Highlighted Year: Gary Clark, 1986

Wide Receiver, Washington Redskins

Age: 24

4^th season in pro football, 2^nd in NFL & with Redskins

College: James Madison

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 173

Prelude:

Clark caught 155 passes for 2863 yards and 16 touchdowns in college and was chosen by the Jacksonville Bulls in the first round of the 1984 USFL draft. He had 56 catches for 760 yards and two TDs as a rookie and also returned kicks. He had a lesser season in ’85 and caught only 10 passes. Following the demise of the USFL, he joined the Redskins in the Fall, who had taken him in the second round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft. He had a big first year with Washington in ’85 with 72 receptions for 926 yards and 5 TDs. He proved to be an explosive receiver with great toughness.

1986 Season Summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 74 [10]           

Most receptions, game – 11 (for 241 yds.) at NY Giants 10/27

Yards – 1265 [4]

Most yards, game – 241 (on 11 catches) at NY Giants 10/27

Average gain – 17.1

TDs – 7 [15, tied with four others]

200-yard receiving games – 1

100-yard receiving games – 5

Punt Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 14

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 7

Points – 42

Postseason: 3 G

Pass receptions – 6

Most pass receptions, game – 5 at Chicago, NFC Divisional playoff

Pass receiving yards – 45

Most pass receiving yards, game – 37 at Chicago, NFC Divisional playoff

Average yards per reception – 7.5

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

1^st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Redskins went 12-4 to finish second in the NFC East to qualify as a wild card playoff entry. Won NFC Wild Card playoff over Los Angeles Rams (19-7) & NFC Divisional playoff over Chicago Bears (27-13). Lost NFC Championship to New York Giants (17-0).

Aftermath:

Clark followed up with another All-Pro season in 1987, catching 56 passes for 1066 yards and 7 TDs in Washington’s Super Bowl-winning campaign, that was strike-interrupted. An off year in 1988 with a 79-catch year in ’89 for 1229 yards and 9 touchdowns. Clark garnered Pro Bowl recognition in 1990 and ’91 (75 receptions for 112 yards and 8 TDs followed by 70 catches for 1340 yards and 10 TDs). Following a 64-catch, 912-yard season in 1992, Clark moved on to the Phoenix Cardinals as a free agent in ’93. He spent two years with the Cards and finished his stellar career with Miami in 1995. Overall in the NFL he caught 699 passes for 10,856 yards and 65 touchdowns. Of those totals, 549 receptions for 8742 yards and 58 TDs came with the Redskins. Clark received at least some first-team All-NFL honors twice and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1989: Cunningham Throws for 447 Yards & 5 TDs as Eagles Stun Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles were 1-0 as they faced the Washington Redskins, rivals in the NFC East, on September 17, 1989. Entering their fourth season under brash Head Coach Buddy Ryan, the Eagles had surged in the second half of the ’88 season to a 10-6 record and the NFC East title for their first postseason appearance in seven years. Central to the offense was QB Randall Cunningham (pictured above), who passed for 3808 yards and ran for 624. Beyond the fleet-footed quarterback, the running game was ordinary, with RB Keith Byars proving to be more effective as a receiver out of the backfield than a runner from scrimmage. The attacking defense was led by DE Reggie White and, while prone to giving up big plays on passes, improvement was anticipated. The Eagles defeated Seattle with ease in the first week.

Washington was coached by Joe Gibbs, who had enjoyed much success since taking over the team in 1981 but was coming off of a disappointing 7-9 record in 1988. QB Mark Rypien was taking over for the hobbled Doug Williams and it was hoped that the running game would improve with the addition of RB Gerald Riggs from the Falcons. It was also anticipated that the defense would recover from an injury-riddled year. The Redskins suffered a tough opening loss against the Giants the previous Monday night.

There were 53,493 fans in attendance at RFK Stadium. The Redskins struck quickly when, on their first play from scrimmage, Mark Rypien threw to WR Gary Clark for an 80-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was aborted due to a bad snap but Washington held the early 6-0 advantage.

