Key matchups as seen by former NFL players

By JOHN COTEY
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 25, 2003

QUARTERBACK

ESPN's Mark Malone, a former Pittsburgh quarterback, says:

"When you think of quarterbacks, you think of throwing the football. And it would be hard for me to believe that Brad (Johnson) has an edge over Rich (Gannon). The Raiders throw the ball so much more; throw it so much more effectively. And given the weapons that Oakland has at its disposal, you have to think that Rich has an advantage when it comes to throwing the ball."

ADVANTAGE: Raiders.

RUNNING GAME

Ricky Watters, former Super Bowl tailback with San Francisco, says:

"I played with Charlie Garner, so maybe I'm a little biased. But he's too good. He's not only a good running back, but he can catch the ball. He's a great receiver. I think (Michael) Pittman and (Mike) Alstott are good backs, but Charlie's pass-catching gives him the edge over those two."

ADVANTAGE: Raiders.

WIDE RECEIVERS VS. DEFENSIVE BACKS

Lynn Swann, Super Bowl X MVP and a Hall-of-Famer, says:

"The Raiders will want to move (Jerry) Rice and (Tim) Brown and (Jerry) Porter around and then try and hit something deep. They also have more experience with guys like Rice. But the Bucs have played good receivers very well throughout the playoffs. The Raiders will have to exert a great deal of patience. The Bucs will probably try to hit more of the type of play Joe Jurevicius had against Philadelphia or on a dramatic catch inside the 20, the red zone by Keyshawn (Johnson) or (Keenan) McCardell. And the Raiders' defensive backs, there's a whole bunch of guys with plates in their feet."

ADVANTAGE: Even.

THE TRENCHES

Mark Schlereth, former offensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl winner with Denver, says:

"Right now, you look at the Raider offensive line, and it has been absolutely dominant. They are big and physical and are the best pass protecting line in the NFL. You've got a guy like Lincoln Kennedy who can shut a guy down one-on-one. Therefore, you can turn your protection to other places and create matchups of four-on-three. You can get double teams across the rest of the line because of his presence. As far as the Bucs go, that was a much maligned unit early in the season. They were pathetic. But they have improved every week to the point where the last month or so, they have been a very good offensive line."

ADVANTAGE: Raiders.

STOPPING THE RUN

Schlereth says:

"John Parrella and Sam Adams are two of the best who have ever played the game as far as run-stuffing defensive tackles. They are absolutely awesome at it. And that keeps people off the linebackers and let's them make plays. But how can you argue with the Tampa Bay Bucs defensive line? They may be undersized, but they are incredibly quick and great with their hand placement and getting off the blocks. That allows them to play with great leverage."

ADVANTAGE: Bucs.

Kicking game

Fuad Reveiz, a former Dolphin and Cowboy kicker, says:

"I think Martin Gramatica has really good range and is really accurate and very dependable. He's a guy you can count on. I don't know where that tired leg thing came from. You can tell by his leg swing that isn't the case. He's been killing it. Sebastian, he's a real strong guy, real big, and he might have more leg than Martin does. But if it comes down to a 40-yard field goal at the end of the game, I'd want Martin kicking it because I know where he was the night before."

ADVANTAGE: Bucs.

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