Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 37

8, TIMES-ADVOCATE, ESCONDIDO, DECEMBER 1980 D-3 Notes and Quotes from Chargers-Redskins kins Game San Diego coach Don Coryell on the Chargers' relatively 1 conservative game plan they ran almost as often as they passed against the Redskins: "I don't think we were conservative. We were running fairly well, and we weren't passing very well, frankly. The Redskins played great pass defense, put a good hard rush on our people, on Danny." Coryell on the effect of losing three hours by playing on the East Coast: "I don't see where that has anything to do with it. I think playing at 10 o'clock in the morning our time is bad, but I don't know what else you can do. You come to the East, and that's the time the game is scheduled, so you play it.

I'm not going to say playing at 10 o'clock in the morning made us lose the ballgame. We lost the ballgame because the Redskins beat the heck out of us." Coryell on the prospect of having to beat Pittsburgh in the season's finale to make the playoffs: "It's just something we have to do. We can't worry about it, we just have to go out and do it. But we have to beat Seattle first." Charger wide receiver John Jefferson on the Redskin defense: "They had a pretty good game plan. It seemed that way anyway.

They kind of shut us off on defense. They took advantage of a lot of things." Jefferson on his rather limited role: "I think maybe I was just kind of eliminated from the game plan for a while. I think they threw me maybe two or three My number wasn't being called that much. They came right out in the nickel defense, they came right out doubling me. They expected us to throw as soon as we hit the field." Continued from D-1 because Dallas knocked off Oakland, 19-13.

That means the Chargers and the Raiders remain in a tie for first in the AFC West with 9-5 records with two weeks left. The Southern Californians actually have a slight advantage because they have scored more points than Al Davis' black-and-silver rouges and thus have the edge under the NFL's complicated system for breaking ties and picking divisional champions. But if Coryell and Co. are to fulfill their lofty dreams of Super Bowl glory, they are going to have to perform much better than they did yesterday. Because in the nation's capital, the Chargers played one of their worst games of this somewhat erratic season.

Dan Fouts, usually a flawless field general, threw four interceptions, three of them to Redskin cornerback Joe Lavender, who twice was so far from a blue jersey that he looked like the intended receiver. Fouts had problems piercing the unusual defensive alignments used by the Redskins. Virtually daring the Chargers to run, Washington used a nickel (five deep back) defense about 60 percent of the time on first down, said Lavender. Frequently, the Redskins also used a "dime" defense six backs. Lavender conceded such tactics probably would backfire against a team with a more potent running attack, but no one ever accused the Chargers of having a balanced offense.

For the game, Fouts completed 13 of 25 passes for 200 yards. Four times he was dropped behind the line of scrimmage for losses totalling 32 yards. "Danny had a bad day," said Coryell. "He's human, like anybody else. He just has to forget about it.

That's what we all have to do." With six minutes to play, Fouts was removed from the game in favor of rookie Ed Luther, who threw two passes. One was caught by Charlie Joiner for a 13-yard gain; the other was snared by Redskin free safety Mark Murphy. Fouts showed more speed and nibbleness in the locker room after the game than he had on the field during it. Free at last from Dave Butz and Karl Lorch, he showered quickly and dashed for the privacy of the team bus. Normally talkative and cooperative, Fouts politely, but firmly, declined to answer questions.

"I don't think they played that well," said Fouts, who marched his team to the Redskin four at the start of the third quarter only to be intercepted in the end zone by Washington linebacker Monte Coleman. "We played a terrible game. Excuse me, gentlemen." Fouts seemed to want to shoulder all the blame for the Charger defeat. But while he played a significant role, this rout was a team effort. The Chargers committed seven turnovers and failed to convert six third down opportunities.

The offense could generate only 286 yards, two quarters output when Air Coryell is hot. Punter Rick Partridge shanked two kicks. Just about any Charger you care to name missed a block, a tackle or some other assignment at some point. Probably the decisive series of the game came early in the fourth quarter. And it occured with Fouts standing on the sidelines, watching his defensive teammates roll over and play dead.

Leading 26-10 in the waning moments of the third quarter, the Redskins made a questionable move. Rather than have punter Mike Connell attempt to pin the Chargers deep in their own territory, Pardee dispatched Mike Moseley to try a 56- yard field goal. -Moseley had hit four previous threepeinters from 28, 45, 46 and 46 yards, but this time he came up short and San Diego took over on its own 39. Jefferson on the Redskin and very (Cornerback) lowed me all over the field. He's age guy in the league.

