The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 15

Saturday. Decemoer 22. 1V84 THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER SPORTS D-3 Marino Honored As Most Valuable Raiders In Familiar Position: Turmoil Heading To Playoffs Pro Football '5 I AFC Wild-Card Game Cleveland coach Sam Rutigliano says a financial offer for coaching the Bills was not satisfactory. "We Just couldn't work out things financially," Rutigliano said. Rutigliano has 4 Ma years remaining on his Browns contract at a reported salary of $200,000 a year.

"My lawyer went to Buffalo Monday morning to complete the deal, but we couldn't resolve things to my satisfaction," Rutigliano said. "Basically, Buffalo was offering less money, with the Browns making up the difference, so It was the same contract," he said. "It would have been different If we were talking about the Dallas Cowboys or Miami Dolphins. But we're talking about taking over the Buffalo Bills, the worst team In football this year." DAN MARINO Most Valuable Player Raiders vs. Seahawks Kickoff: 4 p.m.

at the Kingdome, Seattle. Records: Raiders 11-5, Seahawks 12-4. Favorite: Raiders by 1. TV: Channels 5, 22. Radio: WCKY (1 530).

What To Look For The key to this game could be whether the Seahawks can avoid falling too far behind and muster enough of a running game to keep the Raiders from turning loose their strong pass rush (64 sacks). Seattle QB Dave Krieg, who had passed for 32 of the team's 42 TDs, has been the key to the offense with RB Curt Warner sidelined for the year by a knee injury. Seattle's top rusher, FB David Hughes, has 327 yards. WR Steve Largent had 74 catches in the regular season for 1,164 yards and 12 TDs. Veteran QB Jim Plunkett, who was sidelined for several weeks with hip and stomach muscle problems, returns to the Raiders' starting lineup.

He has thrown six TD passes and 10 interceptions. Raiders' RB Marcus Allen was second in the AFC with 1,168 rushing yards. He scored 18 TDs (13 running and five receiving). The two teams split in regular season. The Raiders won, 28-14, in Los Angeles and the Seahawks won, 17-14 at, home Seattle lost its last two games with uncharacteristic breakdowns on special teams and failure to force turnovers.

The Raiders won four in a row before losing their last game. 1 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Dan Marino was named the National Football League's Most Valuable Player Friday by the Associated Press. "The man Is Just phenomenal," said wide receiver Mark Clayton, who has to give a good deal of the credit for his NFL single-season record of 18 touchdown receptions to Marino. "What can you say that hasn't been said about him? Everyone In American knows about him." Marino earned his spot at the head of the NFL class with record-smashing numbers In 1984. He threw 48 touchdowns passes, 12 more than any NFL passer had ever amassed In a season.

He also became the first NFL quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 yards, finishing with 5,084. That enabled him to win the MVP award over Eric Dlckerson, who picked the wrong year to break the single-season rushing record. Dlckerson picked up 2,105 yards to erase O.J. Simpson's mark by 102 yards, but he didn't make the Impression with the Rams that Marino made with the Dolphins. Marino got 52 votes among three sports writers or broadcasters covering each of the 28 NFL cities.

Dlckerson was next with 18, while the Chicago Bears' Walter Payton was third. "It's exciting," Marino said. "It's something special because there are so many great players In the league. I think I'm fortunate because I've been able to play with great players on my team to help me accomplish a lot of good things. That's why an award like that will make me feel good, because It just shows those guys were able to help me out." DENVER BRONCOS: Dan Reeves, whose team went from 9-7 in 1983 to 13-3 and the championship of the American Conference West in 1984, was named the NFL Coach of the Year by Pro Football Weekly.

The publication also selected Miami quarterback Dan Marino as Offensive Most Valuable Player, Seattle safety Kenny Easley as Defensive MVP, Pittsburgh receiver-punt returner Louis Lipps as Offensive Rookie of the Year, Green Bay safety Tom Flynn the Defensive Rookie, Seattle place-kicker Norm Johnson the recipient of the Golden Toe Award and Pittsburgh wide receiver John Stallworth the Comeback Player of the Year. BUFFALO BILLS: Former NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Coach Raymond Berry fired all but one of his assistant coaches, keeping only defensive coordinator Rod Rust. "My decision Is that I need to hire my own staff, have my own system of offense and defense," Berry said. Fired were defensive line coach Tommy Brasher, strength and conditioning coach LeBaron Caruthers, offense coordinator and quarterback coach Lew Erber, offensive line coach Bill Muir, tight end and special team coach Dante Scar-necchla, linebacker coach Steve Sldwell and defensive secondary coach Steve Walters. BY RANDY HARVEY Los Angeles Times SEATTLE-Once again, Al Davis charges that the National Football League, specifically Commissioner Pete Rozelle, is out to get him and the Raiders.

