Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Football Anyone?

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 14:39:26 -0500

Ok, who is going to make it happen?

My money is on NY!

oppps.....What do you mean they are not playing????
=========================================================
Bucs Seek 1st NFC Title in Chilly Philly
Sun Jan 19,11:32 AM ET

By ROB MAADDI, AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA - Jon Gruden doesn't want to hear about the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers (news)' pathetic history in Philadelphia or their cold-weather
failures.

"It's like it's 24-0 and we haven't even gotten off
the plane yet," the Bucs' coach said as his team
prepared for Sunday's NFC championship game.

That's no surprise considering what's happened to
the Bucs at Veterans Stadium, where Tampa Bay
and Philadelphia meet Sunday in the NFC title
game, the final NFL game at the stadium.

Two years ago, Philadelphia won 21-3 in the
wild-card round. Last year, it was 31-9 in Tony
Dungy's last game as the team's coach.

Gruden did no better in his only foray here as coach of the Bucs: losing
20-10 on Oct. 20 in his return to the city where he was offensive coordinator
from 1995-97.

Add that Tampa Bay had never won in temperatures under 40 degrees until
beating the Bears 15-0 in Champaign, Ill., last month, and you have what
some believe is a severe problem — psychologically as much as physically
— for the Bucs.

Gruden continued to knock down that idea after arriving in Philadelphia on
Friday night.

"We are undefeated in cold weather, we are 1-0," he said. "We played one
game in cold weather this year and won it decisively. We are going to go out
and play just as if we were playing in Florida and playing in great weather.
We will not use it as an excuse."

Put these teams on a neutral field with perfect weather and they're pretty
even.

Each finished 12-4 and won its division. The Eagles earned the right to stay
home with an 11-1 record against NFC teams, while the Bucs went 9-3 in
conference games. They were 1-2 in points allowed — Tampa Bay leading
the league at 12.3 per game, the Eagles second at 15.1.

Those inclined to place a wager don't think too much of Tampa Bay's
problems up north — the Eagles are favored by four points, one more than
the usual home-field edge.

The relatively small spread might be the result of questions about
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb (news), who played his first
game last week after missing eight weeks with a broken right ankle and led
the Eagles to a 20-6 win over Atlanta.

McNabb was mobile enough, but he wasn't quite as sharp as he was before
the injury, when he was a candidate for MVP.

"I think I got rid of a little bit of rust," McNabb said. "There were some plays
in the game that I felt I could have made better plays with. That's something
I can definitely learn from this week."

The Bucs won their first playoff game easily, beating San Francisco 31-6.
But that was at home, in warm weather and without the hostile fans, the
slippery artificial turf and the frigid temperatures that have made the Vet a
house of horrors for visitors.

Moreover, the only touchdown Tampa Bay has scored in three straight
losses in the Vet was on defense — a fumble return by Derrick Brooks
(news) in October.

Sunday's game could be a rarity, a defensive game in a playoff year which
has featured scores like 34-31, 36-33 and 39-38. The Eagles scored just
one offensive touchdown against the Falcons, and the Bucs picked on a
depleted San Francisco secondary that had safeties playing cornerback.

Other than McNabb, most of the stars are on defense.

Three of Philadelphia's four starters in the secondary are going to the Pro
Bowl. Four of Tampa Bay's defensive starters, led by Brooks, the league's
defensive player of the year, are headed to Hawaii.

"The defense that plays the best on Sunday will win this game," Eagles'
cornerback Troy Vincent (news) said. "It won't come down to offense."

Both teams have recent losses in title games.

Tampa Bay reached the championship game in 2000, losing 11-6 in St.
Louis when an official's decision ended its chances of reaching the Super
Bowl. On that call, it was ruled that the ball touched the ground after Bert
Emanuel (news) made a catch deep in Rams' territory late in the game.

The call was upheld by replay but the rule was changed — that catch would
be legal now.

"I won't say we were jobbed," Tampa Bay safety John Lynch (news) said.
"We had a lot of other chances to win that game."

Philadelphia lost in the title game in St. Louis last season, 29-24, driving for
the potential winning touchdown when a McNabb pass was intercepted by
Aeneas Williams (news). The year before, the Eagles lost in the second
round to the New York Giants (news), who went on to represent the NFC in
the Super Bowl.

That natural progression should put the Eagles in San Diego next week for
their first Super Bowl trip in 22 years.

"I stood there and watched the celebration for a while last year after we lost
in St. Louis," safety Brian Dawkins (news) said. "It hurt. It hurt badly. I saw
the way the fans were so happy for them. We want to do the same for our
fans."

So do the Buccaneers, the only team in the NFL to make the playoffs each
of the last four years.

Gruden isn't worried about the turf, the forecast for biting cold or the 7-1
record of home teams in this year's playoffs.

"He's not going to let the fact that it's going to be 20 degrees mess with our
heads," cornerback Dwight Smith said of his coach. "I love that."

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/