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AFC Conference Team PreviewsBaltimore Ravens Ravens 2007 Team Preview: The Baltimore Ravens franchise was born out of controversy in 1996, when owner Art Modell decided he wanted to move the franchise he owned, the Cleveland Browns, to Baltimore. Representatives from Cleveland and the NFL head office reached an agreement that team would move to Baltimore, but that the Browns’ name, colors, and franchise history would remain in Cleveland. This meant the team needed a new name, and a fan contest drawing 33,288 votes selected the name “Ravens”. In the team’s inaugural season, quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw 33 touchdown passes, but the team still ended up 4-12. Things got better quickly for the Ravens when Brian Billick was hired as head coach in 1998. Seasoned veterans like Ron Woodson were paired with emerging talents like Peter Boulware and Ray Lewis to create an awesome defense. The Baltimore defense only surrendered 165 points and 970 yards rushing in the 2000 regular season paving the way to a decisive 34-7 Super Bowl XXXV victory against the Giants in 2000. Last year’s success - a 13-3 season, an NFC North title that was supposed to have been handed to the rival Bengals and the winning ways of new warrior QB Steve McNair – rested almost entirely on the defense keeping the Ravens close enough in most games that one good drive, led by McNair, was all it took to win most games. When the playoffs came and the Ravens had a home game hosting the eventual champion Colts, the weakness that was their anemic offense did not get that one, good scoring drive. The lack of a running game to back up McNair’s not-overly-stellar passing led to the Ravens scoring just six points, the waiving of long-time back Jamal Lewis, and the signing of Willis McGahee. Apparently Ray Lewis, the leader of the terrorizing defense, looks as if he is in as good of shape as in his rookie season. If that is true, at age 32, Lewis might find himself on a very good team which, for the first time in his career, may have a balanced offense to complement the other side of the ball. Buffalo Bills Bills 2007 Team Preview: The Buffalo Bills began their pro football existence as the seventh team to join the American Football League in 1959 when the franchise was awarded to Ralph C. Wilson in the same year. In the 1960s the Bills were led by a ferocious defense that won them AFL Championship titles in 1964 and 1965. In 1969 the team drafted The Juice, running back O.J. Simpson, who would become one of the greatest Bills’ players in team history. In 1973 he became the first player ever to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. Despite O.J.’s achievements the Bills floundered for much of the decade. In the early 1980s the team began to build a winning team when they drafted QB Jim Kelly in 1983, they added DE Bruce Smith in 1985 and then RB Thurman Thomas in 1988. Beginning in 1990 the Bills appeared in a record four consecutive Super Bowls – only to lose a record four straight. A 7-9 season was not what the Bills had in mind for the 2006 NFL season, but injuries, porous lines and the relative non-development of J.P. Losman left them on the wrong end of a .500 season. This season, they hope to have more cohesion from the O-line in order to more easily facilitate the quick development of first-round running back Marshawn Lynch, who takes over as the keeper-of-the-dream now that former RB Willis McGahee is elsewhere. It may be the defense, however, that lets down the fans and the team in 2007. The losses of defensive back Nate Clements, linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher-Baker, combined with the youth and inexperience brought in to mostly fill those gaps does not, historically, bode well for teams. Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals 2007 Team Preview: The Cincinnati Bengals franchise began their play in the American Football League in 1968 under the ownership of Paul Brown. The team got its name from a Cincinnati pro football franchise that existed back in the 1930s and ‘40s. In 1970, the Bengals claimed the AFC Central Division title to become the first expansion team to win a divisional championship in their first three years of play. Cincinnati went on to win its second AFC Central championship in 1973 and a Wild-Card berth in the 1975 postseason The next five years were not as positive as the Bengals struggled, but again came out on top in 1981 when they won the Division and Conference titles led by QB Ken Anderson and rookie WR Cris Collingsworth to earn a spot in Super Bowl XVI. They were defeated 26-21 by the San Francisco 49ers. The Bengals won the AFC Championship again in 1988 led by QB Boomer Esiason and rookie sensation RB Ickey