European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday August 30,1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 pro footbattr$8 color these Browns obsessed by Chuck Melvin the Cleveland Browns can compress their past two seasons into a few painful words. The drive. The Fum ble. Now it s the obsession. Stung by narrow losses to the Denver Broncos in each of the last two acc championship games the Browns must be forgiven for looking beyond Central division competitors Houston Pittsburgh and Cincin Nati. To get to the super bowl you have to beat Denver. The fact is that we Are a front runner this year says Browns owner Art Modell. That gives us a sense of Confidence. It s a Challenge that i d like to have rather than to be a Long shot and to Surprise  Cleveland Browns last year 10-5, 2-1 strike beat Indianapolis 38-21 in first playoff game lost acc title game to Denver 38-33. Strengths coach Marty sch Ottenheimer quarterback cornerback running backs. Weaknesses pass Rush kicking game safety. Key players a a Bernie Kosar re Kevin Mack ear nest byner cd Hanford Dixon Frank Minniefield the Ozzie Newsome of Cody Risien la Clay Matthews Frank John son. New and emerging faces top three draft picks la Clifford Charlton do Michael san Perry la Van wait ers Rookie defensive backs Thane Gash and Brian Washington. Second year la Mike Junkin and feb Tim Manoa. Prediction first. Super bowl contender. Behind 24-year-Oldbernie Kosar the Browns have won the acc Cen trial three straight years. Kosar is now trying to be come the first nil quarterback Ever to win Divi Sion championships in each of his first four sea sons. There certainly has been no Lack of motivation at the Browns train ing Camp. Running Back Earnest byner has been talking openly about his goal line Fumble that erased a remarkable second half comeback at Denver in the acc title game. The defense still remembers the 98-Yard drive engineered bythe Broncos John Elway to bring Denver Back in the closing seconds of the conference championship i Cleveland the previous year. The losses to Denver have made us anxious an determined Modell said. I be never seen an offset son group of players work As hard As they  Cleveland remains the favorite in the Central Divi Sion. The awkward but accurate Kosar has gotten better each season and running backs byner and Kevin Mack give the Browns offence balance. The offensive line anchored by two time pro Bow tackle Cody Risien is one of the acc s Best and the receiving corps is productive if not spectacular. The biggest change in the offence will be on the Side lines where coach Marty sch Ottenheimer will be Call ing the plays instead of offensive coordinator Lind Infante now head coach at Green Bay. Sch Ottenheimer a former linebacker plans no major changes. The offence is Good enough so that the Browns virtually ignored it in the draft taking defenders with seven of their 10 picks. Two linebackers top Choice Clifford Charlton an third Rounder Van waiters could both become important pass rushers while second round pick Michael Dean Perry of Clemson the fridges Little brother should get playing time on the Browns less than fear some defensive line. Cleveland also chose four defensive backs and therein talk that All pro cornerback Hanford Dixon May soon switch to safety. Dixon turns 30 this year. Houston oilers Houston s 9-6 recur last season one behind the Browns would be easy to dismiss because it included victories by strike teams at Denver an Cleveland. But the oilers first playoff appearance since 1980 resulted As much from a season end ing victories against Divi Sion rivals Pittsburgh an Cincinnati. The oilers have take their inspiration from Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll s complaint last de Cember that their defense thrives on the cheap shot. I think he s done a pothole said Houston coach last year 9-6 2-1 strike Beal Seattle 23-20 of in acc wild card game lost to Denver 34-10 in divisional playoff. Strengths offensive line running Back wide receiver secondary. Weaknesses linebacker coaching front office. Key players a a Warren Moon re Mike Rozier of Bruce Matthews and Mike Mun Chack s Keith Bostic or Ernest Givins. New and emerging faces de Sean Jones obtained in Trada with raiders re Lorenzo White no. 1 pick Sec Ond year re Alonzo Highsmith and or Haywood Jeffires. Prediction second. Prob Able wild card with Chance to overcome Cleveland. Acc Central preview i to help us crawl out of the Jerry Glanville. I think his Bernie Kosar s headed for his 4th straight division title. Comments gave us a Chance for a Young team that s struggling to have an identity. I thank him for helpings be a  Houston s fortunes rest heavily on the shoulders Ofarren Moon whose 21 touchdown passes a year ago were offset by 18 interceptions. I be got to let the offence do More of the controlling than having myself try to Force things and make things happen Moo said. The oilers run and shot offence features receivers