European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                49ers Halfway to greatness by Bob Oates los Angeles times it is an Oriental custom to designate a year of the Lizard or perhaps the year of the horse but in the nil this has been the half year of the 49er. The league is approaching the midpoint of a season in which the san Francisco 49ers have resumed a 1980s custom of domination led by their remarkable running passing quarterback Steve Young a 31-year-old left Hanger who has made the City almost forget Joe Montana the Poi a 49ers Are averaging 31 Points a game. They Are the Only nil team with More than 200 ints in a season when Only seven other pro clubs ave surpassed 150. Five have yet to score More than 99. The individual stars of the league s 73rd season have been Young and Jerry Rice of the 49ers, pm Mitt Smith and Charles Haley of the Dallas cowboys Dan Marino of the Miami dolphins Cortez Kennedy of the Seattle sea Hawks and Wilber Marshall of the Washington redskins among others but there Haven to been that Many exceptional teams. Only the Dallas cowboys have shown the Power and consistency to stand up to the 49ers. And if the year continues As it began Dallas and san Francisco will be the opponents in the seasons real super bowl game on sunday Jan. 17, the Day of the pfc championship. Two weeks later the acc Champion seems destined to lose for the ninth consecutive time in the super bowl which will be played at the Rose bowl. Unaccountably the acc seems weaker than Ever. Its six Best teams a Miami Houston Buffalo Kansas City Pittsburgh and Denver a have clearly performed less effectively than the of cd a six Best san Francisco Dallas Washington Philadelphia Minn Sota and new Orleans. Perhaps Only Houston could give the pfc Champion a fight in the super bowl and the question Agam this year a As it was last year a is whether Houston can even get there. Buffalo which had to go All out to beat the 1-6 new York jets on monday night has regressed since out pointing san Francisco in the second week 34-31. A i m disappointed with the Way we played that commentary Day a 49er coach George Seifert said. Pass defense remains a san Francisco weakness. Quot if you can exploit it a said former ram coach John Robinson. The trouble for opponents trying to do that is Young keeps exploiting them. The a Fly a Early leaders team of the half year 49ers. Player of the half year Young. Runner of the half year Ricky Watters 49ers. The Watters threat has made Young a commanding passer. Bleat running Back Emmitt Smith Dallas. Coach of the half year. Seifert. Coach of the half year until last sunday Dennis Green Minnesota. In the final seconds against Washington Green failed to remind his special teams coach to kick the Kickoff away. On his own Minnesota a soccer kicker decided to squib it. When the Ball went out of Bounds the redskins were on their 35-Yard line just far enough along in the time that was left to set up a Short Field goal drive and kick one 49 Yards to win 15-13. Depth report done to look for san Francisco or Dallas to fold u they lose Young or Troy Aikman. There Are starting Type quarterbacks on both benches Steve Bono at san Francisco and. Steve Beuerlein at Dallas. Depth report ii the redskins strength is still their offensive line even with most of it lost to injury. Optimists of the half year coaches Jimmy Johnson of Dallas and Marty sch Ottenheimer of Kansas City. Said Johnson to think we have a super bowl  sch Ottenheimer �?�1 think we can go All the  the cowboys 6-1 could. It will be harder for the chiefs 4-4. Offensive coordinator of the half year. Mike Shanahan 49ers. Defensive coaches of the half year Rich Kotite and Bud Carson Philadelphia. Defensive coach of the Era Richie Petitbon Washington. Receiver of the half Century Jerry Rice 49ers, the games Only Active authentic All time All pro. Receiver of the half year Keith Jackson Miami. A player with the moves of a wide receiver and the sip of a tight end Jackson 6 feet 2 and 250 pounds changed the nil s balance of Power in one Day when he left Philadelphia for Miami. Jackson a Transfer As a free agent ruptured Philadelphia a offence and made Miami a. Labor Leader of the half year Gene Upshaw. Tantrum of the half year Mike Ditka a. Bust of the half year acc. Parity Progress report its gone. Eight of the a Fly a 28 teams have won two or fewer games. Twelve including the rams and raiders have won three or fewer. Defensive player of the half year Haley Dallas. When the 49ers unexpectedly gave away Haley in the week of their last exhibition game the cowboys suddenly had a super bowl Type defense just what they needed to complement their super bowl Type offence with Aikman and Smith. Other defensive standouts lineman Kennedy has been As dominating on his Side of the Ball for Seattle As Young has been on his for san Francisco. Lineman Chris Doleman has steadied Minnesota. There Are four extraordinary linebackers Marshall of Washington