Playboy's Pro Football Preview

In the Garish little world of professional football, none of the denizens are so enigmatic--so protected, privileged, pampered and so generally inept in their duties--as the franchise owners. Few of us ordinary fans are ever aware of their foibles, follies or fuck-ups, because they are protectively screened by a battalion of public-relations guards and treated with fearful deference by most of the sports press. Suitably obsequious writers and television reporters are continually treated to cornucopious hospitality by front-office moguls--expensive booze, lavish buffets, free rides on the team plane to and from out-of-town games, and a variety of goodies and gifts carefully tendered so as to avoid an appearance of bribery. Any ingrate who treads on an owner's ego will soon find his supply of his favorite Scotch sorely diminished. This writer once mistook multizillionaire Clint Murchison, Jr., for a hotel-service attendant at a Dallas Cowboys press reception, and Murchison's nose was out of joint for weeks.

Despite the protective cover, a few of the franchise owners have managed to reveal themselves to a startled public. Robert Irsay is almost a public-relations disaster in Baltimore and Bud Adams is invited to play Scrooge in every Christmas play in Houston.

Professional-football franchise owners fall roughly into three categories: first, the grand old men--widely beloved father figures who helped found and build the game into the show-business empire that exists today, men who owned franchises decades ago, when star halfbacks made $5000 per season and it was sometimes difficult to meet the weekly payroll. Such owners, few now, are epitomized by George Halas of the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh's Art Rooney.

Nearly as scarce as the living legends are the owners who are mature businessmen--who see their franchises as sound financial investments, turn the everyday operations over to general managers and avoid sportswriters and television cameras. Lamar Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas owner Murchison set the entrepreneurial style and have been joined by such latter-day stabilizers as Seattle's Elmer Nordstrom and Tampa Bay's Hugh Culverhouse.

Most of the other owners are exceedingly wealthy men who need an ego crutch. Typically, such franchise proprietors acquired their wealth more or less accidentally. One happened to own a few thousand acres of sand and sagebrush on which someone discovered oil. Another happened to be in the construction business at the onset of a building boom and was lucky enough to have a relative on the zoning board. Another got very rich by selling used cars, Madman Muntz fashion, during World War Two. Such men, without the kiss of fortune, might well be driving delivery trucks today; but with the onset of great riches, an ego crisis occurs. Despite their affluence, they find that people who live two blocks away have never heard of them; headwaiters ignore them. So they buy professional-football teams, and all of a sudden, strangers recognize them on the street, headwaiters become instantly attentive and almost any day they can open the local newspaper to the sports pages and see their names in print. Such owners have a proclivity for hiring and firing coaches and general managers in the glare of publicity, for ordering their coaches to play (or not to play) certain quarterbacks, for grandstanding before television cameras and for otherwise (continued on page 178)Pro Football Preview(continued from page 164) displaying the intemperance of an adolescent.

Some such owners tend to cool off after a few years of being embarrassed by the reports of their behavior in the morning newspapers (self-recognition often occurs under an ice pack). Nevertheless, the more mature members of the N.F.L. owners' fraternity, having gained the balance of power in recent years, have decided that no such yo-yos will ever again be allowed to buy a franchise. Recent expansion clubs have been characterized by extremely stable front-office operations and any future owners will be mercilessly screened. It will, alas, be a duller world.

Front-office shenanigans notwithstanding, the real fun and games are still on the field. So let's take a look at the prospects for the coming season.

This time a year ago, New England fans were wondering how destructive to team morale would be the precipitous departure of former coach Chuck Fairbanks. But before the season's opening game, players, press and fans alike realized that Fairbanks' defection to Colorado was the best thing that ever happened to them. New coach Ron Erhardt's personal and coaching styles were a vivid and happy contrast to those of his predecessor. The nattily dressed Fairbanks had remained aloof in his coaching tower during practice; Erhardt rubbed shoulders with the players during drills, developed a sense of kinship with them and restructured the entire routine of training camp to provide more personal contact between coaches and players. The result is that the Patriots are a stable and cohesive squad. They will enter this season much better prepared than last year and, with a large number of mature and veteran players, will have an excellent chance to take the division championship.

One of Erhardt's more successful innovations--and an example of the mutual respect and confidence he has built with his players--has been to allow quarterback Steve Grogan to call 90 percent of his own plays in the huddle, a virtually unheard-of arrangement among pro clubs. But the ploy has worked beautifully, giving Grogan much more time to call audibles at the line of scrimmage. As a result, the Patriots (who had been known as a running team in previous years) became an excellent passing team last season.

