Brad Johnson

SAN DIEGO -- Dogged perseverance will be rewarded tonight. The only question is whose. Will Super Bowl XXXVII be the fulfillment of Rich Gannon's 14-year odyssey, spanning five NFL teams and countless crossroads? Or will it be the culmination of Brad Johnson's nine-year journey through the same jungle with three different teams and a similar number of tribulations? Two quarterbacks, one ring. Destiny waits for one of them at Qualcomm Stadium, where the Oakland Raiders, led by Gannon, chase their fourth Super Bowl championship, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Johnson, seek their first.

As Brad Johnson reflects on how he helped right a Minnesota Vikings team that had all but run amok, the veteran quarterback essentially gives a summation of his league-wide reputation. Johnson, never known for having the strongest of arms or the flashiest of statistics, has started seven games for an injured Daunte Culpepper, relying on a steady hand and smart decisions in leading the team to six wins. "Really, I'm just trying to make the correct read, put us in the right position, make the right run check, make the right pass check and score when we get in the red zone.

FROSTBURG -- Being the quarterback of the Washington Redskins is one of the glamour jobs in all of sports.Slingin' Sammy Baugh was one of the first to play the position. So did Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer. Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien won Super Bowls as Redskins quarterbacks.They all became household words in the nation's capital where being quarterback of the Redskins has long been considered almost as big a deal as living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.That's why Brad Johnson got the opportunity of a lifetime when the Redskins traded for him earlier this year.

"The biggest thing in the game of football is to get the ball out of your hands and into playmakers' hands and let people make plays for you." Brad Johnson (above) Who is taking over for injured Daunte Culpepper as Minnesota Vikings quarterback "We can't let ego get in the way of winning. We can't let stats get in the way of winning. We can't let friends get in the way, family get in the way. Whatever, we can't let anything get in the way." Mike Dunleavy Los Angeles Clippers coach "I never knew what they said I had until I read it in the paper."

This week, the Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle each other for their playoff lives, but the destinies of both teams were changed seven months ago during a teen-age sleepover. Amid empty pizza boxes and phones ringing off the hook, Elvis Grbac made an impromptu trip to Brian Billick's Reisterstown home on the first day of free agency in early March and convinced the Ravens' coach of his desire to play for the defending Super Bowl champions. That five-hour visit triggered a surprise chain reaction among the top free-agent quarterbacks, shooting Grbac atop the Ravens' wish list and propelling presumed team favorite Brad Johnson to bolt to Tampa Bay. On Saturday night, those decisions will be judged under the national microscope as the paths of Grbac and Johnson cross for the first time since that shocking off-season fallout.

1 Run outside with Skip Hicks. He's not an inside runner like Stephen Davis, but can break outside runs.2 Burn the porous 49ers secondary. Brad Johnson should be able to pick apart the defensive backs.3 Bottle up Jeff Garcia. He's dangerous when he runs outside but isn't effective in the pocket.

"The biggest thing in the game of football is to get the ball out of your hands and into playmakers' hands and let people make plays for you." Brad Johnson (above) Who is taking over for injured Daunte Culpepper as Minnesota Vikings quarterback "We can't let ego get in the way of winning. We can't let stats get in the way of winning. We can't let friends get in the way, family get in the way. Whatever, we can't let anything get in the way." Mike Dunleavy Los Angeles Clippers coach "I never knew what they said I had until I read it in the paper."

Washington (5-3) at Philadelphia (2-7)Time: 1 p.m., chs. 45, 5, 43.Line: Redskins by 6.Vs. spread: Redskins 4-4; Eagles 5-4.Last week: Redskins lost to Bills, 34-17. Eagles lost to Panthers, 33-7.Series: Redskins lead 69-53-5.Last meeting: Redskins won, 28-3, on Nov. 15, 1998, at Washington.Outlook: Eagles rookie QB Donovan McNabb will make his NFL starting debut against one of the league's worst defenses. Hey, timing is everything. The Redskins have allowed 222 points, more than all but three other teams.

