At some point before 6:18 Sunday night, America has to realize that the Falcons are a pretty good team. They're 22-4 in the last 14 months -- and that came after Atlanta started the 1997 season 1-7. After listening to the Falcons last night and this morning at the stadium, and after watching them for eight playoff quarters, here are my five factors why this game should be very close at the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter Sunday:
1. I think I found myself reminiscing this morning. Yesterday was the
12-year anniversary of Phil Simms' 22-of-25 dissection of the Denver
defense in the Giants' 39-20 Super Bowl win in Pasadena, and I remember three
things about the event. One: Two nights before the game, Simms had dinner
with giant Giants fan Billy Crystal and told him the first five plays of
the game. And at the Rose Bowl, when the Giants got the ball on offense, Crystal
announced to his section of the crowd: "Watch -- Simms is going to throw an
18-yard incut to Lionel Manuel ." He did. Crystal got the rest of them
right too, and it became a bit for him at comedy clubs. Two: Stacy
Robinson and Mark Bavaro had drops that day. Can you imagine the
icewater running through Simms' veins? One bad pass out of 25 in a Super Bowl?!
Three: At a winter banquet honoring him that offseason, fellow Super Bowl
QB Len Dawson told him: "Fella, you set that record out so far that
they're going to have trouble ever catching up to you." And Simms said:
"Good. I hope no one ever ever tops it."
2. I think no one ever will. I also think that's the most impressive of all the individual performances in any Super Bowl.
3. I think no matter what happens this week, and even though he hemmed
and hawed through his press deal this morning, John Elway's mind is made up.
He's retiring.
4. I think Cornelius Bennett is full of hot air when he says partying
cost the Bills a chance to win at least one of four Super Bowls in which they
played. "We thought we were the party team of the nineties," Bennett told
the media here. "We lost all four, and there was good reason. What we did
was cheat ourselves and the Buffalo fans. We did everything we could to distract
ourselves and get caught up in the Super Bowl hype. It's the biggest party in
the world, and we were world-class party people." Hey Cornelius: You lost for
three reasons: 1. Horrible clock management in the 20-19 loss to the Giants near
the end, and the kicker shanking a makeable kick. 2. Jim Kelly played
like Todd Collins in his biggest games. 3. The Redskins and Cowboys -- your
vanquishers in the other three losses -- were significantly better. Party,
shmarty.
5. I think Dallas fullback Daryl Johnston, here for the hype, is pretty ticked off that he got put on the Cleveland expansion list. And even more ticked that Chan Gailey never talked to him about it.
6. I think I am in mourning. There is not a Starbucks in downtown
Miami.
QUIZ ANSWER: d) all of the above.
7. I think if there is one very noticeable way in 1999 that the Packers are different from 1998, it will be in how they play Minnesota's phenom wideout, Randy Moss, who burned the Pack for 14 catches and 376 yards last fall.
Inexplicably, the Packers gave Moss a wide cushion in the five-yard contact zone
beyond the line of scrimmage, playing eight or 10 yards off him usually. New
coach Ray Rhodes says his defenders will bump Moss and pummel him on
every snap -- and, knowing Rhodes, look for him to teach some of the gut-punches
and eye-gouges when officials aren't looking. Remember, this is the man who once
told his Eagles: "Make the guy across from you feel your power! This is
war! People might have to
die!"
8. I think when people criticize the Chris Palmer hire in
Cleveland, they're forgetting one thing: There's not exactly a bunch of Rocknes
in waiting out there.
9. I think Jamal Anderson can't wait to play on grass, something the
Falcons haven't done since a 41-10 Nov. 8 win at New England. "When you
fall on it, or carry the ball on it 25 or 30 times a game, you kind of look
forward to falling on grass. For me, I'm a little bit more confident in my
footing on grass. I'll try different cuts on grass. When we're not on grass, I
may be a little more hesitant to make a sharp cut because I don't want my body
going one way and my leg going another way. When we're on grass, I can let it
all hang out."
10. I think this has been a very big day for Greg Norman . That's right, the golfer. He helicoptered to Pro Player Stadium from his home north of here to walk the field by 7:30. It's grass from Norman's Orlando turf farm that was installed on the floor of the stadium Jan. 2, and he got a clean bill of health from NFL director of special events Jim Steeg and Dan
Reeves . The field looks immaculate, and it should hold up through the rain
that's forecast Saturday. Norman, the NFL said, had to jet to Australia today
for a golf tournament this week, but he wanted to see how the grass was growing
before he left.
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