European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 23. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 National football league Browns Call on oilers in key saturday game by the associated press the Houston oilers bring the Cleveland Browns into their House of pain saturday to Settle the acc Central division and try to erase the pain of a 54-Point loss a week ago an television 2 . Sunday get. The Winner is the division Champion. The loser needs help to get a wild card berth. Cleveland got into a title game showdown by beat ing Minnesota 23-17 in overtime sunday while Cincinnati was thrashing Houston 61-7. F. People ask me what 1 do to get them Back oilers coach Jerry Glanville said. Maybe it goes Back to remembering what it was like when i first came  this team lost 10 in a Row and they d lose eight in a Row and i think we Don t wan to be part of that  the game is one of three on saturday that will affect the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills will be trying to wrap up the acc East when they meet the new York jets and Seattle tries to keep alive its slim Hopes against the Washington redskins. In sunday s games it will be Detroit at Atlanta Green Bay at Dallas Indianapolis at new Orleans Kansas City at Miami the los Angeles raiders at new York giants the los Angeles rams at new England Phoenix at Philadelphia Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay Chicago at san Francisco and Denver at san Diego. Monday night s regular season finale has Cincinnati at Minnesota. Browns at oilers something about this team comes Back. Web ounce Back Glanville said. The oilers led by quarterback Warren Moon Haven t lost two straight games since 1987. Cleveland coach Bud Carson said he expects a very physical game and it wiil be won the Way most games Are won by the team with the fewest turnovers the team that can possess the  is 9-6. The Browns Are 8-6-1. If Houston loses the oilers need Only one loss fro among Buffalo Cincinnati or Indianapolis for a wild card berth. If Cleveland loses the Browns need Kansas City Indianapolis Cincinnati Pittsburgh and the raiders to All lose for a wild card. Bills at jets Buffalo Miami and Indianapolis currently arc tie Dat 8-7 atop the acc East but the Bills win All tie Breakers. So. If the Bills beat the jets they win the division. If they lose they can still win the division if the dolphins and Colls also lose. A wild card berth would be a Long shot for the Bills. They would need losses by Indianapolis. Cincinnati Pittsburgh the raiders Kansas City and Seattle to get into the playoffs if they Don t win the division. Indianapolis also is alive for a wild card but the Cleveland s Tony Blaylock left celebrates with Van waiters next to the Dawg Pound at Cleveland stadium sunday. The Browns visit the oilers saturday night in a game to decide the acc Central title. Dolphins arc not. The jets arc 4-11, but they will be at Home against Buffalo. We Haven t done that Well on the Road this year but there was a period of time this team went 22 Gameson the Road without winning Bills coach Marv Levy said. We be won several on the Road  redskins at sea Hawks even at 9-6, the redskins Are out of the pfc wild card Chase. At 7-8, the so Hawks Are still in the acc wild card picture but Only mathematically. Seattle would have to beat Washington and get losses by Indi Anapolis Buffalo. Cincinnati Pittsburgh the raiders and Kansas City for a wild card. We re mathematically alive but it s a slim  sea Hawks coach Chuck Knox said. Only two divisions were settled going into the final weekend of the season. San Francisco had clinched the enc West and the Home Field advantage throughout the playoffs. Denver has done the same in the acc  giants 11-4 were the Only other team that had clinched at least a wild card and they needed one More Victory Over the raiders to win the pfc East. If the eagles 10-5 beat Phoenix they Clinch at least wild card if they win and the giants lose they win the  and Green Bay b9th at 9-6 were tied for the pfc Central Lead. The Vikings must win the Divi Sion to make the playoffs while the packers had a wild card Chance. If both teams win their last games Minnesota wins the division  alive for an pfc wild card arc the rams 10 in the acc the bengals. St Clurs and raiders All at 8-7 still could win wild card berths and so could the chiefs at 7-7-1. Houston picked despite Cincy s rout by Dave Goldberg a football writer in the Wacky world of the acc this year there s nothing unusual about it. Lose 61-7 one week play the next As a 3 v Point favorite in the divisional championship game. The team in question is the Houston oilers who were run out of riverfront stadium sunday by a vengeful Sam Wychec their collective tails Between their collective wins. Saturday night they were to face Cleveland in the House of pain with the acc Central title to the Winner dubious playoff Hopes to the loser although the oilers would t be in terrible shape if they lose. They could still qualify for a wild card playoff berth if Cincinnati also loses. The Browns won the first game Between the teams this season 28-17, using a Bunch of gimmick plays to score 21 Points in the third Quarter. But that was at Cleveland and this is at Houston. The oilers Are 3-5 on the Road and 6-1 at Home. So 54-Point beating or not make it. Oilers 21-16. Los Angeles raiders plus 7 at new York giants the raiders May be dead by the time this game starts. In any Case the giants got additional incentive when the saints beat the eagles and put them in Posi predictions lion to win the pfc East. Giants 16-7. Buffalo minus 7vj at new York jets a few things to Ponder 1, the Bills Haven t been Able to get out of their own Way lately. 2, the jets unexpectedly knocked the giants out of the playoffs in week 16 last year. 3, this is probably Joe Walton s last game. 4, the jets arc the jets. Bills 20-7. Phoenix plus 12 at Philadelphia a week too late. Eagles 24-6. Green Bay minus 7 at Dallas the packers will have a Little trouble. But they la survive. Packers 31-20. Indianapolis plus 2 at new Orleans spoil once spoil again. Saints 24-17. Kansas City plus 3 / at Miami who knows who will have the incentive. But the dolphins probably will have More. Dolphins 22-15. Cincinnati plus 6 at Minnesota a Tough game to figure. Both teams May have incentive neither team May have incentive. But it s hard to see Green Flay losing so give it to the. Vikings 20-10. Detroit minus 3 at Atlanta when was the last time the Lions were a Road favor Ite give it to the coming Power. Lions 27-20. Chicago minus 9vi at san Francisco who thought the nil s Premier final week game would come to this Joe Montana or no Joe. 49ers, 27-9. Other games Home team in Caps Washington plus 1 i 27, Seattle 24. Rams minus 7 17, new England 13. Pittsburgh minus 2 w14, Tampa Bay 10. San Diego plus 2 i 20, Denver 17. Last week 7-7 spread 10-4 straight up. Season 93-113-4 spread 135-74-1 straight up