Woods. The popular “Ickey Shuffle” may have been reason for celebration, but Joe Montana’s TD pass with 34 seconds left to go in that year’s Super Bowl left the Bengals on the losing end. The Sin-Sin-Naughty Bengals’ 2006 NFL season was a perfect example of how team chemistry, or the lack thereof, can spell the end of playoff hopes. The Bengals had more players get arrested / questioned by police and charged than probably any pro franchise in any of the major sports, ever. The repercussions of last year’s mess may still play some havoc with this year’s squad, but the sheer level of talent is definitely there if they can gel once again as a team. Quarterback Carson Palmer healed very well from a nasty knee injury in playoffs following the 2005 season and wideout Chad Johnson is still one of the most electrifying players in the league, but they might be better off releasing troubled receiver Chris Henry before he can do more damage than good. If the Bengals don’t make the playoffs this year, there will be a few jobs vacant along the Ohio River. Cleveland Browns Browns 2007 Team Preview: The Cleveland Browns began play in 1946 in the All-American Football Conference. Arthur B. McBride acquired the franchise and immediately named Paul Brown as the club's head coach and general manager: he claimed the team was named after boxer Joe Louis – “The Brown Bomber”. The Browns were a dominant team in the early years winning four straight AAFC Championships before joining the National Football League in 1950. They won the NFL Championship their very first year led by Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham. Graham led them to two more championships in 1954 and 1955 before retiring. In 1957, the Browns drafted Rookie of the Year Jim Brown who went on to rush for over 1,000 yards seven out of the nine seasons he played. The team won another Championship in 1964. Starting with the season-ending injury to C LeCharles Bentley on the very first play of training camp, Romeo Crennel’s second year as head coach of the Browns played out even worse than his first – which was nothing to write home about. A 4-12 finish last season, two more losses than in the previous campaign, meant drastic measures needed to be taken. In the 2007 draft, the Browns pulled off a real coup, landing two players that many had on their board as top-three picks. With Brady Quinn at quarterback this year and OT Joe Thomas helping to protect him (if he does not hold out too long and ruin his chances at a good season), the Browns will be looking to finally make things right in Ohio’s ‘other’ NFL city. Denver Broncos
Broncos 2007 Team Preview:The Denver Broncos began play as a charter member of the American Football League in 1960 where they struggled unsuccessfully to achieve a .500 record until the AFL-NFL merger a decade later. Broncos’ stars from these early years include receiver Lionel Taylor who ranks second all-time in receptions as a Bronco with 543, and running back Floyd Little who was drafted in the 1st round in the 1967 draft. Amazingly, the Broncos first ever postseason experience resulted in an appearance in Super Bowl XII in 1977. After finishing the season 12-2 quarterback Craig Morton won the Comeback Player of the Year Award after throwing for 1,929 and 14 touchdowns in the regular season. The Broncos tough defense led by outstanding linebackers Tom Jackson and Randy Gradishar were among the best in the league. Despite the accolades the Broncos went down 27-10 to the Cowboys, but the Orange Crush had arrived. The Denver Broncos appeared in the Super Bowl three out of four years between 1986 and 1989 but lost each time. Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway’s impressive numbers and late-game heroics made headlines, however the team was beaten decisively in each Super Bowl game. It was really a matter of time and finding the supporting cast to push Elway and the Broncos over the top. In 1997 a 6th round draft pick named Terrell Davis ran for 157 yards, caught 2 passes for 8 yards, and scored a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns on the way to Denver’s first ever Super Bowl victory. The next season Davis rushed for 2,008 yards and 23 touchdowns in the regular season, but John Elway claimed Super Bowl XXXIII MVP honors after he threw for 339 yards leading Denver to a Super Bowl win. In the 2006 NFL season, Jake Plummer had led the Broncos to a 7-4 record by Week 12, but after two losses to division rivals San Diego and Kansas City, Coach Mike Shanahan had had enough of Jake’s inconsistencies and benched him in favor of rookie Jay Cutler. The move probably cost the Broncos a playoff spot in early 2007, but may have helped the team immensely in the long run by getting Cutler’s feet wet and ready for his first full campaign. The