Erhardt went into the draft looking for new blood for the defensive line because the current starters are aging, plus another big running back to either replace or back up Sam Cunningham. He got Steve McMichael and Doug McDougald for the first need and Vagas Ferguson for the second, but the prime catch of the draft for the Patriots was defensive back Roland James.

Fullback Larry Csonka seems to have an invigorating influence on the Miami Dolphins. Before his departure for the ill-fated World Football League, the Dolphins won four division championships in a row. Miami went into a slump during Csonka's four-year absence, then won the division title again last year after his return. Another key ingredient of the team's success is the leadership of quarterback Bob Griese. who briefly lost his starting job to backup Don Strock after the Dolphin offense had been sluggish the first three fourths of last season. Strock was knocked dizzy in his first start, Griese took over again and led the Dolphins to three straight wins and the division championship.

But the main reason for the perennial potency of the Miami team is head coach Don Shula, whose most important asset is the ability to teach his charges how not to make mistakes. The Dolphins have been the least penalized team in the N.F.L. each of the past four seasons, and when they do get beat, the other team has to earn the victory. Perhaps more than any other coach in the league, Shula believes in being prepared. He has plans for every conceivable game situation and every possible injury.

Shula's priority plan as this season approaches is to upgrade his defensive backfield. With all the jet-propelled wide receivers in the league, very quick and fast defensive backs are a principal (but often unrecognized) key to team success. Rookie Don McNeal, therefore, should become a starter his first year.

The bad news in Baltimore is that the combination of owner Robert Irsay's cheap theatrics and the team's victory drought has badly hurt attendance. An average of only 40,000 fans showed up for home games last season, the worst showing in 20 years. Probably nothing can be done about Irsay, but the prospects for more wins is again bright, thanks largely to the return of once-again healthy quarterback Bert Jones.

Football is a game in which success is so dependent on effective team play that rarely is a single player so influential as Jones has been in Baltimore. The Colts have won every game he has completed the past two years. Since 1975, the Colts' record has been 35-16 with Jones at quarterback--5-20 without him. Thus, when Jones was sidelined with a dislocated shoulder for the second year in a row last September, it was like the recurrence of a horrible nightmare for Baltimore fans. And as the season opens, hope for the Colts' revival is once again premised on Jones's full recovery. Other major assets are Joe Washington, undoubtedly the best combination rusher-receiver in the land, and a splendid young line backing corps.

The Colts' major weakness is a lack of top-grade receivers. The draft didn't solve that problem, but it did bring this year's best runner, Curtis Dickey.

The Jets finished strong last December after the press and fans had written them off--they won eight games for their second straight break-even season. If the upturn is to continue, coach Walt Michaels will have to find some immediate reinforcements for a woefully weak defensive crew that is especially vulnerable to passing attacks, thanks to a nonexistent pass rush. In some games last season, Michaels was forced to play six rookies on the defensive unit. The Jets do have a few bright spots on the squad. The offensive line, made up mostly of anonymous younger players, is one of the best anywhere. Wesley Walker is a superb receiver when he's healthy and the runners are consistent, unspectacular and dependable, and they rarely fumble.

An intangible--but very real--ingredient in the Jets' prospects for success is a healthy team morale resulting from Michaels' avoidance of the star system that was so evident during the Joe Namath era. It's hoped that much improvement will come this season with the added maturity of the team's many young players. That is especially true of quarterback Richard Todd, whose future potential is enormous. Much additional help was expected from a productive draft in which the main need was for a couple of ornery pass rushers. Instead, the Jets used their first pick for wide receiver Johnny Jones and got almost no help for the defensive line.

The Buffalo fans were delighted with a 1979 season that produced only seven victories--at season's onset, it looked as though the Bills would be lucky to avoid a shutout. The main reasons for the relative success were the gleanings from a spectacularly successful draft that produced four immediate starters and an unprecedented performance by quarterback Joe Ferguson. The Bills, therefore, are going into this season with optimism, but they still need a lot of help. Their running game is probably the worst in the league and the squad is still paper thin, with only one quality player available at most positions. A few badly placed injuries could be devastating.

