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.

1964: Bears Rally to Defeat College All-Stars

The 31^st annual College All-Star Game in Chicago on August 7, 1964 featured the home-town Bears, NFL Champions of 1963, against the usual crop of outstanding players coming out of college.

Chicago, which was coached by “the Papa Bear” George Halas, had combined dominating defense and a conservative offense to reach the top the previous year. QB Bill Wade (pictured at right) was a competent field general and had skilled receivers in TE Mike Ditka and flanker Johnny Morris. However, there was also a shadow of tragedy due to the deaths of HB Willie Galimore and end John “Bo” Farrington in an auto accident during training camp. The players wore black arm bands in their honor.

Otto Graham was coaching the All-Stars for the seventh consecutive year and had led the collegians to two wins during that time, including the previous year against Green Bay. All-Star standouts included quarterbacks Pete Beathard from USC and George Mira of Miami, Ohio State flanker Paul Warfield, and two Arizona State backfield mates, HB Charley Taylor and FB Tony Lorick, on offense. The defense included Minnesota DE Carl Eller, linebackers Dave Wilcox of Oregon and Wally Hilgenberg from Iowa, and Oregon safety Mel Renfro. There was some controversy when Coach Graham commented that Taylor appeared to “lack desire” during the practices leading up to the game, and there was concern about the condition of the highly-touted Mira’s sore arm.

There were 65,000 fans in attendance on a 79-degree Friday night at Soldier Field. With Pete Beathard behind center, the All-Stars advanced 27 yards in four plays following the opening kickoff, but Beathard fumbled and MLB Bill George recovered for the Bears at the All-Star 46. The pro champs were unable to take advantage of the break as they gained six yards in three plays and Roger LeClerc was short on a 47-yard field goal attempt.

The All-Stars were unable to get beyond their 16 on the next possession and the resulting punt gave Chicago good field position at the All-Star 43. Bill Wade completed passes to split end Gary Barnes and Mike Ditka but, with first-and-goal at the three yard line, HB Ronnie Bull gained a yard and Wade’s pass into the end zone was intercepted by CB Jerry Richardson from West Texas State.

The collegians moved effectively in response as Beathard completed passes to Paul Warfield and split end Chuck Logan of Northwestern. Tony Lorick contributed a 20-yard run as well. Beathard threw to Charley Taylor for a 29-yard gain to the Chicago 15 and, while the All-Stars were unable to reach the end zone, Ohio State’s Dick Van Raaphorst booted a 14-yard field goal for the game’s first points.

The Bears came alive on offense and nearly scored when Wade connected with flanker Johnny Morris for an apparent 31-yard touchdown, but Morris was called for offensive pass interference. However, on the seventh play of the series, they did get a TD on a pass from Wade to Ditka that covered 13 yards. Bob Jencks added the extra point and Chicago was ahead by 7-3.

The All-Stars again had to punt following their next possession but HB Billy Martin muffed the kick and Taylor recovered for the collegians at the Chicago 17. Two plays later, George Mira picked up a fumbled snap and pitched the ball back to Taylor, who then unleashed an option pass to Georgia Tech TE Ted Davis for a 14-yard touchdown. Van Raaphorst converted and the All-Stars took a 10-7 lead into halftime.

The Bears went 80 yards in 11 plays to start the third quarter and effectively take control of the game. The big play was a pass from Wade to Morris that covered 39 yards to the All-Star one. Two plays later, Wade scored from there on a quarterback sneak and, with Jencks adding the PAT, Chicago was in front by 14-10.

On the next series, QB Jack Concannon of Boston College fumbled and DE Doug Atkins recovered for the Bears and Wade immediately capitalized by connecting with Barnes for a 20-yard TD. Jencks added the point after and in less than two minutes the pro champs had gone from a three-point deficit to a 21-10 lead.

The teams traded interceptions before the All-Stars, with Mira (pictured at left) back in at quarterback, advanced to the Chicago four. However, the Bears held and the collegians came up empty.

