1964: Jurgensen’s 5 TD Passes Lead Redskins to Win Against Eagles

Two quarterbacks involved in a highly celebrated trade during the previous offseason met up with their new teams for the first time as the Washington Redskins hosted the Philadelphia Eagles on October 11, 1964. Coached by Bill McPeak, the Redskins, who had not compiled a winning record since 1955 and were 3-11 in ’63, had obtained QB Sonny Jurgensen (pictured at right) from the Eagles for QB Norm Snead. Jurgensen was 30 and an accomplished long passer, although injuries had hindered him the previous two years. There was an outstanding deep receiver available in flanker Bobby Mitchell and rookie HB Charley Taylor provided an able runner from scrimmage as well as receiver out of the backfield. Thus far, Washington had not profited, having gotten off to an 0-4 start.

The Eagles had gone from NFL Champions in 1960 to a last-place club in 1962 and ’63 and were in their first year under new Head Coach/GM Joe Kuharich, who had been quick to revamp the roster with multiple trades upon his arrival. Norm Snead was five years younger than Jurgensen and had endured a tough tenure in Washington after taking over the starting job immediately as a rookie in 1961. Other key players on Philadelphia’s offense included TE Pete Retzlaff and HB Timmy Brown, an all-purpose back who twice set NFL records for total yards the previous two seasons. The Eagles were 2-2 coming into the game at Washington.   

There were 49,219 fans in attendance at D.C. Stadium. The Redskins got the first break when, following a three-and-out possession, FB Israel “Izzy” Lang fumbled the resulting punt and Washington got the ball back at the Philadelphia 46. On the next play, Sonny Jurgensen threw to flanker Bobby Mitchell for a 29-yard gain. Two carries by Charley Taylor picked up another 15 yards, but the drive stalled at the four and the home team came up empty when Jim Martin’s 11-yard try for a field goal hit the goal post.

A short series by the Eagles ended with a punt and this time Washington didn’t fail to score, advancing 68 yards in seven plays. Jurgensen passed to Mitchell for a 29-yard touchdown and Martin added the extra point.

The home team regained possession shortly thereafter when Timmy Brown fumbled and SS Jim Steffen recovered at the Philadelphia 22. Two plays later, Jurgensen threw to FB J.W. Lockett for a 22-yard TD, Martin converted, and the Redskins were up by 14-0.

That remained the score throughout the second quarter as the Eagles were unable to move effectively on offense and two Jurgensen passes were intercepted. With time running out in the first half, Jurgensen connected with Mitchell (pictured at left) once again for a gain of 56 yards to the Philadelphia nine and followed up with another toss to the star flanker for a touchdown. Martin’s PAT gave the Redskins a 21-0 halftime lead.

The Eagles got a 43-yard kickoff return by HB Ollie Matson to start the third quarter and advanced 59 yards in three plays. Norm Snead threw to Pete Retzlaff for 11 yards and, after the Redskins were penalized 15 yards, Brown carried twice, for six yards and then a 27-yard TD. Sam Baker converted to make it a 21-7 tally.

A short Washington series ended with a punt, rookie FS Paul Krause intercepted a Snead pass, and the Redskins were forced to punt again. Starting from midfield, the Eagles got another big play from Brown, who carried for a gain of 36 yards. Three plays later, it was Brown catching a toss from Snead for a 14-yard touchdown. Baker’s extra point attempt was unsuccessful, but the visitors were now just eight points behind at 21-13.

The Eagles attempted an onside kick that LB Jimmy Carr, who had gone from Philadelphia to Washington as part of the Jurgensen for Snead trade, recovered for the Redskins at their 38. LB Maxie Baughan sacked Jurgensen for a loss of four yards, but Jurgensen then threw a short pass to Taylor who grabbed it at the line of scrimmage and made his way downfield in spectacular fashion for a 66-yard TD. Martin added the point after and Washington was up by 28-13.

Philadelphia responded with a ten-play drive that resulted in another Brown touchdown, this time on a five-yard run. Baker was successful on the extra point and the third quarter ended with the Redskins ahead by 28-20.

Washington had the ball as the final period commenced and drove 67 yards in seven plays for what proved to be the game-clinching score. Jurgensen completed four straight passes, the longest to Lockett for 18 yards, and after misfiring connected with Taylor for a 24-yard TD. Martin’s point after gave the Redskins a comfortable 15-point lead. The Eagles managed to threaten only once more, when a drive to the Washington 24 ended with an incomplete pass on a fourth-and-12 play and the Redskins won by a final score of 35-20.

Washington easily led in total yards (434 to 221), especially in terms of net passing yards (361 to 95), and also had the edge in first downs (17 to 16). Both teams recorded three quarterback sacks apiece while the Eagles turned the ball over three times, to two by the Redskins. Washington was penalized 10 times, at a cost of 96 yards, to two flags for 20 yards thrown on Philadelphia.

Sonny Jurgensen was impressive against his former team as he completed 22 of 33 passes for 385 yards and five touchdowns while being intercepted twice. Bobby Mitchell was the chief recipient of those throws with 12 catches for 183 yards and two TDs. Charley Taylor rushed for 61 yards on 22 attempts and gained 92 yards on three pass receptions, two of which went for touchdowns.

For the Eagles, Norm Snead was far less successful than Jurgensen in his return to Washington, connecting on only 12 of 35 throws for 126 yards and a TD while giving up one interception. Timmy Brown (pictured at right) ran for 101 yards on 14 rushing attempts, two of which scored touchdowns, and scored a third TD on one of his two catches for 12 yards. Pete Retzlaff caught 5 passes for 38 yards.

The win against Philadelphia marked something of a turnaround for the Redskins. While they lost to the Cardinals the next week, they then won five of their next six games, including the rematch with the Eagles, on the way to a 6-8 record. That tied them for third place in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia, which won its next two contests but then faded during the season’s second half.

Sonny Jurgensen ranked second in the NFL with 207 pass completions, 2934 yards, and 24 TD passes. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl. So were Bobby Mitchell, who had 60 catches for 904 yards (15.1 avg.) and 10 TDs (tying for the league lead with Johnny Morris of the Bears and LA’s Bucky Pope) and Charley Taylor, who placed third with 1589 all-purpose yards and received Rookie of the Year recognition as well.

Timmy Brown missed four games due to injury but still scored 10 touchdowns as he rushed for 356 yards and five TDs and caught 15 passes for 244 yards and another five scores. Adding in kick returns, he gained 1388 all-purpose yards.

Norm Snead had a typically uneven year, completing 48.8 percent of his passes for 1906 yards and 14 touchdowns while giving up 12 interceptions, and two of the team’s wins came with other quarterbacks behind center. He and Jurgensen would always be linked by the trade between the Eagles and Redskins and this first post-deal matchup between the two yielded a typical result. Washington went 9-2-2 in games between the teams in which Jurgensen and Snead went head-to-head.

1967: Kelly & Browns Overcome Late Charge by Jurgensen & Redskins

The Cleveland Browns were 6-4 and, in this first season in which the NFL conferences were broken down into divisions, at the top of the Century Divison of the Eastern Conference as they hosted the Washington Redskins on November 26, 1967. Head Coach Blanton Collier’s Browns had an outstanding running tandem in HB Leroy Kelly (pictured at right) and FB Ernie Green. Despite assorted injuries, Frank Ryan was still an effective quarterback and had excellent receivers in split end Paul Warfield and flanker Gary Collins.

The Redskins were coached by an ex-quarterback, Otto Graham, and boasted an outstanding aerial game that generated lots of points. QB Sonny Jurgensen was an accomplished passer and had a receiving corps of split end Charley Taylor, flanker Bobby Mitchell, and TE Jerry Smith that was top rate. However, the running game was far less impressive and the defense could give up points as readily as the offense could score. Washington had a mediocre 4-4-2 record but was coming off of two straight wins.

