The Ruling On The Field Stands: A Tuck Rule Timeline

[Curtain Jerker]

Hi everyone! This is my first timeline for the site and I’m eager to share it with all of you. I wanted to do something a little less “heavy” than a standard political/military timeline so I chose this. I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Any/all feedback/comments/critiques are appreciated.

The POD is Walt Coleman, the ref for the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Raiders and the Patriots, upholds the on-field ruling giving Oakland the football (and win) over New England in early 2002 in a playoff game, instead of overturning it via the “Tuck Rule” and awarding N.E the ball. If you need more info about this game here’s a wiki link that does a good job setting the scene and explaining everything in detail
--> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuck_Rule_Game.

A few things before we get started in earnest: This timeline will be some parts third-person narrative, some parts in-universe news articles/interviews/book excerpts/etc. Also, for purposes of my sanity I’m casting a butterfly net over the NFL. So, unless otherwise explicitly mentioned in the text, any non-NFL events will proceed as OTL.

January 19, 2002 – Foxborough, MA.

I’ve never seen snow like that in my life. It snowed from the beginning to the end of the game, non-stop. Just perfect snowflakes – it was like something out of a movie. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon, published 2009.

I’m coming on a blitz and I see Brady pump the ball, and he brings it back in, and I’m like “Wow, I’ve got him.” I hit him perfectly, Tom never saw it coming. Charles Woodson to SI’s Peter King, 2014

There just wasn’t enough on tape to overturn the call on the field. Walt Coleman to the AP after the game.

Yeah, it sucked…I cost us the game. I let down everyone in this room. Tom Brady to Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe after the game.

The host New England Patriots were the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs. They were left for dead after Drew Bledsoe, their franchise quarterback, suffered a sheared blood vessel in his chest after a hit from Mo Lewis of the Jets early in the season left him unable to play for months. Unheralded backup Tom Brady took the offense’s reins and led the team to the playoff berth – New England’s first playoff appearance since 1998. Brady earned a trip to the Pro Bowl that season, the first of many for the quarterback.

Facing them was the Oakland Raiders. Jon Gruden’s squad made the AFC Championship the season before, falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. They came back the next year looking to get over the hump.

The game itself was much like the weather – a sloppy mess. Neither offense, who were having as much trouble with the opposing defense as the weather, could move the ball much. Oakland took a 13-3 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. The sixty thousand rabid Pats at Foxboro Stadium were silent until Tom Brady led the Patriots on a 10-play, 67-yard drive that resulted in him taking the ball into the endzone himself. The Patriots had life and Foxboro was rocking. New England was down 13-10.

New England got the ball back with 2:06 left on the clock and no timeouts after their defense made a stand and forced a punt. A field goal would tie the game, a touchdown would take the lead outright. It was now or never for Brady and his Pats.

It ended up being “never.” With 1:50 left on the clock Raiders DB Charles Woodson flew in unblocked on a slot cornerback blitz. His hit dislodged the football and Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert jumped on the loose ball. The officials ruled it a fumble – Raiders ball.

Since the play was under the two-minute warning, any turnovers were automatically reviewed. Referee Walt Coleman decided that there wasn’t “incontrovertible visual evidence” to overturn the call and he decided that the ruling on the field stood as called.

Oakland would take a few knees and win the game. They would play the winner of the next day’s Pittsburgh-Baltimore game for the right to represent the AFC in the 2002 Super Bowl.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

Rest of the 2001 Postseason*

*Note: The NFL playoffs for each year take place in January/February, but the NFL names them after the year before when the regular season takes place. So the 2001 Postseason takes place in January/Feb 2002, the 2002 Postseason takes place in Jan/Feb of 2003, etc.

Sunday, January 20 was a cold day in Pittsburgh, but it wasn’t cold enough to slow down the Steelers. They were hosting their divisional rivals (and defending Super Bowl champs) Baltimore Ravens. Each team won on the other’s field during the regular season, two one-score games that were hard-hitting and well-played by each side.

Baltimore, having already won at Heinz Field, was confident they could win again. But Pittsburgh was better on that day. Neither quarterback did a whole lot against two hellacious defenses, but Pittsburgh’s Kordell Steward was a little bit better than Baltimore’s Elvis Grbac as the Steelers won 23-10. This was the third time under Bill Cowher Pittsburgh would host the AFC Championship game. He was 0-2 so far. Steelers fans prayed that the third time would be the charm.

The other playoff game that Sunday wasn’t anywhere near as dramatic. The juggernaut St. Louis Rams rolled over the Green Bay Packers, with Aeneas Williams scoring two defensive touchdowns as Packers quarterback Brett Favre had five interceptions on the day. Williams was picked up that off-season from Arizona and continued his stellar play under first-year defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. Smith seemed to be the missing ingredient for the Rams, who took a huge step forward on defense under his leadership.

The third time wasn’t the charm for Cowher and the Steelers as the Raiders, fresh off their victory the week before in New England, narrowly beat them 24-21. Charles Woodson was the man of the hour once again as he intercepted Kordell Stewart late in the game to seal the deal. The Raiders were going to the Super Bowl.

Rich Gannon was just good enough to win and Kordell Steward was just good enough to lose. That fourth quarter pick off his back foot will haunt Steelers fans all off-season. Steve Young on ESPN after the game.

After Charles picked that ball off, I said a silent prayer thanking God for the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. That’s what you dream of as a player. All the off-season workouts and the aches and the pains were for this – I was going to the Super Bowl! “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon

Over in the NFC Championship the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t overawed by the moment. They went into the locker room with a 17-10 lead and were flying high. But football games are 60 minute affairs and a few clutch passes from Rams QB Kurt Warner (one to Marshall Faulk for the go-ahead touchdown late) and St. Louis was back to the Big Game for the second time in three years with a 27-24 win.

Wow what a game! All glory to God and all praise to the Eagles – those guys will be back, but we never gave up, even when things looked bleak in the third quarter. We’re looking forward to New Orleans and playing the Raiders. Kurt Warner to Pam Oliver on the field after the game.

The Super Bowl was in the party city of New Orleans but the teams were all business that week. Due to the 9/11 attacks, the NFL postponed a week of regular season games and pushed the playoffs back. As a result there was only one week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl instead of the normal two weeks.

The game itself mirrored the NFC Championship in some ways. The Raiders came out hot and took an early lead. Williams and Raiders wideout Tim Brown played each other to a draw but Gannon found Charlie Gardner early and often as Jon Gruden’s offense was humming. Oakland went into the locker room up 21-7 and it looked like a blowout in the making.

Much like the week before Saint Louis came out of the locker room a different team. Smith made some schematic adjustments and kept Williams glued on one side of the field instead of having him trail Brown on every play. With Williams good enough to cover one side, Smith started rolling his safeties and even linebackers over to the other side of the field and the Raiders high-powered offense started to stagnate as they were facing a coverage they hadn’t seen on tape.

I gotta say Pat, Lovie Smith is doing a GREAT job this half. He’s keeping this Raiders offense off-balance and dialing up some good blitzes and coverages. Right now he’s my MVP! John Madden during the broadcast.

Some of the stuff Coach Smith called, we’d never seen before. The coverages he dialed up were tough to figure out, and when you have a guy as good as Aeneas Williams anchoring your secondary, well, it just worked to shut us down the second half. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

The Rams offense came to life as well. Warner found Faulk over and over, a few yards at a time, as St. Louis slowly but surely marched down the field and eventually tied it up midway through the fourth quarter 21-21.

