Matching stride for stride, they created a stunning image on the field at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium: wide receiver
Michael Westbrook and cornerback Darrell Green running from goal line to goal line about two hours before kickoff.
It was a welcoming sight as the Washington Redskins’ most gifted offensive player and most resilient defender
prepared to make their preseason debuts following absences from the first two games due to illness and injuries.
Coach Norv Turner was pleased with those two players’ performance after three quarters of work, despite the
Redskins’ 20-17 loss against the New England Patriots, which dropped the team to 1-2 in the preseason.
Westbrook led all receivers with five grabs for 62 yards. Others certainly had more flashy nights. Leslie Shepherd
caught a 48-yard touchdown reception to pull the Redskins within 10-7 in the third quarter; second-year pro James
Thrash intercepted a deflected pass from Jeff Hostetler late in the game, and rookie tight end Stephen Alexander
followed suit for a two-yard reception and the Redskins’ second touchdown moments later.
However, Westbrook was the most consistent of the receivers, especially in the first half, when Frerotte’s passing
game was at its weakest.
“Michael played really well tonight,” Frerotte added. “He ran pretty terrific routes, and I could have thrown to him
more if we hadn’t been under pressure. He was not always the primary receiver; he may be second or third. But he
had a wonderful night.”
Westbrook declined to comment in the locker room following the game.
Green, who was also solid, reinforced his preseason prediction that Westbrook will have a career year. “I saw a
different individual, a different athlete, a truer man,” he remarked. “Some may say I stuck my neck out. But
Westbrook will be the man I know he can be, both personally and professionally. “I am his biggest fan.”
Without Westbrook in the lineup, the Redskins’ passing game struggled. He missed the first two games due to a
recurrence of the leg infection that had sidelined him 13 months earlier. Shepherd caught only two catches during his
absence in two preseason games.