John Offerdahl of Miami and Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling of new Orleans. Rookie of the half year Santana Dotson Tampa Bay. Runner up Mark Wheeler Tampa Bay. In the Buccaneer defensive line Dotson a fifth round a a we a a f of Choice from Baylor and Wheeler a third round Choice from Texas a amp a play Side by Side. Most of the leagues first round choices this year have been conspicuously unsuccessful. Probable champions pfc divisions san Francisco West Minnesota Central and Dallas East. Next Best probable wild cards Washington Philadelphia and new Orleans. Probable champions acc divisions Denver West Houston Central and Miami East. Next Best probable wild cards Buffalo Pittsburgh and Kansas  Nagle showing competitive fire Nagle by Bob Glauber new Day Hempstead . Did you see that marvelous 12-Yard touchdown pass Jim Kelly threaded Between new York jets linebackers Kyle Clifton and Joe Kelly to Thurman Thomas for the Buffalo Bills winning touchdown in monday nights 24-20 Victory Over the jets Bill defensive end Bruce Smith saw it and then he thought to himself that one Day Browning Nagle is going to make that same pass for the jets. Nagles going to March his team up the Field in a matter of seconds a just As Kelly did in the final minute monday night a and give the jets a comeback win Over the Bills. A a in la Tell you that Nagle is one Tough sob a Smith was saying a few minutes after Kelly a latest example of late game brilliance. A a he a going to be a very Good quarterback some Day. There a Only one quarterback i know of that a Ever ought a defensive lineman and that a Jim  Smith found out very Early monday night that Nagle is another. It on second and 7 from the jets 44, Nagle rolled to his right looking for tight end Ken Whisenhunt. Smith chugged in Pursuit and shortly after Nagle released his throw to Whisenhunt did what any self respecting pass rusher would do he pounced on the quarterback. Only this time Smith decided to make sure Nagle knew with whom he was dealing so he rested on Nagle for a few seconds. And then a few More seconds. And eventually Nagle did what any self respecting quarterback would do he Tola Smith to get out of his face. A i guess he thought i was trying to twist his knee or something but i Wasny to trying to be dirty Smith said. But when Smith  comply with Nagles demands ii Eatman did what any self respecting offensive tackle would do he launched headfirst into the fracas and told Smith to get lost. Welcome to Bruce Smiths world Browning. You la be seeing a lot More of him before your career is  becoming a Force for cowboys by Denne h. Freeman Irving Texas apr the most disruptive Force on the Dallas defense does no to have the statistics to show it. Charles Haley has exactly one sack in seven games. The defensive end was picked up from the san Francisco 49ers to have Many Many More quarterback traps. A the coaches feel he Sas important As anyone out there a Dallas defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt said. A a he a always hanging on the quarterback on big plays. The offensive lines sure know about him. They re doing everything they can to Stop him from double to triple  Haleys teammates know about the quarterback a a hurries Haley can produce. He has 26 pressures highest on the team. A Haley puts so much pressure on the quarterback from the outside that i get my traps when the quarterback tries to step up to avoid him a Jimmie Jones said. Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson said Haley is the big reason the cowboys Rush the passer better. A Haley has been a big boost to us a Johnson said. A a lot of Guys have traps which Are the result of his pressure i think our pass Rush is much much  asking Haley about his season Isnit easy. He does no to talk to reporters at the Valley ranch training Complex. Haley branded a troublemaker by the 49ers, talked to the Media when he first reported As a Cowboy but has refused to stir from his Domino games to talk in recent weeks. He Only recently relented after games. Following the cowboys 28-13 Victory Over the los Angeles raiders Haley said he worries his team contributions could be forgotten. A at the end of the season people still look at certain stats and make their own judgments from there a Hali said. Haley had four hits a one Fumble causing a it Todd Marinovich. His four quarterback pressures r suited in three sacks by other cowboys and a dumb recovery Haley said it feels Good being on a winning team b he speculated a i guess in a just  a a we re 6-1 and that feels great a Haley said a a we in the Drivers seat we control our own  Wannstedt said its a pleasure to watch Haley work. A a he a relentless in chasing the quarterback a warm Tedt said. He Hughes the quarterback out of the Poe it play after play he a doing the same things he a be it doing throughout his career. Haley gets $67,000 per game. Even with just one official sack the cowboys feel 1 is earning every dime