In the fourth quarter, a Beathard pass was picked off by CB Bennie McCrae at the All-Star 39, and the Bears effectively put the game away when backup QB Rudy Bukich threw to HB Charlie Bivins for a 30-yard touchdown.

Down by 28-10, the All-Stars attempted trickery with both Beathard and Mira lining up together in the backfield. Advancing 80 yards, and with Beathard taking the snap and lateraling to Mira, the collegians managed to get one last TD on a five-yard toss to Taylor. Van Raaphorst converted but there were only 25 seconds remaining in the contest. The Bears ended up winning comfortably by a final score of 28-17.

Chicago had the edge in total yards (371 to 289) although the All-Stars managed to gain 142 yards on the ground. Both teams turned the ball over four times apiece.

Bill Wade completed 15 of 23 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Ronnie Bull led the Bears in rushing with 35 yards on 9 carries.

George Mira completed 8 of 18 passes for 70 yards and a TD and rushed for 56 yards on four carries. Pete Beathard was five of seven for 75 yards but gave up two interceptions. Tony Lorick ran for 38 yards on six attempts and Charley Taylor (pictured below) contributed seven rushes for 36 yards, caught two passes for 34 yards and a TD, threw a touchdown pass, and recovered a fumble. The player who had been subject to Otto Graham’s barbed comment prior to the game was named All-Star MVP.

The win by Chicago gave the pro champs a 20 to 9 edge in the series, with two ties. It was the fifth victory for the Bears, against one defeat and a tie, in what was their final appearance in the game. They dropped to sixth place in the Western Conference with a 5-9 record in ’64 and did not return to the postseason until 1977.

Charley Taylor went on to a Rookie of the Year season for Washington and, shifted to wide receiver two years later, put together a career that made him the NFL’s all-time pass receiving leader at the time of his retirement (649 catches) and gained him enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. George Mira had far less success, spending most of his career as a backup for the 49ers (and later the Eagles and Dolphins) although he was the starting quarterback for the Birmingham Americans, who won the only World Football League championship in 1974. 

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.

Rookie of the Year: Charley Taylor, 1964

Halfback, Washington Redskins

Age: 23 (Sept. 28)

College: Arizona State

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 215

Prelude:

Taylor’s college career (and, potentially, life) nearly came to an end when he broke four vertebrae in his neck while making a tackle during Spring scrimmage in 1961, but following several months of recovery, he returned to star in the backfield for three years. Highly versatile, he played at running back, wide receiver, and defensive back and also returned kicks. Taylor led the team with four interceptions in 1962 and in ’63 rushed for 595 yards (averaging 6.8 yards-per-carry) and also gained 217 pass receiving and 308 kick return yards. He received All-Western Athletic Conference honors after both seasons. The Redskins, winning a coin flip to choose ahead of the Cowboys (who were also interested in the native Texan) chose Taylor in the first round of the 1964 NFL draft (third overall; he was also chosen by the Houston Oilers in the second round in the AFL) and he quickly moved into the lineup at halfback with his speed and ability as a pass receiver as well as runner from scrimmage.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 199 [5]

Most attempts, game – 22 (for 61 yds.) vs. Philadelphia 10/11

Yards – 755 [6]

Most yards, game – 85 yards (on 17 carries) vs. NY Giants 11/29

Average gain – 3.8 [18]

TDs – 5 [10, tied with four others]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 53 [8] 

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 88 yds.) vs. Cleveland 9/13

Yards – 814 [10]

Most yards, game – 94 (on 4 catches) at Baltimore 12/13

Average gain – 15.4 [16]

TDs – 5 [17, tied with seven others]

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 20

TDs – 0

All-Purpose yards – 1589 [3]

Passing

Attempts – 10

Completions – 2

Yards – 54

TDs – 0

INT – 1

Scoring

TDs – 10 [4, tied with five others]

Points – 60 [15, tied with five others]

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: UPI, NEA, Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: AP, NY Daily News

1^st team All-Eastern Conference: Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Redskins went 6-8 to finish tied for third with Philadelphia in the NFL Eastern Conference.

