The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 17

NFL OM TV: Week 7 SUNDAY MONDAY N.Y. Jets at New England 3 p.m., Ch. 13 FAVORITE New York by 4. RECORDS New York 5-1, New England 3-3. Indianapolis at Buffalo Noon, Channel 13 FAVORITE Game rated even.

RECORDS Indionopolrt 2-4, Buffalo 04. WHEN BILLS HAVE THE BALI Bills will use two running bock attack witti Greg Bell and just signed Joe Cribbs, bold threats as receivers Green Bay at Chicago 8 p.m., Channel 6 FAVORITE -Chicago by RECORDS Green Boy 3-3, Chicago M). WHEN PACKERS HAVE THE BALL Packers passing gome moves only when QB Lynn Dickey has time to throw. WR James Lofton Tampa Bay at Miami 3 p.m., Channel 8 FAVORITE Miomi by 13. RECORDS Tampa Bay to, Miami 4-1.

WHEN TAMPA BAY HAS THE BALL Not many secrets here. James Wilder will get the ball. The Bucs have run the boll 153 times. (U) I l' has caught 16 passes last two games. WHEN BEARS HAVE THE BALL Quality offensive fine gives OB Jim McMahon lots of time to find his many quality receivers.

Passing gome has finally opened up room for RB Walter Poyton. KEY INJURIES Green Boy LB Brian Noble injured shoulder, status not known for Bears gome; Chicago RB Calvin Thomas injured knee, questionable; Keith Van Home onkle sprain, status unknown. KEY STATISTICS Packers have third best rushing attack in NFC. Bears QB Jim McMahon has top passing percentage, receiver Dennis McKinnon second best touchdown coming out of the backlield. WHEN COLTS HAVE THE BALL Colts rely on running attack of RB's Randy McMillan and George Wonsley.

KEY INJURIES Bills TE Ramson and CB's Burroughs and Bellinger nursing injuries, but should play. KEY MATCHUPS Cods have sacked opposing quarterbacks 12 times and line wiH pressure Bills OB Vmce Ferrogamo. Colts linebackers, led by Barry Krauss coverage of Bills RB's Bell and Cribbs. KEY STATISTICS Ferrogamo has thrown 13 interceptions this year. Colts RB's McMillan and Albert Bentley gained a combined 200 yards rushing against Bills in WHEN JETS HAVE THE BALL Rushing game is third-best in NFL and will feature NFUeoding rusher Freeman McNeil against Patriots' inconsistent defensive Erie.

KEY STATISTICS New England's ground game is No. 19 in the Jets' defense is No. 3 overall in NFl and limited opponents to averoge of 90 yards rushing. KEY MATCHUPS Jets DE Mark Gastineau vs. injured England offensive line; Patriots WR Irving Fryar against CBs Russell Carter and Bobby Jackson.

HEAD-TO-HEAD Jets lead series 28-20-1, Patriots won last meeting 30-20 on Oct. Wilder has 144 carries. He also the leading receiver. WHEN DOLPHINS HAVE THE BALL Must keep pressure' off Dan Marino in order for leogue's No. 2 passing attack to work.

Miami running bocks Tony Nathan and Lorenzo Hampton will try to rush. KEY INJURIES Miami linebacker Charles Bowser (ankle) fmebacker Bob' Bruazinski (arch), defensive end Kim Bo-' kqmper (neck) ond fullback Woody Bennett (onkle) oil questionable. Tampa Bay line-'. backer Jeff Davis (groin) questionable. KEY STATISTICS Wilder has 575 yards rushing, second best in league, but only 78 in lost two weeks.

He also leads leogue with 791 yards from scrimmoge. Tompa QB 28, 1984. scorer, Kevin Butler top kicking scorer. HEAD-TO-HEAD Chicago leods series 68-554, Green Bay won lost meeting 20-14, Dec. 9, 1984.

STREAKS Green Bay has won two in a row. Packer kicker Al Del Greco has hit six straight field goals. Unbeaten Chkogo has won six straight. Steve DeBerg has 13 interceptions. Miami WR Mark Clayton, who hod 18 touchdown catches last year, has only one this year.

HEAD-TO-HEAD Series tied 1-1. Buccaneers won last meeting, 23-17 Nov. 29, 1982. STREAKS Buccaneers have lost six straight. first meeting this season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD Indionapolis leads series 15-14-1, Indianapolis won lost meeting 49-17 Oct. 6, 1985. STREAKS Colts OB Mike Pagel needs 40 yards passing to reach coreer mark. Bills QB Charles Romes has intercepted pass in each of last three games. Bills have lost last eight regular season games.

STREAKS Jets have won lost five games after 31-0 opener loss to LA Raiders; New England's offense scored just one touchdown in each of last five games. 5 FRIDAY, OCT. 18, 1985 PAGE 17 THE NEWS ID who? Curtis Dickey make seas ebu on By TOM RIETMANN The Indianapolis Newt For two seasons now, Indianapolis football fans have heard much about Curtis Dickey's The Curtis Dickey Log RUSHING RECEIVING YEAR No. Yards Avg. Long TD No.

Yards Avg. Long TD 1980 15 176 800 4.5 51 11 25 204 8.2 32 2 1981 15164 779 4.8 67 7 37 419 1U 50 3 1982 8 66 232 3.5 25 1 21 228 10.9 34 0 1983 16 254 1,122 4.4 56 4 24 483 20.1 72 3 1984 9131 523 4.0 30 3 14 135 9.6 33 0 Totals 64 791 3,456 4.4 67 26 121 1,469 12.1 72 8 i. WT game-breaking qualities and big-play potential. They've seen very little. Make no mistake.

Dickey has shown glimpses of talent since the Colts settled in Indiana. A year or so ago, he gave Hoosier Dome fans a whiff of his ability by rushing for 121. yards and throwing a 63-yard touchdown pass against St. Louis. But, mostly, the fleet Dickey has been a hidden halfback.

After minor surgery on both knees, he has sat out 11 of the last 12 games. Results of both knee operations proved "inconclusive," which is also how fans view Dickey's performance here. Now, Dickey returns. Coach Rod Dowhower says he'll be activated for Sunday's game at Buffalo "unless he falls in a hole" between now and then. But after a preseason of promises about Dickey's showpiece status, Dowhower appears to be toning down his remarks.

The coach referred to Dickey as "a smart, smart person" who should have no trouble adapting in his regular-season debut. "He ought to have fresh legs," Dowhower added. But get one thing straight. "George Wonsley is the starting halfback and he's going to play," said Dowhower. "I'm going to work Curtis into the game." Injuries have forced the Colts to use a backfield in motion.

Curiously, they decided to switch the popular Wonsley from fullback to halfback in the same week Dickey finally returns. Why? "Just coincidence," said Billie Matthews, offensive coordinator and backfield coach. "There was a reluctance on my part to move Wonsley, but we finally agreed that the guy has to play. "It has nothing to do with Curtis coming back but has to do with George being on the bench (playing behind fullback Randy McMillan). Maybe if Curtis had been back two or three weeks and he was playing well, we wouldn't do it." something about your frontliners.

That's not a pleasing thought for a lot of people." Pagel cherishes that flexibility. Dickey, a former world-class sprinter at Texas is reputed to have the speed. Wonsley will show Buffalo plenty of crunch. "That'll give Buffalo something else to look at," said Pagel. Wonsley heard about his switch Tuesday morning and reported immediately to Colts headquarters.

He spent his day off poring over a halfback's playbook. However, he quietly admits he'd rather be the starter at fullback. He says there's something exciting about lowering his shoulder, and ramming into the trenches. "I like to challenge strength against tough-1 ness," said Wonsley, who recently rushed for 170 yards against Detroit. "I just feel there shouldn't be another human being who can stop me one on one." Getting physical has always been the Wonsley way.

But on pass routes in the open spaces, Wonsley says he feels "left out" That's why he, too, has welcomed Dickey's return from the repair shop. "With Curtis here now, it makes me feel better," Wonsley said. "In certain we can go back to the regular system for things Curtis can ran things I probably won't know." The Colts are hoping those things will be Dickey's big plays. Dickey has totaled 4,925 yards as a rusher and receiver, averaging 5.4 yards every time he touches the ball. His finest year came in 1983, when he rushed for 1,122 yards and averaged yards per catch.

Shortly thereafter, Colts owner Robert Irsay rewarded the six-year veteran with a $2.8 million contract. But in 1984, the Colts' first year in Indianapolis, Dickey totaled only 523 yards rushing and 135 receiving. And he encountered other problems, including one in a court of law. He agreed to undergo counseling after Sheila Dickey accused her husband of striking her. It wasn't long until Dickey quit talking to the press.

He told a Colts publicist his "feet would do the talking" in 1985. So far, the feet have been silent, too. But others don't mind talking for Dickey. "What I'm looking for from Curtis are big plays," said Matthews. "He's not a 'grind it out' kind of back, not the kind who will bust three tackles and make a six-yard run.

