European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 18 a the stars and stripes sunday november 17, 1991 today s pro football redskins fight the urge to Goat by Alan Robinson Pittsburgh apr the unbeaten redskins Are the talk of the town in Washington where invitations to president Bush a private Christmas party Are easier to get than football tickets. Pittsburgh also is talking about the redskins who Are the toughest ticket of the season the toughest team in the nil to beat. In fact about the Only people not talking about the unbeaten redskins Are. The unbeaten redskins. They re very aware they can to afford to talk especially now that their 10-0 Start has them on the verge of twist Washington 10-0 at Pittsburgh 4-6 new Orleans 9-1 at san Diego 2-8 7 . Get 10 . Get on seb to on seb to and an to and an to clinching a playoff spot quicker than any team since the 1985 bears. A a human nature is when you re 10-0, people Are starting to talk great about you and How unbeatable you Are Quot defensive end Charles Mann said. Human nature is you Start cutting Corners Start doing things you did no to do before. A a you May leave a Little Early not watch As much film you May not go As hard in practice. When those things Start creeping in then you that Hasni to happened yet to the redskins who will try sunday to become the ninth nil team to go 11-0, the Pittsburgh Steeles 4-6who had lost four straight until beating Cincinnati 33-27 in overtime stand in their Way. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs laughs off talk of Washington becoming the first nil team to go unbeaten since Miami in 1972. 16-0? he just wants to go 1-0 on sunday. _ Quot i done to look at it As going undefeated i look at it As another Way to achieve one More game one More win to try to get what you want Quot Gibbs said. A we Haven to won the pfc Central division in four years and we want to win a division. A after that Well fight for Home Field advantage and see where we right now they re where no nil team has gone since the �?T85 bears went 12-0. A but this team understands that we can to go out Wilbur Marshall and Matt Millen have a right to be pleased with the Sterling defensive play of the 10-0 redskins. There and win on Talent alone week after week Quot quarterback Mark Rypien said. A we know we have to work our guts out. We have a lot of Guys who Are getting it done right and How. The redskins rank in the top four in the nil or National conference in nearly every major offensive and defensive team statistic. Try to Stop their nil leading Rushing attack and Rypien can throw six touchdown passes As he did in sunday s 56-17 torching of Atlanta concentrate on shutting Down the posse a Star receivers Gary Clark Art Monk and Ricky Sanders a and Rookie running Back Ricky Ervins who is averaging nearly six Yards a carry can break off a Long run. Ervins will replace former Cleveland running Back Earnest byner who will miss at least a week with a sprained knee ligament. The Steeles beat Washington in a preseason game and Mann does t doubt they can beat them again when it counts. A every team we play turns it up a notch and plays you even harder because they can make their , beating you when you re undefeated a he said. A they can be the a that s the Good thing Quot Steeles wide receiver Louis Lipps said. A anybody can win any like Washington which will miss byner Pittsburgh also has some injuries. Lipps was added to the injury list late in the week with a strained hamstring the same injury that often has proven bothersome to him before. Barry Foster the steel Erst top rusher May play after missing three weeks with a sprained ankle. Chargers a a faces double jeopardy by Bernik Wilson san Diego a san Diego chargers quarterback John Fries will be seeing double trouble on sunday when outside linebackers pal a shilling and Rickey Jackson of the new Orleans saints get after him. The saints 9-1 have allowed the fewest Points in the nil this year us it while amassing the most sacks 37. Swilling leads the league with 13 sacks and Jackson has eight. Fries will be relying heavily on tackles Harry Swayni on the left and Broderick Thompson on the right As the chargers 2-8 try to win consecutive games for the first time this year. A they have two Fries Guys Rushing the passer that Are real Good Quot said Fries who has been sacked 21 times. A when we face someone like Kansas City and Derrick Thomas we re Able to get a tight end and i Back on him or a tight end and a tackle. A but it s difficult to do when they have a Guy like that on each Side. There a going to be a lot of one on one matchup. Broderick and Harry Are going to have to have great games when they re left one on one. A i just Block it out Quot Fries said of the sack threat. A a there a nothing that i can do about it. I just rely on our Guys to get our Job done. I think they realize that if they done to there s going to be either a throwaway or a sack because they know that i m not the Type that runs out and gels away from trouble All the new Orleans certainly presents problems. Only four teams have scored in double digits against the saints whose Only loss was 20-17 to Chicago. A this is probably the toughest defense that we re going to face All year and probably the Best Overall team a Fries said. A it would be real Good for us to get some credibility nationally throughout the league and also Here at Home to Pul a Good show on in front of the Home fans. A a we re not going to just try to play a Good game and lose we re going to go in and fight real hard right from the Start and pull out an Swilling knows Fries can be both vulnerable and composed. A a he a been pounded but he s a Good pocket quarterback and stands in there and kind of Waits for the receiver to open. A lot of Guys who do that they re going to get pounded because they hold the football somewhat. But he seems to be doing a pretty Good Job a the linebacker said. Injuries have depleted the saints offence. Fullback Craig Heyward is out with a foot injury. Quarterback Bobby Hebert remains doubtful with a sprained shoulder and bruised rotator cuff. Receiver Quinn Early also remains doubtful with a knee sprain. A they re Able to maintain and win on a regular basis without very much offensive production whatsoever Quot san Diego coach Dan Henning said. A a they re going to be Swilling said he thinks the defense will carry the saints the rest of the year. A it s a Challenge for us to come out and know we have to Slop people. We know our offence is hurting a Little bit. That a a lot of offensive production that s out. It s going to be up to our defense to play consistently Well to keep opposing offences from scoring and keep games Low where we can score enough Points to Quot Steve Walsh has started three of the last four games at quarterback for the saints. He has thrown a touchdown pass in six straight games tying him with Minnesota a Rich Gannon for the longest current Streak in the nil. Last sunday was a rare one for the Mora family when father Jim a saints and son Jim s chargers both won. Barring a tie a and there has not been one in the nil this year a one Mora will have to be disappointed when the saints visit the chargers. Jim Mora is the winning est head coach in saints history 55-34. His son has been on the chargers staff the last seven years and is in his third year As secondary coach. Members of the Mora family will have to chose sides. Mrs. Mora will be a rooting for the Guy who brings Home the Check every week. And it ainu Tyoung Jim Quot the elder Mora said. A but its a Tough situation for her and me. Too. Every sunday we play our game and then we anxiously await the score of the chargers game and when both teams win its a great sunday. When one of us does no to then its not As Good a