The Bills' progress since coach Chuck Knox took over in 1978 is obvious to all, but the squad is still at least a dozen quality players away from vying for a division title. The last draft, however, did produce three gems, center Jim Richter, runner Joe Cribbs and tight end Mark Brammer.

Don't look for any changes in Pittsburgh this season, except for the Steelers to be stronger than ever. They were the best team in the league last season with a rash of injuries that would have scuttled the hopes of most franchises. Everyone has healed, an equivalent rash of breaks and strains isn't likely to happen again and all the experience garnered last fall by the younger players should give the team depth.

Opposing scouts look in vain for a weakness in the Steeler line-up, and it's hard for admiring observers to decide which are the squad's greatest assets. Terry Bradshaw is probably the toughest and most durable quarterback in history. He was knocked out of four games last season and came back to win them all. The Steelers need receivers like the ocean needs water; it has become increasingly obvious that Lynn Swann and John Stallworth are the best pair ever to play the game, and reserves Calvin Sweeney and Larry Douglas would be starters on most N.F.L. teams.

The Steelers' only perceptible need is to find eventual replacements for defensive linemen Joe Greene and L. C. Greenwood, both of whom celebrate their 34th birthday as the season opens.

Look for the Steelers to return to the Super Bowl; it will be a minor miracle if they don't.

The Houston players are cursing their fate for being in the same division with Pittsburgh--they would be odds-on favorites in at least three other divisions. A bitchy Houston press corps has repeatedly accused the Oilers of being a one-man (Earl Campbell) team, but that notion will be dispelled this season with the growing prowess of quarterback Gifford Nielsen. Most Oiler fans were stunned last winter when coach Bum Phillips swapped incumbent quarterback Dan Pastorini to the Raiders--even up--for aging quarterback Ken Stabler. The reason is an intriguing one: It has become increasingly apparent the past two years that backup quarterback Nielsen was destined soon to displace starter Pastorini. Pastorini, however, is a compulsive competitor, would go bananas sitting on the bench, and his resultant resentment would likely be a divisive influence among loyal teammates. Stabler, older and wiser, is more likely to be content with a backup role and a fat pay check.

The Oilers still need to develop depth in the offensive line, where a few injuries could play havoc. Rookie Angelo Fields should help take up some of the slack.

Many pro-football buffs insist that Cleveland was the most exciting team in the country last fall, specializing in last-minute heroics and coronary-producing finishes. Three games went into overtime, four games were lost by five points or less and in 12 games the issue was in doubt until the final minute of play. Despite all the excitement, the most impressive results of the season were the blossoming of runner Mike Pruitt and quarterback Brian Sipe.

The Browns' best hopes for this season lie in the regained health of a large contingent of ill or injured key players and a newly potent passing game. Coach Sam Rutigliano insists that tight end Ozzie Newsome is the country's best and that his receiver threesome (Newsome with wide receivers Dave Logan and Reggie Rucker) is the most dangerous group in the league.

The Browns' major need is for help in the defensive line to beef up an inept pass rush, and rookie Cleveland Crosby should fill the bill. The Browns' prime draft catch, though, was Heisman Trophy winner Charles White, who could be this year's leading rusher.

The whole Cincinnati franchise seems snake-bit since the Bengals took a nose dive in 1977. Last season, for the second year in a row, they won only four games. The future would appear to be bright, because new coach Forrest Gregg has one of the most impressive collections of young--but as yet unrealized--talent in the league. Gregg's first job will be to shore up a defensive unit that was disastrous last season. A new 4-3 alignment will be used, and it's hoped that some of the gleanings from the draft will help plug the leaky dikes.

The Cincinnati fans, unaccustomed to bad teams, are complaining loudly but--a front-office functionary reports happily--they're still buying every available ticket. The fans' hopes are placed largely in an offense that was quite productive last season (it got way ahead in several games before the defense collapsed), and the attack unit should be even better this year with the regained health of quarterback Ken Anderson. Backup passer Jack Thompson has the tools to be a future great and will be pushing Anderson for the starting job before the season is over.