The two ball, but I didn't really beat Dallas native Jefferson was the outcome of yesterday's know the Cowboys'll beat 'em. (Cowboy running back Tony) He asked me to beat Philadelphia, Oakland." Charger tight end Kellen play when he was called for the man (safety Tony Peters) up and I get called for pass official saw the tail end of the called." secondary: "They're old pros Lamar (Parrish) folprobably the best coverpasses I caught, I got the him." not one of those sweating Dallas-Oakland game: "I They're my team. I told Dorsett to return the favor. so I asked him to beat Winslow on the first-quarter pass interference: "I stop, runs into me, I go straight interference. Apparently, the play and that's what they Winslow on his frequent run-ins during and after plays with Peters: "Apparently, he was out to cover me like a blanket.

He got called for unnecessary roughness on one play. He just came out and took a shot at my head. I just refused to be intimidated by him. Winslow on the Redskin sive line was the key. Danny set up and look things over like rid of the ball.

He had to rush Winslow caught one pass, son and tying the Charger Smelling blood, Fouts came out throwing. He hit Joiner for 12 yards, then pitched a 24-yarder to John Jefferson. The catch was one of only two for J.J., who was shadowed by cornerback Lemar Parrish all afternoon. Former Redskin Mike Thomas then made it three first downs in three plays by sweeping left for 11 yards. After Thomas added three more on a trap, Chuck Muncie, the enigma who looks like a Hall-of-Famer one minute and a bum the next, turned in one of his superb runs, bulling nine yards to the two.

From there, running back Hank Bauer playing only because Thomas had gotten kicked in the mouth and Clarence Williams had departed with a severely brusied shoulder, plunged over the goal line. Rolf Benirschke's kick made it 26-17 with 14:14 to play and the Chargers looked 1 ready for another miracle finish. But the San Diego defense, baffled all day by the sprint-outs and short passes of the gutty Thiesmann, could not rise to the occasion. Aided by three Charger Washington marched 74 yards in 12 plays to go ahead 33-17 and put the game out of reach. The biggest penalty took place when the Chargers apparently had stopped Washington on the San Diego nine.

Moseley came on to attempt a field goal, but Wilbur Young bowled over center Jeff Bostic before the snap to give Washington a first down. On the very next play, Thiesmann rolled to his right and found halfback Ike Forte all alone in the end zone for a touchdown. Just to ice things, Muncie fumbled the subsequent kickoff. Washington recovered and four plays later, Forte danced over the large, prone body Louie Kelcher to make it 40-17. Washington, playing its best game of the year, had jumped out to a 20-10 halftime lead.

San Diego State grad Lavender got things going just 2:57 into the game when he darted in front of Winslow, picked off the pass Fouts had aimed at his tight end and raced 51 yards for a touchdown. "Fouts takes a short drop and doesn't get much time to read a defense," Lavender explained later in the jubilant, red-carpeted Redskin dressing room. "We gave him some looks that made him think his man was open, then I'd come underneath." After the kickoff, Lavender grabbed another Fouts throw, this one after a tip by Joiner, who caught just three passes. The Redskins did not score that time, but they did on their next possession, driving 63 yards in seven plays. Forty-five of those yards, including the last 18, came on play action passes from Thiesmann to running back Wilbur Jackson.

On the day, Thiesmann completed' 26 of 37 passes for 269 yards. Redskin running backs caught 22 of those passes, most of them across the middle in front of San Diego linebackers who kept dropping back to protect against the long bombs Thiesmann has trouble completing even when he's healthy. The Chargers cut the margin to 14-7 on a 28-yard toss from Fouts to tight end Gregg McCrary late in the first quarter. The two teams swapped field goals in the second quarter, with Moseley adding two more in the third to set the stage for San Diego's final fold. Were the Chargers overconfident? Did they think the lowly Redskins were going to be easy pickings? It looked that way, even if the players said no.

"We didn't take them lightly," said Winslow, who caught just one pass. "They got the breaks and took advantage of them." "They just had a good game plan," shrugged Jefferson, who is as gracious and candid in defeat as he is in victory. "We had been saying all week it was the wrong time to take anyone lightly." Lavender on the first of his three interceptions, the one Famer Lance Alworth in 1966. Horn on the Redskin he returned 51 yards for a touchdown: "We were in a Charger middle linebacker Bob attack: "They've been throwing to their backs all year. three-deep zone and I was the underneath man, actually sitting outside for anything that would be thrown short They just do it real well.

They didn't show us anything we haven't film. It's they do so many outside. I was out of his (Fouts') vision. We were gamalready seen on just things it's hard to cover them all. Washington executed bling." Lavender on the effect of recent talk the Redskins have well." not been playing all-out: "I don't get off on that.

