Once Again, 49ers Hold the Most Aces : Pro football: San Francisco has edge over rest of the Super Bowl field, though there is no dominant team.

With the approach of another NFL playoff season, there is a difference this winter: No team seems dominant.

No contender has come out of the regular season on a roll--as the Washington Redskins did last year or as the Chicago Bears (15-1) did in 1985.

For eight years, the NFC has dominated the league.

Not that the NFC is in trouble. The fact is that the San Francisco 49ers are on course to win their fifth Super Bowl in 12 years. In the playoff series that ends in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 31, the 49ers appear to be the best team.

The postseason begins with two wild-card games Saturday and two Sunday.

The contenders can be ranked as follows:

1. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (14-2)

NFC West Champion

A weak pass defense and a looming quarterback controversy are two serious problems, but if Joe Montana’s former backup, Steve Young, doesn’t lose his concentration, he can carry the 49ers. With a passer rating of 107 this year after a 101.8 in 1991, Young is the first quarterback to exceed 100 in consecutive regular seasons.

2. DALLAS COWBOYS (13-3)

NFC East Champion

This is the fastest team in the playoffs, with a fast-armed passer, Troy Aikman. Says halfback Emmitt Smith, “We’re 10 times better than last year.” The Cowboys are heading for what could be the real Super Bowl in the NFC title game, Jan. 17 in Candlestick Park, where the big-game experience factor favors the 49ers.

3. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-4)

NFC wild card

Injuries ruined the Saints last season. But this time, along with the 49ers and Cowboys, they are generally injury-free--a championship prerequisite. Although New Orleans’ coaches lack the 49ers’ understanding of pass offense, Bobby Hebert is a solid quarterback on what is basically a defensive team that is 6-2 at home, 6-2 on the road.

4. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-5)

NFC wild card

When they beat the Saints in Philadelphia, 15-13, on opening day, the Eagles leaned heavily on the NFL’s roughest pair of safeties, Andre Waters and Wes Hopkins, whose subsequent injuries have undermined a good defense. If they play, they will play hurt. Quarterback Randall Cunningham can win by running or passing.

5. HOUSTON OILERS (10-6)

AFC wild card

To win it all, most wild-card teams face four consecutive road playoff games--a challenge that makes the Oilers, among others, longshots. But the Oilers have the AFC’s best defense and one other edge: If passer Warren Moon is sound again, Houston is the one AFC team with the kind of offense that can beat any NFC team in the Super Bowl.

6. BUFFALO BILLS (11-5)

AFC wild card

When an injury epidemic cost the Bills their quarterback, Jim Kelly, they fell from favorite to longshot. “But longshots do win sometimes,” Coach Marv Levy said. Although Frank Reich is an experienced backup quarterback, the Bills’ defensive leader, Bruce Smith, is playing despite three cracked ribs.

7. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (9-7)

NFC wild card

After winning with an injury-free team last year, the Redskins are trying to show that they can be the first to repeat when the law of averages evens things up. Along with the Bills, they have been hurt in many critical positions. Quarterback Mark Rypien has not been much help. The Redskins have one edge: big-game experience.

8. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (11-5)

NFC Central champion

Against Washington on Saturday, quarterback Sean Salisbury will be making his fifth NFL start in four years with the Vikings. When Washington won in October, 15-13, the quarterback was Rich Gannon. This is a defensive team that lives on rushing the passer.

9. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (11-5)

AFC West champion

With more good, young defensive talent than any other AFC team, the Chargers will probably be the first in their conference to win the Super Bowl in this era--though not this season. What they need is playoff experience.

10. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-6)

AFC wild card

This team’s defense keeps getting more powerful, but the offense hasn’t improved as much with quarterback Dave Krieg as its coaches hoped. The most serious problem is the club’s poor passing scheme, which hurts the ground offense. Second--a far-back second--Krieg tends to be erratic.

11. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (11-5)

AFC Central champion

Neil O’Donnell was the AFC’s fourth-ranked passer when he broke a leg this month. The Steelers expect to use both O’Donnell and Bubby Brister in their first playoff game, which could be their last because they have yet to prove that they have a pass offense even though they run well with Barry Foster.

12. MIAMI DOLPHINS (11-5)

AFC East champion

Along with Buffalo and Washington, the Dolphins have been struck by too many injuries to plan on a long tour in the playoffs. Their best defensive player, John Offerdahl, and best runner, Mark Higgs, are among the injured. Even with quarterback Dan Marino in good form, the patched-up offense has been unproductive.