European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Pago 32 the stars and stripes sports sunday november 13,1994 by Bob Glauber As the clock wound Down in the 1993 National football conference championship and the Dallas cowboys were assured of advancing to their Sec Ond consecutive super bowl san Francisco 49er owner Eddie Debartolo or. And club president Carmen policy looked at each other As they sat forlornly in the owners Box at Texas stadium not a word was spoken. Both men knew what had to be done. A it Wasny to even necessary to articulate the fact that everyone knew that if we wanted to compete at a higher Echelon a let alone the pfc championship game a that we had to get better As a team a policy said. A in particular it had to get better on Debartolo and policy not to mention a sizeable portion of the world will begin to find out today 10 . Get on an to whether their knowing glance nearly 10 months ago will result m a fundamental shift of the a Fly a balance of Power. The cowboys and 49ers meet at candlestick Park m the biggest game of the 1994 season and the non Erst defense will be at Center stage. The key question to be answered was san Francisco a flurry of of season move commentary on defense enough to conquer the two time super bowl Champion cowboys Well try to fill you in on the answer to that As Well As the other significant issues facing both teams. When policy and Debartolo talked about revamping the defense boy did they mean business. Compare sundays starting lineup with last seasons conference title game and you la see be Dennis Brown. It Dana Stubblefield. It Ted Washington. Re Karl Wilson. Lob John Johnson. Mob Michael Walter. Role. Bill Romanowski. Lab Eric Davis. Rob Don Griffin. Is Tim Mcdonald. Is Merton Hanks. Only five starters remain from that unit. A a. A. A a. A the 49ers traded Washington to the Denver Broncos and replaced him with Rookie bunt Young a first Rounder out of notre Dame. A Wilson was replaced by Richard Dent who is out with a knee injury. Rickey Jackson a new Orleans Saint free agent linebacker starts now at right end. A the 49ers released Johnson and replaced him with Lee Woodall a sixth round pick out of West Chester a state. A a a Walter was released and replaced by Cowboy free agent Ken Norton. A Deion Sanders signed As a permanent replacement for Griffin who went to the Cleveland Browns As a free agent. V Romanowski was traded to the Philadelphia eagles and replaced by san Diego free agent Gary Plummer. Enough change for you remember a few weeks ago when the 49ers offensive line was limping along without pro bowl right tackle Harris Barton Tom biceps left tackle Steve Wallace thigh concussion left guard Jesse Sapolu hamstring and right guard Ralph Tami Arch ? Well All but Tamm Are expected to play sunday. The cowboys meanwhile have been hit with an offensive line injury Bug of their own. Every single lineman that started the season is either banged up or out of the lineup. Right tackle Erik Williams is out for the season after suffering multiple injuries in a car crash oct. 24. Right guard Derek Kennard suffered a sprained toe against the new York giants and May not play today. Center Mark Stepnoski and guard Nate Newton Are hobbling on sprained Ankles and left tackle Mark Tuinei has played All season with Back and toe problems. A bad sign you a fourth consecutive loss to the cowboys do irreparable damage to the 49ers? its possible the 49ers admit. A a we re human beings and its going to play in our minds a Sapolu said i and what about the psychological ramifications for the cowboys Well talk to a pokes and they re taking an attitude about this one. A i still done to think they respect us a fullback Daryl Johnston said. A with what happened the past two seasons its like they done to realize what we be and even if the cowboys lose and the 49ers somehow get Home Field advantage in the pfc championship Dallas Isnit worried. A we did it once before Johnston said. A i did no to mind it up there. I kind of liked the a Loose Bunch you got it. Should be a great game of you want a score liners 24, cowboys 21. In overtime. A a a a a a. A a a a a a new Day a a aiming to catch chargers by the associated press r the san Diego chargers. 7-2 beat the Kansas City chiefs 6-3 last month and need to do it again to avoid a third loss in four games and keep Kansas City from moving into a first place tie with them in the acc West. But the chiefs Are 12-0 when Joe Montana passes for a touchdown. The healthy Montana of november �?T94 stands in Sharp contrast to the injury prone Joe Montana of no vember 93, who sometimes could barely stand at All. Nine games into the season a few aches and pains Are All the damage Middle age and blitzing safeties have done. Well maybe More than a few. The remnants of a Long scratch still Are visible on the right Side of one of sports most recognizable faces. But compared to the broken Bone and damaged muscle that left him sidelined and morose this time last year Montana feels