Aftermath:

Taylor had a lesser year in 1965, nagged by a foot injury and the lack of an effective fullback to pair up with him – he averaged only 2.8 yards in compiling 402 rushing yards but still caught 40 passes for 577 yards (14.4 avg.) and was again named to the Pro Bowl. During the ’66 season, new Head Coach Otto Graham shifted him to split end and, while initially reluctant toward making the switch, he led the NFL with 72 catches, for 1119 yards and 12 touchdowns. His size and skill made for favorable matchups, and he again topped the league with 70 catches in 1967, gaining 990 yards and scoring 9 TDs while receiving consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors. Taylor went on to consistently star at wide receiver with only one significant injury, a broken leg in the sixth game of the ’71 season, until he missed all of 1976 and came back at reduced form to catch 14 passes in ’77, his last year. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection once, received at least second-team recognition on five more occasions, all-conference honors yet four more times, and was chosen to the Pro Bowl after eight seasons. At the time of his retirement, his 649 catches ranked first all-time in NFL history, as did his seven seasons with 50 or more catches, and he gained 9110 yards (14.0 avg.) with 79 TDs. His rushing totaled 1488 yards and, adding in another 11 touchdowns, he scored 90 overall, which tied with Leroy Kelly for sixth place at the time. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1984.

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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).

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.

1972: Patriots Upset Redskins as Allen Gamble Goes Awry

The New England Patriots had a 1-1 record and were coming off an exciting down-to-the-wire win over Atlanta the previous week as they faced a tougher test in hosting the Washington Redskins on October 1, 1972. The Patriots were a rebuilding team in their second year in Foxboro, MA under Head Coach John Mazur. The key to that rebuilding project was QB Jim Plunkett (pictured at right), the first overall draft pick in ‘71 following a Heisman-winning college career at Stanford. New England was coming off a 6-8 record, the team’s best in five years, and looking to improve.

Washington was in its second year under Head Coach George Allen and had reached the postseason for the first time in 26 seasons following a 9-4-1 tally in 1971. The veteran-laden club, known as “The Over-the-Hill Gang”, had a strong running game led by HB Larry Brown and QB Bill Kilmer throwing to wide receivers Charley Taylor and Roy Jefferson plus TE Jerry Smith. The rugged defense was even more of a key to the team’s success. The Redskins had won their first two games over the Vikings and Cardinals.

It was an overcast and cool day with 60,999 in attendance at Schaefer Stadium. The first quarter was scoreless but the Redskins got on the board early in the second quarter as Bill Kilmer threw to Charley Taylor for a 30-yard touchdown that finished off an 80-yard drive in five plays.

Things didn’t get any better for the Patriots when HB Jack Maitland fumbled while returning the ensuing kickoff and safety Richie Petitbon recovered for Washington at the New England 17. Five plays later, Kilmer again connected with Taylor (pictured below) for a four-yard touchdown and 14-0 lead.

The Patriots responded with a long possession that covered 83 yards in 12 plays. Rookie FB Josh Ashton converted a third-and-two situation with an 11-yard run to his own 36 and, three plays later and facing third-and-ten, Plunkett completed a pass to WR Reggie Rucker for 40 yards to get the ball into Washington territory at the 24. New England went for it with fourth-and-one at the 15 and Ashton ran for three yards, and the fullback kept it going with a 10-yard gain around end followed by a two-yard carry for a touchdown. Charlie Gogolak added the extra point to cut the Washington lead to 14-7.

The Redskins came right back as Larry Brown ran the ball three straight times for 22 yards and Kilmer again connected with Taylor for 19 yards to the New England 35. But after reaching the 28, Brown fumbled and LB Jim Cheyunski recovered for the Patriots to end the threat. New England’s offense wasn’t able to move appreciably and the half ended with the visitors maintaining a seven-point margin.

