NFL Recap (Arizona-Washington)
Posted: Sun November 22, 1998 at 6:50 p.m. EST
ARIZONA 45, WASHINGTON 42
RALJON, Maryland (Ticker) -- In trying to close in on their first
playoff appearance in 16 years, the Arizona Cardinals
apparently enjoy living on the edge.
After almost rallying from a 28-point deficit last week, the Cardinals
nearly blew a 31-point lead before defeating the Washington Redskins,
45-42, as quarterback Jake
Plummer had a part in five touchdowns in the highest-scoring game in
the NFL this season.
Plummer rushed for three touchdowns and threw for a pair of scores as
Arizona (6-5) swept both meetings from the Redskins this season and
remained two games behind the Dallas Cowboys for the
NFC East lead. Last Sunday, Plummer passed for an NFL season-high 465
yards and three TDs before the Cowboys held on for a wild 35-28 victory.
"We are focused on starting fast. However we have to learn how to
sustain it for a full game," said Plummer. "This game should help us grow
and as we grow we'll get better."
"These games are unbelieveable," said Arizona coach Vince Tobin. "This
shows why you play four quarters because it's not over until it's over."
After Washington (2-9) scored on five consecutive possessions, Plummer
capped a 10-play, 55-yard drive with a one-yard plunge on 4th-and-goal to
give the Cardinals a 45-35 advantage with 3:49 remaining.
Plummer appeared to score on third down when the ball was batted out
of his hands just as he reached it over the goal line, but officials ruled
his progress was stopped before reaching the end zone.
Plummer completed 17-of-28 passes for 251 yards and an interception
for Arizona, which is looking for its first postseason appearance since
1982.
Trent Green was
30-of-49 for 382 yards -- one yards shy of his career high -- and a career
best four touchdowns as he directed six straight scoring drives before
throwing his only interception of the game with 62 seconds to play. Green
threw a sailing pass that Michael Westbrook tipped
with one hand to Arizona safety Kwamie Lassiter, who
returned it 16 yards to the Washington 31. Westbrook had career highs of 10
receptions, 135 yards and three touchdowns and Leslie Shepherd caught
seven passes for 107 yards.
"I didn't think about saving the win, but I come into every game
saying I'm going to get a pick or just make a big play," said Lassiter, who
is second on the Cardinals with four interceptions. "We talk about causing
turnovers and making plays like that. When we get a chance, we have to
seize the opportunity."
"It's frustrating to have these kind of outcomes," Green said. "We
have to learn from this. The numbers are only important if they help us
win the game."
After Plummer's one-yard run, the Redskins answered right back as
Green dove inside the left pylon to cap a 10-play, 78-yard drive and make
it 45-42 with 1:46 remaining. Cary Blanchard's onside
kick went right to safety Pat Tillman, who fell on
the ball on the Washington 41. The Redskins held the Cardinals and got the
ball back on their own 32 but after an incomplete pass Lassiter intercepted
Green.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 10-0 lead just over six minutes into the
game as Joe Nedney
kicked a 26-yard field goal and Plummer tossed a six-yard pass to Johnny McWilliams.
Plummer's one-yard plunge on a quarterback sneak pushed the lead to 17-0
with 4:44 remaining in the first.
Adrian Murrell,
who carried 20 times for 92 yards, had a 13-yard run to give Arizona 24-0
bulge 4:42 into the second quarter. Plummer scrambled 10 yards for a
touchdown and a 31-0 lead with 4:05 to play in the second.
Washington finally scored 53 seconds before halftime as Green tossed a
15-yard pass to Westbrook. Blanchard missed the extra point and Arizona
held a 31-6 lead at the break.
The Redskins went 79 yards in 10 plays after the second-half kickoff
and cut the deficit to 31-13 when Green rolled out and threw a 12-yard pass
to Westbrook. Arizona took a 38-13 lead when Plummer tossed a nine-yard
pass to Larry Centers
with just over four minutes left in the third. Green completed consecutive
passes of 33 and 22 yards to Stephen Aexander before Westbrook made a
diving catch for an 11-yard TD that closed the lead to 38-20.
Washington had a successful onside kick when safety Leomont Evans recovered a
fumble by Mario Bates
at the Redskins 39 and four plays later Green hooked up with Shepherd for a
16-yard score that made it 38-27 with 14 seconds left in the third.
"It was exciting. It kind of brought back the Art Monk - Gary Clark
era, but we did not win," Shepherd said. "So really it is null and void.
We're past moral victories, to lose like that, a close game to a team we
lost close to two weeks ago is hard. The bottom line is we lost. They are
not going to talk about the effort we put up or the Redskins fought back in
the second half."
Eric Metcalf gave
the Cardinals good field position with a 41-yard kickoff return to the
Arizona 46. The Cardinals moved to the Washington 25 on runs by Centers
and Bates, but Evans intercepted Plummer at his own 2 and returned it 54
yards. Skip Hicks ran
around left end for a five-yard TD and Green hit Shepherd for the two-point
conversion to get the Redskins as close as they would come, 38-35, with
9:18 left in the fourth.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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