There were 72,798 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. The Browns had the first possession and moved methodically and mostly on the ground with Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green carrying the load. Finally, Kelly took a flip from Frank Ryan and sped 42 yards for a touchdown to conclude the 10-play series. The venerable Lou Groza, in his 21^st year at age 43, added the extra point.

Washington responded by advancing into Cleveland territory as Sonny Jurgensen completed four passes, but another was deflected by DE Paul Wiggin and LB Johnny Brewer (pictured at left) intercepted and returned it 70 yards for a TD. Groza’s PAT put the Browns ahead by 14-0.

The Redskins advanced quickly to midfield on their next possession. HB Gerry Allen ran around end for a 30-yard gain, and he and FB A.D. Whitfield combined for another 11 yards. Jurgensen threw to Charley Taylor for eight yards to reach the Cleveland 31, but the drive stalled there and, trying to convert a fourth-and-two situation, Jurgensen was sacked by Brewer.

The Browns punted to finish out the opening period and Washington started off the second quarter by going 59 yards in five plays. Jurgensen connected with Jerry Smith for 14 yards on a third-and-seven play and then threw to Taylor for a 23-yard touchdown. Gene Mingo converted and the home team’s lead was cut to 14-7.

Ryan threw to Paul Warfield for 23 yards as the Browns reached their 45 on the next series, but on the next play Green fumbled the handoff and CB Rickie Harris recovered for the Redskins. Jurgensen completed two passes to Whitfield, the second for 24 yards to the Cleveland 20, but three incompletions were followed by a 27-yard Mingo field goal. However, the Browns quickly expanded their margin again when DB Carl Ward returned the ensuing kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown. Groza’s point after made the tally 21-10.

Jurgensen again passed the Redskins into Cleveland territory, thanks to two completions to Bobby Mitchell, but after Allen was thrown for a loss on a running play, Taylor dropped a pass and, on third-and-12, Jurgensen was sacked to force the visitors to punt. It took the Browns just four plays to score again, with Ryan passing to Warfield (pictured below) down the left sideline for a 48-yard TD. Groza again converted and Cleveland was up by 28-10.

With less than four minutes remaining in the first half, Jurgensen came out passing on Washington’s next series. Five of them hit the mark, with the last to Taylor for a 15-yard touchdown. Mingo’s successful extra point again made it an 11-point contest. There was time enough for the Browns to make one last try to add points before halftime, and Kelly gained 30 yards on a sweep to near midfield. However, Groza’s field goal attempt from 42 yards was short and the score remained 28-17 at the intermission.

The Redskins had a short series and punted to start off the third quarter. Cleveland advanced 68 yards in six plays, the big one a swing pass by Ryan to Kelly that gained 48 yards to the Washington 21. A pass into the end zone drew a penalty for face-guarding and Green ran for the final yard and a TD. Groza’s extra point made the home team’s lead 35-17.

In response, the Redskins drove 75 yards. The hardly-nimble Jurgensen scrambled for 21 yards to convert a third-and-nine situation and he had back-to-back pass completions to Whitfield for 21 and 11 yards to reach the Cleveland 20. Now it was the turn of the Browns to make a penalty on a pass into the end zone, in this instance a pass interference call on DB Ben Davis, and Allen ran for a one-yard TD. Mingo converted and once more the margin was 11 points at 35-24.

The Browns had to punt on the next series after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved them out of field goal range and Washington punted in turn. Cleveland was on the move as the game moved into the fourth quarter, helped along by the running of Kelly and Green and a 20-yard gain on a pass from Ryan to Gary Collins. Kelly ran for a 21-yard touchdown and Groza’s PAT staked the Browns to a big 42-24 margin.

The Redskins struck back quickly. On the fourth play of the ensuing series, Jurgensen went long for Mitchell and the result was a 48-yard TD. Mingo’s kick made the score 42-31. The teams then traded punts before Washington put together another scoring drive. Jurgensen completed four straight passes, two of them to Taylor (pictured below), and one to Whitfield for 12 yards to the Cleveland one, from where Allen went over for the touchdown. Mingo’s extra point attempt was partially blocked and hit the crossbar, thus keeping it a five-point margin.

There were less than three minutes remaining in the game and Kelly ran for 18 yards on Cleveland’s next play from scrimmage, but the Browns could get no more first downs and punted. With the clock down to 1:33, Jurgensen went to the air, completing passes to Jerry Smith for 17 and 21 yards and to Taylor for 19 to the Cleveland 25. But that was as close as the Redskins were able to get. The next three passes were incomplete, with one of them barely deflected by CB Erich Barnes in the end zone, and DE Bill Glass flattened Jurgensen on fourth down to effectively end the contest. Cleveland held on to win by a final score of 42-37.  

Washington had the edge in total yards (481 to 424) and first downs (33 to 19). Most of those yards came through the air as the Redskins generated 373 net passing yards, although Cleveland accumulated 203 yards on the ground. The Browns also recorded five sacks, to two by Washington, and each team turned the ball over one time apiece. Cleveland was penalized 10 times, at a cost of 148 yards, to six flags for 49 yards thrown on the Redskins. Ultimately, the interception and kickoff returns for touchdowns were the keys for the Browns.

Leroy Kelly rushed for 163 yards on 20 carries that included two touchdowns and also gained another 44 yards on two pass receptions. Frank Ryan didn’t go to the air often, completing 11 of 17 passes, but they were good for 233 yards and a TD while none were intercepted. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 96 yards and a score and Gary Collins contributed three receptions also, for 58 yards.

For the Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen had a huge performance in defeat, going to the air 50 times and completing 32 for 418 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. Three receivers went over a hundred yards, with Charley Taylor leading as he caught 11 passes for 123 yards and two TDs. Bobby Mitchell gained 106 yards on his 6 receptions that included a score and A.D. Whitfield accumulated 102 yards on 8 catches out of the backfield. Whitfield also rushed for 28 yards on 14 carries while Gerry Allen led the club with 59 yards on 14 attempts that included two short touchdowns.

The win kept the Browns a game ahead of the Giants in the Century Division and they stayed on top with a final record of 9-5. However, they were pulverized by the Cowboys in the Eastern Conference playoff. Washington ended up at 5-6-3 for third place in the Capitol Division.

Leroy Kelly passed the thousand-yard threshold for the second straight year with his fine performance against the Redskins and went on to lead the NFL in rushing with 1205 yards on 235 carries (5.1 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and also was named to the Pro Bowl.

Sonny Jurgensen (pictured at right) set new NFL records with 508 pass attempts, 288 completions, and 3747 yards (Joe Namath threw for 4007 yards in the AFL). He also led the league in TD passes (31) and passing overall (87.3 rating) and was chosen to the Pro Bowl. The 418-yard performance against Cleveland ended up being the third-highest of his Hall of Fame career.

Charley Taylor was a consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl choice as he led the NFL with 70 pass receptions, which were good for 990 yards and nine TDs. Indeed, he, Jerry Smith, and Bobby Mitchell placed first, second, and fourth, respectively, among the league’s pass receiving leaders.

1961: Mitchell & Plum Spur Browns Over Steelers

The Cleveland Browns were 3-2, having lost the previous week against Green Bay, as they took on the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 22, 1961. Head Coach Paul Brown’s team had an outstanding rushing tandem with FB Jim Brown and HB Bobby Mitchell operating behind a solid line, but the pass receivers were less impressive and now QB Milt Plum was out with a dislocated right thumb suffered against the Packers. Len Dawson, still yet to emerge in his fifth year after having been drafted by the Steelers in the first round out of Purdue in 1957, was starting in his place.

Pittsburgh, under Head Coach Buddy Parker, was 1-4 and had showed a tendency for losing close contests. QB Bobby Layne was out with a shoulder injury and Rudy Bukich, a 29-year-old career backup, was filling in. Split end Buddy Dial was a fine deep threat FB John Henry Johnson led the ground game, but age, combined with a big turnover in personnel, was a problem for the Steelers on both sides of the ball.

