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Bears LB
Brian Urlacher
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Baltimore's 19-3 victory over Minnesota on Monday night finally clarified the AFC
postseason picture, earning the Ravens the No. 5 seed in the AFC and eliminating Seattle
from the playoffs. Baltimore's triumph left the New York Jets as the sixth and final seed.
As a result, the Ravens will travel to Miami for a wild-card game, whereas the Jets
play the Raiders in Oakland.
AFC
How they finished: 10-6, second place in AFC Central.
Offense: Extremely sporadic. In an effort to minimize QB Elvis
Grbac’s costly mistakes, the Ravens plan on emphasizing the same type of low-risk,
conservative attack that was so successful last season at this time. The contrasting
styles of RBs Terry Allen and Jason Brookins could be the featured attraction.
Defense: A far cry from last year’s dominant unit. The run
defense is still among the league’s best, but the pass defense remains susceptible to
big plays in key situations, although it has improved in recent weeks. Over a nine-quarter
span in early December, the Ravens allowed 13 passes of 20-plus yards. In the previous two
games entering their Monday-night finale vs. the Vikings, the Ravens had allowed only
three passes of more than 15 yards.
Player to watch: As Grbac goes, so goes the team. He absolutely must
stop throwing so many passes into heavy traffic.
Keys to success: The offense must establish a productive ground game,
and that will require major improvement from the offensive line, especially the right
side. On defense, the secondary must significantly cut down on the number of big plays it
has allowed.
How they finished: 11-5, second place in AFC East.
Offense: The passing game has been inconsistent throughout the season,
and newly found playmaker Chris Chambers hasn’t been used enough. The running game
has been downright horrendous and had gotten worse down the stretch until showing signs of
life last week. Injuries on the offensive line have hurt the Dolphins.
Defense: Miami’s defense started out well, but it has faltered of
late. Minus DT Daryl Gardener (back), who’s been out of action since Week 10, the run
defense has dangled perilously close to a total collapse. MLB Zach Thomas has been the
saving grace, but now he’s banged up. Miami’s pass defense still ranks among the
best in the league.
Player to watch: How well Thomas plays with a shoulder injury could
dictate how far the Dolphins go. The offense is not dangerous enough to overcome a
terrible game by the defense, and Thomas is the heart, soul and best player of that unit.
Keys to success: Since the running game has been so unreliable, the
Dolphins will have to find other ways to control the clock to give the tired defense some
rest. The coaches also must instill the confidence that has been lacking in recent weeks,
or the Dolphins will make a quick exit.
How they finished: 11-5, first place in AFC East.
Offense: New England’s aim is very simple: take what the defense
gives. Lately, the Patriots have taken the ground game to the next level, with RB Antowain
Smith on fire. This team won’t put up 40 points consistently, but it won’t need
to if the defense steps up.
Defense: The defense has come on in the second half of the season and
has played very well of late. The unit has been the epitome of a bend-don’t-break
defense, giving up a lot of yards but not many points. The LB corps has been the key, with
starters Roman Phifer, Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel playing very well. Bryan Cox has been
a vocal leader.
Player to watch: Tom Brady has handled the pressure of being a starter
very well, but the playoffs are a completely different animal.
Key to success: The Patriots will go as far as the defense and the
running game can carry them. So long as the offensive line can open holes for Smith, New
England won’t have to expose Brady to long pass attempts, on which he hasn’t
proven reliable.
How they finished: 10-6, third place in AFC East.
Offense: After a few weeks of opening up the passing game a bit, RB
Curtis Martin once again seems to be finding his stride. The inconsistency of the passing
game overall is a major concern for the Jets. QB Vinny Testaverde has faced much criticism
lately because his interception problem has cropped up.
Defense: Through the middle of the season, the Jets’ problems
against the run seemed solved. But lately, running backs have shredded the defense. Also,
the team’s takeaways have nearly vanished, though the pass defense has remained quite
solid.
Player to watch: Testaverde must break out of the interception funk he
seems to be slipping into and keep his concentration on execution and not questioning the
play-calling.
Keys to success: The Jets, like many playoff teams, must rely on
running and stopping the run. Martin has been phenomenal, but the run defense has let the
team down once again. If the defense can return to its midseason form of stuffing the run
and creating turnovers, the Jets will be in very good shape.
