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Broncos have big edge in experience
Posted: Monday January 25, 1999 03:51 PM
CNN/SI NFL analyst Pat Kirwan sat down with CNN/SI anchor Inga Hammond in Miami on Monday afternoon to talk about about the keys for the Broncos and Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII on Sunday. Inga Hammond: Pat, the Broncos have certainly been here before. How much of an advantage is it for that team? Pat Kirwan: Inga, it's a very big advantage because Mike Shanahan has this team on the San Francisco 49ers' formula for success in the Super Bowl. He got his game plan in last week -- that's already out of the way. He's got both coordinators and all his assistants back from last year's Super Bowl. They understand how Mike wants to do this. He's got a veteran football team that's been on a mission since they lost to Jacksonville at home two years ago. It's going to be very hard for someone to come in here and beat a team like the Denver Broncos. IH: On the flip side of the ball, while the Atlanta Falcons have not been here as a franchise, coach Dan Reeves has been here, linebacker Cornelius Bennett and defensive back Eugene Robinson have been to Super Bowls. Is this a novice team or will those captains take over? PK: This is a novice team. Dan's still looking for his first Super Bowl win, and I think that's overstated. I think the problem he has, though, is that some of his critical players are young -- tailback Jamal Anderson, tight end O.J. Santiago -- and his quarterback, Chris Chandler, hasn't been to a Super Bowl before. His right tackle, rookie Ephraim Salaam, has a very hard job in his first Super Bowl. Those are going to be hard things to do. Their game plan isn't in. That's why Eugene Robinson is emerging on television as the team's leader all the time. He understands what has to get done. He's won a Super Bowl. I heard him today calling for a midnight curfew. IH: What about the distraction factor? You can prepare for the Super Bowl, but unless you've been there and seen the media and fans constantly in your face ... PK: It's a big distraction. There's a game plan that has to be prepared. Mental errors become bigger part of games when you get to a game of this magnitude. I think Atlanta is going to be into a long day, personally, because of the preparation factors, and how hard it is for young players to stay focused. Eugene Robinson says he recalls Patriots players being out until 4 in the morning the week of the game they lost two years ago. IH: I heard Cornelius Bennett say something "I know how to lose these games. Eugene knows how to win them." PK: I think Cornelius was really making a joke. It's an honor to get here, and he's been here a number of times with the Buffalo Bills. But they are going up against a juggernaut that's been here an won. The players back, the coaches are back, the preparation is done. It'll be a very hard job for the Falcons.
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