European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 b the stars and stripes sunday october 20,1991 today s pro football Lions chances ride on Sanders legs by Dennis Georgatos san Francisco apr Steve Broussard of Atlanta had a Field Day against the san Francisco 49ers last week and George Seifert is worried Barry Sanders will do even better a Broussard is obviously a Good runner but Barry Sanders is probably the Best runner in football right now a the 49er coach said. A i imagine hell be kind of anxious after he watches this film to come out Here. We be got to do All we can to discourage him once he gets  Sanders and the Detroit Lions 5-1 head into sundays game against the 49ers with a five game winning Streak. The Lions find themselves All alone atop the pfc Central division Lead for the first time since l983. Detroit was Idle last sunday but beat Minnesota 2420 two weeks ago overcoming a 17-Point deficit with three fourth Quarter touchdowns including a 15-Yard scoring run by Sanders. A they have a Good team a san Francisco receiver Jerry Rice said a a we be got to take chances. We can to be conservative. We be lost four games. Our backs Are to the Wall. We need a  san Francisco 2-4 dropped into the pfc West cel Lar after the 39-34 loss to Atlanta. In that game Broussard gained 104 Yards on 10 carries Over the games final 17 minutes. The secondary also showed vulnerability As Chris Miller threw for three touchdowns. The 39 Points was the most Given up by the 49ers�?T since a 41-37 loss to san Diego in december 1982. A obviously our defense did no to play Well. It was spread around pretty Good a Seifert said. Like Broussard Sanders operates out of the spread offence a variation of the run and shoot. But Sanders said that does no to necessarily mean similar results sunday. A you done to know what a going to happen a Sanders said. A they the 49ers Haven to exactly Nad things go the Way they want them to but we re not relaxing and expecting anything less than a very very Good and competitive 49ers team. In a not coming in setting any difficult goats As far As yardage is concerned. In a going to concentrate on the most important statistic and that a to  Sanders second in the pfc with 640 Rushing Yards has gained at least 100 Yards in each of his past four games. To try to slow him Down the 49ers Likely will revise their defensive alignment. Against Atlanta last week san Francisco primarily used six defensive backs and four Down linemen with Only one True linebacker a Bill Romanowski. Against Detroit look for linebackers Keith Delong and Mitch Donahue along with nose tackles Michael Carter and Ted Washington to see More action to help Shore up the sagging run defense. A a Bariy a going to get the Ball 30 times a Delong said. A we have to have a scheme to Stop him. He a what makes their offence go. If we Stop him Well shut Down their offence. A the key to that is gang tackling. We have to get a Detroit Sall pro running Back Barry Sanders has helped the 5-1 Lions reach Heights they Haven to reached since 1982. Teams have had in defending Sanders revamped their offence this season to get him the Ball More. A my responsibilities have increased and they made some changes As far As getting me involved As Well As in the passing game and More variety of running plays a Sanders said. A so they re definitely featuring me More and its worked out so  Detroit coach Wayne Fontes said the Lions also made a Point of incorporating Sanders into the passing game. Sanders is tied for second on the team with 17 receptions for 102 Yards. Fontes said other elements of the offence have improved As a result of Sanders increased role in the Overall scheme. Minnesota Detroit at at new England san Francisco 6 p. M. On 9 . On seb to. Seb to and and an to an to lot of Guys on him. He a very Strong and he a compact and very  the Lions acknowledging the difficulty opposing a i think there a so much emphasis on stopping Barry. Fontes said. Young receivers. You know nobody knows their names but they re Sanders that it helps our passing game a pc Quot a a a it helps Rodney Peete. It helps our fou know Nob Ltd doing a great  Hope offence comes Back from break by Howard Ulman Foxboro mass. A the new England patriots had just one week off. It seems like the offence has been Idle All year. It has one touchdown in the last two games and Only five this season. The patriots benched their opening Day quarterback and their Best running Back. The wide receiver position besides Irving Fryar has been weak. And the offensive line has been pretty offensive. Fryar figures the attack May be revitalized sunday against the Minnesota Vikings 3-4. After All the patriots 2-4 had a Nice Bye week scoring As Many offensive touchdowns As they did in three of their six games. None. A a we re definitely overdue a Fryar said. A Aback in 85, we stunk up the first half of the season and just came on Strong during the end of the  a a we re hitting on about six out of eight cylinders Quot said Marv Cook whose 34 catches leads All nil tight ends. A was soon As we Start hitting on eight of eight like we did a couple of games earlier in the season we can have a Good  the patriots did that in a 24-20 upset of Houston. But since then they be lost 24-10 in Phoenix and 20-10 against Miami. Only wingless Indianapolis has averaged fewer Points than the patriots u per game. Minnesota handled the cardinals easily winning 34-7 last sunday. The Vikings had lost their three previous games against some Tough Competition a new Orleans Denver and Detroit. A sometimes we play very Well and sometimes we done to Viking coach Jerry Burns said. A a it a really hard to put a Finger on it. Throughout the course of a game Well play a Quarter a half very Well. Then we ii look like a different bal club. A after our game last week hopefully its a thing of the  the patriots however Are refreshed. A this break did us some Good a Fryar said a got our legs Back underneath us. Fresh minds renewed spirits everybody a  Hugh Millen a starter since the fourth game after quarterback Tommy Hodson was benched remains the starter. Rookie running Back Leonard Russell benched for fumbling at Phoenix and sidelined with a rib injury Early in the Miami game is expected to Start. A i Haven to played in about four weeks a Russell said. To ready to  Fryar double teamed most of the season Hopes to shake free More against the Vikings who a play a lot of Man to Man on defense Quot he said. Although Minnesota has allowed 329.9 Yards per game second most in the pfc its defense had its second Best performance last sunday limiting Phoenix to 254 Yards Only 50 on the ground and sacking Tom Tupa five times. A the Minnesota Vikings last sunday were the Best that in be seen them play in a Long time a Patriot coach Dick Mac Pherson said. A they really came up with some big plays when they had  quarterback Rich Gannon in his second Start of the season made several. He threw for one touchdown and ran 18 Yards for another As Minnesota rolled up a 20-0 halftime Lead. He made it 27-0 on a third Quarter scoring pass to Anthony Carter. A last week was probably As Good a Complete game As he s played. He started off a Little shaky then he got to throwing the Ball pretty Well a Burns said. A a he a still very inexperienced but he played pretty  new England drafted Gannon on the fourth round in 1987. When he walked at the patriots plans to switch him to defensive Back or running Back he was traded to the Vikings. He played in Only eight games his first three seasons but started 12 in place of the injured Wade Wilson last year. Gannon replaced Wilson in a 13-6 loss to Denver sept. 29 and has started the two games since then