How they finished: 10-6, First place in AFC West.
Offense: The Raiders have gone to the air with much more frequency and
seem to have relinquished their run-first philosophy. An injury-plagued offensive line has
continued to perform well despite a lack of practice time together. The aging WR tandem of
Tim Brown and Jerry Rice has been exceptional, but RB Tyrone Wheatley has been seldom used
since returning from a knee injury.
Defense: The loss of the suspended Darrell Russell will not help a run
defense that only recently has been able to rebound from a very bad stretch. The Raiders
have been pretty solid against the pass, but they are in desperate need of better play
from their safeties in all aspects of the game.
Player to watch: Rice has come close to supplanting Brown as the
team’s go-to receiver, and the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer has made several big
plays down the stretch. Even QB Rich Gannon has admitted Rice is the one player who really
has been making the offense go of late.
Keys to success: The Raiders must start running the ball more and do
it with more consistency, something they did so well in 2000 but have shied away from for
much of this season. Improving their tackling and getting some key offensive linemen
healthy are also important.
How they finished: 13-3, first place in AFC Central.
Offense: With RB Jerome Bettis out because of injury, the passing game
has been asked to do more. Fortunately for the Steelers, it has responded well. Bettis
will return to the mix for the playoffs and be featured once again.
Defense: Teams have adjusted to the Steelers’ relentless pass
rush, moving to shorter drops and quicker passes. That has depressed the Steelers’
statistics lately. The unit has certainly lost a bit of its footing and will need to make
adjustments to become as dominant as it was earlier this year.
Player to watch: A watchful eye will be kept on Bettis, who’s had
several weeks to rest a groin injury that turned out to be more serious than he thought.
Keys to success: QB Kordell Stewart may have to pick up some slack if
Bettis isn’t 100 percent, but Stewart has proved capable of that. The defense must
tighten up, stop getting burned in the passing game and find a way to harass opposing
quarterbacks.
NFC
How they finished: 13-3, first place in NFC Central.
Offense: The WR corps was given a boost with the emergence of
D’Wayne Bates. Largely, Marty Booker has been the only true threat. David Terrell has
been too erratic. Anthony Thomas gives the team a better running option than former
starter James Allen. The offensive line has done a good job protecting QB Jim Miller, but
the unit has been aided by Miller’s ability to get rid of the ball quickly. Turnovers
have not been a problem.
Defense: The Bears continue to play strong against the run, and
they’ve decided to go after the quarterback more with blitzes. The defensive line
hasn’t mounted a lot of pressure, so linebackers and defensive backs have played a
larger role in the rush. OLB Rosevelt Colvin, in particular, has made a name for himself
in this regard.
Player to watch: Booker has been paid a lot of attention by defenses,
which have tried to eliminate the Bears’ most consistent receiving threat. He’ll
need to make some plays to keep the passing game going.
Keys to success: When the Bears score early, they are able to control
the game with Thomas and their stout defense. They also need to keep blitzing effectively
to pressure the passer.
How they finished: 12-4, second place in NFC Central.
Offense: RB Ahman Green has been hot and cold for the last several
weeks. He’ll need to produce consistently for the Packers to make a playoff run. QB
Brett Favre can carry the passing game, but more big plays are needed. The offensive line
has been very good, though a broken hand suffered by ORG Marco Rivera has slowed it some.
Back from a hamstring injury, TE Tyrone Davis could give the offense another weapon.
Defense: Injuries to S LeRoy Butler, DT Gilbert Brown and OLB Nate
Wayne have set the defense back. The run defense, especially, has suffered. But the
Packers can still mount a good pass rush because of their impressive depth along the
defensive line. Injuries at linebacker have made depth there a concern. S Darren Sharper
and CBs Mike McKenzie and Tyrone Williams have come up with some big plays of late.
Player to watch: The Packers must get Green going. He’s healthy,
and he’s not fumbling, so there’s little excuse for him not to produce. The team
needs to give him just a bit of daylight, and he can go the distance.
Keys to success: Green Bay must run the ball effectively, continue to
protect Favre and maintain its pass rush.
How they finished: 11-5, first place in NFC East.
