NEW YORK -- Joe Montana and Dan Marino have not met on a gridiron since the Super Bowl on Jan. 20, 1985. That is 10 years ago, and the two kids from small high schools in Western Pennsylvania are still around.


"It's the Iron City Beer," Montana said, referring to the popular Pittsburgh brew.


On Saturday, they will introduce themselves as opposing quarterbacks in an AFC wild-card game when Montana, 38, leads Kansas City against Miami and Marino, 33, at Joe Robbie Stadium.


The last time they met, Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to a 38-16 victory over the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX.


Their teams have met since, but one or the other has been injured, including a 45-28 victory by Miami on Dec. 12 that Montana missed.


"I thought I'd definitely be back to the Super Bowl before, um, before, um ... " Marino said, his voice trailing off in embarrassment. "Well, I haven't been back."


In the NFC wild-card playoff Saturday, Detroit is at Green Bay. Then, on Sunday, it is New England at Cleveland in the AFC and Chicago at Minnesota in the NFC.


When Miami beat Kansas City this season, Marino threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns.


The victory helped the Dolphins win the AFC East Division title for only the second time since 1986.


Miami won the AFC East with a 10-6 record, while Kansas City came out of the AFC West as a wild-card with a 9-7 record.


Packers vs. Lions. Both teams came out of the NFC Central as wild cards, so there are no strangers here.


They split the season series, with Green Bay winning 38-30 at Milwaukee on Nov. 6 and Detroit winning 34-31 at home on Dec. 4. That, of course, was before Sterling Sharpe was injured.


Sharpe, the Packers' magnificent wide receiver, will require surgery to fuse two vertebrae in his neck as the result of a condition that came on gradually over the season. He's out for the season, perhaps much longer.


Sharpe's 314 receptions in the last three seasons is unmatched, and he's the first player in the 75-year history of the NFL with consecutive 100-reception seasons.


This will be the fifth time the Lions and Packers have met in 1994.


The Lions defeated Green Bay last Jan. 2 to win the NFC Central, and one week later, the Packers returned to Detroit and knocked the Lions out of the playoffs.


Browns vs. Patriots. The Browns are 6-2 this season at Cleveland, and the Patriots can attest to the Browns' love of Cleveland Stadium.


Cleveland beat New England 13-6 last Nov. 6 there.


"We've lost two games at home, so I don't know how much of an advantage it is," Browns' middle linebacker Pepper Johnson said.


He continued, "I'm glad we're at home, but they could put us on one of those cruise ships to play, and that would be OK."


New England's edge is its seven-game winning streak.


The game between two strong defenses could come down to a duel between two outstanding kickers.


New England's Matt Bahr has made 27 of 34 field goals, while Cleveland's Matt Stover is 26 for 28.


New England is the AFC East's wild-card representative, while Cleveland came out of the AFC Central as a wild card.


Vikings vs. Bears. Both these teams came out of the NFC Central.. The division-champion Vikings swept the season series, 42-14 at Chicago on Sept. 18 and 33-27 at Minnesota on Dec. 1.


A missed 40-yard field goal by Kevin Butler in overtime cost the Bears the second one.


"I can't listen to people judge me by that field goal. I've got to stay positive. I can't worry about the negative," Butler said.


Now, Butler would like to make good on his second chance.


"Relief pitchers, hockey goalies, the guy standing at the free-throw line, you wish you could make every one. But you don't," he said.