MOBILE, Ala. -- Each year about this time, 30 of the NFL's 32 head coaches and/or their staffs trek down to Mobile to begin their quest toward next year. The granddaddy of college all-star bowl games is considered one-stop shopping for all: Coaches get to fill out their staffs in the NFL's version of a coaching job fair, and scouts and GMs can begin to form their opinions of the next wave of college meat.
But two coaches miss out on all the fun. Oh, to be one of those two. Absence often means they've got better things to do, like prepare for a Super Bowl or something. This is the case for New England's Bill Belichick and Carolina's John Fox.
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| With standout Damien Woody injured, reserve guard Russ Hochstein becomes a key to the Super Bowl.(AP) |
Despite the fact that they are at the wrong bowl, Super opinions are easy to find. What matchups are piquing the interest inside the coaching fraternity?
SportsLine.com polled those at the Senior Bowl, asking what matchup on Super Sunday intrigues them most from a hardcore X's and O's viewpoint.
"This game will be won up front," said Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt. "I'm intrigued to see the defensive fronts that the Patriots will show. That will test the mental part of the Panthers offensive line's game much more than the physical. But on the other side, I think it's more of a physical matchup between the Panthers defensive line, which is the best in the NFL, against the Patriots' O-line. One matchup is more mental and the other is a physical battle."
One of the most interesting battles often talked about during the week was Panthers Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins against Patriots guard Ross Hochstein, a fill-in for the injured Damien Woody.
"It's actually Jenkins against the Patriots' offensive triangle -- two guards and center," said former Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis. "I think Foxie will move Jenkins around a bit, show him some of that 46 Bear defense look up front to get the best matchup with that kid that he can."
The trenches drew most of the attention from coaches and personnel men. Even more than the physical battle, Fox's and Belichick's compatriots say they cannot wait to see what the two sides will have in store for the other from a strategy standpoint, especially up front.
"I think the thing that would be most intriguing in this game is if New England's blitz packages can nullify the Panthers' running game," said Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil. "Will they blitz to stop the run as well as the pass?"
"New England's ability to stop the Panthers running game is probably the No. 1 key in this game," said Texans coach Dom Capers. "It's going to be interesting to see how the Patriots use their blitz packages against the run, not so much against the pass. I'd think we would see a lot of run blitzes from the Patriots to stop their run.
"(Patriots safety) Rodney Harrison is going to be a huge factor in this game. (New England's nose tackle) Ted Washington inside obviously makes a very big difference, but (Panthers offensive coordinator) Dan Henning does a very good job of getting angles on the inside to get Stephen Davis running downhill."
Henning vs. the Patriots' defensive brain trust of Romeo Crennel and Belichick could be the battle of the day.
"The one matchup I really am looking forward to is Dan Henning's multiple blocking schemes against that Patriots defensive front," said McGinnis. "A lot is said about Belichick's schemes and what they do, but Henning does a lot of very intriguing things with his blocking schemes on the run that don't get enough attention. That is going to be very, very interesting. It'll be a chess match."
The one factor that emerged as the X-factor is the matchup of quarterbacks. While the Patriots' Tom Brady has never lost a postseason game, his counterpart still needs to prove he can win the whole thing.
"Jake Delhomme will see things he's never seen before," said Saints coach Jim Haslett. "You give Bill Belichick that extra week, it will be very difficult for Jake to prepare for what he's going to be shown. If they didn't have the extra week, Jake would be able to see what they've done and get a good feel. Considering Belichick has an extra week, there's no telling what he's going to see."
"I think the difference will be those two quarterbacks," said one NFL personnel director. "Brady will be the difference. All the other matchups pretty much equal each other out, but Brady can step up."
If the Panthers' vaunted front four cannot get to Brady, the consensus is that the Panthers will be sunk. But they're also the one defensive line that is expected to give Brady fits.
"Can the Panthers get pressure on him, and then when they do, can they finish it?" said Capers. "Brady has made some huge throws this year when people are in his face. We had a free man on him in our game, and he ducked out of it and threw 31 yards downfield. He also completed a fourth-and-1 against us with somebody right in his face. They've got to be able to get to him, but he has very good feel for that pocket."
Henning vs. Crennel. Jenkins vs. Hochstein. Brady vs. Peppers, Rucker and friends. Fox vs. Belichick. This has all the makings of a nice, ugly game ... but a lot prettier for Fox and Belichick than being at the Senior Bowl.
A tough break for Falcons' Ruskell
Falcons assistant general manager Tim Ruskell took his scouting to another level this week. What better way to get a feel for a guy than to get run over by him? During a midweek practice, Alabama running back Shaud Williams, all 5-7, 180 pounds of him, ran out of bounds and right into Ruskell. The result? Ruskell broke his leg right below the knee and was flown back to Atlanta to meet with team doctors. Falcons people said he will probably be in a cast for a while but expects a rematch soon.
Seminoles' Jones a specimen
The most freakish player at these practices was Florida State running back Greg Jones. Scouts had mixed results on his play and NFL prospects, but they all admitted he was built like he was generated from a computer. The 240-pounder had everyone talking about his muscle mass and the lowest percentage of body fat of any athlete at these workouts.
"If I was built like that, I would be a professional vigilante," said one person in attendance.
The sleeper from Tusculum
Cornerback Ricardo Colelough is this year's diamond in the rough. He was discovered at tiny Tusculum College in Tennessee but invited to run with the big boys. He showed great promise at 5-10½, 186 pounds, and picked things up extremely well, considering he was so far behind his counterparts in the recognition department.
"He's done a great job this week," said one NFC scouting director. "He's never seen anything, so everything that he's being taught, it's the first time he's seeing it, but he's picking it all up."
Chiefs mend some fences
One of the most talked about moves of the week among the coaches was the reunion of Gunther Cunningham and the Chiefs. When Cunningham was fired two years ago and replaced by Vermeil, there were some harsh feelings over the way it was done. But the fact Cunningham and team president Carl Peterson could mend the fence in the quest for a Super Bowl ring took a lot of chutzpah from both sides. In fact, Cunningham even spent the night at Peterson's house earlier in the week as the two repaired a once very strained relationship. The prospect of winning that elusive ring sure makes things seem rosy in a hurry.
