Quick Kicks

Seifert headed for Cleveland?

Former 49ers coach George Seifert said on the CBS NFL pregame show that he doesn’t believe he’ll be a candidate to coach the new Cleveland Browns.

“Carmen (Policy) is a very close friend of mine,” said Seifert, in the first year of his contract as a CBS studio host. “We worked eight years together, and we had some great times. At the same time, we worked with the 49ers in a very tumultuous period. To a certain point, I’d say we wore each other out.

“I’m excited about Carmen’s new position. I’m excited about what’s in my future. But I don’t believe I’ll be a candidate for the Cleveland job.”

Policy became part-owner and president of the Browns last Tuesday when billionaire partner Al Lerner’s $530 million offer for the expansion team was approved by NFL owners. Policy owns 10 percent of the team and makes all football decisions.

Seifert’s name quickly came up as a possible candidate to coach the Browns under Policy, who resigned after seven years as 49ers president in July. Policy said in an interview last week that he wanted to meet with Seifert as early as next week in New York to “bounce some ideas off him.”

Problems by the Bay

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said he’s so concerned about completion of the San Francisco 49ers’ $525 million stadium project, he’ll travel to San Francisco this week to meet with 49ers officials and Mayor Willie Brown.

The NFL may not allow the 49ers to play host to the 2003 Super Bowl if the new stadium isn’t built, Tagliabue said.

The new stadium plan has been on hold since January because projected costs were $175 million above the $350 million budget.

Honeymoon is over

Wondering which team leads the race for worst in the NFL? Week 2 of the NFL season might have brought some answers. There are plenty of 0-2 teams, and the Eagles are among them, but our choice for now goes to the St. Louis Rams. This couldn’t have been what Dick Vermeil had in mind when he decided to return to coaching after 15 years.

The Rams are 0-2 and going nowhere fast. Worse yet, both ESPN and Fox reported during the weekend that his players are fed up with Vermeil, the former Eagles coach, and his methods.

Fox host James Brown said that Rams players were “near mutiny over the NFL’s longest practices, questionable play-calling and highly criticized personnel moves.” But, Brown added, “Rams management is 100 percent behind Vermeil for the entire 1998 season.”

Five points to ponder

1. Craig Erickson was designated the Dolphins’ No. 3 quarterback for the second week in a row, behind Damon Huard.

2. Don’t get too excited, Dolphin fans. Miami has started off 2-0 in every season since Jimmy Johnson became coach.

3. Kevin Greene’s two sacks in Carolina’s loss to New Orleans give him 138 and moved him past Richard Dent to third all-time.

4. Jacksonville kicker Mike Hollis, the former Central Valley and University of Idaho star who missed seven of 10 field-goal attempts in the preseason, missed two more against the Chiefs. His second miss was from 21 yards.

5. Barry Sanders’ 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of Detroit’s loss to Cincinnati extended his NFL record for TD runs of 50 or more yards to 14. Jim Brown had 12.