Fall Free-for-AII

For pro football oddsmakers--and many bettors--this has been a season of cruel and unusual punishment. The pain began in September, when such perennial powers as Miami, Dallas and Washington suffered multiple losses, while New England and St. Louis, those longtime door mats, tripped everyone in sight. Then, midway through the schedule, just as the experts were beginning to believe in the upstarts, the old guard reasserted itself, and a new set of misfits including Houston and Cleveland battered the betting line with upsets. By last week the N.F.L. was a bookie's nightmare; a platoon of likely and unlikely teams battled for play-off berths.

If the confusion has baffled professional bettors, it has been nothing but good news for fans. Pro football in recent seasons had seemed in danger of becoming a Sunday sleeping pill. Methodical defense and field goals in bunches had come to dominate the game. In the offseason, owners tried to increase excitement by moving the goal posts back 10 yds. and making other revisions to rejuvenate the offense. The changes have succeeded to some extent, but what the N.F.L. really needed was some fresh heroes, new contenders and a tight race to the Super Bowl instead of Miami's usual romp. So far, it has all three.

Bouncing Back. In the N.F.C. East, the Cardinals could easily be renamed the Cinderellas. This summer, Second-Year Coach Don Coryell told his players that they would win ten games--a bold prediction considering that the team lost nine last season. Yet the players believed. Following the example of Coryell, who often works so late that he sleeps on the gold couch in his office, veteran Quarterback Jim Hart has put the bomb back in football, throwing seven touchdown passes of 40 yds. or more. Running Back Terry Metcalf has eluded tacklers for scoring sprints of 94 and 75 yds., and the young Cardinal defense has held opponents to an average of 16 points per game. The result: an impressive 7-2 record going into last weekend.

If St. Louis falters, the Washington Redskins are prepared to pounce, led by the aging master of the clutch pass, Sonny Jurgensen, 41. Not far behind are the Dallas Cowboys, who have bounced back from a dismal start with the help of powerful running by Fullback Calvin Hill. Whoever wins in the East will probably have the dubious pleasure of facing the rugged Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs, while the N.F.C.'s wildcard team--probably the runner-up in the East--will play the Los Angeles Rams, directed by gifted black Quarterback Jim Harris.

In the A.F.C., only the Oakland Raiders face an easy path to postseason play. After an opening-game loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Raiders mowed down their next eight opponents with an awesome passing attack led by Quarterback Ken Stabler, and a tough, unyielding defense. Pittsburgh, the Central Division favorites, have been just as stubborn on defense, but the Steelers' offense has sagged, and they now find themselves in a tight battle with the Cincinnati Bengals. Though all but out of the running, the nettlesome Houston Oilers and Cleveland Browns both promise to torment the leaders in future weeks.

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins are locked in an unlikely fight in the A.F.C. East with the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. Heading into a showdown game with the Bills last Sunday, the Dolphins finally seemed to be regaining their championship form. Quarterback Bob Griese was passing with authority after a shaky start, Wide Receiver Paul Warfield was back in business after missing five games with a leg injury, and Miami's brilliant defense was once again throttling opposition attacks. But Miami by no means has free passage to New Orleans.

O.J. Simpson predicted as much last season. When Buffalo finished behind Miami with a record of 9-5, Simpson announced that the Bills would soon be Super Bowl material. If that day comes this year it will be because the Bills have rapidly developed Into a well-balanced team. Last year Simpson gained 2,003 yds., and Fullback Jim Braxton ground out 494 yds., giving Buffalo the most productive two-man running attack in the history of the game. But that was about all the attack they had. Not so this season. Though Simpson has been running at about half last year's pace, Second-Year Quarterback Joe Ferguson has picked up the slack by passing the Bills to ten touchdowns and hitting on a solid 55% of his throws.

The Patriots have also found a new versatility. In running up a 6-3 record, New England stunned Miami, Los Angeles and Minnesota. The Patriots, who could do no better than win 20 of their last 70 games before this season, now have one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. Their running tandem of Sam Cunningham and Mack Herron leads the N.F.L. in yardage, and no wonder. Cunningham, 6 ft. 3 in., rumbles through tacklers like a steamroller, and "Mini Mack," 5 ft. 5 in., slithers past the defense like a greased pig.

Low-Key Teacher. The aggressive young linemen like John Hannah and Leon Gray who open holes for Herron and Cunningham also block pass rushers for Quarterback Jim Plunkett, a novel experience for the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner from Stanford. Plunkett spent his first three years in New England ducking tacklers. He has responded to the new security blanket by tossing 14 touchdown passes.

The man who gave the Patriots their aggressive attack and shrewdly gathered their young talent (average age: 24) is Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks. Fairbanks, 41, joined New England two years ago after coaching Oklahoma to a 52-15-1 record. He has transformed the Patriots with a low-key, work-hard approach. "He's a teacher," says Kicker John Smith. "He doesn't bawl and shout." What he does do is organize, breaking down the Patriots' long practices into carefully plotted six-minute drills. Says Plunkett: "The guys are fired up. We want to win, and we're having fun doing it."

The Cardinals and Bills--and even lowly Houston--would undoubtedly agree. So too would a lot of fans weary of seeing Miami coast to a championship every January.

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