European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 03, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 30 the stars and stripes sports tuesday january 3,1995 sunday in the nil Walsh leads bears by Vikings i a. A by Ron Lesko Minneapolis a the Tea that was t supposed to do Here stunned the quarterback who was supposed to Goso much farther. Steve Walsh led a precise offence wit two touchdown passes sunday and the Chicago dears forced four turnovers in shocking 35-18 win Over Minnesota continuing the postseason futility of the Vikings and Warren Moon. Few people expected the bears to reach the playoffs when the season began. After snapping their six game los ing Streak to Minnesota Chicago is off to san Francisco for a divisional playoff game no one will expect it to win. That s nothing new to us said receiver Curtis Conway. We be been underdogs All year. A lot of people said we could t beat the Vikings. We won when we needed to  the Vikings pfc Central champions for the second time in Dennis Green s three seasons still Haven t won a playoff game under Green and have lost five in a Row dating to 1988. And Moon for All of his impressive statistics lost his fourth straight playoff game. He offset his two touchdown passe with two interceptions and was replaced by scan Salisbury in the final  his outstanding 11-year nil Ca reer Moon s record remains tainted by his playoff failures As docs Green s Minnesota  s frustrating this year because it s bears Steve Walsh. Is completions 221 Yards right Here and right now said Moon 3-6in the playoffs during his 10 seasons in Houston. This is a game we Felt we should have  Moon limped into the interview room on the injured left knee that kept him out of the final regular season game last week. He showed no signs that the knee both ered him during the game but the super bowl Hopes Moon brought with him from Houston in the of season May have evaporated with the week and a half of practice he missed to end the regular season. Moon s timing was off All Day against Afi Rcd up Chicago defense while Walsh confused the Vikings with a mix of longhand Short passes. Forced to throw once the bears go ahead Moon completed 29 of 52 passes for 292 Yards setting Minnesota playoff records for pass attempts and completions  " a a " v but Walsh a St. Paul native was far More efficient hitting on 15 of 23 passes for 221 Yards in his Best game since Chi Cago s overtime loss at the metronome on dec. 1.  " -. V it was very special to come Back Here and win said Walsh who grew up a Vikings fan across the Mississippi River. We Haven t had Nowich Success Here. To come in and play As Well As we did it s a big statement for  Victory Chicago s first in the play offs since 1990, was especially Sweet to team that had been taken lightly most of the year.  a. We have As much right to be Here a anybody said defensive end Trace Arm Strong who had both Chicago sacks. Reworked we scraped we nestled. You can t take it away from  the Vikings sure could to even though the bears tried to give it away  Tillman fumbled at the Chicago 6 on the bears first Possession and Walsh bounced an interception off his own line Man s helmet on the next drive. But Minne Sota managed just a 3-0 Lead off the turnovers and then Walsh got hot. With coach Dave Wannstedt ready to replace Walsh with Erik Kramer if the of sense continued to sputter Walsh was 6 for-6 on the bears first to drive capped by till Mari s 1-Yard  then guided a 71-Yard drive which featured a 52-Yard pass to Jeff Graham and ended with a 9-Yard pass to Keith Jennings As the bears took a 14-9 halftime  Harris scored on a 29-Yard run the bears longest run of the season in the third Quarter. Walsh threw 21 Yards to Graham to put Chicago up 28-12 with 12 42 left in the game. We knew we should have beaten them the last time and we came out with that same attitude said offensive tackle James Williams. With Moon leading the most productive passing game in the pfc the Vikings looked Tike super bowl contenders until a three game november losing Streak. But they still had momentum heading into the playoffs after beating the 49crs in their last game and most believed they would continue their Domi Nance Over the bears. It s almost Fike Buffalo. At least you get there said safety vencie  be blown it three years in a Row but at least we have had the Opportunity. It just one of those sour feelings that s going to take a while to get  Testaverde Sparks browns7 win by Chuck Melvin Cleveland a this was no Mere football game. Not for Bill Beli Chick. Not for Vinny Testaverde. Not forthe Cleveland Browns. This was vindication. This was proof that everything Belichick had been doing for four years made some sense. This was both the biggest and Given the result the Best game of Testaverde s spotty pro Ca reer. _ _ behind Testaverde s pinpoint passing and a defense that reinforced its reputation As one of the nil s Best the Browns beat the new England Patri ots 20-13 sunday in an acc wild car game. Next up is Adream game for every fan in the football crazy re Gion that include Western Pennsylva Nia and Eastern Ohio Cleveland a Pittsburgh basically the Testaverde Cleveland Browns Haven t been Given re Spect said Browns safety Eric Turner who collected one of the three interceptions thrown by new England s Drew  now we have the Opportunity to show what we can do nationally. We have to step up and do our thing.". The St Celers won both of the regular season meetings Between the fierce acc Central rivals beating the Browns 17-10 in Cleveland in september and the clinching the division and Home Field advantage in the playoffs by winning in Pittsburgh 17-7 on dec. 18. The Browns and steel cars have never met in the  were 0-2 against Pittsburgh this year. I m pretty sure they re saying three times is a Charm but Well have to see about that defensive tackle Michael Dean Perry  stadium was jammed Sun Day and the crowd was wildly enthusiastic reminiscent of the Dawg Days of the late 1980s. Absent were the Many Nasty banners that used to suggest tha Belichick and not Bernie Kosar should have been Cut last year. I d like to give the game Ball to thebans who came out Here and supported us Belichick said. We brought a playoff game to Cleve land and a Home playoff game and there were a lot of people Yelling for us and giving us a lot of support i really appreciated it Testaverde in the first playoff game of his eight year career completed 20 of 30 passes for 268 Yards and one  importantly he threw no intercept tons at Long last putting to rest the memory of the five interceptions he threw in his biggest College game the 1987 fiesta bowl. Testaverde played smart All afternoon scrambling out of the pocket when i began to collapse throwing the Ball away when the coverage was too Good. Even so the patriots who had finished the regular season with seven straight wins made it interesting at the end. Matt Bahr kicked a 33-Yard Field goal that got them within a touchdown with 1 30 left and he followed with an onside kick that the patriots recovered at their own 36. The 22-year-old Bledsoe completed two Quick passes for a first Down before four straight incompletion from his 48-Yard line ensured that the patriots would come up Short in their first playoff appearance since1986. Bledsoe was 21 of 50 for 235 Yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. In two games in Cleveland this season including a 13-6 loss on nov. 6, he had seven passes intercepted. Right now it feels like a disaster Bledsoe said. But in some respects i feel it was a Good season for us. We comeback and won seven games in a Row when we had to. We got into the playoffs. Unfortunately we did t do anything with the  patriots Vincent Brisby makes 27-Yard reception As Browns Don Griffe la defends