PRO FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT : ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

The San Diego Chargers avoided having to play a Saturday playoff game following Friday’s Holiday Bowl game when the NFL approved a request by the team to schedule its playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Had the Chargers been scheduled to play on Saturday the grounds crew would have had only 12 hours to re-line the field, cover the bowl logo and clean the stadium and parking lot--an impossible task according to Bill Wilson, Jack Murphy Stadium general manager.

If the game had been scheduled on Saturday, Wilson said his staff would only have had time to paint over the bowl logo with paint.

“Green paint looks like the dickens on natural grass,” he said. “I’ve never used green paint ever, except for the sidelines for the Super Bowl because the media killed everything. I don’t want to use it if I can help it.”

BECAUSE YOU’RE THE BEST YOU GET THE JETS

Although they way not have realized it, either USC’s Keyshawn Johnson or UCLA’s Jonathan Ogden may have been the biggest losers on Sunday.

Johnson, the top-rated receiver in next April’s NFL draft, and Ogden, the top offensive lineman, just happen to fit the biggest area’s of need for the lowly New York Jets, who wound up with a league-low 233 points this season, a 3-13 record, and the top pick in the draft.

One member of the press tried to use the top pick as positive spin on the Jets’ sorry season (which was one loss worse than the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars), but Jet Coach Rich Kotite wasn’t amused.

“Thanks for the congratulations,” he said sarcastically.

And an even bigger “Thanks” from the unlucky player who goes No. 1.

YOU’RE RIGHT BRETT, IT’S ONLY BLOOD

In the third quarter of Green Bay’s 24-19 victory over Pittsburgh, Packer quarterback Brett Favre took a huge hit from linebacker Greg Lloyd after an eight-yard run.

Favre wobbled to the sideline and began spitting up blood, but that did not stop him from completing a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Chmura on the next play.

“Never in my life have I spit up blood like that, but I’m not going to let Jim (McMahon) steal my touchdown pass,” Favre said.

Favre left the game on the Packers’ next series after more hard hits from Lloyd and linebacker Kevin Greene.

“The first time Brett was hurting pretty good, but he’s a tough guy. I don’t understand what happened,” Packer Coach Mike Holmgren said. “I think he landed on the football and couldn’t breathe. Then I called a dumb play and got him hit again.”

When asked to give a diagnosis of his injury, Favre was typical Favre.

“I just know that something’s bleeding. I’m not a doctor, but I know that much.”

SAVE SOME SNOW FOR STEINBRENNER, NEW YORK

Snowball I, that being the vulgar display of ice hurling by Giant fans during Saturday’s New York Giants/San Diego game at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, prompted efforts by both the Packers and the Jets to assure that Snowball II did not take place Sunday.

For its game against the Saints, the Jets beefed up security and the fans rested their arms, netting only seven arrests, only two for hurling snowballs.

Two contributing factors to the fans’ tame behavior in New York: There were 48,831 no-shows and no alcohol was served in the stands during the game.

The Packers took a different approach for their game against the Steelers at Lambeau Field, where there was no shortage of snow. There was an announcement before the game that anybody caught throwing snowballs would lose their season tickets. . . . and there are 19,000 names on the waiting list.

AND WHAT DID YOU ASK FOR THIS YEAR?

You have to admire the audacity of Pat Modell, the wife of Cleveland Browns’ owner Art Modell, who in an interview with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer told fans not to blame her husband for the team’s move to Baltimore.

“The fans shouldn’t be mad at us,” she said. “They were shortchanged by the political establishment.”

It was that establishment, she adds, who did not meet the one simple demand of her husband that would have kept the team in Cleveland.

“Art asked for only $175 million.”

Incidentally, Mrs. Modell made the comments from the cozy confines of the couple’s West Palm Beach, Fla. condominium.

NOW ITS JERRY VERSUS TERRY

After Cowboy owner Jerry Jones said last week that, “The only way Barry Switzer won’t be my coach is if he gets hit by a truck,” Fox’s Terry Bradshaw said, “There are 5,000 trucks circling Texas Stadium.”

What did Jones think of Bradshaw’s comment?

Well, when Fox asked if he would sit down with Bradshaw for an interview, Jones said, “I’d sit down with Jimmy Johnson before I’d sit down Bradshaw.”

Pam Oliver did the interview.

NOW THAT’S THE NORTHWESTERN WE KNOW

In what could be a bad omen for Northwestern fans heading into a Rose Bowl showdown with USC, former Wildcat running back Dennis Lundy almost caused his current team, the Chicago Bears, to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles in Chicago.

With the score 17-7 and 13:58 to play, Tom Hutton punted to the five-yard line and the ball went off the right foot of Lundy, who was playing just a few miles from his old college, and rolled into the end zone.

Eagle Jerome Henderson recovered it for a touchdown, but luckily for Lundy the Bears held on for a 20-14 victory.

INJURY REPORT

Dallas’ Jay Novacek left a Dallas-area hospital Sunday after surgery Saturday night to repair cartilage in his right knee. The team hopes to have him back for its first playoff game. . . . Bobby Hebert was pressed into service for the Saints when starter Jeff George left the field with a sprained neck with 1:53 remaining in the first half. . . . San Diego Coach Bobby Ross said quarterback Stan Humphries will play in Sunday’s home game against the Indianapolis Colts. Humphries suffered a sprained neck and concussion on the Chargers’ second series of Saturday’s game at the New York Giants. . . . Philadelphia’s Art Monk broke a bone in his left arm making a 36-yard catch Sunday against the Bears and probably won’t be able to play in the playoffs. . . . Jet punter Brian Hansen twisted his back when his first-quarter punt was blocked. . . . Buffalo special teams player Damon Thomas broke his right fibula while covering a punt in the third quarter. He is expected to miss the playoffs.