That's not his style." Wonsley has the rock-hard body, but Dickey has the soft hands. So if the situation calls for a pass on Sunday, watch for Dickey in the game. Dowhower has admitted he'll be forced to tailor the game plan to suit Wonsley's skills ctt hdlfbdcR "That's just it," said quarterback Mike Pagel. "If you have a guy like Curtis Dickey ready to come in as a reserve, that says Th Nws Photo, Patty Esplch Curtis Dickey ponders his future as he readies for Sunday Colt Scrapbook New York Jets big surprise of 1985 NFL football season Jimmie The Greek i 'Jff rW wMmgrn John Robinson, one of the league's best coaches, has done a tremendous job in rebuilding the Rams. He has won despite the Eric Dickerson holdout, and the learning process of QB Deiter Brock.

-The constant factor for L.A. has been the defense. It's been a dominant force. No team has run on the Rams, and their pass rush has been vastly improved. The secondary is now healthy, and the unit has become cohesive in every respect.

The Rams, simply stated, are winning on defense. Once Dickerson hits full stride, and he hasn't yet, the Rams will be even tougher. WEEKEND LINE (CAPS indicate horn team) SUNDAY Indianapolis at BUFFALO Even noon, Ch. 13) Cincinnati 4 over HOUSTON Dallas 4 over PHILADELPHIA DENVER 4 over Seattle L.A. Raider 3 over CLEVELAND k.A.

Rama at KANSAS CITY Even MIAMI 13 over Tampa Bay (3 p.m., Ch. 8) MINNESOTA 4 over San Diego New Orleans 2 over ATLANTA N.Y. GIANTS 3 over Washington N.Y. Jets 1 over NEW ENGLAND ft p.m., Ch. 13) PITTSBURGH 4 over St.

Louis San Francisco 10 over DETROIT MONDAY CHICAGO 10 over Green Bay (8 p.m., Ch. By JIMMY "The Greek" SNYDER Newt American Syndicate TWO teams, the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams, remain unbeaten after six weeks of NFL play, but the biggest surprise so far in the NFL this season has been the New York Jets. The 51 Jets, winners of five straight since an opening-week loss to the Raiders, walloped Miami 23 7 Monday night. In that contest, which moved the Jets into first place in the AFC East, Joe Walton's very aggressive crew illustrated a dominant running game and a well-orchestrated defensive unit. Walton turned the defense over to the controversial Bud Carson this season, and the move has already paid big dividends.

Carson, who helped build tough defenses in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, switched the Jets to a 3 4 alignment. His blitzing defense put enormous pressure on Dan Marino, forcing the celebrated QB into his worst starting performance ever. Marino didn't throw a TD pass and didn't have time to throw long all evening. The New York running game was overpowering. The offense has come together witfy Freeman McNeil and Johnny Hector doing the bulk of the work.

McNeil, who is often overlooked, ranks with the finest backs in the sport. He's strong and is blessed with superb balance and fast feet. How good are the Jets? To this point, we can't answer that question. But the New Yorkers have far surpassed anyone's predictions for this season. Manhandled 49ers The other big stories are being written in Chicago and Los Angeles.

The 6-0 Bears manhandled the 49ers on the West Coast last Sunday. Walter Payton was superb, and the Chicago defense pressured Joe Montana all afternoon. The Bears appear to have turned the corner as an NFL power. They should stand tall during the rest of the campaign. The L.A.

Rams, who survived a trip to Tampa Bay, are now in command in the NFC West they have a three-game lead over the struggling San Francisco 49ers. Tate Handle Tate Randle is starting his third season with the Colts. He has become the team's handyman in the defensive secondary. Last year, Randle was forced to play out of position when injuries hit the cor-nerback position. This season, he's at free safety and a regular in long-yardage situations.

He has recorded 31 tackles and four passes-defended. Randle, a Texas Tech product, owns a ranch in Odessa, Texas. He and wife Gail reside there in the offseason. Matt Bouza Matt Bouza, in his fourth year with the Colts, gave Hoosier Dome fans a view of his catching ability when he tightroped the end zone for a TD reception against Denver last Sunday. Bouza is the team's clutch receiver.

What he lacks in speed, he makes up for with sticky fingers. He has five catches on the year for an 18.6 yard average. Bouza is a product of the University of California. He and his wife, Marianne, reside in Orinda, Calif..