DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230717

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA

LENGTH: 95 lines

REDSKIN REPORT

Skins need to have

fun and wins will

come, says Frerotte

ASHBURN, Va. - Gus Frerotte says things would me much better for him and his Washington Redskins if they'd just get back to playing football for fun again.

``That's when we're at our best, when we're playing loose and free,'' Frerotte said Wednesday, the start of work for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, a game Frerotte will start.

Redskins coach Norv Turner rejected suggestions that Frerotte be benched, insisting Washington's woes in losing two of the last three games weren't all his fault.

``It's kinda hard to play that way when you're down 21 points early,'' Frerotte continued. ``You tend to tighten up and try not to make any mistakes. And that's exactly when you make them.''

Frerotte's made a bunch of mistakes all season. He's only the 11th-rated passer in the NFC, ahead of Arizona's injured Kent Graham, Tony Banks of St. Louis, Kerry Collins of Carolina and ex-teammate Heath Shuler of New Orleans.

Only Shuler has more than Frerotte's nine interceptions.

``When you win, people think you played well, and that's not always the case,'' Frerotte said. ``A few weeks ago, they were ready to run (Dan) Marino out of (Miami). It comes with the territory.''

This passes for logic?

Ravens coach Ted Marchibroda told the Baltimore media Monday that the Washington-Baltimore game ``is bigger now than what it used to be in the past. Much bigger.''

Asked Wednesday why that's the case, Marchibroda, a two-time former Redskins assistant coach answered, ``I don't know. But you can tell by what you read in the papers and from people here say about Washington. I never felt it was that deep in the '70s.''

Given a second chance to espouse a theory on why two teams from different conferences, with completely different fan bases, playing their first game against each other, would be any kind of rivalry, you could almost hear Marchibroda shrug before mumbling, ``No theory.''

Kinney ready for more

Although he spent the first six weeks on the Redskins' inactive list, defensive end Kelvin Kinney says he's taken to heart Turner's admonitions to be ready at all times.

He got the chance when fellow tackle Ryan Kuehl went down with the flu last Sunday. Kinney, from Virginia State, played more than a quarter of Washington's 28-14 loss to the Oilers and finished with four tackles.

``The coaches told me it was a decent performance,'' Kinney said. ``I wouldn't call it good. There were a few inconsistencies, but nothing to blow the team's chances of winning. I did more good than bad.''

It was Kinney's first regular-season action since the third week of 1996, when Kinney broke his foot. He's been bothered by it ever since, having pins inserted two summers ago to hold the foot in place.

Even now, Kinney's foot is constantly sore. He wears flip-flops almost exclusively, even Wednesday evening, when temperatures around D.C. dipped into the high 30s.

As for the rest of the season, Kinney says he has no idea what plans Turner has for him. He didn't find out he was playing against the Oilers until he walked into the locker room at the Liberty Bowl and saw his jersey hanging up.

``I had so much fun Sunday I was running around just trying to do everything I could to make tackles,'' he said.

``No one wants to be a part-time player, come off the bench, but that's the role they set out for me, that's fine. I can handle it. I'll be ready.''

Short slants

MLB Marvcus Patton leads the Redskins with 68 solo tackles in seven games, just one less than he had in 1994, his last season with the Buffalo Bills. Patton's career-high in solo stops came in '95, when he had 107. ... Washington might want to put RB Terry Allen on the active roster Sunday, even if he never touches the ball. The Redskins are 4-1 in games Allen has started, 0-2 in games in which he's been inactive. ... Early injury report: Redskins G Bob Dahl and WR Michael Westbrook (knees, out); OT Ed Simmons, RB Terry Allen (knees, doubtful); DE Kenard Lang (ear, out); LB Ken Harvey (shoulder), S Jesse Campbell (thumb) and DT Marc Boutte (knee, probable). Ravens - CB Eugene Daniel (hamstring, questionable); S Stevon Moore (groin), S Rondell Jones (groin) and TE Eric Green (groin, probable). ... Simmons, Harvey, Boutte, Lang and Allen did not practice Wednesday. For Harvey, it was the first practice he's missed sine joining the Redskins in 1994. If he can't play Sunday, rookie Greg Jones will take his place. Turner sounded doubtful that Harvey could make it. ... Brian Mitchell needs five punt returns to overtake Mike Nelms for most returns in Redskins history with 213. ... WR Henry Ellard's six receptions Sunday against Tennessee all were good for first downs. During his career with the Redskins, Ellard has 196 catches, 185 of which have resulted in a Washington first down. ... Boutte might not need arthroscopic surgery on his sore right knee.

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