Last year, the San Diego team won its first division title since the league merger, accomplishing that feat with half an offense--but with the coaching brilliance of Don Coryell, probably the top offensive mind in the history of the game. The Chargers had virtually no running attack, so Coryell devised a passing offense that overwhelmed most opponents, often confusing defenders by going for short yardage--and making it--in situations where other teams would run. The Chargers were the only team in the league to defeat both Super Bowl teams during the regular season, winning both games with lopsided scores. But Coryell is smart enough to realize that the no-run all-pass gambit isn't likely to work two seasons in a row, so he acquired runner John Cappelletti from the Rams during the off season. Cappelletti, a strong runner, a good blocker and an outstanding receiver, will help revive the running game, but the Chargers still need an outside burner. Their first pick in the draft was in the fourth round, when most of the flashy runners were long gone, so Coryell will spend much of pre-season practice looking for a free-agent sleeper.

Coryell likes to use his tight ends as receivers and this year's happy surprise in San Diego could well be tight end Kellen Winslow. He's 6'5", 250 pounds, runs like a deer and is fully recovered from the injury that sidelined him at midseason. Add splendid wide receiver John Jefferson, plus Dan Fouts's arm, and the Chargers' passing attack will still be awesome.

After watching their team miss the play-offs by one game each of the past two seasons, the Seattle fans are convinced that this will be the year the Seahawks will be a Super Bowl contender. They could be right. All the hard work of building an expansion franchise appears to have come to fruition. Many of the young players are just now coming into full maturity, and at midseason last fall, all the intangibles seemed to come together, the offense jelled and Seattle won seven of its last nine games. Major ingredients in the new success formula are the sharpened skills of quarterback Jim Zorn and the uncanny pass catching of Steve Largent. Zorn's best years are still ahead of him (he will become a left-handed version of Fran Tarkenton), and Largent is the only receiver in the past decade to catch for over 1200 yards in a single season.

Another important asset has been the Seahawks' relative good luck in avoiding injuries in recent seasons. If that luck continues and the inconsistent defense is beefed up, and if the offensive crew can continue to get away with the flaky plays that made national headlines last season--onside kicks, using kicker Efren Herrera as a wide receiver, punter Herman Weaver completing three of four passes from punt formation--this could be a banner year in Seattle. Best news is that the draft produced some promising help, defensive ends Jacob Green and Terry Dion, for the squad's weak pass rush.

Two off-season arrivals, quarterback Matt Robinson and offensive coordinator Rod Dowhower, are the main reasons for renewed optimism in Denver. Robinson, erstwhile starting quarterback for the Jets, will displace Craig Morton and is expected to stabilize a maddeningly inconsistent offense. With Morton, an occasionally brilliant passer, at the controls last fall, the Broncos scored like Gang Busters in some games; in others, they couldn't buy a touchdown.

Dowhower, former head coach at Stanford, was a hot-shot passer under Charger coach Coryell when both were at San Diego State University in the early Sixties. Dowhower learned well and is an acknowledged master of the passing game; with Robinson as his prime pupil, he should cause many sleepless nights for opposing defensive coaches.

The new offensive prospects, added to defensive unit that is one of the two or three best in the league, has made Broncomania even more intense than usual. In April, the Broncos completed their 11th consecutive sellout of tickets. There is a waiting list of 11,000 hopeful fans for season tickets, but only 59 people failed to renew their ticket options for the coming season. That adds up to a long wait for a lot of hopeful fans--and excellent morale in the accounting department.

The Kansas City team won seven games last fall, its most successful season since 1973. The Chiefs' steady progress has been primarily due to the expertise and leadership of coach Mary Levy, a mature Phi Beta Kappa type who is open and unevasive with both the media and his players, and commands respect from both. Another reason for the bright prospects in Kansas City is the decision made by owner Lamar Hunt in 1975--during the depths of the Chiefs' fortunes--to take the long but sure rebuilding route through the draft. The master plan has paid off in big dividends, especially on the defensive unit, where the improvements have been dramatic. Last fall, with second-, third- and fourth-year players suddenly maturing, the Chiefs began winning the close games they had lost previously.

The offensive unit still has a long way to go, largely because second-year passer Steve Fuller, an option quarterback in college, still has to perfect the drop-back skills of the pro game. Also needed are reinforcements in the offensive line and a wide receiver with blazing speed. Rookie Brad Budde should help on the line and draftees Carlos Carson and Bubba Garcia should strengthen the pass attack.

The main issue in Oakland, of course, is the continuing effort of owner Al Davis to move his Raider franchise to Los Angeles. The move attempt, precipitated by an increasing row between Davis and directors of the Oakland Coliseum, has a declining (but still extant) chance of success as this issue goes to press. Whatever happens, look for something to move before next year. It may be Davis, who is reportedly planning to sell his franchise and start a new pro-football league if the courts don't uphold his suit to allow the move to Los Angeles. (Davis' new league, a top rival N.F.L. executive tells us. would operate in April, May and June and sell TV rights to cable-television companies.)

