| Editor’s note: This is the
16th in a series of Q&A’s with PFW contributing editor and personnel analyst Joel
Buchsbaum that will appear exclusively on the Pro Football Weekly Internet Edition. Q:
What is your assessment of how the Jets and Broncos have dealt with adversity this season?
Buchsbaum: They’ve shown great character, and it’s a reflection on the
coaches and the organization that they never gave up and they’re fighting hard to the
very end.
Q: If the Jets or Broncos had had a schedule like, say, Jacksonville has had,
would they be playoff-bound?
Buchsbaum: I can’t say that, but I’m sure they’d be in much better shape
and still be in playoff contention.
Q: What happened to Tampa Bay’s defense against the Raiders?
Buchsbaum: It was just one of those Murphy’s Law days when everything goes wrong
that could go wrong and everything snowballs on you.
Q: So, is there anything we should read into that performance?
Buchsbaum: Every team is going to study the tape of that game, but I don’t think
it’s going to matter. I think you’ll see the Bucs bounce back this week against
Green Bay.
Q: Looking beyond the immediate ramifications, is the Seahawks’ collapse
going to have a long-term impact on this team?
Buchsbaum: I don’t think so. I think Mike Holmgren is too good a coach to let that
happen. But, if they were to lose the last two and finish 8-8, it would cast a real pall
over the season for them.
Q: With Stephen Davis’ injury, can you talk about the difference between
him and Skip Hicks?
Buchsbaum: Toughness, extra-effort running, determination and durability — Davis
has much more of these attributes than Hicks does.
Q: What is your analysis of how Bears QB Cade McNown has progressed this
season?
Buchsbaum: Overall he has progressed very well. Rookies are going to have their ups and
downs, and he’ll still have many more ups and downs. But he’s come along nicely,
and it’s clear he played his finest game of the year against the Lions last Sunday.
Q: Where should most of the blame be placed for New England’s collapse?
Buchsbaum: It’s been an overall thing. I don’t know if the scouting staff has
been strong enough or the personnel staff has been strong enough. I think Pete Carroll is
an excellent assistant coach with great ideas, but I don’t know if he has the
qualities that make a top head coach. And I don’t think he has the players’
respect the way Bill Parcells did.
Q: Can you analyze this week’s Jacksonville-Tennessee game?
Buchsbaum: No. 1, it comes down to Steve McNair; he’s got to make plays for
Tennessee. He’s got to step up and be a big factor in this game. The second factor is
the two runners, Fred Taylor and Eddie George. I think you’ll find, whichever of
those two has the bigger game, his team will win.
Q: Can Bears WR Marcus Robinson play at this high a level over the long haul,
or will the rest of the league eventually catch up to him a little?
Buchsbaum: He’s not a marked man yet. Teams will start figuring out ways to defend
him. He does have some shortcomings. He’s basically a vertical receiver. He may have
a hard time if opponents make a concerted effort to jam him at the line of scrimmage.
Q: If you had to look into your crystal ball, what caliber of player do you
think he’ll be over the long haul?
Buchsbaum: I really can’t say over the long haul because he has not been accounted
for this year. It’s been a honeymoon season for him.
Q: Ignoring this season, do you think Edgerrin James or Ricky Williams will
rush for more yards over the course of their careers?
Buchsbaum: Edgerrin James, because he plays on a championship team. |
