Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 11, 1995 TAG: 9509110135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The Redskins reached the red zone five times Sunday afternoon and produced only three points - a second-quarter Eddie Murray field goal.
As a result, the Oakland Raiders defeated Washington 20-8 before a crowd of 54,548 at RFK Stadium.
Washington (1-1), which opened the season with a commanding 27-7 victory against the Arizona Cardinals, was held without a touchdown for the first time since December 1993.
"We had problems inside the 20," said Redskins coach Norv Turner. "The team which makes the least mistakes and takes care of the ball is probably going to win."
The Redskins missed a field goal, fumbled, got stopped on a goal-line stand and threw an interception inside Oakland's 20-yard line.
The Raiders (2-0), on the other hand, got two touchdowns and two field goals out of their four opportunities inside the red zone.
"That was a real pleasing victory for us against what I think is a real good football team," Raiders coach Mike White said.
White had good reason to be pleased. For the second straight game, the Raiders' new ball control offense was effective.
Quarterback Jeff Hostetler was 22-of-29 passing for 205 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders also had the ball for 34 minutes.
"Sometimes, we're not running out for a lot of long ones but the percentage and the ball control are things we're working toward," White said.
But the Redskins, who had 358 total yards as did Oakland, had their opportunities but failed to convert.
Quarterback Gus Frerotte, who came in for an injured Heath Shuler during the opener, had his best day as a starter.
He completed 20 of 34 passes for 272 yards. However, he also had a couple of wide open passes dropped and had a 66-yard bomb go off the fingertips of rookie receiver Michael Westbrook.
"I looked up and the ball was over my head," said Westbrook, who finished with five catches for 89 yards. "The wind took the ball to my right. I reached back and the ball hit the tip of my finger."
Hostetler's longest completion was a 28-yard throw to Raghib Ismail, which set up Cole Ford's second field goal for a tie at 6 in the third quarter.
And then came probably the biggest of several second-half miscues for the Redskins.
On first down from Washington's 33, Terry Allen ran 5 yards and then fumbled. Eddie Anderson recovered for Oakland.
The Raiders turned that gift into a touchdown, finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Hostetler to Andrew Glover.
On its next possession, Washington made a couple of first downs but had to punt.
The Raiders swiftly turned that possession into a 10-play, 80-yard drive for another touchdown.
Running back Derrick Fenner, a Washington native, scored on an 8-yard pass from Hosteler with 10:55 in the fourth quarter for a 20-6 lead.
Washington got the ball to the Raiders 22-yard line. But on a third-and-eight play, Henry Ellard fumbled the ball at the 11. James Trapp recovered for the Raiders.
The Redskins suffered a big loss early when right guard Tre Johnson was injured on the game's first play from scrimmage. He came out with a sprained ankle and did not return. Cornerback Tom Carter left the game with a mild strained right hamstring.
The Raiders, who set a league record for penalties last season, were penalized only twice Sunday.
Washington's Murray ended a personal streak of 28 consecutive field goals made inside the 40 when he missed a 33-yarder with two minutes left in the first half.
NOTES: Murray moved to eighth on the NFL all-time field goal list (302) with his two field goals ... Ellard's 81 yards receiving put him into 18th place (13,155) on the NFL's all-time receiving list.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB