From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro,dc.redskins
Subject: Washington Redskins News - 12/14/92
Date: 14 Dec 92 13:48:17 GMT
Reply-To: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Followup-To: rec.sport.football.pro
Organization: Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center


		   Washington Redskins News
		      December 14, 1992

The Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-17 in a highly
emotional game at the RFK Stadium yesterday.  There was a play in the 
last few minutes of the game that brought yells for the return of the 
instant-replay.  This controversial play certainly won't be forgotten 
for a long time.

With 3:25 seconds left in the game, the Redskins trailing 17-13, and 
the Cowboys backed up against their own end zone at Dallas 5 on second 
and 7, Dallas decided to try a short pass to give the punter more 
room.  Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman dropped back into the end zone 
and looked to his right for a receiver.  

However, DT Jason Buck (#99), a strictly run-play player who normally
would have been on the sideline if the Cowboys were anywhere but 
backed up against their own end zone with more than three minutes left, 
put on a heavy rush up the middle against Dallas star center Mark 
Stepnoski and threw Stepnoski back into Aikman.  Then, Buck reached 
over Stepnoski's shoulder and smashed the ball out of Aikman's hand as
Aikman brought his arm forward, and the ball fell.  Actually, the ball 
stopped momentarily - frozen in midair - with Aikman's hand on one side 
and Buck's on the other.  Then the ball squirted free to Smith - the
man who will be asked for a long time why he decided to fumble this 
game away on purpose.  

Officials ruled a fumble, saying the ball never left his hand.  

RB Emmitt Smith picked up the fumble and immediately was tackled by 
LB Andre Collins (#55) and SS Danny Copeland (#26).  Smith then 
deliberately fumbled the ball in an apparent attempt to push the 
ball out of the end zone, but the ball was recovered in the end zone 
by Copeland for a touchdown.  

Some of you may remember that Jason Buck was cut off by another team 
last year because of his size.  The Redskins picked him up and put 
him in weight program.

For some minutes Copeland celebrated alone since he was the only 
person in America who knew he had the ball.  As the referees dug 
through a massive pile - which contained no ball - Copeland eventually 
returned to the scene, pled his case and was believed by the officials.  
No, the ball was not some fraudulent duplicate dug up on the Redskins
bench.

Now, how did the ball happen to be at the Dallas 5 in first place?

The Washington Redskins managed to move the ball to the Dallas 2 
before the Redskins offense stalled.  Now, fourth down and 2, Rypien 
threw for Clark in the left corner of the end zone and the ball was 
barely overthrown.  Hence, the Cowboys got the ball back at their own 
two.  The Cowboys managed to move the ball three yards to the Dallas 5
before The Fumble happened.

The Redskins (9-5) scored their third straight victory in front of 
56,437 at roaring, swaying RFK Stadium.  They failed to clinch a 
playoff spot when Green Bay (8-6) defeated Houston last night.  The 
Redskins still can wrap up a playoff spot with a victory over the 
Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia next Sunday.

If the Redskins don't defeat the Eagles, the playoff picture becomes
much murkier, with the Vikings, Packers, and Redskins jockeying for
the final two spots.

If a game ever had everything, this one did.  The Redskins pulled
out every trick play in their arsenal.  Earnest Byner threw a 
41-yard halfback pass to Terry Orr for a touchdown.  The Redskins
used a flea flicker, a reverse, a fake-reverse pass and a fake
reverse on a kickoff.  In the final four minutes, the Redskins
even went for fourth and goal from the 2-yard line - and failed.
That's how the Cowboys got backed so deeply for Buck's forced
fumble of Aikman.

The Cowboys countered in razzle-dazzle with a successful fourth
quarter run from punt formation that, for a while, looked like it
might turn the game.

For those who wanted soap-opera melodrama, the Darrell Green vs.
Michael Irvin confrontation was too good to be true.  Irvin caught
his 105 yards worth of passes after threatening during the week that
he was "going after" Green's right arm, which was broken early in
the season.

However, on a fourth-quarter play that helped shape the final 10
minutes, Green smashed Irvin - with his right arm - just moments 
after Irvin had caught a 20-yard pass for a first down.  Copeland
recovered the fumble and the ball was stuck in the Cowboys end
for the next eight minutes until Copeland's second fumble recovery
ultimately decided the game.

"The arm that they were going to 'go after' got them," said 
Copeland, gleefully.  "The arm ended up winning."

Still, in the Redskins locker room, nobody was talking much except
Buck's play.  By NFL standards, DE Charles Mann is a star and Buck 
is a duck.  So Mann was surprised when in the Redskins' defense
huddle just moment before The Play Jason Buck turned to Mann and
said, "I'm going to cause a fumble on this play and you're going
to recover it for a touchdown."  Buck, who played defensive tackle
only because the battered Redskins couldn't come up with anybody
else, not only forced the fumble, but he called his shot, too.
True, Mann didn't recover the fumble in the Dallas end zone, but a
Redskin in burgundy and gold did.  Mann said, "I just stood there
like a dummy and watched.  I couldn't believe it.  Jason did just
what he said he was going to do.  I was so stunned I didn't react."


Source: The Washington Post, December 14, 1992




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 Steve Williams                           swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil
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