Redskins Rally for 21-14 Win : Eagles Fall Apart in Fourth Quarter

Trailing 14-0 going into the final period, the playoff-bound Washington Redskins rallied on two touchdown passes by quarterback Jay Schroeder and a five-yard run by George Rogers to beat the Eagles, 21-14, Sunday.

The Redskins, who open the playoffs next Sunday against the Rams, snapped a two-game losing streak to end their regular season at 12-4.

Philadelphia finished Buddy Ryan’s first season as coach with a 5-10-1 record, the fifth straight losing season for the Eagles.

Through the first three periods, Washington had 130 yards in total offense, and Schroeder completed 9 of 22 passes for 85 yards. In the fourth period, Washington gained 134 yards and Schroeder completed 9 of 12 in the last 15 minutes for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Schroeder said Redskin Coach Joe Gibbs lost his temper at halftime.

“Nobody in the locker room ever saw him do it before. But we deserved it,” Schroeder said. “Every guy had to sit there and ask, ‘What were we doing?’ And I was first on the list.

“Every decision I made in the first three quarters was bad, whether it was throwing the ball or trying to run out of the pocket. . . .

“I have no idea why we didn’t show up for the first three quarters. There is no way to explain it.”

Gibbs wouldn’t talk about his halftime “pep talk.”

“Just say I was angry,” he said. “I almost hyper-ventilated.”

Ryan was frustrated.

“What a shame,” he said. “We go after them, play the hell out of them and don’t win. I don’t know what it takes to win.”

The Redskins started their 10-play, 80-yard first touchdown drive in the third period and completed it 14 seconds into the fourth quarter on a 26-yard pass from Schroeder to tight end Clint Didier to make it 14-7.

After a Philadelphia punt, Washington drove 64 yards in nine plays, keyed by pass completions of 22, 21, and 11 yards by Schroeder, who threw to Don Warren for the final two yards, tying the score at 14-14 with 6:33 remaining.

The Redskin defense again forced a punt and Washington, starting from its 30, went 70 yards in nine plays with Rogers’ five-yard run producing the game-winning touchdown with 2:19 to play.

Philadelphia took a 14-0 lead with a pair of first-period touchdowns, the first a 12-play, 67-yard drive capped by quarterback Randall Cunningham’s one-yard run. Cunningham triggered the drive when he eluded a sack and ran 18 yards for a first down on a third-and-eight play.

The Eagles’ second score came after Washington’s Dwight Garner fumbled the ensuing kickoff at his 28 and Philadelphia’s Charles Crawford recovered. The Eagles scored five plays later on a one-yard run by fullback Anthony Toney.

The Redskins collected five sacks, including one by end Dexter Manley, whose total of 18 1/2 sacks was second this season only to Lawrence Taylor’s 20 1/2 for the New York Giants.