Armchair Quarterback: Looking to the 2003-04 NFL season
That’s what the Raiders get for costing me a trip to San Diego by beating the Titans in the championship game.
Just as I said last week, defense almost always beats offense in Super Bowls which have a one-week turnaround and the Buccaneer route was no different. They did exactly what the Pats did to the Rams’ high-powered offense last year by going full blast and hitting the offensive Raider prima donnas in the mouth.
After that it was all over but the crying since the Raiders’ gameplan wasn’t exactly a mystery. Take away the pass and you take away the Raiders’ chance to win.
You could see the symptoms in their game against the Titans the week before. When the Titans brought heat they ruffled the feathers of Gannon and the passing game which didn’t seem to adjust when heat was brought. How many of us were in front of the screen screaming for the Titans to blitz every play, only to see them get picked apart in their 3-4 base defense?
With their blasting of the Raiders, some are already calling for the Bucs to repeat, but, as we’ve seen, seemingly unbeatable Super Bowl champs as of late rarely live up to expectations. I’d dare to say the Bucs aren’t as good as they looked Sunday, but instead benefited from exactly knowing what the Raider game plan would be and knowing the Oakland weaknesses thanks to ex-Raider Coach John Gruden.
We must remember the Buc offense was 24th in the league this year, the worst ever to go on to win a Super Bowl. Gruden still has a lot of work to do there. Sure, their pass defense is second to none but they never got tested by a great rushing team or by a balanced assault. Plus, as we’ve seen, the seemingly perfect defenses like the Ravens and Rams have been exposed the years after their Super Bowl victories since teams have gotten good adjusting.
With this one in the books we now turn to looking to next year and who will be among the elite. And, as always, it’s a tough call given free agency and the salary cap. This year, unlike the past few years, we had to established teams meeting in the Super Bowl instead of a surprise team who rose from a losing record like the Rams, Ravens and Patriots did.
However, I doubt this signals a return to dynasties. Sure, I expect the Bucs and Raiders to be around, along with the Titans, Steelers, Eagles, Niners and Dolphins. But I’d also suspect they’ll be a rise of some teams who aren’t expected to be there. For one, I suspect the Browns will vie for a top spot next year given their receiving corps and improving defense. The Chiefs will also be around seeing Vermeil is still at the helm and just barely missed the playoffs this year. My sleeper picks are a return of the Chargers in the AFC and the rise of the Spurrier Redskins in the NFC. The Cowboys under the Big Tuna will probably just be building up next season.
Of course a lot of what happens depends on off-season moves by the various teams. Coaching moves may also have impact such as a possible Mariucci move to Detroit and a possible loss of the Buc defensive coach to the Niners. Where will Dennis Green land?
That’s what keeps us watching football. It’s a constantly moving landscape, and, having the most parity of any professional sport, it keeps us guessing from year to year. If I had to pull one out of the pot for next year, I’d say the Eagles will finally make the step and play the Dolphins in the big game.