| Freaking out over your Super Bowl
pick? Not sure what to make of these whippersnapper Titans and Rams? I’ll make it
real simple for you. There’s only one player you need to concern yourself with when
analyzing this game. Jevon Kearse, a.k.a. the "Freak."
In the first meeting between the Titans and Rams, in Week Eight, the Freak freaked out
Rams ORT Fred Miller, who committed about a bazillion false-start penalties. When the
Freak wreaks havoc, turnovers usually follow. In the Week Eight game, the Rams allowed six
sacks and lost three fumbles. The Titans allowed only one sack, did not commit a turnover
and thus won the game.
If the Rams are to make head coach Dick Vermeil cry tears of joy after Super Bowl XXXIV
is over Sunday, they must avoid turnovers. In other words, they must corral Kearse.
One advantage the Rams will have in achieving that goal is that they should know where
to find him. Unlike the AFC championship game, when the Titans moved Kearse, their
defensive left end, around to exploit a potential weakness on the left side of
Jacksonville’s line, the Titans probably will keep Kearse at his regular position.
Moving him to right end wouldn’t make sense, because then he’d be matched up
with Pro Bowl OLT Orlando Pace, one of the few offensive linemen in the league capable of
blocking Kearse one-on-one.
If they know where Kearse is, the Rams can do something about him — namely, give
Miller some help. St. Louis’ preferred mode of travel is to use multiple wide
receivers, at times with an empty backfield. But I find it hard to believe astute offense
coordinator Mike Martz won’t make some adjustments for this game. He’d be wise
to use a tight end or running back to chip-block the Freak. Because QB Kurt Warner has
such a quick release, all the Rams have to do is slow down Kearse a smidgen. Keep him out
of Warner’s way, and the former Iowa Barnstormer should have a big day.
The fact that the Rams struggled so much against Tampa Bay in the NFC championship game
should help them more than hurt them. Warner threw three interceptions, so you know what
the coaches will be telling him all week: Protect the football, Kurt. Warner fumbled four
times vs. the Titans, so you know what the coaches will be telling him all week: Protect
the football, Kurt.
If he needed a reminder, those games provided it.
Winning the turnover battle has been the Titans’ key to success all year long.
Kearse has been a huge part of that, especially in the regular season (league-high 10
forced fumbles) and the wild-card game (Kearse basically accounted for nine points with a
forced fumble and a safety). If Kearse is contained, the Titans won’t win the
turnover battle, and they won’t win the game.
Ever wonder how many hours NFL coaches work? We were curious, so we polled several
coaches watching the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala., last week to find out. The
results were startling.
One head coach estimated that he works 69 hours a week during the regular season —
and that was the lowest total of any of the coaches polled. The highest total was
110 hours. The average was approximately 82 hours.
Every coach, whether a head coach or an assistant, works seven days a week during the
regular season. They put in the most hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, getting to
the office about 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. and leaving anywhere between 9 p.m. and midnight. On
Thursdays, most coaches go home a little bit earlier, about 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. The workday
ends between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Fridays. Saturdays run from about 8 a.m. to noon. Most
coaches put in 2-2½ hours before Sunday games, which usually last 3-3½ hours.
Almost every coach who responded to our poll laughed or rolled his eyes when asked how
many hours he works, and most said they had never thought about it.
"Oh, god — far more than any human being ought
to," Ravens head coach Brian Billick said of the hours issue. "It’s
countless. Countless hours by a lot of people. You get into this business, you better
understand all of the ramifications, because the demands it puts on you, (being) away from
your family, the whole nine yards, it’s something you don’t do
ill-advisedly."
Added Cowboys special-teams coach Joe Avezzano: "I don’t think coaching is
something where you can count the hours. It’s not a job; it’s a way of
life." |
