Sunday, October 29, 2000
NFL Insider
Owners vote on format for 2002 schedule
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Team owners will meet next week for two major purposes.
They'll award the 2004, '05 and '06 Super Bowls and vote on the schedule format for 2002.
Houston is the only bidder for 2004, and Detroit is the only one for 2006. Jacksonville, South Florida and Oakland are bidding for 2005.
As for the schedule in 2002, the year the Houston Texans become the league's 32nd team, the owners' first option is similar to the current setup. There will be eight four-team divisions, and each team would play its division rivals twice (six games), another division in the conference (four games) and a division in the other conference (four). The final two games would be against teams in the remaining two divisions that finished in the same position in the standings the previous year.
Those final two games are what the owners will vote on. They could ditch that idea and go with a “rivalry game” format (Giants-Jets, 49ers-Raiders). But that idea could be too difficult because some teams just don't have natural rivals.
As for realignment, the Bengals favor an AFC Central that also includes Cleveland and Pittsburgh and either Tennessee, Indianapolis or Houston.
PURPLE REIGN: In each of the last three seasons, the last undefeated team went on to win the Super Bowl. Denver did it in 1997 and '98, and St. Louis did it last season.
If history repeats, the Vikings (7-0) will win Super Bowl XXXV.
LIGHT IT UP: The Rams are the first team since the 1986 Jets to score and allow at least 50 points in a game.
SAD CATS: Jacksonville is 2-6 and has allowed a league-high 38 sacks of Mark Brunell.
“I've been here since the beginning,” Jaguars offensive tackle Tony Boselli told Florida reporters. “We've built something we're extremely proud of, and it's come to this.”
MR. OCTOBER: The Steelers ran their record to 4-0 this October, with today's game remaining in Baltimore. They are 24-9 in October under coach Bill Cowher.
LEG MAN: Quarterback Kordell Stewart will get his third start of the season today for the Steelers.
He says he is done trying to become a classic, drop-back quarterback and will do what he believes he does best, and that means running out of the pocket, play-action bootlegs and the like. If he's going to go down in flames, it will be with his strengths — just like running QB Steve Young, Steve McNair and Mark Brunell.
Stewart says he can't blame anybody but himself for thinking that a real quarterback passes but doesn't run.
NO DEPOSIT: Under quarterback Tony Banks, the Ravens haven't scored a touchdown in their last four games. That's 246 minutes and 39 seconds, 16 quarters and 49 possessions without scoring a touchdown.
Trent Dilfer is the starter now because coach Brian Billick has given up on Banks, the same way he gave up on Scott Mitchell and Stoney Case.
Dilfer arrives with some credentials:
• 25-17 record as a starter that was fourth best in the league in those three years and topped, among others, Steve McNair, Drew Bledsoe, Dan Marino and Troy Aikman.
• A touchdown to interception ratio of 53 to 37 that was fourth best and topped, among others, Brett Favre, Bledsoe, McNair and Marino.
Dilfer also had seven fourth period comebacks in those three years and went 4-0 in his last four starts with 689 yards passing, five touchdowns, two interceptions and a 92.5 quarterback rating before getting hurt.
Dilfer signed for only $1 million because he wants to play for a passing coach and figured Banks would implode.
STAT OF THE WEEK: One. That's how many TD catches Jets tackle Jumbo Elliott has this season. The same number that ex-Jets receiver Keyshawn Johnson has with the Bucs.
BUCS STOP HERE: Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy said this week the team will look to simplify its offense in an effort to promote greater execution.
The unit has been hurt by mistakes since starting the season with 94 points in the first three games. In fact, 31 of the Bucs last 37 points (counting extra points) have been scored by the special teams. Kicker Martin Gramatica has made seven of eight field goals in losses to Minnesota and Detroit. The only offensive touchdown in the last two games was a 11-yard run by Shaun King in the first quarter of the Vikings game. The Bucs have turned the ball over 13 times during the four-game losing streak after having no turnovers in the first three games. The 13 giveaways have resulted in 41 points for the opponents.
BATHROOM BREAK: It was bad enough the Bears had to use the lightly practiced quarterback Jim Miller when starter Cade McNown hurt his shoulder in Philadelphia. But they almost had to turn to the never-used-in-practice Shane Matthews when Miller had to run to the locker room for a bathroom break in the second half.
If Miller hadn't made it back for the Bears' next series, Matthews would have been forced into duty. And because Matthews had been designated as inactive — only to be called upon if the first two quarterbacks can't play — he would have been required to play the rest of the game.
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