That lead got larger when DE Charles Mann recovered a fumble by FB Anthony Toney at the Philadelphia 41 and, on the next play, Gerald Riggs broke away for another TD. This time Chip Lohmiller added the point after and, having run just two offensive plays, the Redskins were up by 13-0.

It got worse for the Eagles when a Randall Cunningham pass was intercepted by CB Brian Davis, who returned it 13 yards to the Philadelphia 12. Two plays later, Rypien tossed a scoring throw to RB Earnest Byner from 11 yards out and, following another Lohmiller conversion, the home team was ahead by 20-0.

The Eagles responded with a nine-play, 80-yard series that included an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the defense and a pass from Cunningham to Keith Byars that picked up 28 yards. Cunningham connected with TE Keith Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown and, following the extra point by Luis Zendejas, the score stood at 20-7 after an eventful first quarter of play.

As the game headed into the second quarter, the Redskins came back with an 80-yard possession in eight plays. Riggs (pictured below) carried for a 46-yard gain and Rypien threw to Clark for 21 yards before the series ended with another Rypien-to-Clark TD, this time covering five yards. Lohmiller’s conversion put Washington ahead by a formidable 27-7.

The Eagles got a break on defense when DB William Frizzell picked off a Rypien pass and returned it 23 yards to the Washington three. From there, Toney ran for a touchdown and, with Zendejas adding the PAT, Philadelphia was down by 13 points at 27-14. However, before the first half was over, the Redskins put together a long drive of 63 yards in 12 plays. Rypien completed a pass to WR Art Monk for 17 yards and two to WR Ricky Sanders for 13 and 14 yards to set up a 25-yard Lohmiller field goal. Washington took a 30-14 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was relatively quiet, with the Eagles mounting a 92-yard drive in 12 plays for the only score. Cunningham connected with Byars for 31 yards, WR Mike Quick for 21, and Byars again for 12 along the way before tossing a touchdown pass to Jackson that covered five yards. Zendejas converted and it was a 30-21 game heading into the final period.

Philadelphia narrowed the margin even further in the early minutes of the fourth quarter after SS Andre Waters recovered a Rypien fumble and returned it 16 yards. In a drive that covered 42 yards in seven plays, Cunningham passed to Byars for 20 yards and connected with WR Cris Carter for a five-yard TD. Zendejas booted the extra point and suddenly the Eagles were only two points down at 30-28.

The visitors regained possession on a fumble and appeared primed to take the lead, but Zendejas missed on a 33-yard field goal attempt. Having gained a reprieve, and following an exchange of punts, the Redskins finally got on the board again following a six-play, 71-yard series that concluded with Rypien going long to Monk for a 43-yard touchdown. Lohmiller added the point after that put Washington ahead by a seemingly comfortable 37-28 with 3:06 remaining on the clock.

Philadelphia responded with a drive that covered 69 yards in eight plays. Cunningham completed five straight passes that included one to Jackson for 17 yards and two to WR Gregg Garrity that covered 29 and 12 yards. Finally, it was Cunningham to Quick, who made a leaping grab for a two-yard TD and, with Zendejas adding the extra point, the Eagles were down by just 37-35.

It looked as though the two-point margin would hold for the Redskins, however, as Riggs took off for a 58-yard gain on first down to the Philadelphia 22. But two plays later, and with 1:16 left on the clock, LB Al Harris recovered a Riggs fumble and, before he could be pulled down by OT Jim Lachey, he handed off to FS Wes Hopkins who proceeded to charge 77 yards down the sideline to the Washington four (While Coach Gibbs complained that the Hopkins runback was due to a forward lateral, the replay official indicated that it was inconclusive).

On the next play, Cunningham threw to Jackson (pictured below), who was open in the end zone for a touchdown and Zendejas tacked on the point after. Any remaining chance for the Redskins ended when Rypien fumbled while being sacked by DT Jerome Brown and Reggie White recovered at the Washington 15 with 43 seconds to go. The Eagles, trailing for almost the entire game and twice by as many as 20 points, came away winners by a final score of 42-37.

