European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 21, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 23 final weekend will remove nil ifs by Dave Goldbe Gap football writer while nil fans from coast to coast Ponder the Small print hut says if the bengals win and inc sea Hawks and raiders lose by More than i Points and the Palm Iris and dolphins tic. " Pete Roc Lac smiles. The race for the final two playoff spots is going Down to the final regular season game. Thai game is monday nigh at Miami where inc Leopard and they loss and they could miss the playoffs. The game has More significance for the patriots it s the last nil game in Miami s grunge bowl where new England loss 18 straight games until beating inc dolphins 31-14 in the acc male game last january. The dolphins will be moving to their new stadium in North Dade county next season. We have not had the same spark As we had in the acc championship game running Back Craig James said. We re going to do whatever we can to gel it Back. 1 think getting Back into that atmosphere realizing what it was All about that la maybe get the Adrena line level a Little  the patriots Are 10-5, the same record As the new York jets carry into their sunday game at Cincinnati the patriots have lost two straight new York has los four straight but has clinched a wild card playoff berth. However new England can win the division no matter what the jets do because a win Over the dolphins would give the patriots a division record of  to  for new York. They also will know if they need a win to make the playoffs if they lose they still can be a wild card entry if two teams among Kansas City Cincinnati and Seattle have lost earlier in the weekend. Miami , remained marginally alive for a wild card berth entering the weekend. But the dolphins needed an improbable series of losses by four other contenders to remain alive entering monday night s game. The nil s final regular season weekend began in san Francisco Friday night when the san Francisco 49crs Defeated the los Angeles rams 24-14 to win the enc West title. Both already had qualified for the pfc playoffs along with the new York giants Chi Cago bears and Washington redskins saturday the giants demolished Green Bay 55-24 to earn the Home Field advantage throughout the play offs and Denver was at Seattle m a late game. A sea Hawks win would eliminate Miami and the los Angeles raiders from the playoffs putting four teams in the running for the final two playoff spots nil Roundup going into the closing games. To make the playoffs however Seattle still would need a loss by two teams among new England Kansas City and Cincinnati. In sunday games involving playoff berths Kansas City is Al Pittsburgh the jets Al Cincinnati and Indi Anapolis at inc raiders. In other games Atlanta is Al Detroit Buffalo Al Houston new Orleans at Minnesota. San Diego at Cleveland Tampa Bay at is. Louis Washington at Philadelphia and Chicago Al Dallas. Kansas City  at plot Bursh 6-� the chiefs who have played the easiest schedule of the acc contenders also have the simplest route to their first playoff spot in 15 years win this game and they re in As a wild card. They be been living on what May be the league s Best secondary headed by Dacron Cherry who intercepted two passes in the Pivotal 20 17 win Over the raiders last week. But they could have picked a Buller time to play the St Clurs who trounced the jets 45-24 last week an seem to be coming together in time to build Momen Tum for 1987. The return of Conler Mike Webster has solidified the offensive line and the acquisition of running Earnest Jackson has improved the offence. Be York jews 10-5 Al Cincinnati  the pressure is off inc Juls who could lose their fifth straight game and still win the acc East if new England loses monday night. They get a wild card in any Case but they want to prove something. A lot has happened the past four weeks to Hurt our image around the country 1 Light end Mickey Shulor said after he was Only one of two jews wide receiver Al Toon was the other o make the acc pro bowl squad. The up and Down bengals Down last week in a 34-3 loss to Cleveland that lost them the Centra title can make the playoffs by winning if either Kansas City or new England loses. Indianapolis 2-13 at los Angeles raiders  the Colts Are playing better than the raiders at this Point  since Ron Meyer replaced Rod Dowhower As coach. Those wins possibly Cost them a shot Alvinne Testaverde but May have added some Tonti do acc to Lake into next season. That also could be inc incentive for the raiders whose playoff Hopes Are tenuous at Best. Why inc Trou bled season try quarterback problems an aging offensive line and injuries to Marcus Allen and Howie Long although chief executive Al Davis says it s be cause he s been spending too much time in court. Chicago 13-2 at Dallas  nothing much Al slams Here unless the giants find a Way to lose to Green Bay saturday and give the bean a shot at two Home games in the playoffs. So it s Quarter Back experimentation Len la rcl8ie Collier starts Tor the cowboys. Doug flu tic for the bears. Dallas without a winning record for the first time in 21 years and without a pro bowl player for inc first time Ever would like Loff out Al least at .500. Sun Diego 4-11 Al Cleveland 11-4 the Browns not Only wan the acc Central title with their 34-3 win Over Cincinnati last week but they also vaulted to the top of the super bowl list in a Confer ence where most of the contenders were going South. A win Over san Diego and they Clinch the Home Field advantage throughout the playoffs. It also would give inc