Levy, Bills Should Stick With Reich as Starter : AFC: He’s the right quarterback for Buffalo against Miami, not the gimpy-kneed Kelly.

Memo to Marv Levy, coach, Buffalo Bills.

Subject: Starting quarterback, American Football Conference title game.

Marv, start Frank Reich. And if he beats the Miami Dolphins, start him again in the Super Bowl. Worry about Jim Kelly’s feelings later.

I know, I know, Jim has taken you to consecutive Super Bowls. And you have a firm policy that, as long as Kelly is healthy, he automatically regains his starting position. But there are exceptions to every rule. Make one this time.

Kelly is more talented than Reich. He has a better arm, he has more experience. But Marv, your team is one game from a third Super Bowl appearance because of Frank Reich. You and your players should be home watching the game Sunday, along with the rest of us. Only Reich would not hear of it. He is the major reason your Bills were able to make that memorable 32-point comeback against the Houston Oilers two weeks ago that set up this showdown with the Dolphins. And he performed just as he should have against Pittsburgh last Saturday, when your Bills stuffed the Steelers and Pittsburgh’s home-field advantage by disdaining the bomb.

Makes sense, right? Indeed, it was the exact approach to take. But how many times have you seen Kelly pull back under any circumstances? He always is trying to produce the big play, no matter how well the defense is playing. His guns always are blazing. The hell with the score.

“We didn’t go deep (during the game) because we didn’t need to, and it wasn’t there,” Reich says. Translation: Don’t force what the defense isn’t giving you. Kelly, who is much more of a risk taker, attempts to be more creative. That can be detrimental to a team’s chances of success. Your team, Marv. What I am trying to say is that maybe, right now, your offense is better with the quarterback doing less.

Pittsburgh wanted to test this old kid on the block. The Steelers tossed all types of stunts and blitzes at Reich and his veteran line, and the Bills countered magnificently. When Pittsburgh managed to get near him, he was able to unload all but one time before being sacked.

“When defenses try to do that to you, it all starts with the quarterback and how he handles it,” tackle Wil Wolford says. “Frank’s a smart guy. He handled it great. He put us in the right spots.”

The Steelers had the second-best giveaway/takeaway difference in the league this season, but Reich was not going to let this opportunistic bunch get rolling. Pittsburgh wound up committing three turnovers, the Bills none. Without any help from Reich, the Steelers proved an ordinary playoff team.

Marv, you only had to watch Miami’s game against the San Diego Chargers Sunday to realize the importance of turnovers. Charger quarterback Stan Humphries, who played every bit as poorly as O’Donnell, threw four interceptions. The first three, which came within a 10-minute span in the second quarter, set up Dolphins touchdowns. And Dan Marino? No turnovers.

“That was the most satisfying part,” Marino says. “No mistakes.” How important are errors? Dolphins had one, the Chargers five. And Miami won, 31-0.

Marv, you should beat Miami, even if the game is in Joe Robbie Stadium and even if Marino desperately wants a shot at another Super Bowl. Your team has more talent and more experience. Starting Reich this week should be a no-brainer, because Kelly can’t possibly be completely healthy. The tough decision will come at the Super Bowl. Pencil in Reich for that one, too. It’s the best shot you’ve got.

A look at the AFC championship game, which amounts to a rubber match in the Buffalo-Miami series this season:

Miami has been playing catch-up against Buffalo for longer than Coach Don Shula cares to remember. “When they are the team to beat in your division, you have to make personnel moves designed to combat what they do,” he says.

Miami, for example, picked offensive tackle Richmond Webb in the first round of the 1990 draft because Shula needed someone who could stand up to Bills’ defensive end Bruce Smith. He also has attempted to add quickness to his secondary to neutralize the Bills’ speed at wide receiver.

But, until this season, Miami had not made much progress, although they did play the Bills moderately well in a 44-34 loss in a divisional playoff game after the 1990 season. Then two important events happened. In October, Miami gained much-needed confidence by overwhelming the Bills, 37-10, in Rich Stadium. And, thanks to the Bills’ season-ending loss at Houston, the Dolphins won their first division title since 1985. That’s how this game wound up in Joe Robbie.

“We know each other so well that it’s hard to surprise each other,” rookie defensive end Marco Coleman says. “It’s like an in-town rivalry, a game you’ve been pointing to all your life. It has a lot more emotion.”

It should be to Miami’s advantage to have a home game against the Bills. But in November, Buffalo left a message to the contrary. The Bills overcame a 14-3 deficit to win in Miami, 26-20. That loss sent the Dolphins’ offense into such a tailspin that it generated only six touchdowns in the next six games before snapping out of its coma against San Diego. Shows you how overrated the Chargers’ defense was this season.

“I’d just like to see a little sunshine and heat for those guys from the north,” Miami fullback Tony Paige says.

We are talking ego here. Big ego. Don Shula’s ego. Last week, the talk was of former Shula assistant Bill Arnsparger and his Charger defense. “We think we play pretty good defense here, too,” says Shula, not taking kindly to sharing the pregame spotlight with anyone. Now the talk will be of Buffalo’s talent and drive for a third consecutive Super Bowl. Shula won’t take kindly to that, either.

Shula, the only coach to guide teams to the Super Bowl in three different decades, wants to make it four. That prods him, along with his quest to eclipse George Halas and become the winningest pro coach. With 318 career victories, Shula is seven short of passing Halas. After last year’s 8-8 disappointment, it was unrealistic to expect the Dolphins to challenge for the championship. But just that quickly, Shula finds himself one victory from Pasadena and that granite jaw of his is sticking way out, defying Buffalo to beat him on his home turf.

After years of making some horrible personnel moves, Shula has worked magic with this team. Among his moves:

Drafting Coleman (No. 1b, ‘92); linebacker Bryan Cox (No. 5, ‘91), who had 14 sacks this season; and cornerback Troy Vincent (No. 1a, ‘92), who recorded two interceptions against San Diego.

Signing tight end Keith Jackson.

Trading for running back Bobby Humphrey.

The defense is young, but the offense is aging at receiver and quarterback and who knows how many more chances you get at another ring?

No wonder Shula is so eager to play this game.

Marino might have led the NFL in the major passing categories, but this season has belonged to the Dolphins’ defense. That’s right, the Dolphins actually do play defense.

In 1991, Miami had one of the NFL’s worst defenses, continuing a trend that started in the mid-’80s. But a resurgence began that October day in Buffalo, when defense coach Tom Olivadotti moved Coleman, his prized rookie, from linebacker to defensive end and switched another linebacker, David Griggs, to the other end. Presto, this became a 4-3 team, although the Dolphins still proclaim themselves a 3-4 outfit. The moves improved Miami’s pass rush, added quickness to the flanks and made the unit into something other than a long-running joke.

The key to beating this defense always has been the running game. San Diego tried that approach, but the Chargers could muster only 70 yards rushing despite a noticeable advantage along the offensive line. Buffalo gained 63 yards rushing in its loss to Miami--Kelly also threw four interceptions--but recorded 111 yards rushing (and no turnovers) in the victory at Miami. If the Dolphins stop Buffalo’s running game Sunday, they should win.