Super Bowl spotlight shines in San Diego By Joe Theismann ESPN.com SAN DIEGO -- The Super Bowl is a media circus with a lot of rings to it. Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders will relish the spotlight this week.
Keep an eye on Keyshawn Johnson. On the world's greatest stage, I'm sure he'll find a way to make himself into a big deal -- he always does. From his autobiography titled "Just Give Me The Damn Ball," to being the media darling of New York City, Johnson doesn't shy away from attention. I'm curious to see how he'll handle himself. Meanwhile, I'm sure the Raiders will take their usual business-like approach. They have several players who've been to the Super Bowl with other teams like Jerry Rice, Rod Woodson, Bill Romanowski and Sam Adams. They also have veteran players here for the first time -- Tim Brown and Rich Gannon -- who'll handle themselves with class. After 19 years, it's great to see the Raiders back in the Super Bowl. While it's good to have new, young teams like the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots succeeding, the game needs old-school teams like the Raiders, Giants, Redskins, 49ers, Cowboys and Steelers still in the mix.
On Sunday, Tampa's front four created all kinds of problems for Philadelphia. And Ronde Barber had a great day with his coverage inside against Antonio Freeman. The question is, will Barber be able to handle Jerry Porter? It looks like Tampa Bay has finally found an offensive complement to its defense. On Sunday, the offensive line played well and controlled the Eagles' blitz. Johnson got rid of the ball quickly and wasn't sacked. Twice, the Bucs were able to take the ball 80-plus yards for touchdowns. I'll go out on a limb and say that would have never happened for the Bucs in the past. Jon Gruden has done a fantastic job with his squad. When he arrived in Tampa, there was no offensive meeting room. They used to meet in the locker room. So one of the first things Gruden did was create a meeting area for the offense. It just shows how seemingly small gestures go a long way. One thing I've noticed in recent Super Bowls is that it's usually an unsung hero who makes the difference in the game. It could be a kicker, a player on special teams, or a third wide receiver -- like Porter or Joe Jurevicius -- who makes a significant difference. There are great matchups everywhere you look. It's going to be a fun one.
A game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football, former NFL QB Joe Theismann won a Super Bowl and a league MVP award. He reviews the NFL each week for ESPN.com in Cup o' Joe. |
|||||||||||