The Redskins had the edge in total yards (492 to 474) although Philadelphia had far more first downs (32 to 16). Washington turned the ball over a critical six times, to three by the Eagles. The Redskins recorded four sacks to two by Philadelphia.

Randall Cunningham, who just received a five-year contract extension, had a huge performance as he completed 34 of 46 passes for 447 yards (breaking a team record that had been set in 1953) with five touchdowns while giving up one interception. Keith Jackson had 12 catches for 126 yards and three TDs and Keith Byars gained 130 yards on his 8 pass receptions. Anthony Toney rushed for 24 yards on 9 attempts that included a score. On defense, Jerome Brown had a notable performance with nine tackles and two sacks.

For the Redskins, Gerald Riggs gained a club-record 221 yards on 29 rushing attempts with one touchdown, but the outstanding performance was tarnished by the late fumble. Mark Rypien was successful on 12 of 23 throws for 288 yards and four TDs while being picked off twice. Gary Clark caught four passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns and Art Monk also had four receptions, for 87 yards and a TD.

“I told them I’ve been to Super Bowls and all that, but I’ve never been associated with a game like that,” said Buddy Ryan. “It was a knock-down, drag-out.”

“It is probably one of the low points since I’ve been here,” said Joe Gibbs in defeat. “It was one of the toughest losses I’ve ever been part of.”

The Eagles, who were 2-0 for the first time since 1981, lost their next two games but reeled off four straight wins before briefly slumping. They lost the rematch with the Redskins at home in a far more low-scoring contest (10-3) and went on to place second in the NFC East with an 11-5 record, securing a playoff spot and losing to the Rams in the Wild Card round. Washington recovered to win three of its next four games and, after slumping to 5-6, finished the season with five consecutive victories to end up third in the division at 10-6, although out of the playoffs.

The fortunes of the game’s major statistical performers varied over the course of the season. Randall Cunningham passed for 3400 yards and 21 touchdowns, with 15 interceptions, and again led the club in rushing with 621 yards. While he was chosen to the Pro Bowl for a second straight year, his performance was uneven as injuries to receivers, in particular Mike Quick and Keith Jackson, took their toll. Jackson still managed to gain selection to the Pro Bowl as well, although his numbers were reduced to 63 catches for 648 yards (10.3 avg.) and the three touchdowns scored against Washington were his total for the year.

Gerald Riggs also failed to sustain a strong start, not reaching the hundred-yard mark in the remainder of an injury-plagued season (although he did gain 99 yards in Week 7 against Tampa Bay). He finished with 834 yards on 201 carries (4.1 avg.) with four TDs.

1992: Fumble Recovery Propels Redskins to Defeat of Cowboys

Two bitter NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, faced off at RFK Stadium on December 13, 1992. The Redskins, coached by Joe Gibbs for the twelfth season, were the defending NFL Champions but finding the going more difficult the year after winning the Super Bowl. Following a 5-2 start, they lost three of four games and were at 8-5. QB Mark Rypien was not performing up to his level of the season before and the vaunted offensive line was injury-riddled. However, 30-year-old RB Earnest Byner was still dependable, the receiving corps led by WR Gary Clark was a good one, and the defense remained tough.

Dallas was the up-and-coming team under Head Coach Jimmy Johnson and came into Washington with an 11-2 record, including a win in the season-opening contest with the Redskins. The offense had a solid nucleus with QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith, and WR Michael Irvin and the defense was outstanding. The Cowboys had been a Wild Card team in 1991 and were looking to top the NFC East for the first time since 1985.   

