49ers Embarrass Redskins

In his first NFL start, Trent Green gave a decent Steve Young impersonation. Unfortunately for the Washington Redskins, the real thing is off to the best start of his 14-year career.

Young

It was the worst home loss for the Redskins since a 45-0 defeat to Philadelphia in 1948 and the worst loss in coach Norv Turner's five-year tenure.

The Redskins (0-2) have given up 69 points in two games.

Picking apart one of the best secondaries in the league, Young completed 21 of 32 passes for 303 yards, giving him six TD passes and 666 yards after two weeks -- his best two-game start ever. The 49ers (2-0), who have scored 74 points in the two games, might have run up more had they not committed nine penalties, including a couple of false starts that killed an early drive.

On three consecutive drives in the first half, Young hit Terrell Owens over the middle for a 20-yard score, Irv Smith on the sideline for a 16-yard strike -- set up by a 57-yard completion to Jerry Rice -- and sneaked behind center Chris Dalman on a 3-yard score that split Wilkinson and ex-teammate Stubblefied and left them gasping for air at the line of scrimmage.

In

Trent Green and the Redskins were bowled over by the 49ers. (AP)

Green, given the start after Gus Frerotte struggled and was injured last week, was 14-for-24 for 201 yards and used Young-like mobility to roll out and escape the 49ers' rush. He was 4-for-4 and hit Leslie Shepherd for a touchdown on the Redskins opening drive and was 11-of-16 in the first half.

But the Redskins essentially let the game slip away when they lost 10 points late in the second quarter because of frustratingly familiar gaffes from Michael Westbrook and Scott Blanton.

Westbrook, apparently retaliating for an earlier personal foul-face mask penalty against Antonio Langham, committed the same offense in return near the goal line to negate a touchdown pass to Shepherd. It was reminiscent of a Sunday night game last year against the Giants, when Westbrook yanked his helmet off to draw a personal foul penalty that cost vital field position in overtime.

After Westbrook's penalty, Blanton hit the left upright on a 34-yard field goal attempt. Less than two minutes later, Blanton, who struggled to keep his job during training camp, hit the crossbar to miss a 47-yarder on the final play of the first half.

With Green forced to play catch-up in the second half, sacks and turnovers inevitably followed, and the final two quarters were played almost exclusively in the Redskins' half of the field. A tipped pass for an interception, a fumble and a bad punt all led to 49ers scores.

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