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Dueling rookies

Lewis, Anderson have different backgrounds, bright futures

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Jamal Lewis has more than surpassed the expectations of being the Ravens' first-round pick in the 2000 draft. Doug Pensinger/Allsport

DENVER (AP) -- Among those familiar with the NFL's top rookie running backs, Denver Broncos linebacker Al Wilson qualifies as a worthy -- if not impartial -- judge.

While playing at Tennessee, Wilson's college roommate was Jamal Lewis, who set a Baltimore rushing record with 1,364 yards this season.

In the Broncos' clubhouse, less than the distance of a first down from Wilson's locker, Mike Anderson quietly goes about his business after setting Denver's rookie rushing record with 1,500 yards.

So, Al ... who's your pick for the top rookie?

"Both are power backs. Both guys have good speed and both guys will make you miss if they need to, so I definitely see a lot of similarities between the two," Wilson said Thursday.

"Mike Anderson is on my team, so I vote for him."

Wiggin: Broncos-Ravens Paul Wiggin, the Minnesota Vikings' director of pro personnel, will have a keen eye on this weekend's playoff games. Wiggin, who has spent more than 40 years in the NFL, is responsible for league-wide player evaluation and advance scouting of opponents. Wiggin breaks down the wild-card matchups for CNNSI.com: The Broncos will beat the Ravens if ... they play like the complete team that they are. That's what allows them to win. They don't rank first in any category, yet their package is more complete than most teams. I think if Brian Griese plays, rather than Gus Frerotte, their chances dramatically rise. He's done everything they could have hoped for and more. Head coach Mike Shanahan is something of a quarterback guru. He's got some Bill Walsh in his blood. No one ever thought Griese would amount to much and he has. The Ravens will beat the Broncos if ... they do what they do best -- play suffocating defense and hope that Trent Dilfer can get something done for them. He did nothing last week. It was incredible. And that can't happen. You're not going to beat Denver that way. The Broncos have enough on offense that you're not going to shut them out. For Baltimore to win, it has to generate some offense.

NFL fans will have a chance to evaluate both Sunday when the Broncos (11-5) travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens (12-4) in an AFC wildcard game. The meeting marks the intersection of two very different paths to NFL distinction.

As the fifth pick in the 2000 draft, Lewis received a multimillion-dollar contract and took on the expectations associated with his first-round status. As the 189th pick, Anderson received a modest contract and was asked to play the role of a fire extinguisher: 'In case of emergency, break glass.' He vaulted from third string to first when Terrell Davis and Olandis Gary were injured.

"It'll be exciting," Anderson said. "I'm looking forward to Sunday. We're both two young guys in the backfield and I'm looking at it as a challenge."

While their physical size and impressive statistics are similar, age is the main differences between Anderson, 27, and Lewis, 21.

His late professional start prompted some scouts to overlook Anderson, but the Ravens considered Lewis a future star because he played just two full seasons at Tennessee. A knee injury sidelined him for much of 1998 but did little to deter Baltimore.

"When you invest the fifth pick in a back, you have certain expectations," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "There were things we saw in Jamal that I guess the rest of the world is now seeing -- his size, his speed, his power, his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield."

Baltimore illustrated its confidence in Lewis by giving him a six-year, $35.3 million contract that included a $6.5 million signing bonus. Anderson, an ex-Marine who has given new meaning to "active duty," is in the first year of a three-year, $800,000 deal.

"His signing bonus was probably larger than my entire three-year contract," Anderson joked. "But hey, that's the way the ball bounces sometimes."

Each back's value Sunday will be measured not in dollars, but rather in sweat, yards and success.

"Basically I don't go out and compete against other running backs," Lewis said. "I don't have to play against other running backs. I go out and compete against the defenses."

Anderson ran for at least 100 yards in six games this season -- including an NFL rookie record 251 against New Orleans -- but the Ravens defense, led by MVP candidate Ray Lewis, has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 33 straight games.

"I think as far as number-wise, it's a pretty close matchup," Denver offensive lineman Dan Neil said. "They've got a great run defense and we've had success running the ball, so it's a challenge for us. It's going to come down to if we can run the ball against them."

The Broncos, meanwhile, have had their share of problems against the run. Cincinnati's Corey Dillon had an NFL-record 278 yards in Week 8, and Kansas City's Tony Richardson had a career-high 156 yards rushing just two weeks ago.

"Our focus is to eliminate the running game, period," defensive tackle Mike Lodish said. "That's the No. 1 thing. If we can shut that big back down and not have cartoons written about us, we'll do very well in the playoffs."

 

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