Can Afc End Drought? Several Teams Believe They Have The Talent To End Afc’s Super Bowl Jinx

How’s this for optimism: As the American Football Conference’s abysmal record in the Super Bowl gets worse, more AFC teams believe they have the goods needed to win the championship.

Denver probably has the most talent, but the Broncos must convince everyone that their previous Super Bowl futility and their embarrassing home playoff loss to Jacksonville last season are blips from the past.

In the East, New England believes it can get back to the Super Bowl despite the loss of coach Bill Parcells.

Pittsburgh used the AFC’s No. 1 defense to win the Central a year ago. The Jaguars are optimistic despite Mark Brunell’s knee injury.

John Elway ruptured the biceps tendon in his throwing arm in Denver’s second preseason game, but it appears he’ll be ready for the opener.

With Elway, the Broncos are loaded at the skill positions. Elway can throw to an All-Pro receiver in Shannon Sharpe and hand off to All-Pro running back Terrell Davis.

On defense, Alfred Williams won All-Pro honors at defensive end, but he might miss half the season with a torn arm muscle. The Broncos acquired Neil Smith to play the other side of the line, and Michael Dean Perry plugs up the middle. John Mobley and Bill Romanowski are standout linebackers and Tyrone Braxton led the AFC in interceptions with nine.

But can the Broncos forget the bitterness of the stunning playoff loss to Jacksonville?

“I think once we get started, we’ll be able to put it behind us,” Elway said. “But we’ve got a long way to go. We start at ground zero.”

The Jaguars hope to continue the momentum of last season’s stunning playoff success. Brunell’s injury was a big setback, but he got good news when doctors determined he might miss only the first five or six games.

Despite having more interceptions than TD passes, Brunell threw for 4,367 yards, most in the NFL. Both of his unheralded receivers, Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith, caught more than 80 passes for more than 1,100 yards.

Brunell and replacement Rob Johnson have Natrone Means and James Stewart at running back behind a huge offensive line anchored by 322-pound tackle Tony Boselli.

The defense, led by 12-year veteran Clyde Simmons and second-year inebacker Kevin Hardy, was bolstered by the signing of defensive back Deon Figures from Pittsburgh.

The Jags improved their sack total from 17 in their first season to 37 last year.

Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe continued to mature in ‘96, throwing for 4,086 yards.

Terry Glenn served notice of becoming a future superstar with 90 receptions as a rookie, wideout Shawn Jefferson averaged 15.4 yards per catch and tight end Ben Coates is one of the best. Curtis Martin gives Bledsoe the running threat he needs.

The rushing defense ranked sixth in the NFL. But the Patriots were burned all season through the air, including in the Super Bowl, ranking 28th in the league, abysmal for a title contender.

If new coach Pete Carroll can tighten the pass rush and coverage - he was the coordinator of San Francisco’s outstanding defense before replacing Parcells - the Patriots could coast in the East.

Oakland is playing do-or-die with Jeff George, the only one of eight quarterbacks drafted first overall since 1970 who has never played in the Super Bowl or the Pro Bowl.

Despite his attitude problems in Indianapolis and Atlanta, George has been superb at times, particularly when he led the Falcons into the playoffs in 1995.

New coach Joe Bugel is hoping to stretch defenses for George with crafty Tim Brown (90 catches) and speed receivers John Jett, Kenny Shedd and Desmond Howard, who also will return kicks. Napoleon Kaufman is the featured runner.

Seattle, 7-9 last season, spent plenty of Paul Allen’s money to become a playoff contender.

Before he was injured, former backup John Friesz was a significant improvement at QB over Rick Mirer. Friesz threw for more yards in 54 fewer attempts, and his TD-interception ratio was 8-4 compared to Mirer’s 5-12.

Warren Moon was signed as Friesz’s backup, but the Seahawks’ other key signings will help them more.

LB Chad Brown, who had 13 sacks, and cornerback Willie Williams were both starters at Pittsburgh, and Dan Saleaumua was a classic run-stopper at defensive tackle for Kansas City. All three will plug the gaps that led to the Seahawks’ ranking of 24th in the NFL.

In Cincinnati, the Bengals won seven of their last nine games to give fans hope for 1997.

QB Jeff Blake makes the offense go, throwing to 100-reception wideout Carl Pickens, Darnay Scott and tight end Tony McGee. Can KiJana Carter hold off rookie Corey Dillon at running back?

The Bengals still finished 29th in pass defense despite intercepting a club-record 34 passes.

Pittsburgh, with Kordell Stewart at QB and hard-running Jerome Bettis, could contend despite losing three starters from the second-ranked defense and two wide receivers.

Kansas City’s addition of Elvis Grbac and Brett Perriman should help the passing game, but Neil Smith and Saleaumua will be missed.

With all the roster shuffling, an AFC team may finally be ready by January to end the conference’s streak of 13 Super Bowl losses. But then again …