Washington's Terry Allen loses possession of the ball on the goal line during the first quarter Sunday. (AP)

By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 12, 1998; Page C1

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 11 – Every time the Washington Redskins think their season has bottomed out, they find a way to reach a new low point. Today they staked their claim to being the worst team in the NFL by falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-12, in the franchise's slowest start in 37 years.

The Redskins dropped to 0-6 and were left as one of two winless teams in the NFL, alongside the 0-5 Carolina Panthers. It is the second-worst start to a season in franchise history, behind only an 0-9 beginning to a 1-12-1 record in 1961. The Eagles (1-5) got into the win column on a gray afternoon at Veterans Stadium in which they managed a modest 198 yards of offense and made nearly enough blunders to permit Gus Frerotte to lead the Redskins to a comeback victory after he reclaimed the team's starting quarterback job from Trent Green.

But the Redskins fell short when a fourth-down pass play from Frerotte to tight end Jamie Asher with just under half a minute remaining came a yard shy of a first down at midfield. And afterward, even the Redskins no longer claimed that they are a good team playing poorly.

"We're 0-6, and we're no better than our record," linebacker Marvcus Patton said.

Said cornerback Cris Dishman: "Reality is reality. We're 0-6."

Next on the schedule are the Minnesota Vikings (5-0), who host the Redskins at the Metrodome Sunday in Washington's last game before a bye week.

Today's game lived down to its advance billing. The Redskins complained about several calls by the officials, but they made their own mistakes. They had three turnovers. Green fumbled to set up Philadelphia's first touchdown, a 19-yard scramble by quarterback Rodney Peete midway through the first quarter. On the next series, running back Terry Allen fumbled as he tried to wriggle his way toward the end zone from a pileup on the ground at the Eagles 4-yard line, and the Redskins argued that Allen should have been called down before the fumble because his forward progress had been stopped. Place kicker Cary Blanchard missed a 47-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter.

Still, the Redskins had their chances to win after trailing 10-3 at halftime. Frerotte, who took over for Green midway through the third quarter, led them on scoring drives that got them to 10-6 and 17-12, but he was stopped just short of the goal line on a two-point conversion run with just under three minutes left – on what the Redskins contended was another erroneous call. The Redskins got the ball back at their 40 with 1 minute 6 seconds to go, but Frerotte was sacked on first down and his fourth-and-seven completion to Asher got only six yards.

"It's just hard," Redskins defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield said. "It's very disgusting. You look at our roster and see the talent of the players there, it's just disgusting."

Said Coach Norv Turner: "I thought it was an extremely physical game. Philadelphia executed and made key plays at different spots in the game. We certainly had opportunities. . . . Our guys are frustrated, down – exactly what you would expect the mood to be. . . . Each guy knows what his job is. Each guy has to be accountable for himself."

Turner also said Frerotte would start against the Vikings, ending a string of five consecutive starts by Green.

It was only the sixth game in NFL history – and the first since 1984 – between two teams with records of 0-5 or worse. The fans packed the stadium, but they came prepared for the worst. They began booing the Eagles after their sixth offensive play of the game.

Eagles Coach Ray Rhodes didn't exactly gloat over the win, saying: "It's not a big step from 0-5 to 1-5, and it's nothing to be overjoyed about. It's good to have a win. But we're still 1-5 and the sense of urgency is still there."

The mistakes began for the Redskins on their second possession, which began at the Philadelphia 45. Rookie tight end Stephen Alexander was called for a false-start penalty. Green missed a handoff to Allen and was forced to run, getting eight yards. Green then was sacked when he fell to the turf after stumbling as he dropped back, regained his footing, then misstepped again. On third and 18, the Redskins called a timeout. When they ran a play, Green was hit from behind by Eagles defensive end Al Wallace and fumbled. Defensive tackle Brandon Whiting scooped up the loose ball, and his 24-yard return put the Eagles at the Washington 21.

Charlie Garner ran for two yards, and was stripped of the ball by Dishman. But with Dishman on his way in the other direction, the officials ruled that Garner's progress had been stopped and he was down. On second down from the 19, the field opened up for Peete and he easily outran Stubblefield into the end zone while the Redskins' defensive backs continued to cover Philadelphia's receivers.

The Redskins marched down the field toward a tying touchdown, and on third and one from the Eagles 5 Allen got a first down. But as he was lying on top of a pile of players on the ground at the 4, Eagles linebacker William Thomas wrestled the ball free. Safety Brian Dawkins made the recovery in the end zone, and the referees awarded possession to the Eagles while the Redskins screamed that Allen should have been called down.

"What both the line judge and head linesman ruled was that he was on top of players and his momentum hadn't stopped," referee Walt Coleman said. "He was still moving forward, attempting to get the ball into the end zone."

Allen said: "It's a judgment call. I was struggling to get an extra yard. He said I was still moving. I guess I was. . . . It's my fault for trying to get an extra yard."

Other Redskins expressed anger, especially after Frerotte wasn't given a two-point conversion when he was stopped just short of the goal line in a pileup on the ground – but rolled, he said, into the end zone.

"I don't know how they can call he's alive but I'm down," Frerotte said.

Said running back and kick returner Brian Mitchell: "I think the calls stunk. They put all the pressure on the players in this league. They make us take drug test after drug test and steroid test after steroid test. We have to answer to everything. The referees, they don't have to answer to anything."

Blanchard, the Redskins' third place kicker this season, sent a 47-yard field goal try wide left early in the second quarter. He connected on a 46-yarder after safety Leomont Evans's interception of a throw by Peete gave the Redskins the ball at the Philadelphia 32, but Chris Boniol's 44-yard field goal for Philadelphia 1:02 before the intermission made it a 10-3 game.

Turner went to Frerotte after Green failed to get the Redskins going on their first two possessions of the second half. Frerotte completed a 15-yard pass to Leslie Shepherd, then had a 20-yard completion to Asher. But the Redskins had to settle for Blanchard's 34-yard field goal after Frerotte's pass for Shepherd was knocked away in the end zone by Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent.

The Eagles converted five third downs – including a pair of third-and-16 plays – on a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that made it 17-6 with 8:32 to go. On third and goal from the 3, Redskins linebacker Ken Harvey was fooled by Peete's play-action fake to running back Duce Staley, and wide-open rookie tight end Kaseem Sinceno caught Peete's lob for the touchdown.

Mitchell's one-yard touchdown dive got the Redskins to 17-12 with 2:46 to go, but Frerotte's two-point run failed. The Eagles went three plays and out, but Frerotte couldn't work any final-drive magic.

"I hate losing," Mitchell said. "I think we were the best team out there. We just didn't make the plays to win. . . . Never in a million years did I think this would happen to us. . . . It's a nightmare."

Patton said: "We're 0-6 and everyone else has a win, so we're the worst team in the NFC East. We can't say we're better than our record. . . . We'd be fooling ourselves.