SUPER BOWL / DAILY REPORT : Johnson Plays Head Game on Kelly, Points Out He Hasn’t Won Big One

Jimmy Johnson wasted no time in resuming his head games Monday.

This time, the target was Buffalo Bill quarterback Jim Kelly.

As he did with the San Francisco 49ers’ Steve Young last week, Johnson just happened to remind everyone that Kelly has not won a Super Bowl.

And the poor guy, you might think that bothers him.

“Anytime a quarterback goes out there and has something hanging over his head, it takes away from his play,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if he can be as effective as he could be if he goes out there with total confidence. Jim Kelly would have much more confidence if he had a Super Bowl victory behind him.”

How does Johnson know this? Because his players tell him, of course. “Our quarterback doesn’t have that problem,” Johnson said. “Our program doesn’t have those problems.”

Note his use of, “program,” a word normally reserved for college coaches. Maybe he really is trying to turn the Cowboys into the University of Miami.

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Johnson also noted that his players revel in this week’s media attention--something that always seems to bother the Bills.

According to Johnson, the attention is less than surrounds the Cowboys during the regular season.

“This is actually easier for my guys than other times,” he said, rather amazingly. “My big-name players, they like this week because they have to do fewer one-on-one interviews.”

Johnson also said that his players don’t have to worry about saying anything outlandish. “They can say anything they want, because they know that I’ll probably say something more absurd.”

Unspoken was the fact that the Bills are frequently fined for outlandish remarks by their quiet head coach, Marv Levy.

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One difference from last year that may actually make a difference is the shortening of the time between the championship game and the Super Bowl.

Last year, with both teams having two weeks to prepare, the Cowboys were able to hone their timing against the Bills’ no-huddle offense during practice.

During that same stretch, the Bills lost their timing.

This year, because Johnson does not want to risk injury to starters, he will not put together a “scout” team to simulate the no-huddle offense.

And that worries him.

“I really think the extra week last year helped us in preparing for an offensive system that is a little bit foreign,” he said. “Not having that luxury . . . is going to be a little bit of a problem.”

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Levy said that those fans who look at the Bills’ fourth consecutive attempt at their first Super Bowl title as an exercise in futility are missing the point. “I see this more as an American epic,” he said. “This game, for us, is about what it takes to endure. What it takes to come back, to keep fighting.”

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Emmitt Smith said that his separated shoulder was sore, but that it is sound.

“It held up for 26 carries on Sunday and I even sat down some of the fourth quarter, so I feel very good about my shoulder right now,” he said.

He said the reason he has downplayed the injury is because other players are playing with worse. “You think about my shoulder, then you should be thinking about Ken Norton’s torn (biceps), and Kenny Gant’s shoulder, which pops in and out of joint the whole game,” he said. “Me, I’m just one of the guys.”

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Perhaps feeling it was too early in the week to start ripping the Bills, Cowboy defensive back Kevin Smith satisfied himself with a dig at former defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt.

“I think we were more aggressive this year,” Smith said. “That was the biggest difference between Butch (Davis, current defensive coordinator) and Coach Wannstedt.

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A revealing moment in the relationship between Johnson and Cowboy owner Jerry Jones took place during Monday’s press conferences.

Johnson was preparing to take the podium as the first Cowboy to speak when Jones hopped up on the stage and spoke instead.

“I got upstaged,” Johnson said with a smile.

Jones spoke for a few minutes and then asked if there were any questions. He was met with silence. According to longtime observers, it was the first Super Bowl press conference where there were no questions.