European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and stripes tuesday november 22,1988 nil Roundup Falcons thwart raiders 12-6 los Angeles a Rookie linebacker aun Dray Bruce has made the adjustment from College to inc nil and opponents of the Atlanta Falcons repaying an expensive Price. Bruce played what he called his Best game since turning pro sunday As the Falcons beat los Angeii 12-6, preventing the raiders from taking sole posses Sion of first place in inc acc West. John so tic s Yard ouch Down run with 4 07 remaining broke a  tie and snapped the raiders three game winning Streak. The Falcons needed to move Only 12 Yards in four plays for the Only touchdown of the game the first allowed by inc raiders since the second Quarter against Kansas City on oct. 30. The Falcons got the Ball at the los Angeles 12when Bruce the first selection in last Spring s nil draft sacked to Angeles quarterback Sieve Beur Icin and forced him to Fumble then made the acc of cry. The play originated Ai the raiders 40-Yard line. I noticed he raiders tackle Rory Graves was bailing out  Bruce said. I darted out an gave him an inside Jab. He went for it. I went Back outside the quarterback was there and i made some thing positive  the sack was the second of the game Tor Bruce who also intercepted a pass and otherwise plagued the raiders All Day. Aundray Bruce looked excellent today Atlan Acoach Marion Campbell said. He is progressing and feeling better about himself and How he fits in. He is going to be something  the Falcon entered the game ranked 2tlh in thenal in defense but they be limited their last three opponent to just 16 Points. In the first 11 games Atlanta had t kept a learn under 100 Yards Rushing but the Falcons limited the raiders to Only 65 Yard son the ground. Atlanta s Greg Davis was wide led on the conver Sion after Settle s touchdown. After Tim Brown s 33-Yard Rickolt return the raiders could gain Only three Yards on four plays turning the bal Over on Downs at their 45-Yard Lin with 2 33 remaining. The Falcons then ran out at but the final 14 seconds of the game thanks in part to the fact that los Angeles had no timeouts left Buerlein threw two  from the raid ers 11-Yard line before time ran Oul. The raiders fell to  and arc tied for first place in the acc West with Seattle and Denver. The win was the third in the last four games for the Falcons .Bcucrlcin completed 11 of 31 passes for 182 Yards with one interception and was sacked three limes. His receivers dropped several Cal Chable passes. The Falcons took a  Lead on Davis 46-Yardheld goal in the second Quarter and 41-Yarderm the third. The raiders Chris Bahr tied it with a 42-Yardfield goal in the third Quarter and a 31 yarder with 12 49 left in the game. Settle led All rushers with 76 Yards on 19  quarterback Chris Miller completed 18 of 29 passes for 165 Yards with no interceptions. He was sacked twice. The contest figured to be a Low scoring since at Lanta had outscored its last two opponents 27-10 and los Angeles had scored Only 22 paints in its last two games while allowing six. The game was played before a crowd of 40,967 atthe los Angeles coliseum. Bruce responds to Jackson s Challenge by Steve Springer los Angeles time los Angeles when Aundra Bruce heard the rapping at his los an Geles hotel room saturday night he never dreamed it was Opportunity knocking. But As it Lumc Oul it was inc Opportunity he had been wailing for to show thai he deserved to be the no. Pick in the 1988 National football league draft that his slow Start for the Atlanta fal cons this season had More to do with technique than Talent thathy could be an Impact player As advertised. When Bruc opened the door. Bruce he broke into a big smile standing there was to Jackson his former team mate and close Friend Ai Auburn. They would meet in about 12 hour son the los Angeles coliseum floor in inc Falcon los Angeles raiders game bul first Jackson had come by to drop off a Challenge this game would serve As the test Jackson told Bruce to determine who was inc Best player to come out of Auburn. Jackson might As Well have slapped Bruce across the face with a  Duel was on. Of course had to accept the Challenge Bruce said. It was a per Sonal thing among the Auburn  could t go Home knowing he had beat me bul 1 beat him. I beat him to  not to mention the rest of the raid ers. In a 12-6 Falcon Victory a game dominated by the defences Bruce was the most dominant fall. In the second Quarter. Raider coach Mike Shanahan tried to throw the Falcons off balance with a pass off a double reverse. The play went quarterback  of Jackson to James Lofton and Back id Beuerlein who fire downfield for Jackson. But also awaiting the Ball was the other half of the Auburn  beat Jackson to the Ball and wound up with the game s Only interception. Bruce seemed to be everywhere sunday. On the raiders a Cal to last drive of the game Bruce utilized in pass