European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 b the stars and stripes sports sunday january 3,1993 Minnesota a Terry Allen soars to a one Yard touchdown saturday in Minneapolis. A. Johnson 47 closes late. Skins throttle by Mike Nadel Minneapolis a Washington returned to the metronome site of last years super bowl Victory and left one game closer to defending its nil championship. The redskins unleashed former option quarterback Brian Mitchell on the Minnesota Vikings and he ran for 109 Yards in Washington s 24-7 Victory in an pfc playoff game of saturday. Mitchell who had Only six carries during the season carried 16 times against the Vikings. He also returned a punt 54 Yards and ran 38 Yards on a fake punt. The redskins also rediscovered a few old standbys Mark Rypien hitting open receivers the hogs Clearing the Way for 196 Rushing Yards and nearly 43 minutes of Possession time and a smothering defense that held Minnesota to 148 Yards. Washington which went 9-7 and backed into the playoffs Only because the Vikings beat Green Bay on the season s final sunday improved to 16-4 in postseason play under coach Joe Gibbs the redskins will try to improve that Mark saturday when they visit the san Francisco 49ers, whose 14-2 record was the nil s Best. Meanwhile the Vikings who entered the game As 314-Point favourites after going 11-5, saw their first season under Dennis Green ended. Minnesota is 0-7 against Gibbs redskins including 0-3 in the playoffs. The Vikings thought they had cured their own offensive woes in their Victory Over Green Bay but they were dominated by Washington s defense. Sean Salisbury who passed for 292 Yards against arc Cobay completed Only 6 of 20 passes for 113 Yards and was intercepted twice. Mitchell used mostly on special teams was filling in for injured Ricky Ervins. He Alsol eyed several Washington drives with his swivel hipped hard to catch running and spice tip an attack that had averaged fewer than 19 Points during the season. Rypien completed 16 of 24 passes for 172 Yards including a 24-Yard touchdown pass to Gary Clark that finished the scoring late in the third Quarter. The Vikings took the Ball 79 Yards on their opening drive  up 7-0 on Terry Allen s 1-Yard run. Martin Mayhew in his first game after missing seven weeks with a broken Arm intercepted Salisbury a next pass and returned it 44 Yards to Minnesota s 33, setting up Chip Lohmiller s 44-Yard Field goal. Mayhew started in place of former All pro Darrell Green out with a bruised Heel. Mitchell returned Minnesota a next punt 54 Yards but Todd Scott intercepted Rypien a pass. Two plays Fater however the Vikings save the Ball Back to Washington As Trad Edwards intercepted Salisbury s pass and returned it to Minnot amp is 33-Yard line. Six plays later Earnest Byners 3-Yardtd gave the redskins a 10-7 Lead Midway through the second Quarter Washington s next drive stalled at its 44, but Gibbs called for a fake punt. Mitchell Juke Brent novo Selsky at the line of scrimmage and outran everyone until Jake Reed caught him from behind at Minnesota a 18. After two runs by byner and a Short Brynien to byner pass Mitchell went 8 Yards for the touchdown making it 17-7 just before halftime. Mitchell broke Merriweather a attempted tackle and carried Carlos Jenkins across the goal line.  had 13 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions just one season after capping a 28-touchdown, 11-interception year by being named super bowl map found Clark in toe end zone with 17 seconds left in the third Quarter. The hogs then made sure that Minnesota Nad no Chance to rally As the redskins controlled the Ball for All but 4 38 of the second half by Mary Foster new Orleans a the new Orleans saints will make their fourth trip to the playoffs when they Host Philadelphia on sunday. It is also the fourth time in five years that the eagles have made it to postseason play. But that a about As far As it goes. The saints have never won a playoff game. The eagles Haven to won one since 1980, the year they went to the super bowl. That will have to change for someone this weekend. �?o1 done to know if this team is equal to winning it All a Saint coach Jim Mora said. �?