Broncos are in a tough spot being in the same division as the mighty Chargers, however, the coaching changes there may work in Denver’s favor, and they are certainly helped by having the lowly Raiders twice each year. They need Cutler’s quick progression to continue and the rest of the team should then take care of themselves, making a postseason berth very likely in early 2008. Houston Texans Texans 2007 Team Preview :The dream to bring an NFL team back to the city of Houston, Texas was fulfilled by owner Bob McNair when the Houston Texans debuted in the 2002 AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. After posting a victory in their first regular season contest against in-state rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, the franchise as gone through the growing pains most NFL teams must endure, though their record did show marked improvement until last season’s miserable 2-14. The first year of the Gary Kubiak era in Houston was not what one could reasonably call a resounding success. If a silver lining was to be found, it was the final straw on the broken back that was the David Carr Experiment. In fact, the broken back itself was David Carr’s as well, it must have felt to him, after recording more sacks in each of his seasons than Peyton Manning will see in five seasons. And there lies the crutch with this team. They have no offensive line, to speak of. New quarterback Matt Schaub, brought over from the Falcons, will have his work cut out for him, but he has looked amazingly good in his two regular season starts and preseason games. If the line can gel this year, and the defensive side can put some pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Texans could be on the road to something better than awful. Indianapolis Colts
Colts 2007 Team Preview: In 1950, a Baltimore Colts team was founded in the All-America Football Conference, but this venture failed and the franchise disbanded after only one season. However, Baltimore was presented with a second opportunity to host a NFL team three years later when the Dallas Texans franchise was moved by the league, and the Colts were reborn in Baltimore in 1953. The Colts’ first NFL Championship win in 1958 was led by Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who many consider the greatest quarterback of all time. In what has been called “The Greatest Game Ever Played”, running back Alan “The Iron Horse” Ameche scored in overtime to stun the Giants. The Colts beat the Giants again in 1959 to earn a second Championship victory. Led by a group of outstanding players the Colts went into Super Bowl III as 17-point favorites in after a 13-1 record in the 1968 regular season. But in one of the most unforgettable events in football history, Joe Namath predicted a Jets’ win, and delivered, and the legend of Broadway Joe was born. The Colts remained an outstanding team winning Super Bowl V two seasons later. After the club relocated to Indianapolis in 1984 years of mediocrity ensued until franchise quarterback Peyton Manning emerged as a star in the league in 1998. With running back Edgerrin James, receiver Marvin Harrison and an arsenal of offensive weapons, the Colts have been regular guests to the postseason. The Colts finally got Peyton Manning his Super Bowl ring after another pretty stellar regular season and an amazing tightening up by a run defense that ranked last in the NFL until it really counted: the playoffs. In the rain in Miami in Super Bowl XLI, the Colts took it to the offense-less Chicago Bears, who had their fears about poor quarterback play come true. The 2007 season sees the Colts with a few important defensive pieces gone to higher-paying teams, but, as per their usual ways, the Colts have been training younger players to step in for the past few years. The Colts don’t face a lot of challenges within their division, and the only question on offense is whether or not RB Addai can carry the load, but the defense will need to gel by playoff time if they want another shot at the Lombardi Trophy. Jacksonville Jaguars Jags 2007 Team Preview: The expansion Jacksonville Jaguars joined the NFL along with the Carolina Panthers for the 1995 season. The growing NFL Market had not expanded since 1976 when the league added the Seattle Seahawks and another Florida team – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The fact that there were already two NFL teams located in the state led the league to question whether the market could financially sustain another franchise. The Touchdown Jacksonville ownership group went through various contortions as early as 1991, until they were actually awarded a team on November 30th, 1993. Major renovations on the Gator Bowl including the demolition of the entire lower bowl were required before the beginning