For the first time all half the Raiders offense showed signs of life. A good kick return helped and a few first downs by Gannon (including a circus catch by Jerry Rice on the sideline) lead to a Sebastian Janikowski 47-yard field goal with 3:12 left in the game.

But Warner and the Rams would not be denied. They promptly marched down the field as Isaac Bruce converted a huge fourth-and-9 at midfield that seemed to break the back of the Raiders defense. Faulk would run in the go-ahead touchdown on a perfectly timed draw play that caught the Raiders defense off balance.

Down four with only one timeout and 1:45 left on the clock, Gannon and the Raiders had a chance to win the game. The drive started promisingly but ended with disaster.

It was third-and-3 from the Rams 42 yard line with about a minute left and I dropped back to pass. I saw Jerry over the middle on a post pattern and threw it. The pass was perfect. But London Fletcher jumped and got a hand on the ball, knocking it up in the air where Aeneas Williams (who else?) picked it off for the victory. I fell to the turf in equal parts shock and disbelief. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

It was a beautiful day for the Rams as they won Super Bowl XXXVI 28-24.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

2002 Off-season/Draft

The worst-kept secret in the building was that Jon Gruden and Al Davis couldn’t stand each other. Al thought Jon was a disrespectful punk, and Jon thought Al was an out-of-touch old man. But even though they hated each other, they did respect each other. It was a very strange relationship – but it worked. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

It was left to me to figure out how to keep Jon in Oakland. Making the Super Bowl helped me and Rich convince Al Davis to keep Jon for one more year. Tampa came hot and heavy for Jon but Al listened to Rich when he begged Al to keep Jon around for 2002. “You Negotiate Like a Girl” by Amy Trash, CEO of the Raiders from 1997 to 2012. Published 2015

Now more than ever the NFL is a twelve-month sport. The off-season is a thing of the past, especially at the front office and ownership levels. Teams fire and hire coaches and assistants the day after their season ends, front offices are constantly evaluating players and wrangling with each other over draft picks and player rights. The league never rests.

Al Davis never liked Jon Gruden on a personal and schematic level, but he respected his coach’s work ethic and how his players would always play hard. The problem was that Gruden was set to be a free agent after the upcoming 2002 season and wanted a payday that was in line with his accomplishments as a head coach. Davis was loathe to pay that much for a coach, but he was also loathe to let a coach as accomplished as Gruden leave for nothing.

Tampa Bay had recently fired longtime coach Tony Dungy (who was quickly scooped up by the Indianapolis Colts) and looked towards Oakland for a replacement after Bill Parcells turned them down. Gruden’s counterpart across the Bay also turned down Tampa Bay as 49ers coach Steve Mariucci didn’t want to uproot his family and fly them cross country. Tampa was without a coach for about a month and was desperate for Gruden.

The problem – at least as far as Tampa Bay is concerned – is that Davis, despite his misgivings with Gruden, lived his life by one motto: “Just win, baby.” For all his “faults” real or imagined, Gruden had done just that. After a sit-down with Gruden, his agent, Davis, and Raiders CEO Amy Trask, the four came to an agreement: A two-year contract worth five million dollars, with three million of that due the first year. The second year was a mere formality, as Davis promised Gruden he’d either extend him outright or trade him after the 2002 season. Given Davis’s comments and track record, the chances he’d extend Gruden were nil.

The negotiation was like pulling teeth, but the four of us finally figured out a plan that was good for both Jon and the Raiders. Jon would coach in 2002 and afterwards he was a free man. Everyone in that room and in the organization knew that one way or another 2002 was the end of an era. Hopefully Gruden would go out with a bang. “You Negotiate Like a Girl” by Amy Trask.

With Gruden staying one more year in Oakland Tampa Bay still needed a coach. They interviewed two men – Rams defensive coordinator (and one of the heroes of the Super Bowl) Lovie Smith and Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Callahan. Deciding to go a different direction than the recently-fired Dungy, Tampa hired Bill Callahan as their next head coach. He’d inherit a roster with playmakers on both sides of the ball. Dungy had done a good job coaching up a defense that included future Hall-of-Famers in Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, but the offense was inconsistent enough to get him fired. Callahan was brought in to fix that and get Tampa Bay to the next level.

Looking for some continuity, Gruden promoted his quarterbacks coach Marc Trestman to offensive coordinator. Trestman brought on freshly retired NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh to be his quarterbacks coach. The most important move Callahan made in Tampa Bay was to keep defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and his “Tampa 2” defense in place. After all, why fix what isn’t broken?

I liked working with Jim Harbaugh in 2002. He was a bit strange but he worked hard and we had a good rapport together. I can easily see how he’s been so successful in Chicago. I’d like to think I had something to do with that, but it was all Jim. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

The Patriots decided to go all-in with Tom Brady, who despite his fumble in the playoffs had a very good season and a bright future. New England traded away former franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe to New Orleans for a 2003 first round pick.

2002 NFL Draft

David Carr and Julius Peppers were projected to go 1-2 and that’s exactly what they did. Carr was the first pick for the brand-new Houston Texans while Peppers was staying in North Carolina and joining new coach John Fox on the Panthers.

Other notable picks late in the first round included Tampa Bay snagging Florida State wideout Javon Walker, pairing him with Keyshawn Johnson, Green Bay taking cornerback Mike Rumph, and Chicago picking up Lito Sheppard to bolster their secondary. Baltimore and New England made a trade late in the first round. Baltimore moved back two spots and took Boston College tackle Marc Colombo, who had a very good career anchoring the right side of their line. As far as New England, their pick would go on to be a household name.

We have a trade to report here on ESPN. Looks like Baltimore and New England are making a move. Baltimore is trading back two spots from 24 to 26 and in return getting a 3rd this year and a 5th in 2003 for their troubles. Chris Berman, 2002 NFL Draft

With the 24th pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Ed Reed, Safety from the University of Miami. Paul Tagliabue, NFL Commissioner, at the 2002 NFL Draft.

I like this pick for New England a lot. They paid a price to move up, but they get a guy who made a TON of plays in Miami. Every time the Hurricanes needed a play, Reed stepped up. The guy has a nose for the ball and I’m eager to see how Bill Belichick lines him up this season. Mel Kiper, ESPN Draft Analyst, during the 2002 NFL Draft.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

2002 Regular Season

The one constant in the NFL is that there are no constants. In a league with a hard salary cap, a draft, and weighted scheduling, it is very hard to build a team that stays on top for more than a few seasons at a time. Even if a team does everything right, nails every draft pick and free agency signing and hires all the right coaches, injuries and other unforeseen things still rear their ugly head. Football is a physical sport and no one is immune.

So it was right off the bat. Week 1, the defending Super Bowl champs St. Louis Rams were in Denver to open the year vs the Broncos.

Warner back to pass…he’s under pressure. Down he goes! Trevor Pryce with the sack and Saint Louis will have to punt. Pat Summerall, Fox play-by-play announcer.

Warner’s not getting up Pat. Take a look at this replay…oh, his knee. John Madden, Fox color announcer.

You hate to see that John. Here comes the cart. Pat Summerall.

Here’s hoping Warner’s not out for a long time, but it doesn’t look good. John Madden.