I have to Charger quarterback Dan Fouts was unhappy about go out and cover a man. can't afford to get off into I his performance, but his 200 yards passing gave him 4,072 what's being said in the papers. It's not helpful to me." for the year. That makes Fouts the first NFL player ever The last Redskin to intercept three passes in a game to throw for more than 4,000 yards twice. Joe Namath is was the team's current head coach, Jack Pardee.

He did the only other player to have thrown for so much yard- it Oct. 19, 1971 against St. Louis. age, passing for 4,007 in 1967. Mark Moseley's 15 points moved him into a tie with former Packer great Paul Hornung for 18th place on the Redskin cornerback Joe Lavender's first intercepall-time NFL scoring list with 760.

Moseley started the tion snapped a Fouts streak of 89 consecutive passes withday in 20th place and passed Hall of Fame fullback Jim out an interception. The streak covered 11 quarters. Brown of Cleveland, who tallied 756 points. The Chargers broke a team record by sacking Yesterday was biggest scoring day for Washington Thiesmann three times to run their total for the year to since 1975 when the Redskins pummelled the New York 55. The old record of 54 was set by the 1978 squad.

Gary Giants, 49-13. "Big Hands" Johnson now has an NFL-leading 18 sacks, Redskin quarterback Joe Thiesmann on his scrambling topping the club mark previously held by Steve DeLong. tactics: "There's a difference between scrambling and Lavender on his team's nickel defense: "We used it trying to run. My scrambling is more to set up just so I quite a bit in situations where we thought they were going can get rid of the football." to pass. I would say at least 60 percent of the time on first Thiesmann on running back Clarence Harmon, who In that coverage, a defensive back is actually tied a team record with 12 pass receptions: "This man is covering the weak outside linebacker's position.

We not called 'Clutch' for any other reason than that's the couldn't use it against a team with a strong running kind of football player he is. When I get in trouble, he We just gambled that they wouldn't go away from knows I look for him." game. their game." Joe Frolik defense: "I think their defenreally didn't have the time to he normally does and get a couple of throws." giving him 73 fort the seateam record set by Hall of Dorsett maintains his promise; Cowboys help out the Chargers Dallas' Tony Dorsett fulfilled his half of an agreement he made six weeks ago, so the San Diego Chargers and the Cowboys are tied for first place in their respective divisions two weeks before the end of the National Football League season. When Dallas played San Diego on Oct. 2 26, "Dorsett asked me to beat Philadelphia, and we did." said John NFL Roundup Jefferson yesterday after the Chargers were upset 40-17 by Washington.

"And now he's supposed to return the favor by beating Oakland for us." Dorsett ran for 97 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, as the Cowboys defeated the Raiders 19-13, allowing San Diego to stay even with Oakland for the AFC West lead, both with 9-5 records. The Dallas victory, combined with Philadelphia's 20-17 loss to NFC West leader Atlanta, moved the Cowboys into a tie with the Eagles in the NFC East, both with 11-3 marks. The victories by Atlanta and Dallas clinched playoff berths for both teams, a feat Philadelphia had already accomplished. "If we win our last two games, we'll have the most victories in Cowboys history," said Dorsett. "'That should tell you something." The Cowboys earned their 14th playoff berth in 15 years as Rafael Septien kicked a 52-yard field goal and Ron Springs scored a two-yard touchdown in a two-minute span of the second period.

Dorsett, who became the first NFL runner to go over 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons, scored his TD in the first quarter. Falcons 20, Eagles 17 Tim Mazzetti's 37-yard field goal with seven seconds left gave Atlanta its victory over Philadelphia. The Falcons, 11-3 and two games ahead of Los Angeles in the NFC West, recovered from a 14-3 deficit on Steve Bartkowski's two touchdown passes. Bills 10, Rams 7 Joe Ferguson hit wide receiver Frank Lewis on a 30-yard pass play to Continued from D-1 "Their linebackers just kept taking a deep drop, and Joe just kept laying it in there to us." Harmon, known to his teammates as also ran for 71 yards on 11 carries. Other Redskin heros included kicker Moseley, who booted four field goals and three extra points, Lavender, who picked off three Dan Fouts passes, Parrish, who shut down John Jefferson, and Forte, who scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to ice the victory.

But yesterday's victory belonged first and foremost to Thiesmann. "He's gutty," marveled Charger coach Don Coryell. "It certainly didn't look like he had a pulled hamstring to me. I sure do admire him. He certainly rose to the occasion.

