Superbowl XXXVII

[knvb]

Oakland vs Tampa Bay
Sunday, 6:00 p.m. ET on ABC

History and cold weather seemed to be stacked against Tampa Bay in Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game, but the Bucs went to Veterans Stadium and defied the odds by upsetting the Eagles to advance to the the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. The Raiders, meanwhile, had to fend off a feisty Titans team before pulling away in the AFC Championship Game. The result is a matchup many are eager to see: Bucs head coach Jon Gruden will face his former team in San Diego. Not only that, but Tampa Bay's top-ranked defense will have to find a way to corral Rich Gannon and the league's No. 1 offense (NFL.Com)

Oakland is the Favorite here? Maybe Captain can give us the odds and his pick. I wonder how much pre-game banter there will be with Gruden back playing his old team and all...

Discuss...

 

[knvb]

Will Hill Odds

Bet Until : 23:20 26/01/2003

Odds Spread Competitors Spread Odds

1.90 -3.5 Oakland V Tampa Bay +3.5 1.90

 

[hammerhead]

I read once that offense wins games, but defense wins championships.

Gotta go with the Bucs. Gannon wont get the time he had against the Titans

 

[One Dart]

Believe it or not but the Titans have one of the best pass rushes in the game, Jevon Kearse and anyone else would make a great pass rush, and the Raiders offensive line shut them down. Gannon has proven that he doesn't need a whole lot of time and the west coast offense that the Raiders run calls for a lot of short passes. Gannon was 10/10 on the first two drives against the Titans. If the Raiders can figure it out on defense and get less than the four personal fouls they were penalized yesterday, they should win. If they give the Bucs the 140+ penalty yards that they did the Titans, they'll be in trouble.

 

[Guinness]

Champs or Chumps

The Raiders appear to be easy favourites, BUT are they really??? How can they be favoured over a team whose coach know's their players and their playbook inside out??? Gruden is a relatively young coach, but has proven in his short tenure with Tampa and his 2+ seasons with the Raiders that he can coach a football team!!! Last year the Raiders were robbed by brutal officiating in the AFC final... They were a good team last year and Gruden was the man who helped mold them... He knows their strengths and their weaknesses like no other and this will play a HUGE role in the outcome of the Super Bowl!!!

The Raiders are easily more talented on Offence, but have always had the knock of being a team that takes bad and un-timely penaties... The Silver and Black faithful love the mean spirited and physical battles, thus possibly aggrivating and tempting the Bill Rominowski's to take a late shot at the quaterback or the Charles Woodsen's to take a late flag for unessessary roughing???

Defence does win Championships (Ravens and Pats to a lesser extent), but do the Bucs have enough offence to defeat the Raiders??? Personally I don't think they do, but I also wouldn't be suprised to see them crowned as champs this year... It is definately the Raiders game to lose, thus the mental struggle between Gruden and the players jockeying for an edge should be quite an event...

Special teams and turnovers will decide this game...

MarginallygoingwithsentimentalfavouritestheRaiders!!!