The worst fears of Rams fans were quickly confirmed – a torn ACL would end Kurt Warner’s season before it ever really got going. The Rams would stay afloat under the play of backup Marc Bulger, but injuries to Marshall Faulk, Dre’ Bly and Tommy Polley meant the Rams finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. Bulger was good but not good enough to overcome the injuries.

Elsewhere in the NFC the Buccaneers seemed to have new life on offense. Keyshawn Johnson and 2002 first round pick Javon Walker were a dangerous duo on the outside and the Bucs offense, which was fairly listless under former coach Tony Dungy, was more than capable of winning some games on its own. The fearsome Bucs defense from years past was still a force to be reckoned with. Tampa’s only problem was a lack of focus – they lost a few games they shouldn’t have and won a few games vs also-rans by closer scores than was expected. Still, they won the NFC South and punched a ticket to the postseason.

Speaking of Tony Dungy, he landed on his feet in Indianapolis. Peyton Manning had a very nice season behind Dungy’s quiet leadership. Throwing to weapons like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne helps any quarterback.

Ed Reed hit the ground running, and with him and Lawyer Milloy the Patriots secondary became the best in football. Tom Brady didn’t repeat his Pro Bowl performance from the year before, but was the proverbial “good enough to win with” quarterback as New England won the AFC East by a game over the Jets.

All eyes were on Oakland. The fact that owner Al Davis and head coach Jon Gruden could barely tolerate each other on a good day was the worst-kept secret in the NFL.

Al would come in and sit on a gameplan meeting on Saturdays that year. Jon and Marc Trestman would be installing the offense. We ran a modified West Coast Offense, and Al hated that. Al wanted vertical passing, not the “chickenshit” stuff that we ran. He’d sit in on the meetings and after a few plays were installed he’d just get up and storm out, muttering under his breath all the while. Jon would look at the door, smile a bit, and keep on with the meeting. And we’d win, so Al was happy. Everyone in the building knew the regular season was a warm-up for the playoffs anyway. “Know When to Walk Away,” by Rich Gannon.

The Raiders, despite (or perhaps because of?) the tension in the building finished a very respectable 11-5 and snagged the AFC’s #2 seed, one game behind Tennessee.

Yeah, we weren’t thrilled about getting the two instead of the one seed, but at the same time we weren’t losing any sleep over it. No one got hurt – bet St. Louis wishes they could say that! – and we were clicking on offense. I really enjoyed working with both Marc Trestman and especially Jim Harbaugh. Those two understood exactly what I could and couldn’t do and built me an offense that fit better than a custom suit. I wouldn’t have won the MVP that year without them. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

AFC Playoff Teams

1. Tennessee Titans
2. Oakland Raiders
3. New England Patriots
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Indianapolis Colts
6. New York Jets

NFC Playoff Teams

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. New York Giants
6. Atlanta Falcons

MVP --> Rich Gannon, Raiders
Offensive Player of the Year --> Rich Gannon, Raiders
Defensive Player of the Year --> Brian Dawkins, Eagles
Coach of the Year --> Andy Reid, Eagles
Offensive Rookie of the Year --> Javon Walker, Buccaneers
Defensive Rookie of the Year --> Ed Reed, Patriots

Note: This is my last update for the year. I want to thank everyone for reading/commenting and wish everyone a safe and healthy New Year! See you all in 2019 for the 2002 Playoffs/Super Bowl!

 

[Curtain Jerker]

Note: Long one today, but the words kept flowing so I just sorta rolled with it. Hope everyone had a good New Year!

2002 Postseason

The postseason nearly started with a bang. The three-seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost blew a 14-point halftime lead to the scrappy Atlanta Falcons before a late field goal helped Tampa advance. The Buccaneers had been playing with fire all season long and a close win over a somewhat over-matched Falcons team (Vegas had Tampa Bay as a 7.5 point favorite before kickoff) didn’t inspire confidence in the Sunshine State.

We gotta play better. We won, and that’s the goal, but we left some plays out there on the field today. Derrick Brooks, Bucs linebacker, to the press in the locker room after the game.

We have some kinks to work out, but I’m confident with this group of guys here in the room we’ll be ok in the long run. Brad Johnson, Bucs quarterback, to the press after the game.

Elsewhere on Wild Card Weekend the Niners took care of business vs the Giants, the Colts upset the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and the Patriots won a close one vs the Jets.

Not to say we were looking past the Jets because we certainly weren’t, but everyone in this room knew that if we won today we’d get another shot vs the Raiders. That was a big motivating factor for guys. Tom Brady, Patriots quarterback, in the locker room after his team’s 17-14 win over the visiting Jets.

The difference between this year and last year? Easy: I wasn’t here last year. Ed Reed, Patriots safety.

For my money the Divisional Round is the best weekend of the year in the NFL. The wheat is fully separated from the chaff as only the best of the best make it to the second round – either by virtue of getting a bye or by virtue of winning a playoff game a week ago. The 2002 Divisional Round lived up to its billing.

The Bucs righted the ship late vs the Eagles when Javon Walker caught a huge third down pass to keep an eventual touchdown drive alive. Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb’s offense managed to keep the Bucs D off balance all night, but the host Eagles lost a heartbreaker 21-17 when Tampa scored a touchdown with 4 minutes left and held on despite a furious Eagles rally that got them all the way to the Tampa 6 yard line before Warren Sapp sacked McNabb on 4th and goal with seconds left. The sack was pretty much the only black mark on McNabb’s afternoon – he was 21 of 30 for 247 yards and two scores, with his only interception being a meaningless Hail Mary at the end of the first half.

Man it sucks to lose that game today, but as much as it hurts sometimes the other team was just a little bit better. I won’t sleep well all offseason long. Donovan McNabb, Eagles quarterback.

Brett Favre and the Packers beat the Niners at Lambeau Field by a score of 31-21. Rookie Mike Rumph had a pick and two passes defended from his safety spot as Favre finished with four touchdowns. Green Bay would host Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game the following weekend.

The Titans took care of business at home, winning 21-13. Peyton Manning had four interceptions, including three in the second half. Tennessee not only got to host the AFC Championship Game, but since their game was on that Saturday they got an extra day off to heal their bumps and bruises as well.

The marquee game for the weekend was undoubtedly New England at Oakland. The two teams had already played once this season with New England eking out a 21-20 win in Oakland in prime time back in mid October. Both Tim Brown and Charles Woodson missed that game with minor injuries however, so it wasn’t a true test of each team’s abilities. No one of any significance was injured going into this game.

The last time these two teams met in the playoffs it was a defensive slugfest. Oakland won 13-10 after Charles Woodson forced a Tom Brady fumble late in the fourth quarter.

This game was pretty much the exact opposite. Instead of snowy Foxboro, MA the game was in Oakland, CA which had a kickoff temperature of 48 degrees – cool but hardly cold. Instead of a defensive struggle where both teams couldn’t move the ball it was a shootout. Tom Brady was masterful. He was 34 of 41 for four touchdowns and zero interceptions, and even picked up two first downs with his feet.

As good as Brady was, Rich Gannon was a little bit better. He had five touchdowns of his own and was carving up the otherwise stout Patriots defense.

We felt like we had something to prove. All year long the Patriots were complaining about being robbed in the playoffs because they should have gotten the ball back after Woodson’s hit. I thought that was bullshit and so did everyone else in our building – we went to their stadium and beat them fair and square. I’ve never been as locked as I was during that game – it honestly felt like a seven-on-seven drill at times. Our offense was absolutely clicking on all cylinders. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

Oakland won a shootout 35-32 and would head to Tennessee to play the Titans for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

The game was a mismatch. Oakland carried all the momentum from their win and Tennessee never really had a chance. It was 17-0 after one quarter and 24-0 at the half. Tennessee made a second-half charge but it was too little, too late as Oakland won their second straight AFC Championship 31-17.

