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Show m rVw" m:m m rir iWfriri.arlflkiiii TKiiIki i.ifciV iiTt Ttff'r J' Saturday, December 23, 1995 THE DAILY HERALD, Provo, I'tah says Mike White, who may havis to By DAVE GOLDBERG AP Football Writer By DAVE GOLDEERG AP Football Writer ;j When the Atlanta Falcons examine their playoff possibilities, they're faced with one startling fact. jj: They can make the playoffs ii if they lose. But it's a lot easier li'iifhey win, which isn't likely 'f,happen when San Francisco ,; j ;iine to town. The 49ers, who are il uuVorites, have won six of the .'fast seven, meetings, scoring (in 'reverse order) 41, 50, 42, 37, 41 and 56 points in those victories. -- Since the 49ers began their e winning streak with nt "sTx-gam- that shocker in Dallas. 36.3 points a they've averaged ;; game. Combine that with a fr defense that's probably the best r irt tne NhL, an Atlanta defense that's not, and you get ... 38-2- 0 49ERS, 42-1- 7 . Detroit (minus . 12) at 8 Tampa Bay (Saturday) ijui,The Lions are the hottest iwv$&m in the NFL. The conven-,3B1'ff6wisdom is it was William Ford's ultimatum to n, j plav-""bl'f- This game means every-r?lhin- s. g the Packers need to lock up the division and the Steelers can still get home field throughout the playoffs. " PACKERS. 0 " 12-1- New England (plus 6) at Indianapolis (Saturday) fcnp hnf T, The Colts need to ati"iots : in, the don't. CULTS. ' : w 0. zona (Monday night) The Cowboys are struggling and Buddy's boys play them tough in any circumstance. 0 COWBOYS, San Diego (minus 5) at New York Giants (Saturday) The Chargers, with four straight wins, need one more to clinch a playoff berth. 21-2- CHARGERS. Seattle (plus 6 12) at Kansas City 20-1- 7 Cincinnati Give the Vikings credit for not lying down Monday night. Carl Pickens is good, but he's not Jerry Rice. VIKINGS, 28-2- 0 Denver (minus 5) at Oak- 22-1- 7 Philadelphia (plus 2 12) at Chicago The Eagles have clinched a '.'flume playoff game, but they if they w in and want more the Cowboys stumble in Ari zona, the hagles are iNrC bast Why should the Raiders turn things around now? BRONCOS, 20-1- 7 Miami (minus 6) at St. Louis Since the opening month, the Rams have been playing like the Anaheim Rams. DOLPHINS, 27-1- 0 Houston (plus 4 12) at The Bills have a habit of tanking once they've clinched ail that they can clinch. Todd Collins at quarterback? OILERS, 20-1- 1 1 Carolina (plus 4 12) at Washington The Panthers can get to 20-1- 3 Cleveland (minus Jacksonville 12) at 3 Adios. Farewell. BROWNS, 27-- 2 New Orleans (minus 2 12) at New York Jets The Saints gave up 45 po'nts in their first Meadow-land- s visit. JETS, 9-- As the final weekend began Saturday, eight teams were like Pittsin the burgh and Green Bay final with status their yet playoffs to be determined. The others: San 6 i ;V4AN FRANCISCO Some-Jl)- f William Floyd has remained Fran-laso- o jun'irnpact player for the San 49ers even though a knee !i n jury seven weeks ago finished jhisitii-fiel- d season. J lit has plunged into his rehabilitation and maintained an unwa-jvijjiii- g optimism that he'll be back jbyf net year. TTie positive outlook hasn't i !lWn"1ost on his teammates, who (haVC taken his actions and words jto heart and last week voted him the club's annual Len Eshmont Award to recognize his inspirational force. ""He's meant ever) thing to the leant." halfback Derek Loville said. "He's kept my head in the 2ame. He's kept this team motivat- ed." ' pro out of Floyd, a second-yea- r Florida State, w as on his w ay to a stellar season when he dislocated yV. 1 -- j his right knee while making a tackle on a fumble return Oct. .29 against New Orleans. He underwent reconstructive surgery soon after the injury to repair two ligaments and faces a second operation at the end of this month to fix a third. The next week, without Floyd and still without injured Steve Young, San Francisco lost to Carolina and sank to its low point at The next game on the schedule was at Dallas. In