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Dolphins lost in Twilight Zone
Posted: Thursday December 09, 1999 06:52 PM
Even more disturbing than Dan Marino's childish outburst at the press conference that followed Sunday's loss to the Colts, is the fact that the Dolphins defense no longer looks dominant. The same unit that did not allow a single rushing touchdown in the first half of the season gave up two to the Colts' Edgerrin James on Sunday. Afterward some players questioned the decision to play zone defense at the end of the game, when the soft coverage allowed Peyton Manning to drive the team down the middle of the field to set up the winning field goal. Said benched cornerback Terrell Buckley, "That's what you get when you call that stuff and everyone isn't on the same page."
Booze On BoardAfter the Rams clinched their first NFC West title in 14 years, coach Dick Vermeil loosened his ban on alcohol on the team flight and allowed players to have a glass of champagne. That, however, may be all the celebrating Vermeil allows. The coach believes that the last time he went to the Super Bowl, with the Eagles in 1980, the team partied too much after the NFC championship game and came out flat in the big game.
Joey's JinxWasn't the addition of wide receiver Joey Galloway supposed to help the Seahawks? The team rallied together and went 6-2 during his holdout, but is now 2-2 with him in the lineup, including the current two-game losing streak. Galloway has been only average since his return, and his presence has disrupted quarterback Jon Kitna who has thrown seven picks in the last two weeks.
Kansas City SuccessSunday's win over the Broncos put the Chiefs in some elite company. Kansas City is now just the seventh team in NFL history to win 100 games in a decade. But, of the seven teams, the Chiefs are the only group that hasn't been to a Super Bowl during its 100-win span. And that's not likely to change.
Falling DownHere's why the Jets and the Cowboys are on the outside looking in this season: The Jets' defense has been horrendous on third downs. It's so bad even Giants quarterback Kerry Collins was able to complete 11 of 16 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns on third down last week. One reason for the Cowboys' crumble is that since Michael Irvin was injured on Oct. 10, the rest of the Dallas receiving corps has combined for exactly one 100-yard receiving game. Sports Illustrated staff writer David Fleming explores the sometimes weird and wacky side of sports every Thursday. Click here to send an e-mail to Flem, or address it yourself: flemfile@aol.com. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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