ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, October 22, 1996 TAG: 9610220055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
Darrell Green said lessons are like interceptions. And the latter is a subject on which the Washington Redskins cornerback is well-versed.
``You can't write down all of the lessons,'' said Green, obviously as ageless as anyone in the NFL, considering the swiftness with which he returned a Dave Brown pass Sunday for the ninth touchdown of his career. ``There are so many of them. You just have to catch them as they come.''
Green may be the Redskins' career king of picks, but he certainly isn't picky. He has 43 regular-season interceptions in 131/2 NFL years, and Brown became the 33rd quarterback he's picked off when Green went 68 yards for a second-quarter touchdown against the New York Giants.
The lesson of which Green spoke was the one his young team learned when the Giants almost erased a four-touchdown deficit in the second half before falling 31-21. The NFC East Division leaders won their sixth consecutive game since dropping their opener, but they took away more from RFK Stadium than they might have if the rout had continued.
``It was probably the best thing that could have happened to this team,'' coach Norv Turner said of the Giants' comeback. ``We're thinking, `We're rolling. We're invincible.' And bang, they hand it to us pretty good in the second half. Having that lead was difficult for us.''
Having a four-touchdown lead is something most of these Redskins hadn't seen, and didn't handle well.
``Is this the first time since I've been here that we had a lead at halftime?'' Turner asked.
No, but it was the first time the Redskins led so comfortably. Then, the Giants began doing what they should have been doing the entire game, running slant patterns the Redskins can't stop and stuffing the run.
Washington has become frighteningly efficient. The Redskins never fumble. They have only five turnovers. No other NFL club has fewer than 10. In 17 trips inside the red zone (the opponents' 25-yard line), Washington has 17 scores, including 12 touchdowns.
Running back Terry Allen has been superb all season, but teams now know the former Clemson star is going to get the ball 20 to 25 times a game. He had a season-high 28 carries against New York, and has a league-leading 10 touchdowns.
``They do a great job of giving Allen the type of plays he runs well,'' said Giants coach Dan Reeves.
That's why, with the emphasis on Allen, quarterback Gus Frerotte has to hit receivers as he did against the Giants in the first half. He throws the deep out well. With the Giants overloading the run, as New England did a week earlier, ``Gus had the right answers in the passing game,'' Turner said.
Frerotte has been so impressive that he's one of only six NFL quarterbacks who has taken every snap for his team this season. Backup Heath Shuler has had so much free time, he's grown a goatee. And speaking of having time, the Redskins' offensive line has given Frerotte plenty of ticks to throw. That was one difference between the Redskins and the Giants on Sunday. Brown, who was sacked eight times the previous week by Philadelphia, got another rush job.
Turner also had fun in his play book, as he does every week. Seeing the Redskins run a reverse has become a once-a-week occurrence, until the first quarter Sunday, when they went to a double-reverse and receiver Leslie Shepherd ran 31 yards to set up Washington's first touchdown.
``You're torn on a play like that because there is a chance of having a negative'' yardage, Turner said. ``We've been so successful with reverses, and we thought we'd get [the Giants] playing the reverses real hard, so We've got two guys who can handle the ball real well in [Henry] Ellard and Shepherd.
``You know, if you're doing something well, it seems like you can just keep building on it. I don't think we'll see a triple-reverse in the near future, but those plays are fun. It adds some life to practice. The players kind of look at you out of the corner of their eyes, like, `Are you crazy enough to call this thing?' If it looks good, I think they know we'll call it.''
See, not every lesson is a serious one.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines KEYWORDS: FOOTBALLby CNB