ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 5, 1997 TAG: 9701060110
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GREEN BAY, WIS.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Desmond Howard, an NFL castoff and bargain free agent, returned the Green Bay Packers to the NFC championship game.
Howard's punt returns jump-started Green Bay, then the Packers ground the San Francisco 49ers into the Lambeau Field mud, beating them 35-14. That means they will host the winner of today's Dallas-Carolina game next Sunday in an effort to reach their first Super Bowl in 29 years.
Howard, the former Heisman Trophy winner who failed in Washington and Jacksonville, returned his first punt 71 yards for a touchdown.
After a fair catch on his second, he took the next punt 46 yards to set up Brett Favre's 4-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison. That gave Green Bay a 14-0 lead while they had only 9 yards total on offense.
It was a mistake-filled game, caused largely by rain and mud, as the Packers (14-3) beat the 49ers in the NFC semifinals for a second straight season. San Francisco had five turnovers, four in the second half.
``We were concerned with Desmond Howard, but thought we could contain him,'' 49ers coach George Seifert said. ``But he's a heck of a player and popped big plays for them all season. That's one of the reasons they're in the position they're in.''
``My major concern was to try to field the ball,'' Howard said. ``With the rain coming down and the wind pretty gusty, that was going to be first and foremost.
``If I can catch it cleanly, then we always feel we can score.''
In the closing minutes, the frenzied crowd chanted, ``We want Dallas!''
The Cowboys have ended the Packers' season three straight years, each time at Texas Stadium. The Packers, who won their 17th straight at Lambeau, are undefeated in 10 home playoff games.
Just as they did in knocking the Niners from the playoffs last year, the Packers jumped to a 21-0 lead by dominating San Francisco (13-5) in all phases. The third touchdown was a 2-yard run by Edgar Bennett in the second quarter following Craig Newsome's interception of Elvis Grbac.
An ineffective and ailing Steve Young, trying to play despite pain from ribs injured in last week's win over Philadelphia, was pulled in favor of Grbac early in the first quarter. The quarterback confirmed after the game what had been rumored during the week, that his ribs were not bruised but actually broken.
Bryant Young, San Francisco's All-Pro defensive tackle, was taken off the field on a stretcher after hurting his back and neck in the first half.
Thanks to Howard's two big returns, the Packers were able to keep the ball on the ground, as Bennett carried 17 times for 80 yards and Favre, the two-time league MVP, threw only 15 times, completing 11 for 79 yards.
``He really hurt us at the start. It's hard to play catch-up football in these conditions,'' 49ers receiver Jerry Rice said.
Despite their early dominance, the Packers gave up two touchdowns in a 40-second span covering the end of the first half and start of the second as San Francisco cut the lead to 21-14.
Both came after turnovers on special teams - one on a punt at the end of the first half, the second on the opening kickoff of the second half.
The 49ers, playing for the third time in 13 days, didn't get past midfield on their first seven possessions, which ended in six punts and an interception.
But they scored with 24 seconds left in the first half on Grbac's 8-yard pass to Terry Kirby. The Niners got the ball at the Green Bay 26 when Tommy Thompson's punt bounced off the Packers' Chris Hayes and was recovered by Curtis Buckley.
Then, at the start of the second half, Steve Israel recovered Jeff Wilkins' bouncing kickoff at the Green Bay 4 after it squirted past Don Beebe.
On first-and-goal, Grbac scored on a bootleg that made it 21-14 just 16 seconds into the third period.
But the Packers responded with a 72-yard scoring drive, 52 of them on the ground.
``I thought the table was getting ready to turn, but to their credit, they marched the ball right down the field,'' said Rice, who caught five passes for just 36 yards.
``That drive proved what a great team they really are,'' said Seifert, who fell to 0-3 against Packers coach Mike Holmgren, his former offensive coordinator. ``That drive was the sign of a championship team.''
Bennett fumbled as he crossed the goal line, and the Lambeau Field record crowd of 60,787 onlookers sat in silence as officials peeled bodies from the pile. The fans erupted when it was ruled that Packers split end Antonio Freeman recovered.
That made it 28-14 with 6:50 left in the third period.
The Niners were driving again when William Floyd fumbled at the Green Bay 19 and the Packers' Brian Williams recovered in the muck with 11:14 left.
The 49ers forced a punt, but Mike Prior punched the ball out of Kirby's hand on the return and Hayes recovered San Francisco's third turnover at the 49ers' 32.
Bennett took it in from the 11 with 5:31 left, making it 35-14.
Eugene Robinson picked off Grbac twice in the final 5:16 to end the 49ers' hopes.
Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner from Michigan, signed with the Packers for $300,000 last summer and made the team on the strength of a punt-return touchdown in an exhibition game.
``Desmond had a great game. He's really found the team he's supposed to be with,'' said Grbac, his college teammate. ``I hope they go all the way.''
Young was 2-for-5 for 8 yards and had one scramble for 3 yards before being replaced by Grbac, who started or relieved Young in eight games this season.
Grbac was 19-of-36 for 125 yards and three interceptions. He was the 49ers' leading rusher with 32 yards on four carries.
With a reading of 34 degrees at kickoff and a wind-chill of 9 degrees, Favre improved to 18-0 in home games with temperatures 35 or lower.
``Really and truly, there is a lot of doubt among NFL teams about this football team,'' said general manager Ron Wolf of the Packers. ``I don't know why that is. And I think today we erased any doubt.''
LENGTH: Long : 117 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. Green Bay running back Edgar Bennett (34) hurdlesby CNBteammate Aaron Taylor and looks for running room. 2. Desmond Howard
heads for the end zone during his 71-yard punt return that gave
Green Bay an early lead. color. 3. San Francisco quarterback Elvis
Grbac (18) goes into a slide while being A chased by Green Bay
defenders LeRoy Butler (36) and Santana Dotson in the fourth quarter
of Saturday's NFC playoff game. KEYWORDS: FOOTBALL