Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 16, 1995 TAG: 9510160121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: TEMPE, ARIZ. LENGTH: Long
The Washington Redskins took another step backwasrd Sunday when they failed to make the plays necessary to keep the Arizona Cardinals from eking out a 24-20 victory at Sun Devil Stadium.
The Cardinals, who lost by 20 to the Redskins in the regular-season opener, achieved their second victory in seven tries when quarterback Dave Krieg threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to running back Garrison Hearst with 1:16 left in the game. The play was set up when Arizona's Frank Sanders made a diving 20-yard grab in front of cornerback Darrell Green, bringing the ball to the Washington 1.
As usual, Washington had a chance to counter, and moved to the Arizona 34-yard line with 12 seconds remaining. But quarterback Gus Frerotte, under furious pressure from the Cardinals' line - particularly tackle Eric Swann - was called for intentionally grounding the ball on the game's last play.
``We have this history of keeping it close but not being able to finish things off,'' said coach Norv Turner, after his Redskins' fourth last-drive loss in five games. ``We had two chances today, but didn't get it done. We make either play and we have a hell of a chance to win the game.''
Both chances came when they were least expected. The Cardinals, two-point favorites, opened the second half with a 91/2-minute drive against Washington's sieve-like defense to take a 17-13 lead.
Washington went ahead 20-17 on the next series with Frerotte's 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Coleman Bell, who fell at the 2-yard line, then rolled into the end zone after linebacker Seth Joyner failed to touch him.
Then came the unlikely.
The Redskins' defense held.
The Washington offense returned to the field at the start of the fourth quarter with the ball, the lead and a chance to salt away a victory.
But running back Terry Allen - who gained 131 of Washington's 259 yards rushing against the Cardinals on Sept.3, but was held to 42 against Arizona on Sunday - was stuffed at the line. Swann then sacked Frerotte for a 7-yard loss.
After burning a timeout, Washington's second of the half, Frerotte was flushed from pocket, but tossed the ball across his body downfield to Henry Ellard, who was running open at midfield.
It fluttered off his fingertips.
``I couldn't find him as I came open and so I never saw him throw the ball,'' said Ellard, who opened Washington's scoring with a 46-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. ``The next thing I knew, the ball's on top of me and all I could try to do was get my hands on it.''
Ellard was involved again as Washington let another opportunity slip away on its next possession. On third-and-12 from the Washington 19 - and after Frerotte became confused and used his last timeout with 7:02 to play - Ellard simply ran by Arizona cornerback Brent Alexander and was open down the sideline.
Frerotte, with time to throw despite another Cardinals blitz, simply overthrew him.
``I stared down [Leslie] Shepherd in the middle to draw the safety [there] and I thought I put enough air under it for Henry to run under,'' Frerotte said. ``It even fluttered a little and I thought for sure he'd get it. I threw it too far.''
That was it for Washington. Krieg guided the Cardinals 57 yards in 12 plays and 5:28 before hitting Hearst with the game-winning pass.
``It doesn't get any easier,'' Turner said.
Not the way the Redskins handled this one.
Before the last drive, their offense had run 15 second-half plays. For the game, the Cardinals held a 15-minute advantage in time of possession. Although he officially was sacked only twice, Frerotte spent most every pass play on his backside, and a late fourth-quarter blow from Cardinals linebacker Jamir Miller left him woozy and disoriented.
``It's definitely the most punishment I've taken in my career,'' he said. ``I was able to get [the passes] off, but there were times when you'd throw, get knocked [down] and get up hoping you'd completed it. If not, you crawled off the field.''
Swann did most of the damage. Playing for the first time in four weeks after knee surgery, the perennial Pro Bowl performer had six tackles and 11/2 sacks. He also so dominated backup Vernice Smith, playing because Tre Johnson is out with a sprained ankle, that the rest of his mates on the defensive line worked one-on-one.
``He picked us up and threw us out of that damn hole,'' said Buddy Ryan, Arizona's coach. ``I enjoyed calling defenses today. They were working. I can't say that about the last few weeks when we've been playing with a short stick.''
Larry Centers, who capped the Cardinals' 91/2-minute drive with a 9-yard touchdown run and led all receivers with seven catches, described the victory in medicinal terms.
``Feels like we took an aspirin for a headache,'' he said.
In the other locker room, the pain refused to go away.
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB