European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 4, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22the stars and stripes saturday january 4, 1992 today s pro football Rypien Miller enjoy All pro year by Vito Stellino the Baltimore Sun Herndon a. A the quarterback faced u Crossroads in his career this season. The sceptics thought he was too injury prone and inconsistent to be one of the game s Best. There was a Young quarterback looking Over his shoulder and if he did t do it this season his Atlanta 11-6 at Houston 12-5 at Washington Denver 14-2 6 30 . On seb to and an to a 12-4 10 00 . On seb to and an to club was Likely to go in a different direction. The quarterback met the Challenge enjoyed an excellent season and was voted to the pro bowl. Sound familiar the scenario not Only fits Mark Rypien of the Washington redskins but also his opponent in saturdays Nee playoff game a Chris Miller of the Atlanta Falcons. Miller 2b, is in his fifth season Rypien 29, is in his sixth and Hadnot lived up to the Belling he had As a first round draft pick in 1987. When the Falcons drafted Brett Favre on the second round and traded for Billy Joe Tolliver this year they were sending Miller a message he was running out of time. I be also had to prove he could come Back from a broken Collarbone that sidelined him in the 13th week last season. Nobody understood his situation better than Rypien who missed half of last season with a knee injury and knew the redskins were grooming Cary Conklin. A there s no doubt he was in kind of a make or break Rypien said. Quot its been four years since he s been with the organization and they were looking Lor Washington a Mark Rypien and Atlanta s Chris Miller Square off today in nil playoffs. Him to do Good things. I know the athlete that he is the Type of person he is. 1 know it was eating at him to do Well. Its Good to see him have a Good Rypien then added with a smile a hopefully it ended last when the redskins bombed the Falcons 56-17, on nov. 10 on Rypien a six touchdown passes Miller was out with cracked ribs. He came Back to Lead the Falcons to a 6-1 Mark including the playoff Victory at new Orleans last week that earned the Falcons another shot at Washington. Quot for me it was an important Miller said. A i wanted to do Well. This was the first year since he was drafted where we be really had a Good football team so it was important for me to come out and establish myself As the Leader of the Miller threw 26 touchdown passes during the regular season Only two fewer than Rypien who had the advantage of those six he threw against the Falcons. Miller said one reason he s done so Well is that the Falcons have gone almost exclusively to their version of the run and shoot which they Call the red gun. A we re going to throw the Ball. Miller said a and that s what i love to Broncos Brace for Houston s Aerial fireworks by John Moss Man Denver a if the run and shoot is starting to fire Blanks As some suggest done to bother telling the Denver Broncos. They be seen too much evidence to the contrary. Item oct. 6, the oilers pass for 327 Yards in a 42-14 thrashing of the Broncos. It was the most passing yardage yielded All season by the Bronco defense and represented the Only game in which Denver gave up More than 20 Points in a game. Item four Oiler receivers Combine for an Eye popping 315 catches Lor 3,874 Yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Item Haywood Jeff ires and Drew Hill Combine for 190 receptions the most by two teammates in nil history. Item Warren Moon leads the in l with 4,690 Yards through the air and the oilers top the league with 289 Yards per game. So when the Broncos entertain the oilers in saturdays divisional play Oil game be expecting the usual pyrotechnics. But the Oiler offence does Appeal to have gone into a Subtle slide since mid november in the past six weeks when they have a 3-3 record including last week s 17-10 wild card win Over the new York jets the oilers have averaged a Mere 19 Points a game. Denver coach Dan Reeves thinks that scoring slump might be attributable to the oilers having played three difficult Road games in cold weather climates during that stretch. Reeves also said the heavy work Load might finally be affecting the Quick but Small Oiler receivers. A when you catch 90 or 100 passes its like a running Back carrying the Ball 300 times Reeves said. A it takes its toll on you after a while. Those Guys Are excellent receivers but they re bound to be banged in addition. Reeves said there s another Factor one of strategy. A i think people Are making them be More patient and not giving them the Opportunity for a lot of big plays a he said. A a they re making them throw underneath and earn everything Houston coach Jack Pardee sees no cracks in the run and shoot s foundations. I be cites the demanding Road trips and late season injuries for part of the decline. Asked if opponents were getting better at defending the run and shoot quarterback Warren Moon said a i think they Are figuring out How to slow it Down maybe not to defend it. I think they re forcing us to be a Little bit More precise with our execution. And they Arentt blitzing us As much which also gives us big running out of time after 5 straight exits by Michael a. Lutz Houston apr the postseason has not always been kind to the Denver Broncos and Houston oilers. The Broncos Are 0-4 in tie super bowl. The oilers have never made it that far losing in the playoffs five straight years. The oilers have two victories in then playoff Streak and done to want to waste another super bowl Chance against the Broncos in saturday s second round play Oll game in mile High stadium. Quot none of us Are getting any defensive end William Fuller said Quot a a it a Nice to say we be been to the playoffs five straight years inn that does no to mean a thing. Down the Road nobody will care about Llinat. It s All about wins and losses and who Able to hold up a Finger with a super howl i my on it and say i m one of the Al mid season the oilers 12-5 hound Tor an acc title showdown with but Lalo Wuh a Good Chance Al making their first super bowl appearance Bui a t 4 second half has dropped la Weir Stock. We wont gel that Many opportunities and this is a Good Opportunity Quot Fuller said. Quot we have a team Good enough to win the super bowl and definitely Good enough to heat Denver if we go up and play our in fact a loss to the Broncos would leave the oilers feeling their season Wasny to a Success even with their first Ever of cd Central title. Quot yeah in the final analysis you d have to say yes a Fuller said. Quot its not the end of the a world but it would be disappointing. It would be hard to look Back Al. Quot us frightening to even think that Way right now because we be been in this position so Many times and we want to take that next step and get Denver s defense ranked no. 5 in the in l and no. 3 against die pass is frightening to oilers quarterback Warren Moon. Moon thinks the Bronco defenders could be As effective As the Philadelphia i Agles. Who battered the oilers 13-6 in the Astrodome. A a 1 Hev be As physical As Philadelphia in we allow diem tit Moon . 1 we cannot run the loot bail like we a Eiene table to to against Philadelphia Liev could Lay Back and crowd our Denver a defense is made More dangerous by its safeties Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith. A they probably have two of the Best combined safeties in the Moon said. Quot they cover a lot of ground Back there they Are big hitters. They come up and support the run too. A you Vegol to he conscious where they line those Guys up All the time. They like to move them around and use them a lot of different the oilers lost the Home Field advantage and a first round Bye to the Broncos with a 24-20 loss to the new York giants in the final regular season game. The magnitude of that loss now comes into full focus. Denver is 7-1 at Home this season and its 65-20 Home record Over the past 11 years is tops in the Nee. Quot we knew it could have been a lot easier if we had t lost that giants game a Moon said. Quot we know now it s Over if we Don t play with enthusiasm and emotion. We played with emotion and hard for the whole game sunday and that s w he we