the days before the Dallas game, Floyd wrote a letter to the team and it was posted in the locker room. In it. he urged the team to rediscover its championship heart and defy the odds by beating Dallas. The message struck a chord with the 49ers, who not only defeated the Cowboys but turned the season around with five 5-- 4. straight wins before Monday night's game against Minnesota. , v::-1- Carolina (4-1- Minnesota at Cincinnati (8-- ) (6-9- These four games will clarify the NFC playoff picture. The key is Philadelphia at Chicago, a game that could give the Eagles the NFC East championship and a week off or give the Bears a playoff berth although Chicago needs help. If the Eagles, w ho already have clinched a home wild-car- d game, win at a site where they've lost 13 straight, the pressure is on Dallas, which often has trouble with the Cardinals. A Philadelphia win forces Dallas, losers of three of their last six winners at and lucky one-poihome over the Giants last week, to beat the Cardinals just to win the NFC East and avoid playing a nt wild-car- beat the Falcons to clinch the home field for the playoffs, their goal all season. Their track record against Atlanta says they will. They beat the Falcons 4 10 in San Francisco and have won six of their last seven against them, running up 50. 42, 37. 41 and 56 points in the other victories. The Falcons, who blew their best chance by losing in Carolina last week, can still make the playoffs with an upset. But their chances depend on some other possibilities that make eyes glaze over. The Vikings, Monday night's -- Seattle Denver (8-- 7) Miami (7-- at Kansas Citv at Oakland at St. Louis (8-- 7) MB fTOf rvv I ti WHITE WALL 40,000 mill i2 m v-- IMPORT 40,000 155 165 R 13 175 70 R 13 165 70 R 13 185 70RU OIL CHANCE OIL FILTER & ; gj cC tt f 21560HR15 Pvittnntan t,l LOW BACK CLINIC ft iftnlltHM I Strritt for Oitr iS Yfrt 225-399- 3 "8 V ) tast 800 South. Ofpm. UT IERWS 253 West 9000 South PROVO 495 West Center SI. ) ) at Buffalo Houston ) This could be the final game as the Houston Oilers for a team whose departure for Nashville home has been from its overshadowed by Clevetotally land's proposed move. The Oilers (6-- (7-- (10-5- 35-ye- ar seem to have found their quarterback in Steve McNair, whose first two weeks have been impressive'. Buffalo has clinched all that it it will be at home in can clinch the wild-car- d round. Historically, Marv Levy has rested starters in this situation, particularly against like the Oilers, and Todd Collins is likely to relieve Jim Kelly at quarterback. at Jacksonville Cleveland The swan song, perhaps, for.the Cleveland Browns, who won last week for the first time in the seven games since their move was made public, beating the Bengals. 26-1It's hard to believe that the Jaguars, who lost 44-- 0 in Detroit last week, w ere at one time considered the equal of Carolina among the expansion teams. Tom Cough-lin'- s early start to camp and his regimen seem to have taken their toll late in the season. r (3-1- 2) (5-1- 0. work-work-wo- postseason. For the rest, making the playthe offs w ill be like backing in Raiders have lost five straight after the Dolphins started starting 4-- 0 and are 7 since; and the Broncos are consistently inconsise tent they have only one e w inning streak and tw o losing streaks, one of which they're on now. The Broncos need a win and a lot of help. For the Raiders, a w in and a loss by the Seahaw ks will do it. and they can even get in if they lose and the right things happen. "To me. by the grace of God. we're still in this playoff thing." at NY Jets 1 New Orleans (6-Perhaps another farewell, this one for Jim Mora, w ho guided the Saints to their first winning seasons and first playoff berths. He's also recovered nicely from an Ck5 start, but there seems to be a feeling both by Mora and management that it's time to move elsew here. The Jets probably won't make a they need.. an coaching move offense more than their fourth coach in four seasons. Instead, they'll be battling to the wire vyfih the Jaguars for the first pick in net : spring's draft. (3-12- 9) 8-- 2: 4-- two-gam- two-gam- 675 West Ncrth Temple -- .3076 S. 0GDEN CONDITIONS Wall Ave. 621 - 5107 i 53.89 57.49 ....69.25 80.95 R14. R14 A CI R14.mip80.05 R14...Jks'....B4.55 R 1 5. 