By Michael Wilbon
Washington Post Columnist
Monday, December 14, 1998; Page D1

CHARLOTTE — Don't mistake the Redskins' 28-25 victory over the Carolina Panthers Sunday as meaningless. Yes, the Redskins are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs; Arizona took care of that Sunday by beating the Eagles. But Washington's fifth victory in what has been a humbling season has a context all its own.

Beating Carolina could dramatically affect the Redskins' franchise for the next 10 years.

The Panthers are tied for the NFL's worst record. The Redskins own the Panthers' first-round pick in the 1999 draft. A single victory for Carolina could drop that pick – the Redskins' pick – from second in the draft to third or fourth. Maybe even fifth. That takes you out of the hunt for one of the college kids projected to be franchise-changing players. And, Lordy, do the Redskins need one of them. Every position a team drops in the draft means more risk. Sometimes it's the difference between Troy Aikman and Tony Mandarich. It's the well-being of a franchise.

How big was the Redskins' victory in terms of the club's future? "Huge," one NFL club executive says, explaining that the second pick in the draft carries great weight with other teams while the No. 3 pick usually does not. Suppose two teams dying to have, say, Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, get into a bidding war for the right to draft him? Suppose, after Tim Couch is selected by Cleveland, Williams is available, and he winds up being as fine a pro as most of the other 2,000-yard running backs before him, and you are in position to take him?

That's what the Redskins were playing for today. Everything.

Did the Redskins' players actually know that? Maybe. Did they care? Absolutely not. "I can tell you," said Darrell Green, "the answer is no. I haven't heard one word to that effect, which is good because I feel it's totally inappropriate to even think about it. To me, it would indicate a lack of focus. I'll think about that in the offseason, when I sit back and become a fan and start following draft news. But now? No way."

For everybody not in uniform, however, following the draft news already has started. Look, Charley Casserly and Norv Turner have had some bad moments in the personnel department. But letting Sean Gilbert come down here to Carolina in exchange for two first-round draft picks is the steal of the year. Depending on whom the Redskins take with those picks and how their NFL careers turn out, it could be the biggest steal since the Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Vikings for three Super Bowls.

I'll make the argument right now that Gilbert is the most overpaid player in sports – slightly ahead of Kevin Brown. (Kevin Greene has to be the most idiotic; convince me he didn't think he was in a WCW cage match when he went after his position coach!) Anyway, you know how many tackles the $46.5 million waste-of-time Gilbert had on Sunday? None. Zero. He'd probably say he had a revelation and the Lord told him he was supposed to occupy blockers Sunday. To make Gilbert look that bad and keep Carolina at two victories (the Colts won their third Sunday) made this easily the best day of the year for the Redskins. In the process of getting better, the Redskins also protected their future. That's as much as this franchise can ask for at the moment.

Meanwhile, the Redskins are 5-2 since their 0-7 start. The position of their own first-round draft pick isn't so good anymore, which is the great news. Going 5-2 since the Massacre at Minnesota in mid-October is good news. Three straight victories – three straight snaps without a flag for illegal motion was impossible two months ago – is great news. The continued evolution of Skip Hicks, Stephen Alexander, Albert Connell and, of course, Trent Green is great news. "We still have our deficiencies," Turner said. "But we're doing a better job of playing around them."

An offense that once was totally inept rolled up 240 yards in its first three possessions Sunday. Carolina is not exactly Denver, you say? Well, Philly ain't exactly Denver either, but the Eagles beat the Redskins in Week 6. If the Redskins had played that day in Philly the way they played here Sunday, we'd be talking about the ... well, never mind.

There's no doubt in Turner's mind about the No. 1 reason the Redskins have played so much better since the Massacre at Minnesota. "The absolutely number one thing that we're better at," he said, "is we're not turning the ball over. That makes it easier on your defense, gives you better field position, and you keep the ball so you have more chances to make plays."

And the confidence that comes with actually running plays as they're diagrammed on the chalk board gives the team confidence to, as Turner said, "use all your offense, all your defense. You come up with things. The reverse to Leslie Shepherd [worked because of] a Brian Mitchell run. There are little things you can tinker with."

In their first two offensive series, the Redskins got a little screen pass to Stephen Davis for 21 yards, a play-fake-one- way-Green-rolls-the-other-way pass to Connell for 16 yards, Shepherd's reverse for 26 yards, and two near- touchdowns on long passes. Carolina had no clue what was coming, it seemed, on any play in those first three series. It was Turner at his Dallas play- calling best, the kind of stuff that would make Sid Gillman or Bill Walsh smile.

You knew the Panthers would score, partly because the Redskins' defense doesn't really shut down anybody and because Carolina, having lost nine games by seven points or fewer, usually is more competitive than its 2-12 record indicates. But the Redskins got timely defensive plays from the injured Darrell Green, Cris Dishman and Stanley Richard.

"Unfortunately, we started a little late," Green said of the seven-game losing streak to start the season. "But we do feel pretty good about ourselves right now."

That's of great importance to the players as they try to finish the season by beating two probable NFC playoff teams – Tampa Bay and Dallas. But of more importance to the Redskins' overall health, regardless of who owns, oversees or coaches the team over the next half-dozen years, is the draft pick from Charlotte – the Big Investment, if you will.

With games against sorry St. Louis (here) and in Indianapolis to close the season, the Panthers may yet hurt the Redskins' draft position. But for once this season, no matter how ordinary the victory may look in the standings, the Washington Redskins did something important on the field to help themselves.