There were 56,437 enthusiastic fans in attendance on a cloudy and breezy day. The teams traded punts to start the game before SS Kenneth Gant intercepted a Mark Rypien pass that was bobbled by TE Terry Orr at midfield and returned it to the Washington 42. The Cowboys advanced 37 yards in 10 plays, the biggest a throw from Troy Aikman to WR Alvin Harper for 21 yards. Emmitt Smith gained the necessary yardage to convert a fourth-and-one situation at the 10 yard line, but the Cowboys couldn’t reach the end zone and Lin Elliott kicked a 23-yard field goal.

The teams returned to exchanging punts for the remainder of the opening period and into the second quarter. Taking possession at their own 47 after a Kelly Woodburn shanked punt traveled 30 yards and went out of bounds, the Cowboys drove 53 yards in six plays. Facing third-and-nine, Aikman connected with Michael Irvin for 40 yards to the Washington 12 and then completed two passes to TE Jay Novacek, the second for five yards and a touchdown. Elliott added the extra point and the visitors were up by 10-0.

The Redskins again had to punt following their next series, which saw the home crowd boo Rypien for twice missing makeable throws intended for Gary Clark, but got a break when WR Kelvin Martin slipped and muffed the kick and center Guy Bingham recovered for Washington at the Dallas 41. On the next play, RB Earnest Byner (pictured at left), faking a sweep to the right that successfully fooled the defense, threw an option pass to Orr for a 41-yard TD and, with Chip Lohmiller’s conversion, the Dallas lead was narrowed to 10-7.

The Cowboys advanced into Washington territory on the next possession, helped along by Smith’s 17-yard run to the Redskins’ 41. However, following a short carry by Smith, Aikman threw three incomplete passes, the second of which was broken up in the end zone and the third nearly intercepted by LB Wilber Marshall. Dallas was forced to punt and pinned the Redskins inside their 20, which ultimately resulted in a 50-yard line-drive punt by Goodburn that Martin returned for 18 yards to the Washington 42.

Taking over on offense with 2:06 remaining in the first half, it took seven plays for the Cowboys to score again. Aikman completed passes to Harper for 12 yards and Martin for nine, but a holding penalty backed Dallas up. However, a pass interference call on the Redskins gave the visitors a first down at the Washington 11 and, three plays later, it was Aikman to Novacek once again for a five-yard touchdown. Elliott added the point after and Dallas took a 17-7 lead into halftime.

The Cowboys had the first possession in the third quarter and punted from midfield. Washington put together a 12-play, 68-yard series in response. Byner ran effectively and Rypien completed four passes, the longest to WR Ricky Sanders for 29 yards. But after finding themselves with first-and-goal at the one, the Redskins lost yardage and had to settle for a 32-yard Lohmiller field goal.

Dallas was on the move as the game headed into the fourth quarter, helped along by a fake punt in which FB Daryl Johnston ran for 13 yards in a fourth-and-six situation to the Washington 38. Smith ran for 18 and 14 yards on the next two plays and the Cowboys had first-and-goal at the six. But following two more carries by Smith, Aikman passed on third down and LB Andre Collins intercepted and returned it 59 yards to the Dallas 42. Rypien had completions to Clark for 16 yards and Sanders for 13 as the Redskins drove to a 22-yard Lohmiller field goal. Instead of Dallas potentially scoring a game-clinching touchdown, Washington had now made it a four-point contest at 17-13.

On the third play of the next Dallas series, Irvin fumbled when hit by CB Darrell Green after gaining 20 yards on a pass from Aikman. SS Danny Copeland recovered and returned it 15 yards to give the Redskins the ball at the Dallas 24. Rypien passed to Clark for 13 yards and Byner had a four-yard run, but the home team found itself facing fourth-and-one at the Dallas two and Rypien’s pass intended for Clark was overthrown.

