Sunday, September 13, 1998

Gailey makes return to Mile High

By JOHN MOSSMAN AP Sports Writer

DENVER (AP) - Chan Gailey spent six seasons as a Denver Broncos assistant coach, the latter two as offensive coordinator in 1989 and 1990. During that tenure, he helped the Broncos earn three Super Bowl appearances.

The experience gave him an appreciation of the pitfalls opposing coaches faced when they brought a team to Mile High Stadium, where the Broncos own the NFL's best home record since 1974.

"It was a lot of fun to be there in Mile High," Gailey said. "I felt sorry for that guy standing on the other sideline. Now I am that other guy."

Gailey, hired as coach of the Dallas Cowboys on Feb. 12 after four seasons of building a respected offense in Pittsburgh, brings the Cowboys into one of the NFL's noisiest and least hospitable stadiums on Sunday.

"The noise factor is tough," Gailey said. "The fans are great in Denver and they create a problem for the opposing team."

The Broncos opened defense of their Super Bowl title on Monday night, beating New England 27-21 to extend their franchise-record, regular-season home winning streak to 17 games. In the last 25-plus seasons, the Broncos have a 140-45-1 record at home.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, made their debut under Gailey with a 38-10 win over Arizona.

Sunday's matchup features two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in Dallas' Troy Aikman and Denver's John Elway, as well as the last two running backs to win Super Bowl MVP awards, Dallas' Emmitt Smith five years ago and Denver's Terrell Davis last year.

Aikman, who helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls, was eager for Elway to experience the sensation of winning a championship, too.

"I guess, like most of America, I was pulling for Denver," Aikman said of the Broncos' 31-24 win over Green Bay last January. "I think it was out of the respect that I have for John and what he's meant to this league for so long. Like everyone else, I was wanting to see him get a Super Bowl ring, because I know what a great feeling that is."

Elway, 38, likely is playing his final season, although he has not completely ruled out playing in 1999.

Asked if he ever imagined himself playing until 38, Aikman, who will turn 32 in November, said, "You know what, I don't know that if you asked John when he was 31 if he could have envisioned himself playing at 38. I guess, to be honest, the answer is no. Realistically, there aren't many guys who can say they're going to be playing 16, 17 years in this league. There are few players who can do that and even fewer, like John, who can do it at such a high level."

Aikman said Elway should be considered one of the league's greatest quarterbacks even if he hadn't won a Super Bowl because of his winning percentage. Elway is the NFL's winningest quarterback with 139 victories in 220 games. Elway, in turn, admires Aikman, who has fashioned an 88-55 record as Cowboys starter and whose 62 percent career completion rate ranks third in NFL history.

"I look at him as a guy who can win games and make plays," Elway said. "He is a very accurate thrower. He's definitely one of the best in the game."

Aikman still is adjusting to the Cowboys' new offensive scheme under Gailey, a process Elway experienced three times.

"He's an intelligent guy and I'm sure he's picked it up real well," Elway said. "But a year from now he'll realize he was just scratching the surface."

Aikman, who had never had more than one rushing touchdown in any season, ran for two scores last week, as well as throwing for 256 yards and two scores.

Smith rushed for 124 yards, giving him 11,358 for his career to move past O.J. Simpson and John Riggins into ninth place in NFL history. He needs 48 yards to pass Buffalo's Thurman Thomas (11,405) for eighth place.

Dallas has not lost to an AFC West opponent in the 1990s, posting a 9-0 mark.