European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 27.1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 nil playoff picture by the associated press the playoff picture for inc nil As supplied by the league acc preface Houston Indianapolis and Seattle control their own destiny and can qualify Tor playoffs simply by winning their final games. Cleveland and Denver have already clinched play Oft berths and can win division titles Wilh victories this weekend. Houston Miami new England Pittsburgh and san Diego Are eliminated from the playoffs with a loss. Acc East preface Indianapolis wins divison title Wilh win Over Tampa Bay on sunday otherwise Winner of monday night s new Englund at Miami game wins acc East. Indianapolis can Clinch division title by defeating Tampa Bay based on Overall record or better Divi Sion record than Miami 5-3 to 3-5indianapolis still alive for wild card with loss if Houston Pittsburgh and san Diego also lose based on belter conference record 8-6 than any other 8-7 team. Miami can Clinch division Lille by defeating new England on monday night plus an Indianapolis loss to Tampa Bay on sunday based on Overall record. Miami cannot win any multiple tie for division title and is eliminate from playoffs Wilh a loss. Miami can be wild card with win Over new England plus losses by Houston and san Diego coupled Wilh a Seattle win. This would set up a 9-6 lie Between Miami and Pittsburgh which Miami  can also Clinch wild card berth Wilh a Victory Over new England plus losses by san Diego Houston and Pittsburgh. In this scenario Miami could be lied Only Wilh Seattle at 9-6 and would play wild card game at Seattle Oral Denver. New England can Clinch division title with win Over Miami on monday night plus a loss by Indianapolis on sunday. This would set up two possible multiple team lies. In three Way lie among new England Miami and Indianapolis new England clinches division based on Butle head to head record 3-1 is. Indianapolis 2-3 and Miami 1-5. New England also wins four Way tic 5-1 Over Indi Anapolis 3-3buffalo 3-3and Miami 24 based on head to head re cords. New England can still be wildcard at 8-7 Indianapolis would win division title at 9-6. If Houston 6-Spittsburgh 6-5 and san Diego 6-7 All lose based on a Superior conference record 8-4. Miami at 8-7 would finish at 5-7 in conference Buffalo Bills and new York jets Are eliminated from the playoff. Acc Central preface Cleveland Tan Clinch third straight division title by defeating Pittsburgh on saturday or a Houston loss on sunday. Houston can Clinch division title with a Cleveland loss on saturday plus a win Over Cincinnati on sunday. Pittsburgh cannot win division title. Cleveland has clinched play off berth and can wrap up third straight division title with a win Over Pitts Burgh based on Overall record or Houston toss to Cincinnati based on a belter division record than Pittsburgh 4-2 to 3-3. Cleveland would have Home Field advantage throughout the playoffs Wilh a win Over a Peclers Cou pled with a Denver loss based on a bet Ter Overall record than Denver or a bet Ter conference record than Seattle 8-3 to 6-5. Houston clinches playoff berth by defeating Cincinnati based Ona belter conference record 7-4 than any other 9-6 team. Houston could Clinch division title with a win plus a Pittsburgh win Over Cleveland. This would create a three Way 9-6 tic in which Houston would prevail based on a better had to had record 3-1  2-2 and Pittsburgh i-3j. Houston is eliminated from playoffs with a loss. Pittsburgh cannot win dive. Sion title but can qualify for playoffs by defeating Cleveland plus a Seattle loss to Kansas City based on a belter con Ference record 7-4 than any other 9-6team. If Seattle wins to claim at least first wild card position Pittsburgh can also Clinch a wild card berth with a win plus a Houston loss coupled with one loss by Indianapolis or Miami or a san Diego win based on a belter conference record. Only tiebreaker Pittsburgh can lose would be a two team tie with Miami based on a loss to Miami. Pitts Burgh is Climina cd from the playoffs with a loss. Acc West preface Denver clinches Divi Sion title plus Home Field advantage throughout the playoff by defeating san Diego. Seattle clinches division title with a win Over Kansas City plus Denver loss. San Diego cannot win division title. Denver has clinched a playoff berth and can claim division title Wilh a win Over san Diego or a Seattle loss to Kansas City. Denver could have Home Field advantage throughout inc playoffs by defeating san Diego. If Denver docs not win acc Wisl they will play Host for the wild card game Seattle can Clinch division title with a win Over Kansas i a plus Denver loss to Kan Diego based on Overall record. If Denver wins acc West Seattle is the automatic wild card Host Wilh a Victory based on Overall record. Scat Ilc can still be a wild card Wilh loss plus losses by Pittsburgh or Houston. This could set up 9-6 lie among Miami san Diego Houston or Pittsburgh in which Case Houston or Pittsburgh would be first wild car based on Superior conference record 7 4 and Seattle would be second wildcard based on had to had victories Over Miami and san Diego. San Diego cannot we Divi Sion title. San Diego clinches a wild card berth with win Over