Unfortunately, the main losers in this exercise in childishness are likely to be the loyal Oakland fans. They are furious with both Davis and N.F.L. commissioner Pete Rozelle, who seem to have become embroiled in a personality clash over the issue. "How can you have a personality clash without a personality?" a furious Raider fan asked us.

Wherever they play or whoever owns the franchise, the Raiders aren't likely to return to their accustomed domination of their division. The defensive unit isn't the terrorist group of bygone years and immediate help is needed in the linebacker and running-back corps.

The Raiders still have a veteran offensive line, two superb tight ends (Raymond Chester and Dave Casper). With the arrival of quarterback Pastorini (from the Oilers) and healed injuries among the wide receivers, look for a rejuvenated passing attack.

Dallas goes into this season with more uncertainties than at any time since 1975--not an especially bad omen, since the team went to the Super Bowl that year. The principal and most publicized gap will be that left by retired quarterback Roger Staubach. "How can you possibly replace Staubach?"' we asked player personnel director Gil Brandt.

"If you're president of a university, how do you replace Albert Einstein in the math department?" he replied. "Roger retired at the top of his game. Last fall, he had the best season of his life. Physically, he was 38 going on 27."

But don't let the Cowboys' crocodile tears fool you. The Dallas franchise is not yet a poverty pocket. Danny White, playing in the shadow of Staubach all these years, is the most underrated quarterback in the country. His substitute will be Glenn Carano, who has not thrown a pass in a regular-season game during his three years with the Cowboys. But he has tremendous potential.

The main difference in the Dallas squad this season will be a less awesome depth of backup talent, making the Cowboys more vulnerable to injuries. The team's most serious problems are on the defensive platoon, so offensive coordinator Dan Reeves will call the plays from the side lines this year while coach Tom Landry concentrates on the defense.

The Washington team, younger and more spirited than any Redskin team in memory, had a comeback year in '79, barely losing the division championship race in the final game with Dallas when Staubach produced one of his patented come-from-behind performances by scoring two touchdowns in the last three minutes. The Redskins are still brooding about that one, and the incentive for revenge will be a psychological factor.

Much of the Redskins' enthusiasm comes from the large number of younger players who have at last become starters, and it will be abetted this season by the arrival of the most significant contingent of draftees in many years. In April, the Washington franchise had a first-round draft choice for the first time since 1968, a second-round pick for the first time since 1971. Wide receiver Art Monk was snapped up first. Then, because the Redskins needed help in the defensive line, where many of the incumbents are getting on in years, rookie defensive end Mat Mendenhall was brought in. He'll help tackle Dave Butz, who is finally playing up to his enormous potential. This may be the first year in a decade when the Redskins aren't the oldest team in the league.

When the Eagles won nine games in 1978 with skimpy talent, Philadelphia fans held their breath, afraid it was a fluke. But last year, with the Eagles winning 11 games against a tough schedule, the skepticism turned to euphoria. The unexpected renaissance was engineered by coach Dick Vermeil, a persuasive motivator who had convinced many of his players to move to the Philadelphia area so they could take part in year-round conditioning programs. "Somehow." a front-office type told us, "Dick can get kids to play much better than anyone ever thought they could." That observation is reinforced by the fact that the Eagles have only three players who were first-round draft choices.

Philadelphia went into this year's draft needing immediate help in the secondary and got it with defensive back Roynell Young, a probable starter.

The Giant hope for a more consistent and more productive year after last autumn's roller-coaster season of high highs and low lows. The team lost its first five games, then won six of the next eight. The most pleasing developments were the early blooming of quarterback Phil Simms and wide receiver Earnest Gray. The biggest problem is the reduced effectiveness of the defensive crew. Tackle Troy Archer, killed in an automobile accident two weeks before last summer's training camp, proved to be irreplaceable, so the Giants went to a 3-4 defense and didn't really shut down any opposing offenses all year.

Fortunately, the draft brought some help in the form of defensive back Mark Haynes and tackle Myron Lapka.

