QUICK KICKS

* TRUE CONFESSIONS: As one of the 81 voters for the Associated Press All-NFL team, your correspondent was humbled by the recently published breakdown of the voting for the All-Pro team.

The one person to vote for Jeff Criswell for offensive tackle? Me.

Simply thought somebody from a New York Jet offensive line that gave up a league-low 21 sacks deserved to get in.

One of only two people to vote for outside linebacker Corey Miller of the New York Giants? Me again.

Simply figured Miller was a force on a defense that led the league in fewest points given up.

But the most enlightening breakdown was at kicker. No humility here.

How in the world can your correspondent be the only one in the country to vote for the Raiders’ Jeff Jaeger, who tied an NFL record with 35 field goals?

Jaeger had not yet tied the record when the votes were due several weeks ago. Nonetheless, his omission by the rest of the voters is a direct slap at the Raider organization.

If they had an official public relations department, if they worked harder at spreading the news about some of their great players, more than hometown guys would recognize them.

Doesn’t matter, you say? Just win, baby?

Not any more. If you hope to entice free agents in this thoroughly modern NFL, winning is not enough. You need an attractive environment in which a player feels that his individual growth will coincide with the growth of the team.

When the best kicker in the league cannot make the Pro Bowl and receives only one all-pro vote, that environment is missing.

* RECEIVING LINE: Fun facts about Jerry Rice’s 124 regular-season touchdowns, which rank third on the all-time list, one behind Walter Payton and two behind Jim Brown.

Fact: Ten of his first 12 touchdown catches came from quarterbacks other than Joe Montana or Steve Young. Perhaps you remember Jeff Kemp, Matt Cavanaugh and Mike Moroski?

Fact: He has scored six rushing touchdowns, but only two in the last five years.

Fact: He hasn’t caught a touchdown pass from Montana in more than three years.

Fact: He has caught 55 touchdown passes from Montana and 46 from Young.

Fact: It’s too tough for NFL teams to score in the 20-yard line or closer? No, it’s simply that not enough teams have Rice, who has scored half of his touchdowns--57--while the 49ers were in the infamous Red Zone.

Fact: Because the 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs next season, Rice could break the record with Montana standing on the other side of the field.