of the 1995 season. On the field, the Jags had immediate success with quarterback Mark Brunell (acquired from the Green Bay Packers) and receiver Jimmy Smith proving a formidable combo. In their 2nd season, they went all the way to the Conference Final before losing to the New England Patriots 20-6. The following two seasons, the Jaguars won the AFC Central and had success again in the playoffs. In 1999, they found themselves again one step away from the Super Bowl, but ran into a ferocious Tennessee Titans’ defense that created six turnovers on route to a 33-14 route. Jacksonville has, potentially, one of the top few defenses in the NFL. Unfortunately, they usually only show their prowess on their home turf. Coach Jack Del Rio is going to find his seat getting very hot if the Jags can’t find a way to keep the positive momentum that comes with upsetting better opponents. Beating Dallas, Pittsburgh (in Week Two, before it was a sure thing that the Steelers had regressed) and the Eagles in Philly become almost meaningless victories when they went out and then lost to teams like Houston (twice!), Buffalo and Washington. With another tough schedule this 2007 NFL season, the Jags will have their work cut out for them and will need good years from running back Fred Taylor and quarterback Byron Leftwich if the offense is to produce enough to help the strong defense win enough games to carry them into the playoffs. Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs 2007 Team Preview: The Kansas City Chiefs are still operated by the team’s original owner and the founder of the American Football League, Lamar Hunt. Before the franchise moved to Kansas City, the team was the Dallas Texans and they called the Cotton Bowl their home Stadium with the Dallas Cowboys. In their third season the team won the AFL Championship in a dramatic double-overtime win over the Houston Oilers. The team relocated to Kansas City as the Chiefs the following year, and three seasons later in1966, they appeared in Super Bowl I led by the AFC’s leading passer Len Dawson and a trio of productive running backs including Mike Garrett. The Chiefs went on to lose 35-10 to the NFL’s representative, the Green Bay Packers. The Chiefs redeemed themselves in Super Bowl IV when they defeated the Vikings 23-7 led by Len Dawson’s 12-17 passing for 142 yards and a touchdown. After the NFL merger, the Chiefs were back in the playoffs in 1971 when they lost a double-overtime heartbreaker to the Miami Dolphins on a late field goal by Garo Yepremian. It took years for the Chiefs to build a winning team but they emerged as a powerhouse in the 1990s. Between the years 1990-97 Kansas City appeared in the postseason seven times, finishing first in the AFC West three times, however the closest they got to the Super Bowl was in 1993 when Joe Montana and Marcus Allen led them to the AFC Final where they were beaten 30-13 by the Buffalo Bills. In 2003 the Chiefs hosted Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead, but were undone by Manning’s three touchdown passes en route to a 38-31 Colt victory. The Chiefs had what many saw as a lucky bunch of breaks to get into the 2007 playoffs. They needed two wins to end the season; in the final week alone, they needed their win over Jacksonville, a loss by Tennessee, and two overtime losses by Cincinnati and Denver. Amazingly, all the cards fell in place. Unfortunately, the Chiefs decided their season was actually over before even making the trip to Indianapolis, where their running game should have run all over the lackluster Colts run D. Instead, new coach Herm Edwards and the Chiefs relied on trying to beat the Colts with short passes, even though that was the strength of the Colts. It was a dismal performance all around that should have resulted in a firing or two. This year, the Chiefs will be another year longer in the tooth, but will have an injection of youth in Damon Huard or Brodie Croyle at quarterback. Huard filled in admirably for Trent Green when the now-Dolphin was injured last season. Running back Larry Johnson is a workhorse, as is evidenced by his record number of carries last season. He will have a harder time this season with some changes on the o-line, especially the loss of Pro-Bowlers Roaf and Shields. One has to wonder, as well, if the team has any faith left in their second-year coach, after the debacle in the playoffs last season. Miami Dolphins Dolphins 2007 Team Preview: The Dolphins were founded by Joseph Robbie in 1966, as they began their pro football life as the ninth member of the American Football League. Six years later, Miami became the only NFL team ever to record a perfect season. The Dolphins had little success early on, but the team’s second head coach, Don Shula, made them a winning team in 1970, when