Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Bucs’ Alstott, Eagles’ McNabb throw away golden opportunities

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Oct. 13, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or 259-4076.

If only Donovan McNabb and Mike Alstott could have traded places.

Each made an errant pass that was instrumental in their teams' defeats last week against divisional rivals.

McNabb, the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback, was locked in a tie game in the finale minute against the Redskins on Sunday. Scrambling near his own end zone, he lofted a high, long, soft pass deep down field.

It was the kind of pass you throw when a guy is wide open and you want to be sure not to overthrow him. The kind of pass that should have been thrown by ... Alstott.

Fast forward to Monday night, when Tampa Bay was trailing by four points in the fourth quarter and was facing a crucial fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 47-yard line. The Buccaneers opted to go for it, and instead of a conventional running play, Tampa Bay tried some trickery -- quarterback Shawn King pitched the ball back to Alstott, who attempted a pass to little-used tight end Todd Yoder. I'm not sure what Tampa Bay calls the play, but I call it the Pat Buchanan play -- someone just starts running, but nobody pays any attention to him. It's the kind of play you usually see only once every four years, and I'm sure Tony Dungy was aware that these kinds of things usually only work in Minnesota.

But Alstott, who previously had thrown only one pass in his career, unloaded a rocket, overshooting the wide-open player by at least 10 yards. Not even by using the Force could Yoder have hauled this one in.

It was the kind of that pass that usually is thrown only when you want to make sure nobody can intercept it. The kind of pass that should have been thrown by ... McNabb.

Back to the Eagles quarterback. His lofty aerial landed safely in the arms of Redskins defensive back Darrell Green, who entered the league a few months before McNabb's seventh birthday. McNabb shouldn't be ashamed to have Green pick off one of his passes -- he's the 41st quarterback to have been victimized by the ageless veteran. But Green's return set up the game-winning field goal.

McNabb's mistake was mental. Alstott's error was more physical, though he certainly could be accused of rushing things.

No matter. Both were equally fatal to their teams.

Last week

The Raiders' cheap cover -- they scored a touchdown in overtime to beat the 4 1/2-point spread against San Francisco -- pushed me to a 3-2 week, improving the season mark against the spread to 17-12-1. Detroit held on to cover against Green Bay and Pittsburgh, an 8-point underdog, rolled over the Jets. On the down side, the 4 1/2-point underdog Browns turned a 14-point lead into a loss against Arizona, and the Bucs stopped short on Monday night against Minnesota.

My top five

BALTIMORE +3 1/2 at Washington -- True, Baltimore has given up on the whole touchdown-scoring thing in favor of four or five field goals a week. But the Ravens are for real, particularly on defense. Baltimore 12, Washington 10.

CAROLINA +1 at New Orleans -- Last year, the Panthers smacked the Saints to the tune of 45-13. New Orleans boasts the league's top-rated defense, although I'm not sure how any team that allowed 27 points to San Diego could be the league's best. But the Panthers' defense has stepped up where it counts, allowing an NFL-low 76 points. More of the same on Sunday. Carolina 20, New Orleans 13.

PHILADELPHIA -2 1/2 at Arizona -- The Eagles went searching for running back help this week, adding Darnell Autry and Amp Lee to their roster. The Cardinals have beaten Philadelphia five consecutive times, but their last three wins are by a combined eight points. The Eagles win this duel in the desert. Philadelphia 17, Arizona 13.

BUFFALO -10 over San Diego -- San Diego's plan is to have Jim Harbaugh start the game at quarterback. Moses Moreno will play the second quarter. At halftime, I think they'll start taking requests. Buffalo 34, San Diego 9.

JACKSONVILLE +5 1/2 at Tennessee -- Last year, Jacksonville was 15-0 against all NFL teams not named the Titans, but lost three times to Tennessee. This year, Jacksonville has already lost to Baltimore twice, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, and Mark Brunell's job appears to be in jeopardy. So it stands to reason that somehow this year they'll give Tennessee a struggle. Jacksonville 19, Tennessee 16.