Over in the NFC, Tampa Bay’s defense stymied Favre and the Packers offense and the Bucs coasted to a relatively easy 20-6 win on the road. It was student vs mentor as Bill Callahan would face his old boss Jon Gruden in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.

It was surreal, being back in the Super Bowl. It was even more surreal facing Coach Callahan’s team once we got there. All of us who were on the team in 2001 knew what losing a Super Bowl felt like and none of us wanted to feel that way ever again. My fondest memory is sitting in the hotel meeting room that Saturday afternoon with Coach Harbaugh and Barrett Robbins and the three of us just shooting the breeze as we went over the gameplan one last time. Everyone was locked in. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

Every year the Super Bowl is a must-see event. But for the second straight season, the game itself was must-see. Tampa struck first and finished the first quarter up 7-0 on a Javon Walker touchdown. Oakland would strike back on a Charlie Gardner run and both teams would head to the locker room tied at ten.

I didn’t even have a chance to sit down at my locker when Coach Harbaugh pulled me aside. “Rich, you are opening your shoulder too early on deep throws” he told me. I had no idea, but I trusted him. At this point he knew my mechanics better than I did so I trusted him. It must have worked as I was way more comfortable throwing in the second half. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

Comfortable or not, Gannon and the Raiders offense still had trouble moving the ball on the vaunted Tampa Bay defense. But they eventually found paydirt late in the third quarter and took a 17-10 lead. Tampa would tie it up midway through the fourth quarter.

As the offense took the field I turned to Jerry [Rice] and Tim [Brown] and looked at them as the offense huddled up. “We all know this is our last chance to win with Jon as the coach, but more than that, we’re in the Super Bowl. Play our game and we’re scoring seven here and we’ll be champions.” Barrett Robbins looked at me in the huddle and said with a huge smile, “We’ll give you all the time you need Rich, just don’t fuck up.” “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

Oakland marched down the field (picking up two big third downs) and scored a go-ahead touchdown with a minute left. It was a mirror situation to last year’s Super Bowl. Tampa had one last gasp but a Charles Woodson deflection on fourth down sealed the Super Bowl for Jon Gruden and his Oakland Raiders.

When that ball hit the field and we were gonna win I swear I blacked out for a second. I was so overwhelmed with emotion and joy. You work all your life for a goal and to finally get there…I won’t forget this feeling ever. Tim Brown, on the field after the game.

We were all in the locker room celebrating with champagne and taking pictures with these cheap Kodak disposable cameras and Al Davis walked in. Without saying a word, he walked up to a soaked Jon Gruden and gave him the biggest hug. I could see the tears in Al’s eyes as he muttered something to Jon. He then walked out smiling from ear to ear. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

What did Al Davis tell you after you won? Melissa Stark, ABC reporter in the locker room after the above exchange.

Something I’ll never forget, but it was just for the two of us. Jon Gruden, Super Bowl winning coach.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

2003 Off-season/Draft

The day after we won the Super Bowl my cellphone rang. It was like ten am or so, so I was already up, but I was hungover from the champagne on the flight back to Oakland. I was in bed just trying to recover when I answered the phone. It was a Dallas area code. Big mistake talking to Jerry Jones hungover. BIG mistake. “You Negotiate Like a Girl” by Raiders CEO Amy Trask.

I can confirm that Jerry Jones has reached out to Al Davis and the Raiders to gauge their level of interest in trading head coach Jon Gruden to Dallas. The Cowboys still haven’t filled their head coaching vacancy after firing Dave Campo and Jerry’s had his eyes on Gruden ever since the regular season ended some five weeks ago. Ed Werder, ESPN Dallas-based reporter, on Sportscenter the Monday after the Super Bowl.

There’s a quote about former American President Teddy Roosevelt told by his daughter that the former President wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding and the baby at every christening. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was much the same person. If he wasn’t the center of attention in the NFL he wasn’t doing something right in his opinion.

Sometimes being the center of attention backfired – like when he fired Jimmy Johnson in the mid 1990s. Other times it worked to his team’s benefit – like when he targeted Jon Gruden fresh off winning a Super Bowl.

Jerry Jones wanted Jon Gruden. Al Davis wanted to give Jerry Jones Jon Gruden because despite winning a Super Bowl, Al still wouldn’t pay him more. The issue is that Jerry and Al are two of the largest egos in the world, so each wanted to “win” the deal. How do you establish the value of a head coach? Quarterbacks, linemen, receivers, they’d all been traded since Day One, so we had some idea what they were worth. But a coach? We were just sort of flying blind. “You Negotiate Like a Girl” by Amy Trask.

Eventually the two sides agreed on a deal. Oakland would trade Gruden to Dallas and Dallas would ink him to a five year, 20 million dollar contract (fully guaranteed). In return, Dallas gave up first round picks in the 2003 and 2004 draft and Oakland had the right to swap first round picks with Dallas in the 2005 and 2006 drafts if the Cowboys had a worse record than the Raiders at the end of the year. It was a king’s ransom, but Jerry Jones felt that Gruden was worth every penny.

Offensive Coordinator Marc Trestman was promoted to head coach. Gruden took Quarterbacks Coach Jim Harbaugh with him to Dallas and made him the Dallas OC.

There was one more domino to fall in Oakland.

I had been in pain for a little bit. My left arm would tingle a little bit and I had aches and pains – no different than any other 37-year-old football player. I had accomplished so much in the NFL: I played for fifteen years, won a MVP and a Super Bowl. I was blessed with all that plus a great wife and two kids who are the light of my life. I had nothing left to prove and with Coach Gruden and Harbaugh leaving, I felt it was the perfect time to walk away from the NFL. “Know When to Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

Gannon’s retirement left a void under center. Backup Marques Tuiasosopo was highly touted but still raw. He’d progressed under the Raiders for two seasons, but it was a far cry from being good on the practice fields in August and good under the lights in the fall. However, with the extra first rounder from Dallas (it was the 4th overall pick) maybe Oakland could find their signal-caller of the future?

As far as the rest of the off-season: Tampa Bay brought most of its stars back. The Bucs were hungry after getting so close to a ring it wasn’t hard to convince the few free agents to sign short-term deals to try and run it all back in 2003.

San Diego released former Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison. He was quickly scooped up by New England, who released Lawyer Milloy to make room. Milloy latched on to Chicago, where he would be paired with Mike Brown at safety.

Gruden and Harbaugh needed a quarterback. Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter split duties under center in 2002 for the ‘Boys. Carter was young enough to maybe be something in the NFL, but an upgrade was needed. Dallas would draft Chris Simms in the third round of the upcoming draft to hopefully up the skill level in the quarterback room.

2003 Draft

Cincinnati took Carson Palmer first overall in the draft. He was a sure thing as far as a prospect and hopefully he would help revive the moribund franchise. After that pick…well, chaos.

We have a trade. Oakland is trading the Dallas pick (#4 overall) and two future second round picks to Houston for the Texans’ second overall pick. Sources tell me Dallas is going to draft Michigan State All-American wide receiver Charles Rogers. We all know how much Al Davis loves speed, and Rogers has speed to burn. Mel Kiper, draft analyst.

After Palmer and Rogers, Chicago took Miami wideout Andre Johnson. Houston snagged corner Terrance Newman, and Detroit took Dewayne Robertson to round out the top five. New England, picking six by virtue of their trade with New Orleans the year before, reached a bit and took cornerback Marcus Trufant.

Other notable picks were Pittsburgh taking Terrell Suggs and Baltimore taking USC safety Troy Polamalu. Dallas took Charles Tillman early in the second, and Minnesota took cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha late in the first round after trading back a few spots.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

Note: And we're back! Took a few much-needed days off to clear my head. I'm going to try and put out 2-3 updates a week from here on out instead of the one a day pace I was setting before. As always, thanks for reading and any comments are more than welcome!

2003 Regular Season

America’s Team was back in the limelight. They debuted their brand-new coaching staff Week 1 on Monday Night Football vs divisional rivals Philadelphia.

It is one thing to say in April and May “This may take a few years to work, but we're all ok with that.” It is another thing to get whipped on Monday Night Football. Jerry wasn’t happy at all about the start of the season, but Jon, to his credit, walked into the situation with eyes wide open. I remember a quick lunch we had during the preseason. Jon told me (off the record of course, but I’ve talked to him since then and he said I could use this conversation for this book) that it would take a “few years” to get Dallas back to competitive. The cupboard was that bare. “Covering the Rodeo: Jerry, Jon, and What Went Right (and Wrong) in Dallas” by Ed Werder, ESPN. Published 2013.

The Cowboys stumbled out of the gate under Quincy Carter, starting the season 1-5. Jerry Jones, never a patient man, was understandably unhappy. But he avoided any of his typical outbursts and grumbling to the media. Jerry said all the right things publicly. Privately, he threatened to fire Jon Gruden at least three times.

Dallas rebounded after that rough start. Quincy Carter found something of a groove and even when he missed two games in November rookie Chris Simms wasn’t a deer in the headlights. The Dallas offense started to gel under Gruden and his first-year offensive coordinator Jim Harbaugh. Dallas finished the season a very respectable 7-9 – not bad at all considering they were left for dead by Columbus Day.

Both New England and Tampa Bay picked up where they left off a year ago. The Patriots, under the leadership of budding superstar Ed Red, had a ferocious defense, and quarterback Tom Brady was starting to develop as well. They steamrolled through the AFC and finished the season 13-3, including a revenge win at home vs Oakland 31-14. The Bucs finished a very professional 11-5, snagging the NFC’s #2 seed.

Oakland, well…at least they won a Super Bowl right? Marc Trestman had big shoes to fill when Jon Gruden was traded to Dallas and while he didn’t fill those shoes, he at least held his own. In fairness to Trestman it was unlikely that Vince Lombardi in his prime could have dragged that Raiders team to the playoffs. Charles Rogers was the Raiders lone bright spot as the rookie from Michigan State had 1,170 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on top of the yardage. The Raiders were quite frankly lucky to finish 5-11.

The Rams rebounded in a big way. All the development Marc Bulger had in 2002 when he was thrown to the wolves after Kurt Warner’s injury paid off in a big way as he led the Rams offense. The “Greatest Show on Turf” was back in a big way under Bulger. It was sort of ironic that Warner originally got his shot with the Rams when Trent Green was hurt. Now it was Warner who was the one getting replaced after an injury by a young hotshot backup quarterback. Torry Holt was masterful as he lead the league in completions, yardage, and touchdowns.

Baltimore made up for trading away the pick that would become Ed Reed by developing rookie Troy Polamalu from USC into one of the league’s best safeties. He and Reed were different types of safeties – Reed was more of the pass-defending center fielder type who could also play wideouts tight in coverage, while Polamalu was a run-stuffer who was just at home in the box as he was laying hits over the middle. Both coaching staffs used their safeties in creative ways. Patriots coach Bill Belichick would sometimes have Reed play as a corner and have his corners play deep to confuse offensives, while Ravens coach Brian Billick's blitzes with Polamalu were a thing of beauty in their own regard. Both players were special in their own ways and both would be Pro Bowlers for years to come.

AFC Playoff Teams

1. New England Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Denver Broncos
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. Miami Dolphins

NFC Playoff Teams

1. St. Louis Rams
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Chicago Bears

MVP --> Peyton Manning, Colts
Offensive Player of the Year --> Torry Holt, Rams
Defensive Player of the Year --> Brian Urlacher, Bears
Coach of the Year --> Bill Belichick, Patriots
Offensive Rookie of the Year --> Charles Rogers, Raiders
Defensive Rookie of the Year --> Terrell Suggs, Steelers

 

[Curtain Jerker]

2003 Postseason

The Chicago Bears only got into the playoffs via a tiebreaker when Minnesota blew a 14 point lead in the second half to the Cowboys on the last day of the season. They were barely a playoff-worthy team (they finished 9-7 with a negative point differential) and it showed. Chicago was mauled by Green Bay 31-14 in a game that was essentially over at the half when Green Bay was up 28-7. The only highlight for Bears fans was an interception return for a touchdown by Mike Brown late in the third quarter.

Steve Mariucci and quarterback Jeff Garcia shocked the Philadelphia Eagles by winning an ugly defensive struggle 17-14 in Philly. Philly had a chance to tie it up late but David Akers’ kick to send the game into overtime was blocked at the line before it hit the upright only to bounce back on the field.

Elsewhere on Wild Card Weekend, Peyton Manning and the Colts carved up the Miami Dolphins in the Hoosier Dome. Manning had four touchdowns (two each to Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison) as Indy cruised to a comfortable 34-23 win that wasn’t even that close. It took two Miami touchdowns well into garbage time for the Dolphins to even come that close.

The best game on Wild Card Weekend was surely the Denver Broncos winning a 28-27 shootout over the Kansas City Chiefs. Jake Plummer, building on his reputation from years in Arizona, led a comeback and with literally no time on the clock found rookie wideout Nate Burleson in the back of the end zone. The game featured no less than four lead changes in the second half alone.

Wow that was crazy! I’ve never been part of a game like that before. Games like that are why I came here to the Broncos in the first place. Just a fun fun time and we’re looking forward to playing the Patriots, they’re a great team but you know what, we are a great team too. Jake Plummer on the field after the Broncos playoff win.

Jake the Snake certainly came to play when the Broncos visited Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. Unfortunately for Plummer, his teammates, and the state of Colorado, Tom Brady was just a little bit better. 2003 was something of a coming out party for Brady – he build on his success the year before, increasing his yardage, completion percentage and touchdowns thrown. Brady was starting to enter the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL. The Patriots won 24-21 when Brady marched his Patriots down the field to set up a game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter.

I was sitting in the press box when Tom Brady got rocked in the 4th quarter by Reggie Hayward. My mind flashed back to that playoff game vs Oakland where he fumbled when Woodson sacked him. Same type of hit too. But not only did he not fumble, he got up and started jawing back to Hayward. He then marched down the field and the Pats won the game. I really feel that Brady grew up that game. The old Tom Brady would have shrunk under the pressure – this one didn’t. Bob Ryan, Boston Globe.

Indy went into Baltimore and drove the dagger into the heart of the fearsome Ravens defense that won a Super Bowl a few short years before. Peyton Manning and the Colts put up 35 points on the Ravens, who had no answers on defense. Indy would visit New England for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Over in the NFC it was chalk. The Rams beat the Niners but San Francisco made a good show of it before losing 27-23. Tampa Bay was rested and used that week off to beat the Packers 21-6. Brett Favre threw three bad picks as Monte Kiffin of the Bucs disguised his coverages beautifully vs the veteran Packers quarterback.