The Patriots took the second half kickoff and drove 73 yards in eight plays. Plunkett threw to Rucker for a 22-yard gain and Ashton gained 27 yards on a sweep to the Washington 20. The series ended with Plunkett hitting Rucker for an 11-yard TD and, with Gogolak’s extra point, the game was tied at 14-14.

The Redskins had to punt following their next possession and the Patriots reached the Washington 48 before HB Bob Gladieux’s option pass intended for WR Randy Vataha was picked off by CB Mike Bass, who returned it 29 yards. Runs by Brown and FB Charlie Harraway picked up 14 yards and two Kilmer passes picked up another 16 yards to the New England 23, but another throw was intercepted by CB Larry Carwell to again close off another opportunity for the visitors.

With Ashton again running effectively, Plunkett added passes to Vataha for 20 yards and TE Bob Windsor for 10. The drive bogged down at the Washington 35 and Gogolak put the Patriots ahead with a 42-yard field goal.

The Redskins started off the fourth quarter with a long drive of 70 yards in 10 plays that didn’t come up empty. Kilmer hit on short passes and Brown gained 36 yards on a draw play to the New England 20. The series ended with Kilmer completing a nine-yard pass to Jerry Smith for a touchdown and, with Curt Knight’s third successful PAT, Washington was back in front at 21-17.

The Patriots responded by putting together an eight-play, 80-yard drive. Plunkett completed all four of his passes, including a 24-yard toss while scrambling away from a heavy rush to Ashton at the goal line for a TD. Gogolak’s extra point put New England up by three with fewer than four minutes to play.

Following a 30-yard kickoff return by safety Speedy Duncan, the Redskins put themselves in a second-and-32 situation at their own 13 due to penalties, but from there Kilmer threw to Taylor for a 62-yard gain that not only got them out of a hole but put them at the New England 25 at the two-minute warning. Two passes were incomplete and then a throw into the end zone for Jefferson was caught but ruled out of bounds.

Knight came in and kicked a 33-yard field goal but was run into by DB Ron Bolton. George Allen elected to take the points off the board and keep the drive going. A short run was followed by two incomplete passes and Knight came back in to attempt another field goal, this time from 27 yards. However, the gamble failed when the kick sailed wide to the right and was unsuccessful.

With the clock ticking down to the final minute, the Patriots kept the ball on the ground. Ashton ran the ball three times and New England lined up to punt. However, Pat Studstill’s kick was blocked by WR Bill Malinchak and, with the Washington special team player unable to corral the ball, rolled out of the end zone for a safety. It was a one-point game and Washington was getting the ball back on the free kick with the remaining time down to 50 seconds.

Duncan returned the free kick to the New England 48. The Redskins were able to pick up six yards before Knight came back on to attempt a 50-yard field goal. Again the kick went wide to the right and the Patriots came away with a 24-23 upset victory – and for the second week in a row, it came down to a missed try for a field goal by their opponent.

New England outgained the Redskins (380 yards to 349) and had more first downs (23 to 15). Each team turned the ball over two times, although Washington was flagged seven times, to two penalties called on the Patriots.

Jim Plunkett completed 17 of 33 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Josh Ashton (pictured below) had a big day as he rushed for 108 yards on 23 carries and a TD and added another score on his lone pass reception. Bob Windsor caught 5 passes for 58 yards and Reggie Rucker gained 69 yards on his four receptions that included one for a TD.

For the Redskins, Bill Kilmer was successful on 14 of 30 throws for 213 yards and three TDs along with one interception. Charley Taylor caught 7 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Larry Brown rushed for 113 yards on 20 attempts.

“I don’t like these endings,” said Jim Plunkett. “Between this week and last week, I’m getting gray hairs.”

The two closely-fought wins didn’t prove to be signs of better days coming for the Patriots. They lost their next nine games in a row and finished up at the bottom of the AFC East. Coach Mazur didn’t make it to the end, resigning under pressure, and ex-Packers mentor Phil Bengtson coached the last five games. Washington, by contrast, recovered to win nine straight and topped the NFC East at 11-3. They went on to win the conference title before losing the Super Bowl to undefeated Miami.

