The season was only three games old when Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman imitated Daniel Snyder and gave his team an ultimatum.
Go to the desert and beat the Cardinals or else.
|  | | Quarterback Charlie Batch finally has the Lions offense producing. |
"Before the game, I told the guys that you don't have must-wins until you must win a game to stay in the playoffs. (But) this was as significant a game
as we'll play this year," Sherman said after the previously unimpressive Packers posted a solid 29-3 victory over the Cardinals. "I asked them to
focus on this one football game and that's it. We had to get on that plane 2-2."
Granted, that's a little melodramatic at this early stage of the season. At least it is for any location other than Washington, where the Redskins have
been operating under Snyder's "Super-Bowl-or-Bust" dictum since training camp.
But playing in the ultra-competitive NFC Central Division will make a coach say funny things sometimes. Clearly, Sherman didn't think the Packers would
be able to recover from a 1-3 start in a division where 2-2 is only good enough for fourth place.
At the quarter pole of the 2000 season, the NFC Central is not only better than everyone expected, it is the best division in the conference, if not the
entire NFL. You might get an argument from the AFC East on that, but so far the two divisions are 3-3 in head-to-head matchups.
Like the AFC East, the NFC Central has one team -- Tampa Bay -- that appears to be Super Bowl-bound and three others -- Minnesota, Detroit, Green
Bay -- that could be strong enough to sweep the remaining wild-card playoff spots in the conference.
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Show Me the Way
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A month into the NFL season, it appears the road to the Super Bowl may run through the AFC East and the NFC Central divisions. They are the two best defensive divisions in the NFL in terms of points allowed, and the only ones with combined records above .500. This despite the fact that New England and Chicago are both 0-4. |
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Overall record
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Total pts. all.
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AFC East
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11-7
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284
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NFC Central
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11-8
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318
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But the division is not just the Bucs and four teams scrambling for second
place, as many predicted. Instead, the Vikings, who some thought could slide all the way to last place this season, are the division's surprise leaders with a 3-0 record. Minnesota is followed by the Buccaneers and Lions at 3-1 and the aforementioned Packers at 2-2. Only the floundering Bears (0-4) are out of it, a mild surprise given that many figured this was their year to join the fight for playoff spots.
All four of the NFC Central's contenders have some issues on offense, particularly at quarterback, but their defenses have been strong enough to keep them in games. The Bucs, Packers, Vikings and Lions are all ranked among the top nine teams in the NFL in points allowed per game. If second-year quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper (Vikings) and Shaun King (Bucs) continue to make progress and veteran quarterbacks Brett Favre (Packers) and Charlie
Batch (Lions) continue to regain their health, the NFC Central could have four very strong teams come December.
Although they don't lead the division, the Bucs played so well in their first three games that they temporarily passed the Redskins and Rams as the Super Bowl favorites. Their offense was finally clicking and their defense was better than ever.
Then came the humbling "Keyshawn Bowl" against the Jets, when the Bucs briefly reverted to their old form by blowing a 17-6 lead in the final two minutes. Two of the team's four turnovers virtually handed the game to the Jets, who, by the way, are undefeated.
"Nine penalties, interceptions, fumbles, missed assignments, missed tackles; other than that, it was a pretty good game," Bucs coach Tony Dungy
said sarcastically.
The game should prove to be an aberration, but still there were troubling signs. The offense had only 59 yards in the second half, King threw his first two interceptions of the season, fullback Mike Alstott can't stop fumbling and the Bucs still can't get the ball to wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. Johnson had eight catches against the Lions, seven in the other three games.
"That's the first game in a long time when we really malfunctioned on some things," Dungy said. "We've got to play better in the fourth quarter."
The schedule is another potential hazard. Of the Bucs' remaining 12 games, only two are against teams (Chicago and Dallas) that currently have
losing records. Of course, NFC Central teams are used to that by now.
