Skins Top Rams on 'Monday Night Football'

By
ABC News
January 7, 2006, 5:18 AM ET
3 min read

S T.   L O U I S, Nov. 21, 2000 -- Daniel Snyder finally got what he paid for.

Jeff George, one of Washington owner Snyder’s high pricedoffseason acquisitions, threw three touchdown passes as theRedskins upset the St. Louis Rams 33-20 Monday night and putthemselves back in prime playoff position.

George, filling in for the injured Brad Johnson, had plenty ofhelp from a defense that sacked Trent Green five times and thespecial teams, which recovered an onside kick and a fumble. Thosetwo plays came during a stretch late in the third quarter and earlyin the fourth in which the Redskins got 12 points without the St.Louis offense getting the ball.

3 Sacks for Smith

Bruce Smith, the 16-year veteran who was another offseasonsignee, had three sacks, including one in the end zone with 3:44left.

And 44-year-old Eddie Murray, signed during Washington’s byeweek as the team’s fourth placekicker of the season, added fieldgoals of 37, 47, 41 and 39 yards as the Redskins (7-4) moved into atie with the New York Giants for second place in the NFC East, ahalf-game behind Philadelphia. The Eagles play at Washington nextSunday, while the Giants are at the Redskins in two weeks.

The key sequence came late in the third quarter, with the Rams(8-3) leading 20-19.

George, who had first-half TD passes of 19 yards to James Thrashand 3 yards to Larry Centers, hit Irving Fryar from 34 yards out togive the Redskins a 25-20 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Scott Bentley, like Murray a recentsignee, kicked the ball 10 yards and fell on it himself, setting upMurray’s 41-yard field goal that made it 28-20. On the nextkickoff, Sam Shade recovered Tony Horne’s fumble to set up Murray’s39-yard kick and it was 31-20.

Champ Bailey ended the next St. Louis threat by interceptingGreen’s pass in the end zone with 5:38 left, and Smith capped itoff with his sack of Green for a safety.

Early Lead Falls Apart

The Rams jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first 5:25, but theRedskins bounced back to tie it at 13 at halftime with 10 points inthe final 1:50 of the second quarter.

Jeff Hall’s 30-yard field goal gave St. Louis the lead on theirfirst drive.

Then Dexter McCleon intercepted a pass by George on theRedskins’ third play from scrimmage and returned it 23 yards to theWashington 24. After an offside call against Smith moved it to the19, Green found Marshall Faulk, who returned just two weeks afterknee surgery, in the end zone to make it 10-0.

Murray’s 37-yard field goal cut it to 10-3 with 43 seconds leftin the first, then Hall hit from 43 to make it 13-3.

George’s 19-yard TD pass to Thrash with 1:50 left cut theWashington deficit to 13-10.

Then, on St. Louis’ first play, Green hit Torry Holt for 64yards, but Holt fumbled at the end of the run and Matt Stevensrecovered for Washington at its own 23. From there, George movedthe Redskins into position for Murray’s 47-yarder that tied it.

Washington made it 19-13 5:41 into the third quarter on the3-yard pass from George to Larry Centers. But Murray’s extra pointattempt hit the left upright.

Green countered with a 26-yard pass to Faulk, a 22-yarder toIsaac Bruce, then capped the drive with a 15-yarder to Proehl andit was 20-19.

George, who was 24-of-34 for 269 yards, found Fryar from 34yards out with 25 seconds left in the third quarter. The 2-pointconversion failed, and the Redskins led 25-20.