OCR Text |
Show Tl Inside Sports Patriots, Eagles, Seahawks look Super supposed to have a quarterback (Tom Brady) who's that cool and calm and collected. You're not supposed to get a top seven or eight running back (Dild lon) in the league and two draft picks. To me, it's hard to fathom, actually, how good they can be." Salisbury figures a stellar defense led by linebacker Ray Lewis will again propel the Baltimore Ravens to the AFC North crown. "If there's anybody better than No. 52 on defense, I haven't seen him in a long time. And they're faster than they were Super Bowl year on defense. ... I love this team. The offensive line is good, and their defense will keep them in every game. They're the best team in this division." In a tough AFC South, Salisbury looks for the Colts to outlast the Tennessee Titans. "They have one goal. That's not just to get there, but to win it So they'll - By Gtorge Dicldt Zap2it teams don't sit still Smart winning a Super and the New England Patriots certainly fit that first-roun- bilL In the offseason, the Pats ace 1,000-yar- d rusher quired Corey Dillon, bolstered their defensive line and secondary, and improved their special teams. ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury likes them so much that he not only picks them to win the AFC East, but he expects them to again represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. This is a Salisbury says of the defending champs, who open the NFL season Thursday, Sept 9, on ABC, at home against quarterback Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. "New England's not only the class, they may have the division sewn up by December. That's how good they are. ... You're not six-tim- Bowl-worth- be around in late January. They'll win the division, probably by a couple of games because nobody's got more responsibility in this league and nobody shoulders more and does better with it than (reigning NFL MVP) Peyton Manning. He can put a game plan in by himself They're going to win that division and be something to be reckoned with before if8 over." The Kansas City Chiefs are an easy pick in the AFC West for Salisbury. "Kansas CityTl win that by four games," he says. "The Kansas City winner is going - great offense, can score on anyto-b- e body." So are the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. "It's almost too easy to pick. That's what scares me," he says. "I don't know if anybody, if they're playing their best football - a lot like New England I don't know if anybody can beat them. Yet, they still scare me. I don't think they're that explosive, -- . y still. I really don't. But you've got to pick them because that's your choice, and they should win the East." ' In the NFC North, Salisbury gives the nod to the Minnesota Vikings. "I think you're going to see (Randy) Moss have as big a year, maybe, as we've ever seen a receiver have. And if (QB Daunte) Culpepper's right, hell find him: self in a Pro Bowl. This team's better on defense one of the best young defensive fronts in football, and we haven't said that about Minnesota since I played there." Salisbury looks for the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers to come out of a very competitive South. "I love the inside and outside: (RBs) Stephen Davis and Foster. I think (QB Jake) Delhomme is going to be better with another year of experience. (WR) Steve Smith's only going to get better. And their defense is the best defense in football next to the Baltimore Ravens." Salisbury picks the Seattle to win the NFC West. "I think that if this team gets home-fiel- d advantage in the playoffs, that they'll be in the Super BowL And I've been very critical of them - (QB Matt) Hasselbeck; the receivers have got to pick up the tempo. But (RB) Shaun Alexander's in a contract year and has scored (44) touchdowns in the last three years. So he's a good player. Defensively, they've got a new motor with (defensive end) Grant Wistrom. (Defensive back) Bobby Taylor's a better player. They draft (Michael) Boulware and they're going to use him at linebacker and safety. And we know that (DBs) Kenny Lucas and Ken Hamlin are both physical. They're going to be a good team. If they advantage, I beget home-fiel- d lieve that they can represent the NFC, I do, if it has to go through Seattle." Sea-haw- The Week in Sports . Sunday September 5, 2004- - 0 im 0 1 Wednesday Friday September 8, 2004 September 10, 2004 L AM Tennis U.S. Open, Men's Third and Women s Fourth Round. (CO MLB Baseball 11:00 AM. Atlanta Braves at Montreal Expos. (CC) 11:30 A-O College Football Syracuse at Purdue. Beach Volleyball AVP NOON Chicago Open. (CO ate 1:00 RM. 1BS3 LPGA Golf-StFarm Classic, Final : Round. (CC) JS3MLB Baseball Chicago. Cubs at Florida Marlins. (CO ISO PJVL ISa College Football Kentucky at Louisville. (CC) 00 RM. Q PGA Golf Champi ons: First Tee Open, Final Round. (CO 00 RM. O PGA Golf Deutsche Bank Championship, Third Round. 3:30 RM. B3 College Football Fresno State at Washington. 5:00 RM. O NASCAR Racing Nextel Cup Pop Secret 500. fcOO Hh30 AM Q Tennis U.S. Open, Men's and Women's Fourth Round. (CC) 1!!B MLB Baseball Tampa Bay Devil Rays at New York Yankees. (CC) I ESI College Football Nevada at Louisiana'Tech. (CC) 9E3 MLB Baseball Philadel-- phia Phillies at Atlanta . Braves. (CO MLB Baseball NOON Chicago White Sox at Texas Rangers. (CO 2:00 RM. 1 ES3MLB Baseball Montreal Expos at Chicago . . Cubs. (CO 230 RM llEfil College Football Pittsburgh vs. South Florida. (CO aTennisU.S. Open, Early Round ' 6:00 RM. I CO MLB Baseball Anaheim' Angels at Cleveland. -: ' Indians.'.(CC) 1KC3 College Football UNLV at Tennessee. (CC) -. Monday September 6, 2004 9:00 AM Q Tennis U.S. Open, Men's and Women's Fourth -Round. (CC) S9 tea Tennis US. Open, 5:00 RM. Men's and Women's Fourth Round. (CO 6:00 RM. O College Football Florida State atMiami RM. JE3MLB Baseball Boston Red Sox at Oakland; 0 . As. (CO (CC) 1:30 RM. I B:0 MLB Baseball Teams TBA. (CC) 5:00 RM. 1KB MLB Baseball Teams TBA. (CC) II ESI Hockey World Cup Quarterfinal: Teams TBA. - (CO liO Tennis Tuesday ; September 7, 2004 IS Tennis U.S. Open, feOOAM. ..Men's Fourth RoundWomen's ". ' Quarterfinal 11KH) AJVL (CC) 1KB Hockey World Cup Quarterfinal: Teams TBA. ; (CO 5:00 RM. IBS! Hockey World Cud Quarterfinal: Teams TBA. IBJ Tennis U.S. Open, Men's Fourth RoundWomen's Quarterfinal. (CO 7:00 RM. BSSI MLB Baseball San Francisco Giants at Col- -. orado Rockies. :' ;.( u nt j.i , U.S. Open, Men'sWomen's Quarterfinals. 7:00 RM. B3 MLB Baseball San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies. 0 RM. IlllSai MLB Baseball Teams TBA. (CC) 8.-0- . Thursday September 9, 9KX) (CO. y)04 AM Ea,Tnnis AM. Q Tennis U.S. Open, Men's Doubles Final and Women's Semifinals. (CC) 10i30 AM Q Tennis U.S. Open, Men's Doubles Final and Women's Semifinals. (CC) IKK) RM. I! KB PGA Golf Bell Canadian Open, Second Round. (CC) IIBI NASCAR Racing Nextel Roll 400, Cup Chevy Rock and ' Qualifying. (CC) RM. f1KB MLB Baseball Teams TBA. (CC) HIKE! Hockey World Cup Semifinal: Teams TBA. (CC) 5i8Q RM. i!ESMLB Baseball t,c Montreal Expos at Atlanta Braves. (CC) 6:00 RM. I NASCAR Racing Busch Series Emerson 250. fcOO U.S. Open, Men's QuarterfinalMixed Doubles Final. (CC) 12:30, RM. I! KB PGA Golf Bell Cankdjan Open, First Round. 7:00 RM. 3 CD Women's College Soccer Gonzaga at BYU. 8:00 RM. 1KB CoUege Football Oregon State at Boise State. (co (CC) 5:00 RM. I B!CiCollege Foot- ball Missouri at Troy State. An-gej- es ; . Saturday . September 11, 2004 (CO CB1 Tennis U.S. Open, Men's Quarterfinal. (CC) 5:30 RM. 1IBB MLB Baseball Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves. (CC) 7KM) RM. O NFL Football Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots. (CC) &30 RM. liKBl WNBA Basketball Detroit Shock at Los . Sparks. (CC) t . . 10:00 AM Q Tennis U.S. Open, Men's Semifinals. (CC) O College Football Southern Mississippi at Nebraska, li KB CoUege Football UNLV at Wisconsin. (CC) KE1 College Football Arizona State at Northwestern. (CO 12:10 RM. BIB MLB Baseball Florida Marlins at Chicago Cubs. (CO O College Colorado Football at Washington State. Q College Football Michigan at Notre Dame. (CC) f. KB PGA Golf Bell Canadian Open, Third Round. (CC) 1XB College Football Wyoming at Texas A&M. 2:00 RM. I MB MLS Soccer Dallas Burn at D.C. United. (CC) 3:30 RM. 1KB College Football Georgia at South Carolina. (CC) 5.-0-0 (CO 8.-0-0 : i:a Tennis U.S. Open, Men'sWomen's Quarterfinals. . (CC) AM 9HM 1:30 RM. .. 4:30 RM. II KBI Hockey World Cup Semifinal Teams TBA. (CC) RM. IBM CoUege Football Houston at Oklahoma. &30 RM. MM NASCAR Racing Nextel Cup Chevy Rock and RoU400.(CC) 6:00 RM. Q Tennis U.S. Open, Women's Final. (CO O CoUege Football Colorado 5.-0-0 State at USC. 6:45 RM. I; KB CoUege Football Texas at Arkansas. (CO 7:00 RM. II KBI CoUege Football Mississippi at Alabama. (CO 8:00 RM. BYU CD Q CoUege Football at Stanford. CoUege FootbaU Utah at Arizona. SB CoUege FootbaU BYU at Stanford. BIB MLB Baseball Chicago White Sox at Anaheim Angels. (CC) , |