The clock was down to 3:33 to play as the Cowboys took possession. Johnston ran up the middle for two yards, but on second down Aikman fumbled while being sacked in the end zone by DE Jason Buck, who overwhelmed center Mark Stepnoski and got a hand on the ball just as the quarterback was about to go into his throwing motion (television replays were inconclusive as to whether Aikman had already begun to move his arm forward before losing the ball). Smith picked the loose ball up for Dallas, but he was hit by Collins and Copeland and tried to toss the ball out of the end zone. Copeland managed to recover for Washington for a touchdown, but the resolution of the play added to the bizarre situation as the safety had already left the pileup with ball in hand and run to midfield to celebrate while the officials were still sorting out who had possession, and he had to return to the end zone. Lohmiller converted and the Redskins were ahead by three points.

There was still time for Dallas, and with the crowd in a frenzy, Aikman threw back-to-back 14-yard completions to Martin and Irvin. Another throw to Martin was good for 10 yards to the Washington 38, but Aikman was then sacked by Collins for a loss of seven yards. A toss to Smith regained the yardage, but on third-and-10, Aikman was sacked once again, this time by LB Monte Coleman. Aikman threw for Harper on fourth-and-17, the pass was incomplete, and Washington came away with a 20-17 win.

The Cowboys had the edge in total yards (342 to 246) and first downs (22 to 14). However, the Redskins recorded four sacks, to two by Dallas, and the Cowboys turned the ball over four times, one leading directly to the winning touchdown, to one suffered by Washington.

Mark Rypien had a mediocre performance as he completed 12 of 29 passes for 144 yards and gave up an interception. Earnest Byner rushed for 69 yards on 19 carries and also tossed a touchdown pass. Gary Clark caught four passes for 50 yards and Ricky Sanders gained 53 yards on his three receptions.

For the Cowboys, Troy Aikman was successful on 23 of 35 throws for 245 yards and two TDs with one picked off. Emmitt Smith (pictured at right) gained 99 yards on 25 rushing attempts and caught five passes for 16 yards. Michael Irvin also had five pass receptions, for 105 yards, while Jay Novacek scored two TDs among his five catches for 25 yards.

“It was one of the hardest-fought games I’ve ever been in,” summed up Coach Gibbs of the Redskins. “Everyone laid it on the line out there. This was one of the most emotional games I’ve been in, and it’s one I’ll always remember. There were a lot of great plays back and forth. This was two great teams and had everything wrapped into it.”

“The Redskins gave a great effort and we gave a great effort,” said Jimmy Johnson of the Cowboys. “They are to be commended.  Our guys will be all right. We came up short against a good football team on the road.”

The loss proved to be the last of the season for Dallas. The Cowboys won their remaining two games to place first in the NFC East at 13-3 and continued on in the postseason to a Super Bowl triumph over Buffalo. The Redskins lost two close contests to finish out the schedule with a 9-7 record that placed third in the division but still qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card. They defeated Minnesota in the Wild Card round but lost to the 49ers at the Divisional level.

The decisive fumble recovery by Danny Copeland was one of three for the year and resulted in his only career touchdown. Earnest Byners touchdown pass was his only completion of the season, out of three attempts, and his third career scoring toss. He rushed for 998 yards on 262 carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 39 passes for another 338 yards (8.7 avg.), compiling a total of seven TDs.

1991: Beuerlein Comes Off Bench as Cowboys Upset Redskins

The Washington Redskins were rolling along at 11-0 as they hosted their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, on November 24, 1991. In their eleventh year under Head Coach Joe Gibbs, they had been as dominating as the record indicated, putting plenty of points on the board (including a total of 97 in the previous two games) while the defense had recorded three shutouts and not allowed an opponent to score more than 17 points in the last seven contests.

The visiting Cowboys were a team on the rise under Head Coach Jimmy Johnson. But while they had gotten off to a 5-2 start, they had lost three of their previous four games and were at 6-5 coming into Washington. Furthermore, the defense was ranked 25^th. Still, QB Troy Aikman was improving in offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s system and RB Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin were also emerging as stars.

There were 55,561 fans in attendance at RFK Stadium. They saw the Redskins take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when, with just under five minutes remaining in the period, CB Martin Mayhew intercepted an Aikman pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.

