WILL THE STREAKS CONTINUE?

The draft is over, minicamps are finished and training camps are a little more than a month away.  So as the 2001 NFL season inches closer by the day, it’s time to reexamine the hottest NFC teams at the end of 2000:

GREEN BAY PACKERS

STREAK: Won last four games to finish 9-7 and just miss playoffs.  Outscored final four opponents 104-61.  Those four opponents averaged 15.3 points per game vs. 21.8 in their first 12.

Green Bay’s final two wins came over the playoff-bound Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Needless to say, the Packers and quarterback BRETT FAVRE are eager to start the 2001 season.

"As many negatives as we had on offense with injuries and lack of points, we still managed to go 9-7,” says Favre.  “Going into that last game (against Tampa Bay), we were the hottest team in the NFC.  Maybe not the best, but the hottest team.  If we had gotten in, who knows what would have happened?  But that just goes to show, you can't take anything for granted.  Within our team, our expectations are high."

NEW YORK GIANTS

STREAK: Won final five games, followed by two playoff victories, including a 41-0 win over Minnesota Vikings in NFC Championship Game, before falling to Baltimore Ravens 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV.

The Giants were the hottest team in the NFC at the end of last season.  The club rode a seven-game winning streak all the way to the Super Bowl where they fell short of a championship.

“We were playing with a lot more confidence (than earlier in the year),” says running back TIKI BARBER.   “Most importantly, we were playing together.  Coach (JIM) FASSEL found a way to unite us through his high-risk declaration of guaranteeing a playoff berth.   That took the pressure and the focus off of us and allowed us to just go out and play.”

In order to keep the team’s continuity and momentum, the Giants re-signed impact players Barber and cornerback JASON SEHORN.  They also added defensive end KENNY HOLMES, who had 8.0 sacks for the Tennessee Titans in 2000, to bolster their defensive line.

“We have to work as hard to prepare as we did last year,” says Barber.   “You never know what the new season is going to be like.  We know from our experience last season that as long as we work as a team, we have a chance to repeat what we accomplished.  Hard work doesn't guarantee success, but without it, you don't have a chance.”

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

STREAK: Won six of last seven games, and defeated Tampa Bay 21-3 in NFC Wild Card game.  Only loss during final seven games was by two points to Tennessee, which finished 2000 with NFL’s best regular-season record (13-3).

Despite ending 2000 with a 20-10 loss to the Giants at the Meadowlands in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, the Eagles begin this season as a Super Bowl contender.  Philly was 5-4 through its first nine games, but head coach ANDY REID believes that the club’s persistence with its system paid off in the second half of the season.

"I think we kept it consistent,” says Reid.  “It helped us get over the hump by staying consistent with the things that we believe.  It's great to go into the offseason with a positive feeling.  It gives the players a little extra boost and helps them maybe train a step harder knowing they have the chance to do even more in the upcoming season."

To bolster the club’s wide receiving corps, the Eagles drafted explosive FREDDIE MITCHELL out of UCLA and signed JAMES THRASH from Washington via free agency.

"From what I can tell during the minicamps, it looks like the moves we've made have been good ones,” says Reid.  “Besides the on-the-field moves, we've also moved into our new NovaCare training facility, and there's excitement about our new stadium and the groundbreaking that takes place on June 7."

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

STREAK: Won four of final six games and limited final six opponents to 16.5 points per game vs. 32.3 in first 10.

The 49ers got off to a rough start in 2000, going 2-8 through their first 10 games despite having one of the league’s most prolific offenses.  The problem was a young and inexperienced defense.  But as the year went on, the defense jelled and San Francisco finished the season with four wins in its final six games.

The Niners have solidified that defense by selecting defensive end ANDRE CARTER of California in the first round of the draft, and signing unrestricted free agent linebacker DEREK SMITH from Washington. 

“Our defense really grew up towards the end of the season and helped out our offense,” says 49ers head coach STEVE MARIUCCI.  “When you have eight different rookies starting on defense, they gain a lot of experience, and that bodes well for this season.  We have gained valuable experience with that young bunch.  They played better towards the end of the season.  The last six games, they were pretty darn good, in fact.  If we can build on that, we will be in good shape.”