European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday january 8,1989 the stars and stripes Page 21 bears and 49ers they be been there before Fly Dave Goldber Chicago a Call the pfc title game the game for the championship of the half decade at the upstart Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Beng als meet for the Chance to represent the acc in theban. 22 super bowl consider the cast when the Chi Cago bears and san Francisco 49ers tangle at so Dierfield sunday an television and radio 10 . Get two High profile coaches radically different in style but markedly similar in Success Cool intellectual Bill Walsh of the 49ers is. Volatile emotional Mik Ditka of the bears. Ditka the victim of a mid season heart attack Walsh considering stepping Down after decade running the 49ers. Two High profile quarterbacks Joe Montana who won a super bowl in Early and mid career and is now seeking his third at 32 is. Jim Mcmahon who Quarter backed the bears to the 1986 championship. Mcmahon who publicly lobbied to Start at Quarter Back in the pfc championship game was Given the starting Job Friday by Mcmahon will Start at quarterback Ditka said ending a week of suspense by naming him to Start Over ailing Mike Tomczak who started against Phila Delphia last week. He s the Healthiest Ditka said. Idon t know if Mike can take the the interesting matchup Don t end at nil s offensive player of the year san Francis co running Back Roger Craig is. The defensive player Mike Singletary. Yet the offensive minded 49ers, Fea Turing Montana Jerry Rice and Craig were third inthe nil on defense one spot behind the bears who have been known for their if the game in t for the right to be called the team of the 80s," talk to the people in washing ton about that Ditka says it certainly matches the most successful franchises of the past five in 1984 and excluding the three replace ment games played during last season s strike Chi Cago has the Best 5-year regular season record in the nil a 60-16 regular season somewhat inflated by a29-1 record against Detroit Tampa Bay and Green Bay three pfc Central rivals consistently among thenal s patsies. San Francisco is 55-20-1, followed by Denver 51-24-1, the new York giants 49-27 and the people in Washington at 48-28, 7-9 this year after winning Las season s super bowl. The redskins also went to the super bowl twice in the first half of the decade win Ning after the 1982 season and losing after 1983. Yet the bears and 49ers arrive Here each after going without a playoff win since their super bowl victories pfc championship bears quarterback Jim Mcmaho lobbied for starting Job the bears losing two straight to the redskins before last week s fog shrouded 20-12 win Over Philadelphia the 49ers losing twice to the giants and once to the Vikings before their 34-9 revenge win Over Minnesota last sunday. Each team has some elements in its favor i Chicago s Case elements being the key word. The bears who lost at san Francisco 23-0 in the1984 title game Are slightly favored because they re Home and the Home team has won the last eight of title games. San Francisco on the other hand is 0-4 in Road playoff games since beating the Vikings 17-14 in1970, when the oldest 49ers were just starting High school and the youngest not yet in kindergarten. Moreover the game is Likely to be played in Bea weather temperatures in the 20s although the fog that obscured the second half of last week s win Over Philadelphia is unlikely to recur. There is also the new chemistry on a team that went12-4 despite losing Walter Payton and Gary Fencik to retirement Wilber Marshall to Washington As a free agent and a flock of players to injury including two Impact defenders linebacker Otis Wilson and end Richard Dent. In fact the 13 Chicago starters missed two games or More and 14 rookies or first year players Are on the roster for sunday s injury the inevitable one to Mcmahon led to the quarterback controversy. It occurred to his left knee on oct. 30 against new England and gave the Job to Tomczak who in turn separated his left Shuler month later but was Back for last week s game with the reinsured the shoulder last saturday but had recovered sufficiently to play sunday to the dismay of some teammates and Chicago fans who voted nearly 2-1 in a Telephone poll for Mcmahon theman who Quarter backed the bears to their first super Friday Ditka seemed to be leaning toward you suppose the Only reason we Ever won a game against the 49ers was because of the quarterback think you d be wrong. This game will not be won be cause of the quarterback said is a lot different team than we be had the last few years he says. Not that it s a better team just different team. There s a lot of emotion. I probably feel closer to this football team than any other club i Veever had. Maybe it s the mixture. Maybe it s what we be been there s Little question that the 49ers Are the More solid come off an impressive