Another plus for the Giants this season will be the benefits of a new off-season training program, made possible by coach Ray Perkins' persuasion of 32 squadmen to move into the New York area. Also, the Giants will go into this season with an established starter at quarterback (Simms), an especially helpful situation because Perkins is a pass-oriented coach. His idea of offense is to go 80 yards and score in three plays.

The St. Louis franchise abandoned any pretense of being a class organization when owner Bill Bidwill fired coach Bud Wilkinson with only three games left last season. New coach Jim Hanifan, an outgoing, likable Irishman, is popular with the players (they learned to like him when he was an assistant under former head coach Coryell), but nitpicking from the Cardinal front office is likely to keep him from improving the team's fortunes this year. Hanifan promises a supercharged offense, and he will probably deliver it with the likes of quarterback Jim Hart and runner Ottis Anderson in camp. The offensive line, thanks to healed injuries and the sudden maturation of Joe Bostic, will again be a major strength, but the Cardinals desperately need new blood in the defensive line. Draftees Curtis Greer and Bill Acker will help there and Doug Marsh should prove to be the top-quality tight end needed to replace the late J. V. Cain.

This is the first time in many years that the Chicago team has entered training camp with no doubt about who will be the starting quarterback. Mike Phipps took over after starter Vince Evans was sidelined with illness early last season, and Phipps's enormous but long-unrealized potential finally surfaced. Although he has won 12 of 14 starts since going to Chicago from Cleveland, Phipps has remained a quiet, unpretentious person, careful not to attract attention to himself, and his excellent record with the Bears has been overlooked by most of the Chicago sportswriters.

Phipps has a good chance to take the Bears to giddy heights this fall. Their 10-6 record last season was accomplished despite a plethora of injuries (a misfortune not likely to recur), and Phipps has the support of a superb group of runners led by a once-again healthy Walter Payton. The bedrock basis of the Bears' hopes remains the defensive platoon, though the reinforcement brought by rookie Otis Wilson will be welcome in the linebacker crew. General manager Jim Finks says this is the first year in memory when no rookie has a good chance of starting.

It took most of last season for Minnesota coach Bud Grant to get his many new players acclimated and melded with the remaining veterans. When the Yikes finally got it all put together, they finished strong, though it was their first losing season since 1967. Despite the unaccustomed bad showing, the Minnesota fans aren't complaining, because the Vikings were still a very exciting team to watch, and the coolheaded northlanders realized that the many youngsters on the squad have the potential to be champions in the future. In fact, the Minnesota franchise's greatest strength is its stability--in ownership, front office, coaching staff and team. It's the kind of organization that can weather a bad season. The teams that always seem to be on the bottom are fielded by the franchises in which owners or coaches hit the panic button when things go wrong--as was the case, until recently, in San Francisco, New Orleans and Atlanta.

A fact to remember is that the Vikings are not an old team anymore. In fact, several areas--especially the secondary--need added maturity. The team also needs an intimidating defensive lineman, like ex-Vikes Alan Page and Carl Eller used to be, because, in recent years, the linebackers have held the defensive unit together. Draftee Doug Martin could be the help they need.

It was a giddy year in Tampa. The Buccaneers won ten games and were the only undefeated team in the league after the first five games. It was a spectacular showing for a fourth-year expansion team that had lost the first 26 games of its existence. Principal reason for the success was the defensive unit, one of the best in the country. The line backing crew, led by Richard Wood and David Lewis, is perhaps the most formidable in the league. Also, the offensive unit has at last come to life, largely because of the arrival of guard Greg Roberts and the switch of tackle Charley Hannah to the offensive platoon. Quarterback Doug Williams, only three years out of college, shows signs of rawness but should get better every year. The Bucs still have precarious depth, however, and most of the reserves are untested in combat, so inopportune injuries could be disastrous. Last season's success resulted in relatively low drafting positions, so this year's rookies aren't likely to make a big splash immediately. "It will be nice," said a Tampa Bay spokesman, "to give our newcomers a chance to learn instead of throwing them into the heat of battle right away."

"Detroit," says the general manager of a rival division franchise, "is a Joe Bfsplk team--they walk around with a thundercloud over their heads. Just when they seem to have everything put together, something happens. It can be turmoil in the ownership, dissension in the coaching ranks, injuries--you name it."

Last season, it was injuries. The first two quarterbacks were sidelined for the season and third--stringer Jeff Komlo got very little help from the greenest offensive line in the league. Injuries were so numerous that six rookies were starters and 25 free agents logged playing time.