Ernest Givins and Drew Hill. Houston could also have one of the deep est running attacks in the conference if Alonzo High Smith is fully recovered from two minor of season knee operations to complement Mike Rozier an first round draft pick of Lorenzo White. Warren Moo Houston s gambling defensive style should be helped by the addition of Veteran defensive end Sean Jones acquired in a Trade with the raiders in april. Contract holdouts in the secondary however could negate Jones effectiveness and Jones himself is wondering How Good he can be now that he s no longer playing alongside the likes of Howie Long. That s a question i m always asking myself. Was that successful because 1 had those Guys there or am i the Type of player i think i am Jones said. Pittsburgh Steeles last year 8 7 7-1 . Strengths i in vented secondary linebacker coach Chuck Noll weaknesses. Quarter Back pass Rush receiver depth running Back Speed tight end key players we Louis Lipps olb Mike morn weather holdout lib Bunn Emhe. New and Rel aging faces a a  i .ur.kledge. Obtained in Trade a sch yes third Yearb Hubby Buster de Aaron . No. 1 pick. Second year lbs. Hod Wood son Delton Hall. Tl., maa Ever Ett. Prediction thud or fourth in the division injuries and holdouts Are plaguing the Pitts Burgh Steeles defense while coach Chuck Noll continues his 5-year-old search for Terry Bradshaw s replacement at quarterback. The Steeles were 8-7 a year ago despite having the worst passing attack in the acc. Mark Malone has been traded to the chargers leaving third year pro Bubby Brister battling with newly acquired Todd Blackledge for the starting Job. Whoever wins should be aided by the return to health of receiver Louis Lipps who missed eight games last year with leg injuries. But the retirement of John Staliworth leaves Lipps As one of Only three Veteran in Civ ers in Camp. The Steeles running game is steady but unspectacular with such players As Earnest Jackson Frank Pollard and Walter Abercrombie. Abercrombie troubled by knee injury this summer could lose his Rosier spot to sixth round draft pick Warren Williams of Miami or Dwight Stone a free agent last year. On defense safety Donnie Shell has retired and Las year s team map Mike Merriweather is threatening to sit out the season unless Pittsburgh improves his salary or trades him to san Francisco. Defensive end Keith Willis the Steeles sack Leader three of the last five years is out for 1988 with a neck injury and first round pick Aaron Jones a defensive end from Eastern Kentucky has been sidelined by in jury much of the summer. Noll Hopes to overcome the adversity with the philos Ophy the Steeles have always followed. In football you win by being More physical than your opponent and we feel that in the last two years we have added some Young men who Are very physical an will help us be a More physical football team he said. Cincinnati bengals last year 4-11 ,3-9 strike strengths of Abe line. Wide receiver quarterback. Weaknesses defense. Coach front office. Key players of  Esiason was Oris Collinsworth. Eddie Brown of Anothony Muno it Tim Krumrie. New and emerging faces re Ickey Woods Sec Ond draft pick la Kevin Walker third round pick Young lbs Joe Kelly and Emanuel King s David Fulcher de Jason Buck. Feb Stanley Wilson Back from second drug rehab prediction first place Tal ent on offence but not on de sense. Probably third or fourth and then there s Cincinnati which fell to 4-11 last year when the running game collapsed Boomer Esiason had an off year at quarterback and the de sense was its usual Sieve like self. The potential is there for a rebound but coach Sam Wyche is still prone to gimmicks he has Dis carded the sideline huddle but he s now working on a spinner defense in which a defensive line Man rotates Back to line Backer. The first two times they did it in an exhibition game with Kansas City they surrendered two touchdowns. Wyche is in the final year of a five year contract which has fans in Cincinnati looking Forward to 1989. Wyche s Job was jeopardized by last year s fall after the bengals went 10-6 the previous year. The record was puzzling because Cincinnati ranked fifth on offence and eighth on defense among nil teams. Hard Luck which Many blamed on Wyche s Deci Sions led to four losses by a Field goal or less and three More by a touchdown or less. Misfortune has continued this summer with holdout including fullback Larry Kinnebrew and first round draft Choice Rickey Dixon. Kinnebrew s absence has been eased by an encouraging performance from second round pick icky Woods of Nevada Las vegas. The rest of the Cincinnati offence appears As Good sever with Esiason throwing Well and receiver Cris Collinsworth and running Back James Brooks returning from injuries. On defense the bengals Are trying a formation the Call the spinner which lets a fourth lineman usually defensive end Jason Buck Rove along the line of scrimmage and either Rush the passer or drop into coverage. Tomorrow acc West