Insights: Sports

Terry Bradshaw
Published in: October 1, 1999

Published September/October 1999

SPORTS Terry Bradshaw's Super Bowl Picks TV commentator and former quarterback superstar looks at the coming season as told to Ken Shouler Hanging out in jeans and boots, Terry Bradshaw is tending to the horses in his barn in West Lake, Texas. The FOX football analyst, winner of four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers (and MVP of two of them), is puffing his latest love in smokes--a Gloria Cubana. Bradshaw's talk about football is refreshingly free of the techno-babble heard from announcers who sound as if they were members of some cabal the rest of us can't join. His language is unhesitating and direct. No surprise then that when we asked him to forecast the 1999 season, a year of reckoning--is this the last chance for Dallas, San Francisco and Green Bay, of the National Football Conference, and can Denver, of the American Football Conference, win without John Elway?--that he would lay it all out there in his own unabashed way.   I wouldn't be shocked if the Jets met Minnesota in the Super Bowl. It could be the Jets, Miami, Denver or Jacksonville in the AFC. Mind you, Plan B is where you throw in Tennessee and Pittsburgh and Seattle. I would put Denver first over the Jets in the AFC; but right now there seems to be a drop-off after those two teams. But you know what always happens? People say, "Who's going to be there in the end?" I don't know. But just look at it like this: who was good last year in the playoffs?   Arizona's gonna be my team in the NFC East. I'm gonna pick them strong. They had a great draft. They've got a wonderful quarterback in Jake Plummer, an excellent receiver tandem in Rob Moore and Frank Sanders. At running back they got Adrian Murrell from New York. They drafted another big back, Joel Makovica (5-foot-10, 247 pounds) from Nebraska, a blocker. So they're pretty solid there. They were 10-8 last year and should get better this year.   This is Dallas's last chance. You saw that Michael Irvin didn't get his contract extension.When players, other than quarterbacks, who are playing for three or three and a half million reach their 30s and have had a down year, you're going to see some movement --especially if they have not kept a clean face in the community. And Michael hasn't. They've got the running back, but if you think that's the answer, then answer this: why isn't Detroit doing any better when it has Barry Sanders, the best running back in the league? Emmett Smith isn't too old, but the Cowboys have to give him creases.   Minnesota again in the Central Division? My experience looking at the quarterback position is that Randall Cunningham has had some awfully great years. And he's much more aware of how the game is played now. Last year he played under control. He has Jake Reed and he has Cris Carter at wide receiver, and he also has Randy Moss, and Robert Smith in the backfield, and a real solid offensive line. Randall can play every bit as well as he played last year. I would expect them to win the NFC Championship.   Green Bay will be either second or third best in the conference. As long as Brett Favre is alive, as long as their receivers are around, the Packers will be competitive. Their defense wasn't as good last year, though. Reggie White is gone and he takes his sacks (16 last year) with him.   The best in the West might be Atlanta. The Falcons were no fluke; I think they'll be back, because they now realize how to get it done and believe they can get it done. That's half the battle. It wouldn't surprise me to see them playing Minnesota for the NFC title again. San Francisco? That's one good offense. The 49ers' problem is their defense. They had one of the worst pass defenses in the league last year. They must get better there. It could be another 10-win season (which would be their 17th in a row), but if they don't it won't be the fault of their offense.   Don't count out New Orleans. The Saints got Ricky Williams at running back because Mike Ditka wants to play his kind of football: control the clock with the running game. That's the theory: great running game, high percentage passing game, great defense, and don't turn the ball over.   The Carolina Panthers struggled at the quarterback position last year. When Steve Beuerlein did play, he was impressive. And, they have George Seifert as coach now. He's won Super Bowls in 1989 and 1994 for the 49ers, so when he gives the players a game plan, they say, 'Oh, this is great.' A player believes in the game plan and believes in what the coach is selling.   The AFC East? That's tougher. I like the Jets--they're solid, really solid. I love their coach, Bill Parcells. He gets it done. He commands the players' respect; he gets their attention. The great coaches stick to the system; Parcells sells it, he forces it down the players' throats. But the Jets will have a struggle because you have New England, Buffalo, Miami, Indianapolis and Baltimore in that division. Miami may have been hurt by Jimmy Johnson's threat of retiring and coming back; I think it unsettles a football team. I respect Jimmy and admire him for almost leaving after his mother died. But when he comes back, there's a part of you that says, "this is his last year." I do believe that Miami will have a heck of a football team. Dan Marino's as good as ever. Buffalo had that great year from Doug Flutie last year and the Bills play great defense. Coach Wade Phillips was a defensive coordinator, so he's defensive-minded; they have an explosive offense. Indianapolis is going to be better; The Colts have some good young people coming in. They have Peyton Manning in his second year, and that's a big plus. They also picked a kid out of Miami, running back Edgerrin James--that was controversial--but James is a real blazer. This kid can flat get it done.   I expect Jacksonville to win the Central. That's pretty safe; the Jaguars were 12-6 last year, and that was with Mark Brunell injured with a bad ankle at the end of the season. With a healthy Brunell they might have gone further. Pittsburgh's hurting, and it has another offensive coordinator in Kevin Gilbride. I expect Kordell Stewart to rise in the league. He can always run and he can throw the heck out of the football. If he has another bad season this year, then he's gone.   I see Denver being just as good as ever in the West. The Broncos are real solid at quarterback. Bubby Brister started four games in place of Elway last year and played well. They also have a young kid, Brian Griese [son of Miami star Bob Griese], who is also outstanding at QB. Tyrell Davis? That's your offense right there. The threat is not gonna come from San Diego because Ryan Leif can't grow up. It's not gonna come from the Raiders because they can't get settled at quarterback. It's not gonna come from Seattle because John Kitna is gonna be the quarterback in a new offense. I don't think the Seahawks have the star power up there to get it done. Kansas City will always be tough, but I think Denver walks in that division. It wouldn't surprise me to see Denver and Minnesota in the Super Bowl.   These predictions aren't for sure--there are always sleepers. Don't give up on Tampa Bay in the NFC Central, and New Orleans and Dallas could shock you. Jason Sehorn is back for the Giants. There are a bunch of teams that with a break or two early could get it going. Remember: see who was in the hunt last year and add one surprise. Ken Shouler is a frequent contributor to Cigar Aficionado.