September 6, 2010 Table Of Contents
GOLF PLUS
The FedEx Cup Playoffs Kicked Off With a Wild Finish at the Barclays, but The Subplot Was the Story
14 Hours, 21.7 Miles, 2 Barking Dogs
Edited by Jim Gorant
The numbers show that when Tiger Woods is in a funk, his competitors flourish
LEADING OFF
Inside: THE WEEK IN SPORTS
The Spurs prepare for the post--Tim Duncan era in familiar fashion: with an overlooked import, Tiago Splitter
By Chris Mannix
By reinventing his swing, late-blooming Jose Bautista turned himself into this year's breakout slugger
By Albert Chen
By Joe Sheehan
Under fire for reasons on and off the field, Rich Rodriguez enters Week 1 with much already at stake
As rosters and roles come into focus, these players are looking even better than they did when practice started
By David Sabino
NFL PREVIEW
By Peter King
By Damon Hack
By Peter King
HE HAS THE STRONG ARM AND DRAMATIC FLAIR. BUT FOR MARK SANCHEZ TO BE A TRUE STAR, HE MUST DEVELOP THE NFL QB'S SIXTH SENSE
By Phil Taylor
By Peter King
My philosophy? Past performance is no guarantee of future results, August is packed with false positives, and there's no morals clause for the postseason. Expect the unexpected—and look for a Black and Gold party, Big Ben included, in Dallas in February. It just feels right
By Peter King
A big, bad and ever-improving tackle should clear a path to the postseason
By Ben Reiter
New England has been remade, but can it reclaim its supremacy over the NFL?
By Ben Reiter
An offense looking for an adrenaline shot has found itself a game-breaker
By Ben Reiter
A mostly anonymous team is looking to sneak up on people. Not likely
By Ben Reiter
The timing of Big Ben's return will make a dramatic difference in Steeltown
By Peter King
The defense has question marks in the secondary and no apparent answers
By Peter King
Forget the arrival of T.O.—is Carson Palmer the quarterback he used to be?
By Peter King
The Holmgren era begins with some housecleaning and a healthy dose of hope
By Damon Hack
The quiet professionals are back for another run at the AFC crown
This team has talent, but does it have toughness? If so, the playoffs are in reach
The talent is there—leadership and maturity are the pressing issues
A local product will try to revive Florida's fan-starved franchise
Holdouts at critical positions could scuttle Year 1 of the post-Tomlinson era
By Jim Trotter
The ground game could be solid if Darren McFadden can stay on the field
By Jim Trotter
It's Kyle Orton's team—for now—and he looks ready to rise to the challenge
By Jim Trotter
The draft class of 2010 should set the tone for a long-term turnaround
By Don Banks
Resuscitating a once dominant defense? Looks like a job for Superman
An explosive, every-down back is needed, and Felix Jones says he's ready
By Peter King
New quarterback, new feature back and a new commitment to toughness
Mike Shanahan arrives to, ahem, adjust some attitudes in D.C.
Their prospects are Super—if they can see their former icon as just another QB
By Damon Hack
The Man returns, but will he have the weapons to repeat last year's magic?
By Damon Hack
An offensive whiz arrives on the Midway to inject some life into the attack
By Damon Hack
Is that the sun peeking through the clouds over the Motor City 11?
By Damon Hack
A Lombardi Trophy doesn't mean there's no room to improve, especially on D
A smart, low-risk offense will be the key to Carolina's hopes this season
By Peter King
The defense must coalesce for this maturing team to contend consistently
By Peter King
It's the Dungy blueprint: Lay the foundation, and a title will come. Eventually
By Peter King
Mike Singletary's crew will go as far as quarterback Alex Smith can take them
By Jim Trotter
New coach Pete Carroll hopes a jolt of intensity will result in wins
By Jim Trotter
An All-Pro receiver waits to see if someone—anyone—can get him the ball
By Jim Trotter
A berth in the playoffs is a long shot, but Steven Jackson runs on and on
By Jim Trotter
Point After
Departments
Enter Power Sweep, Stage Right
In a pivotal scene from the upcoming drama, Vince Lombardi shows his Packers the play that will make them the first Super Bowl dynasty
An ex--LPGA star's antimosque rant has divided the golf community
Book it: Stephen Strasburg will be back and firing full force
By Albert Chen
Edited by Elizabeth McGarr
By Dan Patrick