In the final edition of his weekly "Snap Count" chat, Baxter also touched on other great Super Bowl quarterbacks and says if LT doesn't make it into the Hall of Fame, something is fishy.

An edited transcript from his Jan. 29 chat follows:

Russell Baxter: Hello from Miami. It figures to be a very entertaining game Sunday, and we'll get to a prediction a little later

Wiseguy: With all the talk down here in Miami, it doesn't seem like anyone is even giving Denver a chance to win this game? This can be one of the best Super Bowls yet.

Russell Baxter: You must be watching Fox. Denver is the defending champion and a confident one. The Falcons have had a tremendous season and deserves to be here.

Paul Clawson: I think that John Elway is the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. Do you agree? If not, then who is and where does Elway rank?

Russell Baxter: I like different QBs for different reasons. Elway, Bradshaw and Namath are big-play quarterbacks. I like Montana, Staubach and Ken Stabler for their ability in the clutch. I like a young Marino as a pure passer.

Brownsfan99: When the Falcons started the season they were a huge underdog to make it to the Super Bowl. When was the last time a team made it to the Super Bowl against those odds?

BAXTER'S FILE

Through the Super Bowl, ESPN's lead NFL researcher, Russell S. Baxter, will be in chat. Join the man responsible for providing the Worldwide Leader in Sports with historical notes, statistical trends and facts you may not know -- many off the top of his head. Russell, who also compiles an extraordinary amount of information for ESPN.com with his Baxter's Bits, joined the network as a researcher in 1989. He is currently the chief NFL researcher for ESPN and a senior reporter for ESPN The Magazine. Prior to working at ESPN, Russell was the pro football editor at College and Pro Football Newsweekly.

Russell Baxter: I'm no oddsmaker, but the Chargers were a big surprise when they went to Super Bowl XXIX. And both Cincinnati and San Francisco were coming off 6-10 seasons in 1980 and both made it to Super Bowl XVI.

Rich Ackerman: Will Lawrence Taylor make it to Canton? Why should he have to wait a year as some suggest?

Russell Baxter: LT will be elected tomorrow and it will be a joke if he isn't. I understand the feelings about his personal life, but this is the Pro Football Hall of Fame, not the Good Housekeeping Hall of Fame.

BroncsFan: Should the Broncos win, do you think Elway will come back for a shot at his third straight Super Bowl next year?

Russell Baxter: Win or lose, I believe Sunday will be John Elway's last game.

Terrence: I think too many ESPN sports people underestimate the heart of a defending champ. They should know a team that can run off 13 wins in a row will not give up the title to a team that (may be 2nd best in league) is in the dance for the first time. Too much Davis, Elway, Smith, Sharp, Romo, Atwater. Just too much.

Russell Baxter: Don't blame ESPN for your misinformation. And I don't know where people are getting the impression that the Falcons are the team to beat. They've won 11 straight, but the Super Bowl is a totally different experience.

Moondog: Will Sunday's game be another yawnfest highlighted by great commercials or will it be as exciting as the conference championships?

Russell Baxter: The last three Super Bowls (XXX, XXXI and XXXII) have been good games, and last year's Denver-Green Bay tilt was a classic. I expect another entertaining contest.

Chris Housman: What will be the biggest factor in the game?

Russell Baxter: Obviously, the running games must be stopped, but I think the quarterback that makes the biggest play via play-action passing will come away the winner.

Rich: The Falcons are only the fifth team since the merger to go from a losing record to the Super Bowl, what was so much different this year?

Russell Baxter: It actually started last year, when they finished 6-2 after opening 1-7. A lot of momentum and an increased confidence by the coaches and the players got the Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII

Marty: I feel that Anderson, from the Atlanta Falcons, is the greatest running back in the game right now. Do you?

Russell Baxter: I still give a sizable edge to Terrell Davis, who has put up huge numbers four straight years and has been money in the postseason. Give Jamal a little time.

Matt Lion: As a Patriots fan, I've seen firsthand how great these two teams are. People seem to say that the game is on grass, advantage Denver. that I think that is hyperbole since the Falcons beat my team 41-10 at our place. Does the surface effect this game?

Russell Baxter: Good question to end on because it's been a topic of discussion. There's no advantage to anyone because of the surface because the Falcons practice on grass, and we saw what they did at New England.

A little early nervousness will prove costly to the Falcons, who will find themselves behind early. Dan Reeves club will rebound strongly, but it won't be enough. And if John Elway has any kind of a decent day (a rarity in Super Bowls for him), he'll retire as the MVP.

Denver 26, Atlanta 17