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Dr. Z's Forecast Posted: Tuesday January 07, 2003 2:28 PMBy Paul Zimmerman Jets at RaidersThis is a different Jets team from the one that lost to the Raiders on Dec. 2. New York turned the ball over twice that Monday night, and one of the turnovers was a fumbled punt that allowed Oakland to stretch its lead from three to 10 points in the third quarter, putting the Jets in catch-up mode. Since then New York has turned the ball over once in five games. No more freebies against this team.In the first meeting the Jets' zone confused quarterback Rich Gannon at times and slowed the Raiders' Gnat Attack. But in the second half wideouts Jerry Rice and Tim Brown burned New York on seam routes, so I think you'll see more man coverage by the Jets. New York's Chad Pennington will come out throwing, testing corners Charles Woodson and Tory James, both of whom are coming back from leg injuries. When the Jets go to the run, they'll have more success than they did last time, because the return of left guard Dave Szott gives them one of the best run-blocking lines in the league. The Pick: Jets 31, Raiders 27
Steelers at TitansWhen the teams met in November, Pittsburgh quarterback Tommy Maddox had an afternoon he'd rather forget. He was intercepted three times before being carted off late in the third quarter with a scary spinal injury. The Steelers discovered early on that they couldn't run the ball on Tennessee, and they won't this time either. But Pittsburgh is more of a passing team now anyway, and its best chance will be to turn the game into a shootout.Pittsburgh left cornerback Chad Scott missed Sunday's game against Cleveland, so the Browns attacked with four wideouts, forcing the Steelers to go deep into their DB rotation. The Titans offense isn't built that way, though. The receiving corps isn't deep. With running back Eddie George newly energized, Tennessee's best chance is to attack Pittsburgh with the same balance that produced a few long drives in the November victory, play tough defense and hope for some turnovers. The Pick: Titans 27, Steelers 20
49ers at BucsAt times on Sunday the 49ers' defense stiffened against the Giants, but most of the time it was just stiff. Put it against a high-powered attack and you'd figure the Niners would have to score 40 to win, but now they're facing the NFL's 24th-ranked offense, led by a quarterback (Brad Johnson) who hasn't played since Dec. 15. That's not what's on the minds of some of the Niners, though. Players with long memories might recall the last meeting with Tampa Bay, in 1997, a game that marked the coming of age of the Bucs' defense. Tampa Bay knocked Steve Young out of the game with a concussion and sidelined Jerry Rice for most of the year with a torn knee ligament, and the Bucs won 13-6. For the last three games, though, ever since Tampa Bay clinched a playoff spot, the defense has been on cruise control.It'll be stoked on Sunday. The condition of 49ers left tackle Derrick Deese, who went out of the game against the Giants with a sprained left ankle, will be critical. He matches up well against Simeon Rice, the NFC sack leader this season. The Bucs haven't had an emotional game in quite a while. They will this time. The Pick: Bucs 20, Niners 17
Falcons at EaglesThe first thing the Falcons will notice will be that they're playing on the worst surface in the NFL. If they can put that aside, they'll be O.K. But every time Michael Vick is chased out of the pocket, and he will be on many plays against Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's exotic blitz package, he'll have to be on the lookout for seams and bumps and things that might trip him up. It's not a happy prospect.Atlanta put up a solid defensive effort against a disheartened and undermanned Green Bay offense, but I don't think the Falcons will hold Philadelphia in check if quarterback Donovan McNabb is halfway functional. The Falcons' best chance will be to work the clock, and I think they'll come out trying to run counters and misdirection stuff, as the Giants did so effectively while running for 213 yards against Philly in the regular-season finale. The Falcons have an interesting and often surprising offensive package. I see them picking up decent yardage on the ground and staying close. If they can force a couple of turnovers, they've got a shot. The Pick: Eagles 24, Falcons 22 Issue date: January 13, 2003 |
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