Then and Now

[Henry]

Sorry for drifting a bit OT, but last night I got to watch the 82 NFC Championship game for the first time since it actually happened. Very cool. A few thoughts:

Madden and Summerall were MUCH better then. I didn't realize how much Madden has become a charicature of himself lately. He actually made sense twenty years ago.

RFK was LOUD. My God, I could barely hear the play-by-play, and this was a clean copy I was watching. I forgot just how nuts RFK used to be. The Skins were definately feeding off it too. I can't remember the last time I heard a stadium that loud, for any team, anywhere. Throughout the game there were spontaneous bursts of "We want Dallas! We want Dallas!" It was awesome.

Stephen Davis is no John Riggins. Not yet anyway. Emmitt must have taken notes from Riggins, because with two of our WRs out he carried the team on his back and took over the game. No hole. No problem. If it looked like he was stopped for no gain, it was actually three yards. Third and 1, you KNOW where it's going. I figured the memories of him carrying four blue shirts on his back for five yards were exaggeratted in my mind. they were not ... and this at the age of 33. Tonight I am watching SB 17 and I can't wait to see him do it again.

The Hogs. The Hogs. I doubt we'll ever see a line like that again. Jacoby in particular was a beast.

Our WRs, and our passing game in general, were rather unspectacular. Brown and Garrett made some nice plays, but Gibbs new how to run the ball. And he did. A lot. I REALLY miss Don Warren and Rick Walker. Heck, I'd love to have just ONE of those guys back.

Mike Nelms. To me, 21 on a Redskin Jersey has always been Mike Nelms. And now I remember why. Right after the Cowboys scored to pull within four, he rips out the longest KR in playoff history to the Dallas 20 to set up a TD.

I actually think the Cowboys were more talented than the Redskins, but we would not be denied. We got 17 points off turnovers (Manley and Grant, I had to watch that play about 12 times) and 7 more off Nelm's return. Only one TD was a drive down the field.

Parity sucks. The Redskins had been trying to bust into the elite for years, and that made this game that much sweeter. We had arrived. I don't care how good the Rams are. Fans of that indoor track squad will never know the feeling. Freezing rain in December, huge rivalry, creaky old stadium full of rabid fans. THAT's football. Back then Dome treams just didn't win. In fact, before 1997 no dome team anywhere had ever even BEEN to the Superbowl. Thank parity for thinning the herd enough to accomodate them.

The commercials Oh what a feeling. Everything you've always wanted in a beer, and less. Here's to good friends, tonight is kinda special. Great stuff

Anyway, I'm sure many of you have this game on file and it's no big deal, but I hadn't seen the old folks since Jr High, and it was so cool I just had to share.

[ by Henry on November 14, 2001.]

[bulldog]

I went to that game. In fact it was the first Redskins playoff game I had ever attended.

The AMPS were way up compared to the regular season. Like Lambeau field, there was an aura to RFK, especially at playoff time, that as an opponent you are NOT going to come in there and walk out with a win. Just won't happen.

The Redskins surprised everyone because of the quick rise after the 1981 season and we were used to watching Dallas in the playoffs or NFC Championship game almost every year win or lose.

In hindsight, we can recognize that the team was much more talented than given credit for at the time.

Riggins is in the Hall of Fame. Monk will be there. Jacoby and Grimm are possibilities. Theismann became the NFL MVP in 1983. Dexter Manley recorded 18.5 sacks in 1986.

A few months after the 1982 season the Redskins drafted Darrell Green and Charles Mann with their #1 and #3 picks and those two went on to multiple pro bowl careers in the NFL. Darrell is now a sure HOFer.

So, looking back I have to smile when Tom Landry said the Redskins weren't that talented, they just got on a roll and won the game at home to send his Cowboys into the offseason.

After the Super Bowl win in Pasadena and the 14-2 record in 1983 it was obvious Landry had underestimated Gibbs and the staying power of this football team.

They still had 3 Super Bowls left in them.

[SonnyJ]

I recently watched a tape of the SB XXII victory over the Broncos. Man, it was weird thinking that happened 14 years ago.

The things that stuck out:

*The ABC team of Michaels, Gifford, and Dierdorf did the game. Michaels was smooth and professional, Gifford was a rambling wreck, and Dierdorf was president of the John Elway Fan Club.

*The intensity of the game - these guys hit hard.

*Whatever happened to Timmy Smith?

