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: REDSKINS VS. SEAHAWKS Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 15:50:37 EST Message-ID: \SE C;SPORTS;REDSKINS GAME REPORT;SCOUTING REPORT \HD REDSKINS [5-3] VS. SEAHAWKS [1-7] \BY Dave Fay \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Today, 4, Seattle Kingdome; Chs. 9, 11 AM-570, AM-1090, FM-103.5, Redskins by 12 1/2 THE GAME This could be just the game the Redskins' offense needs to get back on track. Maybe it will take one touchdown to rekindle the Redskins; after all, they haven't scored an offensive touchdown in 11 quarters so a score might be the needed spark. It's even worse for the Seahawks. They have been outscored 153-58 so far this season. They haven't even used their advantage of playing in the Kingdome, losing all three games there this season. "I'm crying with the Seahawks. I know it's a very painful experience they're going through," former wide receiver Steve Largent said. If the game goes as expected, the only drama should be how much playing time rookie Desmond Howard will get. Coach Joe Gibbs said this week it hasn't been easy fitting in Howard, whose holdout from training camp interfered with his preparation for the season. "We'd like to get him in on offense, but that's a tough thing to do when you have three good receivers," Gibbs said. The teams share a similar experience; the last defeats for both teams came at the hands of the New York Giants. Washington lost last week at home 24-7, and Seattle lost to the Giants 23-10 before it took last week off. THE SERIES Redskins lead 4-1. The last time these teams met, in the final game of the 1989 regular season, Gary Clark caught nine passes for 149 yards and a TD to lead Washington to a 29-0 shutout at Seattle. Largent caught two passes for 41 yards in the final game of his career. THE COACHES Joe Gibbs is in his 12th season with Washington. He is 120-56 in the regular season, 15-4 in the playoffs, and the third-winningest active NFL coach, trailing only Don Shula and Chuck Knox. Gibbs is 3-0 against Seattle. With a victory today, Gibbs will pass former Kansas City coach Hank Stram for 10th place for career victories. Tom Flores stepped down Jan. 6 from his job as Seattle's president and general manager to coach the Seahawks. Before coming to the Seahawks, he was coach of the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1979 to 1987, leading them to victories in Super Bowl XV in 1981 and Super Bowl XVII in 1984 against the Redskins. He was 91-56 as the Raiders' coach. THE REDSKINS ON OFFENSE (NFL rank: 14th) Mark Rypien, who ranks last among NFC regulars with 68.8 passing rating, completed only 14 of 31 passes for 187 yards against the Giants as the offense was held to season-low 239 yards. Earnest Byner leads club with 542 rushing yards, but Washington is last in NFC with 3.4 yards per carry. WR Gary Clark has team-high 34 catches for 517 yards and four TDs. SEAHAWKS ON OFFENSE (NFL rank: 28th) The NFL's worst offense averages 191 total yards and fewer than seven points per game. Former Maryland QB Stan Gelbaugh, the team's third QB of season, has fared no better than previous two, completing 50.6 percent of passes with one TD and three interceptions. Chris Warren leads team with 408 yards on 99 carries and John L. Williams tops AFC RBs with 40 catches for 258 yards. REDSKINS OF DEFENSE (NFL rank: 8th) The Redskins were battered for 241 rushing yards against Giants after holding previous six opponents to average of 65 yards rushing. LB Andre Collins had seven solo tackles and DT James Geathers added two sacks. CB Martin Mayhew and LB Kurt Gouveia share team lead with three interceptions. SEAHAWKS ON DEFENSE (NFL rank: 11th) The top-rated pass defense allows 157 net yards per game but opponents average only 25 pass plays, second fewest in league. LB Terry Wooden had game-high 13 tackles against Giants but was placed on reserve because of a knee injury. DT Cortez Kennedy leads team with 7 1/2 sacks. SPECIAL TEAMS Washington's Brian Mitchell had 84-yard punt return for TD against Giants and leads NFC with 13.9-yard average. K Chip Lohmiller missed 38-yard FG against New York, snapping streak of eight consecutive FGs. . . . Seahawks P Rick Tuten has 58 attempts, 12 more than any other punter, and ranks third in the AFC with a 44.9-yard average. TIDBITS Redskins WR Art Monk has a reception in the past 140 games, the third-longest streak in NFL history behind Largent's 177 and Ozzie Newsome's 150. . . . Byner moved past Mike Thomas into third place on Washington's all-time rushing with 3,389 career yards. John Riggins leads with 7,742 yards and Larry Brown is second with 5,875. . . . Seahawks have been penalized NFL-high 70 times for 557 yards. . . . Seattle has been outscored 77-20 in the second half this season. . . . No Seahawks player has more than one TD this season. . . . Washington is 2-6 against the spread; Seattle is 3-5. INJURY REPORT Redskins: LB Monte Coleman (neck) is doubtful; LB Kurt Gouveia (neck), G Joe Jacoby (neck) are probable. Seahawks: DE Tony Woods (hamstring) is doubtful; T Ronnie Lee (knee) is questionable; WR Doug Thomas (toe) is probable. Key: Doubtful-25 percent chance of playing; questionable-50 percent chance of playing; probable-75 percent chance of playing. ****ILLUSTRATION A TEXT PLAYS THAT WORK: REDSKINS / BUTTONHOOK TO MIDDLETON No, there wasn't a lot to cheer about in Sunday night's 24-7 Redskins loss to the New York Giants. Still, there was one play worth noting. TE Ron Middleton really is an offensive tackle disguised as a receiver, spending 99.9 percent of his time opening holes for the Redskins' running game. Sunday night, though, Middleton got his 10 seconds in the sun. The play developed with QB Mark Rypien (12) looking downfield for one of the members of the Posse, who had taken their defenders upfield. Middleton (87) started out tucked on the right tackle's hip, brush-blocked the end on that side then flared out about five yards over the middle. Rypien, under heavy pressure, double-clutched then flipped a wounded-duck toss to Middletown, all by himself in the middle of the field. Result: 11-yard gain and Middleton's first catch of the season. But, like just about everything else Sunday night, Middleton's catch was flawed. The play was wiped out by a penalty - not enough men on the line of scrimmage. Middleton's first catch will have to wait. ****ILLUSTRATION B TEXT PLAYS THAT WORK: SEAHAWKS / PASS UNDERNEATH * Seattle's offense, led by former Maryland quarterback Stan Gelbaugh (18), is at best a struggling unit (NFL rank: 28th) and hampered by numerous injuries. First-year head coach Tom Flores has used the bye week to rest his players and simplify his offense. Seattle has two capable rushers in running backs Chris Warren (42) and John L. Williams (32). Look for the Seahawks to turn to their running game to try to control the clock, mixing in the short pass to keep the Redskins off balance. Seattle's favorite pass play is a check-down pass out of the backfield to Williams, their leading receiver. This play is particularly effective when the defense is deploying some type of man coverage because there is the potential for an interception when the receivers cross in the middle of the field. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. 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