THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 2, 1995 TAG: 9510020145
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
The Washington Redskins took their fans on a stroll through the glorious past and the kind of game that built the NFL's best rivalry Sunday. Perhaps, they also gave them a hint of the future with an improbable 27-23 slaying of the previously unbeaten Dallas Cowboys.
Washington, 13-point underdogs and playing without injured defensive tackle Tim Johnson and safety James Washington, got The Great Equalizer on Dallas' sixth play from scrimmage.
Quarterback Troy Aikman, attempting to pass from the Washington 14, threw an incompletion then fell to the RFK Stadium turf holding his leg as though he'd been stung by a killer bee.
Aikman was carried off the field on a golf cart and diagnosed with a pulled right calf muscle. He did not return and although Wade Wilson played well with 21 completions in 29 attempts for 224 yards and a touchdown, it took the Cowboys' offense most of the next three quarters to recover.
By then, Washington held a 27-10 lead, just enough points to hold on for a totally unexpected second victory of the season.
``It's a pitiful shame, but I have to say this is the biggest win in three years,'' said cornerback Darrell Green. ``But how big is it? We're still under
``It's bigger for the fans than it is for us. They're the ones dreaming of the old days. They're the ones missing the past. We're not in that luxurious a position.''
No matter. It is still, potentially, a very big deal.
The Redskins play at Philadelphia Sunday. Both teams are 2-3. With a victory, a Washington team that had won just one NFC East game the past two seasons would improve to 3-0 in its division this year. And the following week they play at Arizona, a team they've already beaten.
``It proves we can play with anybody,'' quarterback Gus Frerotte said. ``We need to keep tasting victory, let it roll over our tongues, get used to it.''
Whether it was because Aikman's injury, which might keep him out as long as three weeks, happened so early in the game, or because the Redskins manhandled the vaunted Dallas defense, Cowboys coach Barry Switzer downplayed his star's absence.
``I told Norv Turner and I'm telling you: We wouldn't have beaten them if Troy had played,'' Switzer said. ``Troy doesn't play defense and I'm not sure whether we could have beat them with Troy in the game. The Washington Redskins deserved to win the football game from the start.''
Later, Switzer would have to explain a curious fourth-quarter play call. Dallas had closed to within seven points and faced fourth-and-goal at the Washington 5.
Rather than go for the touchdown, Switzer ordered Chris Boniol to kick a field goal. With 4:20 left, Dallas still needed a touchdown to win.
Switzer figured on Washington folding. He gambled they could not make a first down and his offense would have plenty of time to score one more time.
It didn't happen. Washington ran off eight plays, made two first downs, and forced Dallas to burn its last two timeouts before relinquishing the ball at the Cowboys' 29 with 45 seconds left. And the Redskins quickly snuffed any last-gasp miracles when Tom Carter intercepted Wilson's bomb.
The key play in the drive was Frerotte's daring 16-yard pass through traffic to Henry Ellard across the middle. It was as important as any of Frerotte's 12 previous completions.
``It was there the whole game,'' Frerotte said. ``But we didn't have to use it because we were running the ball so well.''
Credit for that goes to a patchwork offensive line and running back Terry Allen.
Allen, despite two fumbles which the Redskins recovered, outplayed counterpart Emmitt Smith in rushing for 121 yards on 30 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Smith ended with 95 yards on 22 carries.
But he didn't come close to scoring, and his fumble on the opening drive of the third quarter was the springboard to a Redskins touchdown and 27-10 lead.
``I'm not going to say we didn't play well because the Redskins did a great job,'' Smith said. ``They executed well.''
There's a statement that the officials could not make. One of Allen's touchdowns - a 5-yard pass from Frerotte that pushed Washington's lead to 20-10 just before halftime - shouldn't have been.
After Allen ran over Dallas linebacker Dixon Edwards at the line of scrimmage, he veered towards the right corner of the end zone. Hit by Robert Jones, Allen went out of bounds before he dove and thrust the ball over the pylon.
``Terry told me he was in-bounds,'' Redskins coach Norv Turner deadpanned. ``That's all I know.''
Turner became so confident in his offensive line, one that featured a hobbled Tre Johnson back at guard and Joe Patton making his second career start at left tackle, that he made some unorthodox calls.
Early on, he ran Brian Mitchell for 12 yards on third-and-8 on the drive that led to a field goal. Later, on third-and-3 from the Dallas 31, he sent Allen on a right-end sweep. It gained nine, setting up a touchdown throw from Frerotte to Marc Logan.
``The turning point was when we start running the football,'' Turner said. ``That gave everyone the idea we had a chance to win the game.''
The longer the game went, the more that idea was evaporating. Most of the final quarter-and-a-half belonged to Dallas.
Boniol's two field goals and Wilson's 28-yard touchdown pass to Michael Irvin brought Dallas to within four points.
``We've been there before and lost,'' said linebacker Ken Harvey, who led Washington with nine tackles.
``We looked at each other and said we weren't going to let that happen today. It's good to finally play well against Dallas.''
Or, as Turner put it, ``when I tell people we're improving, now maybe they won't say, `He's crazy.' '' ILLUSTRATION: LAWRENCE JACKSON
Staff
[Color Photo]
The Redskins' Sterling Palmer sacks Cowboys quarterback Wade Wilson,
who replaced injured starter Troy Aikman. "We wouldn't have beaten
them if Troy had played," Dallas coach Barry Switzer said.
LAWRENCE JACKSON
Staff
Redskins cornerback Darrell Green, left, prevents the Cowboys' Kevin
Williams from catching the ball in the third quarter. Green called
Washington's victory, ``the biggest win in three years.''
by CNB