The Cowboys evened the score in the second quarter when, facing a third-and-15 situation, Emmitt Smith scored on a draw play from 32 yards out. At the end of the first half, Aikman threw a “Hail Mary” bomb that WR Alvin Harper pulled away from CB A.J. Johnson for a 34-yard touchdown. Coach Jimmy Johnson had gone for the fourth down conversion for the third time rather than use PK Ken Willis, who tended to be more dependable kicking on an artificial surface than grass. In any case, it had worked out with Dallas holding a 14-7 halftime lead. The Cowboys had done a fine job of keeping the ball away from Washington’s offense in the first half and limited the Redskins to just 16 rushing yards.

It looked like trouble for Dallas, however, when Aikman left the game early in the third quarter with a sprained right knee. In to replace him was QB Steve Beuerlein (pictured at top). The 26-year-old Beuerlein had played three years with the Raiders after coming out of Notre Dame before moving on to Dallas just before the ’91 season to back up Aikman. A classic dropback passer with limited mobility, he also had strong leadership skills.

The Cowboys came up empty following Beuerlein’s entry into the game when Willis missed a field goal attempt. On their next drive, Beuerlein completed two throws to WR Michael Irvin but Dallas didn’t hit paydirt until the following possession as Irvin caught two more passes, including a one-handed grab for a 24-yard TD on the third play of the fourth quarter.

In response, the Redskins shifted to a no-huddle offense and drove 92 yards in 13 plays. RB Gerald Riggs ran the final yard for a touchdown and the Dallas lead was cut to 21-14 with 8:21 remaining to play. Dallas then ran some seven minutes off the clock in a 15-play series that ended with Willis kicking a 42-yard field goal for a 24-14 lead with 1:14 left in the game.

In the closing seconds, Rypien passed to Sanders for a 29-yard touchdown to narrow the margin. But the Cowboys recovered the ensuing onside kick and that was it. Dallas came away with a 24-21 win.

The Cowboys led in total yards (399 to 262) and first downs (23 to 15) and also held onto the ball for almost 39 minutes. The Redskins, for their part, recorded five sacks. Each team turned the ball over one time.

Troy Aikman was successful on 13 of his 20 passes for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception before giving way to Steve Beuerlein, who completed 7 of 12 throws for 109 yards and a TD. Michael Irvin (pictured below) had an outstanding performance and consistently outmaneuvered CB Darrell Green, catching 9 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Alvin Harper added 101 yards on his four receptions that also included a score. Emmitt Smith rushed for 132 yards and a TD on 32 carries.

For the Redskins, Mark Rypien went to the air 33 times and completed 17 for 212 yards with a touchdown and one intercepted. WR Gary Clark caught 7 passes for 82 yards. The miniscule running attack was led by RB Ricky Ervins and his 29 yards on five attempts while RB Earnest Byner carried 8 times for 22 yards.

“From the very start, we were going to be aggressive,” said Jimmy Johnson. “We were going to be aggressive in all three phases and we would be aggressive in the play-calling.”

“It was one of those things – we just didn’t play well on any level,” summarized Joe Gibbs for the Redskins. “I thought they played very well.”

While the injury to Troy Aikman knocked him out for the remainder of the regular season, the Cowboys won their remaining games with Beuerlein at quarterback to finish with an 11-5 record for second place in the NFC East and a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Dallas defeated the Bears in the first round before losing to Detroit at the Divisional level.

The Redskins came back to win three straight before losing the season finale and ending up with a 14-2 record atop the NFC East. They went on to win Super Bowl XXVI over the Buffalo Bills.

Steve Beuerlein completed 68 of 137 passes (49.6 %) for 909 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions and despite his lack of mobility was sacked just six times. He also led the Cowboys to their Wild Card playoff win. Beuerlein backed up Aikman again in 1992 before moving on to the Cardinals.

