Dr. Z's Forecast
Posted: Wednesday November 25, 1998 12:06 PM
By Paul Zimmerman 
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Jake Plummer, who led Arizona to 73 points in its last two games, will look to light up the Chiefs. Scott Troyanos | The Denver hype has now reached Phase Two.
Phase One was in late October, when the Broncos handled the Jaguars fairly
easily, leading to all sorts of silly speculation that they just might have
a chance to go undefeated. A long shot, everybody said at the time. Forget
it. Phase Two comes as a result of the lopsided wins the past two weeks
over Kansas City and Oakland, which at one time appeared to be Denver's two
most serious division foes but, in retrospect, don't seem very serious at
all. This is the phase that calls for a careful look at the schedule, a
rapid intake of breath and the observation, "My gosh, there's nothing
between here and Miami in Game 15," the nothing being roadies against San
Diego and the Giants, and a homer against K.C. The game against the
Dolphins -- in Miami on Monday night, Dec. 21 -- will be Phase Three. All
systems are go if the Broncos win it, because no one figures them to blow
the finale, at home against Seattle. That attaches a certain amount of
drama to this Sunday's game against the Chargers, if you agree with the
coaches who say the games that scare them the most are the ones that
everyone takes for granted. The problem with this theory is that the
Broncos haven't shown signs of taking anyone lightly. They're always up, or
maybe they're just so much better than everyone else that they create the
illusion of being up. That's the mark of the truly gifted team. During
the Steelers' glory years, from 1972 through '79, do you know what their
record was against teams that finished the season below .500? It was 50-1.
They were bullies. So are the Broncos. And since this is a prediction
column, I'll end the suspense and assign Denver victory number 12
against San Diego. The 49ers are in prime time for the second straight
week, this time in a Monday-nighter at home against the Giants. Honestly,
I'm not trying to pad my record with puppies; I'm just trying to address a
game lots of people will be watching, and I'm looking for ways New York can
win. The Niners tried hard to carry the Saints for the first few rounds on
Sunday night, turning the ball over three times in their first four
possessions, but it was just a matter of time until the knockout came. The
Giants' offense is nowhere to be found, but their defense still has some
bite, and if the 49ers start off the same way.... O.K., who's kidding whom?
The Niners will take it, and now we'll get into some action that's
a little more difficult to predict. The Oilers to beat the Seahawks
in Seattle. I've been in Tennessee's corner all along because I still
think the real Oilers are the ones that beat the Steelers twice in three
weeks, not the guys who got so thoroughly handled, physically and
strategically, by the Jets on Sunday. Vinny Testaverde picked
apart the Tennessee defense underneath, but I don't think Jon Kitna, who's replacing
the benched Warren Moon,
will have the amount of time to throw that New York gave its man.
Arizona at K.C. is a head-scratcher. The total points scored in their games
on Sunday was 162. The Chiefs were supposed to be carried by their defense,
and the Cardinals were widely praised for building a feared front four. So
where were those defenses on Sunday? Kansas City saw San Diego run up 21
fourth-quarter points to pull off an upset. Arizona built a big lead on
Washington and then watched in horror as the Skins scored touchdowns on six
consecutive possessions. The Cardinals still have playoff hopes; the
Chiefs' are just about dead. The traditional Arrowhead fan noise might not
be a factor because, after six straight losses, these people are so
disillusioned that they just might root for the visitors. Still, the Chiefs
have to get it together sometime, don't they? And this will be that moment.
I'll go with K.C. Tampa Bay, another drowning
swimmer, over the Bears in Chicago, only because of the Bears'
unsettled quarterback situation. I'm figuring the Patriots for a letdown
after the Miami Monday-nighter, so I'm going with Buffalo in an upset. Is
the Bills' ground game for real? I think so. Finally, and don't laugh,
Carolina will give the Jets a battle for a while before fading. The formula
simply won't change for the Jets -- they beat the teams they're supposed to
lose to and, much to Bill Parcells's chagrin, lose to the ones they should
beat. I think the pattern will change here. Look for the Jets to go to
8-4. Issue date: November 30, 1998
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