THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 19, 1994 TAG: 9409190172
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. LENGTH: Long : 108 lines
Thirty minutes had passed since the Redskins had walked off the field at the Meadowlands after their annual it-coulda-been-different loss to the New York Giants.
Redskins coach Norv Turner was rehashing the 31-23 defeat - spearheaded by 5-foot-7, 195-pound running back Dave Meggett, who had two short touchdown runs and a 16-yard scoring pass to Aaron Pierce - and having no difficulty finding reasons his team is 1-2.
``The disappointing thing to me is that we're far enough along to compete, but not far enough along to handle some of the situations that came up today,'' Turner said. ``I felt coming in that we could win, and I feel now that we could have won if we were improved in a couple of areas.``
Such as:
Poise.
The Redskins were penalized 10 times for 86 yards.
Included was a retreat late in which Washington went from first-and-10 on its 32 to first-and-30 two snaps later after a holding penalty against tight end Ethan Horton and an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against guard Raleigh McKenzie and center John Gesek.
Washington also stood second-and-4 from the New York eight early in the fourth quarter when tackle Jim Lachey was flagged for holding. The 10-yard setback was followed by a Reggie Brooks' dropped pass and, ultimately, a 35-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller.
Fundamentals.
The Redskins dropped at seven passes - three by Brooks, two by Desmond Howard, one by Henry Ellard and one by Horton.
Brooks opened the game with a drop. The ball wound up in linebacker Corey Miller's hands. Nine plays later, the Giants led, 7-0, on Meggett's 2-yard run.
The game was four minutes old, ``but it set us in the right frame of mind,'' Giants coach Dan Reeves said.
Horton's drop came in the end zone on a first quarter drive, forcing Washington to settle for Lohmiller's 25-yard field goal.
Lohmiller kicked two others, but a miss from 23 yards caused Turner some consternation. It came with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter and should have trimmed a four-point deficit to one point.
``You can't miss field goals inside the 10,'' Turner moaned.
The Giants' ability to twice sucker the Redskins with trick plays, each going for a touchdown.
The first came late in the second quarter. Giants quarterback Dave Brown, brilliant with 15 completions in 20 attempts for 228 yards, first faked an end-around with Chris Calloway.
Mike Sherrard came from the right end across the field and snuck past Darrell Green, with safety Darryl Morrison desperately trying to make up lost ground.
Defensive end Sterling Palmer had his hands on Brown, but the former Duke quarterback shrugged him off, stepped up and hit Sherrard with a perfect strike to complete a 30-yard scoring play.
Trick play No. 2 could have been Washington's commemoration of the NFL's ``Throwback Weekend.''
For the third time in the last three meetings with the Giants, the Redskins were fooled on a halfback option pass run by Meggett. For the third time in three games against the Giants, the pass went for a touchdown.
This time, it was Meggett sweeping right, pulling up when safety Martin Bayless bit early, and throwing 16 yards to tight end Pierce.
Meggett continued his six-year crusade of making the Redskins sorry they didn't draft him out of Towson State in nearby Baltimore. In for Rodney Hampton, Meggett rushed 26 times for 82 yards and caught four passes for 52 yards.
``When you have a running back who can throw, it gives you a whole new dimension,'' Pierce said. ``It was a `gimme' play, because they read the run hard and I just went out uncovered.''
In one of the game's biggest plays, Meggett also recovered his own fumble at the Redskins 1-yard line one snap before scoring the game's decisive touchdown with 6:09 to play.
``He's such a great competitor, with great quickness,'' Turner acknowledged. ``He's a physical player with a heart as big as anyone's out there.''
Turner could make the same statement about several of his players, in particular, quarterback John Friesz and Ellard. They were the only reasons Washington wasn't blown out.
Friesz hit 32-of-50 pass attempts for a career-high 381 yards, and two touchdowns.
Ellard caught 10 passes, for 197 yards and a 3-yard, second quarter touchdown that brought Washington even at 10-10.
Trailing by eight points with 1:52 to play, Friesz's first pass of the drive was dropped by Howard. He completed a throw of 14 yards to Tydus Winans, then found Ricky Ervins for three and five yards.
From the 25-yard line, Friesz threw a pass into the end zone that Giants safety John Booty intercepted, sealing the Giants' fifth 3-0 start since the 1970 merger.
``People tell me I should feel good because we're improving,'' Turner said. ``I don't feel good about a thing. I feel sick to my stomach.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dave Meggett had a full day: 26 carries for 82 yards, four
receptions and a 16-yard TD pass.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Redskins wide receiver Tydus Winans stretches out to catch a pass in
front of Giants cornerback Thomas Randolph.
GIANTS 31
REDSKINS 23
by CNB