Missed Kick Gives Redskins a 20-17 Victory

The Washington Redskins won their third straight game Sunday because Doug Williams played like he hadn’t been away for 5 weeks and Kelvin Bryant ran for 140 yards and caught passes for another 70.

But they also needed a missed field goal from an old teammate in the closing seconds to beat the Green Bay Packers, 20-17.

Max Zendejas missed a 24-yard field goal with 11 seconds to go--his second miss of the fourth quarter--after the Packers had moved from their own 32 to the Washington 5 in the final 3 minutes.

“I knew Max Zendejas wouldn’t let us down,” said the Redskins’ Dexter Manley. “He is a true Redskin.”

Zendejas, who was criticized by his former teammates when he missed 5 field goals and 5 extra points while with the Redskins in 1986, sent his 24-yard attempt wide left.

Chip Lohmiller’s 20-yard field goal with 10:59 left turned out to be the winning points for the Redskins (5-3).

Green Bay (2-6) had its 2-game winning streak broken after taking a 17-10 lead early in the second half on Don Majkowski’s 8-yard pass to Keith Woodside, 2 plays after a Redskin fumble.

But Williams, playing for the first time since a Sept. 21 appendectomy, drove the Redskins 77 yards for the tying score.

Bryant made a leaping catch for a 13-yard touchdown to cap the 7-minute, 13-play drive with 6:26 left in the third quarter to make it 17-17.

On their next possession, the Redskins held the ball for almost 10 minutes and when their drive stalled at the Packer 2, Lohmiller connected on what turned out to be the game-winning kick.

Green Bay’s Kenny Stills intercepted Williams and returned to the Packer 34 but the Redskins defense stopped the Packers on 2 straight short yardage running plays. Zendejas then missed a 46-yarder.

The Packers got the ball back with 3:17 left and Majkowski’s 41-yard pass to Sterling Sharpe and a 14-yard keeper got the ball to the Washington 12. The Packers got 7 yards on 2 running plays and Majkowski missed a third-down pass before Zendejas trotted on and missed the kick as the Redskin players danced in joy.