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Joe Theismann
Former Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Theismann sounds off on the best playoff quarterback of all-time, "T.O." and the Pro Football Hall of Fame election process.
Q: Tell me about the job your old coach, Joe Gibbs, has done with the Washington Redskins this season.
Theismann: He's been unbelievable. Unbelieveable. It's not that the offense is that much better. I think he did some things this year to change his approach from a year ago. The guys spent 11 years away from the game. It changed. Our game changes, and a team's makeup changes at a rate of 33 percent a year. Look at the Denver Broncos' roster -- one-third of the roster is different. That's the attrition we have in our business. But the game changes, too. See, when Joe coached before, there wasn't a salary cap. One of the things he got a kick out of was, he said 'I can go buy anybody I want? I can get somebody?' I think he's done a magnificient job of bringing back a sense of professionalism. Those guys play hard. And really, if you look at the Redskins' game and the reason why they've enjoyed success, it's the old adage -- if you don't screw it up, you're probably going to beat somebody.
Q: Is coaching overrated or underappreciated at playoff time?
Theismann: I think coaching is extremely important all the time. It's the old chicken-and-egg theory -- is it the coach, or is it the players? I think to be where these teams are, it's both. You can win nine games with great coaching and average players, or you can win nine games with good players and average coaching. But you don't get to round two of the playoffs unless you have both of those.
Q: What are your thoughts on Broncos coach Mike Shanahan?
Theismann: I know Mike real well. This could be his best coaching job. I think so.
Q: Who is the greatest playoff quarterback -- taking yourself out of the mix -- of all-time?
Theismann: I'm out (laughing) -- although my numbers are good . . . but I think the greatest quarterback of all-time is Joe Montana. I would still feel Joe Montana is the best playoff quarterback -- only because I don't believe every page has been written in Tom Brady's story yet. The chapters are not complete on Brady. But if you ask me who the next-best is, I'd say Tom Brady. And playoffs have to include the Super Bowl. John Elway has to be up there. But John Elway is more famous for "The Drive" -- just like Dwight Clark is remembered for "The Catch".
Q: Coaches like Shanahan and Gibbs have their run in Super Bowls, but they don't seem to be able to climb that mountain again. Why is that?
Theismann: What happens so often is, coaches have that run and then it starts to get a little shaky. Then ownership changes its mind. Pittsburgh, for three years, didn't make the playoffs. They went through a philosophical change -- all they wanted to do was throw the football. (Steelers coach Bill) Cowher said screw this, we're going back to doing what we do best -- run the football. Period. They're back into the playoffs. (Broncos owner) Pat Bowlen . . . see, here's where Pat Bowlen, the Rooney family . . . ownership deserves credit for stability. They don' t panic if the team struggles for a couple of years. Teams are going to go through a cycle. Sometimes what you really need isn't there for a couple of years.
Q: Do you think when Terrell Owens returns to the NFL he'll be a different guy?
Theismann: I think what you're going to get from Terrell Owens this next time around would be the perfect football player. I don't think he's going to be a discipline problem with his teammates. No one ever questioned his ability or work ethic. It was his selfishness that was in question. I'm still positive he's a selfish person. But I don't believe we'll ever see it. He's 32 years old. If the reality of the end of his career hasn't hit him, it will very soon. Now, how do you want to go out? Do you want to go out with a (Super Bowl) ring, or do you want to go out just being a pain in the (butt). And the quarterback that he plays for is the one that I'm curious about. The last two -- he's not only thrown them under the bus while the bus was parked, he got in a drove it over them when he got the chance.
Q: Where does he wind up?
Theismann: I think he has to go to a team that has a chance to win. I think he has to go to a team that can use his services. The two teams that I've said are Denver and Dallas. I believe that Mike Shanahan's presence in Denver could handle him. And I think Bill Parcells would be the other. The question is, does the system give you a chance to contribute? I don't think he can come (to Denver) and have Rod Smith catch 85 passes while he catches 42. It won't happen. And like I said, 90 percent of him I wouldn't want to change. When he caught that hitch against Denver and went over 90 yards -- and he ran away from Denver's entire secondary . . . that told me about his speed factor. I know how tough he is. He changes the dimensions in the red zone. Mike has taken guys that have been questioned off the field as well as on the field and turned them into football players. Mike can handle him. And this organization, I think, would benefit from Terrell Owens. He's not going to be a discipline problem, because whatever contract he signs next, that's it.
Q: What about a guy on the opposite end of the spectrum, Art Monk. He's up again for the Hall of Fame.
Theismann: I would hope that this time he gets in because he deserves to be there. There are a lot of football players that have contributed less to the success of their teams than Art Monk that are in the Hall of Fame. He's been a part of championship teams -- an essential part of a championship team. I wouldn't wear this ring if it wasn't for Art Monk. When you have (940) catches you've accomplished something in this business -- when you're the third or fourth leading receiver in the history of professional football, and many guys below you are in the Hall of Fame . . . . I always ask the question, 'why'? And this is always my greatest challenge with these people that vote -- what is the criteria?
Q: What answer do you get from them?
Theismann: They don't know. They don't know. They vote in blocks. Don't get me started on the Hall of Fame. I've got issues with those people. I do, and it's really over Art. What do you need to do to get into the Hall of Fame? He's got (940) catches, three world championships, a 15-year career . . . what do you need to do? There isn't a guy that sits on that panel that can say there was a better wide receiver. I mean, Jerry Rice is a lock. Lynn Swann -- 336 catches. Art has almost three times as many. One of the guys that voted told me once that the reason why Art didn't get in the same year (James) Lofton went in was because they already voted two wide receivers in and weren't going to vote in a third. What kind of explanation is that? Don't you earn the right to go into the Hall of Fame because you're a great football player and great contributor to the game? I don't care if five wide receivers go in -- if they all happen to come up in that year, they all deserve to go. If things like this situation with Art continues, I believe the sanctity of the Hall of Fame will diminish in its greatness because of the bureaucratic B.S. that exists -- I'll vote for your guy if you vote for my guy. And I defy anybody there to challenge me that it doesn't happen.