they finished with a 10-4. Miami continued the drive with three straight AFC championships in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The 1972 season was a magical year – the Dolphins became the only team in NFL history to go undefeated, finishing with a perfect record of 14-0, before they swept their way to victory in Super Bowl VII. Earl Morall and Larry Csonka guided the offense, but it was Miami’s No-Name defense that held Washington to only seven points. The Fins duplicated their super feat by winning Super Bowl VIII the following year. In 1983, Don Shula inserted rookie Dan Marino into the lineup and the NFL record book would never look the same again. Marino still owns the record for most passing yards in a season (5,084) and most passing yards in a career (61,361). In 1984, Marino led Miami to Super Bowl XIX, only to lose to Joe Montana’s ‘Niners. This once-proud franchise has been a laughing stock of mismanagement and shortsightedness over the past few years, at least on the offensive side of the ball. New coach Cam Cameron, brought over from the San Diego Chargers to stabilize things, is not seeing things go smoothly so far. The team first made what is generally considered to be a monumental mistake in passing up Brady Quinn in the 2007 draft in favor of sometimes troubled and injured wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. of Ohio State. Then they brought over an aging Trent Green to take over the quarterback position from Daunte Culpepper, brought over the previous season from Minnesota because Miami passed on Drew Brees - who only went on to lead the league in passing for New Orleans, while Culpepper managed to play in just four games. If Green clicks and the offensive line gels, the Dolphins will be dangerous. The defense of the Dolphins will be their saving grace, if there is a saving grace to be had outside of Green reemerging as a dominant passer. Led by defensive end and 2006 Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor and his brother-in-law, LB Zach Thomas, the Dolphins have one of the hardest-hitting, fastest defenses in the league. They ranked fourth overall as a unit last year and have added the ferocious Joey Porter from the Steelers this year, which should only make them better. New England Patriots
Patriots 2007 Team Preview: This modern football dynasty was originally named the Boston Patriots when it became an original member of the American Football League in 1960. It wasn’t until after the league merger and the move to Foxborough in 1971, that they became known as the New England Patriots. The teams early years were undistinguished apart from a Divisional Playoff victory against the Chargers in 1963. After a string of losing seasons, Steve Grogan led The Pats to the playoffs in 1976. In 1985, the “Cinderella” Patriots appeared in Super Bowl XX, led again by Grogan, but proceeded to be defeated soundly by the Chicago Bears. Another Super Bowl defeat came in 1996 against the Packers. The Patriots have mustered huge success in the Belichick Era (in 2000 Bill Belichick took over has head coach). In only his second year as head coach, Belichick guided The Pats to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVI. A young quarterback named Tom Brady was named Super Bowl MVP only weeks after taking over for an injured Drew Bledsoe. The Patriots followed this up with Super Bowl victories in 2003 and 2004. New England – The Patriots were one end zone dropped pass away from stopping a comeback by the Indianapolis Colts. That one catch would have vaulted them to the Super Bowl, and likely another Lombardi Trophy, but Reche Caldwell, who had played beyond his ability all playoffs, finally showed why he’d be a second-stringer at best on any team with a true first-string receiver and the Patriots season ended in bitter defeat. Forward to 2007, and Tom Brady has a new slew of (at least formerly) top-notch wideouts in Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth, as well as Wes Walker. Walker is at least a good second-string receiver and at best, one of the top returners in the game. Top those acquisitions off with the offseason’s most sought-after free agent, Adalius Thomas, and this year’s version of the New England Patriots will be extremely unsatisfied with anything but a victory in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona. Bet on the New England Patriots New York Jets