Michael Irvin caught 93 passes for a league-leading 1523 yards (16.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first of five consecutive years. Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing with 1563 yards on 365 carries (4.3 avg.) and 12 touchdowns (he added another TD as a receiver). He also was named to the Pro Bowl, for the second of six straight seasons and eight overall.

1991: Redskins Rally from 13 Points Down to Beat Giants, Stay Undefeated

The NFC East showdown on October 27, 1991 at Giants Stadium featured the host New York Giants against the undefeated (7-0) Washington Redskins, who were coming off their bye week. Under Head Coach Joe Gibbs, the Redskins’ offense was led by previously-unheralded QB Mark Rypien behind an outstanding line. The running game, which featured veterans Earnest Byner and Gerald Riggs and rookie Ricky Ervins, was solid and Rypien had good wide receivers to throw to in Art Monk, Gary Clark (pictured above), and Ricky Sanders.

Washington had lost six straight games to the Giants coming into the showdown in the Meadowlands, and New York had won the Super Bowl the previous year. However, Head Coach Bill Parcells departed in the offseason, and the team was struggling under his successor Ray Handley. Star QB Phil Simms had been lost to injury late in the ’90 season and backup Jeff Hostetler was behind center the rest of the way. There was competition between the two in the preseason, and Handley benched Simms in favor of Hostetler, who showed promise but had difficulty getting the ball in the end zone. The once-formidable defense led by LB Lawrence Taylor was beginning to show its age, and the Giants were at 4-3 as they hosted the Redskins.

It looked as though New York’s domination of the Redskins would continue as the Giants scored on three of their first four possessions, although they twice ended up going for three points in situations that could easily have produced touchdowns. First, they had to settle for a 23-yard Raul Allegre field goal when Hostetler overthrew RB Rodney Hampton, who was open at the Washington one yard line. The next drive ended in a TD on a Hampton run from a yard out. But in the second quarter, the Giants lost out on a first down inside the Washington five when FB Maurice Carthon was penalized for unnecessary roughness. Once again, the result was an Allegre field goal, this time from 36 yards, and New York led by 13-0 at halftime.

The Giants outgained the Redskins in the first half by 207 yards to 35. Washington ran only 15 plays, held the ball for just over eight minutes, and never penetrated into New York territory.

Washington finally got into Giants territory for the first time with 5:36 left in the third quarter, and from that point the Redskins dominated the remainder of the game. They scored their first touchdown after controlling the ball on an 84-yard drive consisting of 20 plays that consumed almost nine minutes. The Redskins finished off the possession with a seven-yard TD pass from Rypien to Gary Clark.

After a short possession by the Giants, which ended with Hampton being tackled for a six-yard loss on a third-and-one play at the New York 29, the Redskins got the ball back. In a third-and-12 situation, Clark got behind CB Everson Walls to catch a Rypien pass for a 54-yard touchdown at just over two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Another punt by the Giants led to another time-consuming drive by Washington, with Ricky Ervins running the ball effectively. The 14-play, 62-yard possession culminated in Chip Lohmiller’s 35-yard field goal with 51 seconds left that clinched the 17-13 win for the Redskins.

Just as the Giants had dominated the first half, so Washington controlled the second. The Redskins converted nine straight third downs, six in the 20-play drive that led to the initial score, and accumulated 239 total yards. It was the Giants with just 18 plays and three first downs in the second half.

When the two halves were put together, the Giants had more total yards (271 to 254) while Washington had the edge in first downs (16 to 15). Neither team’s defense sacked the other’s quarterback and each suffered just one turnover. Even the penalties were even at five apiece.

Ricky Ervins carried the ball 20 times for 82 yards, all in the second half (the veteran Earnest Byner was held to 11 yards on 10 carries). Mark Rypien completed 12 of 25 passes for 159 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Gary Clark was the most prominent receiver with three catches for 70 yards and both Washington TDs.


For the Giants, Jeff Hostetler was successful on 14 of 21 throws for 137 yards with no touchdowns and one picked off. Rodney Hampton (pictured at right) gained 83 yards on 21 carries that included a TD and also caught 6 passes for 39 yards. WR Stephen Baker (“The Touchdown Maker”) gained 77 yards on three pass receptions.

