Giants Start Off on the Right Foot : Allegre’s 52-Yard Field Goal Helps Beat Redskins, 27-24

It was two strong arms that staged the shootout at RFK Stadium, but it was Raul Allegre’s foot that won it.

Allegre’s 52-yard field goal as time ran out gave the New York Giants a 27-24 victory over the Washington Redskins Monday night, upstaging quarterbacks Phil Simms and Mark Rypien.

Allegre also had hit a 32-yarder 2:17 earlier to tie it after New York had squandered a 21-10 fourth-quarter lead by surrendering two touchdowns in 54 seconds to give the Redskins a 24-21 lead. The second touchdown came on Monte Coleman’s 24-yard return after an interception.

“It felt good as soon as I hit it,” said Allegre, who had missed an attempt 10 yards shorter at the end of the first half. “It looked like it was going straight and I felt I had the distance.”

It was the sixth time in seven non-strike games that the Giants have beaten the Redskins, mostly in games like this one. Giant linebacker Lawrence Taylor called it “the best Redskins-Giants game I’ve played in.”

Last year, the Giants won the opening Monday night game by coming from 13 points down to win 27-20 on a blocked punt and a fumble return.

This year, it was the Giants who took the lead, 14-0 on touchdown passes of 30 yards to Odessa Turner and 62 yards to Dave Meggett from Simms, who completed 11 passes in 19 attempts for 255 yards.

“Someday, some of you guys are going to realize he’s a great quarterback,” Giant Coach Bill Parcells said of Simms. “This wasn’t any Rembrandt, that’s for sure. But it’s a typical Redskins-Giants game.”

Rypien, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 349 yards, brought the Redskins back, although fumbles by Gerald Riggs stopped scored two scoring opportunities--one at the New York 21 in the first quarter and another at the Giants’ eight in the third. Riggs carried 24 times for 111 yards.

“It’s unusual for him to fumble,” Coach Joe Gibbs said. “He’s not known as a fumbler.”

Said Rypien: “We moved the ball well but the offense only had 17 points to show for it. They gave us a few different looks when we got inside their 20.”

Washington, with its only first-half score coming on Chip Lohmiller’s 24-yard field goal in the second quarter, cut it to 14-10 with 1:56 left in the third on a 48-yard pass to Rickey Sanders.

Sanders caught six passes in the game for 143 yards, and Gary Clark had six for 101.