As a result, the Lions won only two games (after many pre-season seers picked them to win the division title), and the gloom still hangs heavy.

Inexperience will again be a major liability in Detroit this season, with the defensive line (featuring Bubba Baker and Doug English) the only strong area on the squad. Healed injuries and added experience should also help.

Last season's disaster provided the Lions with the very first pick in this year's draft, and they used it wisely getting Billy Sims to fill their desperate need for a game-breaking running back.

The rebuilding project in Green Bay has proved to be a longer and more agonizing job than fans had expected. An injury epidemic made last season especially grim. The offense set an all-time Green Bay record for passing, because most of the runners were in casts. The air attack is likely to continue to be the Packers' main weapon because of quarterback Lynn Dickey's long-awaited recovery from a broken leg and David Whitehurst's continuing emergence as a quality backup passer.

New defensive coordinator John Meyer will install a 3-4 defense in preseason camp, and this year's draft picks were used to bring immediate help for the defenders in the persons of defensive lineman Bruce Clark, linebacker George Cumby and defensive back Mark Lee.

You'll get an idea of how promising the immediate future looks for the Los Angeles team by remembering that the Rams went to the Super Bowl last January despite a season of disastrous injuries. Eighteen players were out of action for at least one game. The successful season was one of the most impressive displays of raw determination in pro-ball history. "We just sucked up our guts and did the job," an assistant coach told us, "and it paid off in doubles, because the younger kids got a lot of game experience, and we wound up nearly as strong as ever, despite the injuries."

The Rams have become a big-play team, in contrast to their traditional methodical offensive style, because such explosive talent is on hand. Wendell Tyler is the most exciting breakaway runner in Tinsel town since Jon Arnett, and wide receiver Billy Waddy, who wears two afterburners, is a fearsome long-ball threat. When quarterback Vince Ferragamo showed last year that he could throw long passes with surprising accuracy, coach Ray Malavasi redesigned the offense to take advantage of available skills, and the Rams' home-run threat should be even more evident this season. One of the team's major--if least acclaimed--assets is the rock-ribbed offensive line. The only discernible problem area is the defensive backfield, where some of last year's wounded may not be fully recovered.

Largely because of some fortunate trades in recent years, the Rams had eight draft choices in the first four rounds in April, and they came up with far more goodies than would ordinarily be expected of a Super Bowl team. Defensive back Johnnie Johnson could prove the best choice of them all.

Add it all up and the Rams look like a sure bet to return to the Super Bowl.

New Orleans is the most laid-back city in the country, a Southern version of San Francisco with an acute infection of sanity, and the city's pro-football team has traditionally reflected that ambience. The Saints would like to win, of course, and always promise their fans that next year the adrenaline will start flowing. The team awakened in the last weeks of the 79 season and finished with the best record in its history--a scintillating break-even year. If the Saints can get excited enough, this could be another good season, because there is more quality talent in camp than at any time in the franchise's history.

The offensive line, traditionally lousy, finally came together last fall and gave quarterback Archie Manning the first decent protection of his career. The line has been appreciatively dubbed Archie's Bunker by a relieved New Orleans press corps and, as a result, Manning has emerged as one of the two or three top quarterbacks in the country. The Saints badly need help in the cornerback slots--they repeatedly got burned on long passes last year--and the linebacker crew needs reinforcing. Three rookies, defensive backs Dave Waymer and Mike Jolly, plus linebacker Lester Boyd, will see much action. There is additional hope for the defenders, because coach Dick Nolan has a solid reputation for building formidable defenses. Also, this is the third year the Saints have used the flex defense, and it usually takes about that long for the players to assimilate the complexities of that system.

With a good offense and excellent special teams (which used to be a glaring weakness), the Saints just might make it to the play-offs if some more muscle can be put into the defense.

It was a strange year in Atlanta. The Falcons had an inexplicable tendency to lose to weaker teams but to beat the stronger ones. The offense was potent enough (largely because the past five drafts have been used to stockpile offensive talent), but the defensive unit--especially the pass rush--was awful. An examination of talent from top to bottom reveals much better manpower on the Falcon squad than a few years ago, but it is so unbalanced that a good showing by the offensive crew is usually negated by the defensive bumblers. This spring's draft brought much new help, and the season's success will depend largely on how quickly the rookies, especially linebackers Buddy Curry and Jim Laughlin and defensive back Earl Jones, can close the floodgates. Whatever happens, the Falcons will again be one of the more entertaining--and unpredictable--teams to watch. When quarterback Steve Bartkowski has a good day, he's a one-man aerial circus.

