WFT History of Clinching/Not Clinching Final Week of Season

[jnhutchi3]

On 12/31/2020 at 8:10 AM, kleese said:

I don’t think we were still alive going into the final week in 1985 or 1989. I know for sure we weren’t in 1989 because we played Seattle on a Saturday and played that game with no chance to make playoffs. I am almost positive the same was true in 1985 unless there was some sort of crazy machination of results we needed to get in. But I think we were already mathematically eliminated— 1985 was the one year where I am not 100% positive though. 

 

I'm pretty sure that Washington was not eliminated going into the last week of the season in 1985.  As I recall, the Cowboys had to beat the 49ers in the last game of the season in order for Washington to qualify.  However, the Cowboys lost and Washington missed the playoffs.  They showed several Washington players cheering for Dallas during the game, it was kind of funny.

[jnhutchi3]

On 12/30/2020 at 10:33 PM, kleese said:

Here we are, and turns out, it’s a fairly unique position. Since our most memorable/infamous “win and in” moment in franchise history in 1979, we haven’t experienced truly meaningful week 17 (week 16 before the bye week was introduced) very often. Let’s start with that heartbreaking moment from long ago and examine the seasons where our playoff fate WAS decided the final week of the year. 
 

1979: If you don’t know how this story ends, then to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure you can call yourself a diehard— you certainly can’t call yourself a student of the franchise, that’s for sure. I say that because this game likely remains the most important/most painful regular season game in franchise history. Now, before you say I am just saying that because I’m old— well, I AM old, but actually not old enough to remember this one first hand (I was a little over two years old). I “know” this game from highlights, anecdotes, NFL Films, stories from older fans, etc. 

 

If you don’t know, the NFC East came down to Redskins at Cowboys at The Star. Both teams entered at 10-5. The Eagles clinched a wild card already. The Cowboys had clinched at least a wild card. Due to tie-breakers, we wound up in a situation where we would either win the division or miss the playoffs entirely— and Chicago would go in our place if we lost. 
 

What is interesting is that before the day started, Redskins fans could reasonably expect to make the playoffs even if we lost AND Chicago won. Reason being, the tie breaker would come down to net points in conference games. Entering the day we had a substantial lead on the Bears in that department. So, even if we lost, and they won, we’d probably still get the nod as long as we didn’t lose by much and they didn’t win by too much. Well, the Bears played in the early slot that day at St. Louis, and wound up winning the game 42-6. So they increased their net points by +36. It was JUST enough points to eliminate our chances of losing and still making it. Had the Bears won by even just 28 points, we still could have clinched with a close loss— but the 36 point margin put us in a win or else position. 
 

The game itself was classic. Back and forth. One of the best in the history of the rivalry and probably one of the better regular season games in NFL history. We entered the third quarter down 21-17, but we opened the fourth on a 17-0 run, capped by a long TD run by Riggins to create a 34-21 score late (keep in mind no two point conversion back then to avoid the tenuous 13 point lead). 
 

Well, Roger Staubach lived up to his Captain Comeback moniker and deliver back to back TD drives, including the now indelible image of his TD pass to Tony Hill in the corner to give Dallas the 35-34 victory. Some may not remember that the Redskins actually did have one last shot— they got to within what would have been an approx 55 yard field goal and called timeout with 1-2 seconds remaining. But the clock didn’t stop. No review. No ref correction. That was hit. Game over. Now, back in 1979 a 50+ FG was a long shot for sure, but Mosely had the leg to at least have a reasonable opportunity to make it. 
 

To make things even more painful, the NFC was really wide open in 1979– no great teams. A 9-7 Rams team would upset Dallas in the divisional round and then beat an upstart Bucs team 9-0 in the NFC Title game. The loss at Dallas cost Washington at least one home game and what would have been a very golden opportunity at the Super Bowl against the Steelers. 
 

1984: For being in the same division for so many years, the Redskins and Cardinals really don’t have a long history of great or meaningful games against each other. There were a few in the 70’s, but nothing as important as the final week of the 1984 season at RFK. We entered at 10-5 and back to back NFC Champs. Cards were 9-6, but beat us earlier in the year at Busch Stadium, meaning this was a win and in game/loser goes home. Excellent game. Redskins took a 23-7 lead into halftime, but Neil Lomax battled the Cardinals back and hit Roy Green for a TD to give them a 27-26 lead in the fourth quarter. We drove down and kicked a FG to take a 29-27 lead, but Lomax had one drive left in him— it came down to a Neil O’Donahough FG, which he missed, clinching our third straight East title. We would of course fall to the Bears in what wound up being the only playoff loss for the team in RFK history. 
 

