Monday Night Football: Redskins 33, Rams 20
S T. L O U I S, Nov. 21, 2000 -- The bye week turned out to be a perfect breakfor the Washington Redskins.
Jeff George threw three touchdown passes and the Washingtondefense, given extra time to study the St. Louis Rams’ No. 1-rankedoffense with the week off, had a strong game in a 33-20 victoryMonday night.
“I’m not going to kid you,” free safety Mark Carrier said.“We had some different things we put in specifically for thisteam. If it’s a short week, I don’t know how quick we would adjust to it like it did.
“But having that extra week helped.”
Redksins Second in NFC East
The rested Redskins (7-4) also got four field goals from44-year-old Eddie Murray, signed during the bye week, and are backin the thick of the NFC East picture, tied for second with the NewYork Giants and a half-game behind Philadelphia.
The Redskins already have beaten both teams, and play them againat home in their next two games.
Washington, which entered the break with consecutive losses tothe Titans and Cardinals, has won five in a row after a bye. Thistime, they handed the defending Super Bowl champion Rams (8-3)their second straight loss at home, where they had a 14-gamewinning streak snapped earlier this season, and their third setbackin five games overall.
The Rams, who had been averaging 39 points, had their lowestregular-season point total since they scored 19 in the 1998 finaleat San Francisco.
“All during the week, all we heard was the Rams this, the Ramsthat, how are we going to stop the Rams?” defensive end BruceSmith said. “Like we couldn’t match up or go out and give them a competitive game. It was an insult, but it was inspiring as well.”
The Redskins got a big game from Smith, who had three sacks andtackled Trent Green in the end zone for a safety, and from most ofowner Daniel Snyder’s offseason acquisitions.
George, subbing for the injured Brad Johnson, was 24-for-34 for269 yards. LaVar Arrington, this year’s first-round draft pick, hadtwo sacks. Champ Bailey, last year’s No. 1 pick clinched the gamewith an interception and 48-yard return after the Rams had drivento the 3.
That was the last in a series of mistakes by the Rams, whoself-destructed after jumping to a 10-0 lead. St. Louis also losttwo fumbles, one after a 64-yard catch by Torry Holt and the otheron a kickoff return by Tony Horne that allowed the Redskins to takea 31-20 lead on Murray’s fourth field goal with 10:41 to play.
“The only team that can beat the Rams is the Rams,” offensivetackle Ryan Tucker said. “If we played our ‘A’ game, there’s nodoubt in my mind we would have won.”
Special teams failed the Rams again when Redskins kicker ScottBentley recovered his own onside kick at the end of the thirdquarter, leading to a field goal. Redskins coach Norv Turner saidthe team practiced that play all week.
“I was just thanking God they gave me the chance to do it,”Bentley said. “I knew if we got the chance to do it, we would givethe offense the ball.”
Giving Defense a Break
The key sequence came late in the third quarter, with the Ramsleading 20-19. George, who had first-half TD passes of 19 yards toJames Thrash and 3 yards to Larry Centers, hit Irving Fryar from 34yards out to give the Redskins a 25-20 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Bentley recovered the onside kick to setup Murray’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.
“The biggest thing that hurt us was three straight serieswithout an offensive snap,” Rams coach Mike Martz said. “When yougo out on defense three straight series, you get worn down prettygood.”