Coach Tom Flores announces that Jim Plunkett has regained his status as No. 1 quarterback even though he hasn't started a game since the first week of October. Upon his demotion, Marc Wilson, formerly No. 1, admits his bewilderment. Running back Marcus Allen wonders out loud whether a game plan that calls for him to carry the ball 13 times makes sense to anyone other than the Raider coaching staff.

In short, the Raiders, mad at the world, are ready for the playoffs, which they will begin today against the Seattle Seahawks In the American Conference wild-card game at Seattle's Kingdome. "There are 70,000 deceased presidents on the line," cornerback Lester Hayes said this week. "For the mercenaries on this team, that Is more than enough incentive for us to be victorious. So be it." So what if the Raiders (11-5) are playing an improved Seattle team (12-4) that has beaten them three times in the last five games? SO WHAT If the Raiders are playing In front of a Kingdome crowd that has turned the Wave into an art form, creating something called the Triple Wave that has disoriented one opponent after another with its decibel level? The more precarious their situation, the more the Raiders seem to like it. "I think we're the most talented team in the NFL," fullback Frank Hawkins said this week.

"Nobody picked us to win it all last year, and nobody picked us to win it in 1980. Yeah, we can win four straight." Actually, a lot of people did predict that the Raiders would win It all last season, when they had the home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. But you know the Raiders. Even when they have people on their side, they like to think everyone is against them. The Raiders' circumstances this year are more similar to 1980, when they became the only wildcard team ever to win the Super Bowl.

But they face a more difficult task this year, having to win four games on the road If they are to become only the fourth team to win consecutive championships. In 1980, they at least were able to open the playoffs at home. THEY HAVEN'T won here in Seattle since 1981. That's a little misleading, since the Raiders didn't play here during the strike-shortened 1982 season. Still, they're aware that strange things happen to them in the Kingdome.

Especially aware of that is Plunkett, who was benched after being responsible for five of the Raiders' eight turnovers in a 38-36 loss here last season. He threw three Interceptions and fumbled twice. This season, the Raiders beat the Seahawks, 28-14 In the Colisuem. A month later, Seattle scored all of its points within 8:19 of the third quarter in a 17-14 victory at the Kingdome. Plunkett pulled an abdominal muscle during that game and didn't play for the next nine weeks.

But when it counted last season, in the AFC championship game at the Coliseum, the Raiders, with Plunkett at quarterback, routed the Seahawks, 30-14. Feeling that playoff games are truer tests than SAM RUTIGLIANO not satisfied financially the regular-season contests between them the last two years, many of the Raiders, if not all of them, would rather be facing the Seahawks today than the Denver Broncos. The Raiders lost twice this season to the Broncos. Denver would have been the Raiders' opponent today if the Broncos had lost last Saturday in Seattle. But their 31-14 victory, achieved without the ear plugs they had brought along just in case, gave them the AFC West championship and a week off.

The loss to Denver was the Seahawks' second straight. They were humiliated the previous week by Kansas City, 34-7. That is not the kind of momentum a team wants to carry into the playoffs. "I'M A little bit concerned about that, about the confidence factor," Seattle coach Chuck Knox said. "But we got a little playoff experience last year, and we've played a lot of big games this year.

We've been playing with some confidence." The Raiders also have some questions, particularly concerning their quarterback situation. Is Plunkett ready to start In the playoffs after missing so much of the season? Will Wilson be mentally prepared if he's called from the bench? "Last night came a tremor in the force," he said the next afternoon, predicting a Raider victory "The score shall be 24-10. So be It." INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Owner Robert Irsay said is considering 60 or 70 names for the vacancy, with interviews set to begin next week. Irsay said he hopes to sign a new head coach by Jan. 15.

The candidates Include interim coach Hal Hunter; Marv Levy, former Kansas City Chiefs coach; Bud Carson, former Colts defensive coordinator; and Dick Coury, coach of the USFL's Portland Breakers. DETROIT LIONS: Owner William Clay Ford says that La Veil Edwards of Brlgham Young, Don James of Washington and Jack Bicknell of Boston College are among the collegiate coaches he Is considering to succeed Monte Clark. "They're candidates," he said. "I'm not going to leave any stone unturned. They're successful coaches.

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