thumping of a Minne Sota team that accounted for two of Chicago s four losses this season and knocked san Francisco from the playoffs last season when the 49ers were 13-2. The also were 6-2 on the Road this year after having an nil record 11-game Road winning Streak snapped 10-9 at Soldier Field oct. 24. In a lot of ways you re a Little better off on the Road because you concentrate More on the game Walsh says. Maybe there was a Day and age when Guys went on the Road and there was a wild party or whatever. But now you get More football in and More concentration than at the 49ers have recovered from a 6-5 Start that included the loss to the bears at Soldier Field to win five of their last six the Only loss a 38-16 thrashing bythe los Angeles rams after they had clinched the pfc West. It put the rams in the playoffs and knocked the giants out and led new York quarterback Phil Simms to say of the 49ers they Lay Down like dogs that will be at Soldier Field now Are More see pfc on Page 23 is Bengas Awa f run through fhe Jungle by Barry Wilner Cincinnati a John Fogerty a noted base Ball fan As Well As a Rock music superstar certainly was t thinking about rampaging Bills and bengals when he wrote run through the Fogerty has limited his sports music association to the 1986 All week however Fogerty s piercing guitar work on credence Dearwater revival s Early 1970s hit has been heard throughout Cincinnati. Of sunday when the bengals play the visiting Buffalo Bills for the acc championship riverfront stadium better known in these parts As the Jungle will be rocking to Fogerty s tune. An television and radio 6 30 . Get its a very emotional setting Anthony Munoz Cincinnati s All pro tackle said. The fans Are pumped up the whole place is going crazy and that Hasto carry Over to the bengals Are 9-0 at Home this season. Only the ills could match that Home record but they have to go on safari ii the last step toward the super bowl. You still have to play the game Munoz was a lot of talk about wanting to play them at Home. When we beat Washington and they lost to the Colts it meant we would play them Here if we both got by the first round. Here we Munoz win t be hard to find. Not that Bruce Smith Fred Smerlis Shane Conlan and Cornelius Bennett will be looking for him. Acc championship they have everything on defense said Munoz twice named the nil s outstanding offensive lineman in his nine year career. Excellent athletes that you have to be at the top of your game to Stop. Take Smith for instance. He has Speed strength he s smart. You have to think about what you re doing when we re running the Ball about cutting him off getting enough Speed up not leaning too far. He can take advantage of even the slight slip up. Then you have Bennett Munoz says of Buffalo Sother All pro defender. He s just As dangerous All Over the Field. Anytime you have two athletes like that to Stop you be got a Munoz in t exactly vulnerable though. When Cincinnati beat Buffalo 35-21 in the 13th week of the season he held his own against the acc s top Ranke defense. I would t say i got the Best of Smith but we won the game Munoz said of their personal matchup. You have to look at the Overall scheme and we did More of what we set out to do than they did. I Don t think you can dominate a Guy like that of that Caliper. I Haven t watched a film where anybody dominated Smith who had 11 sacks during the season and also blocked a Field goal in last week s 17-10 Victory Over Houston does t Lack respect for Munoz. Or Confidence in himself. You know you re in for a Battle any time you go up against Anthony Munoz and the Cincinnati bengals Smith said. They have a big Strong line and Munoz Isth Best. I do feel that i m the Best. But i recognize that still can get even better. I Don t really care How Good i feel i am or people say i am i want to get better. You have to think that although the bengals and Bills have big play capabilities on offence Cincinnati has the top rated attack in the nil Trench warfare most Likely will deter mine this game. If the Bills defense i which apparently will include Conlan who missed three of the Las four games with a severely sprained Arch but says he is ready can negate the bengals Strong running Gam and pressure quarterback Boomer Esiason the Bills just might rampage through the Jungle. But if Munoz pro bowl guard Max Montoya and their buddies on the blocking unit stand firm Cincinnati s perfect record at Home does t figure to get blemished. In their last meeting the bengals kept tight end Rodney Holman out of their pass patterns to concen trate on blocking Bennett. Still Bennett had 10 tackle Sand one sack. I Don t think we played our Best game Bennett said of the nov. 27 meeting that came after the Bills had clinched the acc East. I Don t think we showed what kind of a team we really Are they got up on us Early and we had to come now they have to come Back to the Jungle. As Joh Fogerty Sang Don t look
