| So who do I think will win the Super Bowl now? Who
knows?
Seriously, friends. There really are no clear-cut favorites in what could be the most
closely contested postseason ever.
The Super Bowl odds for this year’s playoff participants suggest the Saints, at
25-to-1, are the league’s biggest long shot.
I don’t think you can count New Orleans out of the mix by any stretch, although
some experts contend that the Saints are just happy to have made it this far. Same with
the Eagles.
Don’t believe that for a second. I repeat: It’s anybody’s ballgame.
Period. Stop.
Now, if you want to know which teams I would like to see play in the Super Bowl,
that’s a different story altogether.
If I could write this year’s Super Bowl script, the Rams, with their
record-breaking offense, vs. the Ravens, with their record-breaking defense, would be an
absolutely irresistible matchup.
You’d also have the league’s most talented individual offensive player, Rams
do-everything RB Marshall Faulk, vs. the league’s most talented individual defensive
player, Ravens MLB supreme Ray Lewis.
The ratings would be sky-high — for good reason.
But a lot of things have to go right for both teams.
For the Rams, their defense is going to have to play throughout the playoffs the way it
played vs. the Saints last Sunday. Kevin Carter, Todd Lyght and London Fletcher must lead
the way with spirited efforts, and every Rams defender’s motor must be revved up to
the max. There have been way too many stretches during the 2000 campaign when St.
Louis’ defensive engine has stalled at the worst possible times.
You also have to wonder how much the Rams have left in the tank after a very taxing
three-week stretch. "They played Monday night, Sunday night and they’re coming
back here Saturday, flying all around the country," said Saints coach Jim Haslett
earlier this week. "That’s three away games in a row for them — two on
AstroTurf — and another short week. … I’d think you’d have to start
getting tired pretty soon."
The Ravens? Simple. QB Trent Dilfer has to get his act back together in a big hurry.
Since the Ravens’ bye week, he has looked like the scary, unsure Dilfer of old,
throwing ill-advised passes and looking generally lousy. Against Denver this Sunday,
Dilfer will be facing the league’s 31st-ranked passing defense, which
might help him somewhat.
Clearly, Dilfer needs to get the Ravens’ vertical game going again, although it
makes sense to continue making rookie RB Jamal Lewis the main man offensively. And
he’ll need a lot more help than he’s been getting lately from his offensive
line, which has suddenly allowed 11 sacks in the last three games.
If my dream Rams-Ravens matchup fails to materialize, at least we will be treated to
the next-best thing this Sunday when the Broncos, with the AFC’s best offense, try to
quick-strike the Ravens’ defense into submission with the same tactics the Jets used
last week.
It’s quite conceivable the Broncos might be able to pile up some yardage in
Baltimore with a lot of dinks and dunks underneath — mixed in with some occasional
howitzers to WRs Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey. But the Broncos must play mistake-free
football vs. a defense that is excelling right now at forcing turnovers with its superior
big-play ability and hard-hitting tackling. (Have you noticed how you can hear the pads
pop after every tackle by a Ravens defender?)
But let’s face it. Compared to Marshall Faulk vs. Ray Lewis, the Broncos-Ravens
matchup is a tasty little appetizer at best.
Rams vs. Ravens would be a Super Bowl feast to die for. |
