The Washington Redskins coach likes the idea of keeping the ball on the ground.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) – Steve Spurrier’s words would have sounded like heresy during his days at the University of Florida.

“It seems like when we run more and pass less, we win the game,” the coach said Monday. “Obviously, that’s what we were trying to do.”

The NFL has definitely taken its hold on the Fun ‘n’ Gun coach, whose Washington Redskins improved to 3-1 after attempting a Spurrier-low 22 passes in Sunday’s 20-17 victory over the New England Patriots.

“He’s probably more accepting of running the ball now,” said running back Ladell Betts, whose tandem with Trung Canidate accounted for most of the team’s 29 rushes for 116 yards.

And how about this admission from a coach known in college for running up the score: He’s now content to just sit on a lead, as he did Sunday after the Redskins took a 20-3 lead in the third quarter.

“We were conservative,” Spurrier said. “You can put your quarterback back there, and if he gets hit and sacked and fumbles and they pick it up and score, you’re a fool. If you run it up the middle and punt, it seems like at least you’re making the other team beat you.”

That’s normal coachspeak heard throughout the NFL – but from Spurrier?

Well, as he explained, “Winning beats losing.”

“Whatever it takes to win the game is what we’re all about here,” he said.

It’s not that Spurrier has ever disdained the run, but the ground attack was treated more as a supplement in Florida, something extra for the Gators to try after throwing a few touchdown passes to get a lead. Last season, his first in the pros, Spurrier erratically would pass too much one week and rediscover the running game the next.

This year, after four games, there’s a balance of 116 runs and 129 passes. And when the Patriots concentrated on shutting down the Redskins’ talented receivers, Spurrier didn’t have his rising young quarterback force the issue: He took what the defense gave him. There was even a 64-yard touchdown drive that comprised five runs and no passes.

“His out-of-character play-calling won the game for us,” said Patrick Ramsey, who threw only seven passes in the second half. “So I have don’t have any problem with it.”

Sitting on the lead almost didn’t work, however, as the Patriots rallied to pull within three points. That, Spurrier is learning, is an unintended consequence of running the ball more: It makes games tighter.

“I’ve never won a whole bunch of close ones in a row,” the coach said. “In fact, this is the most I think I’ve ever won – three out of four.”

All four games have been decided by three points for fewer, and the opponents haven’t exactly been full strength. But the Redskins aren’t used to being 3-1, so the players have very few complaints.

“I don’t care if we’ve played all Cincinnati Bengals teams, we’re 3-1,” cornerback Fred Smoot said. “We’re winning now. We just want to keep it going that way.”

In fact, Washington’s season to date is a classic example of the perils of predicting a team’s record by looking game-by-game at the schedule.

Going into the season, the prevalent theory was that the Redskins would be in decent shape if they could somehow eke out a 3-4 record going into the bye in late October. Six of those first seven opponents made the playoffs last year, while the November and December games looked easier.

It turns out that the opposite might be true. The New York Jets, Atlanta and New England were weaker than expected because of injuries, and next week’s trip to Philadelphia (1-2) looks more winnable than previously thought.

After the bye, however, the Redskins play four teams whose combined records are currently 10-2 – and three of those games are on the road. Dallas (2-1), Seattle (3-0) and Carolina (3-0) suddenly aren’t playing like underdogs, while Miami (2-1) has rebounded from an embarrassing opening day loss to Houston.

Spurrier knows that if the Redskins are going to make the playoffs for the first time in four years, they’ll have to play better – whether they’re running or passing. “We’ve had four close ones. We’ve been fortunate to win three of four,” Spurrier said. “I don’t know if that will always hold true. If we play extremely well, we think we can win by a couple of touchdowns somewhere down the road.”

AP-ES-09-29-03 1833EDT