Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 9, 1993 TAG: 9311090030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
When the Indianapolis Colts couldn't get out of their own way at RFK Stadium, the Redskins ended a six-game losing streak with a 30-24 victory. The Colts scored twice in the final two minutes, 2 seconds to make the score respectable in a game that wasn't.
These teams aren't too far ahead of the Carolina Panthers.
"We'll take it," said Washington quarterback Mark Rypien. "We're struggling, and this is easily the best feeling we've had around here in a while."
Less than two years from Super Bowl champs, the Redskins are thrilled now when they beat chumps. Washington's defense was strong until it went to prevent coverage in the last four minutes, but then the Colts (3-5) are a team that has gotten two of its victories by field-goal produced 9-6 scores.
Indianapolis and Washington have scored only one first-quarter touchdown apiece this season, and the Redskins' offense didn't warm up until the third quarter on a cold night. Rypien was benched briefly in the second quarter, only long enough for coach Richie Petitbon to see backup Cary Conklin get sacked twice in three plays.
Not long before that, the offensive futility brought research on the last 0-0 tie in NFL history. That was Lions-Giants, on the same date, 50 years earlier.
"I had to sit down and take a breather," Rypien said of a Petitbon decision that wasn't surprising. "It's kind of like when your children get out of hand a little bit. You've got to pull them aside and say, `Hey, once you're ready to come back in and play like we've taught you, then, just kind of hang out.' "
It was a desperate move by Petitbon, at a desperate time. The Redskins managed only 9 yards total offense in the second quarter but scored two touchdowns off of two fumbles by the Colts - including one when return star Clarence Verdin literally turned his back on a Reggie Roby punt.
Baltimore, do you really still long to have this team back?
The Redskins' defense got more help from the Indianapolis offense than from their own attack, which managed only 275 yards. The Colts' one-back offense operates behind an improved line, but there's no motion and coach Ted Marchibroda didn't utilize speed back Anthony Johnson until too late, when the Colts trailed by three touchdowns.
Quarterback Jeff George was right when, as a preseason holdout, he said his talent can't be fulfilled in this system. He was 37-for-59, with seven passes dropped. George and the Colts' defense played well enough to win against a team that finds itself in transition much sooner than expected because of free agency, aging and injury.
How bad are times for the Redskins? Only seven players have started every game, and two of those - Raleigh McKenzie and Ray Brown - have changed positions on an offensive line that is a real pain. The Redskins don't need to sign newly released quarterback Bernie Kosar, unless he can pass block for himself.
Chip Lohmiller's streak of consecutive extra-point kicks ended Sunday night at 213, the third-longest in NFL history. The Redskins rank last in the league in third-down conversions, at about 50 percent. There is no pass rush, and when Petitbon blitzes, as he loves to do, the secondary has been exposed to allow 10 touchdown passes of 20 or more yards. That's the worst in the NFL, too.
At RFK, they don't know how to watch a 2-6 club. There were 5,931 no-shows Sunday night. The last time a Washington team had a worse start through eight games was 1961, when coach Bill McPeak's finished 1-12-1 after opening 0-9. The vocabulary doesn't fit either. Petitbon and Rypien each let the word "playoffs" slip.
"Well, I think the playoffs are a long shot, but if we lose tonight, we're definitely out of it," the Redskins' first-year coach said.
No, he isn't forgetting they have to visit the New York Giants next week.
"There's no doubt we had to win this one," Rypien said. "We kind of felt that if we lose this one, any chance we had at postseason play would be down the tube. Of course, every week is like that now."
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB