European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 10, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. December 10,1993 sports the stars and stripes Pago 35 nil trend Montana is. By Dave Goldberg a football writer done to groan yet about about a Buffalo Dallas rematch in the super bowl. There a a possibility we could see a lot better a like Joe Montana and Steve Young bringing last years Bat tie of the Bay area right into your living room that became an even More distinct possibility after sundays games. Assuming that Montana stays healthy Kansas City 9-3 has As Good a Chance As any acc team of making it to Atlanta. The chiefs Are tied with Miami for the Home Field Edge in the playoffs and the 49ers Are tied with the giants for Home Field in the pfc. The 49ers Are a decent bet to finish 13-3, the giants Arentt and that will do it remember though the 49ers lost the last two pfc title games they played at candlestick. The chiefs probably have a slightly better Chance than the dolphins to get Home held with Houston also in the picture. But regardless you have to Root for chiefs liners. No matter what diplomatic things they say Montana and Young dislike each other intensely a Steve Bonous locker was Between them in the locker room and he was the Middle Man when they had to communicate. Young is candid enough to Light a fire and Montana has enough competitiveness to answer Back. Just think about the motivation each would have to prove he was the one who deserved to stay in san Francisco. And just think of poor Eddie Debartolo who Sheds Crocodile tears for Joe but at last glance still owned the 49ers, whose quarterback is Young. Another super possibility is new York giants is. Denver. John Elway has already said Nasty things about Dan Reeves and Reeves has countered. Imagine a week of getting Elway and some of the other Broncos who be spoken out a Dennis Smith and Karl Mecklenburg come to mind a to match words with Reeves and the Guys at Denver East Mark Jackson Michael Brooks David Treadwell Mike Horan and Brad Daluiso besides it gives Elway another crack at Phil Simms and Simms another crack at the super bowl. There Are More dream matchup giants is. Buffalo. Reeves is 0-3 in super bowls Marv Levy is 0-3. Of and Scott Norwood is otherwise  Dallas is. Houston. Texas would go bonkers but there a More to this matchup than that. This would bring buddy Ryan Back to the National spotlight and buddy and Jimmy Johnson do a great Job of pretending they dislike each other. A Chicago is. Houston. See Ryan above. Much More fun if Mike Ditka were still coaching the bears. A giants is. Miami. Bryan Cox does t like giant fans and Bills fans. He can to play Buffalo in the super bowl so he settles for the giants. A Houston is. Atlanta. We saw this one sunday when the oilers made it All but impossible for Jerry Glanville to get to the playoffs and perhaps to next season a Cincinnati Miami. Shula is. Shula. Oops sorry. The Elway Factor a funny thing has happened to John Elway this year. He shaving his Best season statistically a he a thrown for 3,110 Yards is second in the league to Young with 19 touchdown passes and has Only eight interceptions. But some of his mystique is melting away. In four of the Broncos five losses this season Elway has had a Chance to pull out a game in the final Quarter something he had done 31 times entering this season. He Hasni to been Able to pull it off. The latest was sunday when the Denver offence fizzled twice in the fourth Quarter of the 13-10 loss in san Diego. First with the score tied 10-All, Elway completed four straight passes for 32 Yards. But Robert Delpino bobbled a pass in the end zone James Fuller broke up a pass and Jason Elam missed a 42-Yard Field goal. Denver got the Ball at its 44 with 4 21 left but gained Only seven Yards and had to punt. Then Stan Humphries took the chargers 79 Yards for John carneys winning kick. That was Denver a fourth three Point loss this season a a on oct. 10, Elway was sacked twice by Reggie White to take the Broncos out of Field goal Range in the final minute at Green Bay when Denver had rallied from a 23-0 deficit to within 30-27. A on oct. 18, he  get the dolphins moving at Home against the raiders when Denver got the Ball with 3 38 left and the scored tied at 20-All. The raiders won on Jeff Jaegers last second Field goal. A on nov. 14, Glyn Milburn fumbled after catching a pass from Elway in the final seconds of a 26-23 loss at Home to Minnesota. What does that mean probably that Elway is human just like the rest of us. Playoff picture its a week or two Early to get into the details a like a if Green