WP:Late Lead Slips Away Again and Redskins Fall to 4-8

[TK]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23063-2003Nov30.html

Late Lead Slips Away Again and Redskins Fall to 4-8

From Staff and Wire Reports

Sunday, November 30, 2003; 7:14 PM

The Redskins surrendered a fourth-quarter lead for the third week in a row, losing to the Saints, 24-20, Sunday to fall to 4-8 in Tim Hasselback's first career start.

Tim Hasselbeck, starting his first game, threw for 118 yards in the first half for the Redskins.

New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks hit Boo Williams with a 15-yard touchdown pass with 9:44 left in the game for the winning margin in a see-saw battle at FedEx Field.

The Redskins got the ball back with 2:14 left but a fourth-down pass directed at Taylor Jacobs fell incomplete.

John Hall had given the Redskins the lead with the second of his long field goals in the second half, this one from 49 yards.

Earlier, Brooks, capitalizing on penalities by the Redskins, scored the second of his two rushing touchdowns to pull the Saints even, 17-17, in the third quarter.

The Redskins have been penalized nine times (120 yards), including three pass interference penalties on Champ Bailey. The Saints capitalized on two of those to set up Brooks's touchdown runs.

Chad Morton took a kickoff back 94 yards to give the Redskins a lead in the second quarter.

Morton's score, his first on a return for the Redskins, followed a 25-yard field goal from the Saints' John Carney, a kick set up by a 52-yard run by Deuce McAllister, who is having a big day for New Orleans. McAllister had 165 yards on 29 carries, the ninth consecutive game that he has gained more than 100 yards.

Earlier, Rock Cartwright scored from two yards out to pull the Redskins even, 7-7, in the second quarter.

Rock Cartwright scores from two yards out in the second quarter to tie the score at 7-7.

It was an 11-play, 77-yard drive for Washington, with the big plays being passes from Tim Hasselbeck to Laveranues Coles for 21 and 14 yards. Hasselbeck was 10-of 21 for 118 yards in the first half of his first NFL start.

He fumbled on a scramble with about 11 minutes left in the third quarter. The Saints' Ashley Ambrose recovered and returned the ball 25 yards to the Washington 40. The Redskins were hit with a face mask penalty too, giving the Saints a first down on Washington's 25. But the Redskins held, and Carney missed a 48-yarder.

The Redskins took adavantage of the break and went 35 yards in eight plays and John Hall hit a 45-yard field goal to put Washington up by a touchdown, 17-10, midway in the third.

The Saints scored first. Aaron Brooks scored on a 7-yard quarterback draw on the first play of the second quarter. The score was set up a 40-yard pass interference penalty on Champ Bailey. Washington's first, and the running of Deuce McAllister, who had 66 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter.

The Saints won the toss and took the ball and have moved into Washington territory largely on the strength of runs by McAllister and Joe Horn. But Fred Smoot knocked down a third-down pass attempt and John Carney's 51-yard field goal was short.

John Hall's 49-yard field goal gave the Redskins their final lead, but the defense failed to hold the edge once again.

Scoring Plays

First Quarter

None

Second Quarter

15:00: Aaron Brooks up the middle for 7 yards -- Saints 7, Redskins 0

3:53: Rock Cartwright around right end for 2 yards -- Saints 7, Redskins 7

2:29: John Carney, 25-yard field goal -- Saints 10, Redskins 7

2:24: Chad Morton, 94-yard kickoff return -- Redskins 14, Saints 10

Third Quarter

6:07: Hall, 45-yard field goal -- Redskins 17, Saints 10

:45: Brooks, up the middle for 3 yards -- Redskins 17, Saints 17

Fourth Quarter

12:58: Hall, 49-yard field goal -- Redskins 20, Saints 17

9:44: Brooks, 15-yard pass to Boo Williams -- Saints 24, Redskins 20