That same Bucs defense would rule the day in the NFC Championship Game. Tampa was nearly perfect on defense, allowing only 10 points to the high powered Rams offense. The lone Rams touchdown was only because a special teams turnover left the Rams a short field. The Bucs offense more than did their part as Tampa went into Saint Louis and won 20-10. The Buccaneers were going back to the Super Bowl for the second straight season.

It is crazy man, just crazy. We worked so hard and now we have to finish the job we couldn’t do last year! Javon Walker on the field after the game.

Over in New England, the Colts were riding high. They had the league's best offense all season long. They had an MVP quarterback, two stud wideouts, and a good running back in Edgerrin James. Vegas only had them a two-point underdog and they were only a dog because the game was in New England.

None of that mattered. Manning was a disaster. He threw four picks including two to Ed Reed. Head coach Bill Belichick moved Reed all over the chessboard. Sometimes he played him on the line of scrimmage vs a slot receiver, sometimes he played him deep over the middle, sometimes both on the same play.

I’ve never seen a player cover the way Reed did today. He was brilliant. Makes my job a lot easier, that’s for sure. Romeo Crennel, Patriots defensive coordinator.

New England won 21-7 and would face Tampa in the Super Bowl. It was Tampa’s second straight appearance in the big game and the second appearance in three years for the Patriots. Each franchise was looking for their first-ever championship.

Sports isn’t fair sometimes. Brady played great all season long. The only reason the Patriots were even in the Super Bowl was because of how good he played in the playoffs vs Denver and Indy. I felt bad for the kid, I really did, because while he wasn’t bad, he wasn’t exactly good either – but he was facing one of the best defenses of all time! Sometimes the other players make great plays and that’s what happened. Brady would have to hear all summer long about how he “choked” and that’s not fair to the kid. Bob Ryan, Boston Globe.

Brady was…ok. He was never comfortable in the pocket and had to rush the majority of his throws. Monte Kiffin, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and John Lynch made sure Brady was never comfortable. It was an impossible situation for the Patriots quarterback. It was a minor miracle that Brady only threw one interception to be honest.

However, that pick came at the absolute worst time. New England was down by four late in the game and Brady finally managed to string a drive together for the first time all half when he was picked off by John Lynch on a rushed throw. Tampa would take a few knees and win the title 17-13. The enduring image of the field wasn’t the victorious Buccaneers being showered in confetti. It was Tom Brady, sitting alone on a bench on the Patriots sideline long after players started to walk to the locker room after the final gun sounded. Brady looked like the loneliest person in the world til Ed Reed came up and said a few words to him.

I walked up to Tom and put my arm around him and told him I loved him. And I mean it. Tom’s a warrior and I love him. I promise you and everyone we’ll be back and we’ll win. Ed Reed, to Armen Keteyian of CBS after the game.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

A little down time at the office gave me some time to write - don't tell my boss A few massive changes, especially with the quarterbacks at the top of the 2004 Draft.

As always, thanks for reading/liking/commenting!

2004 Off-Season/Draft

Lovie Smith’s promotion from defensive coordinator to head coach was long overdue. He probably should have been hired an off-season or two ago. But better late than never right? New Orleans tabbed Smith to be their head man, hoping that his defensive acumen combined with the still-effective Drew Bledsoe would help march the Saints back into the playoffs. Armed with a top five pick in the upcoming draft the arrow was pointing up for New Orleans.

There were rumblings out of Chicago that the Bears were looking to fire Dick Jauron and hire Smith themselves, but they couldn’t fire a coach who led his team to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, no matter how they got there. Jauron’s job was safe for 2004 but to say his position was shaky going into the upcoming season was an understatement.

Saint Louis had two years left on Kurt Warner’s contract, but instead of trading him like New England did Drew Bledsoe a few years ago and handing the car keys to Marc Bulger, they decided to keep Warner as a backup.

I’m glad we decided to keep Kurt. Him being on the roster makes me a better player and a better person too – plus our wives like each other and anything that keeps the wife happy keeps me happy! Marc Bulger to St. Louis radio station KMOX, May 2004

After the Steve Spurrier experiment failed and the coach went back to the college ranks (he landed at Alabama), the Redskins were also in the market for a new coach. They tried to get retired legend Joe Gibbs back on the sideline but he begged off, citing responsibilities with his NASCAR team and how happy he was in retirement. Washington settled on former Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin, who had been the target of their division rivals in New York. The Giants hired Norv Turner.

The draft was projected to be quarterback heavy at the top. Several of the players picked at the top went on to have very successful careers. New Orleans had the first overall pick and ran to the podium to choose Eli Manning – son of Saints legend Archie Manning. It wasn’t just a nostalgia pick either – Eli was the consensus top quarterback and incumbent Drew Bledsoe only had one year remaining on his contract. The plan was for Eli to sit and learn and take over from 2005 going forward.

New York paired NC State quarterback Philip Rivers with their offensively-minded new head coach. Washington took Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona took Sean Taylor, and Oakland drafted Kellen Winslow to pair with promising second-year player Charles Rogers in the passing game. The Cowboys made a trade on draft day when a bad combine performance caused Ben Roethlisberger to slide down the draft board. He was sitting there at #19 when Dallas traded next year’s first rounder (either theirs or Oakland’s, depending on the swap from when Gruden was traded to Dallas) and two future second round picks for the Miami of Ohio standout.

I couldn’t believe a player of his caliber was still sitting there. Who cares if he had a bad combine – we’re not asking him to bench press or run a 40, we’re asking him to win football games. This guy knows how to win! Jon Gruden, head coach of the Cowboys, to ESPN at the draft.

Later in the draft, Philly took defensive end Will Smith, Chicago took halfback Steven Jackson, Minnesota nabbed Vince Wilfork, and New England took Jonathan Vilma. The stage was set for the 2004 season.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

2004 Regular Season

Drew is our quarterback. Saints coach Lovie Smith, after Week 3 when asked about rookie Eli Manning possibly playing over incumbent Drew Bledsoe. He'd repeat that mantra every time he was asked that season about playing Eli Manning.

Lovie Smith made New Orleans' no-name defense competitive right away. He brought his Tampa 2 but made a significant change due to the personnel he had in Louisiana. Instead of a traditional 4-3, Lovie pretty much ran his defense out of a base nickel but would often play three safeties instead of three corners if the situation called for it. His new “Bayou 2” defense kept the Saints in most games – they only lost by 14+ points twice, once to the Patriots in Foxborough and the other at home vs Mike Vick and the Falcons.

The Saints were undermanned though and Drew Bledsoe was just good enough to be annoying to Saints fans. He wasn’t bad enough to merit a benching but he wasn’t good enough to actually win very many games. That being said, New Orleans finished a respectable 7-9 overall and won two of the last three in convincing fashion over the Jets and the Buccaneers.

The cracks were starting to show in Tampa. Back in the 1980s, Lakers coach Pat Riley wrote about “The Disease of More” when teams would win a title. Every championship team ever – in any sport – had players who put their own interests and goals aside to help the team win. However, Riley wrote, many times those players wanted more – more playing time, more publicity, and especially more money. It was also harder to motivate players who were already champs than it was to motivate those who weren’t. This effect, combined with an aging roster and a laissez-faire coaching staff, meant the Bucs finished an underwhelming 8-8 and missed the playoffs for the first time in years.