Bay beats san Diego by More than 11 Points and Chicago loses to Tampa  but As we head for the final four games of the regular season award playoff berths to the 49ers, giants chiefs and dolphins All 9-3assume the cowboys Bills and oilers Are in then Start looking at schedules and making your picks. Two teams can Clinch divisions this weekend a san Francisco which wins the pfc West if it wins in Atlanta on saturday and the saints lose at Home sunday to the rams. A Kansas City which wins the acc West if it wins in Denver sunday while the raiders lose at Home to Seattle. Steve Young shown running for first Down sunday could face his former 49er rival Joe Montana in super bowl. If anything sunday made things More difficult than it had been. For one thing it showed that in this season when touchdowns Are hard to come by you can win with defense. The bears were out gained 466-210 by Green Bay but won 30-17 by scoring All three of their ads on defense As they moved into a three Way tie for first in the pfc Central. All told there were eight defensive touchdowns scored on sunday 17 percent of the 47 touchdowns scored. There also were two safeties by the giants and bengals six interceptions by Houston five by Pittsburgh and four by the bears plus nine sacks by Cleveland and seven by Minnesota. Don t Trust anyone Over 30 a unless they re in nil by Dave Goldberg a football writer the seniors Golf tour plays Only 54 holes each week rather than 72. So Here at the three Quarter Mark of the nil season is the first annual seniors All pro team players older than 32 qualify with the limit Ai "1a f _. A _ _ i j in nil notes and Ken is president of the players association an automatic qualifier g a Jim Ritcher 37, Bills Mike Mun Chak 33, oilers. Ritcher gets by at 260 pounds or so in a league of 300-Pound Ernst at 30 for running backs and 35 for ers. Munchak has t slowed Down quarterbacks c Bart Oates 35, giants. Hes get done to laugh a this team could Proba Ting rested More by Dan Reeves but he s by Challenge for the playoffs. Still the Hub of a very Good offensive line. Or Henry Ellard 32, rams Anub Phil Simms 38, giants. Having Hony Carter 33, Vikings. They have 96 one of his Best years and playing a lot More atches Between them and in this year of than Joe Montana. Warren Moon and 39 he 4-Yard pass on third and five they re year old Deberg also qualify but Simms yer aging 15.4 and 13.7 Yards respectively tops the Over-35 crowd on playing time. Without great quarterbacks throwing to hem. Honorable mention for Long serv be Art Monk 36, Redskin the a Mark Bavaro eagles. He a Only a but his Knees Are 60. T Mike Kenn 37, Falcons Jackie re a Marcus Allen 33, chiefs hers chel Walker 31, eagles. In a year of Rookie running backs Allen s the exception now that Ottis Anderson is finally gone. A1 Davis called Allen a a scans us on the raiders now he a second in the or.  Only h la it or in the league older than Slater the acc in Rushing. Walker ensures. Or a Mel Gray 32, Lions. No punter no kicker a they done to come into their own until they re 30, de a Richard Dent 32, bears Jim Jeffcoat 32, cowboys. It a Steve Mcmichael 36, bears Tim Krumrie 33. Mcmichael and Dent Are two of the main reasons Chicago is challenging for a division title. See Bavaro for Krumrie a just surviving makes it. Olb a Rickey Jackson 35, saints Clay Matthews 37, Browns. Jackson a still playing at a pro bowl level and Lawrence Taylor 34, and Andre Tippett 33, Aren t. Matthews is simply the oldest outside linebacker Ever. Lib a Karl Mecklenburg 33, Broncos Mike Walter 33, 49ets. Mecklenburg has nine sacks Walter is a solid Guy who a achievements have been obscured by More glamorous teammates. The saints started fading when Sam Mills 34, went out. Cd a Albert Lewis 33, chiefs Eugene Daniel 32, Colts. Lewis has been an All pro forever Daniel Hasni to but he got Indianapolis a rare win with an interception last week. S a those former Southern Cal roommates Dennis Smith Broncos and Ronnie Lott jets both 34. Lotto a leadership skills Haven to deteriorated. Special teams Bill Bates 32, cowboys. Why is this too slow too Small safety linebacker playing after serious knee surgery see Lott above. Coach Don Shula 63, Miami. No offence again How Many times this season has a team facing third and five completed a 4-Yard pass too Many. That a borne out by receiving stats Over the last two seasons. Take the top 120 players in catches and look at the average Yards per catch. There Are 21 averaging less than 10 Yards a catch and Only 17 Are averaging More than 15 Yards. Last year there were 22 players in the top 120 Over 15 Yards and 31 under 15