THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 1996 TAG: 9610150419
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COMMENT
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 78 lines
Bruce Willis and some car batteries aren't the only things that die hard. Reputations do, too, which is why the prevailing feeling around some parts of the NFL is that you are a fraud if you can't beat the Washington Redskins.
A loss to the lads from D.C. removes you from all consideration as a serious threat for the postseason, or as a threat to accomplish anything worthwhile should you somehow play past Christmas. After Sunday's 27-22 home loss to Gus Frerotte and Henry Ellard, if the New England Patriots were running for president, they'd be Ross Perot. Exiled from the playoff debate.
``Pats must improve in 2 areas: Offense and defense,'' blared the headline on Jim Donaldson's column in Monday's Providence Journal-Bulletin.
``These aren't the Tuna's salad days,'' read one in the Boston Globe.
``The Tuna'' is Patriots coach Bill Parcells, who gets his rightful share of the blame for the ``dumb things that lose games.''
``Yesterday's 27-22 loss to the Washington Redskins was completely avoidable,'' Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote.
When Parcells complimented the Redskins, saying, ``they played well, a little bit better than we did,'' Shaughnessy's retort was powerfully monosyllabic.
``ZZZZZZZZ.''
No one wants to hear that, unless the loss is to San Francisco or Dallas or, I guess, Miami with Dan Marino. But not when the party of the second part is the Redskins. They didn't the morning-after in St. Louis, or New York (twice) or Chicago.
Now Boston. Folks just can't seem to forget that 9-23 record coach Norv Turner lugged behind him like a ball and chain when this season began.
And it's not just from hometown media. Even the praise is so faint you need one of those miracle-producing hearing aids to catch it.
``QUIETEST 5-1 TEAM IN THE NFL,'' ESPN's Chris Berman informed Joe T., Mort and the other ``siblings'' Sunday night after showing highlights of Washington's fifth straight victory.
It must be enormously satisfying for the Redskins to know that they are creating the same angst in opposing cities and locker rooms that infested their dressing room the past three years.
``We played like crap,'' was Patriot cornerback Willie Clay's assessment of the loss. ``Two of our three losses were like this. We sat back and let them do what they wanted to.''
Wanna know the two most amazing confessions to come from the Patriots' locker room: New England running back Curtis Martin admitting he'd never seen 13-year veteran Darrell Green play before, and receiver Terry Glenn saying he had never heard of Henry Ellard until he watched films of him last week. Judging from Ellard's eight catches, 152 yards and touchdown, it doesn't appear there were any New England defensive backs keeping Glenn company.
You talk about clueless. First, the Redskins and Patriots have played exhibition games against each other the past two summers. Green participated in both, not to mention the fact that he is one of the league's most heralded cornerbacks.
Second, Ellard's only caught 750 passes and been one of the most consistent, respected wideouts in the modern history of the game. Even Glenn now admits that he'd be hard-pressed to find a better role model to study in trying to learn the intricacies of the position.
Call it extreme if you will, but it symbolizes the vacuum in which Redskins' opponents are operating. No one knows who they are. No one can believe it when the game's over and they've won.
``Here we are, almost halfway into the season and we still don't know just how good Washington is,'' wrote Donaldson of the Providence paper. ``Because the 'Skins still haven't beaten anybody who's any good.''
There's a good chance that will change in a week or so. After Sunday's rematch with the impotent Giants, the Redskins host 5-1 Indianapolis, then travel to 4-2 Buffalo.
Football teams, and their fans, should no longer be stunned if the Redskins win one, maybe both, of those games. Sunday in Foxboro, the competition took a giant step up. So did Washington.
In their own quiet way, they're giving the league fair warning. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Associated Press
Henry Ellard's eight catches for 152 yards and a touchdown for the
Redskins Sunday should have made believers out of the Patriots. by CNB