Former Bengals and Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason and Giants Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms, both of whom are analysts for CBS’ Super Bowl LIII…
Former Bengals and Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason and Giants Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms, both of whom are analysts for CBS’ Super Bowl LIII pregame show, huddled with Steve Serby for some Q&A.
Q: Who will be the X factor?
Boomer: Do I have to be consistent with what I’ve been saying on all my CBS Sports minutes and everything? Simms: Will you? C’mon, you don’t write those… Boomer: I do too! Why do you always bust my chops? Simms: ’Cause you’re just sitting there (laugh). Boomer: Gronk [Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski][ is the X factor for me, because if he’s healthy and he’s impactful like he has been, then he’s a difference-maker. And for the Rams, it’s gotta be Todd Gurley — who are we gonna see? The guy that we saw the first 10 weeks of the season, or are we gonna see the guy we saw [in the NFC Championship, when he had just four carries for 10 yards]? Simms: Well, we’re not gonna see the guy we saw the first 10 weeks… Boomer: Don’t argue with what I’m saying. What do you think your X factors are? He’s asking you a question. Simms: You and I are being interviewed together. Boomer: Yeah, but we’re not debating it. Simms: But we can. It’s OK. Boomer: I just gave you my X factors, who are your X factors? Simms: If we’re talking about one person, I think Aaron Donald has to play very good-to-great to help them win. He’s a disrupter, he can make plays that changes games. He can create opportunities for the other guys. And then on New England’s side? I am looking at just their defensive backfield.… Can the Rams receivers get away from the New England defensive backs? I think that’s huge.
Q: What advice would you have for Jared Goff?
Simms: He’s with a great coach. They’ve been working on this now for two years, so that coach is gonna give him all the advice there is. I think the only thing that he has to overcome — which doesn’t seem to be a problem with quarterbacks — but I think quarterbacks years ago, the enormity of the game, that no matter what we say, the Super Bowl is different than regular seasons, different than the championship game, it’s a whole ’nother level, and can
you focus and settle down right away? I’ll never forget this, I read two quarterbacks — I’m not gonna name ’em — that said they couldn’t focus until the second quarter. And I said, ‘Man, if I ever get there,’ which I never thought I would, I said if I ever get there, I’m not wasting a damn quarter. Boomer: (laugh). Simms: And, it’s really all I talked about, the whole week, with [then-Giants coach] Bill Parcells.
Q: How were you able to settle down early Super Bowl XXI?
Simms: We had a very detailed game plan, we knew what they were gonna do.… I was not nervous, and I was truly willing to go down in flames.
Q: You had a sore shoulder in your Super Bowl, a 20-16 Bengals loss to the 49ers XXII.
Boomer: Yeah, but we were in a really tight game. It was nip and tuck the whole game.… My advice to Jared Goff would be simply this: You proved on the biggest stage in the worst environment in football in New Orleans in the NFC Championship game that you have the ability to lead your team to victory in that situation. And you made a couple of really big throws when the game was on the line that got your team here to the Super Bowl. So just remember that you are capable of that in that environment.… Phil’s right, the enormity of the game sometimes overwhelms you, but the fact of the matter is, the fans are different. It’s not as loud. Simms: Yeah. Boomer: You’re gonna be able to communicate. So just be yourself. I interviewed him last Sunday, and he had a real quiet confidence, the same demeanor as [Tom] Brady and [Joe] Montana. Simms: Go into the game cocky. Boomer knows this: When you think you’re “the man,” you can be “the man.” And I think that’s really part of it. Sometimes you go in there, ‘Oh I don’t want to mess things up.’ I think just being just self-confident is really a big deal. Boomer: And he’s got it. He’s got that.
Q: Describe Rams coach Sean McVay.
Simms: From an early age, he grew up in football. And, of course, he found the love of his life probably by the time he was 5 or 6. It was pre-destined that he was gonna coach at some level and be the head coach. And so he was way ahead of his time as far as the learning curve. He was under great people, but he did it all. He truly was almost like the locker-room attendant and he just worked his up through the system, and he just sees it in a great way. And, he was the Georgia state [high school] Player of the Year over Calvin Johnson [in 2003]. I mean, come on. Boomer: You know what I think Sean McVay, is that he’s got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. It’s kind of like [Eagles coach] Doug Pederson last year — he had nothing to lose, nobody expects you to win. You’re going against the greatest coach of all time. Tom Coughlin beat [Belichick] twice. Doug Pederson beat him last year. Why can’t Sean McVay do it this year? And I think he’s a fearless coach. Now he certainly changed his offensive philosophy with about 6-7 weeks to go in the year, where they really wanted to take a little off of Jared Goff’s plate. But at the end of the day, he still takes chances. He’ll go for it on fourth-and-1, he’ll fake a punt, he’ll do something crazy on special teams. And maybe that’s the new aggressive approach for NFL coaches. So I think he’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Q: Does it help Goff being “the other quarterback”?
Simms: It didn’t mean anything to me [facing John Elway]. I never thought about it, didn’t feel slighted, I didn’t care. Boomer: I think we were 9 or 7 ¹/₂-point underdogs, so Sam [Wyche, Bengals coach] kept playing that all week long as a motivational tool: “Nobody believes in you guys.” For some reason, Brady has convinced himself that everybody thinks that he stinks now and he’s too old (chuckle).