It was Carolina, on the backs of all-world pass rusher Julius Peppers, who won the NFC South with a 10-6 record. Peppers was seemingly in the backfield on every snap and even held up well in the run game.

The bottom fell out for Chicago. They were a mirage the year before despite making the playoffs and in 2004 their offense fell apart. Head coach Dick Jauron was fired after a bad Thanksgiving Day loss at Dallas dropped them to 3-8 on the season.

Ben Roethlisberger won the Cowboys starting job in Week 6 (after the bye) and didn’t look back. Under him Dallas would win six of their last seven games and snag a wild card spot. Jon Gruden and Jim Harbaugh were back in the playoffs for the first time since winning the Super Bowl in their final game as Raiders.

We're on a roll right now, playing with a ton of confidence, and I feel that with the players we have here on this team there's no one in the NFC who can stop us! Ben Roethlisberger, on the field after a Week 17 win vs the Giants got Dallas into the playoffs.

Larry Fitzgerald lived up to his high draft pick and made an immediate impact on the Redskins. Philip Rivers was uneven for the Giants, throwing for 248 yards and three scores in Week 11 vs the aforementioned Skins (Fitz had 11 catches and 132 yards in that game) then following it up with a four-pick game in Week 12 vs the Eagles. Such was life for most rookie quarterbacks.

Over in the AFC, New England keep on rolling, easily winning the AFC East…again. Oakland was still bad but Charles Rogers was one of the best wideouts in the NFL. He had over a thousand yards receiving for the second straight year - no small feat given the hodgepodge of quarterbacks getting him the ball. Baltimore rebuilt their defense around Ray Lewis and Troy Polamalu and won the North.

AFC Playoff Teams

1. New England Patriots
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Denver Broncos
6. Jacksonville Jaguars

NFC Playoff Teams

1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Saint Louis Rams
5. Dallas Cowboys
6. Atlanta Falcons

MVP --> Peyton Manning, Colts
Offensive Player of the Year --> LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
Defensive Player of the Year --> Ed Reed, Patriots
Coach of the Year --> John Fox, Panthers
Offensive Rookie of the Year --> Larry Fitzgerald, Redskins
Defensive Rookie of the Year --> Sean Taylor, Cardinals

 

[Curtain Jerker]

2004 Postseason

It is tough to say whether “momentum” truly matters in the NFL. There are examples of teams closing the season on a hot streak and falling flat on their face. There are examples of teams backing their way into the playoffs and going on a run. The truth is each situation is different.

That being said, the Cowboys picked right up where they left off when the season ended. They went into the Edward Jones Dome and continued their stellar play. Saint Louis was more than game though and it was a back and forth offensive explosion all afternoon. The game was tied 31-all with about three minutes when Dallas rookie sensation Ben Roethlisberger drove his Cowboys 74 yards for a game-winning field goal with only seconds left.

Man, Ben really is something special. Some of those plays he made out there today you can’t coach. Some guys have an instinct for winning football and he’s one of em. Head coach Jon Gruden, on the field after the Cowboys 34-31 win.

Carolina beat Atlanta both times the two teams met in the regular season. Atlanta would flip the script behind the arm (and especially legs) of quarterback Michael Vick. Vick was masterful, keeping the Carolina defense off-balance all night. Atlanta made just enough plays to escape with a 17-14 win. It was ugly, no doubt about it, but an ugly win is always better than any loss.

Over in the AFC, Denver beat Baltimore and San Diego routed Jacksonville. The Chargers had been quietly playing quality football over the last six weeks or so and Jacksonville just didn’t have the weapons to keep up with Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson. The latter had three touchdowns – two via Brees passes – as the Chargers won 28-6.

It was déjà vu all over again as Denver went into Gillette Stadium to face the Patriots for the second consecutive postseason. Unfortunately for Broncos fans, the song did indeed remain the same as the Pats won 28-24. Tom Brady had three touchdowns and no interceptions as he was barely bothered all day. His offensive line held the Denver pass rush in check.

Gotta give credit to the big guys up front. Look at this jersey. You don’t see any grass on it – because I was never hit. That’s why we won today. Tom Brady, on the field after the win. His jersey was indeed spotless.

Philadelphia ended Atlanta’s ride but it was a struggle early. Atlanta took a 14-7 lead into the locker room at half. After the halftime it was like Philly was a whole new team – they scored 21 unanswered (all Donovan McNabb touchdowns) to win 28-14.

Philly took care of business at home. The same can’t be said for Green Bay. Dallas went into Lambeau Field on a cold day (air temp of 21 degrees) and won a tough win 20-17. Neither offense did a lot on the cold day but Roethlisberger did just enough with his legs to move the chains late in the second half. The enduring image of this game was after Roethlisberger got crunched by Packers safety Mike Rumph on a scramble late, it was the quarterback who sprung to his feet and helped the safety up. Not something you see every day, but a 250 lb quarterback also isn’t something you see every day either.

It was a Sunday of upsets as Drew Brees took his Chargers into the RCA Dome in downtown Indianapolis and outplayed league MVP Peyton Manning. Manning and Brees finished 1-2 in MVP voting but today Brees was the better man. Manning had another playoff letdown as he threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter to help San Diego come away with a 24-17 win.

The stage was set for the NFC and AFC Championship games. Dallas would travel to Philly (the two teams had split on the year – each winning at home) and San Diego would fly cross-country to suburban Boston to face the top-seeded Patriots.

Sometimes it is your year. Sometimes it’s not. It was certainly the Cowboys’ year as they went into Philly and won the NFC 20-17. It was a slugfest of a football game, each team trading haymakers. Ben Roethlisberger took a shot from Brian Dawkins in the third quarter that had the Cowboys quarterback reeling and was so violent that backup Chris Sims quickly got loose on the sidelines. Fortunately for Dallas, their defense was on the field for a while the next drive which gave Roethlisberger enough time to get treated and get back on the field without missing a snap. He was clearly moving gingerly but was good enough to keep the Cowboys in the game late.

I’ve never been hit that hard in my life. I think maybe he broke a rib or something, I guess we’ll see what the X-Ray says. But there’s no way I’m not playing in the Super Bowl. Ben Roethlisberger, to the press after the game before he got the aforementioned X-rays.

The good news is that Roethlisberger didn’t have a broken rib. The bad news was that one of his ribs was cracked. Fortunately for the Cowboys the extra week off between the conference championship game and the Super Bowl meant that Roethlisberger should be able to play, albeit uncomfortably.

New England beat a very game San Diego squad 28-27. Tom Brady led the winning touchdown drive with 2:04 left and two timeouts. He was cool under pressure, helping dispel the whispers from postseasons past that he wasn’t a “big game player,” whatever that meant.

The stage was set for New England to get a measure of revenge vs Jon Gruden. He’d beaten them as the Oakland coach in both the 2001 and 2002 postseasons. Would the third time be the charm for New England against Gruden?

In a word, yes. Roethlisberger’s cracked ribs were clearly hampering him. He wasn’t his usual mobile self and the flak jacket he wore under his uniform clearly affected him. He took it off midway through the second quarter and played better, but by then it was too little, too late.