Jim Plunkett had a rough second year, completing 47.6 percent of his passes for 2196 yards and just 8 touchdowns while placing second in the NFL with 25 interceptions and being sacked 39 times. Josh Ashton, on the other hand, had signed with the team as a rookie free agent and ended up leading the club in rushing with 546 yards. 

1974: Defense Spurs Rams to Divisional Playoff Win Over Redskins

The NFC Divisional Playoff game on December 22, 1974 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum featured two tough defensive teams. The Los Angeles Rams, coached by Chuck Knox, had allowed the fewest points during the regular season (181) and featured stalwarts on the defensive line in All-Pro DE Jack Youngblood and DT Merlin Olsen (pictured at right), still a Pro Bowl-level performer at age 34. The offense had undergone a shift during the season when veteran QB John Hadl was traded to the Packers and replaced by James Harris, a pioneering African-American signal caller. The ground game was sound with RB Lawrence McCutcheon, who ran for 1109 yards and also gained Pro Bowl recognition.  

The Redskins were in the playoffs for the fourth straight year under Head Coach George Allen, previously the coach in LA. The defense was typically strong, but on offense the running game was unusually weak for an Allen-coached squad as, in particular, RB Larry Brown suffered through an injury-plagued campaign. The passing attack had compensated with savvy veteran QB Bill Kilmer backed up by 40-year-old Sonny Jurgensen, who had performed well on several occasions in relief.

Both teams had finished at 10-4, with that record good enough to win the NFC West title for the Rams but earning second place in the NFC East and a Wild Card spot for Washington. The Redskins had beaten the Rams in the second-to-last regular season contest just two weeks earlier.

There was a big crowd of 80,118 at the cavernous Coliseum on a day in which there were gusty winds that hampered the passing game.  The Rams made a change by going with two tight ends and one running back on offense. The “ace” formation, as they called it, succeeded in generating an eight-play, 72-yard drive for the game’s first touchdown. Along the way James Harris completed three passes for 40 yards and then threw to TE Bob Klein for a ten-yard TD.

The momentum shifted back to the Redskins during the remainder of the first half. Later in the first quarter, and following a Kilmer pass to WR Charley Taylor that gained 41 yards, Mike Bragg kicked a 35-yard field goal. After CB Pat Fischer intercepted a Harris pass and returned it 40 yards to the LA 23, Washington took the lead in the second quarter when RB Moses Denson plunged one yard into the end zone for a touchdown. It was 10-7 at the half.

The situation changed in the third quarter as the Rams began to make big plays on defense that turned the tide. Larry Brown’s fumble at the LA 44, forced by Merlin Olsen’s jolting tackle, was recovered by LB Jack Reynolds and set up a 37-yard field goal by David Ray that tied the score. It could have been more as an apparent touchdown by the Rams was nullified by a penalty.

HB Doug Cunningham fumbled the ensuing kickoff when he was hit by TE Pat Curran. LA turned that into three more points and the lead when Ray booted a 26-yard field goal. With the score at 13-10 and the Redskins having difficulty sustaining drives, Coach Allen lifted Kilmer for Sonny Jurgensen.

In the fourth quarter the Rams made a defensive adjustment, inserting Isiah Robertson (pictured at left) as a fourth linebacker rather than putting in an extra defensive back. It resulted in a key interception when Olsen hit Jurgensen as he was passing and Robertson picked off the underthrown ball and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. While the extra point attempt failed, LA had a nine-point lead with 10 minutes remaining on the clock.

On the next series, Olsen made another big play when he sacked Jurgensen for an eight-yard loss to thwart a potential comeback. The Rams were able to then keep the ball away from Washington until there was only 3:23 left. On a second down play, Reynolds intercepted a Jurgensen pass to essentially nail down the win. The Rams advanced by a score of 19-10.

