Both of the teams facing each other for the NFC
Championship on January 17, 1988 had concerns coming into the postseason.
While the Washington Redskins won the NFC East with an 11-4 record in the
strike-affected season, Head Coach Joe Gibbs’ team had to overcome problems
along the way. QB Jay Schroeder was erratic and split time with 32-year-old veteran
QB Doug Williams, who took over the job in the playoffs. RB George Rogers was
hampered by a toe injury, necessitating the use of unproven rookie RB Timmy
Smith, who joined with veteran Kelvin Bryant, an outstanding third-down
receiver out of the backfield. The receiving corps was strong, as well as the
offensive line. DE Charles Mann emerged as a star across from the talented but
erratic Dexter Manley and veteran CB Darrell Green was joined by talented
newcomers in the defensive backfield. The Redskins got past the Bears in their
Divisional Playoff game.
The Minnesota Vikings, coached by Jerry Burns, lost all
three of the games that included replacement players and then barely made it
into the playoffs with an 8-7 record after losing three of their last four
regular season games, including one to the Redskins. However, they thrashed New
Orleans in the Wild Card Playoff and then won a stunning upset over the
top-ranked 49ers in the Divisional round to advance to the conference title
game. QB Wade Wilson played well in place of injured starting QB Tommy Kramer
and WR Anthony Carter averaged 24.3 yards per catch during the season and lit
up San Francisco for 227 yards. The defensive line was outstanding and included
ends Chris Doleman, a converted linebacker, and Doug Martin and tackles Keith
Millard and Henry Thomas. SS Joey Browner was a solid Pro Bowl-level
contributor.
It was a mostly cloudy day in the thirties with 55,212 in
attendance at RFK Stadium. The Vikings drove to the Washington 35 in the first
series of the game before having to punt. Bucky Scribner’s kick was downed at
the two. George Rogers ran twice for 12 yards to give the Redskins some room. A
Doug Williams pass to WR Gary Clark and another carry by Rogers got Washington
out to the 30 before WR Ricky Sanders took off for 28 yards on a reverse.
Williams tossed two incomplete passes before, on third-and-ten, he hit Kelvin
Bryant for a 42-yard touchdown to complete the 98-yard drive. Ali Haji-Sheikh
added the extra point to give the home team a 7-0 lead.
Minnesota went three-and-out on its next possession and,
to make matters worse, Scribner’s punt traveled only 19 yards, thus giving the
Redskins good field position at their 45. However, after advancing to the
Minnesota 21, Haji-Sheikh missed on a 38-yard field goal attempt that hit the
right upright. The score remained unchanged heading into the second quarter.
The game settled into a defensive struggle with neither
club able to sustain a drive. On a first down play with just over five minutes
remaining in the half, the Redskins got something going when Timmy Smith took
off on a 34-yard carry to the Minnesota 31. However, they gained just two more
yards before Haji-Sheikh attempted another field goal, this time from 47 yards,
and failed again.
The Vikings struck back quickly as Wade Wilson threw to
TE Steve Jordan for 36 yards. Three plays later, Wilson connected with WR Leo
Lewis for a 23-yard TD and, with Chuck Nelson adding the point after, the score
was tied at 7-7, which was the score at halftime.
The teams again traded punts during the third quarter,
battling for field position, until a pass by Wilson that was tipped by DT Dave
Butz was picked off by LB Mel Kaufman to give the Redskins the ball at the
Minnesota 17. Four plays later, Haji-Sheikh kicked a 28-yard field goal to put
Washington ahead by 10-7.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings put together a
10-play drive that went 52 yards. Wilson hit Anthony Carter (pictured at right) for a 23-yard gain
to the Washington 30 and throws to RB Allen Rice for 15 yards and Jordan for 9
got the ball inside the ten. But with first-and-goal at the three, Minnesota
was unable to cross the goal line on three running plays and settled for
Nelson’s game-tying field goal from 18 yards.
The Redskins responded by going 70 yards in eight plays,
the first four of which were runs by Smith. Williams then went long for Clark
to pick up 43 yards to the Minnesota 11. Another Williams pass to Clark was
good for a seven-yard touchdown that put Washington ahead to stay.
There were still over five minutes left on the clock as
the Vikings regained possession following a 28-yard kickoff return by RB Darrin
Nelson. With Wilson completing five passes along the way, Minnesota advanced to
the Washington six. However, three throws fell incomplete, including the last
one on fourth down that bounced off Nelson’s hands. The Redskins became NFC
Champions by a score of 17-10.
Washington led in total yards (280 to 259) although the
Vikings had more first downs (16 to 11). The Redskins were stronger on the
ground (161 yards to 76). They also accumulated eight sacks, with two apiece by
Dave Butz and Dexter Manley, while the Vikings had none (pictured at top #72 Manley and Butz at right). Minnesota also
suffered the game’s only turnover.
Doug Williams completed only 9 of 26 passes for 119
yards, but two were for touchdowns while none were picked off. Timmy Smith (pictured at left taking handoff from Williams), who
ran the ball a mere 29 times during the regular season, rushed for 72 yards on
13 carries while George Rogers added 46 yards on 12 attempts. Kelvin Bryant,
who had just four rushing yards on four carries, led the Redskins with four
catches, for 47 yards and a TD, while Gary Clark had 57 yards and the winning
score on his three receptions.
For the Vikings, Wade Wilson was successful on 19 of 39
throws for 243 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception and was also
the club’s leading rusher with 28 yards on four carries. Anthony Carter caught
7 passes for 85 yards. RB Alfred
Anderson had the most rushing yards of any of the team’s running backs with 25
yards on four attempts.
“The defense was
absolutely fantastic,” said an ecstatic Joe Gibbs. “They held Minnesota at bay,
and they’re a great offensive team.”
“They shut us down,” said Washington’s Gary Clark of the
Vikings defense, “but the defense kept holding for us and holding for us.”
“We’ve been sort of plagued by that all year – not
getting the ball in the end zone,” said a disappointed Coach Jerry Burns. “We
gave it everything we had. You’ve got to give some credit to the Redskins
defense.”
The Redskins, in the Super Bowl for the third time in six
years, exploded in the second quarter on the way to a big win over the Denver
Broncos. They sagged to 7-9 in 1988. Minnesota again reached the postseason as
a Wild Card team with an 11-5 record but fell to San Francisco in the
Divisional playoff round.
