By Gene Wang
Washingtonpost.com Correspondent
Web Posted: Sunday, October 11, 1998; 6:37 p.m. EDT

PHILADELPHIA – Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Mike Nolan did not need to say one word to express his sheer disgust about what had just transpired minutes earlier. His crumpled body collapsed on the floor in an almost silent locker room afterward instead told it all.

Nolan had watched his defense yield a 15-play, 75-yard drive bridging the third and fourth quarters that effectively secured the Philadelphia Eagles' 17-12 win and left the Redskins as the league's only 0-6 team.

The Redskins' failure to stop the previously winless Eagles was especially disheartening because during the drive, the usually-anemic Philadelphia offense looked like a well-oiled machine in converting a pair of third down and 16 situations.

To make it worse, the Eagles – as each of the last five opponents has done – ran the ball up the middle and through the Redskins' pair of $57 million defensive tackles, Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson, almost as if they weren't even there.

"It's just hard. It's very disgusting," said Stubblefield, brought in the offseason along with Wilkinson to strengthen a defense ranked 28th against the run last season. "Especially when you look at the roster, the talent is there. . . . I'm way past frustrated. It's sickening."

All around the Washington locker room, there were no excuses from Redskins defenders for what the Eagles were able to do almost at will during their longest drive of the game. Washington's failure to make any sort of stand resulted in a 17-6 Eagles lead with 8 minutes 32 seconds to play and followed the pattern of the Redskins' third-quarter woes this season.

The decisive drive began at the Eagles 25 with 2:40 left in the third as quarterback Rodney Peete completed a two-yard pass to fullback Kevin Turner. After running back Duce Staley's three-yard carry, the Eagles faced third and five from their 30.

Peete, with ample time to pick and choose his target, kept the drive going with a 13-yard strike to wide receiver Russell Copeland. Moments later, Staley scampered seven yards off left tackle to the 50 before time expired in the quarter.

The Redskins appeared to have put the Eagles in a near-impossible predicament when on second and three, defensive end Kenard Lang swooped in on Peete for a sack resulting in a 13-yard loss. But on the next play, Peete, again unbothered in the pocket, completed a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Irving Fryar. Fryar had gotten behind the coverage and had a step on free safety Stanley Richard.

"That's discouraging, them making the extremely long third down," a solemn Redskins Coach Norv Turner said.

The Eagles weren't done yet.

After a pass interference call against cornerback Darrell Green that put the Eagles on the Redskins 37, Staley ran four straight times to the 18. Again, the Redskins seemed to have matters in hand when Stubblefield bulled his way through the offensive line and dropped Peete for a nine-yard loss.

But facing third and 16, Peete had all the time he needed to complete a 19-yard strike to Copeland, who made a nifty grab in front of beleaguered cornerback Cris Dishman. That put the Eagles at the 8.

"That was the most frustrating point," Green said of the Eagles converting their second long third down of the drive.

Three plays later, after a pair of Staley runs to the 3, Peete executed a play-action pass to perfection. Faking the handoff, Peete turned back to his left and lofted a pass to wide-open tight end Kaseem Sinceno.

"It's fighting. Those guys just went out there and wanted the game," Stubblefield said of the Eagles' march.

And of the Redskins' inability to stop a team that only one other time this season scored more points than it did today?

"I guess [we're just not making plays]. It's time the guys look themselves in the eyes and ask if they're doing all they can," Stubblefield said. "I've run out of excuses."