European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 04, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 4,1990 the stars and stripes Page 17 sport sup packers coach Lindy Infante left with pro bowlers Don Majkowski Sterling Sharp and Tim Harris beat the 49crs and bean mice and finished 10-6. Infante is nil coach of the year by John Solomon Green Bay wis. A he watched calmly from the sidelines As his team struggled to become a contender enduring four i Point wins two agonizing instant replay reviews and countless comebacks. And when his Green Bay packers had done All the could finishing 10-6 Tor their Best record since 1975 he watched on to As Minnesota beat Cincinnati 29-21 to oust his team from the playoffs in the final minutes of the regular season. But through it All Lindy Infante was the same Calm methodical confident and team oriented. The same was True Wheir he was named wednesday As the nil coach of the year by the associated press i think it s an Honor for everybody Here and i certainly honoured to be voted to that position but i think it should reflect what everybody did Here and not one individual Infante said tuesday afternoon upon returning to Green Bay after vacationing in Mexico and Florida. In balloting by a National Media panel Infante received 23 votes edging out Denver s Dan Reeves who finished with 7 i votes and san Francisco s George Szefc Atwith 16. Also receiving Voles were Bill Parcells of the new York giants 5art Shell of he los Angeles raiders 4. Kansas City s Marly  31.1 and Pittsburgh s Chuck Noll i the 49-year-old Infante came to Green Bay in i98xfrom Cleveland where he served As offensive coordinator but the packers finished 4-12 that year failing to grasp his Complex passing offensive. In the off season the packers studied Infante s gamelan acquired several plan b free agent veterans and signed rookies Tony Mandarich Chris Jacke and Jeff query to bolster their Rosier. And guided by three pro bowl selections Quarter Back Don Majkowski. Receiver Sterling Sharp and linebacker Tim Harris the packers beat Arch Mal Chicago twice upset the 49crs in san Francisco and posted an nil record of four a Point wins before All ing just one Victory Short of their first playoff berth in seven years. The packers Eric clan Nalcy from the playoffs when Minnesota Beal Cincinnati last monday. Although Thev Kincs and packers were both 10-6. Minnesota won the Nic Central with a belter division record. Well it was a lot belter than the year before when we. Were Way out of it going into the last few  Infante said. At least this year we were competitive with the exception of maybe two football  but the Road was t easy. Ten of their games were settled by a total of 21 Points. The packers rallied from 24-7 10 upend new or leans 35-34. But needed an inconclusive replay review to affirm Jeff query s game winning touchdown catch in the first game against Chicago the packers beat he bears 14-13 after a replay official overruled a Lin judge who had said Majkowski was Over the line of scrimmage when he threw a last second touchdown pass. And then there was the last second 50-Yard Fiel goal that sunk Tampa Hay 17-16 and an overtime Field goal that upended Detroit 23-20. Strangely enough. Infante did t mind All the heart slopping wins. And the fans in Green Bay starved in 20 years of futility were hungry for each and every Victory. As a football coach. Full Lake 16 one Point wins it they were All in the last second of the game i you knew you were going to win them Infante said. It s a Little hard on the heart sometimes and it s a Little hard on the nerves going Down to the wire like we did so Man limes bul. You take everyone one of them just like  Infante became the third packers coach to be name Dap s coach of the sear since the award was created in see Infante on Page 19 Montana named nil s map Joe Montana. Runaway Winner san fran soap Joe Mon Tana who raised his career to new Heights in 1989 with the Best All around passing year in league history added an other Honor tuesday when he was named nil most valuable player by the associated press. Three years after undergoing major Back surgery and a year after his starting Job was put up for grabs by Bill Walsh. Montana at age 33, guided the san Francisco 49crs to four fourth Quarter comeback wins and the league s Best record 14-2. He had a sixth season of 3,000-plus passing Yards lying Dan fouls league record and at one Point threw 150 passes without an interception. Montana completing a near record 70.2 percent of his passes for 26 touch Downs and a career Low eight interceptions also was an easy Winner of the a s offensive player of the year award. In balloting by a National Media pane. Montana received 62 votes for map. Green Bay quarterback Don Majkowski was a Distant second with six. The Only other vote getter was defensive tackle pc ill Millard of Minnesota Wilh 2. Montana the All Lime nil Leader in quarterback rating 94.0 and completion percentage 63.9 percents a two time super bowl map and was an Over whelming Choice this fall asap pro football player of the decade. Bul de spite six selections to the pro bowl five As the pfc starter and a previous of passing title in i9k7. He had never been the league map. It s a great  Montana said at the 49ers training ramp in Santa Clara where the team is preparing for sat urday s Home playoff game with Minne Sota. There were a lot of players around the league who had Good seasons and to be singled out is rewarding. These types of awards arc always unexpected. It s a personal award bul it is also a team award. This award also Means our team had a Good season which is the most important  the 49crs led the league in local of sense in 1987 and 1989 and were second last season. Despite missing three full games and half of three others due to rib Elbow and ankle injuries he was carried Oft the Field on a Stretcher against new England on oct. 22 Montana completed 271 of 386 passes for 3.521 Yards. His statistics produced a rating of 112.4 in the nil s com plex quarterback grading system sur passing the previous High of 110.4 by Milt Plum of the Cleveland Browns in 1960 his completion percentage was no. 3 All Lime behind Ken Anderson s 70.5 and Sammy Baugh s 70.3 Only three dropped passes in the 49ers finale against Chicago deprived him of that Mark. After completing eight of nine passes during the game winning. 92-Yard drive against Cincinnati in the super bowl last january he brought san Francisco from behind in the waning minutes four limes this fall by throwing for 10 touchdowns and running for two others in the final period a fifth game was tied until Mon Lana look charge in the late going. He threw four fourth Quarter to parcs to rally the 49crs from two i a Point deficits in Philadelphia on sept. 24, for 428 Yards passing in a 38-28 Victory. He topped thai on dec. 11 in an Aheim with scoring losses of 7 and 95 Yards to help overcome a 17-Poinl found quark or deficit for a 30-27 the rams