DATE: Monday, November 3, 1997              TAG: 9711030074

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHICAGO                           LENGTH:   98 lines

REDSKINS PLAY NEAR-PERFECT GAME

The Washington Redskins found a place Sunday where plays designed to gain five yards gained 15, where their quarterback's every pass hit a receiver in the hands, where every major penalty was levied against the other guy.

The Redskins found Soldier Field, the hapless Chicago Bears, and an easy end to their two-game losing streak.

In fashioning a 31-8 rout, everything the Redskins tried worked better than they imagined. Running back Terry Allen, back after a two-week absence, slashed his way to 125 yards on 20 carries before removing himself from the game in the second half.

The Redskins' revamped offensive line, with four starters playing different positions, was nearly flawless in protecting Gus Frerotte and opening holes through which Allen, Stephen Davis and even fullback Larry Bowie easily maneuvered.

The defensive line, last in the league against the run and missing starters Chris Mims and Jamal Duff, held the Bears to just 62 yards rushing. The secondary picked off two passes and allowed 274 yards passing primarily because they were so far ahead so early that they were playing 10 yards off Chicago receivers.

``You remember when your grandfather would take you out to the woodshed and whip your butt?'' Bears linebacker Bryan Cox said. ``That's what this was, a good old-fashioned butt-whipping. We got knocked back, pushed down. We weren't flat. We were flattened.''

Amazingly for a team that had played so listlessly in losing to Tennessee and Baltimore, the Redskins were so confident they could beat the Bears and improve to 5-4 that the atmosphere in their locker room before the game was giddy.

``There was a lot of joking and kidding; everyone was real loose,'' said Frerotte, 14 of 20 for 192 yards and two touchdowns. ``We were confident in what we were doing. It was a lot of fun playing out there. Guys got open and it was just a question of hitting them. The line did such a great job that my job was easy.''

Playing the inept, 1-8 Bears certainly helped. But the Redskins played with an efficiency they haven't displayed all season, not even in their impressive victories over Jacksonville and Dallas.

Their offense showed uncommon balance with 203 yards rushing and 185 yards passing. For the first time since beating Jacksonville on Sept. 28, the Redskins had the ball longer than an opponent, 32:47 Sunday. For the first time all season, Washington scored on its opening drive.

``When you start out with some nice runs, the other team can't go to the blitz and we're going to have more confidence,'' right tackle Shar Pourdanesh said. ``We did our job, had them on their heels.''

Allen got them rolling on the first series with a 30-yard gallop around right end the first time he carried the ball. He also turned in a 9-yard pass reception before Frerotte floated a pass to James Jenkins that the reserve tight end hauled in over the shoulder to make it 7-0.

Washington took over the next series at its 45. Six plays and a 16-yard pass-interference penalty against Chicago's Walt Harris, it was 14-0. Bowie scored his first NFL touchdown on a 5-yard run behind pulling right guard Tre' Johnson, who obliterated Bears safety John Mangum leaving Bowie nothing to do but fall forward into the end zone.

``I was concerned with Chicago's blitzing early,'' Redskins coach Norv Turner admitted. ``But we hit some big runs early that got them unsettled. Eventually, when we got to third-and-long, we could do whatever we wanted to.''

Allen opened Washington's next series with a 34-yard run, after which Frerotte hit Bowie for 25. On second-and-goal from the 1, Frerotte bulled his way across the goal line and the Redskins led 21-0 just 1:26 into the second quarter.

``Their first drive, I knew if we didn't wake up, it was going to be a long day,'' Bears defensive right tackle Carl Simpson said. ``We never woke up. So much stuff happened so quickly. Before you know it, we're down 21-0 and thinking, `Damn, how did that happen?' I don't even know what happened after that.''

By halftime, Allen had 111 yards and the Bears were committed to following his every step. Frerotte and Leslie Shepherd used that to their advantage on their first drive of the third quarter.

Frerotte's fake to Allen froze the Chicago linebackers and line. Shepherd crossed the field and found himself one-on-one with Mangum, who had no chance at staying with the Redskins' fleet wideout. Frerotte's 39-yard pass was perfect and gave his team a 31-0 advantage.

``It's nice to go on the road and get a win, nice to play well again,'' said Turner, who couldn't really enjoy the day because on the losing end was his good buddy and fellow former Dallas assistant Dave Wannstedt. ``You get Terry Allen, Bob Dahl, Tre' Johnson and Kenard Lang back onto the field and it makes a difference. What you saw today was us. We get our guys in and healthy and we're a different football team.''

With both the Eagles and Cowboys losing, the Redskins (5-4) find themselves in sole possession of second place in the NFC East, one game behind the idle New York Giants. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Redskins defensive end Rich Owens closes in to knock down a pass by

Bears quarterback Erik Kramer. Said Bears linebacker Bryan Cox: ``We

got knocked back, pushed down. We weren't flat. We were flattened.''

[Color Photo]

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Terry Allen, back after a two-week absence, slashed his way to 125

yards rushing on 20 carries.

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