| Week 16 |
| Rank | Team
|
LW | Comment |
| 1. | Minnesota Vikings
(13-1) | 2 | Denver's been struggling, but Minnesota's point
machine hums along. |
|
2. | Denver
Broncos
(13-1) | 1 | They've clinched everything they need to clinch, which
is why I don't like their chances against the struggling Dolphins, in
Miami, Monday night. |
|
3. | Atlanta
Falcons
(12-2) | 3 | Fullback Bob Christian, the unsung
hero of the offense, is lost now, so they'll have to keep it going with Brian
Kozlowski, a second-string tight end, and Gary Downs, a converted
halfback. This might be more of a problem than people think. |
| 4.
| San Francisco
49ers
(11-3) | 5 | Watching them run for 328 vs. the Lions, I closed my
eyes and had visions of The King and Johnny Strike
and Joe (the Jet) Perry and The Big Chief, Norm Standlee
. |
| 5.
| New York Jets
(10-4) | 7 | If
Dave Meggett still has the giddyups, Bill Parcells has filled three spots
with one small body -- punt returner, kick returner, possession receiver, a
la Keith
Byars. |
| 6.
| Jacksonville
Jaguars
(10-4) | 4 | Jamie Martin is gone. Mark Brunell is ailing. Jonathan Quinn is a baby.
Is Vince Evans anywhere near a phone? |
| 7. | Buffalo Bills
(9-5) | 8 | The NFL's most underrated offense, scoring 30 or more
points in seven games. Big game vs. the Jets Sunday, but it seems that
there's been a big AFC East game every weekend for the past couple of
months. |
| 8.
| Miami Dolphins
(9-5) | 6 | No, it wasn't Bill Parcells who outcoached
Jimmy Johnson last Sunday night, it was the Jets assistants who
out-schemed the Dolphins assistants. That's the way it works; the
coordinators do the brainstorming, the head coaches stand on the sidelines
and yell at the officials. |
| 9. | Green Bay Packers
(9-5) | 10 | It's like the battle scene at the end of the movie
Beau Geste. Every time a legionnaire gets shot in the tower, a new
one goes up there to take his place. Newest hero in the tower is Dorsey
Levens, but, of course, he's been there before. |
| 10. | Tennessee Oilers
(8-6) | 11 | Courage award goes to QB Steve McNair, who's doing
his stuff on a very painful turf toe. Teams rally around this kind of
action. |
| 11.
| New England Patriots
(8-6) | 9 | Tom Tupa or Scott Zolak, take your
pick, figures as the starter vs. the raging 49ers. I think they'll be sending it all in on Drew
Bledsoe in the finale against the Jets, but by then it might be too
late. |
| 12.
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(7-7) | 14 | Slim playoff hopes now rest on an Arizona loss to
either New Orleans or San Diego, both in the desert. Oh yes, and the Bucs
have to keep winning. |
| 13. | New York Giants
(6-8) | 20 | Wotta leap! From 20th to 13th. But they beat the
Broncos fair and square with an inspired performance, and such heroics do
not escape your faithful narrator. |
| 14. | Seattle Seahawks
(7-7) | 17 | Their 4-6 conference record will keep them out of the
playoffs, thanks to referee Phil Luckett and his Gang of Seven.
All that's left is grooming Jon Kitna for
1999. |
| 15.
| Kansas City Chiefs
(6-8) | 18 |
Bam Morris ran like a man possessed vs. the Cowboys. Is this something to
build on? Let's put it this way: it's something to build on. |
| 16.
| Dallas Cowboys
(8-6) | 15 | Yeah, I know. One little win, which they'll probably
get vs. Philly, and they're division champs, but where's the emotion on
this team, the zip, the joie de vivre? |
| 17. | Pittsburgh Steelers
(7-7) | 12 | Once upon a time this was shot-and-beer country,
steel-mill tough. Now they're working on their letters to Dear
Abby. |
| 18.
| New Orleans Saints
(6-8) | 13 | Against the Falcons, Kerry Collins looked like
he wanted to get out of there as quickly as he could. Lazy banana passes,
up for grabs, ho hum, who cares? Got any more reclamation projects,
Mike ? |
| 19.
| Oakland Raiders>
(7-7) | 16 | Do they pick up Jeff George's option and
re-sign him? Is Donald
Hollas for real? Is Wade
Wilson being groomed for the Vince Evans role (gee, that's twice we've
mentioned ol' Vince in one piece)? Or will Jon Gruden wipe the
slate clean and find a fresh face in the college draft? Bay Area drama
never ends. |
| 20.
| Arizona Cardinals
(7-7) | 21 | Here's what I predict: First playoff appearance since
cacti started growing in the desert. Yeeay! Earliest exit by a playoff
team. Boo! More defense drafted in April, as the O-line continues to
languish. |
| 21.
| Washington
Redskins
(5-9) | 22 | I
wouldn't fire Norv Turner and Charley Casserly . What
I would do is let Cleveland try its luck with wideout Michael Westbrook next
year. |
| 22.
| Detroit Lions
(5-9)
| 19 | OK, the Niners ran them ragged. That can
happen. And Barry
Sanders got stuffed. I've seen that happen, too. But what bothered me
most was the seven dropped passes I counted. Has this team quit on
Bobby Ross ? |
| 23.
| Baltimore Ravens
(5-9) | 23 | Five fumbles, plus the offensive line is shot. Will
this season never end? |
| 24. | St. Louis Rams
(4-10) | 29 | Steve Bono takes his Rams on the road to Carolina and
San Francisco. Will they boo him on the West Coast, where he was once
considered the heir apparent to Joe Montana or Steve Young, whichever one
retired first? |
| 25.
| San Diego Chargers
(5-9) | 24 | A
geographical dilemma: Now that June Jones has accepted the
Hawaii job, is it correct to say the coach has gone south? |
| 26.
| Indianapolis Colts
(3-11) | 28 | Marshall Faulk is more valuable to his team than Terrell Davis is to his.
There, I've said it. How do I come to such an astounding conclusion?
Where, do you figure, each team would be without its
super-star? |
| 27.
| Chicago Bears
(3-11) | 26 | Another team falls victim to officiating mishaps.
Mike McCaskey , the owner, does not favor replay. Logic has never
been a long suit in this operation. |
| 28. | Philadelphia Eagles
(3-11) | 27 | The contest in Dallas will be the ultimate test of
whether or not passion can overcome talent. What passion? Ah, you've
spotted the weakness in my argument. |
| 29. | Carolina Panthers
(2-12) | 25 | I keep trying to tell everyone that Kevin Greene was just
practicing his offseason moves for the wrestling circuit -- shirt-grab and
head-butt. Why is everyone so upset? |
| 30. | Cincinnati Bengals
(2-12) | 30 | Flash! Defensive coach Dick LeBeau is
thinking about junking the zone blitz. Which has set my mind wandering
along strange pathways: i.e., if the cheeseheads in Green Bay pick up that
tactic, will they call it the Zone Blintz? Yes, folks, it's been a long
season. |
