Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 26, 1992 TAG: 9201260143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: MINNEAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
FOR BUFFALO, TIMING IS EVERYTHING
A stockbroker may be the most important person in Super Bowl XXVI.The Dow Jones has been going crazy lately, and the Metrodome scoreboard is expected to go up a lot of points during today's awaited Washington-Buffalo blast.
You also can put stock in this: As you read this, the Bills are concerned how an Alabama investment adviser will affect their no-huddle offense.
For all of the intriguing matchups, Buffalo thinks its chance to become the first AFC Super Bowl champion in eight years could lie in the hands of Bob Boylston.
Boylston is the umpire, the man who spots the ball after each play. How quickly he does that and steps out of the way will help determine whether the Redskins will be able to shuffle defensive personnel.
In the Bills' AFC championship squeaker over Denver, Buffalo coach Marv Levy complained that the umpire stood over the ball for an excessive amount of time.
"On several occasions, our quarterback [Jim Kelly] and center [Kent Hull] came to me and said, `Coach, I can't get the umpire away from the ball. We want to snap it,' " Levy said. "This is the first time that's happened since we've run the no-huddle."
The Bills are so concerned about the situation that Levy has discussed ball-spotting procedures with NFL officiating supervisor Jerry Seeman . . . as if the Bills need another distraction.
The Redskins have been politically correct in the week of Super Bowl preparations - except in the opinion of American Indian protesters, some of whom carried placards directed at "Jack Custer Cooke" in a Saturday march.
While Washington's stoicism has been expected, the Bills have enveloped themselves in verbal jousting. Maybe their angst is an anger-building boost for the game, but one can remember how well the calm, if hype-overwhelmed, Bills played in their Super Bowl debut last year.
Bruce Smith's illogical remarks on racial hate mail - Buffalo loves me, it loves me not - started the storm. The next day, running back Thurman Thomas, perhaps forgetting he is the NFL's most valuable player, stormed out of a team breakfast and was a media-session no-show because offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda called Kelly "the Bills' Michael Jordan."
To which Bills' tackle Will Wolford reacted: "You have to understand Thurman. If you didn't know him, you'd think he was an idiot. We've known him three years now, and we know he's an idiot."
While it's obvious Thomas' childish reaction was directed at what he perceives as a lack of publicity, Smith's reaction is rooted similarly. Having been hurt most of the season, the Virginia Tech legend sees his star eclipsed by Kelly, Thomas and linebacker Cornelius Bennett.
Smith loves attention, and he got it.
The problem for Buffalo is that Smith is going to get more publicity today, when he tries to hobble around Redskins' Pro Bowler Jim Lachey on pass rushes. Smith limped off the plane upon arriving here Monday. He hasn't practiced this week, keeping the fluid off a bad knee.
With Smith hurting, the Bills' defense isn't what it was last season. The Redskins went from a playoff to a Super Bowl team because of defensive improvement. Richie Petitbon's disguised coverages are tough enough, but he also changes them every week.
Petitbon coaches by a sentence he learned as a Chicago Bears safety from George Halas' defensive coordinator, Clark Shaughnessy.
"Never ever," Petitbon said, "let them play against what they've practiced against."
If Washington's offensive line can keep quarterback Mark Rypien upright, the Redskins should be able to use their time-of-possession advantage against the no-huddle's quick scores.
The Redskins' largest advantage is Chip Lohmiller's size-13 foot. Lohmiller will be kicking on a Metrodome surface he starred on in college, and he has a much stronger leg than Buffalo's Scott Norwood.
Don't be surprised, depending on the situation, if Redskins coach Joe Gibbs allows a Chip shot of 60 yards or more by the NFL's best place-kicker.
The Super Bowl is more than a football game, and so far the Redskins have played it better than the Bills. Gibbs' team shouldn't be Buffaloed today, either . . . Washington 34-24.