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                         August 9, 2002

NFL preseason football gives us a taste for 2002

Commentary by Jim Fox
Staff Writer

Two games into the National Football League’s preseason and new Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier has alienated one of his peers.

Saturday’s American Bowl in Japan saw the Spurrier-led Redskins blast the Steve Mariucci-led San Francisco 49ers 38-7.

Mariucci took offense to all the pass happy Redskin offense late in the game.

"We’ll see you in six weeks," Mariucci is quoted as declaring.

That’s a reference to the regular season tilt scheduled for Sept. 22. That’s when Washington visits San Francisco for a game that counts in the standings.

It’s refreshing to know that Spurrier isn’t going to change his spots just because he is now an NFL coach.

He’ll get what’s coming to him at the hands of the rest of the league’s coaches if he keeps playing like he’s trying to impress pollsters.

I’m no fan of Washington Redskins football. Growing up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos will do that to you.

It will be a pleasure to see them and their coach get what’s coming to them.

This NFL season offers some exciting elements.

Will the Baltimore Ravens be able to rebuild after seeing their team all but dismantled due to salary cap restrictions?

Will the New York Jets and Giants rebound from disappointing 2001 campaigns?

Are the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots the real deal or one-year wonders?

Will the Philadelphia Eagles continue to improve by leaps and bounds?

Will the Indianapolis Colts finally play defense now that Tony Dungy is at the controls?

Will the Tampa Bay Bucs continue to disappoint now that they have wonder-boy John Gruden at the helm?

Is Drew Bledsoe the answer to the Buffalo Bills problems?

Some things stay the same. The St. Louis Rams are still the most dangerous offense around. The continued health of Kurt Warner and Marshal Faulk will again keep defensive coordinators around the league up late at night throughout the season.

The Chicago Bears now have ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler in reserve to back up starter Jim Miller so that the next time Miller meets the likes of the Eagles’ Hugh Douglas both Miller’s and the Bears seasons won’t end at the same time.

The addition of the Houston Texans and the restructuring of the league takes some of the parity out of the schedule making.

Gone, apparently, are the days of first place teams having to play a heavy "first-place" schedule matched against how team finished from the past year.

Now with eight, four-team divisions a team will play six games against teams in division opponents and then eight games versus two other divisions, one from each conference. The two remaining games will match teams who finished similarly from the previous season, i.e. first-place St. Louis versus first-place Oakland.

That helps teams like the Patriots, Eagles and Bears.

It also enables the Giants and Jets and even the Broncos to rebound a bit more from disappointing 2001 campaigns.

The upcoming football season will be nothing if not entertaining, especially in my neck of the woods with new office members expanding the already tumultuous relationship the Public Affairs Office has with Giants, Jets, Raiders and Broncos fans co-mingled. The addition of Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers fans to the mix could be cataclysmic.

(Sorry for using such a big word, folks, it seemed to fit at the time.)

That means it could get ugly real quick around here. I can’t wait.