Montana, Allen Put on a Show : Chiefs: Quarterback, former Raider lead Kansas City past the Buccaneers, 27-3.

Those who thought Joe Montana was finally out of miracles were left pinching themselves again Sunday, when football’s greatest quarterback pulled off one of life’s most difficult tricks.

The man stopped time.

In his first start in 32 months, Montana was not how we remembered him. He was better.

Finding holes where there seemingly were none, Montana passed for 246 yards and three touchdowns, joining fellow flashback Marcus Allen to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 27-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before 63,378 at Tampa Stadium.

Montana left the game with five minutes to play in the third quarter because of a sprained right wrist. But he even put his special stamp on the injury.

One play after it happened, he threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Allen to give the Chiefs a 24-3 lead. When he left, he had completed 14 of 21 passes with no interceptions. He hadn’t thrown for as many touchdowns since Nov. 4, 1990.

The injury is not considered serious, and Montana is expected to return to the lineup next week against the Houston Oilers.

“This really felt good. . . .it’s been a long time,” Montana said afterward, munching on a hamburger he held in his left hand.

His peaceful smile was shared by Allen, who did not get into the game until 48 seconds remained in the first quarter but still gained 79 yards in 13 carries, a 6.1-yard average.

After spending his last four Raider seasons deep in Al Davis’ doghouse, Allen spoke like a man who had won the lottery. He has now equaled his number of touchdown catches for the last two seasons combined.

“The last team I played for would not use me at all, so I’m just happy to get any kind of chance,” Allen said of his role as a third-down specialist. “This has been a rebirth in the sense that I’m enthusiastic again. I’m happy.”

His touchdown was vintage Allen. He caught a pass from Montana in the right flat and outfought linebacker Erick Anderson for several yards before diving into the end zone.

“When we sit back and reflect on this, it’s going to be something,” Allen said.

The Buccaneers, who gained only 157 yards in offense while going through two quarterbacks, needed no time for reflection.

Mark Wheeler, a nose tackle who hammered Montana in the backfield before the quarterback connected with J.J. Birden on a a 50-yard touchdown pass play, leaned over him at the time and said: “You’re one lucky SOB.”

But immediately after the game, Wheeler edited his comments.

“Make that, ‘One good SOB,” he said.

Steve DeBerg, who was replaced at quarterback by Craig Erickson early in the third quarter after a horrible performance, tried to make his former teammate laugh before the game by sneaking a pair of size-15 shoes into Montana’s locker.

“Stop following in my footsteps,” the note read.

Afterward, DeBerg was not laughing.

“This was an important game for him, a statement game,” DeBerg said. “Joe Montana plays best in big games.”

To appreciate Montana’s game, one need only look back to the second quarter. After 20 minutes, Montana had completed all eight of his passes for 83 yards.

His first incompletion, with 9:14 to play in the second quarter, was actually caught by Fred Jones, but out of bounds.

Of his seven incompletions, two were dropped, two were caught out of bounds by receivers who didn’t know where they were and one was thrown out of the end zone on purpose.

In other words, of 21 passes, he threw only two poorly.

“Been seeing that for a lot of years,” said Paul Hackett, the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator and a former San Francisco 49er assistant. “If you give Joe time, he will find the receivers. Always has.”

Montana, who sat out most of the last two seasons because of injuries and was finally traded by the 49ers in the spring, was given the time by a vastly improved offensive line. It responded Sunday when it realized that Montana truly only needs a little time.

“We’d been in the huddle and Joe would be telling the receivers that if they would just get to such-and-such spot, they would be open,” said Dave Szott, veteran guard. “Sure enough, the receivers would go there, and they would be open, and Joe would find them. It was unbelievable.”

On the Chiefs’ first touchdown, a 19-yard pass across the middle to Willie Davis, Montana threw the ball exactly as he promised.

“He told us that any time we went across the middle, he would take care of us by throwing it low,” Davis said. “Sure enough, that’s where it was.”

On their second touchdown, with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter, he hit Birden with a pass that traveled nearly 50 yards in the air, landing in his hands on the 10-yard line, barely over the head of frustrated cornerback Martin Mayhew.

“The ball was high enough so the cornerback couldn’t get it, but it landed perfect in my hands,” Birden said. “I never even had to slow down or speed up. It was something to see.”

So was the Montana aura, which was evident during the game by the presence of several security people at his side whenever he left the field or locker room.

“I wouldn’t want to be Joe Montana, I couldn’t live like that,” said teammate Neil Smith, a defensive end.

The Chiefs are already wondering about the reception that will await them in two weeks, when they meet the Denver Broncos on a Monday night in their home opener.

“My daughter had a birthday party, and all anybody wanted to know was if Joe Montana’s kids were coming,” said Joe Phillips, defensive end. “I mean, now, people are going to be killing to see the team.”

Everybody seemed excited Sunday, in fact, except Montana. That part of him hasn’t changed, either.

“I don’t believe I’m the magic ingredient for anything,” Montana claimed.

Whatever you say.