N.Y. Jets at Denver


The Mastermind vs. The Tuna


Breaking down the Jets and Broncos


AFC: Tuna stocks the cupboard


Even success wears on Parcells


Tackling the Tuna


Murphy: Four on the floor


Keyshawn getting the damn ball plenty


Conversation with Terrell Davis


Jets giving Broncos compliments or false praise?


Escape from New York


A final four to shout about


Focal Point: Anderson vs. Vikings defense

The Question
Which coach will develop the best game plan for Sunday?

Mike Shanahan		Bill Parcells
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD: 5-1 By Mark Malone Special to ESPN.com There's nobody in the NFL who's a better X-and-O strategist than Mike Shanahan. Shanahan and Bill Parcells are both about as good as it gets as far as the NFL's best game strategists. There is no substitute for talent, however. Not taking away anything from the Jets, who are as disciplined a football team as I've seen this year, but strategies and game plans always are better when you have great talent out there, and Denver's offense is an extremely balanced group. From that standpoint, it might look like Shanahan has outcoached Parcells, but I don't know if that will be the case. They will both add wrinkles and use the abilities of their teams to the fullest, while at the same time exploiting any weakness or matchup on the field they can. Shanahan has more options to expose the Jets than Parcells has to expose the Broncos. If you don't have any good football players, you could dream up everything in the world and be a mad scientist. It wouldn't matter if you do not have people to execute the plan. You have to create matchups to take advantage of, but you have to do that and, at the same time take advantage of your team's strengths. It becomes a question of talent and how elaborate a coach can get in creating those matchups, and that's where Shanahan has the advantage.		CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD: 11-5 By Merril Hoge Special to ESPN.com Mike Shanahan is a master at creating mismatches. When you look at Bill Parcells, though, he's a master at motivating his players to follow a particular scheme. The area in which the Jets are most creative with their game plan is on defense. Parcells, with defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, will design some things that will pose problems, especially with their blitzes, for that Denver offense. Offensively, the Jets are extremely flexible. They like to attack the middle of the field for two reasons: Their receivers like to be in space, and if there is a weakness of the Broncos, it's covering between the hash marks. Parcells is aware of that, and he will expose that weakness. Denver also has a problem at picking up blitzes at times. Parcells will expose that as well, and he'll challenge his players, telling them they need to follow that plan to win the game. Likewise, Parcells will tell his offense how it will win the game, and then mentally challenge his team to follow the schemes and get it done. It won't be the individual matchups that Shanahan will create, but it's a different, and effective, approach from Parcells.