Their whole team did." A short post pattern away, a crowd of Washington fans gathered outside the Redskin dressing room, awaiting the departure of the players who for this day at least were heros once again. "This is how it used to be," said a Washington Post reporter. "You'd think it's Hollywood or something." Inside, with a towel wrapped around his waist and another slung over his shoulder, Thiesmann who has let it be known he is more than willing to share his handsome face set up Nick Mike-Mayer's game-winning 30-yard field goal that beat Los Angeles in the fifth minute of overtime. The Bills are 10-4 and games ahead of New England in the AFC East pending the Patriots' game tonight. Vikings 21, Buccaneers 10 Minnesota quarterback Tommy Kramer had only 63 yards passing before halftime but he had 201 in the last two quarters and engineered two long scoring drives.

Cardinals 24, Lions 23 Detroit fell out of a tie with the Vikings when Roy Green returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown with 3:40 left. Browns 17, Jets 14 Quarterback Brian Sipe hit a clubrecord 30 passes in 41 attempts for 340 yards and a touchdown, a five-yarder to Greg Pruitt that wiped out a 14-10 New York lead in the fourth quarter, to give Cleveland its victory. Bears 61, Packers 7 Vince Evans completed 18 of 22 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns and Walter Payton scored three TDs to lead Chicago over Green Bay. 49ers 38, Saints 35 San Francisco wiped out a 35-7 halftime deficit, climaxed by Ray Wersching's 36-yard field goal with 7:20 left in overtime. Archie Manning threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as New Orleans outgained the 49ers 324-21.

Bengals 34, Colts 33 Cincinnati's Jim Breech kicked a 21-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining to foil a Baltimore comeback attempt. Chiefs 31, Broncos 14 Quarterback Bill Kenney, making his regular-season debut after nearly two seasons in the NFL, threw touchdown passes of 33 and eight yards to lead Kansas City over Denver. Giants 27, Seahawks 21 Billy Taylor scored on a 30-yard run with 1:57 to go, with the Seattle defense drawn tight on fourth-and-one, to give New York its victory over Seattle, still winless at home this season. with Hollywood was holding court. While tape recorders rolled and less mechanized reporters battled writer's cramp, Thiesmann exulted in his team's triumph.

"The offense just kept plodding along and doing what we had to do and putting points on the board when we had a chance said the 31-year-old Thiesmann. "In previous games, it's been defense and special teams playing well, offense not. Defense having its troubles, special teams having troubles, offense playing OK. Nobody's really complete. Today was the kind of football we're capable of.

We've been in every ballgame up to this point. "I know you want to ask a question because it's your job, but who cares. I'll continue. I don't get a chance to talk. Usually you ask me rotten questions anyway.

'Why did you throw the interception in the end zone that actually was the turning point in the game, Thiesmann, grinning like a kid, laughed and so did his audience. When you lose five in a row, then trample a Super Bowl favorite, you've earned the right to a little good-natured gloating. "It was just such a great day and a great feeling," he continued. "It just felt like everytime we got the ball we could move it. The defense I know felt they could stop anybody.

They got to Dan, they hurried him, they upset him and the end result was a great victory." Associated Press Photo TONY DORSETT ELUDES JOHN MATUSZAK FOR DALLAS TD Czechoslovakia claims Davis Cup PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia (AP) The Davis Cup, for the first time in its 80-year history, was in the hands of an Eastern European and communist nation today following Czechoslovakia's 4-1 triumph over Italy in the final of the year-long multi-nation competition. The stormy three-day competition, which ended Sunday, is expected to result in further changes in the Cup rules aimed at reducing disputes on line calls that marred the play here, sources in the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) said. The most likely and immediate innovation was expected to be the naming of international chair umpires to run the matches, eliminating the match referee, said ILTF president Philippe Chatrier of France. Many ILTF officials feel that is not enough. They say the linesmen, as well as the chair umpire, should be from countries other than the two finalists.

Under present rules, the ILTF names the referee, but umpires and linesmen come from the country organizing the final. The Davis Cup already had undergone two major changes to keep alive interest in the tournament. The first was the elimination of the old style challenge round, forcing winners to go through the qualification rounds the following year. The second change, which becomes effective next year, will eliminate the traditional division of qualification groups by zones. This system pitted the same teams against one another year after year.

The new format calls for 16 seeded teams to battle for the title, with first round losers facing the winners of four qualification rounds to fill the 16 spots for 1982. Starting next year, the Cup also will have a sponsor, a Japanese company that has put $1 million in the competition, $200,000 going to the winner. Ironically, Czechoslovakia will not be one of the top four 1981 seeds, and is likely to be pitted against the United States in the second round. Next year's draw was made last June on the basis of past performances, and the Americans, Argentina, Australia and Italy were awarded the top honors. "This is terrible," said Czechoslovak veteran Jan Kodes.

"The could have been done later and I ferl it should be done again now.".