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TEMPLE hAA MUD & SNOW TIRES 44.69 7 52.09 22560HR15 titnan mv cAn FRCCMraMMwwnqiMt FAUST IWMIPIBsHi CH Bxrtc GUMUNTM i Vl Y bmvtcm inchidMftoplae pads or ahoM rotor or tfnima tnopoct hyorouHc yotom Motiewi 'i I 20560HR15 Jl A BRAKE SERVICE TIRE ROTATION -- 88 88 88 88 88 19560HR15 tvtnroAr low Mica fir.-- . up $25 $27 $30 $32 $33 19560HR14 I Ml 40,000 MILE R 13 P18575RH P20575R15 P19575A14 P21575R15 P20575R14 P2257SR15 i MERIT I 155 R 12 4for$119 via BLACKWALLS 18550HR14 taT k (12-3(8-7- 8-- the savings! j i VOT-- first-roun- Kansas City is in, and the five others are in contention, even the Rams, w ho have lost eight of their last 12 games. The Rams need to win and Minnesota, Chicago and Atlanta all have to lose for St. Louis to make it. That's unlikely but possible. The others are in the more complex scenarios. Seattle, which would be in if it hadn't lost at home to the Jets during a run of six wins in seven games, is one of the more impressive teams off its 44-1- 0 win over the Raiders. But it must win in Kansas City and hope that either San Diego. Indianapolis, or Miami loses. The winning part won't be easy. The Chiefs, who can look unimpressive, still have the NFL's best record and need this game to clinch home field for the AFC playoffs, a major step on the road to the Super Bowl. "Is it a huge, huge factor in w hether or not we're able to make it to the Super Bow I? Yes," defensive tackle Joe Phillips says about remaining at Arrowhead for the mam I BYU, Sun- San Francisco sacrifice, aren't at all dead. They're in if they beat the Bengals, the 49ers beat the Falcons and the Eagles beat the Bears all distinct possibilities. 4) at Washington This is the most interesting' of the games w ith no playoff implications, only because the Panthers, who already have won four more games than any other NFL expansion team, could finish at .500. That would make them the firsi expansion team in anv sport to do the 1968 Philadelphia Flythat ers were one game under in an NHL that doubled in size and pin all six expansion teams in one conference. It's a legitimate .500. too. Carolina has beaten San Francisco. Indianapolis and Atlanta, is 7- -4 d since draft choice Kerry Collins took over at quarterback, and has won seven of its last 10 games. Washington is an example: f parity. A little more luck here and there and the Redskins might be 7 and still in the playoff picture. ,,V Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren, an coach at watches his team from the sidelines. Green Bay hosts Pittsburgh day in a game that is key in the overall playoff picture. San Fran. (11-at Atlanta (8-(10-5- ) at Chicago (8-Philadelphia Dallas (11-4- ) at Arizona (7-- 8) (5-1- 0) AP Photo ild-ca- rd team in any sport to finish its first year with a .500 record. The weekend opened with three Saturday games with playoff ramifications: San Diego at the New York Giants; Detroit at Tampa Bay and New England at Indianapolis. In other Sunday games, it will be Houston at Buffalo; Seattle at Kansas City; Cleveland at Jacksonville; San Francisco at Atlanta: Philadelphia at Chicago: New Orleans at the New York Jets: Minnesota at Cincinnati; Carolina at Washington; Denver at Oakland; and Miami at St. Louis. Dallas is at Arizona Monday night in the regular season's final game. losing. It would also be easy for ihe Dolphins to miss the playoffs after being one of the AFC's Super Bowl favorites when the season started. Its best chance is to beat the Rams and have either the Raiders lose or the Seahawks win. 5f d game. "A must." says Barry Switzer. whose coaching has helped put the Cowboys in this plight. "We're so Francisco. Dallas. Philadelphia