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BILLS - (No not is Flutie too short?) Is there enough young talent on this team to overcome the aging of its stars?
Nevermind Doug Flutie's height, he is going to be thirty-seven this October. Thurman Thomas is thirty-three and showing signs of wear, Andre Reed is thirty-five, and Bruce Smith is thirty-six. On offense there is young talent; Rob Johnson, Antowain Smith, Eric Moulds and Peerless Price, but they are in need of seasoning. Unfortunately the defense is looking a little long in the tooth, and so far has not shown any prospects to step up as these starters continue to age. Bruce Smith is still a dominating performer, but will he be able to grind it out for yet another full season? By the time he reached the Wild Card game in Miami, he was looking a little winded. They need somebody to step in a few times a game and keep him fresh. This is something they will have to address in next spring's draft.
COLTS - Has Peyton Manning really learned enough to make Marshall Faulk expendable?
I am forced to concede that Peyton Manning did have a good rookie campaign, BUT that was largely due to Marshall Faulk keeping the pressure off with a balanced attack, picking up blitzes and acting as a safety valve in the passing game. Besides, despite the impressive numbers, it didn't translate into a lot of wins. With the departure of Faulk, look for the numbers to drop a little for Manning while Edgerrin James learns the new definition of his position. What many will call the sophomore jinx will actually be Peyton playing with one arm tied behind his back.
DOLPHINS - Was adding Dave Wannstedt enough to make year four of the three year plan a success?
What makes Jimmy run? Apparently, not much. Fortunately, when all else fails, there is a future Hall of Famer who wears number 13 waiting in the wings. Despite the fact that they were blown out in the Divisional Playoffs, there are only three things this team needs to do to give themselves an inside track to the championship game; 1) Get Tim Bowens and Jason Taylor healthy; 2) Play defense with the same intensity on the road that they show at home; and 3) find a way to pressure Vinny Testeverde when they play the Jets. These are all very attainable goals, and hopefully Dave Wannstedt will be able to collaborate as well with Jimmy Johnson as he did with the Cowboys. This is a young and improving team, and if they can develop a running game as well, they will be very tough to beat.
JETS - Are the Jets primed to take the next step, or a step back?
Back in 1987, Bill Parcells took the defending Super Bowl champs into a strike shortened season, and went 6-6 with his regulars. In 1995, after having taken a team that two years earlier had the worst record in football to the playoffs, he finished with a 6-10 record, out of the playoffs. A year after losing the AFC Championship game, are the Jets ready to prove 1998 was no fluke, or will they come back to the pack? Suffice to say, the Jets are not going to sneak up on anyone this year, and but for Vinny's helmet breaking the plane of the goal, the Jets may have faced the Jaguars under far different circumstances last year. Can Bill Parcells drive this team to the same heights this year? I say it adds up to a home Wild Card berth.
PATRIOTS - By season's end, will Pete Carroll be using discipline or a job placement service?
For better or worse, this year the Patriots are clearly Pete Carroll's team. There has been enough player turnover, and his system has been in place for two years. The problem is that's the bad news. The good news is there is a core of talented players here, but they lack cohesion and direction. Pete Carroll needs to fill the void and kick this team in the right direction. Unfortunately he has demonstrated no ability or desire to do so. Unless one of the players can take that responsibility on himself and push this team to the playoffs in convincing form, look for a new head coach next season. |
