DATE: Tuesday, October 21, 1997             TAG: 9710210423

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: COMMENT 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   73 lines

THE SOLUTION TO SKINS' QB WOES EASY AS CHILD'S PLAY NORV TURNER HAS BEEN HANDED A CONVENIENT REASON TO GIVE FREROTTE A ONE-WEEK VACATION.

Norv Turner no more wants to open that can of worms labeled ``quarterback controversy'' than he wants to return to Southern Cal as a graduate assistant. But after Sunday's two-touchdown loss to the Tennessee Oilers, it's obvious that he has a problem at that position.

Gus Frerotte isn't making as many plays as he should for a player with his experience. Jeff Hostetler, a quarterback many teams would love to call their starter, waits silently on the bench.

But there's a beautiful, ripe solution to Turner's dilemma hanging seductively from the branch nearest his grasp. It's a loophole so easy, so perfect, that he'd be a fool not to use it.

Issue Frerotte one week of paternity leave.

You read it right. Paternity leave.

Frerotte's wife is scheduled to give birth this week to the couple's second child. Word out of Redskin Park was that if the process did not take place naturally today, labor would be induced. Understandably, football will be the last thing on Frerotte's mind this week.

Unfortunately for him, and for the team, it comes at a time in this season when he should be embarrassingly one-dimensional in his devotion to the job.

While Frerotte is far from the only problem Turner's schizophrenic team has, the quarterback is a big part of why the offense is averaging under 19 points a game and is ranked 19th in the league. That's completely unacceptable for a Norv Turner offense, for an offense that has a solid, not spectacular, line, a good blend of speed, youth and experience at wide receiver and one of the better strategists in the league calling plays.

Already, Frerotte has thrown nine interceptions. He threw 10 all of last season, when he crafted what seemed to be an ironclad reputation for protecting the football. Apparently, that was a mirage.

His three-interception game against Pittsburgh - two of which came with the Redskins in the red zone - cost Washington a game they should have won. And his three-interception performance Sunday came against a Tennessee team that was in the midst of an NFL-record six consecutive games without an interception.

Turner wasn't smiling when he admitted that Frerotte needs to be more consistent.

When you look at the passes Frerotte has thrown the worst, they're timing patterns - short tosses that are made while the receiver is finishing off his route. They're more difficult than they appear and they take work to perfect.

The Baltimore Ravens visit Cooke Stadium Sunday and, with Vinny Testaverde winging 50 passes a game, the Redskins' offense had better put up some points. This is a week a coach wants to see his quarterback and receivers stay after practice and grind out solutions to their problems.

That won't happen at Redskin Park this week. The in-laws can come to town to pitch in. A nanny can be hired. Doesn't matter. The moment practice is over, Frerotte's driving to the hospital or home to be with his wife and newborn.

So Turner should take the opening fate has given him and announce that Frerotte is going on one week's paternity leave. Hostetler, who threw 23 touchdown passes last year for the Raiders, would take over as the starter.

Regardless of how Hostetler plays, Turner can avoid the quarterback controversy by reinstating Frerotte the following week when the team travels to gawd-awful Chicago. Some fans will squawk, especially if Hostetler looks sharp against the Ravens. But I've got news for Turner. There isn't going to be any polite applause from the fans Sunday if Frerotte throws the ball as indifferently as he did against the Oilers. Far from it.

Frankly, this shouldn't be any big deal. Sunday, Jets coach Bill Parcells pulled Neil O'Donnell at the end of the first half because he'd played too much like. . . well, Neil O'Donnell. Backup Glenn Foley led the Big Tuna's team to an upset victory over the Patriots.

Frerotte looked frustrated and played confused against the Oilers. Now, he's got this new addition on his mind. Turner ought to give the kid and his dad a chance for some extra early bonding time.

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