3B
SPORTS/The Charlotte Post
Thursday, October 2, 1997
Redskins quiet about torrid start
By Joseph White
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Carolina defenders Renaldo Turnbull (97) and Ray Seals (99) trip up San Francisco fullback William
Floyd during the 49ers’ 34-21 win Monday at Ericsson Stadium.
Panthers need answers
Continued from 1B
smooth out the rough spots. Any
place would he a good place to
start.
“We know we’re not doing
things offensively nor defensively,
so those can he corrected,”
Carrier said.”
Between Coffins’ struggles and
the offensive line being unable to
help Carolina move the ball, the
Panthers’ conservative offense
fsn’t producing enough points or
avoiding mistakes. It also means
tKe defense is spending more
time on the field.
■ /“It’s very hard, especially for the
defense,” rookie receiver Rae
Garruth said. “They can’t keep
coming out there and bailing us
out. “The 49ers ran the ball over
50 times and the defense had to
take a pounding. If we can’t get
out on the field and drive the ball
and let them get a rest, it’s not
going to happen for us.”
Although Capers wouldn’t
name a starter for Minnesota,
Carrier said the offense could
function with Coffins or Beurlein
at the helm.
“That’s not my decision,”
Carrier said. “If Steve’s the quar
terback, I’m happy; if Kenys the
quarterback. I’m just as happy,
we’re blessed to have two guys
who can play and run this organi
zation. Whichever way it is. I’m
going to tiy to make plays for
them.”
San Francisco’s two-game lead
isn’t permanent, Davis insists.
Carolina can still make a run at
first place, but it’ll take more than
the Panthers have shown over the
first five weeks.
“It’s a one-game hole right now,”
Davis said. “They all count the
Orioles are ready
Continued from 1B
the World Series with the New
■ferk Yankees last year and has a
habit of reaching back for a little
hit more in the postseason.
’ '“When the big time comes, the
big pitchers step it up,” Johnson
said. “(Orel) Hershiser will be the
first to teU you the toughest time
for him is during the early part of
the season because it’s hard to get
focused. But in the postseason
you’re concentration level is real
ly high and your ability to execute
is'a lot better.”
, The Orioles this season some
how found a way to perform at
their best in important situations
- turning up the intensity as if
operating with a switch. For
example:
• Coming off two straight lop
sided losses to Boston, the Orioles
won three straight in Atlanta in a
heavily-publicized encounter that
many viewed as a preview to the
World Series.
• After going 3-7 at home imme
diately following the All-Star
break and letting its lead to
shrink to 3 1/2 games, Baltimore
went on a 9-1 tear to move 6
games ahead.
• Facing eight games against
New York in an 11-day span, the
same - 16 weeks. It’s that simple.
We have to correct the mistakes
we’re making - in a huny. You
have to correct that mind set and
understand what winning is
about and find a way to get it
done. We have no choice, and guys
had better understand that.”
ASHBURN, Va. - The
Washington Redskins have
been here before, on a winning
roll with the league’s most sur
prising defense. Given what
happened last time, it’s no sur
prise no one’s acting cocky
about the 3-1 start.
“We’ve got to look at what we
did last year, starting off 7-1
and then folding,” linebacker
Marvcus Patton said Monday
as the team reviewed its 24-12
victory over Jacksonville. ‘You
have to keep that in mind and
keep everything in perspec
tive.”
One year ago, the Redskins
were 3-1 and allowing a league-
best 10 points per game -
despite a questionable defen
sive line that was giving up
plenty of yards. This
September, it’s eerily similar:
The won-loss record is the
same, and the 12 points-per-
game allowed ranks third in
the league, even though the
defense is 29th against the run.
So, if approached by a fan on
the street, what would a mem
ber of the Redskins say to a fan
who wants to know why this
year will be different from last,
when the team collapsed to fin
ish 9-7 and out of the playoffs?
“I’d say we’ve grown. We’ve
developed more,” guard Tre
Johnson said. “We’re a more
mature team. We have to
remember what happened last
year. We definitely won’t repeat
that.”
There are other reasons to be
optimistic. Last year, the
Redskins had an easy first-half
schedule, followed by a back
breaking run in November.
This year, the schedule gets
easier as it goes along.