The Vikings lead the division because coach Dennis Green's gamble with Culpepper has paid off, and the defense is much better than expected thanks to
some last-minute alterations and a more aggressive approach.
So far, the Vikings have passed every test, beating Chicago and Miami at home and New England on the road. That led to a three-year contract extension
for Green, whose ability to keep the Vikings competitive despite key personnel losses borders on amazing. There's potential trouble just ahead,
though. Five of the Vikings' next six games are against division opponents, including four on the road.
"Any time you're in first place I think it's significant," Green said. "The idea is that if you're in first place, that means it's up to you. We're in
first place. If we play like we're capable of playing and we play like we want to be in first place, then that's where we'll probably end up."
Despite a solid line that recovered nicely from the loss of center Jeff Christy and guard Randall McDaniel, the Vikings have problems on offense they need to clean up. They have seven turnovers, most of them by Culpepper. Plus, wide receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter have only one touchdown catch between them, and the offense keeps stalling in the red zone.
However, Culpepper has more than lived up to expectations, and his running ability is driving opponents crazy. He's struggled with consistency throwing
the ball, but he has been the most impressive of the six quarterbacks in the Class of 1999. If the deep passing game starts clicking, the Vikings could be
devastating.
"We haven't had our best performance yet," Culpepper said.
Everyone wants to lump the Packers in with the Cowboys and 49ers as faded 1990s dynasties, but the Packers might still have some life in them.
Their defense, awful during the preseason, hasn't allowed a touchdown in its last two games. The offense, which averaged 13 points per game in the
first three games, looked like the old Packers offense as Favre, seemingly over his elbow tendinitis, hit nine different receivers en route to a
277-yard passing day against the Cardinals.
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“ |
There's nothing written in my
contract where we've got to blow everybody out.
And we're not going to do that in the National Football League anyway. It's nice to be
3-1 and know that you can play better. ” |
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— Lions coach Bobby Ross |
"There was a feeling of confidence," Sherman said of the pregame locker room at Arizona. "I told them it seemed like the old Packers, like the
Packers that used to have that swagger when they took the field in the old days."
The trashing of the Cardinals indicated the players are becoming comfortable with the new coaching staff. Sherman has returned to the more
traditional West Coast offense the team ran under former coach Mike Holmgren, and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell has installed an aggressive, blitzing
scheme. During the preseason, it was the Packers who looked confused. Now, it's the opponents.
"I think we're starting to grow with each other," Sherman said.
Another team that has surived without playing its best is the Lions. Detroit beat the Saints on a punt return for a touchdown, the Redskins on five field
goals and the Bears despite not turning any of its five turnovers into points.
An unproductive offense is the only thing holding back the Lions. They scored one touchdown in the first three games, a "Hail Mary" pass just before
halftime in a blowout loss to the Bucs. They did score three touchdowns against the Bears last Sunday, which they hope is a sign of things to come.
The Lions signed tailback James Stewart for $25 million to supply them with a power running game, but so far Stewart has labored behind a shaky offensive line. Stewart is averaging 2.9 yards per carry and 57 yards per game, giving Detroit the least-productive running game in the NFC. Without a running game to keep defenses honest, Batch has been sacked 12 times in the last three games.
Still, the Lions have three wins by a total of 16 points, thanks largely to an underrated defense.
"I feel good," Ross said. "We're 3-1, so I'm not dissatisfied at all. There's nothing written in my contract where we've got to blow everybody out. And we're not going to do that in the National Football League anyway. It's nice to be 3-1 and know that you can play better."
The Lions started 6-2 last year, but were sabotaged by the lack of a running game and went 2-6 the rest of the way. The schedule is brutal, with
10 of the remaining 12 opponents currently at .500 or better. That made Sunday's 21-14 victory over the Bears very important.
"We had to come up with a win," Ross said. "It was almost a must-win for us, to stay in contention. I know that sounds a little silly this early in the year, and if we'd have lost it, I probably wouldn't have felt it was the end of the world. But at the same time, I think it was a really significant win."
