The Jeff Hostetler factor is the newest addition to National Football League playoffs that have gone too true to form.
All of New York is bending over backwards over the Giants` backup quarterback, who is a better scrambler than injured Phil Simms. There are Giants` fans who believe they witnessed the dawning of a new era when Hostetler rode the Bears out of the playoffs.
There are people who say Hostetler can give the Giants a dimension they lacked when they lost to the San Francisco 49ers 7-3 Dec. 3.
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”It`s a different style of game now,” said no less an authority than George Seifert, the 49ers` coach. ”I consider us a disciplined defense, but we`re going to have to be even more so in this particular game because of the style of quarterback we`re facing.”
But when the Giants play the 49ers Sunday in the NFC championship game, all the analysis comes down to this: Hostetler vs. Joe Montana.
Whom do you like?
It`s a similar scenario in the AFC championship: Jim Kelly vs. Jay Schroeder.
This is quarterback season. The risk of oversimplifying diminishes as teams fall by the wayside. The Bills and 49ers are favored because they have the best records and are playing on home fields. Mostly, they have the two best quarterbacks this year. Montana has proven the best year in and year out. Kelly compiled the No. 1 passer ratings this season.
Randall Cunningham got most valuable player votes that should read
”most spectacular player.” Warren Moon had a phenomenal statistical year, but got hurt. So did Steve DeBerg. Dan Marino simply wasn`t as good as Kelly. Mark Rypien got close to the end zone and threw interceptions. Boomer Esiason and his Cincinnati Bengals were so sick and beat up running back James Brooks was standing in the I-formation throwing up.
Hostetler is intriguing, a seven-year backup who has come through every small chance he has had. If he beats Montana, he`ll be hailed as the Quarterback of the `90s.
Schroeder is persevering, the castoff from the Washington Redskins who slumped at midseason. Coach Art Shell and Raiders boss Al Davis stubbornly stuck by him and he finished as strongly as anyone. He will go to Buffalo full of confidence.
Byes and home fields helped the four best teams advance to the final four. The 49ers, Giants, Bills and Raiders compiled the four best records during the regular season, earning the privileges of rest and home-cooking. In the eight postseason games so far, only one visitor has won. After the Redskins beat the Eagles in Philadelphia, the home team coach was fired.
When the Redskins traveled to San Francisco, they were greeted by a personal foul penalty against Darrell Green for tackling Jerry Rice. It was their only penalty of the game, but it came early and served as a warning. When the 49ers, who were called for four penalties, were able to mug receiver Gary Clark in the end zone and get away with it, Redskins defensive coach Richie Petitbon said: ”That`s why you play for the home field.”
In Los Angeles, the Raiders were penalized zero times in front of the biggest crowd in the NFL this season, 92,000. The Bengals were penalized only once and got the idea officials were on vacation when Bo Jackson fumbled and officials didn`t even allow the play to reach the replay booth, giving the familiar ”down by contact and the whistle blew” nonsense.
The week off gave the knees of Kelly and Ronnie Lott more time to heal. The week of play killed the Bengals, who met the Raiders without tackle Anthony Munoz and guard Bruce Reimers. The week of play obviously didn`t help the Bears.
So now it`s the Super Bowl semifinals. It`s New York vs. California, the two best teams in each conference, two rematches of earlier wins by the 49ers and Bills, also at home.
On paper, it looks like the 49ers and Bills again. But the playoffs already have been too predictable.