Q 13

PLAYBOY: Do you study on game day?

Jim McMahon: No. If you don't know the game plan by Sunday, you're in trouble. I like to relax before the game. I read Playboy.

Q 14

PLAYBOY: You're in the pocket and it's starting to break down. How do you sense that? You don't have eyes in the back of your helmet.

Jim McMahon: The thing most quarterbacks fear is the blind side. That's the one thing that can really hurt you--whiplash and everything else. But ever since I can remember, I could feel what was going on. I can't explain it. I can sense a guy coming from my blind side and spin out on him, the way Fran Tarkenton used to do all the time. The more you do it, the easier it gets to feel the rush.

Q 15

PLAYBOY: Football players are supposed to be dumb. How dumb are they?

Jim McMahon: Football players have a bad rap. There are guys who really don't have a lot of smarts as far as the outside world goes. You can be very football smart and still be an idiot. But then you can be a brain and have no football smarts. We've got a lot of great athletes who have good football sense on this team. That's why we're good.

Q 16

PLAYBOY: When you watch Monday Night Football, what do you look at that the rest of us don't?

Jim McMahon: Depends on who's playing. If it's a team we've got coming up, I like to watch what they're doing on defense. Try to pick up something. All you can see is the linebacker on some of those sideline shots, but you try to pick something up. You try to get an idea of what they'll do in certain situations. But then, during the week, you're gonna watch the film, anyway. Also, you look for guys you know -- see how they're doing.

Q 17

PLAYBOY: are to give us a few words about your competition -- Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, John Elway?

Jim McMahon: Montana's proved to be one of the best quarterbacks who ever played the game. Very innovative. I think the 49ers have a great system, offensively. They use their guys a number of ways. They figure they've got a great offense, but he makes it work. He's a hell of a player. Marino's got a rocket and he's getting better. As far as reading coverages goes -- sometimes you wonder. But it seems their guys always come up with the ball.

I asked Cliff Thrift, who played with Fouts in San Diego, if Fouts ever lifted weights or anything. Cliff said, "If you ever saw his body--he's got the worst body." But he's got tremendous ability. I'd love to play in that offense. It's very similar to the offense I played in college. They talk about its being complicated. Well, it's not. You send five guys out, one of them is going to be open. And if you're smart enough, like Dan is, to read the defense and know who to go to in a hurry, you get a lot of yards.

Elway's been playing good football. His stats aren't overwhelmingly great, but he's winning. That's how I like to judge Q.B.s. Say I was with San Diego. You can't tell how many yards I could throw. Or say Marino was with Atlanta. It's tough to picture guys with different teams. It's tough to judge guys on statistics. I like to judge them on wins and losses. People remember the guys who win the big ones.

Q 18

PLAYBOY: Your thoughts on place kickers?

Jim McMahon: All the ones I ever ran into were weird, kind of in their own little world all the time. Most kickers aren't great athletes. Except, I think, for Rafael Septien and our guy, Kevin Butler. The Bears made a good choice when they kept Kevin. Butthead's a hell of a kicker and a good guy. Nothing really fazes him. He likes to have a good time, a few drinks. Gotta have people like that.

Q 19

PLAYBOY: Did BYU offer you anything to play football there?

Jim McMahon: Not a thing. There were offers, but not from BYU. I know what went on at other schools, because I had friends at other schools. Some guys take a pay cut when they come to this league. If I'd gone to this one school, I could have been a rich man by the time I left. All the extras--not just the cash but different odd jobs. They'll pay you good money.

Q 20

PLAYBOY: What are your hair-styling plans? Will we see the Mohawk again?

Jim McMahon: Not unless I want a divorce.