Denver plus losses by Pittsburgh and Houston based on Overall acc oct san Diego is eliminated from playoffs Wilh a loss. Pfc East Washington has clinched division title based on Overall record. St. Louis will be wild card fit defeats Dallas plus a loss by Minnesota based on better conference record 8-6 is. 6-6 is. Viking. Pfc Central Chicago has clinched division title based on Overall record. Minnesota will be wild card if it beats Washington based on Overall record. Minnesota can also be wild card with a loss by is. Louis. Pfc West san Francisco can Clinch division title fit defeats the los Angeles rams or new Orleans loses to Green Bay based on Overall record. San fran Cisco can Clinch Home Field advantage throughout playoffs if it defeats the los Angeles rams. New Orleans can win Divi Sion if in defeats Green Bay and san Francisco loses to the los Angel srams based on better division record 4-1 is. 4-2. Note san Francisco and new or leans both have clinched at least a wildcard berth based on Overall record and one will be Host for the first round game on Jan. 3, 5 starters benched for finale against raiders bears looking to reverse momentum by the associated press Mike Ditka is hoping a major shakeup of his lineup will Lake the blur out of he Chicago bears learn Pic lure heading into postseason play. The Complete playoff picture will be in focus after Ihu final weekend of regular season nil games which was 10 begin saturday with Cleveland at Pittsburgh and Washington at Minnesota. Chicago i pm has clinched its fourth consecutive pfc Central title. Bui the bears head into sunday s Road game Wilh the los Angeles raiders coming off disturbingly decisive losses 10 san Francisco 41-0 and saute 34-21. Thai s the kind of continuity i Don l need any More of said Ditka who announced earlier this week he was demoting five starters. I just want to get Back some of that old fashioned continuity where you line 4 up and Knock somebody s Jock off. We need to gel things rolling this week. You can look Back in history and set the teams thai did Well in the playoffs Well in with some momentum. We need to get our Confidence Back and nol beat  on sunday besides the bears and raiders Tampa Bay will play Al Indianapolis Buffalo at Philadelphia Cincinnati at Houston Del Oil at Atlanta Green Bay Al new Orleans the new Vork jets at new York giants. St. Louis at Dallas Seattle Al Kansas City san Diego at Denver and the los Angeles rams at san Francisco sunday night. Monday night s game will Send new England to Miami. Not Roundup the bears need a Victory against the raiders to get at least one Home game in the playoffs. Going into the game against los Angeles 5-9 and going nowhere Dilka has benched defensive tackle William refrigerator Perry safety Todd Bell and com crack Mike Richardson As Well As offensive left tackle Paul Blair and right guard Tom Thayer. Richardson lost his starting assignment to second year player Maurice Douglass while Perry s Slot will be taken by end Dan Hampton who has been slowed by knee surgery. Hampton s spot will be filled by Al Harris. John Wojciechowski replaces Blair and Kurt Becker will Sun in place of Thayer. Besides the demotions fullback mall Surcy and linebacker Ron Rivera step into Starling spots because of injuries to near Anderson and Otis Wilson. The game also will Mark the final regular season appearance for Walter Paylon. The nil s All time Lead ing rusher. And Bell s demotion allows Gary Fencik Chicago s All Lime Leader in tackles and interceptions to Start in the final regular season game of his career. He will be Back Al free safely As Dave Duerson switches Back to Strong safely. The last Lime the teams played bears quarterback Jim Mcmahon was knocked out for inc 1984 season. Mcmahon still resting a hamstring injury suffered Sev eral weeks ago will miss sunday s game. "1 still think this team can do Well bul i would feel belter going into the playoffs Wilh a Good performance Ditka said. Dilka said injuries seem to mount when you re losing. 1 feel Well have everyone Back for the playoffs. Neal Anderson is a concern but Well know More on him later. I feel Mcmahon and offensive tackle Jim Covert should be of for inc playoffs. It s part of in game you just have to try to overcome them the Best you  the raiders who also have lost two in a Row Likely will play without Rookie running Back to Jackson who suffered a sprained ankle against Kansas City on dec. 13. Jackson is listed As questionable. The Colts who have nol been in the playoffs since 1977, can win the acc East by dealing Tampa Bay. Emotions can have a negative of Eccl As Well As a positive effect said Indiana coach Ron Meyer. I like to Sec emotion build with Good solid execution during the game. We re nol going to write a new fight song or cheer for this game in  nine f the 14 acc teams entered the final weekend of the tumultuous strike marred regular season Wilh a Chance for playoff berths. Four of the six nil division titles were unsettled. The bears have clinched the pfc Central and Washington already has won the pfc Easl. While san in Sci co and new Orleans have clinched a playoff spot in the pfc. Cleveland and Denver have nailed Down acc wild cards and the Colls Houston and Seattle can All make in with wins on sunday