Friday, January 28, 2000
SUPER BOWL NOTEBOOK
Dorsett to Rams offense: Bring it on
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ATLANTA — Out in the backyard, Anthony Dorsett had to be Walter Payton or Billy Sims. His friends never let him be Tony Dorsett.
“They didn't think it was fair that I could be my father,” Anthony Dorsett, son of Hall of Fame running back Tony, said earlier this week.
All the Titans want him to be in Sunday's Super Bowl is an approximation of free safety Marcus Robertson, the man Anthony Dorsett replaces in the starting lineup because of a broken leg.
It's the 60th game of the 26-year-old Dorsett's career and his second start. He played the regular-season finale after Robertson was injured on his motorcycle.
He's a key man Sunday, the last line of defense against a high-powered Rams' offense that has produced 62 pass plays of 20 yards or more.
“To beat me, they're going to have to beat a corner, too,” Dorsett said. “That's two of us. If they want to try that, fine. This is not my first football game.”
“I welcome the challenge. If Kurt Warner wants to throw the ball down the middle of the field and try to find a way to beat me, then let him try.”
Dorsett has one career interception, but has made his mark on special teams, where he's an alternate for the Pro Bowl. The Titans take a hit there Sunday because Dorsett will be on the punt-return and field goal-block teams only, but special teams coach Alan Lowry said, “We'll pick our spots. It's the last game, You don't have to worry about next week.”
Tony Dorsett, who started in Super Bowl XII and XIII for Dallas, will be here to see Anthony make them the first father-son Super Bowl starters.
“He's bubbling,” Anthony said. “It's like he's going to play in the game.”
TOUGH LUCK: Poor Trent Green. He was the Rams quarterback until Chargers safety Rodney Harrison hit him in the knee during an exhibition game, tearing Green's anterior cruciate ligament.
The rest is history, with backup Kurt Warner going on to be MVP, but people forget Green had a passing rating of 126.6 on 28-of-32 passing when he was injured.
“No matter what I do or say, whether we get a conference ring or a Super Bowl ring, people are going to say, "Hey, you were on that team. Oh yeah, you were the guy that got hurt. Oh yeah, the other guy was MVP.' I just have to deal with it.”
WILKINS IMPROVING: Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins, suffering tendinitis in in the kneecap of his non-kicking leg, kicked in the Georgia Dome Thursday while his team worked outdoors.
"He kicked real well,” Vermeil said. “He's feeling better every day.”
Wilkins said there is pain, but it hasn't hurt his accuracy.
“It feels better. You have to fight through it, put it through Sunday and go get surgery.”
TITANS PRACTICE: The Titans again worked at Geor gia Tech with quarterback Steve McNair taking 80 percent of the snaps. But he didn't work in the opening two-minute drill. Backup Neil O'Donnell got the call, mainly because coach Jeff Fisher was looking for luck.
“(McNair) has not done it in eight weeks and we've continued to win.”
With snow forecast today, both teams will work out in the Georgia Dome.
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