THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 8, 1995 TAG: 9509080632
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 117 lines
Stanley Richard believes in maturity through adversity.
When it comes to character-building, the Washington Redskins' new starting safety downplays the importance of last Sunday's 27-7 upset of the Arizona Cardinals at RFK Stadium. Too easy.
``The true test is what happens in the fourth quarter when we're tied or behind,'' Richard said. ``Will we continue to make plays? We made them Sunday and we won the football game. If we're down, 21-0, will we still hold together, make plays and get the offense back in the game?
``It's good to learn to win together, but the true test is how you lose together. Will it be because we've blown our assignments or because we were outplayed?''
Some of both could take place Sunday when the Redskins host the AFC power Oakland Raiders. In quarterback Jeff Hosterler and receivers Tim Brown, Raghib Ismail and James Jett, the Raiders have one of the league's most lethal passing attacks.
``You put the cleats up and take the spikes out when you play the Raiders, because you're going to be in a track meet,'' Richard said.
Richard is a veteran of that race. He came to the Redskins from the San Diego Chargers, one of the Raiders' archrivals.
``My game is man-to-man with the quarterback,'' Richard said. ``I have to get into the mind of the quarterback, to see where he wants to go, how he wants to attack the defense.
``You could watch film all day, every day, but you'll never get a feel for the personality of a quarterback.''
Richard says it took three years for him to feel comfortable that he knew Hostetler's tendencies when the pressure is on.
``Jeff is a big guy, not afraid to be hit,'' he said. ``He stands in the pocket and gives his guys the opportunity to get open. He's one of the most difficult quarterbacks to play against for that reason.''
Although the Redskins signed Richard, 27, for his hands - he had four interceptions last season in San Diego and they see him as their interception leader for the next 6-8 years - it was his shoulder that made the biggest impression last Sunday against Arizona. Six plays into the game, Richard's bruising shoulder tackle of 6-4, 293-pound Arizona tight end Wendall Gaines sent the football flying from Gaines' meaty hands into those of Redskins' strong safety James Washington.
``We all made plays,'' said Richard, ironically, the only member of the Redskins secondary who didn't have an interception against the Cardinals. ``That's nice. But the most important plays, the ones that teach you the most, are the ones you give up.''
Richard spent a lot of time during the offseason studying film, but not of quarterbacks. He studied the Redskins. They were among the first teams to pursue him and he wasn't as interested in the money they offered as he was the players who would surround him.
What we saw shouldn't have made him happy - the Redskins were next-to-last in defense. Strangely, it pleased him.
``I saw the players who were at my position last year (Darryl Morrison, Martin Bayless) and I saw the plays they didn't make,'' Richard said. ``That was important to my decision, the fact that there were opportunities there created by the defense.
``With the arrival of (free agent) James (Washington), this might be the most talented secondary in NFL history. There are three No. 1 picks and James. With the exception of Darrell Green, no one has more experience in big games than James. You put all that together and you've got one solid secondary.'' OPPOSING VIEW
A look at the Washington Redskins' opponent this Sunday, the Oakland Raiders (1-0):
WHEN: Sunday, 1 p.m., in Washington
LAST WEEK: Redskins beat Arizona, 27-7; Raiders beat San Diego, 17-7.
HISTORY: 8th meeting; Raiders lead, 5-2, in a series that began in 1970.
GOOD NEWS: The Raiders, who spent the previous 12 years in Los Angeles, beat AFC champion San Diego in their first league game in Oakland since Dec. 13, 1981. It was a welcome homecoming at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Throughout their history, the Raiders have a 89-24-3 record, or .788 winning percentage, there. . . . ``We played with intensity and intelligence,'' new head coach Mike White said. ``We eliminated turnovers, kept our penalties in hand and capitalized on some of our opportunities. The crowd was great - a real football crowd. All of us felt the support, and it helped.'' . . . Traditionally a deep-passing team, Oakland ran 33 times and passed just 26 in beating the Chargers. All four receivers - Tim Brown, Raghib Ismail, Darryl Hobbs and James Jett - caught at least one pass. . . . Defensive end Pat Swilling, a free-agent bust as a linebacker with the Detroit Lions after a Pro Bowl career in New Orleans, forced a fumble against the Chargers that led to Oakland's first score. . . . Kicker Cole Ford, who signed two days before the start of the season, booted a 46-yard field goal in the win over the Chargers.
BAD NEWS: Standout offensive left tackle Gerald Perry suffered a broken right arm early in the victory over San Diego and is out of the lineup for an as yet undeclared period of time. Perry had started 28 games since signing with the Raiders prior to the 1993 season. He is the second starter on the line to suffer a serious injury. Center Don Mosebar is on injured reserve, out for the season, and may have to retire following an injury to an eye socket suffered in the preseason. His place in the lineup will be taken by Dan Turk - the older brother of new Redskins punter Matt Turk. . . . Starting safety Patrick Bates, a former No. 1 draft pick from Texas A&M, left the team for personal reasons right before the start of the season. There's no word on when, or if, he will return to Oakland.
NEW NEWS: There are four players on the Raiders who are only 22 years old - Ford, running back Napolean Kaufman, cornerback Carl Kidd and center Barrett Robbins. . . . There were three first-year Raiders in the lineup against the Chargers - Swilling, running back Derrick Fenner and tight end Kerry Cash.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Quarterback Jeff Hostetler is in his third season with the Raiders, his 12th in the NFL. In the season-opening win over San Diego, the former West Virginia and New York Giants star, completed 14 of 26 pass attempts for 136 yards and a touchdown. Those 14 completions gave Hostetler 513 as a Raider. Hostetler also ran four times for 46 yards, second-best among Raider ball-carriers. Harvey Williams led the Raiders with just 48 yards rushing. As a starting quarterback for the Raiders, Hostetler's record is 20-12. ILLUSTRATION: Skins safety Stanley Richard will try to get into QB Jeff
Hostetler's head on Sunday.
by CNB