There were 29,266 fans in attendance at Forbes Field. The Steelers had first possession and punted, but got the ball back when CB Johnny Sample intercepted Len Dawson’s third pass. Rudy Bukich threw to Buddy Dial for 19 yards but, after advancing to the Cleveland 36, the home team came up empty when Lou Michaels was short and low on a 44-yard field goal attempt.

On Cleveland’s next series, Bobby Mitchell ran to his right and down the sideline for a 48-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 16. Two carries by HB Tom Watkins picked up six yards, but Dawson was then sacked by DT Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb and Lou Groza kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it 3-0.

The Steelers punted following a short series and, in a drive that extended into the second quarter, the Browns advanced deep into Pittsburgh territory. Jim Brown ran four consecutive times for 22 yards to start things off and Mitchell converted a fourth-and-one play with a two-yard carry. However, after Brown took a pitchout and ran 20 yards to the Pittsburgh one yard line, the great fullback fumbled while attempting to hurdle the line and safety Jackie Simpson caught the ball in the air in the end zone and returned it to the nine.

The Steelers again had to punt and the Browns, taking possession at their 49, went 51 yards in seven plays, this time not coming up empty. Brown and Mitchell ran effectively and Dawson completed a pass to Mitchell for nine yards. Mitchell gained the last six yards for a touchdown and, with Groza’s extra point, the visitors were in front by 10-0. That remained the score at halftime as the teams traded punts for the remainder of the half.

The frustrated home fans booed the Steelers as they returned to the field for the second half. The Browns edged into Pittsburgh territory on the first series of the third quarter, but a Dawson pass was picked off by CB Bill Butler and he returned it to the Cleveland 42. Now the Steelers moved effectively with John Henry Johnson and HB Tom Tracy running well. Bukich threw to Dial for a 12-yard touchdown and, adding Michaels’ PAT, which hit the crossbar but made it over, the Cleveland lead was cut to 10-7.

A short possession by the Browns was followed by a punt and, after no gain on a first down running play, Bukich connected with Dial on three straight passes for 17, 33, and 10 yards to reach the Cleveland 13. HB Dick Hoak ran twice for eight yards and, on third-and-two, Dial came through with a leaping catch that picked up three yards. On the next play, Tracy ran for a two-yard TD between the goal posts and, with Michaels successfully converting, the Steelers were ahead by 14-10.

Milt Plum was at quarterback for the next Cleveland series, and he threw to ends Leon Clarke for 23 yards and Rich Kreitling for 10 to get to the Pittsburgh 35. The drive stalled at the 29 and Groza kicked a 36-yard field goal to make it a one-point contest.

On the last play of the period, safety Bobby Franklin intercepted a Bukich pass and the Browns, taking over at the Pittsburgh 25, drove to a score in five plays. Plum had a pass to Mitchell for 11 yards along the way and it was Mitchell running the last nine yards for a touchdown. Groza added the extra point and Cleveland was back in the lead by 20-14.

The Steelers had to punt on their next series, but got the ball back at the Cleveland 24 when Mitchell fumbled a pitchout and DT Joe Krupa recovered. Tracy was stopped for a four-yard loss on the next play, but Bukich connected with Dial for 24 yards and Tracy gained the last yard for a TD. Michaels converted to put the home team back on top by 21-20.

The Browns came back with a six-play, 72-yard drive. Plum completed a pass to TE Gern Nagler for 18 yards and another to Mitchell, also for 18, and after Mitchell ran for 14 yards, he sped around end for an 18-yard touchdown. Groza kicked the point after and the see-saw battle had Cleveland back in front by 27-21.

On Pittsburgh’s first play from scrimmage following the kickoff, Bukich tossed a screen pass to Johnson who fumbled after running into his own man and DE Paul Wiggin recovered for the Browns at the 10. The Steelers were able to keep the visitors out of the end zone, but Groza kicked a 12-yard field goal to make the score 30-21 with less than three minutes remaining to play.

Pittsburgh, starting at its own six after the kickoff, responded with a big play two snaps later as Bukich connected with Dial for an 88-yard touchdown. Michaels kicked the PAT to make it a two-point game, but by the time the Steelers got the ball back again, the clock was down to 45 seconds and the game ended for them on their 32 yard line. Cleveland came away with a 30-28 win.

The Browns had the edge in total yards (378 to 309) and first downs (21 to 17), with 229 of their total coming on the ground. They also turned the ball over four times, to three suffered by Pittsburgh, but recorded six sacks, to one by the Steelers.

Both Bobby Mitchell and Jim Brown went over a hundred yards rushing, with Mitchell compiling 119 yards on 14 carries that included three touchdowns and Brown gaining 114 yards on 29 attempts. Mitchell also caught four passes for 47 more yards to lead the Browns. Len Dawson completed 6 of 12 passes for 68 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions before being relieved by Milt Plum, who was 6-of-8 for 88 yards and, while also throwing for no TDs, gave up no interceptions. Lou Groza was successful on all three of his field goal attempts.

For the Steelers, Buddy Dial (pictured at right) had a huge performance in defeat with 9 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Rudy Bukich was successful on 15 of 24 throws for 275 yards and two TDs with one interception. John Henry Johnson rushed for 35 yards on 8 carries and Tom Tracy was right behind with 34 yards on 12 attempts that included two for touchdowns.

The Browns won again the next week as they sought to keep up with the Giants and Eagles in the Eastern Conference, but they ultimately finished at 8-5-1 to settle for third place. Pittsburgh came back with a three-game winning streak, including one over the Browns in the rematch in Cleveland, and finished strong for a 6-8 record that ranked fifth in the conference.

Bobby Mitchell was called up to active military duty but was still able to get passes to play on the weekends and rushed for 548 yards on 101 carries (5.4 avg.) and had 32 pass receptions for another 368 yards (11.5 avg.), scoring a total of 10 touchdowns. Jim Brown, as he had in each of the previous four seasons since entering the NFL, led the league in rushing with 1408 yards on a then-record 305 carries (4.6 avg.) and received his annual first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors. Milt Plum topped the NFL in passing efficiency for the second straight year, completing 58.6 percent of his throws for 18 TDs against 10 interceptions.

As had been the case throughout his career to date, Len Dawson saw scant action over the course of the season, throwing 15 passes -  his highest total thus far. He moved over to the Dallas Texans of the AFL in 1962 and his fortunes changed dramatically for the better.

In his third year, Buddy Dial gained selection to the Pro Bowl after catching 53 passes for 1047 yards (19.8 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. His 235-yard pass receiving performance against the Browns remained the franchise record until 2002. Rudy Bukich ultimately moved back to the bench with the return of Bobby Layne, but won four of his seven starts and had a solid completion percentage of 57.1 on his 156 passes. 11 were good for TDs, but he also gave up 16 interceptions.

1967: Eagles Win Back-and-Forth Opener Over Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles were coming off of a 9-5 record in 1966 and had some new faces on the roster as they hosted the Washington Redskins on September 17, 1967. Head Coach Joe Kuharich had developed a reputation for being willing to deal since taking over the reins in ’64. In the most recent offseason, flanker Gary Ballman (pictured above) was obtained from the Steelers and star TE Mike Ditka of the Bears, who had worn out his welcome in Chicago following a contract dispute, was brought in to replace retired TE Pete Retzlaff. QB Norm Snead, who came to the Eagles from Washington in 1964 in a controversial trade for QB Sonny Jurgensen, had suffered through a miserable ’66 season and was benched for the last several games in favor of Jack Concannon and King Hill, but Concannon was traded to the Bears for Ditka, Hill was injured during the preseason, and Snead was now back firmly in the starting job and looking to rebound.

