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TABLE OF CONTENTS
September 01, 2003 | Volume 99, Issue 9
September 01, 2003 Nose JobKim Collins (top) of St. Kitts and Nevis wins the men's 100 meters in a blanket finish at the ninth World Track and Field Championships in Paris on Monday.
With the franchise quarterback hurt, the Keith Brooking—led defense must carry the load
Last year, in his only start of the season, backup quarterback DOUG JOHNSON stepped in for an injured Michael Vick and led the Falcons to an upset of the Giants. Now, with Vick out (broken leg)...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 9-6-1NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 4/23/14DEFENSE 23/16/19
Has the defense improved enough to keep this team from stumbling down the stretch (again)?
The Saints were thinking more about chemistry than ability when they traded volatile left tackle Kyle Turley to the Rams and signed free agent WAYNE GANDY to replace him. Turley is more athletic,...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 9-7NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 17/16/19DEFENSE 19/27/27
Stephen Davis is back home in Carolina and eager to carry his share of the load again
Wideout MUHSIN MUHAMMAD has been to a Pro Bowl and is the Panthers' most polished receiver. (His 431 career receptions for 5,509 yards are team records.) But injuries have haunted him—sprained...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 7-9NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 25/30/31DEFENSE 8/4/2
The league's most consistent winner puts its running game in the hands of a first-year starter
As the man who'll get first crack at replacing departed right end Hugh Douglas, the Eagles' primary pass rusher the past five years, NDUKWE KALU got a head start in December. In the last five...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 12-4NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 7/19/10DEFENSE 9/7/4
The offense is potent, and the special teams are revamped, but can the defense hold its own?
Playing for four years in Cleveland's harsh climes, RYAN KUEHL had just one bad snap. Of course the Giants know just how costly one snap can be. After a bad snap botched a game-winning field goal...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 10-6NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 14/6/6DEFENSE 16/9/9
Saddled with the NFL's worst offensive backfield, Bill Parcells will have to scramble for solutions
This summer, Bill Parcells looked at film of the '60s Packers to see how Vince Lombardi used fullback Jim Taylor in a ball-control offense. That gives you some idea of the ground-hugging offense...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 5-11NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 19/31/30DEFENSE 15/19/18
The offense is in the hands of Patrick Ramsey, but for how long? That's the key to the season
Bruce Smith, the 40-year-old wonder, returns for a 19th season, three sacks shy of Reggie White's NFL record of 198. But midway through camp he was grousing about the notion of being turned into a...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 7-9NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 13/21/20DEFENSE 12/5/5
Sign of the times: A pair of outspoken former foes have now joined forces with the enemy
Considered a reach by some when the Rams took him in the first round of The '02 draft, undersized linebacker ROBERT THOMAS did little as a rookie to silence his skeptics while starting 10 games on...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 7-9NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 30/2/13DEFENSE 14/12/13
A new coach and his aggressive approach give this aging group hope for one more title shot
With J.J. Stokes gone and starters Terrell Owens and Tai Streets eligible for free agency after 2003, the 49ers need to develop a wideout. The pressure is on No. 3 receiver CEDRICK WILSON, a...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 10-6NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 6/14/8DEFENSE 7/22/14
A defense that got run over last season has been revived by the hiring of Ray Rhodes
Matt Hasselbeck was smoking hot over the final six games last season, directing an offense that averaged an NFL-high 476 yards a game during that span. But most of those games were against...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 7-9NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 20/3/7DEFENSE 32/18/28
The new quarterback talks a good game, but his defensive teammates rarely play one
Right end Kyle Vanden Bosch's season-ending tear of his left ACL on Aug. 16 means CALVIN PACE, a rookie left end from Wake Forest, must do the heavy lifting for a pass rush that was the NFL's...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 5-11NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 15/29/27DEFENSE 30/28/29
With three game breakers at wide receiver, look for Tommy Maddox to go over the top
After 40 starts at right tackle, MARVEL SMITH moves to the left side, replacing Wayne Gandy, who went to the Saints in free agency. The left side is doubly important because Smith will protect the...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 10-5-1NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 9/7/5DEFENSE 1/20/7
Butch Davis starts over at linebacker, throwing three second-year players into the lineup
