Sporting News, The: Did anyone else predict the Bucs would go 16-0? - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Here's what we have learned so far about the 1997 NFL season:

Am I the only one who predicted the Buccaneers would go undefeated this season?

The Packers didn't want to pay kicker Chris Jacke and didn't invite him to join them at the White House after last season. This year, the Packers won't get invited, and they could just kick themselves.

When folks about the "Big Three" they don't mean the 49ers, Cowboys and Packers, but the Jaguars, Patriots and Broncos.

All those letter writers, e-mailers and know-it-alls from New Orleans were absolutely correct: "You haven't seen nothing yet from Health Shuler."

Michael Westbrook scored the game-winning touchdown for the Redskins and his teammates beat him up.

McDonald's is out to lunch. The hamburger chain is offering a combo meal named for Panthers wide receiver Raghib Ismail, which includes a "Rocket Burger," large fries and a drink in your choice of special Rocket plastic cups. The out-of-this-world deal is called the "Touchdown Pack," which could befuddle the local customers, because in two seasons with Carolina, Ismail has no touchdown catches.

Good guys win out. The 49ers, like the Chargers before them, tried taking inside linebacker Gary Plummer out of the starting lineup only to discover they aren't nearly as productive without him.

Here's why Super Bowl XXXI MVP Desmond Howard has yet to catch a pass for the Raiders and why Super Bowl XXX MVP Larry Brown has been sent to the bench: They play for same team and do not get the opportunity to play against each other, which is the only way either one will ever look good again.

Andre Rison must have cleaned up his act; the Raiders weren't interested in signing him this offseason.

If Rams quarterback Tony Banks and Bears running back Rashaan Salaam some day play together, which one fumbles?

This is why we interview the players: Asked about coach Bill Parcells, Jets safety Corwin Brown said, "Bill is Bill." We'll let you know if that changes.

We already have seen the coaching job of the year, with the Eagle's Ray Rhodes shutting down the quarterback two frightens him more than any other: Brett Favre. Rhodes has unabashed admiration for Favre, and no quarterback of his can outscore the Packers, so the defensive whiz had his troops blitz 33 times in Week 2, forcing Favre -- for only the second time in his last 50 starts -- to complete fewer than 50 percent of his passes. Not once did Rhodes just send three defenders at Favre; in fact, on six occasions, he had seven players storming Favre to steal a 10-9 win.

Dumb coaching move of the year -- so far, because Barry Switzer still has the bulk of the season to go: the Dolphins' Jimmy Johnson calls a fake punt from deep in his territory while trailing Green Bay by one point. The Packers stop the play and go on to a field goal.

Three or four more losses like the one Notre Dame's Bob Davie absorbed at Purdue and he will have graduated to Steve Mariucci status -- eligible then to become an NFL head coach.

Ask 49ers tackle Tim Hanshaw a question and you get an honest answer. After playing 14 plays against Rams defensive end Leslie O'Neal, Hanshaw said, "He's incredible. He's been to six Pro Bowls, and I've been to one game."

Blown opportunity of the year -- so far: Playing at home against the 49ers, who had rookie quarterback Jim Druckenmiller in place of Steve Young the Rams had a chance to go 2-0. Instead, they gagged.

How about those Cleveland Ravens?

Keep an eye on the injury update on defensive mountain Gilbert Brown. If it's serious, the Packers will have been hurt badly.

A clarification: Panthers cornerback Tyrone Poole said he would not talk to the media this season. He mentioned nothing about running away fro the media, just in case that's his explanation for going 86 mph in a 55-mph speed zone.

Three weeks into the season and Rams running back Lawrence Phillips has yet to be arrested. Team officials were checking to see if that was a record.

Leigh Steinberg, Steve Young's agent, says one more concussion and that might be it for the 49ers' quarterback, giving us for the first time the NFL's version of Russian roulette.

