The Field Is Fine, Shula Says, and So Is Marino

Miami Coach Don Shula said Friday that quarterback Dan Marino is fine, and that even the Dolphins’ practice field is better.

So much for critical concerns in the countdown to kickoff for Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Sunday.

On Thursday, Shula had complained about the swampy surface of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, where the Dolphins practiced this week.

“I’m happy to report it’s been a little better,” Shula said. “They rolled it and replaced some sod. The problem is that it’s under sea level and, evidently, there’s a broken water main underneath.”

Today, the Dolphins will practice on the game field at Stanford.

“John Madden told me it’s in the best condition he’s ever seen any field,” Shula added.

Of more concern is that Marino gets a proper pregame meal Sunday. On Thursday it was reported that he’d had a dizzy spell at practice. Actually, Marino had merely told a trainer that he felt a little light-headed.

“He’d taken an anti-inflammatory pill in the morning and didn’t eat any breakfast or lunch,” Shula explained. “I wasn’t even aware of anything until it was over and I researched it.”

Said Marino: “I felt a little funny before the workout and went over and asked the doctor if maybe I had jet lag or something. I guess a photographer overheard me and put the report out.”

Shula was with Marino for two hours Thursday night to tape a Miami television show. “He was fine and looking forward to the game,” Shula said. “There doesn’t seem to be any problem.”

Marino periodically takes anti-inflammatory medication for an old knee injury.

“He wears a knee brace,” Shula said. “He’s had a knee problem for the last couple of years. Occasionally, he gets some swelling in the knee.”

Team physician Dr. Edward St. Mary gave Marino a Feldene tablet, one of several prescription drugs used by National Football League medical staffs.

Ram trainer George Menefee said: “You’d better take it with a meal because it’s powerful stuff--ideally, halfway through the largest meal you have all day.”

Marino said he hadn’t had time to eat.

Seldom has speculation on a Super Bowl been so sharply focused. The key to the outcome in most people’s minds: Can the 49ers control Marino?

That’s 49er Coach Bill Walsh’s problem.

“That one element is so dynamic and so brilliant you’re just obsessed with preparing for it,” Walsh said Friday. “It’s an overwhelming factor.

“We’ve been looking for an off-game in the films, an off-day. We just can’t find it. We’ll almost have to face up to the fact that the man is perfection in football.”

Shula said opponents have tried defenses from one extreme to the other--from all-out blitzes to eight-man coverages--with a similar lack of success. The 49ers are expected to virtually ignore the Dolphin running game and drop four or five defensive backs deep enough to keep Marino’s receivers in front of them.

“We’ll have to put linebackers on receivers,” Walsh said. “We’re not equipped to put that many defensive backs on the field.”

The other part of Walsh’s scheme has been to rotate nine defensive linemen, depending on the situation.

“The thing we want to avoid is being in the fourth quarter with tired defensive linemen,” he said. “That would be disastrous.”

Shula smiled and said: “They can’t play all those guys at the same time.”

On offense, Walsh said, “We’re going to have to make first downs on every possession for field position, whether we score or not.”

Shula’s plan is simpler: “Our game plan is going to be the same it’s been all season--to utilize our strengths. We’re gonna go after ‘em.”

Raider executive Al LoCasale can’t offer the 49ers much helpful advice about stopping Marino.

LoCasale was quoted by Dan Hruby of the San Jose Mercury News as saying: “We sacked him three times (when the Raiders defeated the Dolphins, 45-34, on Dec. 2). We kicked the hell out of him, but he just kept getting up and throwing. That’s what impressed our players.”

Marino completed 35 of 57 passes for 470 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions.

“I wouldn’t let him go deep,” LoCasale said.

Cornerback Eric Wright of the 49ers offered this view on Marino: “We have seen on film that when he hurries to throw, he throws a bad ball. He’s impatient.”

For the first time during the week Friday, the media stayed at their San Francisco hotel and the coaches came to them.

Shula took the BART under the Bay from Oakland.

“Some coaches ride in limousines, some coaches go on BART,” he said. “It carries on with my blue-collar image.”

Asked near the end of his press conference if anything was on his mind 48 hours before the game, he said: “I’m thinking about riding back on the BART.”

Walsh has been holding wide receiver Dwight Clark, tight end Russ Francis and defensive end Dwaine Board out of practice this week, but all will play.

“We worked very hard last week trying to emulate Marino’s passing game and had some sore muscles among our receivers,” Walsh said.

After much talk about the 49er defensive backs trying to intimidate the Dolphin receivers, Shula was asked if he would alert the officials to watch for possible fouls.

“I used to do that early in my coaching career, but invariably they’d call everything on us,” he said. “They’d probably call one of our players for roughing up Dwight Clark.”