Indian River

Cape Henlopen

Sussex Central

Sussex Tech

Recreational

Orioles

Phillies

Redskins

Eagles

Ravens

Shorebirds

NFL

NASCAR

Major Leagues

NBA

NHL

Other

Local Colleges

National Colleges

---

Call from the Bullpen by David Maull

The Bullpen | Major Leagues | Sports Front Page

---

Super Bowl Prediction?
Go Falcons
From the Jan. 28, 1999 TV Times

With four days and a seven-hour pre-game show to go until the crown jewel of the National Football League season, I'm sure you've all had your fill of revenge talk.

By now, you know all about how Dan Reeves fired Mike Shanahan from the Denver Broncos coaching staff in 1991, how John Elway despised playing for Reeves, how Reeves was cut loose by the Broncos after an 8-8 season in 1992, and how all of this will be of major importance when Reeves' Atlanta Falcons meet Shanahan's Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Well, let me be the first to tell you that these issues will mean exactly squat when the two teams clash at exactly 6:18 p.m. Sunday in Miami.

Revenge and grudges are cheap motivation in the realm of professional sports. The winning team will be the one that has best utilized its weapons and best carried out its game plan, not the one whose coach is seeking payback for a perceived injustice 10 years ago.

With that said, how will this Super Bowl play out?

Denver is a touchdown favorite to win its second straight world championship and few are giving Atlanta anything but a fleeting chance of taking home the Lombardi Trophy.

But underestimating the Falcons could be a monumental mistake, and here are a few reasons why they shouldn't be taken lightly:

• A 14-2 regular-season record. Granted, the Falcons played in a weak division and had a soft nonconference schedule, but it still takes talent to win 14 games. Atlanta beat three playoff teams during the regular season, the same as Denver, which also went 14-2.
• Dan Reeves. The winningest active coach in the NFL, Reeves led Denver to a 117-79-1 record and three Super Bowls from 1981-92, then guided the Giants to an 11-5 mark and a playoff victory in 1993, just a year after the team went 6-10. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, however, is turning a wretched 3-13 Falcons team into the NFC champion in just two years. This guy can coach and he does it with class.
• Jamal Anderson and Chris Chandler. Anderson rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second straight year and the gutsy Chandler is perhaps the most underrated quarterback in football. Chandler is the heart and soul of this team and the Falcons don't win without him.
• Nerves of steel. Those worried that the Falcons will wilt under the world-wide Super Bowl spotlight should remember they defeated a playoff-hardened 49ers team in the divisional playoff, then traveled to one of the most hostile environments in the NFL and came from 13 points behind to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game. This team may be new to the Super Bowl, but it can handle the pressure.
• A Denver slump. The Broncos were downright lousy for two and a half quarters of the AFC title game before rallying to beat the Jets 23-10. Don't get me wrong, this is still a team to be reckoned with and Terrell Davis is the best player in football, but the Broncos are not firing on all cylinders like they were when winning 13 straight games this season.

Aside from the thrashing of Miami in the divisional playoff, Denver has been unimpressive since early December. If the Broncos aren't at their best, the door is open for Atlanta.

For those who may be interested, the last meeting between the teams was Sept. 28, 1997, a 29-21 Denver victory at the Georgia Dome. The loss dropped the Falcons to 0-5 and they would eventually fall to 1-7 before rallying to finish the season a respectable 7-9. That run of success carried over into this season.

History is certainly not on Atlanta's side. Since 1980, teams appearing in the Super Bowl for the first time have gone just 3-6. Of course, the Broncos are also one of only three teams to lose four Super Bowls.

Most are disappointed this isn't a Minnesota-Denver matchup, but while Atlanta is no juggernaut, it has a solid defense, solid skill position players and solid special teams. The Falcons have found a way to get it done all season long and I say they'll do it again.

Prediction: Atlanta 27, Denver 24.