European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 the stars and stripes saturday september 17, 1977 Losiff s intuition or lunacy nil upset pick bucs Over eagles by Bruce Lowitt a sports writer it will be no Surprise to anybody to find that the Oakland raiders and Minnesota Vikings will be picking up right where they left off last june. The raiders will win with ease. The Vikings won t. The san Diego chargers chock full of Hope will be shot full of holes by the Oak land juggernaut. The Vikings the last team to feel the raiders swords will get Cut to the Quick again this time in a mild upset by the Dallas cowboys. That upset is nothing however when compared to what s going to happen in Philadelphia. That s right Tampa Bay your Friendly. Neighbourhood Doormat of a year ago is going to beat the eagles. There s your upset special of the week in this opening round of National football league action. Now the details raiders 34, chargers 16 san Diego s got a few Good horses with newcomers James Harris at quarterback Bob Klein at tight end Johnny Rodgers at wide receiver and More. The defense though is still suspect. Oakland s the same old gang on both sides of the line but what a gang. Ken Stabler will Chew up san Diego s secon Dary and the 3-4 defense will hit the chargers with the old 1-2. Cowboys 24, Vikings 20 Minnesota s got a habit of blowing the big ones namely four super bowls. This one May not be As big but it s still a pretty Good indication of just How the grading vikes will do this year. We think they la do Only so so. Buccaneers 21, eagles 17 Call it intuition. Call it lunacy. The feel ing is that Tampa Bay charged up Over its Victory against Baltimore a week ago will sustain the mood. And with a pair of run Ning backs like Ricky Bell and Anthony Davis the bucs have the right to some exultation. Steeles 28,49ers 10 Pittsburgh is hurting but not so much that it can t stifle san Francisco on monday night. The decease is almost As a losing Effort notre Dame quarterback Rusty Lasch teammate Tim Foley looks on. The is sacked for a two Yard loss by Pitts fighting Irish Defeated last year s a Burgh s Randy Holloway As Lisch s tonal Champ. Up photo Knox Given 5-year contract los Angeles a _ Chuck Knox who has guided the los Angeles rams to four consecutive division titles has been Given an Extension of his contract the National football league said thursday. Knox with a 44-11 record in his four years at the rams Helm had a contract for this season and three More. The new agreement is for five years and is revolving meaning one year is added after each contractual year. Chuck Knox s record Speaks for itself he s the National football league s win ingest coach for the four years he s been in los Angeles said rams owner Carrol Rosenbloom. Good As last year which is to say close to sensational. Colts 31, sea Hawks 23 Seattle s got the offence to scare a lot of teams and a defense that terrifies the sea Hawks fans. Put Bert Jones Lydell Mitchell & co. In front of that defense and watch the Points pile up. Cardinals 31, Broncos 28 technically this is an upset pick since the Odds makers like Denver by a Point or two. But we Don t see it that Way. Until the Broncos show they be got a quarterback and that they can Stop one like St. Louis Jim Hart Well stick with the cardiac cards. Bengals 38, Browns 10 Cleveland collapsed on the final weekend of 1976, after its chances of sneaking to a division title went out the window. In 1977 the collapse comes 13 weeks earlier. Bears 24, Lions 13 the team most Likely to beat Minnesota to a division title is Chicago full of prom ise and questions. Detroit just seems to go along reaching mediocrity each season. This one s no different. Rams 24, Falcons 7 having Joe Namath s signals called from the Bench is like putting a Picasso in a parking lot. Nevertheless freeway Joe will overcome the Handicap. Patriots 28, chiefs 14 will Steve Grogan be the sensation he was in 1976? yes if he can avoid getting Hurt. Kansas City May not Lay a hand on him All Day. Dolphins 24, Bills 14 once again it s . Simpson against the world. Miami is a shot full of holes team but at least it s a team not a one Man show. Saints 21, packers 16 Hank Stram thinks a Good preseason record can Lead to a Good regular season record. For one game it can. Redskins 27, giants 