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Rockin' house Loud Mile High was the toughest place to win
Updated: Saturday December 23, 2000 1:10 PM
CNNSI.com's Jon A. Dolezar talked with former NFL head coach and current CNN NFL Preview analyst Ron Meyer about several issues and storylines as teams prepare for Week 17: Dolezar: With the final regular-season game at Mile High Stadium on Saturday, do you have any special memories of the place? Meyer: I've always said it is the toughest venue to win a game at. Due to several reasons: the first being that the other sideline had a pretty good football player by the name of John Elway over there for a bunch of years. Secondly, the altitude is a factor, there is no question about it. When you combine the altitude with the possibility of bad weather, the Broncos had a tremendous advantage there. Third, that place would get rocking and rolling pretty good. In fact, the whole stadium would actually shake and wave a little bit. Without a doubt, I felt Mile High was the hardest place to go in and win as an opposing team, and I think their record justifies that, particularly their record with Elway there. We went there a couple of times with the Colts, but since they weren't in our division we didn't play them very often. We were down on the goal line one time and we had all kinds of problems getting the snap count right because we were in the closed end of the stadium. The sound ricochets off of that upper deck and bombards you. It ended up in a miscommunication on the quarterback-center exchange. The ball ended up on the ground and the Broncos recovered. We didn't get into the end zone and we lost the game. Dolezar: What do you think will happen this weekend in terms of a playoff shakedown? Meyer: There are so many different scenarios, as always, in the last week. The best thing for any of the teams that are vying for those type of positions is to win the game at hand and not have to count on other teams to lose. The home-field advantage is so important in the playoffs. Even the teams that are in already are jockeying for positioning, which is crucial. Don't be surprised if Pittsburgh sneaks in there. They are kind of my surprise team and I really think they can get in. The Jets could easily get beat and Indianapolis could easily get beat, even if Minnesota has to go with Bubby Brister in there. Dolezar: Who is your darkhorse team in the playoffs? Meyer: The team that I like is Baltimore. I like their defense, their running game, and I think Trent Dilfer may make us all eat our words. I've always liked Dilfer, but his play left a lot to be desired until this season. I think they have a very complete team. They are built as a playoff team with their ability to keep the score down. I think Denver has a chance too, particularly if they get that all important home-field advantage. It's going to be a great playoff race. You just have a lot of interesting teams in the mix this season. Dolezar: Have you ever seen a playoff race with so many positions yet to be determined down on the last weekend? Meyer: Yeah, if you go back it's this way every year. It's always down to the last game for many teams. That's what makes the NFL races so great. Dolezar: If you could design a team that would be well suited to win in the playoffs, what would your team look like? I think Tennessee has about as good a model as you'd want. They hope that the injuries at wide receiver don't come back to haunt them. The Titans have a nice tight end [ Frank Wycheck ], a quarterback [ Steve McNair ] who is mobile and can do a lot of things, an offensive line that will come off and bone you, and then Eddie George as well. I think their defensive team is very underrated. They have great pass-rushing ability. And they could have that all-important home-field advantage. I think it's important that they've been to the Super Bowl, because they know what they have to prepare for. I think that will be a big advantage for them. It took the Cowboys one trip and a loss before they went back and won it; Miami lost to the Cowboys then came back and won it. I just think historically it takes a trip there to get it done. Overall, I think Tennessee has a lot of good things. Dolezar: There have been a lot of good coaching jobs in the NFL this season. Who would you vote for as Coach of the Year? Meyer: That's tough. I always like to take someone. I think Jim Haslett will probably get it by an overwhelming majority, and I'd probably cast my vote there. To take a 3-13 team to where they are without their quarterback and running back is impressive. They are a team that has always been placed in that loser category. It's hard to overlook Andy Reid, it's hard to overlook Jim Fassel. I think you ought to wait until the entire season is over. Jon Gruden has done a nice job with Oakland, and even Mike Shanahan again is a possibility. One last choice for me, and this may surprise you, but Jacksonville's Tom Coughlin did an amazing job. So all of those guys would be in consideration in my book. Dolezar: Is there one player that you think could have a breakout couple of weeks in the playoffs and carry their team? Meyer: I think when you look at that you may find a dominant defensive player like Jevon Kearse or Michael Strahan that could just wreck havoc with your team. And you could look to a dominant offensive player, like what Warrick Dunn did against the Rams. It could be a guy like Kerry Collins in New York, too. There will be a hero coming out of the playoffs. Usually everyone looks at the very focal point of the league, so someone's quarterback will light it up and get on fire. Dolezar: Speaking of quarterbacks, with Warren Moon ready to retire, what will you remember most about his career? Meyer: The memory that I have most is his years at Houston as a run-and-shoot quarterback. They almost changed the whole offensive concept of the NFL. Moon was pretty special. When you combine his CFL numbers with his NFL numbers, he has no peer. You are going to see him in the Hall of Fame, there is no question in my mind. Dolezar: With his amazing numbers, his name might not come up on the list of the best quarterbacks of all time. Do you think that's an injustice to him? Meyer: I think it's more of the fact that he spent so long in the other league and that he never won a Super Bowl. The thing that jumps out about Terry Bradshaw or Joe Montana is that there are four big rings on their fingers -- these guys won the big show. I think the guys that never did go down to the next echelon. In that second tier you have the guys that never did -- the Jim Kelly s, the Warren Moon s, the guys that never got won it all. That's not always fair, it's just the way it is. Ron Meyer, a former NFL head coach, is a pro football analyst with CNN/Sports Illustrated and appears weekly on CNN's NFL Preview.
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