'Flight of the Intruder'Starring Brad Johnson, Danny Glover andWillem Dafoe.Directed by John Milius.Released by Paramount.Rated R.... **All he is saying, is give war a chance.John Milius' "Flight of the Intruder" is meant to be a rousing exhortation to battle and a celebration of the warriors who wage it. Its propitious timing has to be pure coincidence, given the years involved in the preparation of a major motion picture, but it nevertheless gives voice to a post-Vietnam-era argument much in the air (literally)

THE NFL executive most on the hot seat and facing a virtually impossible climb this season is Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo. Angelo found himself in that precarious position last week after starting quarterback Rex Grossman broke his left ankle and damaged his fibula against the St. Louis Rams. It was Angelo's decision to pass on a posse of free-agent veteran quarterbacks last offseason - Kurt Warner, Jay Fiedler and Brad Johnson - when it was the team's biggest need. The Bears had the worst offense in the NFL last year: fewest points, fewest yards, worst third-down efficiency, a league-low nine touchdown passes.

LANDOVER -- After his Washington Redskins tumbled -- or perhaps it should be "fumbled" -- to their fourth straight defeat last night, coach Joe Gibbs told his players that he had been there before. He was referring to 1981, when his Washington Redskins began the season 0-5. But that team ultimately found a way to win, scoring at least 30 points six times and finishing 8-8. This edition of the Redskins finds ways to lose -- usually in the same way each week. In its 17-10 loss to the Ravens, Washington repeated a pattern of accomplishing little offensively, surrendering big chunks of yardage on special teams and turning the ball over at critical times.

What you saw from Foxboro, Mass., Thursday night was yet one more piece of evidence that Tom Brady - not Peyton Manning, not Steve McNair, not Brett Favre - is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. It's not a stretch any longer to make the connection. The former sixth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots has the resume to back it up. He has two Super Bowl rings (and was the youngest quarterback ever to win one). He is a two-time Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl (one of four quarterbacks in history so honored)

It is tempting to think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a reasonable shot at repeating as Super Bowl champions next season. They have a decent salary cap situation. They have a dynamic young coach, Jon Gruden, who is just scratching the surface with his new offense. And they outscored their three postseason opponents by a combined 106-37. That was domination. But even if the Bucs are able to keep safety Dexter Jackson, middle linebacker Shelton Quarles and left tackle Roman Oben - all free agents-to-be - and even if they come back with the same intensity, things have a way of working against defending Super Bowl champs.

SAN DIEGO -- Dogged perseverance will be rewarded tonight. The only question is whose. Will Super Bowl XXXVII be the fulfillment of Rich Gannon's 14-year odyssey, spanning five NFL teams and countless crossroads? Or will it be the culmination of Brad Johnson's nine-year journey through the same jungle with three different teams and a similar number of tribulations? Two quarterbacks, one ring. Destiny waits for one of them at Qualcomm Stadium, where the Oakland Raiders, led by Gannon, chase their fourth Super Bowl championship, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Johnson, seek their first.

Today's title game Tampa Bay (13-4) at Philadelphia (13-4) Time: 3 p.m. TV: Chs. 45, 5. Line: Eagles by 4. Buccaneers offense vs. Eagles defense: The Bucs know what's coming and what they have to do. Against a fierce pass rush, quarterback Brad Johnson needs to get the ball out quickly and his receivers need to handle the Eagles' press coverage. If Tampa Bay's offensive line and running backs can pick up the blitzes, Johnson has a chance to make some plays. The Bucs may try to spread the field to reduce the number of rushers the Eagles can have.

This week, the Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle each other for their playoff lives, but the destinies of both teams were changed seven months ago during a teen-age sleepover. Amid empty pizza boxes and phones ringing off the hook, Elvis Grbac made an impromptu trip to Brian Billick's Reisterstown home on the first day of free agency in early March and convinced the Ravens' coach of his desire to play for the defending Super Bowl champions. That five-hour visit triggered a surprise chain reaction among the top free-agent quarterbacks, shooting Grbac atop the Ravens' wish list and propelling presumed team favorite Brad Johnson to bolt to Tampa Bay. On Saturday night, those decisions will be judged under the national microscope as the paths of Grbac and Johnson cross for the first time since that shocking off-season fallout.

The Ravens lost Brad Johnson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday, but appeared on the verge of a deal with Elvis Grbac, a Pro Bowl quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs last season. Amid reports the Cincinnati Bengals had withdrawn from negotiations for Grbac, the Ravens' Ozzie Newsome last night denied a deal was done, but acknowledged the two sides were still meeting. "We do not have a deal yet," the Ravens' vice president for player personnel said. "Up until it's done, it's not done."