Redskins Make Return to Form, 24-17 : NFC: Howard scores first NFL touchdown on punt return as Super Bowl champions stifle Atlanta.

Desmond Howard and Deion Sanders engaged in some big-play one-upsmanship Sunday when the Washington Redskins played the Atlanta Falcons.

Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner from Michigan, scored for the Redskins on a 55-yard punt return on a trick play in the second quarter.

Sanders, playing his first game after working out a double-duty agreement this week between the Falcons and baseball’s Atlanta Braves, returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.

The Redskins, however, stymied the Falcons’ four-wideout offense and emerged with a 24-17 victory.

The Redskins (1-1) kept the ball away from the Falcons (1-1) with some routine scoring drives and two spirited defensive stands.

With 12 minutes left in the first half and the Redskins leading, 7-0, Washington’s Brian Mitchell fielded Scott Fulhage’s punt at the Redskins’ 42. He ran to the 45, and threw a cross-field lateral to Howard just before he was tackled.

Howard caught the ball at the 42, ran down the sideline, cut back at the five to avoid two tacklers and score his first NFL touchdown.

“We’ve had that play in our playbook since 1983,” said special teams coach Wayne Sevier, “but when we drafted Desmond, the minute after that, I knew we were going to run that play.”

Not to be outdone, Sanders took Chip Lohmiller’s kick at the one, ran up the middle, cut right at the 30, then ran down the sideline untouched.

“That’s typical Deion Sanders,” Falcon cornerback Tim McKyer said. “He makes things happen. Any time you play a game, you want your best players in. He plays to win, and I like to play with guys like that.”

The Redskins scored again on their next possession when Mark Rypien connected with Gary Clark on a 16-yard touchdown pass.

The Falcons got their second big play when Chris Miller and Michael Haynes teamed up for an 89-yard touchdown pass play.

The Redskins used an 11-play, 43-yard drive to set up a 41-yard field goal by Lohmiller in the third quarter. At that point, the Falcons had just two first downs.

“We were sitting on the sideline, rested, and our offense was moving the ball up and down the field,” said Washington defensive tackle Tim Johnson. “That made it easy for us to play aggressively.”

“I think our offense was focused on holding the ball,” Redskin Coach Joe Gibbs said. “I don’t know what the time of possession was, but I felt like we were controlling things.”

The Redskins had possession for 39:51, the Falcons 20:09.

Rypien completed 18 of 28 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

The Redskin defense, which had been having trouble stopping the run, shut down the Falcons.

Miller, with 13 yards on scrambles, was the Falcons’ leading rusher.

The Falcons gained only 34 yards rushing, converted only two of 10 third-down chances and gained 266 total yards.

They had only seven first downs.

“We played well, but we also did enough things that could have cost us the ballgame,” Gibbs said. “The mistakes we made almost cost us.”

Atlanta Coach Jerry Glanville felt the same way.

“I’m disappointed that we made some mistakes,” he said. “A lot of people played as hard as they can play.”

The Falcons’ other big play came when Ken Tippins recovered a fumbled fair catch by Mitchell on a punt at the Washington 22. A 20-yard pass from Miller to Tony Jones got Atlanta to the one, but the Falcons had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Norm Johnson.

Trailing, 24-17, Miller threw his first interceptions in 141 attempts, dating to last season.