THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 23, 1995 TAG: 9510230132
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
Darrell Green has been front and center all season, answering questions week after week about how receivers he once blanketed were catching pass after critical pass against him in loss after demoralizing loss.
Green, the 35-year-old cornerback and last holdover from the Redskins' glory years, was there again Sunday. This time, he showed up with a football.
``A little something I just found,'' he joked.
He and the Redskins both found a little something Sunday, against the perfect team for Washington to face in times of trouble, the Detroit Lions.
Minutes after Gus Frerotte led a last-ditch 58-yard drive to a 39-yard Eddie Murray field goal and overtime, Green got his hands on an ill-advised Scott Mitchell pass at the Detroit 7. With help from linebacker Rod Stephens, who propelled Green from behind, the Redskins' elder statesman scored the touchdown that provided his team with a much-needed 36-30 overtime victory.
Once safely in the end zone, Green was mobbed by his teammates in a celebration of pure joy. Even Redskins coach Norv Turner raced into the corner and tried to hop onto the pile before thinking better of it.
``Well, we won a close one,'' Turner said. ``So many of our games come down to one play. We showed today we're capable of making that play.''
In addition to beating the Lions for the 17th consecutive time, the Redskins accomplished another milestone. They're 3-5 at the midpoint of the season, equaling their victory total from last season. The Lions fell to 2-5.
``We won't know how big a play this is until all 16 games are done,'' Green said.
But in the next breath, he declared it the ``biggest play of my career because of where we are, at RFK, and struggling like we've been.''
The scene was set when Washington won the toss at the start of overtime. Behind running back Terry Allen, who outran more-heralded Barry Sanders 110 yards to 76, the Redskins drove to the Detroit 36. But on third-and-7, Leslie Shepherd bumped into umpire Hendi Ancich as Frerotte's pass whizzed by.
Turner immediately called for the punt, then took a deliberate delay-of-game penalty that Matt Turk made pay off when his high, booming boot was downed at the Detroit 4 by Darryl Pounds.
Green was almost certain the Lions would run Sanders on first down, or toss a quick pass to guard against Mitchell being tackled for a safety. He decided to ``press'' receiver Johnnie Morton at the line of scrimmage and try to keep him pinned at the line so he would get a fast look at Sanders.
Green got what he wanted against Morton, pinning him at the line until just before Mitchell threw the ball. Mitchell threw behind Morton, hitting Green, who had started to slip, in the chest.
At about the same moment Green got up, Stephens entered the play. Utilizing Green like a battering ram, Stephens shoved the diminutive cornerback into the end zone.
``It reminded me of how Monte Coleman used to always pick me up,'' Green said. ``I felt the ride, and it was good. I'm just glad I'm small enough to be thrown.''
The Lions, meanwhile, exited the field as quickly as possible.
``We've talked about making the big play defensively since the season started, but we don't,'' said Lions coach Wayne Fontes. ``I hate to say it, but the best team won. They outplayed us. I think the turnovers hurt us. They made a difference in the football game. And they did a good job stopping us when they had to.''
It started early. On Detroit's first play, Stephens stripped Brett Perriman from behind after a catch. Ken Harvey recovered at the Washington 27, leading to Murray's 26-yard field goal.
Later, Harvey would sack Mitchell, causing a fumble that Tony Woods recovered at the Lions' 45. Four plays later, Allen cracked in from the 2, his first of a pair of touchdowns. Washington led 13-3.
With the Redskins trailing 20-13 late in the third quarter, defensive end Mike Flores sacked Mitchell, forcing a fumble that Tim Johnson recovered. Five plays later, on fourth down from the Lions' 2, Allen used a block by Marc Logan that wiped out two Lions linebackers to score.
Fontes also helped with some curious play-calling. Early in the second quarter, the Lions were first-and-goal from the Washington 2. Rather than give the ball to Sanders, Mitchell tried to pass to Herman Moore. Three times, Redskins cornerback Tom Carter forced incompletions. Detroit settled for a field goal.
``We talked about it later on the sidelines and decided that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea if we got into that situation again to (run Sanders),'' Mitchell said. ``If we got there again, we'd do that.''
With 421 yards, the Lions moved it well enough to have won. When Washington took a 27-23 lead on Frerotte' 13-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ellard - Ellard's 700th career catch - Detroit needed barely more than two minutes to regain the lead.
Mitchell, who passed for 327 yards, hit Perriman for 10, Moore for 12, then tight end Dave Sloan for 4. He then found Perriman over the middle for what should have been a 10-yard gain. But rookie Scott Turner, who had one hand on Perriman's jersey, collided with Green, enabling Perriman to break free for a 51-yard touchdown and 30-27 lead with 3:21 to play.
When Turner was reminded that Green had been part of a play that nearly beat the Redskins - again - he just shrugged.
``You can't be a cornerback and have a memory,'' he said.
The best ones only make them. And Green did. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
[Color Photo]
Redskins cornerback Darrell Green, left, gets a hand from Rod
Stephens as he lunges for the end zone to finisch off a 7-yard
interception return.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Redskins head coach Norv Turner hugs Darrell Green after Green's
interception return won the game for Washington.
by CNB