Timing Right for Redskins’ Quarterback : Football: Mark Rypien may have NFL’s strongest supporting cast, but he has turned in some quality performances of his own.

Maybe Mark Rypien is about to become a member of the world’s luckiest men club. Come January, he might be able to waltz into the lodge and sit between Ringo Starr and Ed McMahon.

Thanks to an offensive line that has given him secret-service quality protection and a running game straight out of John Robinson’s sweetest dreams, Rypien has a better chance than most to be the winning quarterback in Super Bowl XXVI.

Who would’ve figured?

He was considered a gamble when the Redskins drafted him in the sixth round in 1986, and the Washington State alumnus spent his first two years on injured reserve.

Rypien got a chance to play in 1988 when Doug Williams was sidelined, but was knocked out of his fourth start with a shoulder injury. He was benched for fumbling early in the 1989 season and last year missed six weeks with a knee injury.

So maybe Rypien took the low road to the top, but that’s where he resides today. The Redskins bring an 11-1 record into Anaheim Stadium Sunday and Rypien has the best career winning percentage (.714) of any starting quarterback in the league.

Ringo had to keep the beat and even McMahon has to laugh at the right time. So Rypien’s not just handing off and watching. He’s the second-rated passer in the NFC at 96.9 and leads the conference with 20 touchdown passes.

Sure, the offensive line has allowed only four sacks of Rypien this season and the Redskins gain much of their rushing yardage out of a formation that includes three receivers. Still, Rypien is making the right decisions and delivering the ball and, as a result, Washington has the fifth-best passing offense in the NFL.

“I think Mark has been a big part of the development of this team,” Washington Coach Joe Gibbs said. “I think the most important thing that’s happened is that he’s stayed healthy. The last two years, he was hurt and he played some real good games in those years and then he played some that weren’t very consistent.

“He made a real effort this off-season to get primed to become a frontline quarterback to lead this team. So far, it’s paid off. The other things just come with experience, with playing, and with each game he kind of grows a little bit.”

The Redskins failed to make the playoffs in 1988 and ’89. After Rypien returned from injured reserve last year, they won five of their last seven games to make the playoffs, winning a wild-card game against Philadelphia before losing to the 49ers.

“For a couple of years, there was just something missing,” said the Rams’ Robinson. “Maybe it was at quarterback. I don’t know for sure, but now their quarterbacking is good.

“Rypien’s done a good job of persevering to the level where he is right now. He’s a great big physical guy (6 feet 4, 234 pounds) with some inadequacies. But he’s persevered.”

Washington didn’t need Dan Marino. But it did need a smart, reasonably talented quarterback who could take advantage of defenses bent on stopping the run.

Apparently, the Redskins weren’t convinced Rypien had the right stuff. They drafted quarterbacks in 1988, ’89 and ’90. Even Rypien had doubts.

“I haven’t been able to stay healthy and that’s been one of my knocks,” he said. “And it’s something that I’m frustrated with. I’d like to see what I can do having a whole 16-game season under my belt and then be judged.

“I know I have to play every week and play good. But I think the bottom line is the more you play, the more opportunities you get in different situations, the more you understand and the more you learn. That’s kind of where I’m at right now. I’ve seen the bad and I’ve seen the good and now I want to consistently do the things that are asked of me.”

Washington fans can quickly recall examples of the two Mark Rypiens.

The bad? Let’s take last year’s 28-10 playoff loss in San Francisco.

Rypien passed for 361 yards but threw three interceptions and repeatedly set off the Redskins’ self-destruct detonator.

Three times in the second half, Washington had the ball inside the 49ers’ 20-yard line. On at least two plays, Rypien couldn’t connect with open receivers. Twice, he threw interceptions. And in all three situations, the Redskins came away without points.

“I was upset with the way things went,” Rypien said, “and I felt it was uncharacteristic of me, turning the ball over inside the 20-yard line like that.

“I looked at that game and said, ‘Hey listen, you need to get back on track this offseason, get healthy, find a way to get yourself into the best possible physical and mental shape and sustain it for a whole year.’ So I tried to use that game as a motivational tool.”

The defeat helped pave the way for some very up performances this season. How good? How about three weeks ago against Atlanta?

The Falcons were determined to shut down the run so Rypien took advantage of the situation to the tune of 442 passing yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 27.6 yards per completion and 15 of his 16 went for first downs.

When Gibbs was told Rypien was just four yards shy of Sammy Baugh’s team record, he asked Rypien, who had been given the rest of the afternoon off, if he wanted to return.

Rypien declined.

“It’s a team game,” he said. “I would’ve liked to have done it through the course of a game, maybe bringing the team back and unselfishly do it. But to selfishly put yourself back in to break a record, I just didn’t feel it was something that needed to be done.”

At some point during the final weeks last season, Washington management came to the realization that Rypien really could be the answer to their quarterback questions. But when he held out from training camp in a salary dispute, owner Jack Kent Cooke was furious and called Rypien “a bloody idiot.”

Rypien, who made only $300,000 in 1990, figured he deserved a healthy raise based on his 20-12 record as a starter and his big finish last season. The Redskins, however, were quick to point out his injury problems, his mistakes in big games and his habit of misfiring on short passes.

Thanks to Gibbs, who convinced Cooke and general manager Charley Casserly that a long holdout would translate into a long year for the Redskins, the two sides settled on a one-year, $1.25-million deal that includes incentives that could make it worth $1.5 million.

It was the highest base salary in team history. And Rypien was in camp after missing only 10 days.

“Holding out was the only bargaining power I had,” Rypien said, “but I was concerned how quickly I would get things going. I knew it would be tougher on me if I got off to a slow start to get myself ready for the season. But I played well in preseason and that was a positive sign that helped me push (the contract hassles) aside and get on with the season.”

So far, it has been a dream season for the Redskins and no one can deny that Rypien has played an important role in their success. He has played it smart this year, recognizing his limitations and taking advantage of his strengths.

“Throwing downfield, that’s something I’ve always been able to do since I came into the league,” said Rypien, who has touchdown passes of 82, 64, 61, 54, 49, 40, 38 and 37 yards this season. “But throwing the shorter stuff, the passes in the flat, and moving the chains, I need to work on. I’ve made some strides, but there’s always room for improvement.”

He’s also making sure he doesn’t ignore the short game.

“When you first get in the league, you want to make big plays downfield and you’re sometimes oblivious to the rush,” he said. “I used to hold the ball a little longer. I think I’ve evolved to the point where I know when you have to make something happen right now. I’m understanding that now and getting better at it.”

For the moment, he’s hearing more cheers than jeers, but he knows he is only one loss, maybe even one pass, away from a wave of criticism that can come when you hold the second-most scrutinized job in Washington.

“It’s amazing what happens when you win,” he said, laughing. “But I’ve always pretty much been able to put the criticism aside and go on about my business. I wouldn’t say it’s easy, but it comes with the territory.”

Rypien, of course, insists that the only territory on the minds of the Redskins today is 100 yards of turf in Anaheim Stadium. Clearly, however, they’ve got their sights set on the AstroTurf in Minneapolis’ Metrodome, where the Super Bowl will be played Jan. 26.

Rypien could join the ranks of quarterbacks such as Baugh, Joe Theismann and Williams, who have led the Redskins to NFL championships.

“They have a torch here and if you can carry it, you deserve to be considered one of the best,” he said. “They’ve had some great people here, guys who have been the winners, guys who epitomize the quarterback role.

“If I could be one of those guys who got it done, I’d be honored to be mentioned in the same breath with them.”

And who would’ve figured?