Oates Archives

The San Francisco 49ers, one of the NFL’s most successful teams for nearly 20 years, plugged another winning quarterback into the same old offensive system Sunday.

Even though Kurt Warner threw five touchdown passes for St.

The San Diego football team has seized first place in the AFC West this year with carefully coached, uniquely aggressive defensive men who attack not the players in the offensive line but the gaps between those players.

The thing that makes 1999 different in pro football is that it’s the year of the young quarterback.

Jeff George, the passer who revived the Minnesota Vikings Sunday and repulsed the San Francisco 49ers, 40-16, has always had the arm to do just that.

Occasionally in an NFL game, the team that plays the better football loses.

Culpepper’s goal: Elevate the Minnesota Vikings into a Super Bowl contender.

Independent auditors can help pro football realign.

San Francisco (!) and St. Louis are the NFC’s two highest-scoring teams.

Kansas City steals St. Louis’ secret: Throw on first down consistently.

Oklahoma! Tampa Bay! Two new passing teams for football fans?

Raiders Gannon and Wheatley: Are they driving a Super Bowl bus?

Pro football’s defensive power, Baltimore, can throw the ball now, too.

To reach the Super Bowl game, teams must hope they can avoid injuries to key players.

Streaking Haslett, Reid, Billick suggest that football is a coach’s game.

Warner will improve, but the Rams can’t outrun Minnesota now.

Top team Tennessee trying to prove that in the Super Bowl race, defensive plays and runs by Eddie George are enough.

UCLA’s man McNown beats Detroit at the right time--for the Rams.

Raiders, unready for Dallas this week, better be up for Manning in AFC night game of year.

Improbable comebacks are a fact of life in NFL, so Rams call an onside kickoff to hold off Jets.

Week 4: San Diego-Denver, Oakland-Buffalo matchups await in weekend that will clear up muddled AFC picture.

Week 5: The NFL maybes: Redskins find a quarterback; Ravens coming with Redman; Chiefs have a Hall of Famer: Vermeil.

Week 6: Chicago coaches lack pass-play knowhow; Chargers and Packers show them how to mix passes with running plays.

Week 7: Schottenheimer’s first complete team; Next, Griese vs. Brady; Fining better than banning; Rams coming; Bucs need a passer; Top five picks.

Week 8: Fancy Falcon finest; Griese and other top passers still taking a pounding; Five guesses on this week’s winners.

Week 9: Pats need more receivers; Belichick coaches masterpiece; Supporting casts differ considerably; All-Time best runners; Week 9 picks.

Week 10: Best coach since Walsh creates two first-class quarterbacks (on one team) for only the third time in the NFL’s 83 years.

Week 11: Coaches, players prompt all those penalties; Evenly divided talent means year of parity; Saints chide play-callers.

Week 12: USC passer is a sure first-round NFL pick; Pennington coming on; Warner or Bulger in 2003?; Vick belongs on national TV; Week 13 picks.

Week 13: Another Michael the Great; Can outrun Vikes; But here’s why Tampa has the world’s best defense; One more thing: Bears can pass in a freeze.

Week 14: Conventional coach for an unconventional quarterback; Falcons fail to blitz Buc passer; New Raider coach throws the ball; And runs it in Deep-Red Zone.

Week 15: Weather assist for Green Bay; Something’s wrong in San Francisco; QB physical fitness trials in St. Louis; Joe Buck’s play-by-play role.

Week 16: Defense doesn’t win games; Super Bowl countdown; Best Super Bowl matchup: Gruden vs. Raiders’ Callahan; Is Vick as good as he looks?

Week 17: Smooth, smart Jet passer makes playoffs; Three quick little receivers help out; Jets have the coaching: Edwards solid and positive, Hackett right coordinator.

Tampa Bay’s two-deep defense, seemingly designed to stop Raiders’ West Coast-style passing game, figures to carry the day.

Over the years, Super Bowls have produced one recurring phenomenon: the unanticipated blowout.

NFL Week 4: Spurrier, Parcells again; Why can’t McNabb pass? Game of Year at KC; Ground causes fumble; Janikowski’s power; Tice Coach of Year? Best game plan.

NFL Week 5: Gloss off Bucs; The greatest game: Broncos-Chiefs maybe, Sudden-death game no, 1967 Pack-Dallas surely; Denver best now; Channel 2 screwed up; Unfair noise beats Ramsey

NFL Week 6: Most pro teams (75%) have quality quarterbacks so most teams are better than ever; Rams win but the thrill is gone.

NFL Week 7: Timid Raiders blow it; Plus some angles on the Broncos, Vikings, Rams, Cowboys, Buccaneers, 49ers, Panthers and Dolphins

NFL Week 8: Blend a passer and a runner and a six-coach defense; Analyzing the Rams, Chargers, Dolphins, Bucs, Cowpokes, Vikings, Bears, Broncos and gimmick plays

NFL Week 9: Patriots’ Night; Chiefs’ Half Year; NFL balances the best; Nobody’s hit Rattay; Saints misuse McAllister

NFL Week 10: Here’s why Tennessee passer is MVP. Plus notes on the Chargers, Raiders, Eagles, Packers, Redskins, Panthers and Bucs

NFL Week 11: Rattay has San Francisco on the move. Plus a look at the Chiefs, Bengals, Broncos, Bears, Packers and Rams.

NFL Week 12: Tampa triumphs. Plus a look at the 49ers, Packers, Rams, Patriots, Colts, Broncos and Bears.

NFL Week 13: Tory Titans, Colts get failing grades. Plus a look at play selection, offensive schemes, and how Manning Differs from Brady

NFL Week 14: Led by fearless coach, Denver pushes ahead; Rams give up on longball; AFC playoffs head for freezing New England; Colts, Titans win, lose conservatively

NFL Week 16: Throw out the non-football players; Rams must start faster, more dominantly; Four-receiver red-zone offense is best; Raider defense worst, Favre finest; Jamal fastest; Broncos tops.

NFL Week 17: New England and Denver are Super Bowl candidates; Seattle solid playoff team; Colts need more offense; Patriots have one; Broncos rest up.