Los Angeles held narrow edges in total yards (226 to 218) and first downs (14 to 13). However, the Redskins turned the ball over six times, with five of them coming in the second half and leading to 12 points for the Rams. LA suffered two turnovers. In addition, the Rams were more effective at running the ball, gaining 131 yards on 49 attempts while Washington was held to just 49 yards on 27 carries.

James Harris completed only 8 of 24 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown with two intercepted. Lawrence McCutcheon rushed for 71 yards on 26 carries and was one of three LA receivers to lead the club with two catches, for 20 yards. WR Harold Jackson gained 35 yards on his two receptions and Bob Klein’s two went for 23 yards and a TD. PK David Ray had been hospitalized with back spasms and it was uncertain that he could play until released three days earlier, but came through with two key field goals in the second half (although he also had two misses).

For the Redskins, Bill Kilmer was successful on 7 of 18 throws for 99 yards with none intercepted while Sonny Jurgensen (pictured below) went to the air 12 times and completed 6 for 78 yards, but with three picked off. Charley Taylor caught 4 passes for 79 yards and FB Charlie Evans also pulled in 4, for 31 yards. Larry Brown rushed for 39 yards on 18 attempts.

“George Allen always said that if you can get six turnovers in a game, you’ll win it,” said Merlin Olsen of his former coach. “We got six today.”

“The Rams deserved to win because they played better football,” summed up a glum Allen. “You can’t make as many mistakes as we did and expect to win.”

The first postseason win for the Rams since 1951 moved them ahead to the NFC Championship game, which they lost to Minnesota. The Redskins dipped to 8-6 in 1975 but returned to the postseason for one last time under George Allen in ’76.

The Divisional playoff loss in LA marked the end of the road for Sonny Jurgensen, who retired following an 18-year career in which he accumulated 32,224 passing yards and 255 TD passes – both figures were the third most in NFL history at the time. He gained induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. Oddly enough, Jurgensen’s last game was also his only postseason appearance (other than as a holder for kicks). 

1964: Late Scores Propel Cards to Win Over Redskins

The St. Louis Cardinals were 3-1-1 and battling to stay even with the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Eastern Conference race as they hosted the Washington Redskins on October 18, 1964. Coached by Wally Lemm, the Cardinals had a well-balanced offense with occasionally-erratic but typically effective QB Charley Johnson (pictured at right) throwing to outstanding receivers in split end Sonny Randle and flanker Bobby Joe Conrad or handing off to a good group of running backs led by HB John David Crow. The defense featured linebackers Dale Meinert and Bill Koman plus CB Pat Fischer and FS Larry Wilson. PK Jim Bakken was one of the league’s best.

The Redskins, coached by Bill McPeak for the fourth year, were 1-4, having lost to the Cards two weeks earlier at home and won for the first time the previous week. Washington had not put together a winning record since 1955 but had made key acquisitions in the previous offseason, most notably QB Sonny Jurgensen, obtained from the Eagles, and MLB Sam Huff, formerly of the Giants. In addition, rookie HB Charley Taylor had been drafted in the first round out of Arizona State and was proving to be an excellent outside runner as well as pass receiver.

There were 23,748 in attendance on a 60-degree day at Busch Stadium. They saw Washington start fast, scoring two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the first quarter. Jurgensen threw to Taylor for a 77-yard gain that set up a one-yard sneak by the quarterback for a TD.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Charley Johnson fumbled while rolling out and DT Joe Rutgens recovered for the Redskins. Jurgensen threw to split end Angelo Coia, who beat CB Jimmy Hill for a 32-yard touchdown. Including two successful extra points, it was 14-0 in favor of the visitors.

Before the opening period was over, however, Jim Bakken kicked a 17-yard field goal for the Cards and then Dale Meinert recovered a fumble by Washington HB Tom Tracy at the Redskins’ 27. St. Louis quickly capitalized when Johnson passed to Sonny Randle for an 11-yard TD. The score was 14-10 after a quarter of play.

