Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 5, 1994 TAG: 9409060062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long
There would be an opening touchdown drive, crisp passing and powerful running. The defense would be impregnable and the day would conclude with a satisfying victory that would serve as a springboard to a season of surprises.
Turner's look into the future couldn't have been more wrong. Except for the opening touchdown, the Seattle Seahawks, 1 1/2-point underdogs, burned Turner's script and his Redskins 28-7.
It could have been worse. The Seahawks, a 6-10 team last season, saw another touchdown called back when the Seahawks' defense was offside.
Seattle outgained the Redskins 350 yards to 258. The Seahawks rushed for 174 yards; Washington 42.
``You walk off the field after losing a football game like this and you think nothing's good,'' Turner said following the Redskins' worst loss in a home opener since the Browns clobbered Otto Graham's first Redskins squad 38-14 in 1966. ``But I've been around long enough to know when we look at the films, we'll see some positives.''
Don't be too sure.
The Redskins took the opening kickoff and marched 82 yards to a 7-0 lead. RFK Stadium rocked when Desmond Howard beat Robert Blackmon on a down-and-out pattern and cradled John Friesz's 27-yard pass for his first scoring reception as a pro.
Then came the mistakes, not just one or two, but an avalanche.
First, Brian Mitchell, who played as though he put his hands on backward, lost his perspective on Rick Tuten's booming punt and fielded it inside the Redskins' 10.
Then, Mitchell fumbled 12 yards into his return when pounded by Jon Vaughn. Terry Wooden recovered at the Washington 12.
``I never looked around to see where I was; that was my first mistake,'' Mitchell said. ``I had started on the 20 and I didn't think I had backed up as much as I had.''
Mitchell did practically as much damage to the Redskins as Seattle. In addition to the fumbled punt, he lost another that Washington recovered. He also dropped several passes, agitating the Redskins fans so much they applauded when he was removed from the game.
Chris Warren, who played at Virginia and Ferrum College, grabbed a pitchout, skirted right end and loped into the end zone for the tying touchdown. Warren finished with 22 rushes, 100 yards and the first two-touchdown game of his pro career.
Earlier in the week, Turner said he planned to lift Friesz in the second quarter in favor of rookie Heath Shuler. But Friesz hit enough passes to cause the coach to re-think his strategy, at least until midway through the second quarter.
Friesz had just finished hitting Henry Ellard for 14 yards over the middle and 21 yards down the right sideline. Friesz then dropped and flipped a quick pass in the Mitchell's direction - only it never got there.
Wooden grabbed the ball and didn't stop running until he'd covered 69 yards and helped the Seahawks take a 14-7 lead with 10 minutes, 7 seconds left before halftime.
``I thought I could stick it in before he could get a hand on it,'' Friesz said. ``It was a bad decision to try to throw it.
``My performance? Average to below average. Any time you turn the ball over twice [another Friesz pass was picked off at the Seattle 14 in the third quarter] and take yourself out of scoring opportunities both times ... It's not something I've done a lot in my past and I just have to be more patient.''
Turner gave Friesz another series to regain his composure before inserting Shuler with 5:59 left. What followed could charitably be called a comedy of errors.
There was an incompletion to Reggie Brooks, held to 31 yards by a Seattle defense missing two starters on the line. Then, Shuler ran what looked like a quarterback draw and was smothered for a 4-yard loss by end Cortez Kennedy.
The next series, Shuler lost 4 yards when sacked by Brent Williams, then threw a pass to Mitchell that was dropped. There was another incompletion - and an on-the-sidelines lesson from Turner.
Moments after Mirer hit Brian Blades with a 5-yard touchdown pass to finish a 53-yard drive - one kept alive by a phantom roughing-the-passer penalty against Leonard Marshall on third-and-seven - Shuler ran a play the RFK crowd loved as much as a flat tire in a hurricane. He knelt to close the first half.
The next time Shuler took a snap, only 6:23 remained in the game. The Redskins were further behind, courtesy of Warren's 4-yard touchdown sweep, a play on which he slowed to a trot. He spent a lot of time avoiding blitzing Seahawks, finishing 3-of-8 for 14 yards.
``If nothing else, I didn't turn the ball over,'' Shuler said with a shrug.
Small consolation. The Redskins may have to content themselves with that most of this season.
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
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by CNB