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TABLE OF CONTENTS
September 02, 2002 | Volume 97, Issue 9
Despite losing a defensive stalwart, Philly expects nothing less than a Super Bowl visit
•Last year the Eagles couldn't play much man-to-man on passing downs because they lacked depth in the secondary. But with first-and second-round corners Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown likely to...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Eagles
With a hot rookie and a handful of veteran pickups, talk is of getting back to the playoffs
•Darren Woodson, a five-time Pro Bowl player at strong safety, will operate more like a free safety. Woodson estimates that fellow safety Roy Williams will creep toward the box to support the run...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Cowboys
Can a little Shockey treatment from a rookie tight end toughen up a soft offense?
•The volume's lower and the playbook thinner since defensive coordinator John Fox left to become coach of the Panthers. Coach Jim Fassel believes that Fox's schemes had players reading too much...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Giants
New coach Steve Spurrier is sure to be the most-watched rookie in the NFL this season
•When the Redskins imported free-agent Pro Bowl linebacker Jessie Armstead to play over the tight end, the move freed LaVar Arrington to be more of a pass-rushing threat than he was last year,...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Redskins
Newly arrived bad boy Terry Glenn is healthy and wealthy, but is he finally wise?
•Darren Sharper, who already was one of the game's best free safeties, will take on the job of being the secondary's emotional leader. For 12 years that role was filled by LeRoy Butler, the...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Packers
The outlook will be positively bullish if quarterback Jim Miller can raise his game
•Look for second-year running back Anthony Thomas to display more versatility. Although last season he rushed for 1,183 yards, he caught only 22 passes, primarily because third-down back James...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Bears
Coordinator Willie Shaw has put some teeth in one of the league's worst defenses
•After years of running three-wide-receiver, one-back sets, the Vikings will use a two-tight-end formation more often, helping quarterback Daunte Culpepper with his reads and opening up the...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Vikings
September 02, 2002 Back to SchoolYour Can't-Miss Games list for the college football season (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW, Aug. 12) missed big-time! I read and reread the list several times—wait, let me check...
September 02, 2002 LETTERS
A reinforced defense will have to hold the line while it waits for the offense to get in gear
•With the retirement of Stephen Boyd, Chris Claiborne becomes the starter at middle linebacker. Playing in the middle at USC, Claiborne won the Butkus Award in 1998. He was versatile enough to...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Lions
A change of scenery has Jon Gruden and Michael Pittman on the Super Bowl track
•The Bucs lost middle linebacker Jamie Duncan, who signed with the Rams, but they weren't that sorry to see him go. Sixth-year veteran Shelton Quarles was ready to move over from the strong side....
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Buccaneers
Get set for the Michael Vick era, as the supertalented quarterback assumes command
•New owner Arthur Blank has visions of a packed Georgia Dome. Season-ticket deals have dropped to as little as $100, sparking a 98.5% rise in sales, and the Falcons have peddled 10,000 end-zone...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Falcons
Easygoing running back Deuce McAllister has to be a hard man to bring down
•Most agree that All-Pro tackle Kyle Turley's move from the left to the right side will be seamless—even though he replaces seven-time Pro Bowl right tackle Willie Roaf, who signed with the Chiefs...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Saints
New coach John Fox has made some welcome changes, but expect the same old results
•John Fox is getting all the pub, but his hiring of Jack Del Rio, the Ravens' highly respected linebackers coach last season, as defensive coordinator will prove just as crucial to Carolina's...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Panthers
Don't expect last season's Super Bowl loss to slow the game's most potent offense
•Brace yourselves: Mike Martz has a new toy, and it should come with a warning label for opposing defenses. Second-year tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, a 6'2", 288-pound bull, has good hands and...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Rams
With the coach and the star on the same page (sort of), things are in place for a title run
•When you play the Rams twice a year, you can't have too many quality corners, so even though the 49ers got good play last year from Ahmed Plummer and Jason Webster, they used their first-round...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the 49ers
A lot about the team is new, but is it improved? An early injury may serve as an omen
•With quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn moving up to the coaching booth, Mike Holmgren now relates his plays directly to the quarterback, which, says Trent Dilfer, "is a great change. Mike coaches the...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Seahawks
A new-look secondary is of primary concern for a team moving to a pass-happy division
•In free-agent signee Freddie Jones, the Cardinals feel they have a big-time tight end for the first time in 28 years. Though Jones struggled last year in San Diego, Arizona hopes it signed the...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Cardinals
Respect is hard to come by, but that suits the defending Super Bowl champs just fine
•The newest New England defensive wrinkle will be the Big Nickel, which features free-agent signee Victor Green and fellow safeties Tebucky Jones and Lawyer Milloy. The middle of the field will be...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Patriots