10 Washington s the Over the Hill gang. Call the giants the Hill. Oilers 20, jets 14 with Joe Namath or without him the jets Are grounded. Frustrated bengals Are optimistic this season by Joe Carnicer Lippi executive sports editor the Cincinnati bengals Are a tired Ball club. Tired of putting together one of the Best records in the National football league year after year and going no where. Cincinnati had records of 11-3 and 10-4 in the past few years and made the playoffs three times Only to lose the playoff opener each time. Last season the Beng nil Roundup als were 10-4 and did t even make the playoffs losing key games at the end of the season to Pittsburgh and Oakland. But this is a new season starting sunday and the bengals feel this finally will be their year. I m really optimistic about this year said Center Bob Johnson the first player Ever drafted by Cincinnati. I know i be said this kind of thing before and we Haven t been Able to completely deliver but i can t see it any other Way this year. There is no question Well be in the play offs. And from there Well i be decided that when you get that far All the teams Are just about even. Maybe it All comes Down to a Little Luck a break Here or there. Maybe that s what we be lacked in the past. No matter what i feel better about this year than any other for the bengals and i be been with them through it  Cincinnati opens its bid for the acc Cen trial Crown sunday against the Cleveland Browns with two of its no. 1 draft picks Wilson Whitley of Houston and Eddie Edwards of Miami Fla opening in the defensive line. Cleveland on the other hand has lost Jerry Sherk one of the outstand ing defensive tackles in football with a knee injury. We All feel Good about this season said bengals coach Bill Johnson. We be got a Good team and we think we re going to be a contender. Kenny Anderson s throwing and completing passes i Don t think he was attempting in past  Archie Griffin the two time Heisman trophy Winner from Ohio state also is optimistic opening up his second pro season. I m More sure of myself this year said Griffin. I had to learn a lot of things last year and i feel so much better going into this  in other openers sunday san Diego is at nil Champion Oakland Dallas at Minne Sota Miami at Buffalo Washington at the new York giants Baltimore at Seattle St. Louis at Denver Kansas City at new eng land los Angeles at Atlanta Green Bay at new Orleans the new York jets at hous ton Tampa Bay at Philadelphia and de troit at Chicago. In the opening monday night game san Francisco is at Pitts Burgh. San Diego with new speedsters in Joe Washington and Johnny Rodgers will try to beat Oakland for the first time since 1968. The raiders Only question Mark is at placekicker they dropped All three kick ers they brought into Camp and May go with punter Ray Guy. Dallas unveils Heisman trophy Winner Tony Dorsett against the aging Vikings and . Simpson continues his quest for Jimmy Brown s Al time Rushing record against a Young Miami defense. Miami has beaten Buffalo 14 consecutive times. Jerry Golsteyn of the giants is the Only Rookie quarterback to earn a starting berth this season and hell have his work Cut out for him against a Veteran Washington de sense. Baltimore s sack pack has been Hurt by the failure of end John Dutton to report to Camp but the passing combination of Bert Jones to Roger Carr is available to Welcome the sea Hawks to the acc. The jets emphasized Ball control and de sense throughout training Camp and there does t figure to be much scoring against Houston another rugged defensive club. St. Louis went to Wyoming last week to prepare for the High Altitude of Denver and new England is hoping the right Side of its offensive line John Hannah and Leon Gray returns to Camp to help Steve Grogan against the chiefs. Joe Namath after 12 years in a Jet uni form will open at quarterback for the rams who lost five of six preseason games. Scott Hunter will Start at Quarter Back for Atlanta in place of Steve Bart Kowski who s having knee problem again. Bob Avellini who out dulled newcomer Mike Phipps will be the quarterback and Star Back Walter Payton the key Man when Chicago faces Detroit. Braves Foster put on waivers Buffalo a the Buffalo braves of the National basketball association have placed Veteran Forward Fred Foster on waivers