News-Journal from Mansfield, Ohio • 23

Sunday, January 4, 1987 News Journal, Mansfield, O. Sports 3 Redskins blast Chicago 27-13 Browns' defense was spectacular in overtime win NFL OVERTIME PLAYOFF GAMES Saturday's 23-20 Cleveland Browns playoff win over the New York Jets was the third-longest such game in NFL history. The following are the NFL's overtime playoff games with length of playing time, date and score: 82:40 Dec. 25, 1971; Miami Dolphins 27, Kansas City Chiefs 24; AFC Divisional Playoff. 77:54 Dec, 23, 1962; Dallas Texans 20, Houston Oilers 17; AFL Championship.

77:02 Jan. 3, 1987; Cleveland Browns 23, New York Jets 20; AFC Divisional Playoff. 75:43 Dec. 24, 1977; Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31; AFC Divisional Playoff. 73:52 Jan.

2, 1982; San Diego Chargers 41, Miami Dolphins 38; AFC Divisional Playoff. 73:39 Dec. 26, 1965; Green Bay Packers 13, Baltimore Colts 10; NFL Divisional Playoff. 68:15 Dec. 28, 1958; Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17; NFL Championship.

CHICAGO (AP) In guaranteeing that the NFL will have a new champion for the seventh straight year, Jay Schroeder and the Washington Redskins demonstrated to the Chicago Bears that even the league's most touted defense isn't enough when the offense has a quarterback literally picked up off the street. The Redskins, outscoring Chicago 20-0 in the second half, knocked the defending champion Bears from the Super Bowl derby 27-13 on Saturday as Schroeder threw two touchdown passes to Art Monk. The Washington defense was just as effective against a Chicago offense run by Doug Flutie, the Heisman Trophy winner and USFL millionaire signed at midseason as insurance for the injured Jim McMahon. Flutie was then forced into service as a playoff quarterback by the ineffectiveness of Mike Tomczak and Steve Fuller. The Redskins held Walter Payton to 38 yards in 14 carries and literally allowed nothing but a 50-yard TD pass from Flutie to Willie Gault and two long kickoff returns by Dennis Gentry.

Late in the first half, it forced the Bears to settle for a field goal after Mike Richardson had returned an interception 43 yards to the Redskins 4. "I thought if we scored 21 points we had a chance," Schroeder said of going against a defense that had set an NFL record for fewest points al lowed during the regular season, 187. Instead, he went six better against a team that hadn't allowed so many points since the opener of the 16-game regular season. Schroeder beat a blitz to complete a 28-yard scoring pass to Monk in the first period, then did it again for 23 yards after Darrell Green's interception in the third quarter to give the Bears the lead for good at 14-13. "We came out in the second half and took it to them," Schroeder said.

"We had to mix them up. We thought if we got our receivers in a one-on-one, they couldn't cover them." The victory puts Washington in next Sunday's NFC title game against the winner of Sunday's game between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants. Only two wild-card teams the 1980 Oakland Raiders and the 1985 New England Patriots have managed to advance to the Super Bowl. Washington Coach Joe Gibbs, who described himself as "thrilled," credited the goalline stand with turning the game around. A Chicago touchdown would have sent his team into halftime trailing 16-7, but when Chicago settled for the field goal, the deficit was 13-7.

"It would have been easy for the defense to have said, Hey, we couldn't hold them Gibbs said of that stand. "But we turned them back with only three points." just 15 yards rushing after three quarters. They punched it out, though, in overtime. They totaled just 75 yards on 27 carries. Fourty-five of those yards were gained in overtime.

"We kept dialing the number and it worked," Risien said. "The important thing is we stayed with it. Kevin Mack's a better runner when he's tired. I think we wore the Jets down." NOTEPAD Linebacker Eddie Johnson sprained his left knee and ankle and is questionable for the championship game Mike Johnson, who replaced Eddie, had nine tackles to go along with his sack The Browns will fly to Vero Beach Tuesday for three more days training in Florida The Browns earned $18,000 apiece for winning yesterday's game. The Jets take home $10,000 apiece as a consolation.