The nation's dumbest fans now have been identified: The 37 people who were ejected from Sun Devil Stadium in Week 2, the only time they will ever see the Cardinals beat the Cowboys.

Clip and save: Cowboys tight end Scott Galbraith said Cardinals players were "falling on their knees, thanking God and kissing each other" after beating Dallas. "The bottom line is, we'll be in the playoffs, and they won't."

Clip and save II: The Oilers are 1-1, but safety Marcus Robertson says, "This team will go to the playoffs, I will tell you that. I believe this team will win 10 games, and 10 wins will get us in the playoffs."

Eight-man fronts are forcing the Lions to go away from Barry Sanders and have Scott Mitchell throw the ball. Don't care if it takes 10-man fronts to force the Lions into throwing the ball, there's still a chance for an interception.

We might be watching Jacksonville in the Super Bowl for years to come if winning without a starting quarterback is any indication of the level of talent across the board.

Most overrated unit to date: The Raiders' defensive line. The Chiefs had turnstiles at each tackle position, and still the Raiders couldn't get to quarterback Elvis Grbac. And Tennessee running back Eddie George treated the Raiders' defensive line like a freeway.

Look for a made-for-TV movie in the coming weeks called Resurrection, starring Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson.

When a Raiders coach begins by saying, "Trust me when I tell you this," as Joe Bugel did last week in offering an explanation why he closed the team's locker room, you can bet he's got his fingers crossed.

Will we see Dan Marino next week? He has thrown one touchdown pass in three weeks and had a good opportunity to break on top early against Green Bay, before settling for field goals. If Johnson needed an excuse...

The Bears probably will be going to backup quarterback Rick Mirer now, meaning they are real serious about this business of landing Peyton Manning.

As soon as the Buccaneers got rid of wide receiver Alvin Harper, look what happened. Harper, meanwhile, is still looking for his first catch in Washington. Hard to believe.

If you don't feel sorry for Falcons coach Dan Reeves, having to sit down each Monday to draw up a game plan for Chris Chandler, Billy Joe Tolliver and Tony Somebody-or-other, and for Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who has to play behind the lugs employed to protect him, you probably would like to see the Saints play the 49ers every week.

The Cardinals could be 3-0 but, after all, they are the Cardinals.

If you are a football fan in New York, you actually are happy you have Neil O'Donnell (Jets) as opposed to Dave Brown (Giants). The only quarterbacks now to lose to the Ravens are Brown, Jeff Blake, Mike Tomczak, Banks, Jim Everett and Billy Joe Hobert.

Coach Kevin Gilbride closed Chargers practices after the team moved into an $11.8 million publicly funded facility. And there's no incentive to win. The city of San Diego has guaranteed 60,000 sold seats or it pays the difference, so there's no reason to present exciting product. Hence, no sellout for the home opener. Gilbride had to be told by the media to get the ball to Eric Metcalf; if he ever opens practices to the media again, there are several writers more than willing to give him some more advice.

Which quinella do you like more, John Elway/Terrell Davis or Drew Bledsoe/Curtis Martin?

Darrien Gordon has given the Broncos a Desmond Howard boost. The Chargers didn't need him -- remember, the Chargers have no incentive to win.

Anthony Miller? Rod Smith has exploded on the scene in Denver.

Jeff George returned to Atlanta and showed those folks what they're missing: Napoleon Kaufman.

Chris Warren or Lamar Thomas? We'll put a call in to George Seifert.

Has there ever been a bigger fall than that suffered by former Steelers quarterback Jim Miller, the team's starter into the third quarter of last year's opener, who, due to earn $900,000 this year, was released and now is the No. 4 quarterback with the Jaguars, and earning $200,000?" Sometimes, it's a cruel, shrewd business," Miller says. "Whether it was because of money or they didn't like me, it doesn't matter."

Does anyone think Kordell Stewart should be playing wide receiver? After two games, his stats are worse than Miller's in his start last year.