European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 the stars and stripes saturday december 29,1990 National football league by Dave Goldberg a football writer a lot of things were different in the nil in 1990 a new commissioner a lot of new to Money debates Over locker room Access thought to be Long Over. But the san Francisco 49ers remain the same. As they began 1990 by becoming the first team in a decade to repeat As super Dow champions so the 49crs finished it As the favourites to become the first team to win three straight super bowls. The year started with another of those blowouts in what is supposed to be the nil s marquee game a a 55-10 rout of Denver by the 49crs, the third time in four years that the Broncos had put up Only Token opposition to an pfc team and the seventh straight Victory for the pfc Over the acc. For the 49ers, who got a record five touchdown passes from Joe Montana it was the fourth super bowl in the decade Matching the Pittsburgh St Clurs of the �?T70s. The first word out of Many of their Mouths was a three peat a something nobody has done. The super bowl seemed to carry Over for both participants. Denver never seemed to recover a a it stays in the Hack of your mind when you get beat like that a safety Dennis Smith said in training Camp a sustained numerous injuries and were eliminated Early after losing six straight and nine of 10 at mid season. Coach Dan Reeves and quarterback John Elway squabble leaving it a year to forget. The 49c is started 10-0, As did the new York giants the first time since 1934 that two teams had together begun so Well. Both lost in week 11 and then met in week 12, with the 49ers winning a classic defensive struggle 7-3 on a monday night at candles Iek  those 104 starts had another effect. The pfc division races were All Over with four weeks to go with the giants winning the last Chicago the Central and san Francisco the West. The giants and 49ers earned first week byes under the new 12-. Team playoff format in which the division Winner with the worst record must play a wild card team the first week. Philadelphia and Washington were two by Dave Goldem a football writer of the wild card teams with the third to be decided in the final week Between new Orleans and Dallas woos resurgence from 1-15 to 7-8 was one of the major developments. Coach Jimmy Johnson a combination of rookies and retreads played a last place schedule mixed in upsets Over the redskins and saints and seemed to be headed upward particularly with a Load of High draft picks from the trades of Herschel Walker to Minnesota arid Steve Walsh to new Orleans a a in be never been below .500 in anything a said Rookie running Back Limmitt Smith one of the main reasons for the resurgence. A we were brought Here for a reason. People came to winning teams like the rams and the raiders. We came to a 1-1.5 team. We be got to bring something a winning ways a winning  in the acc the Story was the resurgence of faded old Powers a the dolphins and raiders who Hadnot made the playoffs since 1985. The dolphins led Buffalo for most of the season before los into  in week 15.that gave Buffalo the acc last title and left Miami As a wild card. The raiders needed one More Victory to Clinch the Vest going into the final week with Kansas City ensured of a wild card and Cincinnati Houston and Pittsburgh All in Contention for the Central title Seattle has an outside playoff Possi. Ability. A /1 off the Field Tagliabue got off to an John Elway and his Broncos lost big in super bowl xxiv and continued trend this season. Up and Down Siart. Up was the television Money a a record sports contract of $3.64 billion Over four years upping the average per team from $17 million under the old contract to $32 million under the new one. Down was the comic used Lack of a labor agreement with the dormant players As location despite the Best efforts of tag liable. The Union preferred to wait for the outcome of a series of lawsuits that it was convinced would bring the free Agency it had sought and failed to get in its unsuccessful 1987 strike. Tagliabue also had problems he  anticipate. They began in september when Lisa Olson a reporter for the Boston Herald said she was sexually harassed by several members of the new England patriots although she could name Only one Light end Zeke Mowatt. That problem was compounded two weeks later when coach san Wyche of Cincinnati barred Denise Tom of Usa today from his locker room. Wyche who had his players talk to Tom outside the room was later fined by tag liable More than $27,000 a one seventeenth of his salary. A the i son affair dragged on for weeks while it was investigated by Philip hey Mann a former watergate prosecutor. Tagliabue eventually handed Down $72,500 in fines a $50,000 to the team $12,500 to Mowatt and $5,000 each to is Michael Timp Sori and Robert player Perry Perryman. On the brighter Side there were numerous new stars including such rookies As running Back Johnny Johnson of Phoenix and safety Mark Carrier of Chicago. In despite the a Fly a Best attempts adding another playoff team a we enter the final week with a minimum of confusion Over the playoffs. Most of it is in the acc Central where the critical game is Pittsburgh at Houston in most weeks this would be easy. Take Houston in the Astrodome. Munfor Lumuel for the oilers Jack Pardee chose to leave Warren Moon in the game with this team Down by 20 Points in the final minutes at Cincinnati. And Moon became the latest quarterback casualty fracturing his thumb. So we get Cody Carlson is. Dubby Ijuster. With some teams like the Bills and giants the drop off from first string to second string Isnit a disaster in a run and shoot offence like Houston a however tuning is everything. Match that with a Pittsburgh scud Narv that s one of the leagues Best and you get the St Clurs favored by l /2 Points. If they win they re the acc Central champions. The Good news for the oilers is that Pittsburgh a offence is sporadic at Best it Hasni to scored a touchdown in seven of its 15 games. Steele is 20-14. Kansas City minus 1 at Chicago saturday a in predictions cd native the chiefs can still win the acc West. Chicago is where it will finish a third seed in the pfc playing a wild card game in the first round go with incentive chiefs 14-10. Philadelphia minus 7 a at Phoenix saturday a incentive. The eagles need the game to ensure Home Field for their pfc wild card game. They also lost to Phoenix at Home earlier in the season. Eagles 27-21 Buffalo plus s a at Washington a How can Buffalo probably the a Fly a second Best team be nearly a touchdown underdog against a team that blew a game to the Colts last week incentive. Redskins 21-10. Dallas plus 3 at Atlanta a there s no More incentive than in this one. The cowboys win and they re in the playoffs with babe Laufenberg at quarterback though ,. Falcons 21-9. Rams plus 6 at new Orleans monday night a this one could depend on the outcome of Atlanta dal Las. If Pallas loses new Orleans needs this for the playoffs. Saints 20-10. A san Diego Phis 9 at raiders the raiders win this one and they win the acc West and get a Bye in the first round. The chargers Are so psyched they plan to Start Rookie John Fries on injured Reserve since sept. 4, at quarterback. Raiders 17-7. Indianapolis minus 7 at Miami a the dolphins need this to Clinch the Home Field for their wild card game the Colls can finish at ,500. Dolphins 24-20. Cleveland plus .16 at Cincinnati a the bengals need this game to have a shot at the playoffs. Cleveland would like to heat Cincinnati liking loses. Bengals 42-10. Detroit plus Jug at Seattle a Detroit is playing Well and finished Well last year Seattle has the incentive a playoff spot sea Hawks 22-20. An Francisco minus 3 at Minnesota a too iffy. Wilt Montana play does it matter stay away from this one. 49ers 20-16. Giants minus 14 at new England Bill Parcells says he w ants to win. Even if he said he wanted to lose his giants should have no trouble against the patriots. Giants 42-10. Green Bay plus 7 at Denver a Blair Kiel or Anthony Dilweg is. John Elway enough said. Broncos 42 jets plus 3la at Tampa Bay a not much at stake Here except that each team would like to end a disappointing season with a Victory. Jets 42-41. Last week 10-4 spread9-5 straight up. Season 104-103-1 up read129-79 straight up a .