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Dr. Z's Forecast Posted: Tuesday January 14, 2003 3:56 PMBy Paul Zimmerman Oakland likes to turn a big game into a war of words, the angle on Sunday's meeting with the Jets having been: Look how wonderful everyone says they are. Who have they beaten? But Tennessee offers the Raiders no hook upon which to hang their trash talk. The Titans are simply a tough, hardworking crew that outlasts the opposition. Maybe Oakland was trying to send some kind of message, but in the first half against the Jets, the Raiders got away from their multiple-passing attack and decided they would establish the ground game. This bit of foolishness landed them in a 10-10 dogfight, but they reverted to form after intermission and aired it out. The Gnat Attack will be swarming against Tennessee, so it'll be up to the Titans to slow it down or try to turn the game into a shootout. They don't have enough weapons to do the latter, and they'll slow down Oakland only with a serious pass rush on Rich Gannon. The Titans' front four is O.K. -- though defensive end Jevon Kearse, back from a broken left foot, is still not a serious factor -- but Tennessee will have to commit to the blitz and hope that its cover people can lock on tight. The biggest problem for the Titans is that they're banged up after that overtime teeth-gnasher against the Steelers. I think they'll stay with the Raiders for a while and then wear down. NFC Championship Game
The Bucs have shut down the last two mobile quarterbacks they've faced, the Falcons' Michael Vick and the 49ers' Jeff Garcia, which might not look good for Donovan McNabb. But he can operate with equal efficiency from the pocket, and his broken ankle has taught him the value of staying at home. Tampa Bay got to Garcia on Sunday, but it was interesting that the Bucs had to resort to blitz pressure, which they don't usually do. Except for one fumble-producing sack by defensive end Simeon Rice, the front four was very ordinary against San Francisco, and Warren Sapp was practically invisible. If Tampa Bay goes to the blitz against Philadelphia, look for the Eagles to run the ball. Philly will open the game with short, controlled passing, taking an occasional shot downfield in an attempt to surprise the Bucs' defense. I don't think the Eagles will try to run much until late in the game, when some of the life has been drained from Tampa Bay's defensive line. Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson put the Niners to rest with three straight scoring drives, but he was working against a crippled and confused secondary -- and even then he completed fewer than 50% of his passes. Tampa Bay won't be able to run against Philly. The Bucs' best hope is that Johnson can get to his hot reads quickly against a ferocious blitz package. Third wideout Joe Jurevicius will be key. Do I see anything dramatic happening to change the recent history of this matchup? Not really, but I think the final score will be closer this time. Issue date: January 20, 2003 |
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