The team's first-round draft pick in 2002, running back WILLIAM GREEN looked like a flop through his first nine games: 161 yards, 2.3 per carry. But over the last seven games, he ran for 726 yards...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 9-7NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 23/18/23DEFENSE 27/15/21
A healthy Ray Lewis and the best pass rusher in the draft give a good defense scary potential
The Browns let COREY FULLER go because they thought he was too slow, but coach Brian Billick is counting on the cornerback's swagger and savvy to make up for any loss of speed. Fuller joins a team...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 7-9NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 16/27/26DEFENSE 13/26/22
With Marvin Lewis calling the shots, the NFL's longest-suffering fans have reason for hope
The fourth pick in the 2000 draft, PETER WARRICK has been a disappointment, with one 100-yard receiving game. The Bengals need a second receiver to pair with Chad Johnson, and observers say...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 2-14NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 21/13/18DEFENSE 22/13/17
With Jevon Kearse finally healthy, the defense is ready to, once again, get its freak on
Because he's a breakaway threat, running back ROBERT HOLCOMBE is better suited to the Titans' wide-open offense than Eddie George. A hip injury limited Holcombe to eight games last year, but he...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 11-5NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 11/20/17DEFENSE 2/25/10
It's time for the defense, led by promising linebacker David Thornton, to make a stand
The Colts are still waiting for wideout REGGIE WAYNE, their first-round draft pick in 2001, to be a meaningful contributor on a weekly basis. With the release of Qadry Ismail, Wayne is the team's...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 10-6NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 26/4/9DEFENSE 20/2/8
A new, less dictatorial coach and a fun-loving defensive star have everyone smiling at last
Cornerback FERNANDO BRYANT is a four-year starter, but at 5'10", 180 pounds, he may be too small for coach Jack Del Rio, who loves big corners. That's why he tried trading Bryant this spring....
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 6-10NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 10/28/25DEFENSE 25/14/20
David Carr and the NFL's worst offense won't get better until the play improves along the line
Charlie Clemons takes over at outside linebacker for Jeff Posey, Houston's top pass rusher last season who signed with the Bills as a free agent, demons logged 13½ sacks for the Saints in 2001 but...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 4-12NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 31/32/32DEFENSE 28/10/16
Defensive help has arrived for a team and a coach that are facing a make-or-break season
Last season JOSH REED was the third wideout in Drew Bledsoe's vertical passing game, working mostly from the slot. Now he's the No. 2 guy, replacing Peerless Price, who took his 94 catches to...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 8-8NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 24/5/11DEFENSE 29/6/15
While the offense stands pat, a rebuilt defense looks to regain that Super Bowl swagger
Last year ANTOWAIN SMITH played like an average NFL back, and New England had no ground game to take the pressure off Tom Brady. The Pats did not bring in a big-name back in the off-season, hoping...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD:9-7 NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 28/12/21DEFENSE 31/11/23
It's put-up-or-shut-up time for a team loaded with talent and a ready excuse for every failure
In 2000 BRIAN GRIESE made the Pro Bowl with Denver. Two years later he was run out of town, all the way to Miami, where he was supposed to provide much-needed depth. When Jay Fiedler was injured...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 9-7NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 2/26/15DEFENSE T5/8/3
A needy defense and an embattled front office look to a prized rookie for immediate relief
Vinny Testaverde quarterbacked the Jets to the AFC Championship Game in 1998, but the 17-year veteran didn't expect to face the pressure he'll be under this fall as the replacement for injured...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 9-7NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 22/17/22DEFENSE 18/21/24
Any improvement in the league's worst defense will send this offensive juggernaut to the top
A year ago defensive tackle RYAN SIMS, the sixth pick in the '02 draft, held out for the preseason, then reported in lousy shape. In Week 6 he suffered a season-ending left elbow injury. Sims's...
An opposing scout's view
2002 RECORD: 8-8NFL RANK (rush/pass/total):OFFENSE 3/11/4DEFENSE 24/31/32
September 01, 2003 Mind GamesWhat a wonderful article about Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel in SI's College Football Preview 04 Beautiful Mind, Aug. 11). I was delighted to read about a young man who has his...
September 01, 2003 LETTERS•Please e-mail us at letters@si.timeinc.com or fax us at 212-467-4049. Letters should include the writer's full name, address and home telephone number and may be edited for clarity and space.
One of the NFL's oldest teams will rely on three of its youngest players for another crack at glory
Since his disappearing act at Super Bowl XXXVII, center BARRET ROBBINS has gone through rehab for alcohol abuse and sought treatment for bipolar disorder. Now the All-Pro is trying to regain his...
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