reach Super Bowl XXXVIII from what again appears to be a wide-open AFC. Gannon and future Hall of Fame receivers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown again will be the focal points of an Raiders offense that was among the best in the NFL in 2002.
While the passing game is the team's forte, running back Charlie Garner is a steady veteran who averaged 5.3 yards per carry last year and fullback Zack Crockett is as good as anyone in short-yardage situations.
Age may translate into experience, but it does not necessarily equate to maturity as evidenced by Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski's antics. The 37-year-old Romanowski punched teammate Marcus Williams during a fight in practice, leaving the backup tight end with a fractured orbital bone. Romanowski, one of the most tighly wound players in the league, was fined and suspended from one practice.
Although play at the end of the season determines who goes the farthest in the playoffs, - as evidenced by strong starts and poor finishes of the Miami Dolphins in recent years - the Raiders will get an early test as they open on the road against the Tennessee Titans.
Dick Vermeil knows something about high-powered offenses as he presided over one of the best with the St. Louis Rams. Last season, Vermeil's Kansas City Chiefs had an attack that was reminiscent of his former club. Quarterback Trent Green, whose injury in the preseason while with St. Louis led to Kurt Warner's opportunity in 1999, directs the offense for Vermeil.
Priest Holmes is a premier running back and appears to be recovered from his hip injury. Tony Gonzalez is still the best receiving tight end in the league (sorry Jeremy Shockey) and Green has a pair of solid targets in Eddie Kennison and Johnnie Morton.
While the offense is expected to score plenty of points, Kansas City needs to stop teams to take the next step in the AFC.
"I think we're a better football team right now than we were last year," Vermeil said. "I think it will hard to be as good as we were on offense last year in terms of scoring points. We're still going to be a very good team. But I think we're going to be much better starting with the defensive line."
The Tennessee Titans advanced to the AFC championship game last season for the first time since their trip to the Super Bowl following the 1999 season. Like the Raiders, Tennessee boasts an experienced offense that is not quite as long in the tooth.
Quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George are as tough as they are skilled. While George has taken a lot of punishment the last few seasons, some of the burden can be lifted off his shoulders as McNair has a legitimate No. 1 receiver in Derrick Mason and a reliable veteran in tight end Frank Wycheck.
Although McNair and George are the team leaders, Tennessee's biggest star may play on the other side of the ball. Defensive end Jevon Kearse missed all but four games last season due to a toe injury, but will enter 2003 healthy and ready to assume his role as one of the top pass rushers in the game.
In the AFC South, Tennessee's stiffest challenge should come from the Indianapolis Colts, who improved and went 10-6 in coach Tony Dungy's first season. Questions arose about Peyton Manning's ability to win big games after the Colts were routed, 41-0, by the New York Jets in the AFC wild card round.
The Patriots failed to make the playoffs last year, but finished 9-7 and concluded the regular season with an overtime win over the Miami Dolphins that kept their AFC East rivals out of the playoffs.
The Buffalo Bills finished last in the East in 2002, but at 8-8, were one game behind the Patriots, Dolphins and New York Jets. The Bills lost receiver Peerless Price and his 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns, but Josh Reed will be counted on to complement Pro Bowl receiver Eric Moulds.
New England coach Bill Belichick orchestrated a near flawless defensive game plan to pull off an upset of the Rams in the Super Bowl two years ago. St. Louis coach Mike Martz drew criticism for not running enough at New England with superstar back Marshall Faulk. Last year, far less talented backs enjoyed success against New England as the Patriots were ranked 31st in rush defense.
Nose tackle Ted Washington will be called upon to clog up the middle, but Belichick realizes size is not a benefit without execution.
"How many guys do you see that are 6-5, 300 pounds? There are a lot more guys that are 6-foot, 200 pounds," Belichick said. "There are just not as many guys that are that big and that athletic that can play those offensive and defensive line positions. There is a premium on them. You see it in free agency, you see it in the draft, you see it when those guys hit the waiver wire whether it is in training camp or at the end of the preseason, the 53-man roster cuts. Those guys don't last long."
Facing perennial 1,000-yard rushers such as Miami's Ricky Williams and New York's Curtis Martin, that will have to improve for the Patriots to return to the postseason. The Jets lost some key weapons to the Washington Redskins as wide receiver Laveranues Coles, return specialist Chad Morton and guard Randy Thomas all headed to the nation's capital. Despite those losses, the Jets still have one of the best running backs in Martin and an emerging star at receiver in Santana Moss.
Chad Pennington was set to begin his first full season as the starting quarterback, but suffered a broken wrist in an exhibition game against the New York Giants. Instead, strong-armed Vinny Testaverde, who will be 40 in November, gets another shot at reaching the Super Bowl after guiding the team to the AFC championship game in 1998.
Miami signed quarterback Brian Griese in the offseason, but he also was injured in an exhibition game. Jay Fiedler returns as the starter. The offense is most efficient when the ball is in the hands of Williams.
The strength of the team will be on defense. Miami added linebacker Junior Seau to an already strong linebacking corps and the defensive line and secondary are among the best units in the NFL.
While the Chiefs have a solid chance to end Oakland's three-year run as division champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers will look to repeat in the AFC North. Journeyman and former XFL star Tommy runs an offense that features three dangerous receivers - Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress and former college quarterback Antwaan Randle El.
The Cleveland Browns will start the 2003 season with Kelly Holcomb as the starting quarterback ahead of Tim Couch.
The Baltimore Ravens will go with rookie Kyle Boller at quarterback, but their fortunes will again rest with a defense led by linebackers Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware and cornerback Chris McAlister.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have endured three straight losing seasons since posting an NFL best 14-2 record in 1999 and are expected to battle with the second-year Houston Texans to avoid the basement in the AFC South.
The Denver Broncos will not have Griese to boo or blame for its problems anymore after signing talented, but erratic Jake Plummer. The former Arizona State star was a fan favorite with the Cardinals, who rarely had enough fans to loudly boo the home team. However, the expecatations will be greater in Denver, where the last fan favorite at quarterback was future Hall of Famer John Elway.
Fortunately for Plummer, he has more talent around him in running back Clinton Portis and wide receivers Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey and Ashley Lelie.
The San Diego Chargers should be improved as quarterback Drew Brees showed promise last year and now has a legitimate No. 1 receiver in David Boston. LaDainian Tomlinson again should rush for more than 1,500 yards.
The Cincinnati Bengals will attempt to begin their climb out of the basement of the AFC after a 2-14 season, but the trek will be a slow one. Top overall pick Carson Palmer will look to gain experience and learn under veteran quarterback Jon Kitna.
