Tuesday, September 3, 2002
Updated: September 4, 1:12 PM ET
NFL 2002: Who's Next?
By By Chad Millman
Let's break it down, bit by bit, just like the pros do. We know the best talent doesn't always make the best team. We know that hoisting Lombardi is as much about the little plays made as the big-time players who make them. We know that every February, while some freshly minted Super Bowl hero is dancing in some downtown parade, 31 coaches are paring down their rosters into different parts. They ask themselves: What do we need? Where can we get it? They're thinking: This league is always up for grabs -- thank you, Ravens and Pats -- so let's make it ours. Maybe the missing piece comes in a trade, like Ricky to Miami. Maybe it comes in the draft, like the trio of defensive backs the Eagles took in April. Or maybe it's that new defensive scheme that fits the talent like a glove -- although chances are Bill Belichick's already thought of it. We've broken down each team not by players, but by parts, so you can judge for yourself: once they're pieced together, if the whole is greater. That's what they're all hoping. Because GMs and coaches, they like dancing too.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Dolphins over Steelers
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Eagles over Rams
SUPER BOWL XXXVII: Eagles over Dolphins