wonderful. The still got bruises from two weeks ago a a tinning Montana said during preparations for Kansas ttys acc West showdown today with visiting san Diego. A a that a just the Way it is. You done to have time to sit Back and think about in his first season in Kansas City and his first sustained action in More than two years the four time super bowl Champion sustained a hairline fracture of his thumb in the first game and sat out much of november with a badly pulled hamstring. Many whispered and believed that the years had caught up with the a Fly Sall time leading passer who after All was approaching his 38th birthday. But no. 38 has come and gone and no. 19 never has Felt better a at least not nine games into an nil season. A this is a time of year 1 think a Guy especially the linemen probably stay sore throughout the week a he said. Montana a Good health could be the envy of nine wounded teammates who weren t Able to practice at times this week. It Hasni to exactly been an easy year for quarterbacks in general either. The chargers Stan Humphries was expected to Start against Kansas City after sitting out last week with a dislocated left Elbow. X. Blessed with Good health Montana has hit 210 of 328 asses for 2,324 Yards and 12 touchdowns. He a had four 00-Yard passing games and needs just 408 Yards to become the fifth Man in nil history to reach 40,000. Other nil today matchup have Dallas at san Francisco Cleveland at Philadelphia Chicago at Miami the new York jets at Green Bay the los Angeles raiders at the los Angeles rams Minnesota at new England Seattle at Denver Atlanta at new Orleans Arizona at the new York giants Houston at Cincinnati and Tampa Bay at Detroit. Indianapolis and Washington Are Idle. Buffalo plays at Pittsburgh monday football league cowboys at 49ers Dallas would like sundays game against san fran Cisco to be a replay of the last two pfc championship contests which the cowboys won. The cowboys own the leagues top ranked defense. San Francisco has the top scoring offence and Steve Young leads the league in passing efficiency. The 49ers have won three straight regular season games Between the clubs at san Francisco but the last was in 1985, when Montana passed for two to s in a 31-16 Victory. Browns at eagles Cleveland quarterback Vinny Testaverde celebrates his 31st birthday by returning to the lineup after missing last week s game with a concussion. In Testaverde a absence Mark Rypien led the Browns 7-2 Over new England. It will be the 44th meeting Between the teams since 1950, but the first time the Browns have played at Phi Ladeshia since 1979. The eagles 7-2 have won 20 straight games at veterans stadium when Randall Cunningham has started at at dolphins Chicago 5-4 is 40 behind Steve Walsh who will Start at quarterback today. Walsh will make its first appearance at Joe Robbie stadium where the dolphins 7-2 Are 11-1 against pfc opponents. The fourth Quarter could be a Dandy. The bears have outscored opponents 79-29 in the final Quarter this year while Dolphin Abdan Marino has engineered three fourth Quarter comebacks this season and 26 in his at packers the jets will make Only their second visit to Lam Beau Field in this game of 5-4 teams fighting to stay live for playoff berths. New Yorkus Boomer Esiason will face a defense tied with Minnesota for second in the pfc with 27 at rams Intra City rivals each with a 4-5 record meet for the first time since 1991, when the Raider won 20-17 to take a 5r2 Lead in the series. Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler needs 15 Yards to reach the 1,000-Yard Mark in career Rushing. Vikings at patriots the Vikings a in who last week scored a last second win Over new Orleans in the metronome will play outdoors on natural grass. Since 1992, they Are 13-6 outdoors and 10-5 on natural grass. The patriots 3-6 will be trying to snap a four game losing Streak. Chargers a a Stan Humphries comforted chiefs Joe Montana after last months 20-6 san Diego at Broncos Seattle 3-6which became the first team to lose to Cincinnati this season goes into mile High stadium where it has lost six straight games since 1988. Denver a John Elway is the4hird-rated passer in the acc but the Broncos Are stumbling along at 3-6.falcons at saints _ this will be the 50th meeting Between these deep South rivals and 10 of the last 13 have been decided by eight Points or less. It figures to be a passing Duel Between Jeff George of the Falcons 5-4 and Jim Everett of the saints 3-6 a cardinals at giants the giants 3-6losers of six straight Are seeking an 11th straight Home Victory Over the cardinals 3-6. Kent Graham replaces struggling Dave Brown at quarterback for the giants oilers at bengals this is a Battle for Pride. Each team is 1-8, and the loser will have the leagues worst record. Five of the oilers losses have been by a total of 20 at Lions if the buccaneers 2-7 can Stop the running of Bany Sanders they might have their first sweep of a rival since 1990. They beat the Lions 4-5 24-14 oct. 2
