European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 a the stars and stripes sunday december 15,1991 today a pro football dolphins playoff Hopes at stake by Bernie Wilson san Diego apr time was when the Miami dolphins rarely missed the playoffs. Then came 1986 through 1989, when they disappeared from the postseason picture for the longest stretch since their Al Days. The dolphins 8-6 Are in position to make consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since 198485. But they must win their final two games beginning sunday against the san Diego chargers 3-11. A those four straight that we missed we struggled some there and barely missed a couple of times a dolphins coach Don Shula said. A but last year was great to get Back into  Miami beat Kansas City in a wild card game last january before losing to Buffalo in the divisional playoffs. A this year we had hoped to build on what had happened last year but we went through that Early struggle a Shula said. A we Hope we be got it headed in the right direction now. We still Haven to won anything and we fully realize that but we Are playing better now than we did  Miami was 3-5 at the seasons midpoint. The dolphins won five of six since with the Only loss against acc East Champion Buffalo. In order to get the remaining acc wild card berth the dolphins need to beat the chargers and have the new York jets lose to new England earlier on sunday. Otherwise Miami a regular season finale against the jets will decide the Issue. Some of Miami s turnaround has to do with players returning from injuries. A lot of it has to do with Dan Marino who has thrown 11 of his 20 touchdown passes in the last five games. He has thrown for 3,402 Yards this season including 281 Yards in a 37-13 Victory Over Cincinnati on monday night. That moved him into fifth place on the a Fly a career passing list with 34,818, and he needs Only 181 Yards to pass Joe Montana. A the last two weeks Danes had his Best two Bat games a Shula said. Two weeks ago Marino passed for 307 Yards in a Vic Don Shula and Dan Marino can get into the playoffs for a second straight year by winning their last two games. Tory Over Tampa Bay. A no doubt we re playing better now a Marino said. A i think when we won at Chicago 16-13 in overtime on nov. 24that helped us. It gave us a Little boost and Confidence. We be been playing pretty  the dolphins Haven to bounced Back on defense As Well As they have on offence. Still the defense has been playing pretty Well Marino said. A we have a lot of Guys out who were starting for us at this time last year a couple of pro bowl Guys that Arentt in there a he said. Linebacker John Offerdahl a five time pro Bowler remains on injured Reserve with a knee injury. Six other defensive players Are on in. A if we have to score a lot of Points then that a what we have to do a Marino said. The dolphins Are coming off victories Over lowly Tampa Bay and Cincinnati and san Diego certainly fits into that category. A i think its the condition of the team when you play them a Shula said. A you look at san Diego and the game they played against Kansas City. That was just a great football  the chiefs beat the chargers 20-17 in overtime sunday continuing san Diego a disappointing season. A we re just hoping for wins Quot san Diego quarterback John Friesz said. A a we re just playing Well enough to be real close. We re not playing Well enough to win on a consistent level. That a what s frustrating. But like in be said after each close loss the encouraging thing is we continue to fight and try As hard As we can As a team right Down to the final  the chargers last three losses have been to teams already in the playoffs a Kansas City and the los Angeles raiders a and one that a close the jets. Friesz has no interest in being a spoiler. A some people might get More Joy out of it a he said. A it does no to matter if its a team that a leading their division or struggling we re just hungry for a , pack going in opposite directions by Rick Gano Green Bay wis. A they were ready to run Wayne Fontes out of the motor City or at least out of Pontiac when the Detroit Lions were beaten 45-0 in their opener by the Washington redskins. A we started out and lost to Washington and there was a lot of adversity supposedly a Fontes said. A people said the Lions have lost it. They re on their Way out. The staff should be  but patience prevailed and so did better football. Now the Lions Are on the verge of the playoffs for the first time since 1983. In one poll taken two years ago Green Bay coach Lindy Infante was rated higher than Vince Lombardi. Head led the packers to a 10-win season and the team had just missed the playoffs. But while the playoff wait is nearly Over in Detroit it continues in Green Bay where the packers Are headed in the opposite direction. Infante the nil coach of the year in 1989, could be roaming the Lambeau Field sidelines in his last Home game sunday when the packers meet the Lions. Green Bay is 3-11 and has lost 16 of its last 19. The Lions 10-4 Are tied for the pfc Central Lead and Are within one Victory of tying the Best franchise record for a season and earning a playoff spot. A a we be been awaiting this season for a while we kind of expected this last year but it did no to happen,1�?T Lions running Back Barry Sanders said. A i done to really think the reason we Haven to been successful in the past is a Lack of Talent. We be had Good individuals but for some reason we just weren table to mesh it together and win probably just  after the redskins debacle a Sanders did not play because of a rib injury a the Lions regrouped starting with a 23-14 Victory Over the packers. They be been Able to overcome numerous injuries and recently the psychological Impact of losing guard Mike Utley who injured his spine a month ago and is paralysed from the Chest Down. Detroit will line up without five injured starters a Utley quarterback Rodney Peete linebacker Michael Cofer nose tackle Jerry Ball and offensive tackle Eric Sanders. A the thing we have to do is pick it up and have our backup Guys come in and do a Job a Fontes said. A a we be been doing that All year. Lets Hope we can do it one More tune. This late in the year without a doubt there is nothing we could pick up that would put us at the level of the Guys we  Infante whose future will be decided by new general manager Ron Wolf insists the packers Are not that far away from a Winner. But his 2339 record in nearly four years makes that hard to accept. A a there a a Good base a Good foundation built Here regardless of our record at this Point a Infante said. A these Guys need to have tasted a Little Success Here before the end of the year and i think that a what they Are hungry for. There is a lot to play for an awful lot to play  but the Lions 10-0 in domed stadiums and 0-4 outdoors this season have More to gain by a Victory sunday. Detroit has a four game winning Streak thanks to the running of Sanders who has 1,335 Yards and 16 touchdowns and an amazing ratio of turnovers to takeaways the last month. The Lions have lost the Ball Only three times during that period while their opponents have committed 19 turnovers. Detroit has turned those turnovers into 61 Points while giving up Only 10 from its own miscues. A we Are doing a few different things a Fontes said. A we Are protecting the Ball now. When we get a Lead we protect it. We run the Ball More if we have a Lead. We Are playing More consistent defense. Those Are All factors. A i believe in continuity. L thought we were going to be a better team than we were in 1990 6-10just like the packers. It takes time. We were starting the third year of our rebuilding program. We stayed with what we believe in. We knew we d be  the packers thought this was the season they a be Able to say the same