European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 Iff playoffs the stars and stripes saturday december 24,1988 irascible bears emerge As class of pfc s final 5 Byrt Ostellino Baltimore Sun writer when Chicago Rookie Lemuel skins Oran Inlo Minnesota punter Bucky Scribn or monday night bears coach Mik Ditka grabbed him by the Shirl and chewed him out As he came Oft the Field. In much for the new Mellow Mik Ditka. Despite in bears 28-27 loss to Minnesota. Dit la said after the game i Don l think Well play them again Bill if we do. Well beat them. You can quote mi1 on Hal ,1ml put it up in their  so much for the new Mellow Mik Ditka. After the game Dilka Alio said inc officials were gutless. Ditka snapped i think they were intimidated by inc fan sup there.". So much for the new Mellow Mike Ilka forget Hal the bears lost we of inc Illast three games. They re growling again and headmaster Ditka who. Was sup posed in be Calm after suffering a heart attack is leading the Way. With the National football league playoffs set to Start saturday he bears have to be the team to Cal. The nation Al football conference has been inc Home of inc last four super bowl win ners and lie bears have a Good shot ill being the pfc representative in the super bowl next month. The bears thrive on turmoil and in recent Days Jim Mcmanon and Dan Hampton were publicly sniping at each other and Mcmahon even knocked Trainer Fred Casio. The most important dec Louzeni forthe bears thou a. Is that they be discovered they can win without the Brittle Mcmahon Mike Tymczak seems to have matured into a winning quarterback. Although he threw on errant pass late in the game that Walker Lee Ash lev intercepted and ran Back 94 Yards Tor a touchdown monday night Tomczak played Well Afler a slow Start and will Start in the playoffs. Another Hinc the bears have going for. Them is that if Minnesota beats the Losangeles rams monday in the wild card game inc bears will Host Philadelphia on dec. 31 in 1hdr first round game. The last twp years the bears were upset by Washington in their first round Gume a clash Between Ditka s bears and buddy Ryan s eagles would be the most hyped game of inc playoffs it could become the buddy bowl. It was no Sec Rel that when Ryan was Dit to s assistant in Chicago they loathed each other. ,. Ryan said this week Hal if inc eagles play in Chicago it la be a Home Field advantage he meant for him nol the  Ryan in t concerned that this will be the eagles first appearance under him in the playoffs. This learn is kind of cocky Ryan said. When we go into a town we go in with our horns blowing and Lei everyone know we re there. I la put in this Way think there s a lot of people who Don t a Anglo play  the bears thrive on that kind of Chal Lenge and they have a better team than the eagles. The bears main Challenge in the pfc will be san Francisco. The teams Are Likely to meet in the pfc title game. The 49ers had won four straight until they were routed by the rams 38-13, inthe season finale. As coach Bill Walsh praised the rams after the game he joked i sound like Michael Dukakis Don t 1." the 49crs like to think the loss May be a Good Omen. Last year they went into the playoffs with a 13-2 record and were stunned by Minnesota in their first game. We looked great last year going into the playoffs Ana we did t do it Wake said. This year we did t look goo going in and who knows maybe we can play a great  wide receiver Jerry Rice echoed that theme. Maybe it was the Busl thing whatever happened. Now Cvar body la realize we can t talk the game we be got to go out and play it Rice said. Minnesota comes in on a strange note. The Vikings beat Chicago in heir last game but almost blew a 21-0 Lead. Coach Jerry bums yanked his pro bowl quarterback Wade Wilson for Tommy Kra Mer. Hums was t Happy that inc game was tolerated almost As if in were a loss in Minnesota. Did we win in bums said. "1 was All excited until 1 read my morning paper. I thought i was Reading inc obit  Burns also said there was no Quarter Back controversy he said Wilson is his quarterback. But he raised some double by yanking him the rams the final team to make the pfc playoffs Are probably in this year s Derby for experience. They re still re building the team with All the draft picks they got in the Eric Dickerson  re a year onto away. They d also have to win a cold weather game As a wild card learn to make the super bowl and hat s difficult for a Southern California Leam. When hey made their Only super bowl appearance in 1979, they won playoff games in dal Las and Tampa Bay. This year they la go to Chicago if