banged up we need the week off and Detroit in the NFC; Buffalo just to get healthy." and Kansas City in the AFC. Chicago, whose win over TamTen more were consulting the pa last week broke a run of five stars, computers and whatever for losses in six games, isn't in a bad the combination of circumstances position if it can beat the Eagles. A that could land them one of the victory combined with a loss by three of the Falcons to San Francisco gives four berths still open berths. them AFC w the Bears the NFC's final wildAnd Carolina had a chance to card spot. The 49ers. of course, aren't make history: a win in Washington and it becomes the first expansion about to let up. They need only to Floyd still has impact By DENNIS GEORGATOS AP Sports Writer 1 ' " 41-2- Buffalo .500. They won't. REDSKINS, start Billy Joe Hobert if Xej"! Hostetler's injured left shoulder i. leaves him unable to start. Denver a focus is and "My chance to salvage the season. That's it, that's the direction right now. I'm not happy with where we are." ,i Miami has about 12 different scenarios and could even get in tjy 4) Strange things are happening in the northwest. But the Chiefs win when they have to. CHIEFS, 23-1- 7 (overtime) Minnesota (minus 5 12) at land Wayne Fontes that did it. But Moore, Brett Perri-maBarry Sanders and Scott Mitchell also had something to ' ' do with the tumaiound. LIONS, 27-1- 7 bin. .iW t iusouren mius iz) at Bay )ifn!9 This game means nothing nww- - both teams are in the SSfr"? In Green Bay on Sunday, will there be some Arizona dreaming? It's one way for the Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers to stay warm at Lambeau Field. As two of the eight NFL teams that enter the final week of the regular season already assured of playoff berths, they can fantasize about another meeting in Tempe next month at the 30th Super Bowl. Despite the status of the two teams, this is not a meaningless game. The Packers (10-5- ) need a win to clinch their first NFC Central title since 1972. If they lose and Detroit wins, the Lions get the tiebreaker and the division. And the Steelers (11-still have a shot at home field advantage in the AFC playoffs. They get it if they win and Kansas City loses. "I want Lambeau Field to be rockin' and rollin' like it never has before," say Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren. "I want it to be electric on Sunday. As soon as we hit the field, I want them going from opening kickoff right until the end." The Steelers are the team that's been going, winning eight straight with Kordell Stewart. The winning started about the time that Bill Cowher decided to find a way to 7 use the man who in last week's win over New England became "Double Slash," as in quarterbacreceiver-runnin- g k-wide back. But there's a lot more to Pittsburgh than Stewart, just as there's a lot more to Green Bay than Brett Favre, the quarterback whose 36 touchdown passes and 4, 2 yards have folks in the northland pushing his MVP candidacy as hard as they're rooting for the Packers. One key: Reggie White, who played in New Orleans Sunday after he was supposed to be out for the season with hamstring troubles. Another: Edgar Bennett, who last week became the first Packer to go over 1,000 yards rushing since Terdell Middleton in 1978. But whatever happens in Green Bay, the Steelers and Packers both know there's a tomorrow. That's not true for everyone. in champs. They're also 3 their last 13 v isits to Chicago. So what. EAGLES, 13-Dallas (minus 9) at Ari- B5 teams for remain many rtopes Piayoff falter falcons pagainst the Niners i will rage City 966-332- Ogden 621-030- 9 1; Sizes and quantities may vary from store to store. Supplies limited, first cone first serve. t SiW'ff West Valley Orem 224-330- 0 487-983- 1 RsE0 ON VHI.IP MoOf C COM"f ; VlVt MONO HuSl MiWOH vHtMl LAHji STORE HOURS 1 w.tfl fcU tSS'S HON SAT WEST VALLEY 2850 West 3500 South ROY 5702 South 1900 West 9 Noonk discount Noorhr apfty- ' XltWwf. irTrM5? CTOlSOCCfPTto t I j |