Jets 2007 Team Preview: New York City’s football Jets were originally called the New York Titans when they were granted a charter American Football League franchise in 1959 under the ownership of Harry Wismer. When the Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath, their future changed for the better as they became the most popular team in football. After leading the team to an11-3 regular record, the Jets defeated Oakland in the AFL Championship and then Broadway Joe made is infamous prediction that his Jets would win the Super Bowl – the Jets went on to stun the sports world with a 16-7 victory over the overwhelmingly-favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. After an entirely forgettable ‘70s, the Jets returned to the playoffs five times in 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1991. Under Bill Parcells direction, the Jets had success in the late 1990s with Vinny Testaverde, Curtis Martin, Wayne Chrebet and Keyshawn Johnson. New York Jets – The inaugural season of the NFL’s youngest head coach, Eric Mangini, was a resounding success in the Big Apple. Largely discounted and expected remain at the bottom of the AFC East, Mangini squeezed the most out of his squad, leading them from a 4-12 bottom-feeder in 2005 to a playoff team last year. The success of the Jets’ 2007 season will be mostly dependant, as always, on the health of quarterback Chad Pennington. If he can remain healthy – he played his first full campaign last year – in his eighth year, the Jets must be considered contenders for at least a wild card spot in the 2008 playoffs. Helping matters will be the acquisition of Thomas Jones, who helped run the Bears in the Super Bowl last season. Oakland Raiders Raiders 2007 Team Preview: The 2007 Oakland Raiders look like they will have Daunte Culpepper as their starting quarterback, but it remains to be seen whether or not the former Pro Bowler can get back to form after his devastating knee operations. The Raiders will also have a new head coach in Lane Kiffin, formerly an assistant at USC. It is a telling sign when they could not lure even a college head coach to Oakland, much less an NFL assistant. When the Raiders get No. 1 draft pick quarterback JaMarcus Russell to sign, he will most likely be holding a clipboard for most, if not all, of the 2007 NFL season. Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers 2007 Team Preview: The Pittsburgh Pirates were founded by Art Rooney bought the franchise in 1933. The Steelers struggled for their first 40 years, making the playoffs once in 1947 and then not winning a championship until they won the AFC Central division title in 1972. In 1969, the Steelers hired Chuck Noll as their head coach. Noll had a gift for evaluating talent and started Mel Blount, Jack Ham and Franco Harris in the early 1970s. Bradshaw led the offense and the menacing Steel Curtain Defense clamped down on opponents. The Steelers then began one of the greatest streaks in NFL history earning eight consecutive playoff berths, seven AFC Central titles and four AFC Championships from 1972-1979. The team became the first to ever win four Super Bowls. The Steelers had quite the fall last year, after winning their fifth Super Bowl. An offseason motorcycle accident left quarterback Big Ben shaken and broken and, although he seemed to heal remarkably fast, he then experienced acute appendicitis and missed the season-opener. To make matters worse, he may have came back too fast to a different style of offense than he was used to; one in which he actually had to throw the ball far more often than in the past. As one might expect, things did not go well for him and he ended the year with 18 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. The Steelers finished at 8-8. The 2007 NFL season is one of hopeful rebirth for the Steelers, with the departure of long-time head coach Bill Cowher and the start of the Mike Tomlin era in the Steel City. The defense needs to adjust to the departure of Joey Porter and Ben Roethlisberger must play healthy and well-adjusted to the new way of Steeler ball. Translation: Ben must show that he can handle post Jerome Bettis-ball. Bet on the Pittsburgh Steelers San Diego Chargers Chargers 2007 Team Preview: In their inaugural season the Chargers franchise played in Los Angeles as members of the American Football League where they remained until the merger leading into the 1970 season. The team was originally owned by Barron Hilton (grandfather of celebrity recording artist Paris Hilton). Through the 1960s the Chargers were coached by Sid Gillman, a football innovator whose vision was to stretch the field with long passing plays. This plan worked perfectly with Hall of Fame receiver Lance ‘Bambi’ Alworth hauling in long passes and quarterback John Hadl delivering them. The Chargers won the AFL Championship in 1963 defeating the Boston Patriots 51-10. After joining the NFL after the merger in 1969, the Chargers failed to reach the .500 mark until they went 7-7 in 1977. In 1978 Don ‘Air’ Coryell became the new Chargers head coach and he would begin to assemble one of the greatest passing attacks in NFL history guided by quarterback