Rypien Hopes That He Can Sidestep Trouble

About once every 10 passing attempts, quarterback Mark Rypien wobbles a ball he “wants to bring back with a string.” Considering the Washington Redskins average 27.5 throws a game, this just about accounts for his three eye-rolling interceptions and his two very magnified incompletions this season.

Rypien has proven to be a hit-or-miss quarterback, and the question is how heavily he’s contributed to Washington’s disturbing 0-2 start. While his statistics are top-heavy -- only Philadelphia’s Randall Cunningham and the Rams’ Jim Everett rate higher in the NFC -- he admits having wavered in situations where he’s had to double-pump, turn to a secondary receiver and pass in an instant. “It happens ‘boom-boom quick,’ ” he said. “If you sit there and think about it you might be sacked or something else.”

What’s lost on many people is that Rypien has started only eight times in his professional career, and he compares favorably with some other legendary quarterbacks through their first eight starts. In 1979 and 1980, San Francisco’s Joe Montana amassed 1,522 yards passing over his initial eight starts, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Doug Williams, at Tampa Bay in 1978, registered 1,061 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions over his first eight.

Rypien eclipses them in yards (1,970) and touchdowns (20) but has thrown more interceptions (11), and that’s not even counting his extensive 1988 relief work, which adds four touchdowns, nearly 400 yards -- and five interceptions. As a starter, he has a better completion percentage than Williams (58 percent to 39 percent) and is close to Montana (62 percent); note, though, that the 49ers and Buccaneers had inferior casts in those eras, and neither Montana nor Williams had the hefty Hogs in front blocking or such a trio of wide receivers as Art Monk, Ricky Sanders and Gary Clark. Rypien also spent two informative seasons on injured reserve before ever playing; Montana and Williams were thrown right in.

What this shows is that Rypien has nothing to bow his head over, although he certainly has minor tinkering to do with his game. Williams is 34, has shaky knees and is coming off back surgery, so the Redskins are starting to think one or two years ahead and need a verdict soon on Rypien.

Coach Joe Gibbs has telephoned Williams at home at various times and has reportedly assured him he’s still the No. 1 quarterback upon a healthy return. It’s not clear if this is a vote of non-confidence for Rypien, but the coach appeared to be toying with the promotion of reserve Stan Humphries in pre-season until Humphries painfully failed in Minnesota -- another ominous sign. Rypien settled into the starting job only since Minnesota.

Asked to evaluate Rypien this week, the coach said, “I’d prefer to wait until the year’s over to see what we’ve got, but I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen.”

Rypien, as is usually the case with sure-minded quarterbacks, said he envisions retaining his top spot “the rest of my career ... hopefully, no one can take it away from me. That’s just my own personal feeling -- not ego.”

Williams, thought to be contemplating retirement before his August back surgery, lately has seemed intent about a return -- but would not guess on the Rypien-Williams competition that would seem inevitable in November. “I’m not commenting because I’m not back yet,” Williams said.

In the season to date, Rypien has wished he had several passes to throw all over again, but there are three that stand out.

One is the infamous third-and-2 1/2 pass late in the Giants game with the score tied at 24. His primary receiver, Clark, was lost in a cluster of linebackers and when Monk flashed into his sightline he quickly threw a ball off-base. In retrospect, he wishes he ran with it, or threw more accurately. The Giants, of course, triumphed with a 52-yard field goal as time expired.

The other two came against the Eagles, one an interception with Washington merrily leading 27-7 in the second quarter. He said his primary receiver, H-back Earnest Byner, was knocked down by a defensive tackle, and when Clark flashed open across the middle he mistakenly threw into double coverage. William Frizzell intercepted, returned to the Redskins 3, and the Eagles scored a momentum-swaying touchdown.

His other misfire was on the ensuing series, a third-and-two at the Eagles 7 when he misread a wide-open Monk in the end zone and threw behind him. “Hey,” said Gibbs in defense of Rypien, “he’s made 2,000 decisions and he came out with three bad ones? I think that’s miraculous.”

It’s these decisions on the move that have haunted him, yet he called a brilliant audible on his first play of the Eagles game, resulting in an 80-yard touchdown bomb to Clark. The Eagles jammed the side running back Gerald Riggs was supposed to run, and Rypien audibled to a hitch route and located Clark sprinting down the left sideline. Rypien, who does not possess the motivational force of Williams and agrees he must win the team over with his on-field smarts, went into a hysterical celebration following the score. “Yeah, I set an Olympic record for jumping in the air,” he said.

Rypien has proven conscientious enough to ask former Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgensen what to do in such harried situations. Certainly, Rypien has acted responsibly as starting quarterback here, because it can be an all-consuming job. He skipped a news conference after Sunday’s loss, which Redskins officials say Williams never would have done, but he said he meant no harm, and that was also the night he skipped a dinner engagement with Vice President Dan Quayle.

Conscious of overextending himself, he has turned down a bevy of public appearances, to save his strength for the field.