Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Battered line still has edge in battle along trenches Date: Sat, 31 Oct 92 14:00:15 EST Message-ID: \SE D;SPORTS;REDSKINS NOTES \HD Battered line still has edge in battle along trenches \BY Thom Loverro \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES A picture of quarterback Mark Rypien being battered around in Sunday's 15-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings might not tell the whole story of the Washington Redskins' makeshift offensive line. The numbers tell a different story: only eight sacks allowed this season and one of the better rushing attacks in the league. The woes of the offensive line have been well-documented. For openers, center Jeff Bostic is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff and tackle Jim Lachey for several weeks with torn knee ligaments. Other players have been shifted around, and new players such as Mo Elewonibi have been called on to fill in. But fears that the Redskins might fall apart have been unfounded. The line has been battered and bruised but has not buckled on pass protection. Of the eight sacks, four came in the past two weeks against two of the fiercest pass rushes the Redskins will face this season, Minnesota's and Philadelphia's. And with the ninth-ranked rushing offense in the league (834 yards in seven games), the line has maintained the team's running attack, which finished seventh in the league in last year's championship season. "We've done a good job of running the ball the last two weeks against two outstanding defenses," coach Joe Gibbs said. The concern about scoring points remains, though, along with Gibbs' fear that the experienced defense of the New York Giants - Washington's opponent tomorrow night at RFK Stadium - might take advantage of the inexperience along the patchwork offensive line. "They can look at the films and see where we are vulnerable," Gibbs said. "We have some inexperience along the line right now, and it makes everything harder." MARSHALL FIRED UP AGAIN Linebacker Wilber Marshall is probably the hottest defensive player in the NFL this year, but Gibbs thinks his level of play rose to its current lofty heights last year - when he began thinking less and reacting more. "For whatever reason, last year he kind of turned the whole thing around from worrying about what other people thought of him, worrying about what he was playing . . . all of a sudden he just dropped all that and started playing like mad," Gibbs said. "He quit trying to figure things out and just started playing. It was almost like he caught fire, and we kind of caught fire, and he played the whole year that way. This year, I think he started off again a little off, but we all were. And then three weeks ago, he started flashing again and started hitting it." TOUGH AT HOME The Redskins remain the toughest team at home in the NFL, having won 17 of their past 18 games at RFK and seven straight (including two playoff games). Washington has a .500 or better record at home in each of the past 23 seasons - the longest such streak in the league. BYNER CLOSES IN Running back Earnest Byner needs four yards against the Giants to pass Mike Thomas for third place on Washington's career rushing list. Thomas gained 3,360 yards, while Byner enters tomorrow night's game with 3,357. John Riggins is the leader with 7,472, and Larry Brown is second with 5,875. With the 2,713 yards he gained at Cleveland, Byner's career total is 6,070. Also, Byner, with 510 yards rushing this season, is on pace to become the first Redskin running back to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM