The mind-set matters most.(My Turn)

Most football fans know the on-field ingredients that make an NFL team successful: an outstanding offensive line protecting a superb quarterback; a potent running back who can get the tough yards; a run-stopping defensive front backed by an excellent secondary; and special teams that can deliver, either by putting the offense in great field position or putting the other team on a long field.

Those are givens.

But after many conversations with people in the NFL I respect, I firmly believe there are key ingredients--elements that can translate into championships--beyond having talented players.

No matter who wins the Super Bowl come February--whether it's preseason favorites such as the Buts, Packers, Eagles or Rams in the NFC; the Steelers, Dolphins, Patriots or Raiders in the AFC; or a team that surprises us, like maybe the Colts or Vikings--that team's success started long before two-a-days.

It started with a mind-set. As trite as it sounds, an organization has to have a single focus--like those great 49ers teams under Eddie DeBartolo and Carmen Policy or the Packers under Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren. Everyone, from the front office down, was thinking, "What can I do to help us win the championship?" That single purpose--that championship atmosphere--has to be there. But just as important, the owner has to buy in because when you talk about assembling talent, that begins with the talent in the front office and the coaching staff.

A person who is critically important to the business end today is the "capologist." When Jimmy Johnson got back into coaching with the Dolphins, he recognized that he had to adapt to changes in the game. He said you can't "fall in love with a lot of guys" because the salary cap will force you to face the reality that you're going to lose some good players. The capologist helps a coach maximize the value he can get nut of the money available. The coach and capologist then must work to find younger players who ...