Cunningham Helps Eagles Takes Steam Out of Redskin Start

Randall Cunningham tried, but he just couldn’t upstage himself.

After Cunningham’s fifth touchdown pass of the game, a four-yarder to Keith Jackson with 52 seconds left gave the Philadelphia Eagles an improbable 42-37 victory over the Washington Redskins Sunday, Cunningham made an announcement.

“They gave me a five-year extension in my contract,” he said. “Maybe that’s the reason I played well today.”

The Eagles are lucky they closed the deal when they did. After what he did to the Redskins, Cunningham may want to renegotiate.

Cunningham completed 34 of 46 passes for 447 yards and hit Jackson for three of five touchdowns, bringing Philadelphia (2-0) back from deficits of 20-0 and 27-7 for their first victory over Washington (0-2) since 1985.

“I think this has been our biggest game because we were down and we won here in Washington,” Cunningham said. “We were down, we were out, but we didn’t lose our heads.”

The impressive comeback seemed destined to fall short, however, with the Redskins holding a 37-35 lead and running out the clock with just over a minute remaining.

Then Washington’s Gerald Riggs, who rushed for 221 yards, fumbled the ball and linebacker Al Harris recovered for the Eagles. As he was being tackled, Harris lateraled to Wes Hopkins, who ran 77 yards to the Washington four-yard line.

It took one play for Cunningham to put the finishing touches on the victory.

“It was an unbelieveable set of circumstances out there,” Coach Joe Gibbs said after watching his Redskins commit six turnovers. “This is one of the toughest losses I’ve ever been associated with.”

Especially the way it started out, with the Redskins scoring on their first two offensive plays--an 80-yard pass play from Mark Rypien to Gary Clark and a 41-yard run by Riggs.

Moments later, after Washington cornerback Brian Davis picked off a Cunningham pass and returned it the Philadelphia 12, Rypien tossed an 11-yard scoring pass to Earnest Byner and it was 20-0.

Philadelphia finally scored on its next possession when Cunningham capped an 80-yard drive by scrambling to his left and flipping a 17-yard scoring pass to Jackson.

Washington bounced right back, getting a 46-yard run from Riggs in an 80-yard drive that ended with a five-yard pass from Rypien to Clark that made it 27-7 early in the second quarter.

Seemingly in total control, the Redskins committed turnovers on three of their next five possessions to spark Philadelphia’s rally.

Cunningham’s five-yard scoring pass to Cris Carter pulled the Eagles to within 30-28 with 12:39 left. Moments later, after a Washington fumble, Philadelphia had a chance to take the lead, but Luis Zendejas was wide left on a 33-yard field-goal attempt.

Washington scored what appeared to be the clinching touchdown on a 43-yard pass play from Rypien to Art Monk with 3:06 left.

Philadelphia cut the margin to 37-35 on a two-yard pass from Cunningham to Mike Quick with 1:48 left, but it appeared the Eagles wouldn’t get the ball again after Riggs ripped off a 58-yard run on the first play after the kickoff.