With the Redskins in town for the opening game, coached by Otto Graham for the second year, Snead once more faced Sonny Jurgensen, and the ex-Eagle had a Pro Bowl year in ’66 in which he threw for 3209 yards and 28 touchdowns for the 7-7 club. Charley Taylor, shifted from halfback to split end, led the NFL in pass receptions and, together with flanker Bobby Mitchell and TE Jerry Smith, was part of a formidable receiving corps. The running game was far less impressive, however, and FB Ray McDonald had been chosen in the first round of the draft to address that issue. There were questions regarding the defense, but star MLB Sam Huff was back for his 12^th season as well as a rising talent in OLB Chris Hanburger.

60,755 fans were in attendance at Franklin Field. Things started off with a bang for the Redskins when rookie flanker John Love returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Charlie Gogolak added the extra point and the visitors were ahead by 7-0 after less than 20 seconds of play.

The Eagles responded by going 80 yards in five plays on their initial series. Norm Snead (pictured below) threw to Mike Ditka for eight yards, FB Tom Woodeshick rushed for a total of five yards on two carries, and, after an illegal procedure call backed the Eagles up, HB Israel “Izzy” Lang ran 13 yards around end for a first down. Snead then went long for Gary Ballman, and it resulted in a 59-yard touchdown. Sam Baker successfully converted to tie the score.

Washington had to punt on its next possession, but got the ball back two plays later when Snead fumbled while being sacked and DE Bill Briggs recovered at the Philadelphia 13. Helped by a holding penalty, the Eagles were able to keep the visitors out of the end zone and Washington settled for a 30-yard Gogolak field goal to move back into the lead.

The Eagles moved the ball effectively on the ground, with Lang and Woodeshick carrying, but Lang fumbled and Sam Huff recovered at his own 38. A few plays later, FB A.D. Whitfield fumbled the ball back and Philadelphia put together a seven-play, 58-yard series. Lang had runs of 12 and 19 yards and Snead completed two passes, the second of which was for a 10-yard TD to Ballman. Baker’s extra point made the score 14-10 in favor of the Eagles.

Heading into the second quarter, Washington put together a promising drive as Sonny Jurgensen completed four passes for 45 yards, but Gogolak was short on a 37-yard field goal attempt. Philadelphia again moved the ball well, starting off with a Snead throw to Ditka for 25 yards, but after reaching Washington territory, a holding penalty and sack moved the Eagles back and they had to punt. The Redskins advanced 73 yards in six plays, four of them pass completions by Jurgensen. The longest was to split end Charley Taylor for 35 yards to the Philadelphia 13 and, two plays later, HB Joe Don Looney ran five yards for a touchdown. Gogolak added the PAT and Washington was now in front in the see-saw battle by a score of 17-14.

Following a 33-yard kickoff return by split end Ben Hawkins, there were just over three minutes left in the half as the Eagles started their next series. On a third-and-eight play, Snead connected with Woodeshick for 30 yards and, two plays later, Ballman caught a pass for a 22-yard gain to the Washington two. Snead scored on a quarterback sneak two plays after that, and with Baker’s kick, Philadelphia took a 21-17 lead into halftime.

The Eagles found themselves trapped deep in their own territory on the first series of the third quarter, and Baker’s punt from his end zone was short and gave the Redskins possession at the Philadelphia 33. Jurgensen immediately threw to Taylor for 10 yards and a first down, but after the possession bogged down at the 18, Gogolak’s 25-yard field goal attempt was blocked by LB Harold Wells.

Philadelphia again had to punt after a short series and this time the visitors didn’t come up empty. The Redskins drove 55 yards in seven plays, the biggest a Jurgensen throw to Taylor that picked up 36 yards. Jurgensen’s third completion of the series was to Jerry Smith for a four-yard TD and, adding Gogolak’s PAT, Washington was again in the lead by 24-21.

The Eagles came out throwing when they got the ball back, with Snead completing three passes before Woodeshick took a handoff on a draw play and broke away for a 40-yard touchdown. Baker converted and the five-play, 63-yard series had Philadelphia back again in front by a score of 28-24.

It was Jurgensen’s turn to fill the air with passes when Washington regained possession, and he connected with Bobby Mitchell for a 43-yard gain to the Philadelphia 32. Throws to Taylor and Smith picked up 12 yards apiece, but three straight passes into the end zone from the 12 yard line fell incomplete and the Eagles blocked another Gogolak try for a field goal on the final play of the period.

The Eagles went three-and-out on their next series and punted and, starting from their own 26, the Redskins again moved down the field. Looney and Ray McDonald ran well and Jurgensen completed three passes. But after reaching the Philadelphia eight, Love, in place of the injured Gogolak, missed on a 15-yard field goal attempt.

The teams traded punts before the Eagles added an insurance score. Snead fired long for Ben Hawkins and it was complete for a 68-yard gain to the Washington six. Three plays later, Woodeshick ran for a one-yard TD, Baker converted, and the home team was in front by 11 points with less than three minutes remaining on the clock. Jurgensen again went to the air and, at one point, completed five straight throws, but after reaching the Philadelphia 33, he was sacked on a fourth down play to effectively end the game. The Eagles came away winners by the score of 35-24.

Philadelphia compiled more total yards (426 to 388) although the Redskins had the edge in first downs (21 to 18). Each team recorded three sacks and the Eagles turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by Washington. The Redskins were hurt by a combined four missed field goals out of five attempts.

Norm Snead completed 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Gary Ballman had four catches for 105 yards and both receiving TDs while Ben Hawkins, thanks to his long catch in the second half, gained an even 100 yards on 5 receptions. Mike Ditka also caught 5 passes, for 42 yards. Izzy Lang rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries and Tom Woodeshick was right behind with 74 yards, also on 13 attempts, with two touchdowns.

For the Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen (pictured below) was successful on 25 of 46 throws for 324 yards and a TD while having none picked off. Charley Taylor caught 8 of those passes for 144 yards and Jerry Smith also hauled in 8 receptions, for 81 yards and a score. Bobby Mitchell contributed 6 catches for 82 yards. Ray McDonald led the rushers by gaining 47 yards on 8 carries.

The Eagles got off to a 3-1 start before dropping four of their next five games on the way to a 6-7-1 record, which placed second in the Capitol Division of the Eastern Conference. Washington ended up third at 5-6-3.

Norm Snead had his most productive season as a passer for the Eagles, throwing for 3399 yards and 29 touchdowns while giving up 24 interceptions. Gary Ballman continued to perform well and caught 36 passes for 524 yards (14.6 avg.) and six TDs, but Mike Ditka missed five games with injuries and ended up with just 26 receptions for 274 yards and two scores. It was Ben Hawkins, in his second year, who broke out in a big way and led the NFL with 1265 yards on his 59 catches (21.4 avg.) that included 10 touchdowns.

Sonny Jurgensen went on to another big season, leading the league in pass attempts (508), completions (288), yards (3747), and TDs (31). Charley Taylor again led the circuit in pass receptions (70) and Jerry Smith (67) and Bobby Mitchell (60) ranked second and fourth. Ray McDonald proved to not be the answer at fullback, however, gaining just 223 rushing yards.

1966: Redskins Hire Otto Graham as Head Coach/GM

On January 25, 1966 it was announced that the Washington Redskins had hired Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback of the Cleveland Browns who had gone on to coach at the Coast Guard Academy, as head coach and general manager. The 44-year-old Graham replaced Bill McPeak, who was fired with a year left on his contract.

Graham was signed to a sizeable contract that team President Edward Bennett Williams called the richest deal that had ever been given to a coach of the Redskins. He had turned down pro coaching offers in the past, reportedly by the Eagles, Colts, and Browns, as well as the University of Oklahoma, while remaining at his secure position at the Coast Guard Academy, where he led the football team to an undefeated season in 1963. He also coached the College All-Stars for several years, starting in 1958, and the story of his signing with the Redskins first leaked when he contacted the Chicago Tribune, the game’s sponsor, to resign as coach.

