THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 26, 1994 TAG: 9409260145
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
Another home stinker.
Once almost invincible on their own turf, the Redskins fell to 0-2 at RFK Stadium this season with a 27-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons before a crowd of 53,238.
There were the now usual array of dropped passes by Washington running backs - six - who are a key element in coach Norv Turner's offensive scheme.
There were eight more penalties, totalling 88 yards. Last week, they were flagged 10 times.
There continued to be a mere shell of the running attack that was supposed to keep this team competitive and its suspect defense off the field. Sunday's total was 14 rushes for 44 yards against a team that was tied for 21st in defensing the run.
Turner yanked quarterback John Friesz with 8:05 remaining in the game and Atlanta up, 27-13. Rookie Heath Shuler completed 10-of-16 passes for 93 yards and guided the offense to a consolation touchdown. He may get a chance to do more than mop up Sunday.
``If you've got to make your first start, it may as well be against the best,'' Shuler said.
However, he later admitted he thought Friesz should get the nod.
Then there's kicker Chip Lohmiller. He missed an extra point Sunday and Turner has vowed to bring in a kicker or two for tryouts on Tuesday.
``It's back to where we were a couple of weeks ago,'' Turner said, referring to the season-opening debacle against Seattle. Redskins errors that day gave the Seahawks an easy 28-7 triumph.
Washington's defense was supposed to be so vulnerable against Atlanta's ``Red Gun'' and strong-armed quarterback Jeff George that Redskins coaches made some substantial personnel changes.
They picked up cornerback Alan Grant off waivers, and used him in nickle coverages. They also brought in second-year linebacker Lamont Hollinquest from the bench and used the former Southern Cal safety to help blanket the Falcons' four receivers.
Veteran Darrell Green was assigned man-to-man coverage on Andre Rison, the league's leading receiver. Green did a commendable job, limiting Rison to four catches for 76 yards.
And the Redskins' oft-maligned defensive front did its job, especially in the first half. George was sacked six times in all, five in the opening 30 minutes.
``Their defense was good and they played well,'' George said. ``But the offensive line came back and gave me protection. They double-covered Andre and put pressure on me.''
When that failed, George made the Redskins pay.
Atlanta took a 7-0 lead when George fell down dropping to pass, then got to his feet and side-armed a 4-yard bullet to Terrance Mathis, who beat linebacker Kurt Gouveia.
Mathis was the beneficiary of Washington's desire to negate Rison. He caught 9 passes for 92 yards.
Washington's defense was the catalyst to its first touchdown. Linebacker Andre Collins stepped in front of a George pass for Rison, returned the interception 34 yards, to the Atlanta 2.
Reggie Brooks scored from there, and it was 7-7.
A sack by Leonard Marshall forced an Atlanta punt, and it took Washington two plays to gain the lead.
The first was Brooks running for no gain. The second was a 73-yard pitch-and-catch touchdown from Friesz to Henry Ellard. The former Ram punctuated the score by doing a front flip in the end zone.
But Lohmiller missed the extra point, then a 47-yard field goal a couple of possessions later. Washington led, 13-7, at the half, but was never the same again on offense.
The Redskins did not earn a first down in the third quarter, gaining just 10 yards on three possesions.
Atlanta, meanwhile, opened the second half with a 31-yard touchdown pass from George to Bert Emanuel, a one-handed grab on which cornerback Tom Carter bit on a down-and-up fake.
``The second half, we turned it up a notch,'' Atlanta coach June Jones said. ``The togetherness and consistency were there and I knew we would play well.''
A 30-yard field goal by Norm Johnson upped the lead to 17-13. Two plays later, Falcons end Chuck Smith beat Ed Simmons to Friesz, forcing a fumble that he also recovered.
Craig ``Ironhead'' Heyward capped a gimme drive with a 1-yard plunge and the Falcons had an 11-point spread.
Friesz's woes continued two plays later. His pass for Ethan Horton bounced off the tight end's hands, then his back, then into the hands of Atlanta safety Darnell Walker. That led to Johnson's 22-yard field goal.
Turner was tempted to insert Shuler at that point, but stayed with Friesz once again. He hit Ellard with passes of 26 and 20 yards, then attempted a pass to Ellard against double coverage.
It was picked off by D.J. Johnson in the end zone with 11:47 to play.
End of Friesz. Enter Shuler.
``I'm not disappointed in being pulled,'' Friesz said. ``I'm disappointed in myself. I made it easy for them to remove me.''
Friesz's numbers weren't bad - 17 completions, 29 attempts, 230 yards, but three interceptions.
``The last one, if I could want a team to be in one defense for that play, the Falcons were in it,'' Friesz said. ``But I didn't make the play.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color AP photo
Redskins tight end Ethan Horton falls, only to see the pass bounce
off his back and into the hands of Falcons cornerback Darnell
Walker, who got up and and returned the ball to set up an Atlanta
field goal.
by CNB