MILESTONES

San Francisco’s Jerry Rice broke the NFL’s single-season record for receiving yards. His 57-yard reception in the second quarter against Atlanta upped Rice’s season total to 1,754 yards, breaking the previous record of 1,746 set by Houston’s Charlie Hennigan in 1961. Hennigan set his record in 14 games; Rice broke the mark in his 16th. He also moved ahead of Art Monk for the most catches in a career with 942, breaking the record of 939. Monk added one more reception for Philadelphia on Sunday in a loss at Chicago, stretching his record string of consecutive games with at least one reception to 183. . . . Atlanta ‘s Morten Andersen broke the league record for field goals of 50 yards or more in a season when he kicked his seventh in the first quarter against the 49ers. Andersen later connected on a 59-yarder--the fourth longest in history. . . Chicago’s Rashaan Salaam became the sixth Heisman Trophy-winning running back to gain at least 1,000 yards as a rookie, joining George Rogers, Barry Sanders, Earl Campbell, Billy Sims and Tony Dorsett. Thirty-five runners won college football’s most prestigious award. . . . The Falcons became the NFL’s first team to have four players gain at least 1,000 yards in a season--running back Craig Heyward (1,083) and receivers Eric Metcalf (1,189), Bert Emanuel (1,039) and Terance Mathis (1,039). . . . Green Bay’s Robert Brooks’ had his ninth 100-yard game of the season and broke Sterling Sharpe’s team single-season receiving record of 1,461 yards set in 1992. Brooks finished with 1,497 yards.

QUOTEWORTHY

Bills’ Coach Mary Levy after Buffalo rookie Todd Collins was sacked five times and was six for 15 for 30 yards in his first start:

“He had a rough go. But he looked 10 times better than Terry Bradshaw did in his first start.”

Kelly Kinsell, who moved from Cleveland to Jacksonville two years ago and brought his 8-year-old son, Kennedy, to see his first NFL game:

“It tugs at your heart. I don’t want to be over-dramatic, because I know we’ve got men and women overseas, but it hurts.

Compiled by George Dohrmann and Houston Mitchell

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FACTS AND FIGURES

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

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TEAM DIVISION W L T *Kansas City Chiefs West 13 3 0 *Pittsburgh Steelers Central 11 5 0 *Buffalo Bills East 10 6 0 **San Diego Chargers West 9 7 0 **Indianapolis Colts East 9 7 0 **Miami Dolphins East 9 7 0 Denver Broncos West 8 8 0 Seattle Seahawks West 8 8 0 Oakland Raiders West 8 8 0 Cincinnati Bengals Central 7 9 0 Houston Oilers Central 7 9 0 New England Patriots East 6 10 0 Cleveland Browns Central 5 11 0 Jacksonville Jaguars Central 4 12 0 N.Y. Jets East 3 13 0

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NATIONAL CONFERENCE

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TEAM DIVISION W L T *San Francisco 49ers West 11 5 0 *Dallas Cowboys East 11 4 0 *Green Bay Packers Central 11 5 0 **Philadelphia Eagles East 10 6 0 **Detroit Lions Central 10 6 0 **Atlanta Falcons West 9 7 0 Minnesota Vikings Central 8 8 0 Chicago Bears Central 9 7 0 St. Louis Rams West 7 9 0 Carolina Panthers West 7 9 0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Central 7 9 0 New Orleans Saints West 7 9 0 N.Y. Giants East 5 11 0 Washington Redskins East 6 10 0 Arizona Cardinals East 4 11 0

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* won division

**wild card entry In each conference, three division winners, plus the three teams with the best record among the non-division winners, advance to postseason play.

PASSING

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Player, Team Att. Cmp. Yds. TD SCOTT MITCHELL, Lions 41 26 352 2 V. TESTAVERDE, Browns 45 28 325 1 JOHN ELWAY, Broncos 41 24 320 2 MARK RYPIEN, Rams 42 27 320 2 NEIL O’DONNELL, Steelers 55 33 318 1 STEVE YOUNG, 49ers 44 31 316 0 BRETT FAVRE, Packers 32 23 301 2 WARREN MOON, Vikings 43 26 294 2 MARK BRUNELL, Jaguars 29 17 275 1 JEFF BLAKE, Bengals 40 23 231 2

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RECEIVING

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Player, Team Rec. Yds. TD ISAAC BRUCE, Rams 15 210 1 JERRY RICE, 49ers 12 153 1 ROBERT BROOKS, Packers 11 137 1 MICHAEL JACKSON, Browns 7 130 1 TIM BROWN, Raiders 8 127 2 J.J. STOKES, 49ers 5 106 1 MARK CARRIER, Panthers 7 101 0 ED McCAFFREY, Broncos 9 99 1 HENRY ELLARD, Redskins 3 98 0

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RUSHING

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Player, Team Car. Yds. TD RASHAAN SALAAM, Bears 30 122 0 SCOTTIE GRAHAM, Vikings 25 115 0 GREG HILL, Chiefs 21 113 0 AARON CRAVER, Broncos 20 108 1 TERRY ALLEN, Redskins 28 92 2

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