Browns their first 12-win season since joining the nil in 1950. The chargers Aren t easy although the weather i Cleveland never has appealed to them. Since Al Saun dvrs took Over As head coach san Diego is  and the defense has been playing better than any chargers defense in inc past decade. Tampa Bay 2-13 at St. Louis  m this is the Vinny clincher. A loss and the bucs get inc lop pick in the draft and Testaverde docs t seem to have a future in baseball. How badly the bucs Are playing is demonstrated in the Point spread inc cards with the nil s third worst record Are favored by nearly two touchdowns. Washington 11-4 at Philadelphia -1 would t buddy Ryan like to win this one. Ending the season with consecutive wins Over Dallas and Washington it matters not for the record the redskins will be the pfc s Home wild card learn inane event. Washington would like to avoid entering the playoffs on a three game losing Streak. New Orleans  at Minnesota  to the saints a .500 season is an up Noil with Promise of things to come. To the Vikings it puts Damper on a season of major improvement in which they contended for the playoffs until a disappointing 23-10 loss last week Al Houston. Atlanta -1 at Detroit 5-10 not much to choose Between two unhappy learns the Falcons because they be faded from their Surpris ing  Start the Lions because they never got started. A strange note Detroit which won its first six in the Silva Rome last year and beat such teams As the dolphins cowboys 4�crs and jets there is Only  at Home this season. Buffalo 4-11 at Houston 4-11 another tired end to a tired season for two tired teams at least Buffalo with Jim Kelly on 4he scene has doubled its win total for each of the past two sea sons the oilers must win this one to equal last year s Victory total m Runnin ii a. Link a Morris leaves open Market new York a free agent Pitcher Jack Morris agreed Friday night to submit to arbitration with his old club the Detroit tigers thus taking him self out of the open Market. It Means that Jack will be with us n iu87," said tigers general manager Bill l1vteanwhile, Tiger teammate Lance Parish was among those who rejected arbitration. Free agents who did not accept salary arbitration have until Jan. 8 to re sign with their 1986 teams. If unsigned by Ihen their clubs lose the Nghi to sign them until May 1. Lajoice said he hoped to sign Morris a a contract before major league. Arbura lion hearings begin. The hearings Are scheduled for feb. 5-20, but no Dale has been set for Morris and the  s a big part of our team and we Are pleased he will be Wilh us in Lajoice said in a Telephone interview from his Home Early saturday. .-.,Morris already has had offers rejected by the Minnesota twins new York Yan Kees and Philadelphia Phillies. His Agni Dick Moss said he also expected me California Angels to do the  said the similar so con Vinced him owners Are conspiring to drive Down spiralling salaries Kins h  or Morris the win ingest Pius or in the 1980s, said he Lea 1ested" n resuming to the Ligers. Ai though i May have 10 consider that of lion  up photo Detroit Pitcher Jack Morris. Says owners conspiring since Morris agreed .10 go to salary arbitration he is considered a signed player. If he declined the tigers would have had until Jan. 8 to re sign him or lose that right until May i. I feel like Jackie Robinson must have Felt Morris said. The owners Are All saying Jack you re a Fine player but you can Only play under our own rules. I m getting inc same answers Over and Over. They say i m Worth the Money but Philacia Ciphia president Bill Giles said Friday Hal he talked to Jack moms an Dick Moss this afternoon on the phone and rejected i hair offer to accept arbitration Asa Means to decide Morris s salary if he signed Wilh the Phillies for one  is Loo great a risk on letting a third party decide Morris s Worth. I Donot believe that Morris or any Pitcher for that matter is Worth the kind of Money that i would anticipate the masking in an arbitration hearing Giles Morris and Moss met Wilh Steinbrenner thursday in Tampa fla., and presented him with the option of giving Morris a one year contract with the salary to be determined by an arbitrator an offer Moss called a can t refuse  asked the Yankees to put them selves in the position the tigers were in. Moss said. But Slein Brenner. Who built world so Ries champions in the i910i with High priced free agents like Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter said he needed More time to study the proposal. Given an 18-hour Lime constraint by Jack Morris agent Dick Moss i am not Able to come to a decision this quickly Steinbrenner said in a prepared statement. 12 players draw fines from Aba new York a twelve Aba players were fined a total of 113,000 by the league Friday for their roles in fights in games this week. The fines Cam one Day after new York kicks Center Patrick Ewing was fined $3,000 for fighting. Indiana guard John Long was fined j 3,000 for starting a fight with Boston s Rick Carlisle during game wednesday night. Carlisle who retaliated with a punch was fined $1,500. Five Hundred Dollar fines were levied against Larry Bird and Greg Kile of the celtics and Walker Russell and Stuart Gray of Indian for leaving the Bench area during that fight Detroit guard Vinnie Johnson was fined $2,Soo for throwing the first punch in a fight with Atlanta Center tree Rollins on tuesday night. Rollins was fined j2.000 Tor throwing several punches. Three other pistons Tony Campbell Joe Dumars and Sidney Green and aniline Carrot Atlanta were fined 5500 apiece for leaving the Bench area during the fight