Offense: This unit hasn’t been consistent over the course of the
season, although it looked good in the Week 16 win over the Giants. QB Donovan McNabb had
perhaps his best game as a pro, coming up big in clutch situations. James Thrash has
solidified his role as the go-to wideout. The Eagles run a pass-first offense and like to
spread the ball around. RB Duce Staley may not get 25 carries a game, but he stays very
involved because he is such a productive pass catcher.
Defense: Attack. Attack. Attack. That’s the defensive philosophy
of coordinator Jim Johnson. While the Eagles will surrender some chunks of yardage, they
say the only stat they care about is points allowed — an area in which the Eagles are
very stingy. They would like to force a few more turnovers, though, and may have to step
up the run defense, especially now that DT Hollis Thomas is out for the rest of the
season.
Player to watch: McNabb is the key. He needs to play the way he did
vs. the Giants. He has been taking more chances in the passing game, something the coaches
have been encouraging.
Keys to success: On offense, the Eagles need to spread the ball around
so defenses can’t key on one weapon. Defensively, the Eagles won’t change a
thing. They will keep playing very aggressively.
How they finished: 14-2, first place in NFC West.
Offense: It’s peaking at just the right time. Head coach Mike
Martz thought the unit never looked better than in the Week 16 victory over Indianapolis.
QB Kurt Warner has been on fire since receiving a cortisone injection on his thumb Nov.
17, and RB Marshall Faulk, as usual, has been ultraproductive down the stretch. Both
players could make a legitimate case for league MVP honors. WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce
once again posted big numbers this season.
Defense: After looking somewhat shaky in victories over the Saints and
Panthers in Weeks 14 and 15, respectively, Lovie Smith’s speedy, swarming unit got
its act back together in the Week 16 win over the Colts. The Rams completely shut down
Peyton Manning & Co. in the second half. Angered because CB Aeneas Williams was its
only Pro Bowl selection, look for the defense to play with a chip on its shoulder.
Player to watch: Faulk is the glue that holds the offense together. He
thrives on performing well in crunch time and is expected to get an increased number of
touches in the second season.
Key to success: The same as it’s been all season. The only team
that can beat the Rams is themselves. If they can avoid making costly turnovers, they
could be unstoppable.
How they finished: 12-4, second place in NFC West.
Offense: The Niners need to re-establish their passing game and get
Terrell Owens more involved. QB Jeff Garcia has thrown for more than 200 yards just twice
in the last seven games. At the same time, the Niners can be expected to continue
emphasizing their smashmouth ground game, especially on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field
this weekend.
Defense: This vastly improved unit hit a speed bump in the Week 16
loss at Dallas, allowing a whopping 420 yards. A big reason behind that breakdown, though,
was a hip injury to CB Ahmed Plummer that forced him to leave the game early. The Niners
need Plummer, who’s still feeling the effects of the injury, at peak efficiency. His
backup, Rashad Holman, is a major downgrade who also is ailing (arm). DT Bryant Young
(pinched nerve) is at less than 100 percent too.
Player to watch: Owens — will he make headlines for the
production he provides or the distractions he creates?
Keys to success: The Niners need Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow to
run the ball effectively. On defense, they must stop the run. They also can’t afford
any more injuries.
How they finished: 9-7, third place in NFC Central.
Offense: In recent wins over the Saints and Ravens, the Bucs did
something they haven’t done well for most of the season — run the ball. FB Mike
Alstott has been a big part of that success, as has improved blocking from the offensive
line. First-year OL starters Kenyatta Walker and Cosey Coleman have stepped up. In the
passing game, QB Brad Johnson has been aided by the switch to fewer seven-step drops,
allowing him to get rid of the ball quicker.
Defense: This unit finally is playing the way everyone thought it
could. OLB Derrick Brooks’ return to form has been at the heart of the matter, but
others have stepped up as well. After a slow start, DE Simeon Rice now has 11 sacks. CB
Ronde Barber topped the NFC with 10 interceptions. The run defense has tightened up, and
the Bucs have gotten to the quarterback with much more frequency the second half of the
season.
Player to watch: With so much attention paid to Keyshawn Johnson, the
Bucs need another wideout to step up. That player could be Karl Williams, who has become
particularly effective on third down.
Keys to success: The Bucs are a different team when they gain an early
lead. They play more relaxed, and they can stick with their running game. They also need
PK Martin Gramatica (hamstring) to return to health — and to his
"Automatica" days. |