Simple logic would dictate that things have gotten so bad in San Francisco that they can't possibly worsen. But since when did logic play a role in the 49er franchise? Not since before the advent of owner Junior DeBartolo and the late unlamented general manager Joe Thomas. Young DeBartolo appears to have at last learned a basic truth--the hard way--his elders tried to tell him when his daddy first bought him the franchise: You can't build a respectable ball club by constantly hiring and firing people. The front-office revolving door has been shut, the coaching staff has been stabilized and Junior DeBart has made a commitment to coach Bill Walsh, giving him time to rebuild. San Francisco fans must make a commitment also--realizing that there will be a good many dismal autumn afternoons before a trip to the Super Bowl.

The 49ers, having finished 2-14 for the second year in a row, had favorable draft choices this spring, coming up with at least six players who should be immediate starters. The new help is badly needed, because the defense was crappy last year, especially the linebacker corps.

Playboy's 1980 Pre-Season All-Pro Team

Offense

Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh....................Wide Receiver

John Jefferson, San Diego....................Wide Receiver

Dave Casper, Oakland....................Tight End

Pat Donovan, Dallas....................Tackle

Marvin Powell, New York Jets....................Tackle

John Hannah, New England....................Guard

Joe DeLamielleure, Buffalo....................Guard

Mike Webster, Pittsburgh....................Center

Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh....................Quarterback

Earl Campbell, Houston....................Running Back

Ottis Anderson, St. Louis....................Running Back

Toni Fritsch, Houston....................Place Kicker

Defense

Lee Roy Selmon, Tampa Bay....................End

Jack Youngblood, Los Angeles....................End

Louie Kelcher, San Diego....................Tackle

Randy White, Dallas....................Tackle

Randy Gradishar, Denver....................Middle Linebacker

Brad Van Pelt, New York Giants....................Outside Linebacker

Robert Brazile, Houston....................Outside Linebacker

Lemar Parrish, Washington....................Cornerback

Louis Wright, Denver....................Cornerback

Gary Fencik, Chicago....................Free Safety

Mike Reinfeldt, Houston....................Strong Safety

Bob Grupp, Kansas City....................Punter

Rick Upchurch, Denver....................Kick Returner

This Season's Winners

N.F.C. Eastern Division....................Dallas Cowboys

N.F.C. Central Division....................Chicago Bears

N.F.C. Western Division....................Los Angeles Rams

N.F.C. Play-offs .... Los Angeles Rams

A.F.C. Eastern Division....................New England Patriots

A.F.C. Central Division....................Pittsburgh Steelers

A.F.C. Western Division....................San Diego Chargers

A.F.C. Play-offs .... Pittsburgh Steelers

Super Bowl .... Los Angeles Rams

Don't look for any changes in Pittsburgh this season, except for the Steelers to be stronger than ever."

Eastern Division

American Football Conference

New England Patriots.................... 10-6

Miami Dolphins.................... 9-7

Baltimore Colts.................... 7-9

New York Jets.................... 6-10

Buffalo Bills.................... 6-10

Central Division

American Football Conference

Pittsburgh Steelers.................... 12-4

Houston Oilers.................... 10-6

Cleveland Browns.................... 7-9

Cincinnati Bengals.................... 6-10

Western Division

American Football Conference

San Diego Chargers.................... 10-6

Seattle Seahawks.................... 9-7

Denver Broncos.................... 8-8

Kansas City Chiefs.................... 6-10

Oakland Raiders.................... 6-10

Eastern Division

National Football Conference

Dallas Cowboys.................... 11-5

Washington Redskins................... 10-6

Philadelphia Eagles.................... 10-6

New York Giants.................... 6-10

St. Louis Cardinals.................... 4-12

Central Division

National Football Conference

Chicago Bears.................... 19-6

Minnesota Vikings.................... 9-7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers.................... 9-7

Detroit Lions.................... 7-9

Green Bay Packers.................... 5-11

Western Division

National Football Conference

Los Angeles Rams.................... 13-3

New Orleans Saints.................... 9-7

Atlanta Falcons.................... 6-10

San Francisco 49ers.................... 3-13