Dan Fouts. Fouts delivered immaculate touch on his passes and he had a talented group to throw to including tight end Kellen Winslow and receivers Charlie Joiner, John Jefferson and Wes Chandler. The Chargers went to the playoffs four consecutive between the years 1979-82 – they won their division three of these seasons – but never got to the Super Bowl. It took another decade for the Bolts to make it to the playoffs again, when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17-0 keyed by a 54-yard touchdown run by Marion Butts. In 1994 San Diego had what many considered a Cinderella season by winning the AFC West, beating Miami and then Pittsburgh en route to a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX. Despite the efforts of outstanding linebacker Junior Seau and defensive lineman Leslie O’Neal the Chargers were beat 49-26 when ‘Niners quarterback Steve Young threw six touchdowns (three to Jerry Rice). 2006 was a great season for a franchise desperately needing one. Unfortunately for the Chargers, it was led my a man named Marty Schottenheimer, who is great at planning for regular season games, but is absolutely clueless in the playoffs. His bumbling cost the Chargers when the Patriots came to visit the AFC regular-season best record-holder and beat San Diego on their home turf in an AFC Divisional Playoff game. That made two home playoff losses for the Chargers with Marty at the helm, and even though he had led the team to a 14-win season with a new quarterback (Philip Rivers), management finally realized that they would never win anything of importance with him as a coach and he was fired in the 2007 offseason. Unfortunately for Chargers fans, the front office of the organization pulled a huge blunder as well by not deciding to jettison Marty right after the playoff loss. Their indecision led directly to the losses of both their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching positions elsewhere. Now, the Chargers enter the 2007 NFL season with new heads at the top three coaching positions. It will be an interesting season, watching to see if new coach Norv Turner can get this great offense and spectacular defense back into the playoffs and add a postseason victory or three. A great offensive coordinator in his own right, Turner’s resume is a perfect example of the Peter Principal and suggests he leaves much to be desired as the top man. Tennessee Titans
Titans 2007 Team Preview: The Houston Oilers franchise began their history on a high note when they won the first two AFL Championships in 1960 and ’61. The team featured a prolific offense led by Heisman Trophy quarterback George Blanda, Charlie Hennigen, Charlie Tolar and Bob Talamini. In 1967, the Oilers became the first team ever to play in a domed Stadium when they moved to the Houston Astrodome. After the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 the Oilers struggled to maintain their winning ways finishing 1-13 two years in a row in 1972 and ’73. In 1978 the team made it back to the playoffs led by powerful running back Earl Campbell, a man who preferred to run over defenders and not around them, and quarterback Dan Pastorini, but their playoff run was halted by the Steelers who beat them 34-5. Between the years 1987-93, Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon led the Oilers to the playoffs every season, yet the team failed to make it to the Super Bowl. In 1998, owner Bud Adams announced the team would be moving to Nashville. The following year quarterback Steve McNair guided re-named Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV. The game featured one of the most dramatic Super Bowl finishes ever, when linebacker Mike Jones tackled Tennessee receiver one-yard short of the goal line and the tying score. Three games, and three losses, into the 2006 NFL season, the Titans gave up on their experiment with quarterback Kerry Collins and inserted rookie first-round draft choice, quarterback Vince Young from Texas, into the starting lineup. That decision probably saved the job of head coach Jeff Fisher as Young quickly grasped the speed of the NFL game. After two disappointing losses to start his career - including one by just one point against Super Bowl XLI champs and division rivals the Indianapolis Colts – Young led the Titans to wins in eight of their next eleven games. This season, the Titans, and Young in particular, will not have the element of surprise going for them, but, if Young continues on his way to looking like the quarterback everyone wanted Michael Vick to be, that may not be an issue. A tough strength of schedule works against them becoming a playoff team this year, but they seem very willing and able to learn. The Titans may surprise some people yet.
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