With Norv Turner and Ricky Williams on board, things are finally looking up on offense
•Mark Dixon, Miami's most consistent lineman the past four years, was moved from left guard to left tackle on Aug. 17, mainly because Jamie Nails has been performing so well. "The last time I...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Dolphins
Vinny Testaverde is fighting Father Time as he makes one more playoff push
•Chad Morton is 5'8", 195 pounds, with a 40 time of 4.4, a 425-pound bench press and a knack for making things happen. Last year, after coming from the Saints in a preseason trade, Morton was used...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Jets
An offense built around Drew Bledsoe should shine, but the defense still needs buffing
•The Bills are letting new middle linebacker London Fletcher run free to make plays, which is what he does best. "My last two years in St. Louis, I had to secure the deep middle in that Cover 2...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Bills
Tuned up and rarin' to roll, the Bus wants to complete the trip to the Super Bowl this year
•On passing downs the powerful and fast Kendrell Bell will shift from inside linebacker to right defensive end. A gifted pass rusher, he had nine sacks last season and was the NFL Defensive Rookie...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Steelers
A dash of Green with a touch of White should have the offense dressed for success
•Defensive end Courtney Brown and Tackle Gerard Warren won't be side-by-side attacking offensive lines this season. Brown remains at right end, but Warren, who in 2001 played on both the right and...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Browns
A newly ferocious defense is about to change the franchise's bungling image
•Wide receiver Peter Warrick will line up in spots other than the slot to capitalize on his explosiveness. He'll get more time on the outside in multiple-receiver formations, run more downfield...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Bengals
A new season means a new quarterback, and Chris Redman is as raw as they come
•A prototypical speed rusher in the 4-3 since he came to Baltimore in 1997, Michael McCrary moves to end in the Ravens' new 3-4. He'll face constant double and triple teams while pounding against...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Ravens
Injuries ruined 2001 for Eddie George, but he's back in form and ready to dominate again
•The secondary is getting help from an unexpected source. New starting linebacker Keith Bulluck, a backup his first two seasons, will stay on the field with middle linebacker Randall Godfrey in...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Titans
Tony Dungy's game plan: more simplicity on defense, fewer turnovers on offense
•Tony Dungy believes that a reason for the Colts' defensive struggles last year was an overworked starting front seven that played an average of 80% of the snaps. To keep defenders fresh and...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Colts
It's not quite a rebuilding year, but after salary-cap losses, youth will have to serve
•Last year coach Tom Coughlin delegated play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Bob Petrino, with disastrous results. The Jaguars' offense ranked 20th in the league. Petrino's gone, and...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Jaguars
A veteran defense will be expected to carry the load in what figures to be a long season
•One of the Texans' biggest free-agent signings was linebacker Kailee Wong, who spent his first four seasons with the Vikings. Wong played on the outside in Minnesota's 4-3 during his first three...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Texans
The clock is ticking for an aging team that still carries a chip on its shoulder
•It always irked Al Davis that his beloved deep throw was virtually nonexistent in Jon Gruden's offense, so expect the Raiders to take more chances downfield. Because wideouts Jerry Rice and Tim...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Raiders
After a trying year for Brian Griese, his quarterback and leadership skills will be on trial
•By signing Lional Dalton to team with Chester McGlockton at defensive tackle, forming a 643-pound run-stopping duo, Denver was able to move the versatile Trevor Pryce (42½ sacks in five seasons)...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Broncos
September 02, 2002 Each Sunday in the fall, SI photographer John Biever is on the sidelines in an NFL stadium, trying to come up with one memorable image that will define the game he is shooting. He has proved to be...
A club beset by questions is counting on a Priest (Holmes) to deliver it from eternal limbo
•Weakness on the interior line last season forced right end Eric Hicks to concentrate on the run, and his sack production sank from 14 in 2000 to 3½. Hicks should return to form. Two rookie...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Chiefs
Marty Schottenheimer is inspiring a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 1995
•Junior Seau may now be the team's slowest linebacker. New coach Marty Schottenheimer has plugged swift third-round draft pick Ben Leber into the outside spot opposite Seau, leaving the middle for...
an opposing team's scout sizes up the Chargers
September 02, 2002 Baseball
Keeping Up with The JonesThe Twins are following their leadoff man, Jacque Jones, who's been a hit at the top
A minor league standout you'll be hearing about soon
The possibility of a strike threatens to wipe out the stellar performances of several players and teams. But while the fans and most of baseball dread the second work stoppage in eight years, some...
Lord Helps ThemQuarterback Jammal Lord gives Nebraska hope even when the offense doesn't click
Photographs of former Florida coach Steve Spurrier and his successor, Ron Zook, respectively, in the Gators' 2002 media guide. All Zook is trying to do is fill the shoes of a Heisman...
Washington WR Reggie Williams versus Michigan CB Marlin Jackson
What you have here is a very easy crossword puzzle, with more black squares than Gordie Howe's smile. A semicomatose chimp could do this puzzle. Maybe even Jerry Glanville. All the answers-punch...
