Last week was a little disappointing. Both championship games were less than stellar. They were downright boring. Tennessee capitalized upon mishap after mishap by the Jaguars, while St. Louis fought a war of attrition with Tampa Bay.
Throughout the first quarter of the AFC Championship game, I envisioned Jacksonville and Tennessee trading the lead back and forth with one team eventually winning in a classic style. However, Tennessee dashed my hopes by pounding the Jaguars 33-14. I was once again impressed with Tennessee. Their defense was relentless, Eddie George turned in a solid performance, and their special teams were spectacular.
Steve McNair was dazzling in his own right too. Simply put, he made things happen. He showed me once again that his passing skills are not Hall of Fame caliber, but that he is a great leader and fights to win every game. McNair's mobility makes him dangerous and a potent weapon for Tennessee, but he will not be fully effective until his passing ability improves.
The NFC Championship game was even less exciting. Tampa Bay's defense was spectacular as usual and held St. Louis to its worst offensive output of the season. St. Louis was expected to struggle against Tampa Bay but not this severely. The Rams played right into the Bucs' hands with a field position, conservative and defensive game.
A big part of the reason why St. Louis' offensive production was so poor is that head coach Dick Vermeil and offensive coordinator Mike Martz formulated a conservative game plan. They didn't want to take risks like they had during the season for fear that Tampa Bay's defense would capitalize. This strategy was a big mistake.
What has made the Rams so successful is their team speed, which translates into big play ability. And in order to make big plays, risks need to be taken. The Rams romped through the regular season winning games with big plays. It was a mistake to play it safe against Tampa Bay. The Rams have a successful formula that has been nearly impossible to stop.
All anyone should hope for from the Superbowl is a good, hard fought game. Recently, the games have mostly lacked drama. No one likes to see blowouts, except the team that is winning. Fans want a good game, the NFL wants a good game and ABC wants a good game. This one will be good.
Tennessee is peaking at the right time. The team has incredible chemistry and believes in itself. Even without a balanced offense, the Titans have come this far for good reasons.
St. Louis is not coming into this game as it would hope. Last week should have been a challenge, but winning 11-6 was ridiculous. Vermeil and Martz should open up the whole playbook and throw everything they have at Tennessee.
Tennessee plays lots of man-to-man coverage on defense, which helps in the pass rush but also provides St. Louis with the opportunity for big plays.
The Titans did win this year's regular season matchup, but so what. The Rams don't care. They're going to play their game. Marshall Faulk will run the ball and sneak out into the flat for passes. Kurt Warner will throw to Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt and anyone else that's open.
Plenty of people are jumping on the Tennessee bandwagon, but they're in for a fall. While Tennessee's defense is playing extremely well, it's not the Tampa Bay defense.
The Rams will win for two reasons. First, they are just too good to lose. Second, Kurt Warner -- while he is an overrated quarterback -- is a man of destiny.
In order to have a chance, the Titans need to win the time of possession battle and to avoid turnovers. Offensively, this means handing off to Eddie George at least 25 times, consistently picking up first downs and not turning the ball over. Tennessee cannot give the Rams any more chances to score than they have to.
In the end, Tennessee will try to rely on its defense, special teams and running game to win. This time Steve McNair's lack of passing ability finally costs the Titans a game. Tennessee will keep it close, but St. Louis will win 20-17, ending Dick Vermeil's coaching career as he rides off into retirement while also adding to the Cinderella story of Kurt Warner.
