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Titans' late play too predictable

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Posted: Tuesday October 05, 1999 03:21 PM

The Tennessee Titans might still be undefeated if the team had not called such an obvious play on a late two-point conversion against San Francisco.

Because versatile quarterback Steve McNair is out with a bad back and the Titans' options were limited near the goal line, linebacker Lee Woodall says the 49ers defense was able to read the play before the ball was even snapped. San Francisco's defense then had little trouble corralling running back Eddie George, who had rushed for just 1.7 yards per carry on the day.

No wonder the Bengals are pitiful

Well, it's official, the Bengals are the worst team of the decade -- and for the reason, look no farther than the front office.

The team recently cut fullback Brian Milne, who overcame Hodgkin's disease as a teenager and had become a locker room leader in Cincinnati.

Milne was one of the few dedicated players in the Bengals' offseason workout program. Yet only in Cincinnati do they cut a guy like Milne and shower millions on Carl Pickens, who has stated publicly that he does not want to play for the Bengals and is poison to team chemistry.

Lineman Willie Anderson put it best when he said that cutting Milne only shows the rest of the team that "hard work doesn't pay off."

Veteran Cowboys holding up well

While the rest of the league's stars continue to drop like flies with injuries, the Dallas Cowboys' veterans seem to be getting stronger.

Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Darren Woodson have all turned in strong performances for the undefeated Cowboys and Deion Sanders is now back in the lineup.

After demolishing the Cardinals for the 10th straight time in the regular season, Aikman told me on Sunday that at some point the team's veterans will be too old to play this game. "But I don't think it's just yet," he added with a smile. So much for growing old gracefully.

Are things finally going Norv's way?

Here's proof that things have finally turned around for coach Norv Turner in Washington:

During his first 76 games in D.C., Turner's team never came back from a fourth-quarter deficit to win. But in their last eight games, the Redskins have come from behind to win four times. On the flip side of that coin is Carolina. The Panthers are now 1-11 during the last two years in games decided by seven points or less.

A long way from Mayberry

Washington quarterback Brad Johnson hates being called Opie, a nickname he picked up while with the Vikings because of his red hair and freckles (never mind the fact that he grew up in Black Mountain, N.C., just across the Richard Petty Bridge).

But Johnson's former offensive coordinator, Brian Billick, now the head coach with the Ravens, told me he thinks Johnson uses the persona to his advantage. "Brad may have a bit of that yokel look to him, but he's sly as a fox," Billick told me. "He's the kind of guy who can take the linemen out for beer, take all their money playing darts and have them loving every minute of it."

Statistical anomaly of the week: Jacksonville had gone 66 games without a safety. The Jags now have three in their last two games.

Sports Illustrated staff writer David Fleming covers the NFL and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.

 

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