LET'S GET PHYSICAL

The Redskins' Cris Dishman is one of the few NFL cornerbacks with
the size and strength to go toe-to-toe with Michael Irvin, the
Cowboys' 6'2", 207-pound Pro Bowl wideout. Irvin is notorious
for the pushes and shoves he doles out while running a pass
route, and he's also a specialist at using his big frame to
shield smaller defensive backs from the ball. The best way to
combat him, says the 6-foot, 195-pound Dishman, is to play his
game. In the Redskins' 21-16 win over the Cowboys on Oct. 13,
Irvin caught five passes for 81 yards and one score. In the
rematch on Sunday, a 17-14 Dallas win at Texas Stadium, Dishman
had the upper hand until late in the game, when Irvin caught
four passes for 64 yards, including the game-tying touchdown.
Below, Dishman, a 10-year veteran and off-season free-agent
signee, discusses the techniques he uses against perhaps the
league's most physical wide receiver.

"The first thing I think of when I see Dallas on the schedule is
Michael Irvin. The other big guys I've faced this season are the
Cardinals' Rob Moore and the Lions' Herman Moore, but neither is
as physical as Irvin. [Fellow Redskins cornerback] Darrell Green
has covered Irvin more than I have, but there isn't much advice
Darrell can give me because he's faster and smaller than me, and
our styles are so different.

"So much of the Cowboys' offense is based on timing, so I've got
to throw them off. If [Troy] Aikman's pass is supposed to be at
a spot nine yards downfield, I've got to keep Michael from
getting there on time. I'll do that by not letting him get off
the line. You can't do that all the time because he's so strong
that he'll push right past you. Sometimes I have to hold him.
The refs know it happens, but they can't always call it.

"I don't get a lot of holding penalties, because I'm good at it.
Against Michael, you have no choice but to hold. Otherwise he's
going to shove you down the field.

"I watched almost 20 hours of film this week trying to see if
Michael is doing anything different from the last time we
played, and one thing he's doing a lot more of are the
stutter-and-go routes. He'll go nine yards, stutter-step and
then blast past the cornerback. My best defense is to bump him
at the line and then do it some more.

"Our standard coverage has Darrell and me playing man-to-man.
The safeties move up to help stop the run. That leaves Michael
and me, and it can get rough. That's fine with me. I was born
for this."

--RICHARD DEUTSCH

COLOR PHOTO: PHIL HUBER Dishman held Irvin in check until late in the game.[Michael Irvin and Cris Dishman in game]