The Redskins had not had a winning season since 1955 and had last appeared in a postseason contest ten years before that. In five years under McPeak, they had shown improvement but, after a second straight 6-8 record in 1965, Williams determined that a change was in order. In addition, under McPeak there had been disciplinary problems with many of the veterans, as well as widespread dissension.

The team that Graham inherited had a fine quarterback in 32-year-old Sonny Jurgensen. Not surprising for an ex-quarterback, especially considering Washington’s mediocre ground game, Graham chose to emphasize the passing attack (although, unlike his mentor with the Browns, Paul Brown, he let Jurgensen call his own plays).

Flanker Bobby Mitchell was well-established as a top receiver and Charley Taylor, who had started out as a halfback and was a fine receiver out of the backfield, was converted to split end during the season with even better results. Jerry Smith, breaking out in his second season, quickly established himself as one of the league’s best pass catching tight ends. Jurgensen led the NFL in pass attempts (436), completions (254), and yards (3209) and ranked second in TD passes (28) in 1966. Taylor, Mitchell, and Smith all finished in the league’s top 10 in pass receptions, with Taylor ranking at the top with 72 while Mitchell had 58 and Smith 54. Taylor’s 1119 yards placed third and his 12 touchdown receptions tied for second with Cleveland’s Gary Collins. Mitchell had 905 yards and 9 TDs and Smith contributed 686 yards and six scores.

The running game remained a problem, however. HB A.D. Whitfield, acquired from Dallas, led the team with 472 yards on just 93 carries for a healthy 5.0 average. But veteran fullbacks Steve Thurlow and temperamental Joe Don Looney were found wanting. Mitchell, formerly a halfback with the Browns, was briefly moved back to that position in an effort to generate a ground attack. In any event, the revamped offensive line had a rising star in center Len Hauss.

The defense contained seven new starting players. The line had talent in DT Joe Rutgens and DE Ron Snidow. Veteran linebackers Jimmy Carr and Bob Pellegrini retired to take assistant coaching jobs, but John Reger was talked into staying for another year and MLB Sam Huff, in his third season in Washington after a distinguished career with the Giants, also remained. Second-year OLB Chris Hanburger emerged to become a star, most notably as an outstanding blitzer, and was picked for the Pro Bowl. While FS Paul Krause was the biggest star in the backfield, rookie SS Brig Owens led the club with seven interceptions.

Another key newcomer was PK Charlie Gogolak, the team’s first draft choice out of Princeton. Brother of pioneering soccer-style kicker Pete Gogolak, he brought the same then-novel approach to placekicking to Washington and had a fine rookie year, booting 22 field goals in 32 attempts and scoring a total of 105 points.

Overall, the Redskins went 7-7 to break even for the first time in ten years. They started off at 5-3 before losing three straight games, including a 31-30 thriller against the eventual Capitol Division champs, the Cowboys. They then defeated the woeful Giants by a whopping 72-41 score, the highest-scoring game in NFL history (but not one in which the defense distinguished itself), and then upset the Cowboys in Dallas by a 34-31 tally.

Improving the ground game was a priority for 1967, and the Redskins used their first draft pick to take 240-pound FB Ray McDonald from Idaho. Inserted directly into the lineup, he suffered through a disappointing, injury-wracked season and gained only 223 yards. Once again, A.D. Whitfield led a mediocre running game, with 384 yards on 91 carries, but he also caught 36 passes for 494 yards.

The passing attack, if anything, got even better than it was in ’66. Sonny Jurgensen (pictured at left) topped the NFL in passing while setting a league record with 3747 yards through the air (over in the AFL, Joe Namath of the Jets passed for 4007 yards). He also set new league standards with 508 pass attempts and 288 completions and led the circuit in TD passes (31) and lowest percentage of interceptions (3.1) while his completion percentage of 56.7 ranked second. Receivers Taylor, Smith, and Mitchell placed first, second, and fourth – in that order – with 70, 67, and 60 catches, respectively. Taylor gained a sixth-ranked 990 yards and Mitchell placed ninth with 866 while Smith had the most scoring catches of the group with 12, which was second only to New York’s Homer Jones.

However, for all of the aerial excitement, Washington’s record regressed to 5-6-3. While the Redskins again played well against the division-leading Cowboys, and upset them once more at Dallas, they also were embarrassed by the expansion Saints, 30-14, and could only gain a tie against the 1-12-1 Atlanta Falcons. While the defensive line was still effective and Hanburger again played the one outside linebacker position with distinction, other than Krause (8 interceptions) the defensive backfield fared poorly. In addition, Gogolak was lost to a season-ending injury in the first week and the kickers who replaced him were a combined 6-of-22 on their field goal attempts (the best was ex-AFL star Gene Mingo, who kicked a team-leading four in 10 tries).

Sam Huff retired after the ’67 season, and that left a big hole at middle linebacker in 1968 (he would return to the team in ’69). Graham also traded Paul Krause to Minnesota before the season in a deal that would prove more beneficial to the Vikings.

Sonny Jurgensen had a sore shoulder, and his performance suffered accordingly as his passing yardage fell to 1980 and his touchdown total to 17. Veteran backup Jim Ninowski started two games while rookie Gary Beban, the Heisman Trophy winner out of UCLA whose rights were obtained by the Redskins from the Rams at the price of the first draft pick in 1969, was a flop at both quarterback and running back. Charley Taylor and Jerry Smith were still quality receivers, although Bobby Mitchell, at age 33, dropped off to 14 catches.

The running game continued to be a problem. HB Gerry Allen led the team with 399 yards, but averaged just 3.2 yards per carry, and of any backs who carried more than 30 times, Steve Thurlow had the best average at 3.6.

The defense still had too many holes, too. Joe Rutgens, still the best of the linemen, was showing wear. Hanburger continued to be outstanding at linebacker, but no one could adequately replace Huff. Ex-Cardinal CB Pat Fischer was a good addition to the defensive backfield, and Brig Owens bounced back, but rookie Jim “Yazoo” Smith, the first round pick out of Oregon who replaced Krause at free safety, was not as good and then suffered a neck injury in the season finale that finished his career.

Gogolak was back to handle the placekicking, and while better than the group from 1967, was not as proficient as he had been as a rookie.

Overall, the effect was a disappointing 5-9 record and Graham was replaced by Vince Lombardi, lured away from Green Bay where he had retired as head coach but was still the general manager.

While the Redskins had been an exciting offensive team during the Graham era, the failure to improve the running game and the problems on defense ultimately rendered his tenure a failure. The overall record for the three seasons was 17-22-3. Graham returned to the Coast Guard Academy, where he served as athletic director until retiring.

Rookie of the Year: Bobby Mitchell, 1958

Halfback, Cleveland Browns

Age: 23

College: Illinois

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 188

Prelude:

A track as well as football star in college, Mitchell was chosen by Cleveland in the seventh round of the 1958 NFL draft. After having an outstanding performance in the College All-Star Game against the Detroit Lions, he joined the Browns and was teamed with second-year FB Jim Brown to create an outstanding running tandem.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 80
Most attempts, game - 13 (for 108 yds.) vs. Pittsburgh 10/19, (for 65 yds.) vs. NY Giants 11/2

Yards – 500 [12]
Most yards, game - 147 yds. (on 11att.) vs. Chi. Cardinals 10/12

Average gain – 6.3 [3]

TDs – 1
100-yard rushing games - 2

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 16       

Yards – 131

Average gain – 8.2

TDs – 3

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 18  [4]

Yards – 454 [4]

Average per return – 25.2 [3]

TDs – 1 [3, tied with Terry Barr, Willie Galimore & Leroy Bolden]

Longest return – 98 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 14  [14, tied with Johnny Morris, Jimmy Sears & Jim Shanley]

Yards – 165 [4]

Average per return – 11.8 [2]

TDs – 1 [1, tied with Yale Lary]

Longest return – 68 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1250 [5]

Scoring

TDs – 6

Points – 36

Postseason: 1 G (Eastern Conference playoff at NY Giants)

Punt returns – 1

Punt return yards – 2

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

Browns went 9-3 to tie for first place in the Eastern Conference while leading the NFL in rushing (2526 yards). Lost Eastern Conference playoff to New York Giants (10-0).

