European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 20, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse August 1985 the stars and stripes Page 23 pfc Central wide open by Nick Geranios a sports writer repeat is the key word in the pfc Central this the Chicago bears try to repeat As Green Bay tries to repeat the second half of last Bud Grant seeks to repeat past glories in Minnesota and two new coaches Hope they dont re peat the mistakes of their predecessors in the pfc Central the bears will be trying to become the first team to win the division title twice in a Row since Minnesota in Chicago posted a 106 regular season beat Washington in the first round of the play then lost to san Francisco in the Divi Sion this their goal is much we found out that it want really that hard to get where we were last but it was a bit harder to go All the coach Mike Ditka if we Settle for any thing less than a super were fool Chicago first title of any kind since 1963 was accomplished mainly by the de which ranked first in the National football Walter Payton finished second in the nil with Rushing Yards last when he also wrenched the Al time Rush ing record from Jim is entering his 11th season and shows no sign of letting up after producing career the bears ranked just 26th in pass of using six different quarterbacks be cause of starter Jim Mcmahon played just nine throwing for Yards and eight the defense featured four pro bowl starters and posted a record 72 Quarter Back contract disputes kept several key veterans out of including line backers Mike Singletary and Al and safety Todd outside of Chicago and Green the division is Home for three of the Nils four new head at Tampa Minnesota and Bud Grant in Minnesota is an old new returning after a year in retirement to pick up the pieces left by Les Steckelis Green under Forrest is hoping to repeat the 71 second half of last year rather than the 17 first the explosive offence was led by Lynn dickeys passing Yards and 25 pro Bowler James Lofton caught 62 passes for while Paul Coffman grabbed 43 the Rushing attack features Gerry Ellis and of injured Eddie Lee on Rookie free safety Tom Flynn led the conference with nine inter and the line tracking looks the line is in flux nose tackle Terry Jones is lost for the season although end Ezra troubled by Back problems in has looked Good so the 58yearold who has a Ca reer record of 161995 from 1967 until 1983 with four super bowl will be trying to make something from a team that finished 313 last its worst record our objective has to be to reach the super says reaching for the loftiest but for anybody As far Down As we it will probably take at least three years to get the Vikings allowed More than 30 Points a game last by far the most in the while the offence scored just Points per the return of quarterback Tommy Kra who threw for just Yards and nine touchdowns in an injury plagued should produce More Minnesota deepest position is running where Chuck traded by san Diego after a drug troubled joins Alfred Darrin Nelson and Ted Grant says the Only area that Doest need improvement is Jan Stene oldest player in the nil at was 20 for 23 in Field goals last season and made the pro the Tampa Bay buccaneers take the Field for the first time in their nine year history without John Mckay As head Leeman who coached the at Lanta Falcons from 1977 to takes Over for who won Only eight games in the past two including a 6 10 Mark last this is a better team than the one 1 took Over in Bennett i expect us to be Able to compete for the championship of our the bucs allowed a team record Yards last linebacker Hugh who missed eight games with is but defensive end Lee Roy a pro bowl selection the past six will sit out the year because of a herniated disc in his lower much of the Burden will fall on first round draft Choice Ron a defensive end from quarterback Steve Deberg threw for Yards and 19 his top receivers were Kevin with 76 receptions for and Gerald car with 60 running Back James Wilder ranked third in the league in Rushing with carrying an nil record 407 with 13 he also caught 85 passes for 685 the Detroit Lions posted a sorry 4111 Mark last and to make matters new coach Darryl Rogers will be without the services of leading rusher Billy who is recovering from knee surgery and will miss at least the first part of the who left Arizona state to re place Monte will choose Between newly acquired Joe Ferguson and Veteran Eric hippie at i like to go with one says that should please Lions fans tired of the endless Duel Between hippie and the departed Gary Danielson a photo Chicago Walter Payton int slowing Down a bit for the starting Ferguson threw for Yards and 12 