Dolphins Are Wary of Arnsparger : AFC: After years with Miami, he has given Chargers a stability that makes them among toughest in NFL.
Dan Fouts has been there. He has played against a Bill Arnsparger-designed defense in the playoffs, so he understands the pitfalls that await Miami quarterback Dan Marino and Coach Don Shula when they play the Chargers here today in Joe Robbie Stadium.
“Marino and Shula better have a hell of a game,” said Fouts, the Chargers’ former quarterback, and victim of five interceptions against Arnsparger’s Miami defense in a 34-13 playoff defeat in 1983.
“When I played against Arnsparger’s defense, I got the feeling the guy on the other side of the field was reading my mind. He was right there with me on every play.”
Arnsparger, the architect of the Dolphins’ “No-Name Defense” in the early ‘70s and the “Killer B’s” in the early ‘80s, returns to Miami today in command of the Chargers’ fourth-ranked defense.
“This is going to be exciting,” said Shula, who coached with Arnsparger at the University of Kentucky, with the Baltimore Colts and in Miami.
“He hasn’t lost it. Their defense is playing well and Bill certainly has to be the main reason. Bill has given them the same thing that he gave our defense, and that’s stability.”
Arnsparger left Miami in 1983 to become head coach at Louisiana State, then moved on to the University of Florida as athletic director before Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard recruited him to return to the NFL this season.
Although he spent nearly a decade away from the professional game, the results remain the same. In last week’s opening playoff game, Arnsparger’s defense befuddled the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chargers (12-5) won, 17-0.
Two more victories, and Arnsparger will be coaching in his sixth Super Bowl.
“Being away from the game for so long was a concern to some people, but not to me,” Charger Coach Bobby Ross said. “He has a remarkable football mind.
“The key to defense is getting people in the right place. He does that. From a tactical standpoint, Bill has a real knack of fitting scheme to scheme.”
The Dolphins, however, offer a considerable challenge. Miami (11-5) ranked fifth on offense, and Marino was the only quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards this season.
“Knowing Arnsparger, he’ll change up coverages as much as possible,” Fouts said. “And with Dan Marino, you have to knock him down and put pressure on him up the middle to move him from side to side. You have to get him a little frustrated.”
In four previous games against the Chargers, Marino has completed 104 of 164 passes for 1,270 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He has defeated the Chargers, however, only once.
“The key is to get up on him and make him hold the ball while he looks deeper for his receivers,” said Leslie O’Neal, Charger defensive end. “If he’s behind by a good margin, he has to try and make something happen and that will give the rush time to get to him.”
The Chargers led the AFC in sacks this season with 51, and O’Neal took individual honors with 17. The defense sacked Kansas City’s Dave Krieg seven times a week ago.
“They have two superstars on defense in Junior Seau and Leslie O’Neal,” Shula said. “They’re not blitzing a lot, but they’re still getting great pressure on the quarterback.”
The Chargers had 29 sacks in 1991 with essentially the same cast of pass rushers. Arnsparger, however, has put O’Neal on the right side, Burt Grossman on the left and assigned Seau duties up the middle.
“He just tries to keep everything simple,” Grossman said. “We have four defenses, we don’t blitz and there’s nothing tricky about it. He just lets the athletes play.”
Arnsparger’s simple formula for success has worked in San Diego, as it did in Miami, but Arnsparger cannot recall the good times--only the bad.
“Five interceptions? Fouts? I don’t remember that,” Arnsparger said. “I remember 1982 and the deep catch down the middle that set up (Rolf Benirschke’s) field goal.”
Benirschke’s 29-yard field goal allowed the Chargers to record a 41-38 overtime victory over the Dolphins in 1982, and advance to the AFC championship game in Cincinnati.
“He won’t talk about his accomplishments, but something he has frequently talked to me about is Miami’s Super Bowl XVII loss to the Redskins,” linebacker Gary Plummer said. “He still says it’s the stupidest call he ever made. He ran a goal-line blitz on about the 30-something yard line and John Riggins ran it in for a touchdown.
“What a great career this man has had and that’s something he remembers.”
Arnsparger received a game ball for Miami’s 14-7 Super Bowl VII victory over Washington, and was on the winning side in Super Bowl V when Baltimore knocked off Dallas, 16-13.
The Chargers, meanwhile, are still looking to play in their first Super Bowl, and are now guided by Ross, a rookie NFL head coach, who is 289 regular-season victories behind Shula.
“If we had to depend on me against Shula, they would win,” said Ross, who has directed the Chargers to 12 victories in their last 13 games. “The one thing that’s our salvation is that this game is won with players.”
In the last 10 games the Chargers have been dominating. They have allowed the opposition to score three touchdowns in a game only once, and their offense has scored 26 or more points seven times.
“San Diego is playing as well as anyone in the league--on both sides of the ball,” said Marino, who completed 27 of 42 passes for 313 yards with three touchdowns passes and a 10-yard run for a score in last season’s 38-30 loss to the Chargers in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
“They have been on a streak most of the season, and that shows they are a damn good football team. Stan Humphries and that whole offense in San Diego has really come along, too.”
Humphries, the Chargers’ starting quarterback, continues to be bothered by the dislocated left shoulder he suffered in the regular-season finale against Seattle. Humphries played in pain against the Chiefs but completed 14 of 23 passes for 199 yards.
“In that ballgame last week, I was scared to death because if he got hit I didn’t know what was going to go on,” Ross said. “I don’t feel that way now. He can probably take that hit, and I don’t feel as nervous about that element.”
AFC Notes
Charger running back Rod Bernstine has been unable to practice because of a sprained ankle. . . . Dwight Hollier will start in place of Miami linebacker John Offerdahl, who underwent surgery this week for an abdominal muscle injury. . . . Rookie Marco Coleman, the Dolphins’ starting defensive end, is expected to play after recovering from knee and ankle injuries. Coleman played for Ross at Georgia Tech last season. “It’s almost like going against a son,” Ross said.