Aftermath:

With his great speed and moves, Mitchell continued to play well for the Browns for the next three seasons. He had a 232-yard rushing performance in a game against the Redskins in 1959 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’60. Traded to Washington for 1962 in a move that integrated the club, Mitchell was shifted to flanker and led the NFL in pass receptions (72) and yards (1384) and was a consensus first-team All-Pro. He was also chosen to the Pro Bowl for the first of three consecutive seasons. Mitchell led the league in receiving yards again in ’63 (1436) and TD receptions in 1964 (10). Consistent and a game-breaking deep threat, he was also used occasionally at halfback, especially in 1967 when he carried the ball 61 times, in an attempt to bolster Washington’s weak running game. Retiring after the 1968 season, his career totals were 521 pass receptions (third all-time in the NFL at that point) for 7954 yards (15.4 avg.) and 65 TDs. Adding in his rushing and kick returning, his 14,078 total yards also ranked third at the time and his 91 touchdowns were fifth. Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1983.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/8/14]
[Updated 2/22/17]

1961: Jim Brown Ties Rushing Record as Browns Crush Eagles

By the 1961 NFL season, Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns was well-established as the top runner in pro football. He had led the league in ground-gaining in each of his first four years and set both a single-game record of 237 yards in 1957 and season record of 1527 yards in ’58. On November 19 against the Philadelphia Eagles the 25-year-old fullback added to his list of accomplishments.

The Browns were 6-3 and trying to keep pace with the Eagles and New York Giants in the Eastern Conference. While players were becoming increasingly restive under autocratic Head Coach Paul Brown, the team was still a regular contender. QB Milt Plum was the most accurate passer in the NFL and Brown was complemented in the backfield by HB Bobby Mitchell, an outstanding outside runner. Plum had been suffering from a hand injury but appeared to now be completely healthy. Mitchell had been called up to active military duty a few weeks before, but was on a weekend pass and available against the Eagles.

The Eagles were the defending NFL Champions and defeated Cleveland in the season-opening game in Philadelphia. They were a team in transition as both Head Coach Buck Shaw and star QB Norm Van Brocklin retired after the title-winning campaign. Nick Skorich was now the coach and 27-year-old Sonny Jurgensen the quarterback. The largely-untested Jurgensen had been nothing short of spectacular as he stepped out of Van Brocklin’s shadow. Philadelphia got off to a 7-1 start, but the loss of CB Tom Brookshier to a season-ending broken leg hindered the pass defense and the Eagles were coming off of a loss to the Giants the previous week.

There was a crowd of 68,399 in attendance at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium and they saw the Eagles start off the scoring in the first quarter with a 34-yard field goal by Bobby Walston. Jim Brown put Cleveland ahead on the fourth play of the second quarter with a three-yard touchdown run that made it 7-3. The Eagles rebounded with a 68-yard drive, 46 of them on passes by Jurgensen, and HB Ted Dean scored from two yards out.

The Browns came right back with another three-yard TD by Brown that put them back in front at 14-10, which remained the score at halftime. They never trailed again.

Cleveland took the second half kickoff and went 73 yards in eight plays, with Plum throwing to Mitchell for a 28-yard touchdown. Lou Groza added a 17-yard field goal late in the third quarter that made it a 14-point game at 24-10.

The fourth quarter was eventful. Brown started things off with a one-yard TD on the period’s second play. The Eagles were forced to punt on their next possession and the Browns went 68 yards in eight plays for another TD, Brown’s fourth of the contest on an eight-yard sweep around left end.

Philadelphia responded with a five-play, 74-yard drive to finally get on the board again. Flanker Tommy McDonald caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Jurgensen, but at 38-17, the game was out of reach.

On the ensuing kickoff, Mitchell extinguished any remaining hopes for the Eagles by returning it 91 yards for a TD. The Eagles scored one last touchdown, on a Jurgensen pass to Timmy Brown that covered 39 yards, but it only made the score marginally closer. Cleveland came away with a convincing 45-24 win.

The only remaining drama pertained to Jim Brown’s pursuit of his own single-game rushing record. The Browns got the ball with less than two minutes remaining and Brown carried three times to tie the record (Brown was originally credited with a record-breaking 242 yards, but the official scorer admitted a mistake in addition the following day).

For the day, Brown’s total was 237 yards on 34 carries with four touchdowns. He also gained another 52 yards on three pass receptions and returned a kickoff 24 yards, giving him 313 total yards. He also threw a pass, but it fell incomplete.

“I've played some better all-around games this year,” Brown said afterward. “I missed a few blocks today, and a couple of times I went the wrong way when I got a good block. The blocking was tremendous. I don't think I ran any better than usual. You always go all out and sometimes you gain and sometimes you don’t.”

The Browns dominated statistically across the board, outgaining the Eagles by 505 yards to 327 and rolling up 30 first downs to Philadelphia’s 19. In addition, Cleveland didn’t turn the ball over at all, as opposed to two turnovers by the Eagles, and the Browns only punted once.

In addition to missing Tom Brookshier, Philadelphia’s defensive backfield suffered a further blow when FS Don Burroughs was lost with a slight concussion in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Browns CB Bernie Parrish had an exceptional game, holding star flanker Tommy McDonald to two catches for 25 yards (one of which was a short TD) and intercepting a pass in the third quarter.


Milt Plum completed 16 of 21 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown. Adding to Jim Brown’s output, Bobby Mitchell (pictured at left) ran for 43 yards on 8 carries, caught 4 passes for 54 more yards and a touchdown, and of course scored on a kickoff return. Flanker Ray Renfro gained 73 yards on his 4 pass receptions.

Sonny Jurgensen went to the air 32 times for the Eagles and completed 18 for 230 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Timmy Brown led the club in rushing with 49 yards on just two attempts and also had the most pass receiving yards with 58 on his two catches that included a score. Ted Dean caught 6 passes for 51 yards to go along with his 31 yards on 9 rushing attempts with one TD. Only seven of Jurgensen’s completions went to an end or flanker.

“We had to win or else,” said Paul Brown afterward. “There was nothing left for us if we didn't win it.”

The Browns moved into a second place tie with Eagles at 7-3 as result of the win. But any hopes of finishing atop the Eastern Conference were dashed as they lost two of the next three games, including a showdown with the Giants the week after hosting Philadelphia. Cleveland’s final record was 8-5-1, which resulted in a third-place finish.

The Eagles ended up in second at 10-4, recovering from the loss to the Browns to win three of their last four. However, the loss was to the Giants, who came in a half-game ahead of Philadelphia at 10-3-1.

Jim Brown won his fifth consecutive rushing title with 1408 yards on 305 carries (a record at the time) for a 4.6-yard average and eight touchdowns. He also caught 46 passes for another 459 yards and two TDs, giving him a league-leading 1867 yards from scrimmage and, with a pair of kickoff returns added in, 1917 all-purpose yards.

The record-tying rushing performance was the second of an eventual four 200-yard games during his brilliant career (he came closest to topping his own mark again with 232 yards against Dallas in a 1963 contest). Buffalo’s Cookie Gilchrist ran for 243 yards in an AFL game in ’63 and Willie Ellison of the Rams topped Brown’s mark with 247 in a 1971 NFL contest.

1958: Second Quarter Surge Propels College All-Stars to Defeat of Lions

The 25th College All-Star Game on August 15, 1958 featured the Detroit Lions, defending NFL champions, against an All-Star team coached for the first time by former all-time great quarterback Otto Graham, who would direct the collegians from the sideline for eight straight years and ten times overall.

The Lions, coached by George Wilson, were a tough defensive club with two star quarterbacks to choose from in Bobby Layne and Tobin Rote, plus FB John Henry Johnson, ends Jim Doran and Steve Junker, and a line anchored by OT Lou Creekmur.