*The refs let a lot of stuff go compared to today's game. I don't mean holding, but hits out of bounds, on the QB, etc. I realize they try to let players play in the SB, but not to this extent. It was just a different time (man, I feel old writing that).

*I wish the Redskins could duplicate that D-Line. Mann, Butz, Grant, and Manley, plus rotating in Hamilton and Koch (didn't he retire for some weird reason?). Those guys shut down the run AND pass. Elway made plays, but he was just getting drilled repeatedly (LBs and DBs had their shots, too).

*The Broncos really were a smoke and mirrors team. Once the 'Skins figured them out, it was over. It wasn't a fluke, either. The Broncos just didn't have enough players. The classic AFC team of the time - good enough to win its conference, but would have been very fortunate to make the playoffs in the NFC.

*Art Monk really wasn't a big part of the team's first two SB victory runs.

*Seeing Darrell Green and realizing he was just a young veteran then - much younger than I am now. I guess the point I am trying to make is that it doesn't seem that long ago that this game happened, but it really was. The older veterans on that team are pushing 50 now!

*That team had some players on it. For whatever reason, I always considered the '87 team to have been the "luckiest" of the 3 SB champ teams. The team really wasn't world beaters throughout the season (the strike team helped immensely by going undefeated), and was fortunate that the Vikings took out the 49ers in the playoffs. I worked with Clarence Vaughn a couple of years ago. He played on both the '87 and '91 teams and told me that the '87 team DEFINITELY had more talent. Watching this game again, he probably was right.

[bulldog]

that is hard to believe considering the 14-2 mark of the 1991 team and its statistical dominance in terms of point differential and playoff margin of victory.

The 1987 team had some holes. The kicking game was atrocious. The running back situation was not stable and the emergence of Smith in the Viking playoff game was a welcome surprise. Still neither Rogers (600 yards) or Smith were among the conference leaders that year. Meanwhile Earnest Byner was a consistent 1,000 yard back in the NFL for a number of years and for the Skins in 1991. Jay Schroeder/Doug Williams? Going off of more than just the one game in the Super Bowl you would have to say the 1991 team got significantly better play at the qb position from Mark Rypien who finished with 28 td's and only 10 int's.

Offensive line? Yes, Jacoby and Grimm were younger in 1987. But we added Jim Lachey in 1989 and he was the league's premier left tackle in 1991 when Jacoby moved to right tackle after Simmons got hurt. We also added Mark Schlereth and bolstered our depth so the line was 8 players deep. Overall the team gave up 9 sacks in 1991.

On defense the 1991 team posted 3 straight home shutouts. While Manley was off the team by then, Mann posted 11 sacks and the rotation up front put up 50+, which is a more than respectable total.

The 1991 team also featured more talent and depth at linebacker than I think we have had since Allen was here. We had acquired Wilber Marshall in 1988 and Mat Millen in 1991 to play alongside Andre Collins. That group was superior to the Kaufman/Olkewicz/Coleman trio in 1987 IMO.

Other areas of the team remained even in the intervening years. Clark and Sanders were still the main cogs of the downfield passing game. The return to health of Monk during the 1991 season and his availability for the playoffs probably make the 1991 receiver corps superior to the one in 1987 when Monk was on the shelf for most of the season.

Darrell Green remained the lynchpin in the secondary. Barry Wilburn vs. Martin Mayhew? Wilburn was faster and more talented perhaps, but Mayhew was a smart player that stayed on the field and didn't get involved in off the field distractions for the team. Still, both depended on getting safety help due to Green's ability to zone off the other side of the field.

The safeties are a split the difference. Walton was a fierce tackler and guy in run support but a liability in coverage. Bowles was not a playmaker at free safety. In 1991, Brad Edwards and Danny Copeland were an athletic pair of safeties that could cover but didn't bring the kind of load in run support that the team had been used to in previous years from the position.

Perhaps the greatest area of separation was the kickers. The 1987 Redskins won the Super Bowl with perhaps the worst kicking situation the team has had up until last year's debacle. Remember Max Zendejas? Remember the injury to Jess Atkinson? Remember Ali Haji-Sheikh being around basically for extra points? Every field goal and kickoff was an adventure.

In 1991, we got a pro bowl year out of Chip Lohmiller and his range was out to 57 or 58 yards. Now, THAT was a weapon!

Add in Brian Mitchell on returns and the 1991 special teams were among the best in team history.

