European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 23 pro football 88 top 2 might be better and worse by Steve Wilstein san Francisco a the san Francisco 49ers and new Orleans saints lost Only five regular season games Between them last season but they share an ironic destiny this year both May be better but wind up with worse records. The 49ers were 13-2 last year and the saints 12-3. But both were soundly beaten by Minnesota in their pfc West preview last year 13-2 3-0 strike. Lost to Minnesota 36 24 in divisional playoff game. Strengths wide receiver running Back quarterbacks nose tackle. Weaknesses Small line backers inexperienced Offen Sive line friction Between owner Eddie Debartolo and coach Bill Walsh. Key players a a Joe Montana re Roger Craig or Jerry Rice. It Michael Carter la Keena Turner s Ronnie Lott. New or emerging play ers Des Danny Stubbs and Pierce Holt la Bill Romanowski top draft picks was Dokie Williams and Wes Chandler obtained in trades with raiders and chargers a a Steve Young. Prediction first in Divi Sion at worst a wild card. Super bowl potential. First playoff games and enter this season with schedules that by themselves could drag them Down. They should still Lead the division. But the los Angeles rams who faded to 6-9 last season could Surprise if they get Quick help from their rookies particularly running Back Gaston Green and wide receiver Aaron Cox. Atlanta will still Trail. San Francisco is still haunted by its 36-24 playoff loss to Minnesota and also faces a killer schedule the first half of the season with several new players in a lineup that showed its age against the Vikings. The 49ers open on the Road at new Orleans and the new York giants. Before october is Over they will have played Denver and Minnesota at Home and the rams and Chicago on the Road. San Francisco 49ers the 49ers won super bowls in the 1981 and 1984 seasons and have captured five division titles in the last seven years but for the third year in a Row they lost their first playoff game decisively last season. I Don t think we have any really severe weak Nesses says coach Bill Walsh. More Likely we re Good in some areas but maybe not great. What we have to do is find what it takes to make that last Dif Ference to take us to the championship and we re hoping we can do that this  Walsh expects quarterbacks Young and receiver Jerry Rice ular play of last year. They will be augmented by receivers Dokie Williams and Wes Chandler acquired from the raiders and chargers in trades. Montana has looked As Strong in preseason As he did last year when he threw for 3,054 Yards and 31 touch Downs. In one stretch he completed 22 consecutive passes against Cleveland and Green Bay. Young played superbly As a backup throwing 10 touchdown passes and running for 190 Yards while starting three of the eight games he played. Montana will open As the starter but Walsh says Young will play a prominent role. Montana is probably the Best technician in football. He has excellent skills excellent fundamentals and his decision making is beyond reproach. Steve Young is the charismatic exciting explosive quarterback who runs very Well with the Ball As Well As passes Walsh said. Rookies Danny Stubbs at defensive end and Bill Romanowski at linebacker should bolster a pass Rush with lighter quicker Michael Carter at nos guard and Charles Haley moved to Strong Side linebacker. Cornerback Tim Mckyer and Don Griffin held out for a month but give the 49ers one of the Best pairings in the game. The big Star last year was Rice the league s offensive player of the year. He set a team record with a league leading 138 Points including an nil record 22 touch Down catches and one to run in just 12 games. He also set an nil record by catching to passes in 13 consecutive games. With Williams and Chandler taking some of the pres sure off Rice could be even better. Roger Craig lighter and quicker is the key to the running game. Joe Montana and Steve to repeat their Spe tac Competition for his starter s Job has brought out Joe Montana s Best and Jerry Rice right just keeps cooking. New Orleans saints last year 12-3 2-1 strike. Lost to Minnesota 44 10 in pfc wild card game. Strengths linebackers kicker coach Jim Mora front office. Weaknesses Lack of team Speed quarterback secondary overconfidence. Key players lbs Rickey Jackson Vaughn Johnson and Pat Swilling k Morten Ander sen re Rueben Mayes out of Camp coach Jim Mora. New