The All-Stars had the usual array of future pro stars that included ends Charlie Krueger of Texas A&M and Jim Gibbons of Iowa, tackles Lou Michaels of Kentucky and Mississippi’s Gene Hickerson, and Idaho guard Jerry Kramer. The players who would have the most impact on the outcome were Illinois HB Bobby Mitchell (pictured above), DB Bobby Joe Conrad from Texas A&M, and Michigan State QB Jim Ninowski.

There were 70,000 fans at Chicago’s Soldier Field for the Friday night game. The Lions were 14-point favorites, but the crowd cheered loudly for the All-Stars. It looked like another night of domination by the pro champions, however, when Detroit took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards in 10 plays, capped by Rote throwing a 24-yard scoring pass to Doran.

On the last play of the first quarter, HB Jim Pace of Michigan caught a pass from Rice QB King Hill and took off for a 57-yard gain to the Detroit three yard line. The Lions defense pushed the All-Stars back to the 11 and Conrad was successful on a 19-yard field goal attempt.

On the next All-Star possession in the second quarter, Mitchell put them ahead in stunning fashion as he gathered in a pass from Ninowski and took off down the sideline on an 84-yard touchdown run. Later in the period Ninowski again tossed a short pass to Mitchell that was turned into yet another exciting TD, this time covering 18 yards.

With two seconds remaining in the half, Conrad kicked his second field goal, of 44 yards, capping the 20-point second quarter explosion by the All-Stars. Not only did the Lions take a beating during the period, falling behind by 20-7, but to add insult to injury, when they went into their locker room at halftime, they found that the power was out and were forced to stay outside.

Things didn’t get any better in the second half for Detroit as Rote, swarmed by a group of All-Star defenders led by Michaels and Iowa DT Alex Karras (a future star for the Lions), was tossed for a safety that made the score 22-7. The safety seemed to reignite the Lions, however, and they drove to a nine-yard touchdown by HB Gene Gedman. The All-Stars responded with a scoring possession of their own, as Conrad kicked his third field goal to start the fourth quarter, from 24 yards.

With the Lions playing catchup, Bobby Layne went to the air and was intercepted by G Chuck Howley from West Virginia, who returned it 39 yards for a touchdown. Conrad kicked a fourth field goal and Detroit scored a late, meaningless touchdown when HB Ralph Pfeifer plunged into the end zone with 30 seconds to play. The final score was a convincing 35-19 win for the All-Stars.

The 35 points scored were a record for the All-Stars, one of 11 records they set during the course of the game, including 16 pass completions, 293 yards through the air, 10 first downs by passing, and Conrad’s 44-yard field goal as he tied a record for most in a game.

Conrad (pictured below) ended up with 15 points between the field goals and three PATs, and also played well on defense. His kicking performance was especially remarkable because he had never attempted a field goal during his college career.


The Lions were held to a humiliating three rushing yards, to 179 by the All-Stars, and they also had fewer passing yards (193). Still, Detroit accumulated 22 first downs, to 11 for the collegians.

Jim Ninowski completed 14 of 20 passes for 243 yards. Bobby Mitchell caught 5 passes for 145 yards and the two TDs. Defensive halfback Jim Jones of Washington intercepted three of Bobby Layne’s passes.

“We got the breaks and I’ve said all along that’s what you need for a chance against a pro team,” said a jubilant Otto Graham afterward. “I still say a pro team should win this game. But those runs by Jim Pace and Mitchell gave us the momentum we needed.”

“Mitchell drove the Lions’ defense nuts,” said Northwestern’s Ara Parseghian, an assistant coach for the All-Stars. “They had to change defenses five different times to try to cover him.”

Summing up for the Lions, Coach Wilson said, “It comes down to the same old story. We didn’t block, we didn’t tackle. They were keyed up, found out that they could score on us, and then there was no stopping them.”

The Lions, who traded Bobby Layne to Pittsburgh after the second game, suffered through a dismal 1958 season in defense of their title. They dropped off to a 4-7-1 record and a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference.

Bobby Mitchell continued to dazzle against NFL defenses as he rushed for 500 yards on just 80 carries for the Cleveland Browns in ’58, teamed in the same backfield with star FB Jim Brown. He would go on to put together a Hall of Fame career as a halfback with the Browns and flanker for the Redskins.

Jim Ninowski was also a rookie with the Browns, but saw little action behind QB Milt Plum and ultimately had a less impressive career, playing with the Lions, Redskins, and Saints, as well as two stints in Cleveland, between 1958 and ’69.

Bobby Joe Conrad intercepted four passes for the Chicago Cardinals as a rookie, but was less successful as a placekicker than he had been in the All-Star Game, succeeding on just 6 of 17 field goal attempts in ’58. He shifted to offensive halfback in 1959 and later starred at flanker, leading the NFL with 73 catches in 1963 and grabbing a total of 422 passes for 5902 yards and 38 touchdowns over 12 years (all with the Cardinals except the last, in 1969, with Dallas).

1966: Redskins Defeat Giants 72-41 in Highest Scoring NFL Game

The New York Giants team that played the Washington Redskins at DC Stadium on November 27, 1966 was far below the caliber of the Giants teams that had won three consecutive Eastern Conference titles from 1961-63. For that matter, it was far less impressive than the squad that finished 7-7 in 1965.

The Giants, under Head Coach Allie Sherman, stood at 1-8-1 coming into the game, with the only win having come over the Redskins at Yankee Stadium five weeks earlier. Washington was 5-6 after having lost the last three contests under first year Head Coach Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback.

What transpired was a thoroughly wild game, filled with turnovers and big plays. The final score was 72-41, the highest total in NFL history at 113 points. Redskins HB A.D. Whitfield had three touchdowns on the day, leading all players, including a 63-yard run in the first quarter plus a one-yard run and five-yard pass reception from QB Sonny Jurgensen that started the scoring onslaught. Rookie safety Brig Owens scored two TDs for Washington, on a 62-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter and 60-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. Split end Charley Taylor also added two TDs to the Redskins total, on passes covering 32 and 74 yards from Jurgensen. The special teams contributed a touchdown as DB Rickie Harris ran a punt back 52 yards in the fourth quarter.

31-year-old flanker Bobby Mitchell, who hadn’t played running back since leaving Cleveland for Washington after the 1961 season, got in on the action when Coach Graham told him to play halfback (against his wishes). The second time he carried the ball, he ran 45 yards for a score.

The team statistics were surprisingly even. In fact, the Giants outgained the Redskins (389 total yards to 341) and had more first downs (25-16). Washington led 34-14 at the half, and yet had -5 net passing yards (at that point Jurgensen had completed just four of nine passes for a mere five yards). But turnovers continually put the Giants in a hole. They turned the ball over six times, five of them by interceptions, with the fumble recovery and one of the interceptions by Owens (he had three) directly leading to scores and three of the pickoffs giving the offense good field position for short scoring drives.

All in all, Jurgensen recovered from the poor first half to put up respectable numbers, if rather ordinary (for him), completing 10 of 16 passes for 145 yards with three TDs and no interceptions (backup Dick Shiner had his lone pass picked off). Whitfield, not surprisingly, was the top rusher with 74 yards on just six carries. Mitchell was second with 54 yards on his two rushes. The eccentric HB Joe Don Looney had the most carries, 10, and gained 46 yards, including a nine-yard score. Charley Taylor accounted for most of the pass receiving offense, with six catches for 124 yards and the two TDs.

As for the Giants, Gary Wood and Tom Kennedy split the quarterback duties. Kennedy completed 13 of 21 passes for 165 yards with a TD and three interceptions, while Wood was successful on 7 of 12 passes for 146 yards with two touchdowns and two picked off. Wood’s two TD passes provided the big plays for New York; they covered 41 yards to HB Joe Morrison and 50 yards to the speedy split end, Homer Jones. Three Giants had over 80 yards receiving – Morrison, with 98 on four catches; Jones, who had 85 yards on a team-leading 6 receptions; and TE Aaron Thomas, who accumulated 82 yards on 4 catches including a touchdown.

