Redskins vs. Rams
This week’s edition of Redskins Rewind looks back at the history of matchups between the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins. The 1960s were not kind to the Washington Redskins with the team averaging less than five wins per season. At the end of the decade, they pulled off the biggest coup ever-luring legendary head coach Vince Lombardi to the nation’s capital. Tragically, Lombardi died following his first season with the Redskins and the team was forced to look again. In 1971, they found their man in former Rams coach George Allen. George Allen had turned perennial losers in the Rams into contenders, and the Redskins hope he could do the same for them.
Toward the end of the 1971 season, George Allen and the Redskins traveled to Southern California to take on the Rams. This wasn’t just any game for the Redskins. A win would mean the improbable-a playoff berth for the first time in 25 years; a Monday night showdown against his former team with the playoffs on the line. George Allen could not have asked for more. By the end of the night, the Redskins left Los Angeles with a 38-24 win and a trip to the playoffs (where they would lose to the San Francisco 49ers, featuring punter Steve Spurrier), and knocked the Rams out of the playoffs.
At the end of the season, the Rams were traded. That’s right, the Rams. The entire team. The blockbuster trade to end all blockbuster trades. The owner of the Baltimore Colts, Carroll Rosenbloom, agreed to trade the entire franchise to new Rams owner Robert Irsay in exchange for the Rams franchise.
When the Redskins met the Rams met in 1974, the playoffs again were on the line. The Rams jumped to an early 10-0 lead and it looked like the playoffs might not happen. But in the second quarter, Billy Kilmer did his best Doug Williams’ impression, throwing three touchdown passes. That was enough to seal a 23-17 win and send the Redskins to the playoffs where they would lose the divisional playoff game to….the Rams. The Redskins played sloppy football that day, committing six turnovers en route to a 19-0 shutout.
1977 was like 1974 and 1971. The Redskins and Rams met late in the year, and the playoffs were on the line for the Redskins. It looked to be smooth sailing heading into the final quarter. Two Billy Kilmer touchdown passes and a Moseley field goal had the Redskins up 17-0. But the defense couldn’t hold. Backup QB Vince Ferragamo was put in the game in the final quarter and rallied the Rams to a 17-14 deficit. The Rams had two chances to kick the game-tying field goal but Rafael Septein couldn’t deliver. Even with the 17-14 win, the Redskins didn’t make the playoffs as both the Bears and Vikings won the next day. This game would prove to be George Allen’s final game as head coach.
Joe Gibbs’ first season as head coach ended with a matchup against the Rams with a chance to finish the season at .500. The Redskins gave their fans a sign of things to come in the next couple of years with a dominating performance. The defense gave up just one touchdown and had two interceptions. Meanwhile, the offense racked up over 500 yards en route to an easy 30-7 win.
After beating the Rams 42-20 during the 1983 season, the Redskins would face them again in the divisional playoffs. New Year’s Day 1984, the Rams barely made the playoffs and the Redskins were the defending Super Bowl Champions came and far and away the league’s best team. This disparity was obvious in this game. The Redskins defense held Rams’ superstar running back to just 16 yards on 10 carries. On offense, Riggins ran for two touchdowns and Art Monk caught a 40-yard pass to help the Redskins to a 24-0 lead at the start of the second quarter. After the Rams scored to pull within 24-7, the Redskins capped a 76-yard drive with a 20 yard TD pass to Art Monk. Washington’s 31 points by halftime tied a team record for most playoff points in a game. They would shatter that record on this day. Darrell Green sealed the game with a 72-yard interception return for a TD to make the final score 51-7.
The Rams and Redskins would meet again in the playoffs in 1986. Once again, the Redskins would hold the Rams to just one touchdown. This time however, the Redskins’ offense didn’t open up an offensive can of whup-ass like they did back in 1984. Instead, they rode the foot of kicker Jess Atkinson and his four field goals to win the game 19-7.
Joe Gibbs 1.0’s final game against the Rams was exactly 14 years ago to the day (Dec. 1, 1991). Two Mark Rypien touchdown passes in the third quarter broke the game open for the Redskins. Rypien finished with three for the day as the Redskins won 27-6 and clinched their first NFC East title in four years.