17 Weeks of Confusion

[Marc]

"17 weeks of confusion" - that's what many are classifying the 2000 NFL season as, and they couldn't be more right. What is your most surprising moment of the season? Was it the Redskins completely fizzling out? Or the Rams barely making the playoffs? Or the Saints'/Raiders' surprising play? I want to hear your comments!

[Tom Baker]

The abject failure of the Redskins has to be at or near the top of the list. This was a team that was pre-ordained as a Super Bowl contender, with two first-round picks, Jeff George, Prime Time, and Bruce Smith. It's the highest-priced .500 team in history. What is it with the Baltimore / DC area and sports teams? First Peter Angelos in Baltimore spends all kind of $$ to field a losing team in Camden Yards, but Daniel Snyder obviously doesn't learn well by example--he forks money out hand over fist and ends up with an 8-8 product. Someone needs to learn that buying a championship rarely if ever works, and if you do manage to buy one (see the Florida Marlins), the eventual dismantling of the team only sets you further back. There are no shortcuts to long-term winning teams!

Other than the 'Skins I'd say Dononvan McNabb and the Eagles are the NFL Story of the year.

[MedicTJ]

I think we're all gonna find that the Redskins' season was a blessing in disguise. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how many high priced, big name players you have on the field. If those players don't have the chemistry and cohesiveness that exemplifies a winning program, you lose in the end.

After the Florida Marlins "bought" their World Series team, I was sure that it would all be over. Every sport was going to have one or two owners taking that example. Luckily, for all of us, it didn't pan out this time.

Will that cause player salaries to go down? No way. If anything it'll increase them. But having all chiefs and no Indians on your team can be more detrimental than having 22 guys that know how to work together. One need only look at the Denver Broncos' offensive line to see chemistry. They're not the biggest in the league or the most athletic, but they're certainly the best in my book. They work together and when you have five guys that have strength in numbers, I'll take that over one "prime time" player any day.

On top of all that, I'd rather spend big money on a big time coach like Parcells than spend money on someone like Deion Sanders. And I'm not kidding. It starts on the sidelines. Coaching DOES make a difference. I can give you a few examples: Jim Haslett, Lou Holtz, Joe Tiller, Denny Green.

Haslett took over what was supposed to be a dismal Saints team and turned them around in one year. Holtz took over a South Carolina ballclub that was on a 22 game losing streak and took them to a bowl game in his second year. Joe Tiller took over a Purdue program that were perennial losers under Jim Coletto and turned them around with the players that Coletto recruited. And everyone in the world had written off the Vikings after dumping George and Cunningham.

Which leads me to my surprise pick. The Minnesota Vikings. If you had shown me the final standings in the NFC central before the season started, I would've thought there was a typo.

A LOT of people lost A LOT of money on games this season. I've never seen an NFL season that was so unpredictable.

My surprise player? Jeff Garcia.

[Tom Baker]

I'm ready to elevate Donovan McNabb and the Eagles after their performance on Saturday. McNabb faced one of the toughest defenses in the league and basically dismantled it. Sure, the Eagles came up with some creative blocking schemes against Warren Sapp, but McNabb had to execute.

McNabb had given the Bucs some bulletin-board material earlier in the week by saying he didn't think the Bucs D was all that tough. But instead of struggling, he went out and backed up his words by having a terrific game and leading his team to a 21-3 victory that even some Bucs players called dominant.

[MedicTJ]

He's a good story. After getting booed off the stage by Eagles' fans when he was drafted, he puts all of that away and concentrates on what counts. He's already got that instinct to know when there is pressure from behind him. You'll see him step up into the pocket to avoid the blind-side rush. That's not something that's taught or learned. That's natural ability. He's gonna be exciting to watch in the coming years. This may well be the start of something good in Philly. I don't know if they have what it takes to win it all this year, but they're certainly going to give it a run for the money. And, like I've said before, after the way this season has gone, I'm not betting on anything anymore.