Cowboys fans would ask themselves all off-season “what might have been” if Roethlisberger wasn’t hurt. The question is obviously unanswerable, but even setting aside the injured Dallas quarterback New England was clearly the better team. Brady let out years of frustration and playoff failures and was surgical, bouncing back from an early tipped interception to throw three touchdowns. The Patriots won 31-14 and as confetti fell Tom Brady and Ed Reed, the two leaders of the team, shared a long hug and a few words.

What did you and Ed Reed talk about? Pam Oliver, Fox reporter, to Brady after the game

I thanked him. I had a rough Super Bowl last year and he told me after that game that he still believed in me no matter what. That meant a lot and I wanted to thank him once we won. I’m overjoyed I could help win a Super Bowl for a guy like Ed Reed and everyone else in that room. It’s pretty special. Tom Brady, tears in his eyes, to Pam Oliver after the game.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

Note: Happy Friday all! Had a little bit of fun putting this one together, I hope you like it. Thanks as always for reading/liking/commenting!

2005 Off-Season/Draft

Ever since Chicago fired Dick Jauron the day after Thanksgiving rumor had it that they would look to bring in Dallas offensive coordinator (and former Bears quarterback) Jim Harbaugh in to be their next head coach. The two sides had agreed in principle for Harbaugh to take the job early in the playoff cycle but with Dallas making it to the Super Bowl Chicago was forced to hold off on officially hiring him until the week after the big game.

Harbaugh was formally hired and he set to work right away fixing Chicago’s culture and team. The Bears had talent – Brian Urlacher was one of the best linebackers in the game and Rodney Harrison and Mike Brown were perhaps the best safety duo in football. The main issue was at quarterback. The 2003 and 2004 Bears featured a revolving door of has-beens and never-wases under center and while they made the playoffs in 2003 in 2004 the bottom fell out.

Harbaugh fixed that by March. The Rams, running into cap issues when they paid Marc Bulger a market-value contract extension, finally cut bait on Kurt Warner and traded him for a 5th rounder in the upcoming draft. Chicago extended him til the end of the 2006 season and hoped that Warner had a little bit of magic left in his right arm. To coach Warner Harbaugh brought in an old friend. Rich Gannon was pulled from a comfy retirement and brought on to Chicago’s staff to be the quarterbacks coach.

I was shocked when Jim came to my house unannounced and offered me the job but I guess I shouldn’t have been. Jim was a strange bird and flying out to Northern California on a whim instead of calling like normal people do was what made him different – and successful. “Know When To Walk Away” by Rich Gannon.

Chicago wasn’t the only team with a coaching change. After losing in a heartbreaker in the AFC Championship Game Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer announced his retirement effective immediately. San Diego was left scrambling as their vacancy was pretty late in the cycle and the choice candidates (like Harbaugh) were snatched up by other teams.

Maybe it was the last-minute nature of the job opening or maybe it was the fact that Chargers general manager John Butler’s[1] son played under him at Michigan State but San Diego surprised the NFL by hiring LSU’s Nick Saban and giving him a five-year deal to leave Baton Rouge for Southern California.

Saban did have NFL experience – he was Bill Belichick’s defensive coordinator for four years in Cleveland but he really made his name at Michigan State and especially LSU where he won the 2003 BCS Championship Game over the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

San Diego was banking that the defensive-minded Saban would help the Chargers defense rebound while keeping their high-flying offense well, high-flying.

2005 NFL Draft

The Niners won the rights to the first overall pick via coinflip over their neighbors from Oakland. San Francisco stayed close to home and took Aaron Rodgers from Cal-Berkeley. The Raiders took consensus top running back Ronnie Brown. Tennessee reached a bit and took Carlos Rogers, Miami took Adam Jones, and the Jets took Braylon Edwards. Chicago, picking six, took their quarterback of the future in Alex Smith. Green Bay traded up eight spots and took pass rusher DeMarcus Ware from Troy.

Smith was projected to be a top pick and him falling to six was good value for Chicago. The plan was that Warner would play for 2005 and possibly 2006 and Smith would take the reins from there. Whether that’s what would actually happen would, as always, remain to be seen.

[1] He died in OTL in 2003 of lymphoma. He survives here obviously.

 

[Curtain Jerker]

Update time! As always, thanks for reading/liking/commenting!

2005 Regular Season

Nothing is easy in the NFL. Chicago, perhaps wilting under sky-high expectations from an off-season where they added the league’s most highly-touted coaching candidate and an eventual Hall Of Fame quarterback, started off 1-3 with their only win being a squeaker over the hapless Detroit Lions. Warner looked old, Harbaugh looked lost. and the line couldn't block at all. Sports talk radio callers were already begging for Alex Smith to take the reins from Kurt Warner.

Look, this will take time. We'll get this right, just give us a little bit of time. Any further questions? No. Good. Jim Harbaugh, cutting short a post-game press conference after losing to Minnesota 20-10 in Week 4.

The bad times didn’t last. After the bye week coach Jim Harbaugh revamped his offense to feature more Andre Johnson (never a bad thing) and Chicago’s defense stepped up to the plate, not allowing a touchdown in three straight games in November. The Bears would finish the season on a 10-2 run and won the NFC North for the first time since the 2001 season.

Chasing them all season was Green Bay. Brett Favre was still going strong under center and rookie DeMarcus Ware took the league by storm, leading all rookies with an impressive 11.0 sacks and three forced fumbles to his credit. The Bears won the division on the last day of the season when they beat Green Bay in Chicago 21-17. Warner had two touchdowns and Ware had a sack and countless pressures.

Over in San Diego all eyes were on Nick Saban. Could he pick up where newly-retired Marty Schottenheimer left off? Much like his counterpart in Chicago Saban had growing pains of his own but his were on the defensive side as opposed to the offensive side. He eventually righted the ship and San Diego won the AFC West with a 10-6 record. The Chargers were winners of four of their last five games. LaDainian Tomlinson had 27 total touchdowns and nearly 1,900 total yards from scrimmage.

Those would be MVP numbers in most other years. Not in 2005. Tom Brady came into his own this year. It was as if winning the Super Bowl lifted a great burden off his shoulders and he was allowed to be his own man, free of the “choker” label. Brady had 41 touchdowns and 4,600 yards passing to lead the league in each category. Going 13-3 didn’t hurt his MVP cause either.

Miami found themselves a gem in rookie wideout Braylon Edwards. He was a game-changer on offense, every bit as good in South Florida as he was in Ann Arbor.

The Cowboys avoided the hangover that can come from losing a Super Bowl and won the NFC East at 11-5, earning a bye in the process. Much like in the NFC North the NFC East was a two team race until Philly lost two of three in early December (one of those at home to Dallas to essentially give the division to the ‘Boys from Texas). Philly would snag the last NFC wild card spot and a trip to Chicago in the first round.

The best team in the NFC wasn't Chicago, but Carolina. Julius Peppers was a superstar from the get-go. He finished with an astonishing 17.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and God only knows how many sleepless nights among opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators.

AFC Playoff Teams

1. New England Patriots
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Cincinnati Bengals
5. Denver Broncos
6. Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC Playoff Teams

1. Carolina Panthers
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Chicago Bears
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Philadelphia Eagles

MVP --> Tom Brady, Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year --> LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
Defensive Player of the Year --> Julius Peppers, Panthers
Coach of the Year --> Jim Harbaugh, Bears
Offensive Rookie of the Year --> Braylon Edwards, Dolphins
Defensive Rookie of the Year --> DeMarcus Ware, Packers