1992: After beating Dallas in the wild game at RFK in mid-December, the Redskins were 9-5 and appeared to be a lock for the playoffs. The had a chance to clinch the next week in Philly, but lost a heartbreaker. No biggie, just had to beat the lousy Raiders led by an ancient back up QB (Vince Evans) to secure the wild card the final week of year. The game was played on a Saturday afternoon. We were visiting family on Long Island for the holidays and I was relieved that the game was on a Saturday and on National TV and I didn’t have to scour the area for a sports bar. I knew we’d win, but I of course, wanted to watch. Game was late afternoon and I vividly remember sitting on the floor in my aunts living room watching it unfold. Game was uncomfortable from the start. We just couldn’t get much going offensively and it stayed tight throughout. We took a 20-14 lead late and needed to stop one final drive to get it done. Old Man Evans had other ideas though, and led the Raiders down and eventually hit Tim Brown for what wound up being the game winning score... 21-20 Raiders. I was shocked. 1992 was such a grind of a year and I couldn’t believe it was going to end like that— I so wanted a chance to defend the title. We still had a chance though— we needed Minnesota to beat Green Bay at the Metrodome the next day and we’d still get in. I wasn’t very confident, but to my surprise the game wasn’t even close— Vikings ran them out of the building— which of course gave them a date with us the next week. In hindsight they may have been better off losing to GB, because we are then alive in that wild card game. All in all, it was an extended stressful 24 hours to clinch a playoff spot in 1992. 
 

1997: I’ve often commented that 1997 was my most frustrating season as a fan— I threw a lot of tantrums that year. That team drove me crazy— and they kept it up all the way until the end. They blew so many chances that season that it’s hard to keep track, but there were several losses (and one infamous tie) that had any of them gone our way we would have been in the post season. But it came down to us at 7-7-1 entering week 17 needed two things to get in— a win over Philly and a Lions loss at home to the Jets. We played early; Lions game was late. I headed to the sports bar to watch our game and we wound up handling the Eagles pretty easily. I then headed home to watch the Jets-Lions from the Silverdome which was the National game in my area that day. Jets led 10-0 after the first quarter and things looked good. It was torture after that. Both offenses stalled and the Jets kept missing scoring opportunities. They held a 10-6 lead in fourth when Barry Sanders finally broke loose for a TD. Lions held on to win 13-10 and our playoff hopes died late that afternoon. We had no one to blame but ourselves in 1997 and honestly that team didn’t deserve to get in, but it was still a frustrating way to end a most frustrating season. 
 

2005: “Five in a row, or we don’t go.” Well, this was number five— and it wound up being by far the hardest of the five games to secure. We won easily in St. Louis (I was there) in Ryan Fitzpatrick’s first career start; handled the Cardinals with relative ease in the desert the next week and then destroyed Dallas the following week at FedEx. The win over the Giants on Christmas Eve had a few tense moments, but we pulled away and there was no sweating it out at the end. However, week 17 at Philly was tough. Eagles were done and had had a rough year with injuries. But they were game that day behind back up

QB Mike McMahon. I remember feeling super tight when they took at 17-7 lead in the second quarter. Felt a lot better once Portis scored early in the third to tie it at 17. But even after that Philly took another lead at 20-17. Obviously all fans now remember how we finally put that game on ice with the Sean Taylor scoop and score. I went nuts. Not just because we made the playoffs, but because I thought that team was absolutely a Super Bowl threat. Unfortunately, both CP and Brunell wound up getting dinged and by the time we arrived in Seattle two weeks later, our offense was really stuck in neutral. But that win in Philly was thrilling and satisfying and capped one of the best runs the franchise has had in the past 30 years. 
 

2007: Somewhat similar to 2005, except this time it was “four in a row or we don’t go.” There was also the fog of ST’s death hanging over that late season run. It made feel both inspired and hopeful (maybe this would be a Cinderella run to the Super Bowl) and skeptical about how far a patchwork offense led by Todd Collins could take us. The final game was at FedEx against a Cowboys team that had already clinched and wasn’t planning on playing many of their guys. This brought me

little comfort as I had visions of the Dallas 2’s beating our 1’s and ending our hopes in humiliating fashion. This was just about a year before my wife and I had our first kid and we were on a couples trip in Breckinridge. I don’t ski, so I bellied up at the bar that day and settled in to watch games-/ ours being the late game. My wife and others caught up with me in the second half— fortunately, we had the game well in hand by then. I stayed until the end just to make sure and felt great walking out of the bar— until I saw the scene: an absolute blizzard awaited us-/ I’ve never seen snow like

that before in my life. Could barely find the car, and literally barely made it back to the house— very touch and go and probably avoided getting stuck by about 20 minutes before the roads became impassable. But it sure felt nice that night to finally get back inside and kick back a few with friends. The next week at Seattle I really thought we were going to win after we took the lead and then recovered the misplay on the kick off— and then poof, just like that, it all unraveled. But it was a much nicer way to end that season then how things looked after we lost to Buffalo immediate following the passing of ST. 
 