Midway through the second quarter St. Louis took the lead when a 35-yard drive ended with John David Crow running for a nine-yard touchdown. With time running out in the first half the Cardinals went 52 yards on a possession that ended when Johnson fooled the Redskins defense by passing to a wide-open TE Jackie Smith for a one-yard TD pass. The Cards were up by 24-14 at the half.

Neither team was able to move the ball during the third quarter, but two interceptions set up Washington scores as the Redskins defense proved effective against the St. Louis offense for most of the second half. Johnson had difficulty completing passes until midway through the final period.

Early in the fourth quarter, CB Johnny Sample intercepted a Johnson pass at the Washington 28 and returned it to the 44. The Redskins took advantage as Taylor ran for a 37-yard gain and Jurgensen completed an 18-yard pass to star flanker Bobby Mitchell for a touchdown to make it a three-point game.

LB Jim Carr intercepted another pass by Johnson that gave the Redskins good field position at the St. Louis 49. The ensuing drive stalled at the 15 and a well-thrown Jurgensen pass was dropped by Coia in the end zone. Washington had to settle for a field goal by 40-year-old Jim Martin from 24 yards out to tie the game at 24-24 with just under two minutes left to play.

The Cardinals took possession at their 27 to start the ensuing drive. Johnson, who had been ineffective for much of the second half, threw to FB Joe Childress (pictured at left) for a 30-yard gain. Following two runs by Childress that added another 13 yards, Johnson then connected with split end Bill Gambrell for 11 yards to the Washington 19 with the clock down to 48 seconds. A five-yard completion to Conrad was followed by a short run by Crow and then Johnson’s pass to Conrad, who broke two tackles, for a 12-yard touchdown.

Now down by seven points, a desperate Jurgensen threw a desperation pass that was intercepted by Pat Fischer and returned 39 yards for a TD to seal the 38-24 win for St. Louis.

The Cardinals had more total yards (366 to 264) and far more first downs (26 to 9). But four turnovers, including the two damaging interceptions that led directly to Washington scores, hurt St. Louis while the Redskins turned the ball over three times. In addition, Johnson was sacked five times while the St. Louis defense failed to register any sacks at all.

Charley Johnson completed 17 of 30 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns but also three interceptions. He also gained 32 yards on four rushes. Joe Childress ran for 86 yards on 15 carries and caught two passes for 48 more yards while John David Crow contributed 53 yards on 16 attempts that included a TD. Bobby Joe Conrad (pictured below) was the top receiver for St. Louis with 5 catches for 52 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

For the Redskins, Charley Taylor had a big day with 62 yards rushing on 9 carries and three pass receptions for 81 yards. Sonny Jurgensen was successful on 11 of 25 throws for 159 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Bobby Mitchell and Angelo Coia each had three catches for 35 yards and scored a touchdown.

The win kept the Cardinals even with the Browns atop the Eastern Conference, but a midseason slump hurt their chances and while they finished up with four straight wins, it gave them a 9-3-2 record that placed second to Cleveland’s 10-3-1. The Redskins won five of their next six contests and ended up tied for third in the conference with Philadelphia at 6-8.

Charley Johnson led the NFL in pass attempts (420), completions (223), yards (3045), and, more unfortunately, interceptions (24) while ranking fourth in touchdown passes with 21. Bobby Joe Conrad was the fourth-ranked pass receiver in the league with 61 catches, good for 780 yards (12.8 avg.) and six TDs. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Sonny Jurgensen had a good first year in Washington, ranking second to Johnson in pass completions (207) and yards (2934) while ranking ahead in touchdown passes (24) and with far fewer interceptions (13). Like Conrad, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl.

Charley Taylor (pictured below) had an outstanding first year, garnering Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors as he rushed for 755 yards on 199 carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 53 passes for 814 yards (15.4 avg.) and totaled 10 touchdowns. Two years later, he was shifted to split end as he went on to a 13-season Hall of Fame career.