[Henry]

*The refs let a lot of stuff go compared to today's game. I don't mean holding, but hits out of bounds, on the QB, etc. I realize they try to let players play in the SB, but not to this extent. It was just a different time (man, I feel old writing that).

I noticed that too. Defenders definately got more leeway, blockers did too. Both teams got away with a few breaks. The Refs really just let them play back then.

Also, the players were smaller (Butz looked like a giant among men out there) but they seemed to hit a high gear and an intensity that players today just don't seem to have (Of course it may just have been that the Redskins were so hyped up. They really were playing out of their minds that day.) It's funny, nowadays a player takes a paycut when his team goes to the Superbowl. At one point during the 82 game, Summerall said "And the winner of the Superbowl takes home an extra 70,000 dollars!" as if we'd all gasp in amazement. Definately a different era.

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"Men, there's nothing to get excited about. The situation is normal; we are surrounded."

[Om]

Henry,

For nigh on 20 years I have tried, by hook, crook and countless other means – many legal and moral, others decidedly not – to secure a copy of that '82 NFC Title tape.

To do so now, I will:

- clean your gutters

- change your oil (both cars)

- re-grout your shower(s)

- clean your refrigerator (I'll even move it out and clean behind it if you promise to stash a couple of icy Sierra Nevada's in there)

- shovel your driveway next time it snows (you don't live in Minnesota, do you?)

- let you in on a really nasty secret about Mr. Czarnik from my ‘78 English class at WSHS

- promise not to write any more "Om Field Advantage" pieces on Extremeskins

- personally pull each and every hair from Osama bin Laden's maggot-ridden body while chanting, "Henry says Shalom, you murderous b@stard"

... and anything else you might wish or require from your humble, shamelessly groveling servant (within, um, reason )

I hereby throw myself upon your mercies.

[Utah]

I am with OM on this.

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"He has a confidence born of demonstrated ability."

[Henry]

I thought I'd hear from you on this one, Om. Email me your address and I'll send you a copy just for being you.

I don't want to depress you, but all I did to get ahold of the tape was to tell my wife I was looking for it. Heck, I didn't even realize she was listening to me at the time. A few weeks later she calls me up at work and says, "there's a package waiting for you on the kitchen table."

I don't know how she found it. I'm not sure I want to know. But I'm glad she did.

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"Men, there's nothing to get excited about. The situation is normal; we are surrounded."

[Om]

<FONT size="5">OMG.</FONT s>

Brother man, if I can get my fingers to stop shaking, I'll beam that e-mail this minute.

I'm all a-quiver.

Seriously.

[Art]

While we're at it, hook old Art up. I volunteer Om for everything he's willing to do for my tape too .

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Doom is in the box.

[Jimbo]

I, too, was at that game and RFK was NEVER louder. It's still the only game where I stood the entire time and not one person ever said "down in front". Alcohol flowed freely from all over the stadium and pint bottles and flasks appeared from everywhere. To this day I've never been as drunk at a Redskins game or felt as much brotherhood from fans of all ages.

Three Super Bowl victories later and that game is STILL the highpoint of my fandom.

[Henry]

Utah and Art, you got it.

It may take awhile to find time to tie up both VCRs for that long, but email me your addresses and I'll get them to you eventually.

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"Men, there's nothing to get excited about. The situation is normal; we are surrounded."

[Stricknine]

I just sent you an e-mail with my address, Henry. I hope to receive a copy of the game and will gladly make a copy for another of this board. I would also kill for a copy of that Super Bowl 17 you are going to watch tonight. I live in Wisconsin, but will fly to Virginia(which is where I am from by the way)to give Om a hand if that is what it takes.

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Randy Redskin

Fan for Life

[Brave]

Henry, since you are being deluged here I'm not going to request a copy of that game ... though I must admit my eyes widened and my breath quickened when I read your post. Your a good man for taking care of those guys and it could get to be quite a time-consuming proposition. I would, however, greatly appreciate a hint (OK, explicit instruction) on how your wife managed to get her hands on that game.

If not, I will remember that you have that and I will hound you mercilessly at some point in the future when your time is not in such demand.

[hail2skins]

Geez, reading this thread, and especially the comments from Bulldog and Jimbo about the RFK atmosphere that day, make me even more antsy for a great year so we can have a great playoff run at FedEx. I know that RFK was acoustically better with the slanted-in roof but if 55,000 can make that racket imagine what 80,000 plus can do!! I did get to go to the Skins-Lions playoff game a couple years back and the joint was jumpin!!