THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 12, 1994 TAG: 9412120169
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: TEMPE, ARIZ. LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
The Washington Redskins put their defense in the worst possible position Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
They sent them onto the field with less than three minutes to play and asked them to hold a lead.
They weren't up to the job.
Again.
Inspired by a nervy call by coach Buddy Ryan on a fourth-down play with 1:21 remaining, the Cardinals marched 61 yards, culminating in Greg Davis' game-winning 27-yard field goal as time expired and a 17-15 victory at Sun Devil Stadium.
``When it comes time to make a play, we don't,'' Redskins coach Norv Turner said after his team's 12th loss in 14 games - and a league-record 15th straight against NFC East competition they once dominated.
It has become a tired refrain for Turner. Sunday was the fourth time in the last eight weeks his team has forfeited a fourth-quarter advantage.
The victory evened the Cardinals' record at 7-7 and tied them with the Giants and Eagles in the race for an NFC wildcard spot. And it came in part because of an uncharacteristic gamble by the ultra-conservative Ryan.
Seven plays after Chip Lohmiller's 21-yard field goal gave Washington a 15-14 lead with 2:54 to play, the Cardinals faced fourth-and-1 at the Redskins' 35. Rather than send Davis out for a 53-yard attempt to win the game, Ryan opted to go for the first down.
``I talked to the kicker on the sidelines and I didn't like what I saw in his eyes,'' Ryan explained. ``I liked our chances better of going for it.''
He got the first down - and much more - when quarterback Jay Schroeder and back Garrison Hearst combined for a 29-yard pass-and-run to the Redskins' 6.
Former Redskins receiver Gary Clark had a key role in the play's success. He lined up on the left side and ran a slant pattern, charging directly at Washington safety Darryl Morrison.
Turner said Morrison should have anticipated the play and ``snugged up'' on Hearst. Morrison countered that he knew it was coming, but an illegal maneuver by the Cardinals kept him from getting there.
``When I saw Clark, I knew he was going underneath,'' Morrison said. ``When I made my move (to shadow Hearst out of the backfield), he ran into me. I felt it was a pick.''
Had the officials called offensive pass interference - the appropriate call on a pick - the Cardinals would have lost the ball on downs. It didn't happen, and Morrison compounded matters by missing a tackle on Hearst, allowing Hearst to scamper down the sidelines for an additional 27 yards.
The whole scenario was foreign for Hearst, who's spent most of this season on the bench and in Ryan's doghouse.
Frustrated at the lack of productivity by Ron Moore and Mark Higgs, Ryan decided to give Hearst a crack. He responded with five carries for 28 yards, and three catches for another 34.
Seconds before the snap on the game's critical play, Schroeder had to instruct Hearst where to stand - and warn him that the ball might be coming his way.
``Garrison has never run from that position before,'' Schroeder said. ``He just turned around and the ball was there and he hung on. I guess we've got to get him in the game more often.''
For the first time in weeks, the Redskins' offense dominated play - and against an Arizona defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL.
Washington ran for 123 yards and Heath Shuler threw for another 286, including 191 to Henry Ellard.
Shuler gave his most athletic display yet. He completed 16 of 27 attempts and had a spectacular 26-yard scamper in the second half, a play on which he broke five tackles.
``His confidence is growing,'' Turner said. ``Early, we were able to run the ball, and that took some pressure off him. He also got a feel for their defense - things they gave up, things we could do against them. It was by far his best performance.''
But Shuler and the Redskins' offense also frittered away numerous chances to put the Cardinals away.
Their first three second-half possessions all began in Arizona territory, but the Redskins scored nothing.
The worst of the three was the last. Shuler's dash put Washington at the Cards' 18. But four plays later, Lohmiller hooked a 29-yard field-goal attempt that would have given the Redskins a 9-7 lead late in the third quarter.
Lohmiller's miss became crucial at the end. It gave Arizona the advantage of needing just a field goal to win.
``Chip's having a great year,'' Turner said. ``Why he missed a 29-yard field goal, I have no idea.''
Lohmiller left the locker room before anyone could ask.
Shuler insisted that Lohmiller's kick should never have been so important.
``We were down there; it's the quarterback's responsibility to get the team in,'' he said. ``I accept the blame for that.''
The narrow loss also put the spotlight on Turner's decision to try a two-point conversion after Shuler's 52-yard scoring pass to Ellard with 12:30 to play.
Brian Mitchell was stuffed at the line of scrimmage by Lorenzo Lynch and Eric Hill, leaving the Redskins behind, 14-12.
``It's a guessing game,'' Turner said. ``They normally play cover in that situation, and that's what we thought they'd do. They blitzed.
``Give Arizona credit. They made the plays when they had to.''
It's a statement he'd like to make about his own defense. If only they'd allow him. ILLUSTRATION: Associated Press color photos
Arizona quarterback Jay Schroeder led the cheers after Greg Davis,
right, kicked a 27-yard field goal...
by CNB