European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 1, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 3a the stars and stripes of in review Sun Fay monday january 1/2,1995 Dallas holds title but prospects soar for rebuilt 49ers by Dave Goldberg. A football writer the year began just like <3993, with the Dallas cowboys beating the Buffalo Bills handily in the super Bowa 31-13 win that marked Buffalo s record fourth straight super bowl loss. It ended with Dallas in position to become the first team Ever to win three straight super bowls. But they were in shaky position for this was the season of the san Francisco 49ers, who were the Only team that took advantage of the new salary Cap instead of moaning about it. In fact the Cap Ted to total parity except for those two teams at the top san Francisco which finished the regular season 13-3vand Dallas which finished 12-4, losing two of its last three and entering the playoffs with Emmitt Smith nursing a sore hamstring. Everyone else for the first time four teams from one division the pfc Central made the playoffs a Minnesota Green Bay Detroit and Chicago. But the Vikings won at 10-6 and the others were 91=7. And the bears and packers edged another 9-7 team the new York giants in tiebreakers. In the acc Pittsburgh at 12-4, had the Best record but went into the playoffs with a less than formidable of tense Quarter backed by Neil of Donnell and Buffalo the four time super bowl loser missed the playoffs and finished 7-9. The surprises new England which finished 10-6 in Bill Parcells second year winning us final seven games and Cleveland at 11-5. The other playoff teams were acc East Champion Miami 10-6 and san Diego 11-5 in the West with Kansas City 9-7 sneaking in As a wildcard with Joe Montana ahead of the los Angeles raiders 9-7 the acc preseason favorite. But san Francisco was dominant. Even As teams were being forced to Cut veterans a the most prominent being Phi Simms of the giants a the 49ers were signing them often giving them minimum salaries then adding on incentives that would be counted against future Caps. Still like most teams the liners entered the season thin. _ a we re one injury away from disaster a said Carmen policy the teams president after mane vering the Cap to sign such veterans As Richard Dent Rickey Jackson Ken Norton and Deion Sanders All defenders to bolster a unit that probably kept the liners out of the title game a year ago. _ but the disaster almost happened anyway when four of the five starting offence linemen were Hurt Early. So the liners lost in Kansas City in their first meeting with Joe Montana on the other Side of the Ball then they were bombed 40-8 in a game in which coach George Seifert lifted Steve Young in the Middle of a series. That was the turning Point. Young exploded at Seifert and the _49ers never lost again As Young had his Best season and finally got on track with Jerry Rice Sanders who signed for is million after the baseball season was officially ended by the stride brought a new dimension to the defense returning three interceptions for touchdowns and allowing Merton Hanks to switch from cornerback to safety where Hanks had a pro bowl season. The liners won their next 10, averaging 36 Points a came in the process be pro football 94 champs professional super bowl a Dallas cowboys pfc Champion a Dallas cowboys acc Champion a Buffalo Bills most valuable player a Emmitt Smith Dallas offensive player of the year a Steve Young san Francisco defensive player of the year a Cortez Kennedy. Seattle offensive Rookie of the year a Jerome Bettis la rams defensive Rookie of the year a Dana Stubblefield san Francisco coach of the year a Dan Reeves . Giants Cal Grey cup a British Columbia Lions College Mcaa div Laa a Youngstown state Mcaa div. It a North Alabama Mcaa div. Ill a Albion Mich Naiad a. 1 a northeastern Oklahoma na1a div. Ii a Westminster a. Juco a Mississippi Delta . Heisman trophy player a Rashaan Salaam Colorado Maxwell award player a Kerry Collins. Penn stale outland trophy lineman a Zach Wie Gert Nebraska Lombardi trophy lineman a Warren Sapp Miami Davey of Brien award quarterback a Collins Doak Walker award running Back a Salaam defensive player of the year a Sapp Butkus award linebacker a Dana Howard Illinois Jim Thorpe award defensive Back a Chris Hudson. Colorado Fred Biletnikoff award Bobby Ert Gram Penn state Bear Bryant award coach a Rich Brooks Oregon Walter Payton award Caal a player a Steve Mcnair Alcorn state Eddie Robinson award Caal a coach a Jim Tressel Youngstown state fore losing to Minnesota in a finale that was meaningless to them. Rice set an nil record for touchdowns in a career in the first week of the season when he scored three times to bring his total to 127 in 10 seasons one ahead of Jim Browm. Rice finished with 15 ads for the year giving him 139 while Young played Long enough against Minnesota to Complete 12 of 13, breaking Joe Montana s nil record for quarterback rating. Offence worked for other receivers too. Minnesota a Cris Carter finished with 122 receptions 10 More than the old Mark of 112 by Sterling Sharoe and Rice had 112 catches the Best of his Brilliant career. Terance Mathis of Atlanta a new York Jet discard caught 111, is More than he had in All of his four seasons in new York. It also was a year in which the drought of Young quarterbacks seemed to be abating. While Young Dan Marino. Joe Montana John Elway and the rest of the Over-30 gang continued to play Well some younger stars began to emerge led by new England s Drew Bledsoe in his second season and Green Bay s Brett Favre in his fourth. Favrey a 33 to passes were second in the league s to Young and he threw just 14 hugging him now Fil Phe of 2 quarterback Troy Aikman above right embraces former Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson after the cowboys won their second straight super bowl title in january. At the end of the year Dallas without Johnson is gunning for a third straight but faces a severe Challenge from san Francisco which sports a re tooled defense and the future Hall of Fame Battery of receiver Jerry Rice below left and quarterback Steve Young. V -iff1 g f. Of. A is Phi a. \ a
