NFL Recap (Washington-Carolina)
Posted: Sun December 13, 1998 at 10:20 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON 28, CAROLINA 25
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Skip Hicks ran for two
touchdowns and Trent
Green threw for a pair of scores as the Washinton Redskins posted their
third straight win with a 28-25 victory over the hard-luck Carolina Panthers.
Hicks had touchdowns runs of four and five yards for Washington (5-9),
which has won three straight games for the first time since a seven-game
streak from September 8th-October 27th, 1996. The Redskins have won five of
their last seven games following their worst start since the 1961 season.
Hicks carried 20 times for 55 yards and Green completed 23-of-42 passes for
257 yards.
"You get pounded for five or six plays then that one score makes it
all worth while," said Hicks, whose longest run was seven yards. "We put
the beginning of the season out of our minds. We're trying to take care of
things now. We're playing as a team and playing hard. We can still upset
some playoff-bound teams."
Tim Biakabutuka
caught and ran for touchdowns for the Panthers (2-12), who are tied with
the Cincinnati Bengals
for the league's worst mark. However, Carolina's first-round pick the next
two seasons belongs the Redskins as compensation for the signing of free
agent defensive end Sean
Gilbert. Biakabutuka carried 17 times for 103 yards, his second career
100-yard game.
The Panthers have lost nine games by seven points or less to tie an
NFL record set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(1983) and matched by the San Diego Chargers
(1989).
Steve Beuerlein was
16-of-25 for 264 yards and a touchdown, but threw a pair of costly
interceptions in the fourth quarter. With Carolina trailing 28-25, safety
Stanley Richard
intercepted a pass intended for Mark Carrier and stepped
out of bounds at the Washington 8. The Redskins managed one first down,
but were forced to punt after Hicks lost three yards and a pair of
incompletes by Green. Defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson sacked
Beuerlein on consecutive plays and cornerback Darrell Green interecpted
him at the Redskins 41 with 93 seconds left.
"We were in field-goal range, forget about everything else," Beuerlein
said. "I have to throw that ball out of bounds. It was a terrible play on
my part. They had everyone covered but there was no reason to make a bad
play worse."
"We'll go back to the tape and see what was good and what wasn't so
good," said Carolina coach Dom Capers. "We turned the ball over when a
field goal ties the game. We have to make sure we don't turn the ball
over."
Washington scored on the fourth play from scrimmage with Green finding
Albert Connell for a
16-yard TD 83 seconds into the game. Terry Allen, who missed
four games with an ankle injury before returning last week, had a 45-yard
run on Washington's third play.
The Panthers were on their way to tying the game, but after Beuerlein
completed a 63-yard pass to Mushin Muhammad, cornerback Cris Dishman knocked the
ball away and it rolled out of the end zone. The Redskins went 80 yards in
12 plays, taking a 14-0 lead on Hicks' four-yard run with 6:41 left in the
first.
"Our guys are ready to play," said Washingtton coach Norv Turner.
"Trent is making plays and working hard and he knows he can still learn and
get better. We're playing better as a football team, we're doing a better
job playing around our deficiencies as a team. The No. 1 thing we're doing
better is we're not turning the ball over. We were making plays early and
moving the ball. We had a good mix early and we were ready to play."
John Kasay kicked
a 26-yard field goal to pull the Panthers within 14-3 with 2:09 to go in
the first.
The Redskins increased the lead to 21-3 when Hicks had a five-yard run
just under four minutes into the second quarter.
Beuerlein's 29-yard pass to Biakabutuka cut Washington's lead to 21-10
with 2:43 remaining in the second. Dwight Stone recovered a
blocked punt in the end zone with 1:42 left in the first half to pull the
Panthers within 21-17.
The Redskins scored on their first possession in the third quarter as
Green tossed a 17-yard pass to rookie tight end Stephen Alexander.
Biakabutuka had a two-yard run around the right end and Beuerlein hit
Muhammad on a quick slant for the two-point conversion to close the deficit
to 28-25, 2:33 into the fourth.
Carolina tight end Wesley Walls suffered a
sprained foot and wide receiver Ragib Ismail twisted his knee.
"Jason had a neck burner so they took him over to the hospital for an
MRI," said Capers about rookie defensive end Jason Peter. "Possibly all
of our injuries today are serious."
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