THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 16, 1995 TAG: 9510160133
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: TEMPE, ARIZ. LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
Predictable, wasn't it?
The Washington Redskins took another morbid step in what seems another inevitably somber season Sunday when they practically refused to make the plays necessary to keep the Arizona Cardinals from eeking out a 24-20 victory at Sun Devil Stadium.
The Cardinals, who lost by 20 to the Redskins in the season opener, achieved just their second victory in seven tries when quarterback Dave Krieg threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to running back Garrison Hearst with 1:16 left in the game. The play was set up when Arizona's Frank Sanders made a diving 20-yard grab in front of Darrell Green, bringing the ball to the Washington 1.
As usual, Washington had a chance to counter, and moved to the Arizona 34 with 12 seconds remaining. But quarterback Gus Frerotte, under furious pressure from the Cardinals' line, particularly tackle Eric Swann, was called for intentional grounding with six seconds remaining. The penalty, if it occurs with two minutes or less remaining in the game, calls for officials to run 10 seconds off the clock, so the game was declared over.
``We have this history of keeping it close but not being able to finish things off,'' a seemingly numb Redskins coach Norv Turner conceded after his team's fourth last-drive loss in five games. ``We had two chances today, but didn't get it done. We make either play and we have a hell of a chance to win the game.''
Both chances came when you would least have expected. The Cardinals, 2 1/2-point favorites, opened the second half with a 9 1/2-minute drive against Washington's sieve-like defense to take a 17-13 lead.
Washington went ahead 20-17 on the next series on Frerotte's 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Coleman Bell, who fell at the 2-yard line then rolled into the end zone after linebacker Seth Joyner failed to touch him.
Then came the unlikely.
The Redskins defense held.
The offense returned at the start of the final quarter with the ball, the lead and a shot to salt away a victory.
But running back Terry Allen - who gained 131 of Washington's 259 rushing yards against the Cardinals in the season opener, a paltry 42 against Arizona on Sunday - was stuffed at the line and Swann sacked Frerotte for a loss of seven.
After burning a timeout, Washington's second of the half, Frerotte was flushed from pocket, but tossed the ball across his body downfield to Henry Ellard, open at midfield.
It fluttered off his fingertips.
``I couldn't find him as I came open and so I never saw him throw the ball,'' said Ellard, who opened Washington's scoring with a 46-yard touchdown in the first quarter. ``The next thing I knew, the ball's on top of me and all I could try to do was get my hands on it.''
Ellard was the primary character in Washington's next blown game-sealing opportunity, which came on the Redskins' next possession. On third-and-12 from the Washington 19 - and after a confused Frerotte used his last timeout with 7:02 left to play - Ellard simply ran by Arizona cornerback Brent Alexander and was open down the sideline.
Frerotte, with time despite another Cardinal blitz, just overthrew him.
``I stared down (Leslie) Shepherd in the middle to draw the safety (there) and I thought I put enough air under it for Henry to run under,'' Frerotte explained. ``It even fluttered a little, and I thought for sure he'd get it. I threw it too far.''
That was it for Washington. Quarterback Dave Krieg guided the Cardinals 57 yards in 12 plays and 5:28 before finally hitting Hearst for the game-winning pass.
``It doesn't get any easier,'' Turner moaned.
Not the way the Redskins handled this one.
Prior to the last drive, their offense had run just 15 second-half plays. For the game, the Cardinals held a 15-minute advantage in time of possession. Although he officially was sacked just twice, Frerotte spent most every pass play on his backside, and a late fourth-quarter blow from Cardinals linebacker Jamir Miller left him woozy and unbalanced.
``It's definitely the most punishment I've taken in my career,'' he said. ``I was able to get them off, but there were times when you'd throw, get knocked (down) and get up hoping you'd completed it. If not, you crawled off the field.''
Swann did most of the damage. Back for the first time in four weeks after knee surgery, the perennial Pro Bowl tackle had six tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. He also so dominated backup Vernice Smith, playing because Tre Johnson is out with a sprained ankle, that the rest of his mates on the defensive line worked one-on-one.
``He picked us up and threw us out of that damn hole,'' Arizona coach Buddy Ryan crowed. ``I enjoyed calling defenses today. They were working. I can't say that about the last few weeks when we've been playing with a short stick.''
Arizona's Larry Centers, who capped that 9 1/2-minute drive with a 9-yard touchdown run and led all receivers with seven catches, described the victory in medicinal terms.
``Feels like we took an aspirin for a headache,'' he said.
In the other locker room, however, the pain refuses to go away. ILLUSTRATION: Color AP Photo
Redskins quarterback Gus Ferotte tries to find an escape route as
Cardinals defenders converge.
by CNB