Funny, but didn't Sherman say the same thing? That's the way it is in the NFC's most competitive division.
Boo birds flock to Aikman, McNown
Troy Aikman has the benefit of experience, but he and Cade McNown
helped define classy behavior after both were booed by their home fans Sunday.
Said Aikman after a so-so day passing in a 41-24 loss to the 49ers: "I'm sure I'd be upset if I was them, too, after some of the performances we have
had as a team. They felt I contributed to that, and I certainly do. I tend not to dwell on the (boos). I just try to do better."
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| Aikman |
Asked if he was disappointed that fans have turned on him and seem to want the more mobile Randall Cunningham, Aikman, who has won three Super Bowls in Dallas, still took the high road.
"Right now, we are a team that's 1-3," he said. "It doesn't matter what I've accomplished or what this football team has accomplished in the past."
On the other end of the class spectrum, there is McNown. He was booed five minutes into Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Lions, a game in which he was
typically erratic and threw three interceptions. Chicago fans are clamoring for Jim Miller to replace McNown, who was annointed as the franchise when he was drafted in 1999.
"I feel like I've had four road games," McNown, now 2-8 as a starter, said after the Lions game. "We're not a team that's motivated by fans that come to
the game to boo and yell. If they're really hurt by us not playing well, they should probably not come to the games and take it out on their TVs."
McNown apologized to the fans the next day. Aikman didn't have to.
Dallas' rush to judgement
In the first 40 years of their existence, a total of 594 regular-season games, the Cowboys allowed only two 200-yard rushers. And the great Jim Brown
was one of them.
In four games this season, the Cowboys have matched that total, surrendering 203 yards to the Eagles' Duce Staley in the opener and 201 yards to the 49ers' Charlie Garner last Sunday.
| |  | |
| Godfrey |
The Cowboys currently rank last in the NFL by allowing 193 rushing yards per game. They're threatening the worst mark in NFL history, 201.8 yards per
game allowed by the 1978 Bills.
The Cowboys' fall coincides with Dave Campo being promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach and Mike Zimmer taking over the defense.
Under Campo, the run defense improved from 24th in 1997 to 12th in 1998 and sixth last year, when Dallas allowed 90 rushing yards per game.
There have been plenty of reasons cited for the defense's decline, including poor tackling, bad positioning by trying to do too much and the loss of leading tackler Randall Godfrey via free agency. Since the Cowboys are running virtually the same defense they ran last year,
the blame is falling directly on the players.
"It's not about what's called. It's about guys playing better," Campo said. "As coaches, we now have to be more demanding and start paying closer
attention to detail. We need to force discipline and consistency on our guys to where they know where they're supposed to be and when they're supposed to
be there."
No cure for St. Louis' 'sick' offense
Normally, when a team breaks new ground in the NFL, everyone else studies film during the offseason and finds an antidote.
So far, no one has found a way to stop the Rams offense, which is even better this year than it was last year. In fact, after four games, the Rams
are on a collision course with the NFL record book.
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| Warner |
For instance:
They have scored 30 or more points in an NFL-record 10 consecutive games.
They are averaging 478 yards per game in total offense, on pace for 7,652 for the season, which would obliterate the NFL record of 6,936 set by Miami
in 1994.
They are scoring 40 points per game, on pace for 640 for the season, which would shatter the NFL mark of 556 set by Minnesota in 1998.
Quarterback Kurt Warner has thrown for 1,557 yards, which translates to
6,228 for 16 games, or 1,144 more than Dan Marino's single-season record.
Halfback Marshall Faulk has 626 yards rushing and receiving, which puts him
on pace for 2,504 in 16 games, or 75 yards more than the record he set last year.
Can anyone slow down the Rams? At this point, the best bet appears to be the Buccaneers in Week 15.
Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal writes a weekly NFC column every Thursday for ESPN.com.
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