The Associated Press
How quickly can preseason predictions turn around once the regular season starts?
Ask Pittsburgh, who beat the Lions in its opener but lost Rod Woodson for the season and Neil O'Donnell for part of it.
''This is not baseball, where there's nine starters,'' coach Bill Cowher, jutting out his iron jaw at his troops after the game.
''This is not basketball, where there's five. Or hockey, where I'm not sure what the number is. This is football. And there are 22 starters and 23 guys every Sunday that back them up.''
But in the salary cap era, the 23 that back them up aren't as good as they used to be. If a starter goes down, there's rarely much behind him, particularly if the starter is Woodson, who was named to the NFL's 75th anniversary team with only half a career behind him.
Even San Francisco, the defending Super Bowl champion, is vulnerable even though the 49ers still look like No. 1.
On Sunday, there was a tense moment when Steve Young went down to one knee, his neck in pain. It was accentuated when Young left the game and Elvis Grbac's first pass was intercepted by Sean Lumpkin and returned for a touchdown that got the Saints back in what eventually became a 24-22 49ers' victory.
''At first I didn't think it was anything,'' Young said. ''Then it began to hurt and I said to myself 'oh, oh.' I felt better after the X-rays showed it wasn't bone or ligament damage, but it's still sore.''
But depth, or lack of it, is one reason Young's in jeopardy.
He was sacked five times, not good for his health. One reason: his best offensive lineman, Harris Barton, was out, leaving right tackle (Young's blindside because he's left-handed) to journeyman Kirk Scrafford.
In other words, one injury can lead to another.
None of this is new Ÿ injuries often make a difference.
But for the last two years, they've been everything.
Last season, the 49ers went 13-3. But they started just 3-2 because most of the offensive line was out and Young's health was at such risk that George Seifert pulled him in the middle of a series in a 40-8 loss to the Eagles.
So before the 49ers are conceded their sixth Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy, the Cowboys their fifth or the Dolphins the Don Shula-Dan Marino going away title, remember the injury factor. If Marino goes down, as he did two years ago, there's Bernie Kosar behind him and nothing beyond that.
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YOUNG GUNS: For those who bemoan the lack of young NFL quarterbacks, look at the young arms that helped Tampa Bay and Cincinnati to rare September victories. There were others too.
˜ Trent Dilfer, Tampa Bay, second year: 11 of 19 for 215 yards and two touchdowns, nicely complementing Errict Rhett's young legs. Result: Bucs 21, Eagles 6 and maybe no double-digit losses for the first time in two decades.
˜ Gus Frerotte, Washington, second year: Coming in for the Heath Shuler, when Shuler sprained his throwing shoulder: 9 of 16 for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Result: Redskins 27, Cardinals 7.
˜ Jeff Blake, Bengals, fourth year but first as a full-time starter: 19 of 33 for 249 yards and a touchdown. Result: Bengals 24, Colts 21 in overtime.
˜ Drew Bledsoe, Patriots (third year). Yes we know all about him, but this time he pulled off a Montana-Marino-Elway, driving New England to the winning TD with 19 seconds left to beat the Cleveland Browns 17-14. Bledsoe was 30 of 47 for 302 yards.
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OLD GUN: Dave Krieg, Cardinals: 10 of 22 for just 92 yards with three interceptions in a 27-7 loss to the Redskins, just the kind of Krieg game that's driven Chuck Knox and Marty Schottenheimer to distraction.
What will it do for Buddy Ryan, shredder of quarterbacks? Will he go to Jay Schroeder? Re-sign Jim McMahon?
''I hope that we are a better football team than we looked,'' Ryan said. ''We bordered on pathetic.''
''Maybe some of the guys got caught up in the hype about the Redskins not being that good,'' said linebacker Eric Hill.
Like Ryan, perhaps?
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CAPERS' CAPER: It took a full season, but Dom Capers finally made history of a sort by becoming the first NFL coach to even think about going for two points to win a game rather than send it into overtime.
It turned out his first guess was the right one. It also turned out that like most expansion teams, his Panthers goofed before he could try it.
It went this way:
With 29 seconds left in Atlanta, Willie Green pried a 44-yard TD pass from Frank Reich from a defender to pull the Panthers within one point of the Falcons, 20-19. They lined up to go for two but ...
Derrick Graham, the right tackle moved before the snap.
So they kicked the extra point and went into overtime, losing 23-20 on Morten Andersen's 35-yard field goal.