Madden: Fat, Mud Go Belly In Belly
Ignore Michael Irvin vs. Deion Sanders, forget Troy Aikman vs. Steve Young. And while you’re at it, toss out Barry Switzer vs. George Seifert. The NFC championship will be decided by guys whose bellies block out the sun.
That’s the estimation of Fox football analyst John Madden, who casts a pretty mean shadow himself.
During the years of Dallas’ rivalry with San Francisco, the Cowboys’ advantage was in their offensive line, Madden said. That, by the way, is one reason why Emmitt Smith must be effective, despite a hamstring injury.
“You take Mark Stepnoski (a puny 264-pound Pro Bowl center) out of there, and what you’ve got left is guys like big Nate Newton (340), Derek Kennard (300), Larry Allen (325) and Mark Tuinei (305),” Madden said.
“They’re so big and strong and powerful, and they run that lead draw, that power thing. And believe me, when you weigh 340 pounds, a wet field doesn’t bother you. When you stick those feet into the dirt, they’re going to drive.”
Add to that mix blocking fullback Daryl Johnston and a healthy Smith banging into the line, “and that’s a pretty dominant thing,” Madden said. “That’s what the 49ers have had trouble with over the years, and Emmitt Smith is a big part of that. I don’t know if Blair Thomas can provide the same sort of impact. In fact, I know he can’t.”
Fox ends its first NFL season with the Cowboys-49ers game, which promises to be the highest-rated show in the network’s history. The Minnesota-Chicago wild-card game holds the record of 21.0, breaking a mark set in 1990 when an episode of the “Simpsons” drew an 18.6.
As for Irvin and Alvin Harper, the Cowboys’ receivers, and 49ers receiver Jerry Rice, “they’re going to catch their passes,” Madden said. The key will be tackling.
“They’re all so good at catching the ball and running with it after they catch it. Since that’s such a big part of it, the general matchup is going to be to keep that yardage down,” Madden said.
Sizing up Smith
Jimmy Johnson, the former Cowboys coach and current Fox studio analyst, says Smith might be effective for short bursts.
“Emmitt’s hamstrings tend to tighten up on him, and he’s very aware of what’s happening. He told me that within a 10-yard area, he can make full cuts. It’s in the open field it concerns him,” Johnson said. “If it tightens up on him, he doesn’t want to continue to where he really pulls it. So he always comes up short of where he’s going to tear it.
“I think in short-range areas, he’ll be fine.”
The bulb’s still dim
Neither Madden nor broadcast mate Pat Summerall are sure Switzer is entirely with it yet in his first year as Cowboys coach.
“To me, he’s still an enigma,” Summerall said. “He hasn’t convinced me yet that he knows all of the intricacies of the game, not that he has to. I get the feeling he’s observing and watching and saying, ‘What time does the bus leave?”’
Pay-per-view watch
NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol was asked about the NFL’s Sunday Ticket pay-per-view package and if it will ever come to cable.
He said it was designed for a limited audience - satellite dish owners only - and will never be on cable as long as networks are televising free games. “Our sponsors would never allow 60 percent of the nation’s home to get every game,” he said. “Everyone would zap from one game to another and never see a commercial.”