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Sunday, November 03, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

If Barry Sanders hadn't quit football after the 1998 season, Emmitt Smith might be retired by now.

Many people believe Smith no longer has it and the Cowboys wouldn't have kept him if he hadn't been chasing Walter Payton's record. And if Sanders had not prematurely retired, the record would be his and out of sight, possibly more than 20,000 yards.

Sanders rushed for 15,269 yards in 10 seasons with an average of 5.0 per carry. Sanders often said he would not play just to break Payton's record, and he didn't. Former teammate Robert Porcher, still with the Lions, believes Sanders wanted to add to his mystique and legend as the greatest back of all time by quitting early, just like Jim Brown.

"Once Emmitt breaks this record, sooner or later, whether it's 15 or 20 years from now, somebody will come along and break it," said Porcher, whose theory differs from Tennessee General Manager Floyd Reese (see AFC notebook). "Emmitt will just be the second-leading rusher. Then, when that's broken again, he'll just be third. He'll go down.

"But Barry will always be linked to whoever has the record. And I told him that. He just gave me a sly smile."

Not enough 'O' in Tampa Bay

The great mind of Jon Gruden, another former Pitt assistant, has not been able to kick-start the offense in Tampa Bay, where defense again is carrying the 6-2 Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay leads the league in fewest points allowed (10.6 game), total defense and pass defense. The offense ranks 24th overall, 26th in the run and 18th in the pass.

They're coming off a 12-9 victory against Carolina.

"We're not able to get the ball in the damn end zone," Gruden complained. "That's inexcusable. These are embarrassing issues. These are things we take very personally here."

Giant turnaround

Another offensive genius turns to dummy. Giants Coach Jim Fassel has taken away the play-calling duties he gave to Sean Payton in 1999, the same Sean Payton lauded during New York's Super Bowl run two years ago.

"It will be a smooth transition and everybody will do what they have to do," Fassel said.

Eagles on the run

Everyone knew the best rushing team in the NFL played in Pennsylvania. They just didn't know it wasn't in Pittsburgh anymore.

The Philadelphia Eagles, with Andy Reid's West Coast offense, have the top rushing team in the league.

Next thing you know, the next governor of Pennsylvania will be a mayor from Philadelphia.

The Eagles chewed up the Giants for 299 yards rushing Monday night and have 73 run attempts over their past two games, the most in a two-game span under Reid.

"The key to this thing is that you keep a balance in there and do what's working," Reid said. "You do what's hot. Right now, we're being productive in the run game. We're going to continue to do what is working for us."

Quick slants

The 49ers have allowed foes to convert 54.8 percent of third downs against them. No team has allowed that much since the statistic was first charted in 1970.

Michael Vick is the only starting quarterback who hasn't thrown an interception this season, and his streak of 163 passes without one goes back to last season.

This should make Plaxico Burress feel better. Vick was fined $5,000 for wearing his white socks too low and another $2,500 for throwing the ball into the stands after scoring a touchdown (you can take out a pen, sign it and hand it to your agent, just don't throw it).

Arizona Coach Dave McGinnis kind of ripped off Mike Lange after the Cardinals fell behind, 24-0, and lost to San Francisco, 38-28, last week: "They kicked us like a rented donkey." Or a borrowed mule.

Emmitt Smith backup Troy Hambrick isn't shy about wanting to play: "You find a lot of older guys who hold up a lot of guys' futures as far as evaluating because they are trying to hold on to the last little bit they have when they just need to turn it over."

Dallas rookie Chad Hutchinson became the first quarterback in NFL history to also pitch in the major leagues (not to mention the first major-league pitcher to quarterback in the NFL). He pitched four innings in three games for the 2001 St. Louis Cardinals.

What's the 40 worth? Mike McMahon, who runs a 4.52 in the 40, was sacked nine times while trying to throw 57 passes in Detroit's first two games. The slower Joey Harrington, timed in the 4.8 range, has been sacked four times in 201 dropbacks with the Lions.