THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 9, 1996 TAG: 9609090112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 100 lines
Safety Stanley Richard asked secondary coach Tom Hayes to help him with his tackling after practice last week. Defensive tackle Sean Gilbert exhorted his brethern on the line Sunday to ``give it up for one more play, just one more play.'' Late in the game, when he showed signs that he was running out of gas, succumbing to oppressive heat and humidity, they rallied around him, threw his words back at him, told him that if they could do it, he could do it.
The Washington Redskins were defensive Sunday about their first victory of the season, a 10-3 squeaker over the Chicago Bears at RFK Stadium. Defensive, they had to be, or else they would have limped into New York this Sunday with an 0-2 record. Instead, they won a game in which they held the opposition without a touchdown for the first time in four seasons.
Of course, they did it the hard way.
Chicago quarterback Erik Kramer hit seven straight passes for 76 yards in leading the Bears on a frantic two-minute march from their 4 to the Washington 13 with 22 seconds left to play. But Kramer's second-, third- and fourth-down passes, all into the end zone, weren't close to being completed.
``This was probably the best defensive game we've played since Norv Turner came here,'' defensive coordinator Ron Lynn said.
The Redskins couldn't afford anything less.
Washington's offense came down to a 50-yard field goal by Scott Blanton, his first in the NFL, and a 28-yard scamper around right end by Terry Allen late in the third quarter. Allen's run was set up by Darrell Green's fumble recovery deep in Washington territory four plays earlier.
``We told ourselves at halftime that this was going to be another one of those low-scoring, maybe no-scoring games,'' linebacker Ken Harvey said of what was a 3-3 tie at intermission. `And we told ourselves that was OK, that if it took keeping them without a touchdown for us to win, we would do it. I know we can have a great defense; what excites me about today is that we finally showed it.''
The Redskins did to Kramer what the Philadelphia Eagles had done to them in last week's 17-14 season-opening loss. They harrassed him from opening kickoff to final gun. Four sacks. Six passes tipped or batted at the line of scrimmage. Two forced turnovers and 154 net yards passing. Kramer completed just 19 of 37 attempts.
``We were coming up second-and-long too many times, third down-and-eight, third down-and-nine, third down-and-10,'' Bears coach Dave Wannstedt said. ``When you get into that situation, you're into your five-step and seven-step passes that they put pressure on us today. There's no doubt about it. They did a good job of covering us and we didn't get it done.''
Chicago drove to the Washington 45 on its opening series before end Sterling Palmer blazed around Todd Perry and slammed into Kramer just as he was releasing a second-down pass. It fell incomplete. On the next snap, end Dexter Nottage got a strong rush and tipped away Kramer's pass at the line of scrimmage.
That set the tone for the game. Every time the Bears looked to be making a move, the Washington defense smacked them down or forced a turnover.
After Blanton missed a 44-yard field goal that would have given Washington a 3-point lead in the third quarter, the Bears moved to the Redskins' 19. On third-and-six, Kramer completed a short slant pass to Michael Timpson, who was immediately blasted by Richard at the 16. The ball popped loose, Green scooped it up and returned it to the Washington 39.
``I feel personally that I caused us to lose this football game,'' said Timpson, his team now 1-1. ``Our defense stopped them all day and then they got a little bit of momentum and they took it for seven points. I was a real big part of that. I know no one person or play can cost a football game, but I was a big part of it. I'm not happy about it and I'm not going to run from it. I'm not going to hide from it. I let my teammates down.''
Timpson was right about one thing. The Redskins' offense fed off the momentum generated by Richard's and Green's big play.
Gus Frerotte, better in his second start with 18 completions in 29 attempts and no turnovers, whipped two passes to Henry Ellard that gained 33 yards to the Chicago 28. Allen then bounced outside against Chicago's inside blitz and wasn't touched until he reached the end zone with 2:28 left in the third quarter.
``The Redskins made big plays and had a lot of patience on offense,'' said Bears linebacker Bryan Cox, held to three tackles, one a sack of Frerotte. ``They had enough patience to run their scheme. We went to blitz and didn't get the pressure we had hoped for. At the same time, you have to be disappointed with the way we played.''
Another Chicago drive stalled when Darryl Morrison intercepted Kramer's pass for Curtis Conway, and with 4:47 left when Carlos Huerta missed a 39-yard field goal one snap after Harvey rambled through the line to sack Kramer for a loss of nine.
``I wanted to come back and do a better job this week,'' Richard said. ``I wanted to set an example. Be positive. I walked into the locker room today and I told myself that today was my day. Even if I didn't make a single play, today was my day.
``And we talked about everyone being one-11th of the defense and that if we went out and each of us did our part, we would win.'' ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN
The Virginian-Pilot
Terry Allen of the Redskins breaks loose for sizable yardage against
the Bears. Allen's 28-yard scamper around right end late in the
third quarter was the game's only touchdown.
HUY NGUYEN
The Virginian-Pilot
Bears quarterback Erik Kramer gathers himself after being knocked
down by yet another strong Redskins pass rush. by CNB