Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 18, 1993 TAG: 9310180102
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: TEMPE, ARIZ. LENGTH: Medium
The Washington Redskins on Sunday equalled records for futility that extend back to the Kennedy Administration in losing 36-6 to the Phoenix Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium.
Toss in last week's 41-7 pounding by the New York Giants, and Washington hasn't lost consecutive games so convincingly since 1963.
Gibbs was in Tucson watching his son's team, Stanford, lose 27-24 to 11th-ranked Arizona on a last-second field goal on Saturday night. He definitely saw the better-played game.
"It's very somber in here, a lot of us are hanging our heads," Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien said. "We're just trying to find a way to win a ball game right now. If you lose 6-0, you're basically looking at one side not getting it done. But when you lose like this . . . "
It's been 19 years since the normally inept Cardinals swept a season series from the Redskins.
Two weeks from now, on a Monday night in Buffalo, the Redskins will have an opportunity to equal their first six-game slide since 1963.
Washington (1-5) has been outscored 94-23 in its past three games. That hasn't happened since 1980 - when Jack Pardee coached the Redskins and the Cardinals carried a St. Louis zip code.
"One and five, that's hard to swallow any time," first-year Redskins head coach Richie Petitbon said. "We are probably at rock-bottom now."
The Cardinals (2-4) came into the game off a stunning home loss to the New England Patriots. Joe Bugel was holding the envelope containing his paycheck up to the light to see if by chance it was wrapped in a pink slip.
"I am pleased by the way the team reacted to pressure," Bugel said after his third win over Washington in the past four meetings. "It's been a tough week. A lot of things were said about us. The team rose to the occasion."
So much so that when the game was done - and after Bugel had been doused with the ceremonial Gatorade bucket - the coach was carted off the field on the shoulders of defensive end Chad Brown and center Rick Cunningham.
Petitbon, meanwhile, trudged into a maze of taunting Cardinals fans eager to humiliate him.
"Right now, we're not a very good football team," Petitbon said. "We have holes everywhere. We're not very well coached. When we do one thing right, we do something else wrong."
Sunday, the Redskins ran the ball well, averaging 5.3-yards per carry. Ricky Ervins, who entered the game when Brian Mitchell left with a separated shoulder after three snaps, gained 98 yards on 17 carries, all in the first half.
But the Redskins, after taking a 3-0 lead with their first first-quarter points of the season, doomed themselves by committing four turnovers. Of course, the Cardinals' unblockable defensive tackle Eric Swann - who had 12 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one tackle for a safety - helped.
After the Cardinals tied the score, Swann stripped Ervins of the ball and fell on it at the Washington 45. Seven plays later, Greg Davis kicked a 45-yard field goal.
The Cardinals turned the next series into a touchdown and 13-3 lead. Quarterback Steve Beuerlein teamed with little known receiver Anthony Edwards for 49 yards on a third-and-three play. Three plays later, Garrison Hearst beat Brad Edwards to the corner for the touchdown.
Washington was moving the ball on its next series when Ken Harvey blew past Moe Elewonibi to slam Rypien from the blind side. The ball flew out, with Michael Bankston making his second fumble recovery of the game.
Because the defense stymied Phoenix after three giveaways, the half ended 13-3.
"We still had a chance at halftime," Rypien said, and he was right, even though seven of the Redskins' first nine possessions ended with three plays and a punt or a turnover.
But he wasn't right for long.
During the Cardinals' second possession, on third and nine from the Washington 42, Beuerlein rolled right, avoided Andre Collins on the blitz, then had enough time to find Ricky Proehl wide open 10 yards behind nickel cornerback A.J. Johnson. That made it 20-3.
Washington drove to another field goal on its next possession and had a chance to make something happen defensively when the Redskins trapped kick returner Johnny Bailey at the Phoenix 12.
But on third and three from their 19, Bailey ran 31 yards up the middle. Phoenix didn't score, but Edwards downed Rich Camarillo's punt at the Washington 1.
On the first snap, Swann blew past hobbled guard Mark Schlereth to tackle Reggie Brooks in the end zone for a safety.
That was it.
Bailey rambled 14 yards for a touchdown on the next possession, and Ron Moore capped the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB