PRO FOOTBALL ’94 : A PREVIEW : AMERICAN FOOTBALL COFERENCE

The Dolphins survive the choppy East, the Steelers throw a steel curtain over the Central, then from out West, the Raiders run away from them both to their first Super Bowl since 1984.

WESTERN DIVISION

Los Angeles Raiders

* Last Year: 10-6, lost to Buffalo in conference semifinals.

* This Year: 12-4, defeat Miami in conference semifinals, defeat Pittsburgh in conference championship game, lose to San Francisco in Super Bowl

* Looking Good: Scowls, swaggers, memories of Ben Davidson, Lester Hayes and eye black.

* Don’t Look: At the only Raider exhibition game in Southern California, against the Rams at Anaheim Stadium, Raider fans were involved in eight brawls requiring security intervention. But rest easy, you who come to the Coliseum to cheer for the other guy. Having run out of worthy opponents, Raider fans mostly fight each other.

* It Figures: Before blaming the running backs for all the Raider rushing problems, note that they averaged 4.4 yards a carry last season running behind Steve Wisniewski and Gerald Perry on the left side of the line. Running everywhere else, they averaged 2.9 yards.

Seattle Seahawks

* Last Year: 6-10.

* This Year: 10-6, lose to Miami in wild-card playoff.

* Looking Good: Blessed with the sixth-easiest schedule in the league and one of the toughest young backfield combinations, they will finally make Chuck Knox feel nostalgic. Quarterback Rick Mirer does nothing particularly pretty except win. Running back Chris Warren is only spectacular when you see him steaming into the end zone or flying to Hawaii. You did know he made the Pro Bowl last year after gaining 1,072 yards? The offensive line was upgraded with free agent Howard Ballard from Buffalo; the defense improved the minute the Seahawks drafted surly Sam Adams to play next to Cortez Kennedy.

* Don’t Look: The Seahawks have already lost five players for the season because of injuries that have left them searching for defensive backs to assist Pro Bowl safety Eugene Robinson. Not a good thing to be missing in this division.

* It Figures: After losing two former Buffalo cornerbacks for the season because of torn knee ligaments -- Pro Bowler Nate Odomes and Kirby Jackson -- the Seahawks traded for New England’s Darryl Wren. But he flunked the physical. Reason? A “laxity” in a knee ligament. Wren, as you may have guessed, is a former Bill.

San Diego Chargers

* Last Year: 8-8.

* This Year: 9-7, lose to Buffalo in wild-card playoff.

* Looking Good: With Marion Butts gone, Natrone Means will lead the conference in rushing. With bad-apple Anthony Miller out of the locker room, young Charger receivers such as Shawn Jefferson will have room to grow. With an offensive line that suddenly looks capable of blocking somebody, quarterback Stan Humphries could be looking at 3,000-plus yards again.

* Don’t Look: Despite the addition of cornerback Dwayne Harper from Seattle, we worry about a pass defense that was the league’s worst last year. Safety Stanley Richard needs to play as advertised. Cornerback Darrien Gordon needs to grow up in a hurry. Just because Donald Frank is gone doesn’t mean the nightmare is over.

* It Figures: The Chargers’ .594 winning record (19-13) since 1992 is their best in a two-year period since Dan Fouts’ glory days, when they went 16-9 in 1981-82.

Denver Broncos

* Last Year: 9-7, lost to Raiders in wild-card playoff.

* This Year: 8-8.

* Looking Good: We know, we know, they have the best offense since the Lakers. With John Elway throwing to the likes of Anthony Miller (from San Diego), Mike Pritchard (from the Atlanta Falcons) and Shannon Sharpe, Denver fans may finally have reason to act like the wackos they have long resembled. In other words, throw in Leonard Russell and this is an offense truly worth watching in a snowstorm.

* Don’t Look: The defense that ranked 27th against the pass last season added two cornerbacks known for their ... tackling? Ray Crockett from Detroit and Ben Smith from Philadelphia are tough guys, but can they cover? Nobody else can. Come to think of it, only one person on that defense can both rush the passer and stuff the run. Linebacker Simon Fletcher, the best active defensive player never to make the Pro Bowl, must feel like the professor on Gilligan’s Island.

