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| Thursday, August 31 By Kevin Jackson ESPN.com | |||||||||
Those preseason NFL magazines seem to pick a different darling every year, and this year's is clearly Jacksonville. Heck, 10 of 12 ESPN experts polled by ESPN.com picked the Jaguars to win Super Bowl XXXIV. The reason is simple -- defense. It's something the Jags have never really had, and that's the key reason why Jacksonville has never advanced beyond the AFC title game. Most of the pundits expect new defensive coordinator Dom Capers to transform the Jags defense into an aggressive unit that will complement one of the league's most diversified offenses. Will it happen? Well, we will start to find out Sunday, when Steve Young and the Niners come to town (Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox). San Francisco had the league's top offense last season, and although Garrison Hearst isn't back, much of that firepower is. So sit back and watch Young and Mark Brunell fling it to such talented targets as Jerry Rice and Jimmy Smith. But remember if this one turns into a shootout, that might be a bad sign in north Florida.
The best of the rest Panthers at Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Fans are fickle. They consistently complain when an athlete signs a big-money contract -- and that's understandable. What's strange, however, is how many fans have criticized Ricky Williams' deal with the Saints. Here's a guy who stands up and says pay me for my performance, and yet he gets ripped for not taking the money like every other hot-shot rookie. Williams will start trying to make his money the old-fashioned way in the season opener against George Seifert's Panthers. It's a good place to start -- Carolina ranked 26th against the run last season and had the league's worst defense. Of course, New Orleans ranked dead-last in rushing in 1998, so those Terrell Davis numbers might soon seem a very long way away for Mr. Heisman.
What's my motivation? Then, there's Randy Moss. One minute, he's talking about how the Vikes no longer have "that special feeling" they had during last season's magical 15-1 season. The next day, however, Moss was boasting about how the Purple Gang might put up 60 points Sunday at the Georgia Dome. "I guess he's got confidence in their ability," said Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan, who was integral in holding Moss in check during the second half and overtime of the NFC title game. Enough of all this talk, let's just play the game. Yeah, it's a rematch, but it's still Week 1, for goodness sake. One-on-one matchup of the weekRaiders at Packers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson and Packers receiver Antonio Freeman started a little rivalry when they squared off in the Pro Bowl in February. They'll match up for real Sunday at Lambeau Field. Woodson, who proved to be a quick learner as a rookie after getting burned early in last year's opener at Kansas City, should be even better in his second season. Freeman is now the top-paid receiver in the game, and he's getting an early chance to prove he's the best against one of the game's best young corners. We've missed you, but still hate you Steelers at Browns, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, ESPN In the case of the Browns and Steelers, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Pittsburgh fans still remember when Joe "Turkey" Jones body-slammed Terry Bradshaw in 1976. Cleveland fans can't forget the Browns losing 16 straight games at Three Rivers Stadium in the 1970s. All those emotions should come rushing back Sunday night, when the new Browns make their debut against their most bitter rival. It's great to have the Browns -- and the crazed fans in the "Dawg Pound" -- back in the NFL. It's even better that the new chapter begins with a matchup that evokes so many old memories. Griese is the wordDolphins at Broncos, Monday, 8:20 p.m. ET, ABC Perhaps no quarterback in NFL history has ever felt more pressure before his first career start than Denver's Brian Griese is feeling this week. First, he has the unenviable task of replacing John Elway in a city where Johnny Unitas in his prime probably wouldn't be good enough. Then, there's the matter of this threepeat business. No team has ever been able to win three straight Super Bowls -- not even the Dolphins with Bob Griese at the helm 25 years ago. And remember, Brian Griese has as many career interceptions (one) as completions among his three regular-season passes. Plus, the kid will be facing the Dolphins defense, arguably the quickest and most aggressive defensive unit in the game. As if all that weren't enough, the Broncos are still experiencing the fallout from benching of Bubby Brister, who was a popular figure in the locker room and had the support of many of the team's veterans. So that's your assignment, kid. Win over a city, a team and the nation in your first start. The Monday night spotlight will be shining.
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NFL Week 1 previewsWeek 1 picks Week 1 injury report Inside the Playbook Jaworski: Griese is the word Theismann's Sunday night spotlight | ||||||||