Washington placekicker Charlie Gogolak (pictured) tied a record with nine extra points (he missed one), while his brother Pete, kicking for the Giants, added another five. He also topped off the scoring with a controversial 29-yard field goal with the Redskins leading 69-41 with seven seconds left in the game.

The Giants surrendered the ball on their own 23 yard line after QB Kennedy threw the ball away on a fourth down pass, having lost track of the downs (not that it mattered at that point). LB Sam Huff, the Redskins defensive captain, shouted for the field goal team to go in (guard Vince Promuto also claimed to have done likewise). Huff still harbored bad feelings toward the Giants for the trade that sent him to Washington after the 1963 season, while Promuto, a native New Yorker who had been with the Redskins since 1960, had endured too many games early in his career when the Giants, in their contending years, had run up big scores. It was payback time, and there were Washington players who wanted to exact every bit of revenge that they could. Regardless of who called for the coup-de-grace field goal, it allowed the Redskins to pass the 70 points scored by the Rams in a 1950 game and lay claim to the highest total in a regular season contest.

It was the ultimate humiliation for the Giants, who were on the way to the bottom of the Eastern Conference in ’66, finishing with a franchise-worst 1-12-1 record. Washington concluded the season at 7-7, putting them in fifth place in the East.

While this was not one of his better passing days, Sonny Jurgensen ended up leading the NFL in passing attempts (436) and completions (254) as well as yards (3209). Charley Taylor led the league in pass receptions for the first of two consecutive years with 72. Charlie Gogolak went over the 100-yard scoring mark, ranking third in the NFL with 105 points and 22 field goals. Homer Jones of the Giants had an outstanding season for a terrible team, catching 48 passes for 1044 yards (an average gain of 21.8) with 8 TDs.

1959: Cleveland’s Bobby Mitchell Runs for 232 Yards on 14 Carries

Bobby Mitchell played the first four seasons of his brilliant 11-year career as a halfback for the Cleveland Browns. During that time, while recognized for his speed in the open field, he typically played in the shadow of Jim Brown. But in one game in his second season, it was Mitchell outgaining Brown and very nearly breaking the great fullback’s single game rushing record.

On November 15, 1959 the Browns (5-2) played the Redskins (3-4) at Washington’s Griffith Stadium. Mitchell had his biggest run of the day in the first quarter as he scored a 90-yard touchdown (the longest run from scrimmage in the NFL in ’59). While the Redskins managed to keep it close thanks to scoring runs by HB Dick James and FB John Olszewski that tied the score at 14-14 at the half, it was all Browns the rest of the way. Mitchell had scoring runs of five yards in the third quarter and 23 yards in the fourth as Cleveland cruised to a 31-17 win. Most significantly, Mitchell gained a total of 232 yards rushing – just five yards short of Jim Brown’s then-league record – on only 14 carries (a 16.6-yard average gain).

Mitchell’s performance overshadowed a 190-yard rushing day for Washington’s Olszewski (on 18 attempts with a long gain of 65 yards). Brown had just 40 yards on 16 carries, his lowest total of the year, which broke a string of four straight 100-yard games (he would be back over 100 in the next two games, and three of the last four).

Perhaps no game better pointed out the ability of the Brown/Mitchell tandem to confound opposing defenses. While Brown was clearly the dominant running back of his era (and arguably the greatest of all time), Mitchell could cause opposing teams to pay a price if they keyed too heavily on him. In 1959, the two combined for over 2000 yards (2072) and 19 TDs on the ground alone (Mitchell had four more scores on pass receptions plus one on a punt return). Together they averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

Individually, it was Jim Brown who led the NFL in rushing for the third consecutive season with 1329 yards on 290 attempts, with a 4.6 average gain and 14 touchdowns. Mitchell ranked fifth with his 743 yards on 131 carries for a 5.7-yard average gain and four TDs.

Not surprisingly, high average gains were typical of Mitchell during his years as a running back. Over the course of his four seasons in Cleveland, he accumulated 2297 yards on 423 carries for a 5.4-yard average. In spite of the relatively low number of rushing attempts (the 131 in ’59 were his career high), he never had less than 500 yards on the ground in any of those seasons.

Mitchell also caught 35 passes for 351 yards out of the backfield in 1959; not surprisingly, for a player who would be converted to flanker in Washington with great success, he was an excellent receiver from the halfback position. By way of comparison, Brown caught 24 passes for 190 yards - while he also was a good receiver out of the backfield, he wasn’t thrown to as often, and Head Coach Paul Brown often liked to use him as a decoy in passing situations.

Despite being the NFL’s best rushing team, the Browns ended up with a 7-5 record, tied for second in the Eastern Conference and three games behind the Giants. After rising to 6-2 with the win over the Redskins, they lost their next three games to fall out of contention. Problems with the passing attack and defense negated the ground gaining advantage. As to Washington, they sank to 3-9 for the year, in fifth place in the East.

1962: Y.A. Tittle Passes for 505 Yards and 7 Touchdowns

The trade of Y.A. Tittle from the 49ers to the New York Giants prior to the 1961 season revived the quarterback’s career and paid dividends for his new team. With a new lease on his football life, Tittle led the Giants to the Eastern Conference title and a loss to Green Bay in the championship game.

By the time the Giants faced the Washington Redskins at Yankee Stadium on October 28, 1962, they had compiled a solid 4-2 record. However, the Redskins, who had been a lowly 1-12-1 in ’61 were the talk of the NFL at 4-0-2, largely due to the addition of halfback-turned-flanker Bobby Mitchell, who had come to Washington in an offseason trade. In combination with the strong-armed second year QB Norm Snead, Mitchell had become a major offensive force.

It was Snead to Mitchell to start off the scoring in the first quarter on a 44-yard pass play that put Washington on top, 7-0. However, Y.A. Tittle led the Giants to a score with his first TD pass of the day, 22 yards to HB Joe Morrison, and followed up with a 5-yard touchdown strike to TE Joe Walton.

The Redskins closed to within 21-13, but Tittle threw his third TD pass, a short one-yarder to Morrison, to close out the first half scoring. Snead hit Mitchell for an 80-yard TD in the third quarter that closed the Giants lead to 21-20, but from that point it was all Tittle and the Giants. Tittle threw three more scoring passes in the third quarter – 53 yards to split end Del Shofner, 26 yards to TE Walton, and 63 yards to flanker Frank Gifford – and his record-tying seventh of the day in the fourth quarter, a 6-yard strike to Walton.

At this point the Giants had the game well in hand by a 49-20 score; Washington scored two fourth quarter TDs to make the final tally 49-34, but the Giants and their QB had sent a clear message as to which team was the one to beat in the Eastern Conference. For the day, Tittle completed 27 of 39 passes for 505 yards, as well as the 7 TDs, with no interceptions. Del Shofner wreaked havoc on Washington’s defensive backs, catching 11 of Tittle’s passes for 269 yards and a TD. Gifford added 127 yards on 4 catches and Walton, who caught the most scoring passes, snagged a total of 6 for 63 yards. Lost in the shuffle was Bobby Mitchell’s 158 yards on 5 catches for the Redskins.

The Giants went on to repeat as Eastern Conference champions with a 12-2 record, again losing to the Packers in the title game. Y.A. Tittle set a new NFL record for TD passes in a season with 33 (he would break his own record in 1963, tying George Blanda, who had already thrown 36 with Houston in the AFL in ’61) while throwing for a career-high 3224 yards. Washington faded badly in the second half of the season, ending up with a 5-7-2 record – the defensive backfield had been exposed by the Giants, and in combination with an injury to Mitchell, the Redskins were unable to keep up the pace.