THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 11, 1995 TAG: 9509110136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
In little more than six minutes Sunday, a season the Washington Redskins have declared is a work in progress took a step back. That's all the time it took for an entertaining 6-6 tie to turn into a 20-8 triumph by the Oakland Raiders.
``I'm obviously disappointed, but I'm not going to hang my head,'' Washington coach Norv Turner said, the team now 1-1 for the fourth consecutive season. ``We talk each week how the team that handles the ball best, that does not turn it over, usually wins.''
That was the case Sunday. A couple of ill-timed fumbles and a could-have-been-catch by rookie Michael Westbrook stifled Washington's hopes for a second straight home-field upset.
The Redskins and the Raiders were tied, 6-6, when Washington running back Terry Allen committed a second-effort fumble when hit by tackle Chester McGlockton. Oakland's Eddie Anderson recovered at the Redskins 40.
After passes to Tim Brown and Rocket Ismail helped move the ball to the Redskins 1, quarterback Jeff Hostetler - brilliant with 22 completions in 29 attempts - flipped a scoring pass to tight end Andrew Glover to shove the Raiders ahead.
Four plays after the kickoff, Gus Frerotte rolled right to avoid pressure and suddenly spotted Westbrook way behind the secondary headed for the end zone.
Westbrook was in obvious trouble the moment Frerotte threw the ball. He back-pedaled, turned, and finally threw his hands at the ball. It bounced away - one of at least a couple of drops by the No. 1 pick.
``Michael makes some unbelievable plays,'' Turner said. ``But he's been in camp three weeks. He has some errors.''
``I slowed up,'' explained Westbrook. ``I looked up and the ball was above. It surprised me that it was there, so I tried to catch up to it. It would have been a real acrobatic catch, an awkward catch.''
Hostetler and the Raiders beat the Redskins at what used to be their game, gobbling up yardage on the ground and throwing short, safe passes. An 18-play, 11-minute drive resulted in a first-quarter Oakland field goal. When Washington punted shortly after Westbrook's drop, Hostetler led the Raiders on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown march. He sealed the victory with an 8-yard bullet to fullback Derrick Fenner with 10:55 to play.
``It's a step in the right direction,'' Hostetler said. ``The best defenses in the game seem to have an offense that can control the ball and keep them off the field. We had those key long drives. That's what it's all about.''
Besides the fumbles and drops - even sure-handed Henry Ellard fumbled on a reception after Fenner's touchdown - Sunday for the Redskins was mostly about their inability to reach the end zone.
Though dominated at times, the defense pulled off a goal-line stand against the Raiders, and stuffed Hostetler on a fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak.
Frerotte, starting for the injured Heath Shuler, had more than his share of moments. Making just his fifth NFL start, Frerotte completed 20 of 34 attempts for 272 yards.
``I played fair,'' he said. ``There's a lot of passes that I look back on that I think I should have completed. But I think that's what any quarterback does.''
Ellard grabbed six passes for 81 yards. Westbrook caught five for 89 yards and showed signs of the force he can be with receptions of 16 and 33 and a leaping 20-yarder in traffic. Including returns, Brian Mitchell accounted for 186 yards.
But Washington's last legitimate hope to get back in the game ended when Allen was buried by Pat Swilling and several others for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the Oakland 1 late in the fourth quarter.
``Give them credit,'' Turner said. ``They made the right call. We thought they were going to pinch inside and we'd be able to bounce it out. Instead, they flipped to the outside. They guessed right.''
The play was indicative of the trouble Washington had matching Oakland's cloud of dust for cloud of dust. After last week's 131-yard performance against Arizona, Allen was held to 49 yards on 16 carries.
Part of that was the result of guard Tre Johnson's early exit with a sprained ankle. Johnson, who dominated the Cardinals' Eric Swann last week, was helped off the field after the first play from scrimmage.
``It's hurts you,'' Turner said. ``A couple of plays early, they got penetration you wouldn't expect. But that's no excuse. The two fumbles and what happened afterwards were crucial. Not to mention our problems inside the 20.'' ILLUSTRATION: OAKLAND 20
WASHINGTON 8
[Color Photo]
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
Oaklands Greg Biekert knocks the ball loose from Redskins
quarterback Gus Frerotte. Biekert got credit for a sack after
Washington regained the ball.
by CNB