NFL Recap (Philadelphia-Washington)
Posted: Sun November 15, 1998 at 7:37 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON 28, PHILADELPHIA 3
RALJON, Maryland (Ticker) -- Rookie Skip Hicks scored on a
pair of one-yard touchdown runs in the first half and then added a
five-yard score midway through the fourth quarter as the Washington Redskins
rolled over the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-3,
in a matchup of two of the NFC's worst teams.
Hicks' final score of the afternoon with 9:16 remaining came just two
plays after cornerback Cris
Dishman had picked off Bobby Hoying and returned
the ball to the Eagles 1-yard line. Hicks, who has assumed a leading role
the last two-plus games because Terry Allen is sidelined
with a strained left calf muscle, carried 26 times for a career-high 94
yards.
"I'm not so much worried about that (getting 100 yards)," said Hicks.
"It will come in time. I don't want to get to greedy out there, because
when you start getting greedy, bad things happen."
Trent Green and Albert Connell also hooked
up on a 56-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter to give the
Redskins (2-8) a commanding 21-3 lead.
Green completed 14-of-33 passes for 169 yards without an interception
for Washington, which has won two of its last three games after starting
the season with seven losses.
Hoying was 15-of-31 for for 110 yards, but was picked off twice for
the Eagles (2-8), whose offense is ranked last in the NFL and has produced
just 12 points in the last three games.
"The bottom line is we have to find a way to score points," Eagles
coach Ray Rhodes said. "Our inability to score points has been a thorn in
our side all year."
Washington wasted no time taking advantage of Hoying's inaccuracy as
defensive end Dan
Wilkinson picked him off on the game's first posession and returned the
ball four yards to the Eagles 10. Hicks entered the end zone three plays
later to give the Redskins a 7-0 advantage just 1:53 into the game.
"When I looked up it kind of hung in the air," said Wilkinson, who
made the interception after the ball was deflected at the line. "I had to
wait forever for it to get down. I just kept in my position and waited for
it."
The Eagles got their only points of the day early in the second by
taking advantage of Green's fumble. Defensive tackle Hollis Thomas recovered at
the Washington 9, but Philadelphia could manage just seven yards and had to
settle for Chris
Boniol's 19-yard field goal.
But Washington went on top 14-3 with just 22 seconds to play in the
half when Hicks capped a six-play, 66-yard drive that spanned just 63
seconds with his second TD of the day. Brian Mitchell was the star
of the drive, covering 29 yards with two runs and the Redskins were helped
by a 21-yard pass-interference penalty on cornerback Bobby Taylor that moved
the ball to the 16.
"He (Hicks) is a bad man," said Washington guard Tre' Johnson. "He's
got the jets. He's got moves. He's 230 (pounds) and he can run like that.
I mean, as long as we do our job, Skip is going to have a productive
game."
Green's 16-yard completion to rookie tight end Stephen Alexander on a
3rd-and-4 that placed the ball to the Washington 44 set the stage for
Green's 56-yard scoring bomb to Connell with 6:51 left in the third period.
Neither team was able to manage much offensively for the next several
minutes until Matt
Turk's punt landed on the Eagles 1. Although the game was all but over,
Philadelphia saw its dreadful season in a microcosm when Hoying's pass into
the chest of Russell
Copeland bounced into the air and was picked off by Dishman.
After a busted play resulted in a four-yard loss, Hicks' five-yard
scamper capped his career day.
"We are losing bad," said Taylor. "I can't really explain it. We just
tried to come out and do some things. Put some pressure on and we even
tried to score on defense, but none of that ever really materialized."
Charlie Garner
carried 13 times for 63 yards and added 24 yards on four receptions for the
Eagles, who managed just 215 yards of offense to Washington's 289.
"We came off what I thought was a really tough loss last week and
played well," said Redskins coach Norv Turner. "I liked our intensity and
our effort. I thought we played well in all three faces of the game and
for us to have a chance to win we have to play well in all three phases."
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
|
