Roanoke Times Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 31, 1994 TAG: 9408310043 SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO SOURCE: By BARRY WILNER ASSOCIATED PRESS DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Of course, before Buffalo became so dominant in its conference and so astute at losing the big one to the NFC champion, the Denver Broncos made a habit of failing at Super Bowl time. Not since the 1983 season has an AFC representative actually won the NFL championship, when the Los Angeles Raiders routed the Washington Redskins.
Ever since, it's been ``Just lose, baby,'' for the AFC. So what better way to end the 11-year drought than by sending those rowdy Raiders back?
It very well could happen this year. While the NFC appears to be a two-team race between Dallas and San Francisco for the third consecutive season, the AFC is wide-open. And the wide-open attack and big-play defense of the Raiders seem suited for breaking through and breaking the Bills' hold on the conference.
``We're getting closer to where we want to be,'' says Art Shell, the Raiders' coach. ``I'm not worried about the progress of this team.''
``Each week that goes by, I feel better and the team plays better,'' adds quarterback Jeff Hostetler, who has the privilege of throwing to a track team on which versatile All-Pro Tim Brown is the slowpoke. ``The Super Bowl is a long way off. We're in a tough division, maybe the toughest in the league. We have a long way to go.''
Hostetler, who makes a habit of winning when given the opportunity - he sat behind Phil Simms in New York for six years - is correct about the AFC West. Three of its five members, the Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, are capable of winning the conference crown.
If the Raiders do win, it will be thanks to that bombs-away passing attack featuring Brown, Olympic gold-medal sprinter James Jett, Alexander Wright and Rocket Ismail. Their offensive line is steady enough, but they need to improve a running attack that ranked 26th in the league last year.
Defensively, the silver and black have made opponents black and blue because of their overpowering pass rush. With Greg Townsend released and Howie Long retired, that unit might seem undermanned. But Anthony Smith (121/2 sacks) became a force in 1993, and former Clemson star Chester McGlockton, all 320 pounds of him, is headed that way. The secondary, led by Terry McDaniel, is among the league's best.
The Raiders also have front-office continuity, a critical element that can't be underestimated.
Denver's offense shouldn't be underestimated, either. Just having John Elway makes any attack strong, and he now has Anthony Miller (84 receptions, 1,162 yards, seven touchdowns) and Michael Pritchard (74, seven touchdowns) joining H-back Shannon Sharpe (81, 995, nine) in a superb receiving group. Rod Bernstine and Leonard Russell are formidable in the backfield.
But the Broncos' defense, even with the addition of cornerback Ray Crockett, is suspect enough to drop Denver behind Los Angeles.
And maybe even behind Kansas City, which is banking on better health for Joe Montana and another Pro Bowl year from running back Marcus Allen. If those two elder statesmen are up to par, the Chiefs have a shot at their first Super Bowl since 1970. Their defense, led by Neil Smith and Derrick Thomas, is first-rate, although the secondary has been rebuilt after some departures (Kevin Ross and Albert Lewis) through free agency.
Seattle is headed in the right direction behind quarterback Rick Mirer and defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy. San Diego is going the opposite way after losing numerous free agents in the off-season.
The scramble in the AFC East might be just as frantic as in the West. The Bills have won five of the past six division titles, but Miami took the East in 1992 and probably would have last year if injuries had not ravaged the roster, dropping the Dolphins from a league-best 9-2 to a non-playoff 9-7.
``We expect the Dolphins to be right there with us every year,'' says Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. ``Any team Don Shula coaches is bound to be good.''
This Shula team could be his first Super Bowl squad in a decade. Dan Marino returns from the first major injury of his career, a torn Achilles' tendon, resolved to get back to the championship game.
``I got to the Super Bowl in my second year in the league,'' he says. ``After we lost to the 49ers, I looked around and thought, `I'll be back a few more times.' But we haven't been back since.''
Miami has plenty of firepower, with a deep corps of receivers and three dependable running backs, including versatile Virginia alumnus Terry Kirby. Its defense is more questionable, but a healthy Troy Vincent in the secondary might help erase some doubts.
Erasing the Bills from the race simply won't happen. They're too savvy, too strong and too determined to prove themselves all over again. Not that they should need to: Buffalo is the only team to win four successive conference titles.
Until they win a Super Bowl, though, the Bills will carry an unfair stigma. That doesn't give a fair shake to Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Darryl Talley, Kent Hull and former Virginia Tech All-American Bruce Smith, all back for another run at the championship.
With Nate Odomes and Howard Ballard gone as free agents, though, it could mean a year with even more abuse if the Bills don't get to the Super Bowl.
New England, the New York Jets and Indianapolis shouldn't even dream about such lofty goals. The Patriots might reach .500 in Bill Parcells' second season as head coach, especially if quarterback Drew Bledsoe continues to develop. The Jets have lots of stars, from Ronnie Lott to Boomer Esiason to Nick Lowery, but those guys aren't in their prime anymore. The Colts already have lost one of their top picks, linebacker Trev Alberts (fifth overall) for the season and saw their other first-round prize, Marshall Faulk, get banged up in preseason action. It could be the start of another dreadful season for Indianapolis.
Pittsburgh and Houston will go at it in the Central, as they have the past two years. The Oilers lost too much (Warren Moon, Lorenzo White, William Fuller, Sean Jones, Greg Montgomery) to push the Steelers too far. But they shouldn't slip to the level of Cleveland and Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh has a gambling defense and a conservative offense, which suits coach Bill Cowher and his offensive coordinator, Ron Erhardt, just fine. Rod Woodson, back after being named the NFL's defensive player of the year, Greg Lloyd, Darren Perry, Carnell Lake and Kevin Greene set the tempo of mayhem. Barry Foster, Neil O'Donnell, John L. Williams and Dermontti Dawson keep the offense chugging along.
Houston won its final 11 games last season before flopping in the playoffs. It doesn't seem capable of 12 victories and a division title again.
The Browns are in their fourth season under Bill Belichick, and they've made little progress. The Bengals have the league's top draft pick, Dan Wilkinson, and will contend for next year's No.1 choice, too.
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[PICKS:]
Division Winners - Miami, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles.
Wild Cards - Buffalo, Denver, Kansas City.
AFC Champion - Los Angeles.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB