THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 11, 1995 TAG: 9512110124
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
Say this for the Washington Redskins: When they put their minds to it, they can lose a football game with alarming speed.
Sunday it was a 20-13 defeat to the New York Giants before a frozen crowd of 48,247 - the smallest at Giants Stadium in 18 years.And it took just two hours and 43 minutes, about 30 minutes less than the average NFL game this season.
The Giants' winning play, a 40-yard pass from Dave Brown to Chris Calloway, culminated a 68-yard drive that took New York all of 48 seconds to execute. It was Washington's 10th loss, a team-record third consecutive year that has happened, and came at cornerback Tom Carter's expense.
Earlier in the drive, Carter was beaten by Calloway on a 16-yard down-and-out.
This time, Calloway faked a turnaround, then sped down the field. Carter was alone because safety Stanley Richard was occupied with another receiver the Giants deliberately sent down the middle to occupy him. At the 7-yard line, Carter tried to leap over the receiver and make an interception. He missed, and Calloway streaked into the end zone.
``That's one of the better plays I make, I just didn't make it this time,'' Carter said, shrugging. ``Any time I see the ball like that, I try to go for the interception. I'd probably do the same thing every chance I get.''
The Redskins' sixth straight loss to their NFC East rivals was sealed several anxious moments later.
Brian Mitchell returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the New York 38 - and Washington gained another 15 yards on a flagrant facemask penalty on kicker Brad Daluiso.
But Heath Shuler's fourth-down pass for an open Henry Ellard, standing inside the 10, was an instant late. That gave corner Thomas Randolph the time necessary to rattle Ellard and knock the ball away with 42 seconds to play.
Later, some blamed the wind in that corner of the stadium, which New York's Brown called the toughest part in which to throw. Shuler said he put the ball where he wanted, but not where it needed to be.
Randolph said Shuler misread the coverage, threw later than he should have, and would have had a completion had he done a better job.
Whatever the reason, the loss dropped Norv Turner's two-season record to 7-23 and was, the coach admitted, his most frustrating yet.
``When you're able to do the things we did against them on both sides of the ball, then to give up that kickoff return, and have the ball twice inside their 10 and get just three points, that's big,'' he said. ``We get the score tied with a couple of drives, then give up the big play. That's awfully frustrating.''
One week after an improbable win at Dallas sparked conversation about ``a turning point'' in the Turner regime, the Redskins reverted to the form that has made them a league doormat.
After James Jenkins recovered a muffed punt by Thomas Lewis at the Giants' 14 early in the first quarter, Eddie Murray was short and wide on a 36-yard field goal attempt into a 17 mph wind. The attempt was that long because Shuler took consecutive sacks, surrendering 14 yards, rather than toss the ball away.
Trailing 3-0 on their next series, Shuler marched the Redskins to the Giants' 2. But on third-and-1, he scrambled and took another sack, this time forfeiting 15 yards. They settled for Murray's 34-yard field goal.
On the ensuing kickoff, Lewis received a critical block from Herschel Walker, found a huge seam in the Redskins' kick coverage and cruised 90 yards for a touchdown. Elapsed time: 19 seconds.
Next series, rookies Jamie Asher and Michael Westbrook dropped passes, Westbrook's at the New York 13. Washington punted, held, then saw another drive aborted.
Shuler, who completed 17 of 32 passes for 175 yards, threw a low pass that skimmed off Henry Ellard's hands and into New York's Tito Wooten's. He returned the interception 38 yards to the Washington 40. New York got a 42-yard field goal from Brad Daluiso and took a 13-3 halftime lead.
However, as in the first game between these two, the Redskins dominated the second half. The first time, the Giants didn't earn a first down until under four minutes to play. Sunday, they didn't earn a second-half first down until 1:50 to play in the game - a key development in their game-winning drive.
Until that drive, New York's offense had totaled minus-11 yards in the second half. Meanwhile, Shuler led the Redskins on two time-consuming drives.
One took 6:20 and led to a Murray field goal. The other, 16 plays and taking 9:10, ended with Terry Allen's 1-yard touchdown plunge on a fourth-down play with 3:35 left. Allen, who finished with 120 yards on 30 rushes, tied the score at 13-13.
That set up the Brown-to-Calloway scoring play - the only spark of life New York showed the final 30 minutes.
The Redskins had nearly 2-to-1 advantage in rushing, passing and time of possession. So what, Turner said.
``We're beyond the point of consolation,'' he said. ``I thought we'd win the game.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Redskins defensive end Tony Woods walks away in frustration while
Giants quarterback Dave Brown celebrates his game-winning, 40-yard
touchdown pass to Chris Calloway.
by CNB