touchdowns for Buffalo last whoever throws for Detroit will not be comforted by an offensive line that Al Lowed 61 a situation aggravated by the holdout of top draft Choice Lomas an offensive tackle from the which allowed Points per will switch to the 34 under new coordinator Wayne who built Strong units at Tampa acc Central wants to regain respect by Alan Robinson a sports writer Mike Rozier has covered a lot of ground in less than two years and not just his More than Yards Rushing since the fall of Rozier begins his first National foot Ball league season 8 with the hous ton but Hes no Rookie hell be playing his second full schedule this year and the oilers Are his fourth team in two after completing his College career with Nebraska in the Orange bowl on the 1983 Heisman trophy Winner has played for the Pittsburgh mailers 1984 and the Jacksonville bulls this Spring of the United states football As Well As the not Surpri Hes needed two agents to help negotiate three contracts in the last 20 no wonder they Call him a running if he can catch his Rozier is expected to be one of several new Impact players in the acc Central Divi which is trying to regain lost with the exception of the defending division Champion Pittsburgh each acc Central team has added at least one player expected to contribute the two most notable were a tandem on the Miami team that upset Roziers Corn huskers in the 1984 Orange bowl Cleve land Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar and Cincinnati bengals wide receiver Eddie Kosar left Miami after two seasons to sign one of the most lucrative contracts in the nil and become what Browns coach file photo Houston Mike Rozier of the Impact players Marty sch Ottenheimer Calls a Guy who can Clear the bases with one who caught 59 of Kosaris passes for Yards last will be with Cris Collinsworth at wide which should improve Cincinnatus the acc the Nils most competitive division when the Steeles and oilers twice met in the conference championship has lost much of its league wide the Steeles stumbled to the division title the last two they won in 1983 despite losing four of their last five in they had to win their final two games against the Browns and los Angeles raiders after losing three of their previous four and were the Only team in the division to finish above if the Steeles haunt beaten the the bengals would have won the division title despite losing their first five on the Steeles May Field their Best team since they won four super bowls Between 1974 and they May have the other three teams in our division have gotten so we have to get bet coach Chuck Noll Kosar is one of three quarterbacks try ing to win favor with who directed the Browns to a 44 finish after Sam Rutigliano got off to a 17 sch Ottenheimer int saying whether former Detroit Lions Veteran Gary Danielson or 1984 starter Paul Mcdonald will be the 1 Many believe sch Ottenheimer will avoid giving Kosar the baptism by fire that the Denver Broncos John Elway endured two years so its Likely sch Ottenheimer will Start either Danielson or Mcdonald Early and Hope that who graduated learns about the nil in a the Browns strengths Are a receiving corps headed by tight end Ozzie Newsome and one of pro footballs Best groups of last they win close games and had a horrible passing averaging less than one to pass per in the offence ranked 24 among the 28 nil Houston improved its passing last year by adding quarterback Warren Moon from the Canadian football but that didst prevent a 313 hence the addition of Rozier and Butch Wool Folk from the new York giants to run behind an offensive line that includes recent first round draft choices Mike Munchak and Dean weve got to pick up where we left off at the end of last says coach Hugh whose oilers won three of their final to help the Campbell has brought in offensive coordinator Joe Fara his top aide during a succession of Cal championship seasons with the Edmonton help May be harder to come by for a defense that was the Nils second worst last instant Aid was expected from the two first round draft choices defensive lineman Ray Childress and cornerback Richard Johnson but neither has signed and will be far behind when they the division title could be within Cin Cinnatus reach if the bengals realize that the season Doest Start at they won eight of their final 11 in but fell Short because of the awful Early wins that Lead to Early Momen Tum will be crucial to says coach Sam like one of wychers key decisions will be choosing a starting his candidates Are Ken Boomer Esiason and Turk an has the experience and Scho Nert was 31 As a starter last but Esiason May have the Best Arm of the and the Best Chance at winning the
