Montana Felled

As inured as the public is to football injuries, the ruptured disk of Quarterback Joe Montana, 30, brought a chill to the young season. "I think the surgery will relieve the acute pain Joe is in and allow him to live comfortably," said Dr. Michael Dillingham, a team physician. "I also think he will be able to play again, but I'm not sure of that." The disk was removed from Montana's lower back last week; he was quickly up and said to be optimistic. But he is lost to the San Francisco 49ers for this year at least.

Quarterbacks are always at peril, but they seem to be falling at an accelerated rate. The Bears' Jim McMahon, the Raiders' Marc Wilson and the Colts' Gary Hogeboom all have injured shoulders. A master at developing young quarterbacks, 49ers Coach Bill Walsh is left with Jack Kemp's son Jeff, 27, a substitute for five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, and Journeyman Mike Moroski. Neither can be expected to match the two-time MVP of the Super Bowl. By a complicated system the N.F.L. employs for measuring quarterbacks, Miami's Dan Marino has just dislodged Montana as the highest rated in history, followed at a distance by Hall of Famers Roger Staubach and Sonny Jurgensen. Montana unhinged himself in the opening game of his eighth season, throwing in one direction while running in another, his trademark. He was something to see, and to hope to see again.