Trent Green (No. 10) passed for 257 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. (AP)

By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 14, 1998; Page D1

CHARLOTTE, Dec. 13 — On the day they officially were eliminated from the playoffs, the Washington Redskins nevertheless took another step toward escaping this season with at least a portion of their dignity.

They scored early and held on late to defeat the Carolina Panthers, 28-25, today at Ericsson Stadium. While continuing their revival from a miserable start, the Redskins also moved closer to being able to select Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ricky Williams or a franchise quarterback in next spring's draft.

But they weren't talking about the offseason or draft picks after today's game. They were taking whatever satisfaction they could from not having surrendered after beginning the season with seven straight losses.

"We were smacked in the face early in the season," defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson said. "Things couldn't have been any worse. You have to get some self-respect for yourself. We got frustrated and we got tired of losing, and we did something about it. I think we've redeemed ourselves somewhat."

However, the Arizona Cardinals provided another way for Washington to measure its disappointment. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to improve their record to 7-7 – and that is enough to erase what little postseason hope the Redskins (5-9) may have had.

"Unfortunately we started a little late," cornerback Darrell Green said. "But we feel pretty good about ourselves right now."

Today the Redskins got a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Green to wide receiver Albert Connell and a pair of touchdown runs by rookie running back Skip Hicks for a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter.

But with the help of a touchdown on a blocked punt, the Panthers got within 21-17 at halftime. They crept even closer in the fourth quarter. But Redskins safety Stanley Richard provided a critical interception with just over three minutes remaining, and Darrell Green ended Carolina's final drive with another interception.

"At the end, defensively we stepped up and made some plays," Redskins Coach Norv Turner said.

The Panthers (2-12) also contributed to their ninth defeat of the season by seven points or fewer. They lost a pair of early would-be touchdowns when wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad had the ball stripped by cornerback Cris Dishman just before crossing the goal line and a 97-yard kickoff return by Michael Bates was nullified by a holding penalty.

"We went out and we beat ourselves," said Panthers Coach Dom Capers, who spent part of his day mediating a sideline run-in between linebacker Kevin Greene and assistant coach Kevin Steele. "We beat ourselves with mental errors. We beat ourselves with penalties. We beat ourselves by turning the ball over."

Meanwhile, the injuries continued to mount for the Redskins, as running back Terry Allen left the game after gaining 56 yards on only two carries. Allen aggravated the sprained ankle that caused him to miss 4 1/2 games before returning to the lineup a week ago. Fullback Stephen Davis suffered a bruised hip and ribs and Darrell Green missed some time with a bruised shoulder, but each returned to provide a boost.

Also on the positive side, Connell made eight catches for 116 yards the week after wide receivers Michael Westbrook and James Thrash suffered season-ending injuries. In addition, Trent Green provided another steady performance by completing 23 of 42 passes for 257 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Green needed three stitches after the game for a cut on his chin, but his blockers did a good job of giving him a chance to throw. They were particularly effective against defensive end Sean Gilbert, who had a zero-tackle performance against the team he left in April after sitting out last season in a contract dispute. The Redskins got Carolina's first-round draft picks in 1999 and 2000 as compensation for the Panthers' signing of Gilbert, and today did their part to ensure that next year's pick will come as early as possible in the selection order.

The Redskins drove 82, 80 and 79 yards for touchdowns on their first three possessions of the gray, rainy afternoon. Davis turned a swing pass into a 21-yarder on the Redskins' first play. Green threw incomplete for Connell deep, but Allen ripped off a 45-yard run. On first down from Carolina's 16-yard line, Green rolled right and found a wide-open Connell in the middle of the field for the touchdown.

Play of the Game

The Redskins led 28-25 with 3 minutes 21 seconds remaining in the game as the Panthers had third down and three at the Washington 19-yard line. Carolina set up heavy on the right side, with Mark Carrier as the outside receiver. Darrell Green matched against Carrier at the line of scrimmage, but shifted to fullback William Floyd, who came out of the backfield. Carrier ran uncovered 10 yards downfield and toward the right sideline, where quarterback Steve Beuerlein threw to him. But safety Stanley Richard intercepted the pass at the 6, got both feet inbounds and gave Washington possession at the 8.

The Panthers responded with a 63-yard Steve Beuerlein-to-Muhammad pass-and-run on their second offensive play. Dishman was beaten on the play but didn't give up. He chased down Muhammad at the Redskins 2, then poked the ball out of Muhammad's hand. The ball rolled into the end zone and out of bounds, giving the Redskins a touchback.

"I was surprised he caught the ball," Dishman said. "I was all over him. I said I might as well run after him. I saw the ball out there, and I took a gamble."

Allen ran for 11 yards on his second and final carry, and the Redskins got 26 yards on a reverse by wide receiver Leslie Shepherd. Turner went for the first down on fourth and one from the Carolina 34, and the Redskins converted with a three-yard completion to wide receiver Chris Thomas. Davis turned a screen pass into a 16-yard gain to the 16, and Hicks took it from there with a pair of six-yard gains and a four-yard touchdown run.

Bates returned Brett Conway's kickoff for an apparent touchdown, but Winslow Oliver was penalized for grabbing Darryl Pounds's jersey around midfield. Carolina got John Kasay's 26-yard field goal to get within 14-3, but the Redskins again added to their lead.

Green hit rookie tight end Stephen Alexander for eight yards on third and seven, and the quarterback scrambled 13 yards on third and six on a broken play that was supposed to be a reverse by Shepherd. A 17-yard pass to Connell got the Redskins to the Carolina 5, and Hicks got the ball into the end zone from there for an 18-point advantage 3 minutes 59 seconds into the second quarter.

"When you go into a game, you like to think it's going to be that way," Trent Green said. "But generally things don't go that smoothly."

By the Numbers

2 The number of touchdowns in the Redskins-Panthers game that were nullified by penalties. Carolina's Michael Bates had his first-quarter kickoff return for a TD wiped out because of a penalty on Winslow Oliver, and a pair of Redskins penalties nullified Brian Mitchell's touchdown on a 38-yard pass play just before halftime. 116 Career-high receiving yards by Redskins wide receiver Albert Connell, who set another career mark by catching eight passes, one for a touchdown. 6 Consecutive seasons in which the Redskins have failed to make the playoffs. They were officially eliminated yesterday.

It got tougher for the Redskins from there. Panthers running back Tshimanga Biakabutuka (103 yards rushing on 17 carries) turned a screen pass into a 29-yard touchdown 2:43 before the intermission. The Redskins failed to make a first down, and rookie linebacker Shawn Barber missed his block on Matt Turk's punt. Bates blocked the kick, and he and Barber chased the ball and knocked it into the end zone. Dwight Stone recovered there for Carolina, and it was a four-point game at the break.

The Redskins put together an 82-yard touchdown drive for a 28-17 cushion midway through the third quarter, with Alexander providing a diving catch for a 17-yard touchdown. Still, the Panthers didn't wilt. Biakabutuka's two-yard touchdown run and Beuerlein's two-point conversion pass to Muhammad cut the Redskins' lead to 28-25 with 12:38 left.

The Panthers had three more possessions with a chance to tie or win. They punted on the first. On the second, Biakabutuka turned a dump-off from Beuerlein into a 42-yard gain to give the Panthers a first down at the Washington 26. On third and three from the 19, Beuerlein threw for wide receiver Mark Carrier along the sideline at the 5. But Stanley stepped in front of Carrier and made a superb grab while keeping his feet in bounds for his first interception of the season.

"It couldn't have come at a better time," Richard said. "We needed to make a play."

The Panthers got the ball back at their 32 with 2:17 to go. But they had no timeouts left and were further backed up by a pair of sacks. Darrell Green's second interception of the year came on a fourth-and-27 heave by Beuerlein.

"We're playing better as a football team," Turner said. "We're making plays when we need to. We still have our deficiencies, but we're doing a better job of playing around them."