Excluding the two games
against Dallas, the Redskins’
remaining opponents have a
combined record of 13-24. And,
while several changes are pay
ing dividends, the addition of
one player on defense has made
a world of difference.
Cris Dishman, a free agent
from the Oilers, has teamed
with Darrell Green to form the
bestcomerback tandem in the
league. With those two playing
man-to-man, the Redskins are
able to move strong safety
Jesse Campbell behind the thin
defensive line to make an eight-
man front against the run.
“We’ve got two great comers
out there that can cover and
hold teams down,” Patton said.
“Put them up one-on-one, bring
the safety down for the mn
defense. He’s definitely had a
major, major impact on the
defense.”
As a result, the Redskins are
not only overwhelmingly No. 1
against the pass - 40 yards per
game better than anyone else -
they are containing the run
even if they don’t always win
the battle at the line of scrim
mage. The defense has not
allowed a play of more than 25
yards all season and has given
up only three touchdowns -
none in the last two games. The
Jaguars came into Sunday’s
game leading the NFL in scor
ing offense, but managed only
four field goals.
“I’m not really a statistical
kind of guy,” Green said. “But I
think the bottom is line is you
keep them out of the end zone.”
The offense still isn’t fully in
gear, but Gus Frerotte had his
best game of the season Sunday
and Terry Allen was back to his
usual 100-yard self after a ten
tative outing two weeks earlier
against Arizona. Also, the
Redskins are the only NFL
team successfully converting
more than 50 percent of their
third downs.
In the locker room after the
game, many Redskins said they
felt they weren’t taken serious
ly by the Jaguars. Now, with a
game at Philadelphia followed
by a Monday night showdown
with Dallas, there’s a chance to
earn some big-time respect.
Orioles won the first three to open
up a 9 1/2-game lead.
The Orioles then slipped into
cruise control mitil that day in
Toronto, when Johnson pleaded
with the team for a better effort.
The result? A victory over Roger
Clemens, setting up the clincher
the next night. Now, in the post
season, the Orioles are ready to
pump up the intensity once more.
“There’s a fine fine between
being flat and being rested and
healthy’ Cal Ripken said.
“The energy level will naturally
go up in the playoffs. It’s just a
matter of everyone feeling confi
dent and everyone getting then-
own act together individually.
When that happerrs, we have the
capability to be a very good team.”
Larry Herndon played on the
1984 Detroit Tigers, the last AL
team before Baltimore to play the
entire season in first place. That
team won the World Series and
Herndon, now a batting coach
with Detroit, sees no reason why
the Orioles can’t do likewise.
“Once the playoffs start it’s a
whole different baUgame; it starts
all over,” Herndon said. “I don’t
think the Orioles will have any
trouble getting back to the level
they were all season.”
Wallace, Blazers agree to terms
Continued from page 1B
player as you’ll find in this league,” Dunleavy said.
Tm glad he has the contract behind him so he feels comfortable
enough where we can experiment with certain things.
“I think he can be an aU-star power forward. I think he can play
small forward. I think he can play center. He’s got great length. He’s
got some of the quickest feet I’ve seen on any player. He’s got a strong
low-post game. And he can shoot from 3-point range. He’s got a wide
spectrum of talents.”
Wallace came to Portland with a reputation as an emotional player
prone to technical fouls. But Dunleavy said Wallace’s attitude is one
of his strong points.
' “The organization shows they are willing to commit to players who
have not only the talent, but the passion for the game,” Dunleavy said.
Wallace’s 3-month-old son cried in the background as the signing
was aimounced. He recently also won custody of his older son in a
legal battle. Wallace will earn $2.3 million in the upcoming season,
then his new deal will kick in the following year and extend through
the 2003-04 season.
Wallace’s agent, Bill Strickland, said concern that the NBA’s collec
tive bargaining agreement with the players might be altered in
reopened negotiations was a factor in the decision to sign a contract
extension. But the overriding reason, Strickland said, was Wallace’s
desire to stay in Portland.
•Wallace said he’s just relieved to have the matter out of the way.
, “Every time now when I go into the supermarket or if I’m out on the
street, I don’t have to hear, ‘Are you going to sign? Are you going to
^tay?”
The Blazers open their training camp Friday at Linfield College in
McMinnville.
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