Green Bay Press-Gazette from Green Bay, Wisconsin • Page 21

ipi ifiipp kiw iM pi i Sooints Sectio Green Bfiy Press-Gazette Monday, November 11, 1985 Classified ads Bi11 Business B-10 Comics B-1 8 Din thB PaeEceirs peirf urn Analysis driven the team 46 yards for a field goal; and he had generated a pair of first downs before Gary Ellerson lost a fumble at the Viking 40. On his fourth series, Zorn didn't put enough zip on a pass to Lofton down the middle. But his unforgivable sin may have been throwing short on a routine sideline pass to wide-open tight end Paul Coffman right in front of the Packers bench. The Packers also marched the first two series under Dickey, but still the end results weren't what they wanted. With second down at the Vikings 2 a minute before halftime, Coffman jumped Please see Packers B-2 The fact that the Packers forced Jan Stenerud to kick a field goal seemed insignificant at the time.

The way the Packers were producing, a 17-6 deficit seemed as distant as 21-6 might have been. But holding the Vikings inside the 5 lit the first spark in the Packers. As the Green Bay offense began from its 24, its members had reason either to be disheartened or motivated. All day long they had moved the ball, only to come away unfulfilled. It wasn't really Jim Zorn's fault, either.

In his first three series, Zorn had thrown a bull's-eye in the end zone to James Lofton from 23 yards out, only to have the touchdown nullified by guard Ron Hallstrom's holding penalty; he had "Big play" is one of football's most overworked cliches. Nobody can really define what qualifies as a big play, but the expression flourishes because often there is no better way to pinpoint the difference between winning and losing in today's National Football League. One would have a hard time building a case that the Packers really outplayed the Vikings. Just as in the first meeting between the two teams four weeks ago, the game was virtually even from a statistical standpoint. As the fourth quarter started, the Vikings appeared to be the superior team.

With third-and-eight at the Packers 15, the Vikings were so confident that they called a sweep. What's more, quick little By Bob McGinn Of the Press-Gazette MINNEAPOLIS Last week, it was the Chicago Bears who owned the fourth quarter. Two weeks ago, it was Wayne Capers and Eugene Daniel and Mike Pa-gel of Indianapolis who made all the big plays. Before 59,970 at the Humphrey Me-trodome here Sunday, it was the Green Bay Packers' turn. They rescued almost a hopeless situation and beat Minnesota 27-17.

They did it with a 21-point explosion in the fourth quarter because of clutch performances from Phillip Epps, Mark Murphy and Lynn Dickey, among many others. Darrin Nelson made it work with a 10-yard burst. All the Vikings needed was one more good play because they already led 14-6. With their two games with the Bears history, a soft schedule ahead and the probability of being 6-4 when the day was done, Minnesota's wild-card playoff chances were more than a pipe dream. Afterward, Coach Bud Grant said: "We're not that good.

In order to blow someone out, you need big plays and interceptions." That's what the Packers got and the Vikings didn't get. uftina Dickev into lineup paid IP 4P 0 iOk On tor ure an By Cliff Christl Of the Press-Gazette MINNEAPOLIS It might have looked like Coach Forrest Gregg yanked Jim Zorn as the Green Bey Packers quarterback Sunday because he skipped one too many passes into the artificial turf at the Metrodome. But Gregg said he had a much more subtle reason for replacing Zorn with Lynn Dickey with 2:22 remaining in the first half. "The reason I 1 i I I -7, '-II II Ln-" rg.jr.".! li: i in l. 1i tf It, 'Wa --irti 1 timiitf- fc.

1 HUM jallmiiri iHfariTfffl Press-Gaerte photo by John A Robb Got it: Phillip Epps of the Packers catches a Lynn Dickey to make a diving stop. Epps went out of bounds at the 5, but bomb in the fourth quarter as the Vikings' Carl Lee (39) tries the 63-yard play set up the winning touchdown. Big defensive plays finally arrive Lynn Dickey Completed 9 of 1 1 passes came with Lynn in that two-minute situation right before the half is that he knows our offense so much better," Gregg said. "He's been with our people in that situation a lot of times." Whatever the reasoning, the move paid off. Dickey completed nine of 1 1 passes for 135 yards as the Packers pulled out a 27-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Included among Dickey's completions was a 63-yard pass to Phillip Epps in the fourth quarter that led to the go-ahead touchdown. 'Zorn, starting his second game since Dickey was benched, completed just five of 13 passes for 75 vards. His last three throws were incompletions, including one intended for tight end Paul Coff man on a sideline pattern that arrived on the first hop. Zorn said he thought that pass might have had something to do with the decision to make a change, but he didn't seem to think that it should have tainted some of the good things he did. "I think if things had been totally in chaos, leaving the game wouldn't have been that bad," Zorn said.

"But it was disappointing to be taken out because I felt like the offense was moving the ball every time in there." This marked the second time this year that Dickey came off the bench to rally the offense. The first time it happened was in a loss to St. Louis, and it won him his job back. This time it remains to be seen what will happen. Gregg refused to designate a starter for Sunday's game against New Orleans Please see DickeyB-2 1 s.

but it has made it to the playoffs for three straight years and shares the lead in the AFC Central again this season. The Steelers have been winning because their defense is an offensive weapon. Prior to Sunday's loss to the New York Giants, the Ixs Angelas Rams ranked 24th in total of ferine and had an 8-1 record. Their defense had intercepted 21 passes and returned three for touchdowns. The Steelers and Hams don't have defenses glittered with all-pro names anymore, either.

