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Sunday, December 17, 2000

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Washington Redskins couldn't help but feel a bit like the Washington Generals.

	Steelers linebacker Earl Holmes and Levon Kirkland make Redskins fullback Larry Centers their center of attention in the first quarter. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)

Just another faceless foe brought in to provide comic relief for a far larger show.

In this case, it was the closing of Three Rivers Stadium and the Steelers' final victory there, a 24-3 whitewash before 58,183 fans who witnessed a slice of Pittsburgh history.

And, as the story goes when those perpetually hapless Generals face the Harlem Globetrotters, hardly anyone paid heed to these sorry Redskins.

"Every single thing you could possibly mess up, we messed up," Washington defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson said. "It was ridiculous."

The Redskins, understandably, were in no mood to get all weepy-eyed or nostalgic about a crumbling concrete bowl.

They dropped to 7-8 after winning six of their first eight games, were rubbed out of the NFC's playoff picture and guaranteed they will not have a winning season. All this despite the $100 million in salaries and bonuses invested by aggressive owner Daniel Snyder.

"I think we're just snake-bitten," said Coach Terry Robiskie, who took over when Norv Turner was fired two weeks ago. "I don't know how else to explain it."

Here's a nutshell attempt:

Quarterback Jeff George completed 15 of 27 passes and was intercepted twice. The offense fumbled the ball away three times, including a ghastly poked-from-behind botch by tight end Stephen Alexander just as he was about to score a touchdown. The defense gave up 190 yards rushing, marking the fifth consecutive game it has allowed 140 or more. And the special teams appeared to part the Three Rivers to make room for a 53-yard punt return by Hank Poteat.

It seemed apparent to all but Robiskie that the Redskins looked very much like a team that can't wait for the off-season to start.

"I know what they were saying over there," Robiskie said, referring to the Steelers' locker room. "They were saying, 'Punch them in the mouth, make them quit and go home.' Obviously, we were telling this to our guys before the game, saying, 'Hey, here's what they think of us.' Well, they might have punched us in the mouth, but I don't think we quit and went home. Right to the end, I think we played hard."

The players were considerably less satisfied with their effort.

"It's the same thing every week, and I'm getting tired of it," linebacker Shawn Barber said. "I'm getting tired of answering all the same questions, too. We made a lot of mistakes, and the Steelers took advantage of them."

Barber shunned the notion that the jubilant atmosphere at Three Rivers played a role in Washington's most resounding defeat of the year.

"No way. I was emotional about it, too, just like they were. I'm just as big a football fan as the guys in the other room. I know what this place means for football."

Several other Redskins gave the Steelers' doomed home a bit of credit.

"This is one of the best crowds in the NFL, and they were really into it," said defensive end Nolan Harrison, who played for the Steelers until this season. "We knew we had to take the crowd out of it. But the only way to do that is to make the big play, and we didn't do that."

"Today was a special day for Pittsburgh, and we all were aware that it would be when we came," offensive tackle Andy Heck said. "Their fans were just unbelievable. Even with the rain, their enthusiasm was just unbelievable."

Heck, a 12-year veteran, takes pride in his knowledge of all things football. And he, perhaps more than any Washington player, soaked in the rich atmosphere yesterday.

"To me, this is a real football stadium. No, it doesn't have the best facilities, and the turf is lousy. But I like it. I always have. You come to a place like this, and there's always some crusty old guy attending to you in the locker room. You've got beer on ice waiting for you after the game. Hey, you can't get that in the new places."

While Steelers legends enjoyed postgame ceremonies on the field, Washington's players hurriedly packed their bags and bolted for the bus. Even the typically chatty Deion Sanders raced out of the locker room without a word.

Who knows?

Maybe the Redskins were rushing to enter that $10 raffle to blow up the old place.