�1 done to know if this team is equal to even winning sunday. Well find out that s Why we re  Mora May be a bit Touchy when reminded of his team s record in the playoffs but Phila an to and radio 10 . Get sunday Delphia coach Rich Kotite May have More to worry about. Kotite became the eagles head coach after Philadelphia reached the playoffs for the third straight time in 1990 and lost again in the opening round. Owner Norman Braman said his team which went to the super bowl in 1981 under coach Dick Vermeil had the Talent needed to win but a change must be made if they were to reach the next level. That change was Kotite for buddy Ryan. Kotite Lead Philadelphia to a 10-6 record last season but they did not make the playoffs. This year the eagles Are 11-5 and a wildcard entrant in the Post season action. _ the saints 12-4 lost to the eagles in Philadelphia 15-13 in the opening game of the season As Herschel Walker ran for Jim Yards. A they really ripped us running the Ball a Mora said. Quot they ran against our Best defense our regular defense not our  for the Saint defense which is sending four linebackers to the pro bowl and has been one of the top rated units in the nil for the last two years the loss was particularly galling. A a in a very much looking Forward to seeing Philadelphia again Quot said linebacker Sam Mills. Quot i think we feel to have something to prove against the eagles and the 49ers, and there a no better time to prove it than in the  the saints defense for the second year in a Row led the league in fewest Points allowed this time just an average of 12.6 Over 16 games. The Saint offence meantime will be attacking a defense that had the third fewest Points allowed. New Orleans has averaged 21 Points h game this season but six of the season s touchdowns have been scored by the defense. Houston shooting for two the hard Way by Michael a. Lutz Houston apr its been 16 years since the Houston oilers last won in Buffalo but Only a week since they beat the Bills. They made it look easy in the Astrodome. Now they la try it the hard Way on sunday in Buffalo before the playoffs we thought Buffalo was unbeatable a Corner Back Cris Dishman said. Quot we proved they weren t. We were ready to play and when this teams ready to play nobody can beat us.�?�. The oilers did t expect to beat the Bilbas easily As they did in sunday night s regular sea$9n finale and they do expect a dogfight in the first round acc wild card game. The Bills u-5 wont have injured Jim Kelly but they will have their fans and  have Rich stadium where they re 5-0 in the playoffs. The oilers Are 0-4 in Buffalo since a 13-3 Victory in 1976. It  the oilers straining to hear audibles and adjusting to the outdoor atmosphere instead of Thefan to and radio 6 30 . Get sunday Bills fighting the Astrodome crowd. A a it a not going to be easy just because it looked easy sunday a Dishman said. Quot they have the Home Field and their fans and they re in a do or die  so Are the oilers although they re going into the playoffs in better health than in recent seasons when key defensive players were sidelined. Houston also will have Warren Moon Back after their starting quarterback missed several weeks with a broken Arm. The oilers 10-6 disappointed themselves by not repeating As acc Central division champions but they agree their 27-3 Victory Over Buffalo was their Best game of the season. The defense had seven sacks held the Bills to 146 passing Yards and produced four turnovers two of them leading to scoring drives. Moon and backup Cody Carlson threw touchdown passes. Despite the familiarity of having just played eat other coach Jack Pardee expects a different game c sunday. Quot it was a hard game and we have to turn around an do it again up there in colder a amp toe Pardee Sai the next time around  know a lot More about i and there la be a lot More Guesswork and soothsayer about How  defend what we did. For us we Hai to get some Chang ups on what we did no to do so  beating the Bills was Good for the oilers confident Quot there  be any doubt in our players mini that if we go in there and play Well we can win a Pard said. Quot if they keep playing that Well in the playoffs will be Good enough. A there is also a Downside. Quot when you beat a team soundly like we did they be More fired up and they la have More respect and it a playoff game a Pardee said. Quot we re playing at the place where the crowd noise is a Factor that we did have