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Uncertainty in San Francisco
Posted: Sunday December 19, 1999 01:52 PM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King talked with CNN/SI's Bob Lorenz before the kickoff of Sunday's Week 15 games: Bob Lorenz: The 49ers are headed to their first 10-loss season in twenty years, but it has become more interesting watching what the 49ers are doing off the field rather than on. Peter what is the story in San Francisco? Peter King: Well, the story in San Francisco is that no one knows what owner-designate John York is going to do after the season with the maelstrom surrounding his front office. Right now, Bill Walsh, the 68-year-old founder of the 49er dynasty, is in the first of a three-year contract running the franchise. Well, Walsh and head coach Steve Mariucci have butted heads several times this year, and they are not going to be a long-term partnership. And I think one of the interesting names that was brought up this week is Matt Millen, the FOX broadcaster who last year came very close to taking the job as the franchise architect with the Detroit Lions. And how different would history have been if that happened, because he would have kept Barry Sanders around and probably would have fired Bobby Ross. So Millen now is serviced and even though everybody is denying it, he is a very logical choice because Millen would have brought Steve Mariucci or tried to bring him in to Detroit last year. So right after the season, we are going to see who John York wants running the mothership for the foreseeable future. BL: The Denver Broncos have been without their running back Terrell Davis whose season ended back in week four when he tore up his knee, how is his rehab coming along? PK: The best news of the Denver season happened this past Monday night in Jacksonville when Terrell Davis went out on the field and ran eight-100-yard runs, wasn't sprinting exactly but came off the field and told coaches I feel fantastic just ten weeks after his surgery. BL: Peter, your choice for impact player is in his 13th season but really this is his first break out year... PK: Well, I saw him yesterday and you know what Bob, I don't care if he lines up under the guard once in a while my impact guy this year is Steve Beuerlein, no question about it. He is a 34-year-old guy who is leading all of the NFL right now in passing yards. He's got double-digit more touchdown passes than Favre or Bledsoe. This guy had led his team to the brink of the playoffs when everybody thought they were going to be one of the worse three or four teams in football. The amazing thing to me is you talk to the Panthers internally, and they are not sold on this guy. They are not convinced that he is going to be their quarterback out into the future. Two words for you; make him the guy! BL: Green Bay's defense has been horrible all season and the Vikings must have been laughing when they looked at game film of the Packers' loss last week. What is wrong with that defense, Peter? PK: Well, the problem is they are simply not getting enough pressure on the opposing quarterback. Ron Wolf, the General Manager of the Packers, had to come out this week and say hey, none of this is Ray Rhodes' fault, Rhodes definitely comes back in 2000. But the internal scapegoat of the Packers is beginning to be Emmitt Thomas, the defensive coordinator who had a reputation when he was in Philadelphia of bringing guys from all over and getting a lot of pressure from all over the place. That is not happening now. If Thomas does not get more pressure the last three weeks of this season, the Packers could be looking for a new defensive coordinator in the offseason. BL: Peter, people are beginning to wonder out loud about Dan Marino's future in Miami what is the latest with him PK: Well, I think if you're a big Dan Marino fan, if I were you today I would warm-up the VCR, put a tape in there and tape what could be Dan Marino's last game in the NFL. Now, I don't want to be an alarmist to anybody who loves Marino or the Dolphins, but the simple fact is if Dan Marino gets pulled out of this game by Jimmy Johnson for performance, there is a good chance that they go with Damon Huard down the stretch. And Damon Huard then would be the guy who led them into the playoffs. How possible is it? Well, last week against the Jets, if he plays like that again or if he plays poorly in the second half they will pull Dan Marino. The other question is if Dan Marino finishes this year gloriously, what happens? The Dolphins would not bring him back, but would he go somewhere else? I am told Marino would almost certainly be finished, because he doesn't want to play anywhere else other than Miami. BL: Time to open up the notebook. Peter, the Saints have lost 21 of their last 26. They could end up with the worst record in the NFL still and that would give them a great draft pick in the first round, but they traded that away, Mike Ditka did, so what's his future right now? PK: Well, it looks like it could be curtains for both Ditka and for General Manager Bill Kuharich because owner Tom Benson is looking around the league for a replacement. The Saints may undergo a total front office face-lift. He has even contacted former Washington General Manager Charlie Casserly about that job. So I look for a lot of things to happen inside the Saints. BL: Rumblings around the Falcons camp about what's going on there, a year ago Dan Reeves had open heart surgery, this year has been very tough, as we know. And there are some rumors that he may be calling it quits after this season. Any truth to them? PK: You know I talked to Reeves on the anniversary of his heart surgery this past week and he talked about how much he appreciates life more than he ever has and all that. But the one thing he said is look, I am not going to decide until after this season whether I am going to coach next year. I will just tell you right now, I really want to keep coaching. BL: Art Modell of the Ravens has a little sales pitch out there. He has been looking to sell the Ravens to a minority owner. Has he found one? PK: Well, the only thing is he has wanted to sell to basically a silent partner, a guy who would allow him to pass his team on to his son David Modell. But last night they reached an agreement with a Maryland businessman for over $200 million to wipe out all of Art Modell's $185 million debt. The key question now: Is this going to be a guy who eventually will take over the whole ownership reins of the Ravens?
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