coverage far More than in the past came Over to Knock Down a Ball in tended Tor Mervyn Fernandez. "1 think aundray is feeling better about himself and How he fits in Atlanta coach Marion Campbell said. He is going to be something special. No question Nice s Progress has been slow. He has six sacks this sea son including the two sunday. His intercept Ion was his first. The Way i be been playing Here has been eating at me since the opener Bruce said. I could t tet myself get Down Buti was t performing like i wanted to. The hardest thing has been the mental part knowing what to do. All i did stauburn was Tine up on the open Side an play. Here 1 have not had thai luxury i be had to accept lining up Over the Light end and taking on More Block ers. But with linebacker Marcus Cotton Hurt 1 get inc open Side Andi can leave that Light end  nobody is quite ready to Call Brunei he Best player to come out of a Burn bul Jackson May think twice be fore issuing another Challenge. Actually Bruce started the War of words saying earlier in the week thai he never got to hit Jackson at aubur because Jackson never showed up for practice. Bui beneath All the talk the athletes Are United by another Bond. Do has a speech problem just like Ido said Bruce who As a child used to hide in his House in Montgomery,ala., because of a stuttering problem. But i m getting belter. At Auburn it would Lake me three hours to finish one  in three hours time sunday he finished off the raiders. Bengals hold off stubborn cowboys 31-28a. -. Irving. Texas a the Cincin Naii bengals made sure one of inc of cellar dwellers did t upset them this week. -.-. "  ,. Taking a Cue from their 31-28 loss Las week to lowly Kansas City inc aroused bengals built a 24-3 Lead Over inc Dallas cowboys on sunday and rolled to a 38 24 Victory to stay atop the acc Central division. It was Dallas eighth consecutive loss in is worst season since 1960. Boomer Esiason threw three touch Down passes and James Brooks ran 51yards for a score As the bengals Deci mated inc Dallas defense. Brooks said the bengals weren t going to blow another Lead after Kansas Cit overcame a inc poem Cincinnati Edge in the last four minutes. Last week was our fault and to Tooka lot of heal from the coaches Brooks said a Uherc was no doubt we were read when we came off the plane. There was no Way that was going to happen  Esiason said the Bengal Are unstoppable on offence. We feel our offence Isth Best in the league. We can score Points on anybody. Last week was a Flat game Cincinnati coach Sam Wyche said hews pleased the Way inc bengals bounced Back. Last week we weren t ready Wych said this week inc practices were in tense and we came out  the Victory sets up a showdown with acc East Leader Buffalo. We re , and we re ready for the big game with Buffalo Wyche said. We have three of our next four games at Home and we re ready to go. Buffalo will be favored but i think it will be a Heck  v. Dallas coach Tom Landry said the bengals were inc Best team he had seen ii scar.  j we us had difficulty handling the \ bengals offence Landry said. Irs the Best in the nil no doubt about it. We made it a liitle interesting in the second half but it was just a matter of getting whipped by a Good team in the first hair. He said the bengals no huddle offence Hurt. ,. .-., it s a Good weapon Landry said a Kepi us off balance. We had Loo Many people on the Field there a couple of times. It discouraged us from substituting. There s no Rule against the no Hud die and they do a Good Job with  the acc Central division leading bengals increased their record to  while Dallas dropped to 2-10. Brooks who leads the nil in Rushing average Wilh 5.3 Yards per carry ran 16 times for 148 Yards. He also caught a 13-Yard scoring pass from Esiason in the third period \. Esiason flipped scoring passes of 20 and a Yards to tight end Rodney hoi.    scored its second touch Down after Dallas was caught with 12 players on the Field on a Lhird-and-2from the Dallas 2s. The bengals would have had to Settle for a Field goal attempt on Esiason s incompletion. Instead Esiason hit Horhan with a 20-Yard touchdown pass on the bengals second attempt. On another occasion Dallas had 14 players on defense. Cincinnati rolled up a 24-3 half me Lead Over the Kevin Sweeney led cow boys who could manage Only Roger Ruzek s 44-Yard Field . A Steve Pelltier replaced Sweeney in the second half and threw two touchdown passes late in the fourth period Herschel Walker scored on an 11-Yard run for the cowboys and gained 131 Yards on 26 carries a  game was played before a crowd of 37,865 fans second worst for. The. Cowboys in Texas stadium history. The lowest crowd was 36,788 last december against is. Louis. Of Sweeney making his second Start of the season for the cowboys was ineffective Hilling Only four of 13 passes for 32yards and suffering an interception just before halftime that the bengals cashed info a touchdown