WAKE-UP CALL Players are glad they don't have to wait two weeks before playing their next game. Cody Risien and Brian Bren-nan both said the two-week layoff between beating San Diego and playing the Jets made the team stale for three quarters. "We finally said, 'Hey' we're better than this Brennan said. "But we waited until the last four minutes to realize it." Brennan caught four passes two on the drive on which the Browns scored a touchdown to move within three, 20-17, and one on the drive that led to the winning field goal in overtime. RUNNING HARD The Browns never would have had to go to overtime if the running game had worked.

They were stymied, though, through most of four quarters. They gained the Browns would win. Mark Moseley missed a 23-yard field goal with 8:53 left in overtime. The defense had to get psyched up to go back out, not just once but twice, and held the Jets to just one first down before Moseley ended it with a 27-yard game winner. TICKET SALE About 40,000 tickets for the American Conference championship game, to be played in Cleveland a week from today, go on sale tomorrow.

They can be purchased at all Tick-etron outlets or at gates and at Cleveland Stadium. The Stadium gates open at 8:30 a.m. Ticketron outlets open whenever the stores they are in open. Tickets remain in the $15, $24 and $27 categories. RECORD SETTERS The Browns and Jets rewrote the playoff record book yesterday.

The Browns-Jets played the third longest game in playoff history, extending 17:02 into overtime. The longest was played between Miami and Kansas City on Christmas Day, 1971 22:40 into overtime. The second longest was between the Dallas Texans and Houston Oilers in 1962 17:54 of overtime. Bernie Kosar's 489 yards passing was a team record, breaking the old record of 433 set by Dan Fouts in an overtime game in 1981. Kosar's 64 pass attempts broke Fout's record of 53 attempts, and his 33 completions ties a record held by Fouts and Danny White.

Dave Jennings punted 14 times for the Jets, breaking the record of 12 set by David Lee of Baltimore in a playoff against Oakland in 1977. Gerald McNeil's seven punt returns ties a record held by Ron Gardin (Baltimore) and Carl Roaches (Houston). The 558 yards offense gained by Cleveland breaks the record of 435 set by Miami in 1984. The nine sacks recorded by the Browns ties a record held by Buffalo and Kansas City. By Jeff Schudel News Journal correspondent CLEVELAND Bernie Kosar was the Cleveland hero again, throwing for a staggering 489 yards, but with-' out the Browns defense Saturday he never would have had the chance to shine.

New York quarterback Pat Ryan was sacked three times and Ken O'Brien, who took over for Ryan in the second quarter, was dumped six others. The Browns Sack Pack attacked from all directions Carl Hairston had three, Chip Banks lVi, Reggie Camp IV2 and Clay Matthews, Mike Johnson and Sam Clancy one each. Coach Marty Schottenheimer said he's never seen such penetration by a defensive line. Camp, particularly, was everywhere. He had seven tackles and one assist to go with the lVz sacks.

He was most effective in over time, dumping Freeman McNeil for a four-yard loss and combining with Hairston for a five-yard loss. "I think this is the best game I've played in my life," Camp said. "I've had other good games, but, with what was at stake this was the best." It might have been the best game Hairston ever played, too. He was in on nine tackles, plus the three sacks. "We knew we had to keep pressure on them all day," Hairston said.

"That was the plan going in." Kevin Mack's touchdown with 1:57 left in regulation cut the Jets' lead to three points. An onside kick failed. Hairston and Bob Golic dumped McNeil for a three-yard loss. Tony Paige gained three. The Jets, too shy to pass, called a quarterback draw, but Sam Clancy nailed him for a three-yard loss.

The game lasted 77 minutes, two seconds, but the Jets gained only 287 yards. They made just two of 18 third-down plays. Schottenheimer said, that when the game went into overtime, he knew "TV. LIMES Hi DAYS DOLLARS i 1 Mi if -t, PRIVATE PARTY RATE No Price Limit. Call now to see if your ad qualifies.

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