It was the first time the Redskins were ever 8-0 in franchise history. They eventually ran the string to 11-0 before losing to Dallas and ended up atop the NFC East with a 14-2 record. The winning continued on to the Super Bowl, a 37-24 dismantling of the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, the defending-champion Giants failed to qualify for the postseason. They ended up with a disappointing 8-8 record to place fourth in the division.

Mark Rypien had a career year, passing for 3564 yards with 28 touchdowns as opposed to 11 interceptions and earning selection to the Pro Bowl. Ricky Ervins (pictured below) saw increasingly more action as the year progressed and ran for 680 yards on 145 carries (4.7 avg.). Gary Clark caught 70 passes for 1340 yards (19.1 avg.) and 10 touchdowns, also earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Until knocked out of action with a back injury twelve games into the season, Jeff Hostetler completed 62.8 % of his passes for 2032 yards and only four interceptions, but with just five TDs. Rodney Hampton was a bright spot on the offense with 1059 yards rushing and 43 catches out of the backfield.

1984: Jacksonville Bulls Score 53 Points in USFL Debut

The Jacksonville Bulls were one of six new teams in the USFL for the 1984 season. Owned by Fred Bullard (hence the Bulls nickname) and coached by Lindy Infante, they took the field for their first game on February 26 before 49,392 fans at the Gator Bowl. They didn’t disappoint, rolling up 53 points as they obliterated the visiting Washington Federals.

The first points came on a safety as Washington punter Dana Moore fell on a fumble in his end zone. The first touchdown occurred on a 74-yard pass play from QB Matt Robinson to WR Aubrey Matthews. It was 16-0 at the end of the first quarter after RB Larry Mason scored from a yard out.

By the end of the first half, the Bulls had a 29-0 lead as Mason scored a second TD on an eight-yard run (the PAT failed) and Robinson connected on another long pass play, this one covering 54 yards to WR Wyatt Henderson. Washington finally got on the board in the third quarter on a one-yard run by QB Mike Hohensee, but it was Jacksonville accumulating the next 17 points as the Bulls cruised to the 53-14 victory.


Robinson (pictured at right), who had played in the NFL with the Jets, Broncos, and Bills, completed 15 of 25 passes for 299 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions. Rookie WR Gary Clark led the team with 4 pass receptions (for 65 yards), although Matthews had the most receiving yards with 74 on his lone catch, the long TD. Larry Mason led the team’s runners with 36 yards on 11 carries with the two scores.

WR Joey Walters had an outstanding statistical day in a losing effort for the Federals as he gained 205 yards on 8 receptions that included a 51-yard TD on a pass from relief QB Reggie Collier.

It was a great start for the franchise both on the field and in terms of attendance. But while the Bulls would set a USFL single-game attendance record in their next game with 73,227 on hand to witness a heartbreaking loss to the New Jersey Generals, and would go on to lead the league in attendance over the course of the season, they went 6-12 on the way to a last place finish in the Southern Division. The Federals also finished last with a 3-15 record, tied with the Pittsburgh Maulers in the Atlantic Division.

Matt Robinson ended up splitting time at quarterback with Robbie Mahfouz. Gary Clark was the top receiver, with 56 catches for 760 yards. However, the team finished next to last in the USFL in rushing with 1729 yards; Mason’s 495 yards led the club.

Defense was a problem as the team failed to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and ended up surrendering 455 points. They were good at picking off passes, with 28 interceptions (led by safety Don Bessillieu’s seven), but defensive lineman Bob Clasby was the team’s leader with just five sacks.

The franchise’s enduring legacy was the fan support that it generated. Long after the Bulls disappeared with the rest of the USFL, the NFL awarded Jacksonville an expansion franchise for the 1995 season. The enthusiasm generated for the Bulls apparently played a role in that decision.