2012: Of all the games on the this list, I think this was probably the most fun. It was cool

that it was a true winner stays situation between us and our rival, with the division on the line. Loved that it was Sunday Night— an obvious choice to be flexed. I always feared Romo and felt he got a bit of a bad rap over the years, but I guess he played his assigned role

that night— the INT at the end was really bad. I still recall the complete relief when Alfred scored to ice the game. Just a great feeling— similar to me to 2005 because I thought we REALLY had a chance (and we did-/ if RG3 doesn’t reinjure his knee we beat Seattle). This game was certainly in the top 10 regular season wins in my fan history and clearly the best singular moment of the Snyder era (unless you prefer 2005). 
 

2016: I actually don’t think this one gets the recognition it deserves for pain-delivery. Maybe people are just so jaded and expecting bad things that it didn’t come as a surprise. But the loss to the Giants that day really gutted me. I felt if we could just make the playoffs in back to back years for the first time since 1991-92 that it would have signaled a real shift for us. And that is why I still really liked Gruden at the time. Felt he’d overcome a lot of obstacles and was on cusp of a real accomplishment— actual sustained success/improvement. I actually don’t often drink on game days, but we were at my in laws, it was NY Day, and I was really confident we’d win (albeit a tad nervous). We had beautiful weather and even set up the canopy in backyard for some pre game tailgate. Mimosas were flowing and I was crushing them like water. As the early games were ending, I realized I was about one away from not making it to kickoff, so I chilled out and watched the first half in a pretty decent stupor. Right from the start, you could tell something was wrong. It all felt wrong. Tight. Uneasy. The D stunk but that day they kept us in it— although the Giants did have some looooong drives that bled the clock and the life from the game. Once Reed caught the TD pass to tie it, I felt good. Thought we’d get it done. And I felt OK as we started marching on the final drive. But that interception soured me forever on Kirk. Not just because it was a pick, but because it was first down, we had plenty of time, and only needed a FG to tie. Zero reason to try and squeeze that ball in there. An incompletion there was fine. It wasn’t anywhere close to desperation time and he made a desperate throw. He had a bad game overall; as did Gruden. Team locked up. It changed my thoughts on both of those guys. As the game ended I didn’t say a word and went outside to take down the tent. It took me like 30 minutes because I just wanted to pout. That one really stung. I wanted it bad. It was the last time we played a game that I was THAT invested in the outcome. Really haven’t had the opportunity since unless you count the Titans game in 2018 (which wasn’t on same level for me). 
 

So since 1979, we have had 6 seasons that came down to win and in/lose and go home: We are 4-2 in those games (lost in 1979 and 2016; won in 1984, 2005, 2007, and 2012). 
 

We have had two seasons come down to needing help— we are 1-1 in those instances (1992 losing the game, getting the help; and 1997 winning the game, losing the help). 
 

Ultimately, 8 times in 40 years it came down to the final week with a playoff berth on the line- Sunday will make it 9 in 41 years. Here’s to improving that record to 7-2! 
 

 

 

 

 

I know the story from 1979...totally heartbreaking!!  Washington blew a 4th quarter 13-point lead in Dallas and lost 35-34 in the final minutes.  Riggins had a 60 yard touchdown run in that game, maybe the best run of his career.  This was Roger Staubach's final regular season game and maybe the greatest comeback of Captain Comeback's great career.

 

Also, Chicago had to win their game by like 30 some points in order to overtake Washington for the final playoff spot....and they did!! 

 

That had to be the most heartbreaking last week of the season for Washington in history.  That 1979 team was really good with Theismann and Riggins in their prime and they may have been able to beat the Rams and get to the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh.  

[jnhutchi3]

On 12/31/2020 at 11:18 AM, Warhead36 said:

The 2016 game was annoying as hell. Our offense was really potent and we would have been a threat to anyone that year in the NFC to make a run, especially since IIRC our D had started to improve by season's end.

 

It was obvious the guys thought the Giants would just no show but of course in typical Giant fashion they tried their absolute hardest to beat us and did so, only to completely crap the bed against the Packers in the playoffs the next week.

 

Yes, I remember that Giants game in 2016 very well.  Cousins was god awful in the game, throwing two costly interceptions.  I was never a big Cousins fan after that game, he never seemed to play well in the most important Washington games.  And clock management was terrible at the end of the first half.  Washington could have easily gotten into field goal range, but didn't use all of their timeouts to stop the clock because Cousins and Gruden were total idiots.