THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 20, 1995 TAG: 9511200184
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
It's no secret that the football machine known as the Washington Redskins is broken.
The alarming part is that no one connected with the operation seems to know how to fix it.
``We're a good team and we work hard,'' quarterback Gus Frerotte said after the Redskins' 27-20 loss to Seattle Sunday before 51,298 at RFK Stadium. ``Good things just don't happen for us.''
Bad things, on the other hand, seem to crop up all the time. On a day when the improving Washington defense turned in another solid effort, the Skins offense coughed five turnovers, largesse Seattle (5-6) used to produce its third victory in a row.
``It wasn't real pretty, but we'll take the win,'' Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson said.
Shaky quarterback play was the prime culprit of the Skins' demise.
Frerotte - sabotaged by injuries to his wideouts, dropped passes and bad reads - completed only 14 of his 32 attempts for 200 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
``I made a couple of bad throws, but otherwise I thought I played pretty well,'' Frerotte said.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Frerotte gave way to Heath Shuler, who solidified his status among fans as the Redskins' No. 1 whipping boy by tossing a pair of interceptions that led to 10 Seattle points.
Shuler, who was making his first RFK appearance since he injured his shoulder during the first week of the season, was booed relentlessly by the RFK crowd - just for running onto the field.
``It's partly my fault,'' Shuler said of the chilly reception, referring to his holdout prior to last season. ``And it's partly the media's fault. But it's not like I've done anything wrong to any individuals out there. I haven't played in 10 weeks. I don't know what I've done wrong since then.''
Perhaps Shuler forgot the two interceptions he flung two weeks ago in the Redskins' 24-3 loss at Kansas City. Washington fans do have televisions.
Unable to sustain much offensively, the Redskins' defense eventually gave in to the power running of Chris Warren. Warren got 97 of his 136 yards - plus a touchdown - in the second half.
``Defenses can only take so much when we start running the ball,'' Warren said.
Injuries to receivers Michael Westbrook and Tydus Winans also hurt the Redskins' cause. Both went down with ankle injuries on Washington's second series and didn't return until the second half.
The injuries opened the door for Olanda Truitt, who came off the bench to catch four balls for 75 yards, including an 18-yard TD reception in the second quarter.
``Each time I'm out there I'm trying to make a statement that I belong on this team,'' Truitt said.
Truitt's touchdown catch tied the game at 10. Seattle had taken a 10-3 lead when quarterback Rick Mirer connected with exciting rookie Joey Galloway on a 59-yard scoring bomb.
Galloway, who had 200 total yards and three touchdowns a week ago, streaked past Washington defensive back Tom Carter, who peaked into the Seattle backfield, then turned his head just in time to see the speedy Galloway roar past him.
Carter, isolated against Galloway for much of the game, did an otherwise serviceable job in their one-on-one battle, breaking up four passes and making a spectacular diving first-quarter interception.
``But he won the war,'' Carter said. ``That's the bottom line.''
The Seahawks took the lead for good at the 5:33 mark of the third quarter when Mirer hit tight end Carlester Crumpler with a 10-yard scoring strike.
The Redskins (3-8), who responded well all day immediately after Seattle scores but could get little going offensively any other time, took the ensuing kickoff and drove from their own 38 to the Seahawks' 17. But on second-and-12, Frerotte tried to force a pass to a double-covered Henry Ellard in the end zone and had it picked off by safety Robert Blackmon.
``I took a chance, because I thought the safety would go with Jamie Asher,'' Frerotte said. ``But those things happen.''
Shuler came on to lead Washington's next series, which while netting minus-3 yards still resulted in a 48-yard field goal by Eddie Murray to make it 17-13 Seattle.
But Blackmon picked off Shuler's next pass, setting up a 5-yard scoring run by Warren.
Shuler was good for 20 yards to Henry Ellard on his next pass, but overthrew Westbrook and got picked off by Corey Harris on his next attempt.
The Seahawks added a field goal with 3:16 to play which, given the ineffective nature of the Washington attack, effectively ended the Skins' comeback hopes.
``Defensively, we played well enough to win the football game,'' Redskins coach Norv Turner said. ``But offensively, when a play is there, you have to make it. We obviously aren't there yet.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photO
The Redskins' Tom Carter grabs a first-quarter interception away
from the Seahawks' Joey Galloway.
by CNB