or emerging play ers re Craig Heyward or Brett Perriman no. 1 and no. 2 picks. Prediction if everything jells could Challenge 49ers for first in division. Definite wild card shot. After its first winning season Ever new Orleans was shocked by Minnesota 44-10 in the pfc wild card game. The saints should be Strong again under coach Jim Mora. But their schedule problems come in the second half when they they face the rams twice Washington Den ver the giants Minnesota and san Francisco. Reuben Mayes who led the saints last year with 917 Yards Rushing had off season surgery on his left knee and was brought along slowly before leaving Camp in a contract dispute. If he can regain his form the saints running game which averaged 146 Yards in 1987, should be even stronger with the addition of top draft pick Craig hey Ward a 260-Pound fullback with Good hands. Quarterback Bobby Hebert is coming off his first full season As an nil starter and has shown maturity and Confidence this summer. Hebert has a Good accurate Arm and could Blossom this year. Late last year teams loaded up the defensive front and dared new Orleans to go deep knowing there was t enough Speed to . But Brett Perriman of Miami the no. 2 draft Choice could change that. The heart of the defense is the linebacker corps of four time pro Bowler Rickey Jackson Vaughan John son Sam Mills and Pat Swilling. Bit schizophrenic. Cox and Anderson Are expected to help Ai wide receiver. Charles White who blossomed at 29 when Eric Dick Erson was traded epitomizes the grind it out preference of coach John Robinson. Although White led the league in Rushing last year with 1,374 Yards Green the first pick is expected to at least share the duty. But Robinson wants balance. John has said to the staff hey we Don t want to be first in Rushing and first in defense " says Ernie Zam pese the offensive coordinator. But let s be third. Fourth fifth sixth seventh or whatever in  the defense on the other hand seems to be eroding a bit and the pass Rush has never been anything special. Outside linebacker Mike Wilcher is the most effective player there. Cornerback Leroy in in who like Dickerson had demanded to be traded last season but wound up benched could help. Irvin signed a new contract Over the summer and seems Happy now. Atlanta Falcons last year 3-12 1-2 strike strengths offensive line. Linebackers. Weaknesses Quarter Back general Talent level secondary. Key players of Chris Miller re Gerald Riggs. Of Bill Fralic of Mike Kenn new or emerging play ers lbs aundray Bruce and Marcus Cotton first two draft picks. Third year la Tim Green. Prediction last los Angeles rams the rams should be helped immediately by the five picks they got in the the first two rounds for Eric Dickerson. The rams drafted for Speed running Back Gaston Green and wide receivers Aaron Cox and Willie Anderson specifically. At Best they re an explosive mix that can bring Jim Everett to maturity in his third year at quarterback at worst they make the offence a second Best in the nil has with the Ranis and last year 6-9 2-1 strike. Strengths offensive line running Back. Weaknesses age on de sense pass Rush. Key players a a Jim Everett la Mike Wilcher and Jim Collins of Tom Newberry re Charles White. New of emerging play ers re Gaston Green was Aaron Cox and Willie Ander son do Anthony Newman la Fred Strickland All taken in first two rounds of draft. The Pete Holohan acquired in Trade with san Diego. Prediction third in a re building year. If All the rookies develop quickly an outside shot at playoffs but unlikely. The Atlanta Falcons 3 12 last year Don t look much better. Coach Marion Camp Bell is moving from the i Back offence to a two Back set where second year Man Kenny Flowers will join mainstay Gerald Riggs. Riggs led the team with 875 Yards in 12 games last year giving him 5,407 Yards in the last four seasons to the 6,448 Yards Dickerson Colts. Atlanta has finished in the division cellar four of the last five years. We be got a lot to accomplish coming off last sea son but it s the same As coming off the last four or five seasons Riggs says. Chris Miller last year s no. 1 draft pick will be the quarterback. He saw action in Only three games after signing on oct. 30. The youth movement carries Over onto defense where Auburn s aundray Bruce the top pick in the draft and second round Choice Marcus Cotton of Southern California will Man the outside linebacker spots. Tomorrow acc East