Deacon Jones

[inmate running the asylum]

Originally posted by Tarhog

Irony is that although the size and speed of the players has changed radically, the game itself hasn't changed all that much.

But watch out for those goalposts!!!

Its interesting that you mention the goalposts. They were moved back 10 yards to the endline of the endzone eventually. Besides players knocking themselves out by running into the old goalposts, I believe we lost a playoff game once to the Browns -- if my memory is correct -- when our QB passed into the endzone and the football hit the goalpost. In the old days if a pass hit the goalpost it was a safety for the other team as I recall. As a result I think we lost to the Cleveland Rams 15-14 in the NFL Championship game because the safety was their margin of victory.

Where the game really changed was with the introduction of the T-formation in the 1940's along with Sammy Baugh. Prior to that everyone used the Single Wing formation, which was a 3 yards and a cloud of dust formation. One advantage though was that with this formation, the QB did not always take the snap from center and consequently could punt on 3rd down instead of 4th. That is why Sammy Baugh holds the all-time punting average record for a season of something like 50+ yards. They used to catch the other team offguard on 3rd down and the punts would roll for 80 yards. :laugh:

UCLA was the last major college to give up the Single Wing formation under Red Sanders around 1960 or so.

[Tarhog]

Another interesting thing I never realized was the rivalry we had with the Bears in the early 40's. Chicago and the Redskins (that was Baugh's era although he alternated with a guy named Frank Filchock) dominated the league in the early 40's. In the 1940 NFL Championship, the Bears laid the biggest spanking ever on the Skins whipping us 73-0. But we avenged that humiliating loss in the 1942 NFL Championship, beating the Bears 14-6 (Baugh threw a TD pass in that win). We made it to the Championship game again in 1943, once again facing the Bears, but lost 41-21. The Redskins nearly won again in 1945, but were barely edged out by the Rams.

A Redskins juggernaut in the 1940's.

Who knew?

Pretty cool looking back at those early teams.

[Montilar]

Redskins fans who don't know their history.... proof the education system does s*ck.

[Guest SkinsHokie Fan]

Gotta read Tandler's book or the 1997 Washington Post's History of the Washington Redskins.

I believe you can read that history on the Post website. I have read a bunch of times... great reads

[gridironmike]

More trivia for youngsters...Deacon Jones kicked an extra point for the Redskins once. I spoke (via the net) to John Turney about Coy Bacon. By his research, Bacon had a 21 1/2 sack year. Symbol, Derrick Thomas had seven sacks in a game November 11, 1990 against the Seattle Seahawks. The list....

Editor's note: John Turney is the researcher for the Dick Butkus Football Network (www.dickbutkus.com) and is a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association

Turney’s All-Time Sack list (Smith , White, and O'Neal adjusted by me)

1. DE Bruce Smith (1985-03) 199.0

2. DE-DT Reggie White (1985-00) 198.0

3. DE Deacon Jones (1961-74) 173.5

4. OLB-DE Kevin Greene (1985-99) 160.0

5. DE Jack Youngblood (1971-84) 151.5

6. DE-OLB Chris Doleman (1985-99) 151.0

7. DT Alan Page (1967-81) 148.5

8. OLB Lawrence Taylor (1981-93) 142.0

9. DE Richard Dent (1983-97) 137.5

10. OLB-DE Rickey Jackson (1981-95) 136.0

11. DE-OLB Leslie O’Neal (1986-99) 134.0

12. DE Carl Eller (1964-79) 133.5

13. DE-DT Coy Bacon (1968-81) 130.0

14. DE Al Baker (1978-90) 128.5

15. DE Jim Marshall (1960-79) 127.0

16. OLB-DE Derrick Thomas (1989-99) 126.5

[Ryman of the North]

bednarik also played center and jeez guys when you are a fan you gotta know the history!