Sunday, October 15, 2000
NFL Insider
Redskins, Ravens are neighbors, not rivals
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Battle of the Beltway takes place today when the Baltimore Ravens drive 36 miles to play the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.
Ravens players and coaches stayed overnight in the same downtown Baltimore hotel used for home games before busing to Landover, Md.
It's almost like a ninth home game for the Ravens.
“You think this will be a home game?” Baltimore coach Brian Billick said. “Come stand next to me at kickoff and tell me it's a home game.”
The teams aren't archrivals, in spite of their proximity.
The Dallas Cowboys draw Redskins fans' ire, and the New York Giants are next. The Ravens are just another team. With only a 1997 meeting in their series history, it's not a heated game.
Washington fans root for Baltimore's baseball Orioles and have no special anti-Baltimore feelings. But Baltimore fans, who have second-city issues, generally don't like D.C.
The clubs have the highest two payrolls, $88 million for the Redskins and $77 million for the Ravens, according to the NFL, though it's commonly reported Washington has a $100 million payroll.
But the Ravens used their money to extend players like Jonathan Olden, who got the highest signing bonus ever — $16 million — while the Redskins brought in the big names.
The game should be a defensive slugfest. The Ravens have the top-ranked run defense and fourth overall defense. The Redskins are ranked fifth overall and against the pass and eighth against the run.
SCORING DROUGHTS: While the Bengals have only three points in the second half this season, the Arizona Cardinals have gone 38 consecutive games without scoring a touchdown on their first drive and 22 games in a row without scoring an offensive touchdown in the first quarter.
NEIGHBORHOOD BULLIES: Since the start of the 1998 season, Tennessee has the league's best division record. They are 18-2 (.900) in the AFC Central. Tied behind them are Dallas, Denver and Minnesota, all of whom are 14-5 (.737).
DEVILISH DEFENSE: They lack the notoriety of Miami, Baltimore and Tampa Bay, but the Saints defense has been ranked No.1 in the league since Week 1.
And they are doing with a collection of castoffs.
Only fourstarters were drafted in the top 150 picks of their respective drafts. Cornerback Kevin Mathis, safety Sammy Knight and linebackers Phil Clarke and Keith Mitchell weren't drafted at all.
So while the personal resumes of Saints defenders might not be impressive, the results are. Some numbers: The Saints lead the NFL in total defense (236.6 yards a game), pass defense (149.6) and sacks per pass play (19/149).
SURPRISE: The 49ers are better than expected, even with a 2-4 record and a last-place ranking in defense.
The biggest plus has been quarterback Jeff Garcia, whose 15 touchdown passes lead the NFL. Garcia is a little guy who looks scrawny but has some toughness. He has thrown 190 passes and been sacked just twice. His 105.1 rating is tied for second only to Kurt Warner at this point.
BUY A VOWEL: Rams quarterback Warner and running back Marshall Faulk will appear on the Wheel of Fortune television game show. The shows will be taped Tuesday in Washington and will air Jan. 22-26 during Super Bowl week.
BAD DRAFT: Without a doubt one reason the Bears have not been competitive this season is because the team is still paying for a series of terrible drafts in the 1990s.
With Bobby Engram (second round 1996) and John Allred (second, 1997) lost for the year to knee injuries, the Bears only have six players on their roster drafted by the team before 1998.
The good news is the team finally seems to have hit upon a first-round winner with linebacker Brian Urlacher, who has emerged as a strong candidate for defensive rookie of the year.
The ninth overall selection in 2000 Draft, Urlacher leads all rookies with 60 tackles and is among the leaders with four sacks.
QUIET DOWN: The noise in the Metrodome from the crowd reached 130 decibels — a noise level the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health equates with those of a jackhammer, a hydraulic press and stock cars — during the Vikings-Tampa Bay game Monday night.
Vikings officials say they're not manipulating the sound levels by amplifying it. Indeed — get this — the team's vice president of sales and marketing said the team is considering a corporate sponsorship deal that would provide fans with free ear plugs. Team officials said they had actually lowered music levels from 103 decibels to 97 to compensate for increased fan noise.
RETURN TO DENVER: The Browns make their last visit to Mile High Stadium, site of two horrific losses in AFC Championship Game trilogy with Broncos — 1986 “The Drive” in Cleveland, '87 “The Fumble” in Denver, and '89 the blowout in Denver.
Nobody on current Browns has any appreciation of this piece of Browns history, of course. But coach Chris Palmer shares a hatred of Mile High with Cleveland fans.
He was wide receiver coach with Houston Oilers in '91 when John Elway converted two fourth-down plays en route to a field goal drive that knocked Oilers out of the playoffs, 26-24.
The Broncos move into a new stadium next season. The old Browns won only once in Mile High in their last seven visits, dating to 1972. They're 3-6 overall. Their last win was in 1990.
Sports Stories
DAUGHERTY: Brown embarrassed but steadfast
Spikes lost in the shadow
Who's got the edge?
Bengals-Steelers by the numbers
Players to watch
Louisville 38, UC 24
Minter wants what Louisville's got
Huggins honors Fortson, Martin
Little big man with dunk
Xavier players, fans woo recruit
Sato looks strong in intrasquad scrimmage
Reds to interview Showalter
NFL Insider
