Three teams to watch - Kickoff

Football Digest, Dec, 2003 by William Wagner

THE 2003 SEASON HAS OFFERED even more proof that the NFL is the league of opportunity. It's a league in which a team can be down and out one season and a championship contender the next.

Here are the latest three examples:

Minnesota Vikings

In 2002, the Vikings were a mess. Their coach, Mike Tice, seemed to be in over his head in his first season on the sideline. Their star player, wide receiver Randy Moss, was more of a distraction than a playmaker. And their defense couldn't stop anyone. The result was a 6-10 record.

This season, though, everything the Vikings have touched has turned to gold. Tice looks like Lombardi, Moss is the best receiver in the NFL, and the defense is doing its job. Minnesota also benefits from playing in the NFC North, the weakest division in football. The Vikings weren't expected to do much of anything this year, but they have defied their critics and are setting themselves up for a trip to the postseason.

Kansas City Chiefs

The lucky number in Kansas City is three. That's how long it took Dick Vermeil to turn the Rams into Super Bowl winners when he was in St. Louis, and the coach is following the same time line on the Chiefs.

As was the case when Vermeil coached the Rams, the Chiefs were mediocre in their first two seasons under him. But everything is falling into place this year. Our cover subject, running back Priest Holmes, is Kansas City's catalyst, but he certainly isn't the team's only playmaker. He benefits from a first-rate offensive line, a veteran quarterback (Trent Green), a Pro Bowl-caliber fullback (Tony Richardson), and one of the game's premier tight ends (Tony Gonzalez).

The real difference-maker this year, though, has been the defense. Last year it prevented the Chiefs from making a run at the playoffs, but this season it has been a big part of everything the team has accomplished. Tackle Ryan Sims and linebacker Scott Fujita are two of the game's rising stars on defense.

Special teams also have been a key to Kansas City's resurgence. In Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, for instance, Dante Hall returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to produce a victory. The bottom line? Kansas City has one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers, meanwhile, aren't particularly well-rounded, but they are tough. Defense is the name of the game in Carolina. Since John Fox took over as head coach in 2002, he has crafted a defense that is the rival of any in football. It was good enough to beat the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, and it's been good enough to keep the Panthers in just about every other game.

The offense is still a work in progress, but it has received a huge boost from running back Stephen Davis, who was signed as a flee agent in the offseason. With Davis running the ball and the defense doing its thing, the Panthers play the ultimate brand of smash-mouth football. Will that be enough to take them to the postseason? Perhaps. But even if things don't work out in 2003, this team is serving notice that it is close to joining the league's elite.