Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 5, 1992 TAG: 9201050214
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long
'SKINS SLOSH, SLIDE, SLUG WAY INTO NFC FINAL 24-7
With Gerald Riggs tucked safely in the end zone and a Washington Redskins NFL playoff victory tucked safely away, thousands of fans at RFK Stadium gave the Atlanta Falcons the kind of send-off you see at the start of a sea cruise.As Ron Middleton performed a dance faintly reminiscent of Deion Sanders and cries of "We want Dallas" filled the air, fans pelted the field with thousands of the bright gold seat cushions they had been given on their way into the stadium.
It was like tossing confetti, and it was a fitting gesture.
The Redskins' 24-7 NFC semifinal victory against the Falcons on Saturday had all the makings of a victory at sea.
It began raining Saturday night and, although the field was covered until 45 minutes before kickoff, footing became treacherous during the first series of downs.
"We had on our mud tires today," Redskins defensive tackle Eric Williams said. "This was a battle in the mud, blood and the beer."
And wind - 30-40 miles per hour and swirling so that it came from every direction.
Almost to a man, players from both teams called it the worst conditions they had endured in a game. Not surprisingly, the weather changed every aspect of the game.
"I feel if we'd played in better conditions we'd have given it a better shot," Atlanta quarterback Chris Miller said. "Sometimes, it was flat impossible to stay on my feet."
The Falcons, normally a strict man-to-man team on defense, played zone almost the entire game.
"We were scared we'd fall down and give up a touchdown because of the field conditions," coach Jerry Glanville said. "We changed our entire game plan."
Atlanta kept its offensive game plan intact, using four receivers and short passes to compensate for a woeful running attack. However, its attack is predicated on being able to make quick, sharp cuts and flooding an area with players to create confusion.
In the slop, that was impossible.
"A run-and-shoot in weather like this is like a gun with one bullet," Atlanta cornerback Deion Sanders said.
The "Red Gun" gained only 193 yards in 50 plays, 140 fewer yards than the Redskins.
The Redskins, normally a team that passes deep, shortened every pass route. They trimmed the number of running plays they called to four.
And, in keeping with the weather, they experimented with the unorthodox. Peering out of the dugout before the game and seeing nothing but mud and water, coach Joe Gibbs figured it would not be a good day for slashing, quick-footed Ricky Ervins to run with the ball.
However, Gibbs decided to utilize Ervins in the same rotation as usual with Earnest Byner - and Ervins responded with 104 yards on 23 carries and the game's first touchdown.
That came on a 17-yard draw called by quarterback Mark Rypien, perfect against a Falcons defensive alignment that put three players on the line and had eight racing into the secondary at the snap.
The only problem was that the play had been removed from the Redskins' game plan two weeks ago.
"He called it and I had to ask him to repeat it because I thought I was hearing things," said tackle Jim Lachey, whose block sprung Ervins around left end.
There was 12:36 remaining in the first half when Ervins scored. Four plays later, Washington had the ball again.
Charles Mann stripped Falcons' running back Pat Chaffey of the ball, with Jumpy Geathers recovering at the Atlanta 39.
After Byner carried twice for 11 yards, Rypien made the Falcons pay for their first blitz of the half by hitting Ricky Sanders across the middle for 26. Riggs scored on the next snap.
Washington had numerous opportunities to turn the game into a rout similar to their 56-17 shellacking of Atlanta on Nov. 10. However, they converted six turnovers into only 14 points, in part because the elements contributed to kicker Chip Lohmiller missing three field goals.
When the Falcons finally scored a touchdown with 57 seconds to play in the half, what should have been a comfortable Redskins' lead was only seven points and Glanville raced to the locker room pumping his fists as if he had won.
"We knew it was still up in the air and we came out knowing that the first five minutes of the second half would dictate a lot," said Rypien, who battled a heavy ball in completing 14 of 28 passes for 170 yards, with one interception.
On Atlanta's first series, Miller slipped while fading to pass and the Redskins' Tim Johnson fell on him. The 9-yard loss forced Falcons' punter Scott Fulhage to kick from his end zone.
Washington stacked its punt rush right in hopes of forcing Fulhage to kick left, where they had noticed from films that he was usually short. It worked and Fulhage's 34-yard punt was fielded on the first hop by Brian Mitchell.
Mitchell returned the kick 26 yards, leading to Lohmiller's 24-yard field goal with 6:54 remaining in the third quarter.
Linebacker Monte Coleman, who later intercepted a pass, sacked Miller on the next series, forcing the Falcons' Norm Johnson to attempt a 45-yard field goal that was impossible under the circumstances.
Washington got the turnover and the touchdown it needed to finish off the Falcons one minute into the fourth quarter.
Miller hit Michael Haynes for 15 yards, but Haynes went to one knee to make the catch. When he got up and started running, linebacker Kurt Gouveia slammed him from behind, jarred the ball loose and Wilber Marshall recovered.
Thirteen plays later - 10 runs (mostly by Ervins) - Riggs was sprawled in the end zone.
Washington had a 17-point lead and all the cushion they needed to advance to the title game. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL