THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 31, 1994 TAG: 9410310143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Because there are only so many times you can give a team credit for showing up, nobody outside of Tampa Bay takes the Washington Redskins very seriously.
The Redskins have earned the privilege of being overlooked and underestimated, and for the longest time Sunday, it appeared that they might exploit it.
Apparently, the Philadelphia Eagles mistook the trip to RFK Stadium for a bye week; understandable, perhaps, seeing as how the Redskins have an aversion to winning at home.
``In the first half,'' said Eagles fullback Herschel Walker, ``I think we were just going through the motions.''
Nobody personified this malaise more than Randall Cunningham. On a brilliant, sunlit afternoon, the Philadelphia quarterback played the first half as if fogbound. He was on a walkabout. In a daze. The great scrambler displayed all the mobility of the Washington Monument.
``We've had slow starts before,'' Cunningham said.
There are slow starts and there is inertia.
Watching Cunningham struggle to figure out the Redskins' defense - the Redskins' defense! - you got a sense for why he has a history of coming up small in big games against competent opponents.
``We wasted the first 30 minutes,'' is the way Eagles coach Rich Kotite put it.
Cunningham wasted it with timid passes to halfbacks and tight ends, all but ignoring the wideouts, settling for small gains and giving the Redskins reason to believe they could win.
``I said to Richie in practice, `Let's go with the high-percentage stuff,' '' Cunningham said.
Then, alluding to his four-interception humbling against Dallas three games ago, he added, ``I wanted to cut down on that stuff.''
The Redskins encourage this sort of no-risk nonchalance. Why take chances at RFK? Sooner or later, the Skins will find a way to lose, even to a team that gets off the bus expecting a free lunch.
Not even savior-of-the-moment Gus Frerotte could reverse the Redskins' fortunes. Frerotte took all the chances that Cunningham did not, and paid for it with two interceptions. Meanwhile, reluctant Randall directed 11 of his 18 completions to players coming out of the backfield.
Finally, when he absolutely had to, Cunningham lifted his gaze upfield. He threw 11 yards to Victor Bailey and zeroed in on Calvin Williams for 14 yards in the drive that led to Eddie Murray's game-winning field goal and the final points of the Eagles' 31-29 victory.
In losing, the Redskins had rejected an opponents' charity, despite looking sharper than anyone could have expected.
For the first time, the Redskins unveiled a useful running game. And when the line wasn't opening holes, it was protecting Frerotte as if he were made of crystal.
The Redskins had something else going for them. Their loss deflates the theory that all this team needs is a few breaks. Norv Turner's crew got the breaks.
A penalty against Philadelphia for having 12 men on the field kept alive a Redskins drive that led to a touchdown. Chip Lohmiller's 54-yard field goal at the end of the first half hit the crossbar and bounced over.
But when Lohmiller put the home team ahead in the fourth quarter with a 40-yard kick, there were still almost four minutes to play.
Slow to start, Cunningham was up for the finish.
Said Kotite, forgetting that Joe Montana and John Elway are still in the league, ``There is none better in the last two minutes than Randall.''
Winners always get the last word. But if there is more to a football game than the final few minutes, there may be less to Cunningham than some people think. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PAUL AIKEN, Staff
James Joseph struggles for yardage against the Redskins' defense.
The Eagles' offense was tentative most of the day.
by CNB