ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 28, 1996 TAG: 9610290017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
Another game, another endorsement.
This time it was the Indianapolis Colts, supposed AFC Super Bowl contenders, who cried uncle after being steamrolled 31-16 by the Washington Redskins at RFK Stadium on Sunday. The rest of the football intelligentsia may be having trouble accepting the fact the Redskins are 7-1 halfway through what was supposed to be another season of rebuilding. But the Colts joined the rising number of Redskins victims who see Washington as a legitimate force.
``I've got to compliment them,'' said Lindy Infante, the Colts' coach. ``They're a good football team. They deserve a ton of credit. Last week, we gave one away. This week, we got beat by a really good team.''
``They don't make mistakes,'' added running back Marshall Faulk, who was held to 53 yards on 13 carries.
There was no one star on offense for the Redskins. Terry Allen churned out 124 yards and three touchdowns - his second trio in as many weeks. Quarterback Gus Frerotte had puppeteer-like control of his 25 passes, completing 18 for 178 yards and a clothesline 7-yard scoring slant to Leslie Shepherd.
Henry Ellard grabbed three passes for 55 yards - 48 of them coming on a 73-yard drive that gave the Redskins a 17-3 second-quarter edge.
And Brian Mitchell put the ``special'' back into the Redskins special teams. Silent most of the season, he opened the game with a 43-yard kickoff return that started Washington on a drive to a field goal and a lead they never lost.
When the Redskins needed a third-quarter spark, Mitchell provided it with an electrifying 71-yard punt return to the shadow of the Colts' end zone.
``The play that typifies where this team is at was Brian Mitchell's,'' Redskins coach Norv Turner said. ``On kickoff and punt returns, we haven't been at the level we were a year ago.
``We just kept getting at it and saying, `This play is going to win a game down the road.'''
Mitchell fielded Chris Gardocki's punt at his 27, faked a dash up the middle, then veered right. He got one block from Stanley Richard that opened a hole, then Tom Carter got enough of Gardocki to give Mitchell the sideline. The only thing that kept him from scoring was a flagrant penalty against Ray McElroy, who dragged Mitchell down by his face mask.
Allen scored his second touchdown of the game two snaps later to give the Redskins a 24-13 advantage.
Cary Blanchard's 51-yard field goal on the last play of the third quarter cut the Colts' deficit to 24-16, and Indianapolis got the ball back when safety Jason Belser slammed into Henry Ellard the same instant as Frerotte's pass arrived. The ball bounced into the air and was intercepted by linebacker Steve Morrison at the Indy 45 with 12:45 to go.
But on third-and-10, linebacker Ken Harvey swept around end and hit quarterback Jim Harbaugh's arm, causing a fumble.
It took the Redskins and Allen just three plays to score, all to the right side behind tackle Ed Simmons.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Redskins running back Terry Allen celebrates theby CNBsecond of his three rushing touchdowns Sunday, a 1-yard run in the
third quarter of Washington's 31-16 victory over Indianapolis.
color. KEYWORDS: FOOTBALL