THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 2, 1995 TAG: 9510020149
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Give Joe Patton credit. He was man enough to admit what most NFL players wouldn't dare.
He was a little afraid.
``Early in the week, I was nervous, worried about blocking Charles Haley,'' Patton said, referring to the Dallas Cowboys' veteran cat-quick defensive end and the league's sack-master with four. ``But Ray (Brown) taught me this week that no matter who is out there opposite you, you've got to be yourself.''
Gradually, his fellow offensive lineman's words made an impact. Patton got more comfortable. He relaxed. And by the end of the Washington Redskins' 27-23 upset of the Cowboys Sunday, Patton, making his second NFL start, and Brown were throwing their weight around in any direction they desired - including at each other.
Following Terry Allen's eight-yard run behind Patton and Brown that kept alive a desperate time-consuming effort by Washington that helped seal the victory, Patton and Brown purposely collided violently, chest-to-chest. The impact knocked Patton to the ground and drew howls of laughter from the otherwise tense Redskins bench.
After the next snap, another eight-yard gain by Allen, Brown and Patton merely came together and love-tapped helmets.
``We got it in our minds on that last drive that we wanted the ball on our side; we wanted to run the 50-Gut,'' Patton said. ``He (Haley) beat me a few times. He's a great player. But I kept fighting, kept fighting back.''
Haley had early pressure on quarterback Gus Frerotte. But he finished with just one tackle. Patton had help from tight ends James Jenkins and Scott Galbraith, but he more than held his own himself.
``I just tried to keep myself between 94 and 12,'' Patton said, referring to Haley and Frerotte. ``I never quit on him.''
MEN ON TROY: Almost everyone else poo-pooed the impact of Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman leaving the game early with a pulled calf muscle. Not Redskins defensive end Sterling Palmer.
``Oh man, when he goes out, you automatically just focus on Emmitt (Smith),'' said Palmer, who had three tackles and a half-sack. ``I mean, you know he's going to be the man in their plan no matter what and that's not going to change.
``But without Aikman, you can take aim at Emmitt.''
Aikman fell to the ground writhing in pain seconds after throwing a pass from deep inside Washington territory on Dallas' first series. He didn't return.
``It was a simple play,'' he said. ``I back-peddled, it went out. I stepped up and it went out.''
Aikman may miss up to three weeks, during which Wade Wilson will step in.
``Thank God it isn't his knee,'' Dallas coach Barry Switzer said. ``I saw him coming off the field, holding his leg and I thought he was gone for the season.''
MEANINGFUL GAME: The Redskins' victory had special significance for some ex-Redskins.
Linebacker Monte Coleman, who announced his retirement last week, was on the sidelines leading the cheers and trying to get the RFK Stadium crowd stirred.
In the locker room, former Redskins tight end Rick Walker walked over to tight end Scott Galbraith and hugged him tightly for about a minute. As they embraced, Walker whispered something in Galbraith's ear, then showed him the Super Bowl ring he was wearing.
All Galbraith said was thanks, and wouldn't reveal what Walker had told him.
When asked what it meant to him to beat his old teammates, Galbraith spoke about the several near-fights in which he was involved.
``They tried to get their bluff in and I tried to get my bluffs in,'' he said. ``I explained to them at one point that I wasn't breaking down, that they weren't going to get in my face without me saying something about it. They wanted me out of there? They were going to have to carry me off the field.
``I wasn't leaving otherwise.''
INJURY REPORT: Linebacker Rod Stephens suffered a lacerated knee. He played the whole game, but needed stitches afterwards. by CNB