SUPER BOWL XXVI / WASHINGTON REDSKINS 37, BUFFALO BILLS 24 : NOTES

While Thomas was trying to locate his headgear--he found it under the Bills’ bench--backup Kenneth Davis carried once for one yard, then went the wrong way on a handoff try, forcing quarterback Jim Kelly to run for a four-yard gain.

“I wasn’t upset with him,” Coach Marv Levy said. “I was yelling for our equipment men to find the helmet.”

The Redskins didn’t say much about it before the game, but afterward they said they were definitely inspired by the weird words coming out of the Buffalo camp in the days leading up to this Super Bowl.

While the Redskins kept quiet, the Bills argued about which one of them was really the most important player on the team, complained that they should get more recognition and laughingly described the Redskins, who did not disagree at the time, as a “bunch of hogs.”

“We didn’t hear much from the Bills’ side in the first couple of days,” said Redskin defensive end Charles Mann, “but those last few days we heard some things, about them arguing who should be MVP, (defensive line coach) Chuck Dickerson talking about us being hogs, all those things.

“And it made us think that they were maybe kind of not-so-focused for this game.”

One of the game’s most anticipated matchups was between Buffalo right defensive end Bruce Smith and Redskin left tackle Jim Lachey. Smith, who is still suffering the after-effects of knee surgery, recorded two tackles, zero assists and zero sacks.

“Bruce is a great player,” said Lachey. “I have a lot of respect for him. His leg was probably not 100%, but he was still giving it all he had. We won the game, so I guess I won that matchup.”

Art Monk, whose Hall of Fame career had been dampened singularly by his failure to produce big in the Redskins’ two previous Super Bowls (a combined two catches), had seven catches for 113 yards.

“Yeah, I was pretty excited about this one,” said Monk, who had nagging injuries in both of his previous Super Bowl experiences. “This one meant the most to me, being healthy and being able to contribute actively.”

Monk became the first player to have a Super Bowl touchdown taken away from him by an instant replay review.

In the first quarter, after his five catches for 79 yards got the Redskins into scoring position, Rypien zipped one over the middle to Monk in the back of the end zone, and when he came down with it, the officials signaled touchdown. The replay showed Monk’s left toe was over the end line.

Buffalo linebacker Shane Conlan sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee early in the game and did not return.

The entire Redskins’ offensive line, plus Rypien, gave thumbs-up salutes during the opening introductions in tribute to Detroit Lion offensive lineman Mike Utley, who gave his teammates the thumbs-up sign while he was carted off the field after suffering a neck injury that has paralyzed him.