* It Figures: The Broncos once drafted Hall of Fame defenders Dick Butkus and Merlin Olsen. But they couldn’t sign either one.

Kansas City Chiefs

* Last Year: 11-5, lost to Buffalo in conference championship game.

* This Year: 7-9.

* Looking Good: Receiver Lake Dawson, yet another rookie from Notre Dame who is more than ready for the NFL, is just the antidote to inconsistent Willie Davis and J.J. Birden. Marcus Allen can still catch that five-yard pass and find the end zone, while Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith can still find those quarterbacks.

* Don’t Look: Guess how many games Joe Montana played last year? 13? 14? Try 11. That number figures to drop again this season, particularly since he won’t be tempted to force his injured body back into the lineup after injuries because trusted friend Steve Bono will be taking over. Now, guess how many members of that all-star defense departed because of free agency and the salary cap? Try four -- Albert Lewis, Kevin Ross, Lonnie Marts and Martin Bayless. An aging, inconsistent offense coupled with a reworked defense does not sound like the makings of a division championship encore to us.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Pittsburgh Steelers

* Last Year: 9-7, lost to Kansas City Chiefs in wild-card playoff.

* This Year: 12-4, defeat Buffalo in conference semifinals, lose to Raiders in conference championship game.

* Looking Good: They have arguably the AFC’s strongest running back in Barry Foster, and meanest linebacker in Greg Lloyd, and best cover guy in cornerback Rod Woodson. Their quarterback, Neil O’Donnell, has a chance to be a star with good wide receivers. He might finally have not one but two, in rising star Andre Hastings and flashy rookie Charles Johnson.

* Don’t Look: The potential for off-field commotion here is as large as Coach Bill Cowher’s jaw. Foster could quit at any minute and who knows what linebacker Kevin Greene might do? Already this summer, one of their best players, guard Carlton Haselrig, just disappeared. At any moment over the next five months, this tenuous team’s championship hopes could do the same thing.

* It Figures: In O’Donnell’s first three seasons as a regular, he passed for nearly 2,000 more yards and seven more touchdowns than Terry Bradshaw in his first three seasons with the Steelers.

Houston Oilers

* Last Year: 12-4, lost to Kansas City in conference semifinals.

* This Year: 9-7.

* Looking Good: Well, David Williams and his wife Debi are not expected to have another baby this year. And well, Kevin Gilbride has only one shot at Buddy Ryan, on Dec. 4 in Arizona, but they will be on opposite sidelines. OK, if you insist, we like Gary Brown to gain 1,200 yards and Marcus Robertson and Cris Dishman to combine for 15 interceptions.

* Don’t Look: With Cody Carlson under center, they suddenly look like something out of the Southwest Conference. (Texas Tech, maybe?) And you can’t lose Sean Jones, William Fuller, Wilber Marshall and Buddy Ryan and still have he league’s top-ranked defense against the rush.

* It Figures: Brown broke 99 tackles in 195 attempts last season for a league-best .508 mark. Yes, there are people who actually keep track of this stuff.

Cleveland Browns

* Last Year: 7-9.

* This Year: 7-9.

* Looking Good: Somebody told us that during training camp, Coach Bill Belichick was smiling and even joking. We didn’t believe it, but it makes for good copy. That same somebody told us that the Brown secondary, only average last season, now has former San Francisco 49er Don Griffin and top rookie Antonio Langham to complement Eric Turner. Then somebody even said that running back Eric Metcalf was going to get 250 carries. This is when we walked out.

* Don’t Look: How long before the controversy begins swirling around starting quarterback Vinny Testaverde and backup Mark Rypien? How long before fans start missing linebackers Michael Johnson and Clay Matthews? How long before those same fans realize that even though linebackers Pepper Johnson and Carl Banks played for Belichick with the New York Giants, that was ages ago?

* It Figures: Under Belichick, the Browns have the following records in December: 1-3, 1-3 and 2-3.

Cincinnati Bengals

* Last Year: 3-13.

* This Year: 4-12.

* Looking Good: With the addition of hotdog safety Louis Oliver, the Bengals led the league in end zone dances during the exhibition season. Among those performing was Derrick Fenner, who should be running well enough to force the benching of mutinous Harold Green for good. Just wait until Dan (Big Daddy) Wilkinson, the top overall pick in the draft, pulls down a few quarterbacks. Then we’ll see some hoofing.

* Don’t Look: Coach Dave Shula must get tougher. A practice-field fight would be nice. His incredible football smarts are worthless if nobody deems it important enough to listen. Quarterback David Klingler must get better, although it would help if he wasn’t sacked a league-leading 53 times.

* It Figures: The Bengals scored a touchdown only nine of 45 times they were inside the 10-yard line last season. In the same area, the 49ers scored 30 times.

EASTERN DIVISION

Miami Dolphins

* Last Year: 9-7.

* This Year: 10-6, defeat Seattle in wild-card playoff, lose to Raiders in conference semifinals.

* Looking Good: Just about everything but Dan Marino. The running game is stronger than ever with the emergence of Terry Kirby, who catches passes as well as any back in the league. With Irving Fryar used to the offense, and O.J. McDuffie used to playing in the NFL, the receivers are also splendid. Bryan Cox, big mouth and all, has returned to terrorize opposing players and fans alike. Cornerback Troy Vincent is sound again, and the additions of free-agent safeties Gene Atkins and Michael Stewart ensure that the team will not have to live through another five-game losing streak like the one that ended last season.

* Don’t Look: He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s desparate for a Super Bowl. But when it comes to quarterback Marino’s comeback from the Achilles’ tendon injury he suffered in the fifth game last season, he’s not convincing. He admits he can’t step up or out of the pocket as quickly as before. He admits that for the first time in his career, he is playing with some uncertainty. Throwing only two more completions (four) than interceptions (two) in one’s final exhibition game is not very convincing evidence that one is ready for Sunday’s opener.

* It Figures: This marks the 21st anniversary of the Dolphins, and Don Shula’s, last Super Bowl championship season.

Buffalo Bills

* Last Year: 12-4, lost to Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl.

* This Year: 9-7, defeat San Diego in wild-card playoff, lose to Pittsburgh in conference semifinals.

* Looking Good: Same old, same old. For the next three months we’ll watch countless highlights of Jim Kelly handing to Thurman Thomas; Kelly passing to Andre Reed; and Bruce Smith knocking the stuffing out of somebody.

* Don’t Look: While most of the NFL’s players have been trashing the salary cap, they should be thankful that it could keep the Bills from returning to the Super Bowl for a fifth consecutive January. Salary restrictions cost them their best offensive lineman (Howard Ballard) and two of their best defensive backs (Nate Odomes and James Williams). Both areas have become weaknesses, particularly the offensive line, threatening Kelly’s streak of 32 consecutive regular-season starts, second-longest among active quarterbacks.

* It Figures: The Bills have not drafted an offensive skill player in the first round in eight years.

Indianapolis Colts

* Last Year: 4-12.

* This Year: 8-8.

* Looking Good: Running back Marshall Faulk has been everything everyone expected. The first-round draft choice, who is already starting to resemble a younger Thurman Thomas, could score as many rushing touchdowns in the first two weeks as the Colts scored all last season--four. New quarterback Jim Harbaugh has been equally as impressive, if only because of his apparent inability to whine. Linebacker Trev Alberts, another first-round pick, is sidelined for the season because of an elbow injury. But new linebacker Tony Bennett has added old-fashioned hitting to a defense led by linebackers Quentin Coryett and Jeff Herrod.

* Don’t Look: Sean Dawkins, former Cal great, needs to start behaving more like a wide receiver. Coach Ted Marchibroda, current great human being, needs to start behaving more like a jerk. Players don’t respect Dawkins for dropping footballs, or Marchibroda for not chewing him out.