MARCH 30, 1970
"This is my favorite place in the world," says David Cassidy, wreathed in a costly cologne, outside the paddocks at Saratoga Race Course. "I mean, on a day like today, where on Earth would you...
Now that it's not just done for the halibut, fishing is seeing a slew of scandals
Battling tight turns and road rage, a star finds his way back to victory lane
September 02, 2002 NEW YORK JETS INSTANT REPLAY ADVISER
19,000Hotel rooms already booked in metro Detroit for the 2006 Super Bowl at Ford Field.
Meet jockey John McKee, whom some folks call the next Steve Cauthen
September 02, 2002 NOT A SPORT"Any football player cannot consider Scrabble a sport. Flipping letters cannot be considered a physical-type activity."—Steve Beuerlein, Denver Broncos quarterback
September 02, 2002 RefusedBy twin brothers Jose and Ozzie Canseco, 38, a plea bargain on charges relating to a fight last fall. On Nov. 4 the Canseco brothers will stand trial in Miami on charges of aggravated...
September 02, 2002 | Bill Scheft (Taptaptap) Is this thing on?
September 02, 2002 | David Sparrow As he got ready for this week's tournament, the U.S. Open's top seed—and only seeded Australian—took time to volley with SI.
September 02, 2002 It's not surprising that Wyatt Russell would blossom into an athlete. It's just that no one in his family expected he'd wear skates instead of spikes. By week's end Wyatt, the 16-year-old son of...
September 02, 2002 A married Japanese homemaker has begun sleeping with her English instructor because, she says, it makes her feel closer to Manchester United's David Beckham.
September 02, 2002 No, the Spanish have not embraced cockfighting in their own special way. Last week, in Ciudad Real, a spectator threw a rooster into the ring, and matador's assistant Jose Tomas couldn't keep his...
September 02, 2002 TIMO PEREZNew York Mets outfielder, on why he showboated after hitting a home run in the top of the ninth at Denver's Coors Field: "I thought I was in New York."
September 02, 2002 AUG. 30-SEPT. 5
Fox's New Crew, TNT Is the Pits, A Lead-in for PTI
September 02, 2002 Rashiem Jefferson, PHILADELPHIABoxingJefferson, 19, won his third consecutive title at the National Golden Glove Championships, in Denver. Fighting in the 119-pound class, he earned a decision...
Baseball is alive and well in Williamsport, Pa.—and in Mattoon, Ill., where Cal Ripken Jr. has planted the seeds of a rivalry with Little League
September 02, 2002 Get your fill of fantasy football with our updated draft cheat sheet, free games and advice columns. Join a league—or run your own—at cnnsi.com/fantasy.
A mid-May housecleaning toned down the club's personality, and by ignoring the threat of a strike, Oakland played its way to the top of the AL West
September 02, 2002 Baseball StrikeWere the gods of the game sending an ominous message? A lightning bolt hit Augusta and helped put a halt to a Class A game between the Augusta Greenjackets and the Hagerstown Suns.
The WTA tour is desperately seeking a new star to embody its ideal of strength, attitude and sex appeal. Meet Simonya Popova
September 02, 2002 Get Ready for Some Changes
THE VIKINGS HAVE SET UP THEIR FRANCHISE RECEIVER FOR A MONSTER SEASON, BUT THEY CAN ONLY PRAY THAT HE WILL CONTROL HIS ANGER AND LET HIS GOOD SIDE SHINE THROUGH
Like Randy Moss, this trio of NFL standouts would be doing their respective teams a favor by setting a better example
THOUGH CRITICS QUESTION THE DROP IN HIS THROWING MOTION ROOKIE DAVID CARR HAS THE TEXANS DROOLING OVER HIS ACCURACY AND QUICK RELEASE
These four rookies, drafted after the first round, made lasting impressions in camp and should be major contributors this year
ALL-WORLD LINEBACKER RAY LEWIS IS OUT TO PROVE THAT THE RAVENS' SALARY-CAP ROSTER PURGE AND SWITCH TO A 3-4 DEFENSE WON'T MAKE HIM ANY LESS OF A PLAYER
Ray Lewis isn't the only veteran linebacker on the spot. Here are three others—all with new teams this season—who face great expectations
THE BROWNS' BUTCH DAVIS IS AMONG A GROWING LIST OF CONTROL-HUNGRY COACHES WHO ARE BEING HANDED THE KEYS TO THE FRONT OFFICE
SI's ranking of the 32 NFL coaches based on the power they wield within their respective organizations
Making the case for and against a coach having final say on all football-related matters
September 02, 2002 HOW DR. Z RANKS 'EM
September 02, 2002 We ranked the NFL's offensive backs, receivers, kickers and return men from I (the best) to 500, based on our projections of their statistical production this season. The categories considered...
September 02, 2002 For the complete list of PVRs by position, go to cnnsi.com/fantasy. For NFL scores, team pages, rosters and individual and team statistics, plus the latest news and analysis from Peter King and...
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