Except for Donnie Shell, the Steelers have completely overhauled their defense since their last Super Bowl season in 1979. And the liams, always known in the past for their great defensive lines with people like Please see Christl B-2 The game was still up for grabs when the Packers scored two plays after Epps' catch. The interceptions were the plays that guaranteed victory. Much has been made of the Packers' quarterback problems this year. And that certainly is a big reason why the Packers have a 4-6 record in a season that began with considerable hope.

But a lack of big plays on defense has been just as damaging. There are teams that have been winning in the National Football lieague in recent years with no better talent than the Packers simply by thriving on interception returns and fumble recoveries. Seattle is one. Denver is another. Pittsburgh has gone through a difficult transition with its quarterbacks Rince Terry Bradshaw's last good year in 1981, MINNEAPOLIS From a statistical standpoint, Sunday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings was a draw.

The Packers had 20 first downs, the Vikings 19. The Vikings rushed for 177 yards, the Packers for 175. The Packers had 59 more total yards, but the Vikings held the ball for about 3 '4 more What won the game for the Packers is that they made the big plays on defense and the Vikings didn't. One was Mark Murphy's 50-yard interception return for a touchdown with just less than four minutes to play. And the other was a subsequent interception in the end zone by Tim Lewis.

A 63-yard pass from Lynn Dickey to Phillip Epps swung the momentum in the Packers' favor Christl Cliff Christl is sports editor of the Press-Gazette in the middle of the fourth quarter. But Murphy's interception was the haymaker and Ixjwis' the knockout punch in what was otherwise an evenly fought sparring match. Jim Zorn Completed 5 of 13 pas ses Murphy goes from hurt to hero Interception turned fans on Kramer I i' Kramer By Jim Egle Of the Press-Gazette MINNEAPOLIS Quarterback Tommy Kramer trotted onto the field late in the fourth quarter as the Minnesota Vikings attempted to regain the lead iimiint fcr jtxmM iiii-nr-itfiiiliiiirmiiiili-Tiirilrmf)(f Murphy TD interception Bracken Impresses Gregg Del Greco Kicked 46-yarder they had lost. But some Vikings' fans, vociferous in their support when the Green Bay Packers approached the Minnesota goal line earlier in fourth quarter, booed Kramer. The jeers weren't deafening, just audible.

One ill-advised throw by Kramer caused the 180-degree turn in fan behavior. A sideline pass intended for tight end Steve Jordan wound up instead in the hands of Packers strong safety Mark Murphy, who returned it 50 yards for the Packers' final touchdown in a 27-17 Green Bay victory. Having waiched the Vikings blow a 17-6 foui lii-qutu ter lead thut seemed secure, the fans needed a scapegoat. Kramer was an Please see VikingsB-2 wide receiver Phillip Epps and cornerback Tim Lewis. New punter Don Bracken didn't get much chance with only one punt.

But Coach Forrest Gregg seemed impressed by Bracken's 44-yard punt in the second quarter, which had good hang time and was returned only 1 yard. "It was a boomer, I'll tell you that," Gregg said. Kicker Al Del Greco's 46-yard field goal in the first quarter was his longest as a Packer. They said it: Vikings Coach Bud Grant, on Lynn Dickey; "lie's gelling paid, what, (actually a year? He's not getting paid that much to sit on the bench." Gregg: "I didn't like kicking to that guy (Buster Rhymes), but sometimes you just have to. We weren't doing a very good job of squib kicking it.

Our kickoff coverage was bad." Vikings defensive end Mark Mullaney, on a first-quarter injury to left defensive end Doug Martin: "It our plans. The coaches were concerned what to call after that." Packers notebook By Bob McGinn Of the Presfi-Sazerte MINNEAPOLIS Although strong safety Mark Murphy made the play of the game for the Green Bay Packers defeise, just the fact that Murphy played at all here Sunday was a considerable achievement. M'jrphy suffered bruised ribs and a kidney injury two ago playing special teams at Indianapolis. For six dfiys after the game, blood was fotind in his urine. Tests showed that the blood remained in his urine for four additional days, although it could not be seen.

He spent three days in a Green Bay hospital undergoing testa to determine the problem with his kidneys. "Yeah, it was real scary," said Murphy, who indicated the tests revealed no kidney laceration. Murphy got clearance from the team medical staff Thursday and participated in a full practice for the first time Friday. The Packers were prepared to go with rookie corner-back Mossy Cade, who started Vikings Coach Bud Grant on Lynn Dickey: "He's getting paid, what, $800,000 (actually $850,000) a year? He's not getting paid that much to sit on the bench." ii i. Inside: 0 Philadelphia Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh was legally drunk when his sports car crashed into a cement wall, leaving him brain deadB-4 Moses Malone came out with fire in his eyes to lead Philadelphia over the BucksB-5 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first game this season, blanking St.

Louis 16-0B-6 hurt, but nothing that severe." Murphy's 50-yard touchdown return ol an interception helped him earn one of five game balls. The others went to halfback Eddie Lee Ivery, quarterback Lynn Dickey, last week against Chicago. The decision to start Murphy was made in pre-game warmups. "If I wouldn't have been able to go, I wouldn't have went," said Murphy, who wore a flak jacket. "A couple of hits.