* It Figures: The last time the Colt won as many as 10 games, Faulk was 4.

New England Patriots

* Last Year: 4-12.

* This Year: 7-9.

* Looking Good: Boston fans will not soon forget the sight of Drew Bledsoe throwing for four touchdown passes against the Dolphins in last year’s season finale. Now, if only young Bledsoe could ignore the rantings of Coach Bill Parcells long enough to remember the same image. Parcells has made it easier for Bledsoe this year, signing tough guard Bob Kratch and trading for bruising running back Marion Butts. The defense is better with first-round pick Willie McGinest of USC teaming with last year’s rookie star Chris Slade, and Parcells disciple Myron Guyton added in the secondary.

* Don’t Look: Butts was hurt during training camp, forcing the acquisiton of Leroy Thompson. Neither seems capable of matching Leonard Russell’s 300 carries and 1,088 yards of last season, numbers he took with him to the Denver Broncos after a salary dispute.

* It Figures: Last season, the young Patriots committed a league-low 64 penalties, 32 fewer than the league average and 47 fewer than in the previous season. Who says Parcells still can’t inspire fear?

New York Jets

* Last Year: 8-8.

* This Year: 7-9.

* Looking Good: The league’s eighth-ranked defense should get even better if former first-round selection Marvin Jones returns from a hip injury. Defensive end Jeff Lageman is one of the league’s unknown stars. Running back Johnny Johnson is coming off the best year nobody saw, with 1,462 total yards despite making only nine starts. And if nothing else, refreshing new Coach Pete Carroll is a lot of fun.

* Don’t Look: Is it just us, or does it seem like Boomer Esiason and Art Monk and Ronnie Lott have been around for 20 years? And are starting to play like it?

* It Figures: An offensive line that gave up a league-low 21 sacks last season had better not yawn. Esiason’s quarterback rating before his first sack in a 1993 game was 93.1 ... and 69.8 afterward.

Source: Stats, Inc.

1993 LEADERS

QUARTERBACKS ATT COMP YDS TD INT RATING Dan Marino, MIA. 150 91 1,218 8 3 95.9 John Elway, DEN. 462 314 4,030 25 10 92.8 Joe Montana, K.C. 298 181 2,144 13 7 87.4 Vinny Testaverde, CLE. 230 130 1,797 14 9 85.7 Boomer Esiason, N.Y. 473 288 3,421 16 11 84.5 Jeff Hostetler, RAIDERS 419 236 3,242 14 10 82.5 Bernie Kosar, MIA. 201 115 1,217 8 3 82.0 Jim Kelly, BUF. 470 288 3,382 18 18 79.9 Neil O’Donnell, PITT. 486 270 3,208 14 7 79.5 Jim Harbaugh, IND. 325 200 2,002 7 11 72.1

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RUNNING BACKS ATT YDS TD Thurman Thomas, BUF. 355 1,315 6 Leonard Russell, DEN. 300 1,088 7 Chris Warren, SEA. 273 1,072 7 Johnny Johnson, N.Y. 198 821 4 Rod Bernstine, DEN. 223 816 4 Marcus Allen, K.C. 206 764 15 Leroy Thompson, PIT. 205 763 3 Marion Butts, N.E. 185 746 4 Barry Foster, PIT. 177 711 9 Roosevelt Potts, IND. 179 711 0

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WIDE RECEIVERS NO. YDS TD Reggie Langhorn, IND. 85 1,038 3 Anthony Miller, DEN. 84 1,162 7 Shannon Sharpe, DEN. 81 995 9 Tim Brown, RAIDERS 80 1,180 7 Brian Blades, SEA. 80 945 3 Webster Slaughter, HOU. 77 904 5 Mike Pritchard, DEN. 74 736 7 Ernest Givins, HOU. 68 887 4 Pete Metzelaars, BUF. 68 609 4 Haywood Jeffires, HOU. 66 753 6