hey upset the Vikings Inich wild card game. The rams Best Hope in the future is to gel the Home Field advantage a rundown on the five pfc playoff learns  offence ranked no. Ii defense tanked no  the bears defense has lost Wilber Marshall Otis Wilson Richard Deal and Gary Fencik through free Agency injury and retirement but it is As intimidating As Ever. ,." ii is tops in the league against the Rush and no. 9 against the pass. On offence the gears arc Good enough. Running Back heal Anderson has stepped in to fill the Large shoes of Waller Payton and made the pro bowl. Mike Tomczak has stepped into inc quarterback Job Over Jim Mcmahon and Wilt keep  he s Hurt san Francisco offence no.1 defense no 3. The 49crs arc the besi balanced team in the league the Only learn in the top less than Nellow Farmer cardiac patient Mike Ditka airs his views la referee Gene Lurth. Three in both offence and defense. They were Only 6-5 when they played Washington in a monday night game Las month. They beat inc redskins to Start a four game winning Streak that carried them into the playoffs. Joe Montana is Back in charge of inc offence after coach Bill Walsh yanked him a few times Early in inc season for Steve Young. He s the Only quarterback in the playoffs who s already won two super bowls and could become the Only one besides Terry Bradshaw to win More than two. ,. He s backed by Roger Craig one of the game s most versatile backs. On de sense the 49crs have three pro bowlers in nose tackle Michael Carter Lineback Rcharles Haley and safely Ronnie lot. The big question about the 49crs is Theirdo Myrback situation. Three comebacks Eric Wright. Don Griffin and tory Nixon Are ailing and free agent Darryl Pollard was burned by the rams. The 49ers could be vulnerable at inc position. Minnesota offence no. 7 defense no. I.1 the Vikings arc a mystery team. A times they look like inc Best learn in the league. Bui then they Jose twice during he season 10 Green Bay. They re also coming into the playoffs with a quarterback controversy after coach Jerry bums pulled Wade Wilson in the second half of the Chicago Gam for Tommy Kramer. Wilson will Start the playoffs bul he is. Likely to be looking Over his shoulder. Trie Vikings also have to worry about Jesse Solomon s sprained knee. The Vikings have nine pro bowlers and Hewan t one of them but he s the most versatile linebacker and a key to their defense. The Vikings Are now a dome team. They not Only have the Burden of trying to make the super bowl As a wild card learn but they also have the Burden of trying to make it As a dome team. No dome team has yet to do it. The Odds Are against the Vikings. Philadelphia offence no 10 defense no. 27, the eagles get no respect. They re a one Man learn Randall Cunningham on offence and i hair defense is ranked next 10 last. In the league despite buddy Ryan s reputation for being a defensive Genius. The eagles also lost to Washington Wick. Yet they re still a division Champi on although that was something of a Fluke. They beat out the giants Tor he title when the giants blocked a Field goal attempt and the eagles ran in in for the winning touchdown. The eagles arc Only 17th running inc Ball and their Quarter Back is their lending rusher. Cunningham has run for 624 Yards. He s so much of their offence that when he has an off Day they re in trouble. Their defense is a respectable sixth against the run but it is Lasi against the pass because Ryan plays that reckless get the quarterback defense which is vulnerable to he deep pass when it does t get to the quarterback. The eagles Don t figure to go far in the playoffs. Los Angeles rams. Offence no.3defense no.9. The rums arc fort Unale Hal Minnesota has a domed stadium. If they had to play outside in Minnesota in december they d have no shot in he wild car game. The rams have lost three outdoor playoff games in Minnesota. But even i they survive the wild card game hey Don t figure to make it to the super bowl because they d have to go to Chicago if they beat the Vikings. The rams had a strange season. They had a 7-2 Sun following by a four game losing Streak. They then won their. Last three to  playoffs. When Young quarterback Jim Everett has a hoi name they have a dangerous offence. His favor Ite target is Henry Ellard who led  this year with 86 catches. Their de sense has just one to Bowler safety Jerry Gray but uses some innovative schemes o get to the quarterback. But the rams arc he longest shot in the play oilfield. Predictions wild card Gume v ill rigs Over Ranis. Divisional games bears Over eagles 49ers Over Vikings. Pfc title game bears Over 49ers