Redskins vs. Eagles
**Editor’s Note: I’m posting this a week early because I will be out of town next week. Enjoy**
In 1932, George Preston Marshall founded a new football team in Boston, the Boston Braves. In that first year of existence Marshall appointed Lud Wray as head coach and the Braves went onto a 4-4-2 record. After the season Marshall and Wray would part ways. Marshall eventually moved the Braves down to Washington where they would become the Washington Redskins. And Wray teamed up with Bert Bell to create a new franchise in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Eagles. (Incidentally, Wray’s stake in the Eagles was eventually given up to Art Rooney. Rooney and Bell then “traded” the Eagles to Pittsburgh for the Steelers)
Over four decades later, in 1981, the Philadelphia Eagles were one of the NFL’s elite teams having just lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders. Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins were in a rebuilding mode under rookie head coach Joe Gibbs.
The discrepancy was apparent when both teams met in Philadelphia at the end of September in 1981. The Eagles came into the game 3-0 while Joe Gibbs was still looking for his first NFL win. Up 14-13 in the 4th quarter the Eagles exploded for 22 unanswered points and went on to win that day 36-13. Gibbs’ first NFL win would have to wait.
The 1982 home opener at the Vet was one of the more exciting opening day games in Redskins history. Down 10-0, the Redskins luck changed when they jumped on a Wilbert Montgomery fumble. Joe Theismann connected on two touchdown passes to Monk and Brown to give the Redskins a 14-13 lead at halftime. The third quarter was all Philadelphia as Montgomery scored two touchdowns to give the Eagles a convincing 27-14 lead heading into the 4th quarter. The tide turned again in the 4th as the Redskins outscored the Eagles 20-7 forcing the game to go into OT. In overtime, Theismann and Monk connected on two long passes (beating Herman Edwards) setting up Mark Moseley’s game-winning field goal.
Four years later the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins would wrap up the regular season. Washington was headed to the playoffs while the Eagles were rebuilding under rookie head coach Buddy Ryan and young quarterback Randall Cunningham. Somebody forgot to tell the Eagles they weren’t supposed to win this game. After one quarter the Eagles had a 14-0 lead. The Redskins could get nothing going offensively as drives ended in punts and turnovers. The Eagles were unable to capitalize though and it was still 14-0 at the end of three quarters. Then the Redskins reminded Philadelphia which team was the better one. Jay Schroeder connected on touchdown passes to Clint Didier and Don Warren. After Ricky Sanders made a spectacular catch on 3rd and 10 George Rogers pounded it in from 5-yards out to give the Redskins a 21-14 win to end the 1986 regular season.
Their December 1988 match-up came down to the wire as well. Down 7-3 in the second quarter the Eagles scored two touchdowns, both by Keith Byars. On the second touchdown Luis Zendejas missed the extra point, which would prove costly later. In the second half Doug Williams took over for an ineffective Jay Schroeder but it didn’t make much of a difference. The momentum shifted when Dave Butz tipped a pass into safety Alvin Walton’s hands. The Redskins capitalized on a play-action TD pas to Terry Orr to make it Eagles 19, Redskins 17. With less than four minutes left the Redskins got the ball back and Williams demonstrated why Gibbs wanted him in there under center. Starting at the Redskins 10 yard line, Williams went 8-10 on the drive including converting two third downs and a fourth to set up Chip Lohmiller’s game-winning field goal. Final Score: Redskins 20, Eagles 19.
For the 1990 “Body Bag” game and the 1991 wild card game at Veterans stadium, let me direct you
here (Article on Gibbs' Preparations for a Rematch in 1991)
The Redskins entered their final game of the 1991 season with a 14-1 record and a lock on home field advantage throughout the playoffs. So staying healthy was more important than a win. But the Redskins, riding the foot of kicker Chip Lohmiller and his four field goals, had a 19-7 lead in the 4th quarter. But Gibbs decided to start pulling his starters, including QB Mark Rypien, rather than risk injury to them on the Astroturf. The Eagles capitalized on this as QB Jeff Kemp threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter en route to a 24-22 comeback win for Philadelphia.
A playoff berth was on the line when the Redskins and Eagles met in Philadelphia in December of 1992. The winner would clinch a berth; the loser would have to wait another week. The Redskins blew a 13-7 halftime lead and found themselves trailing 17-13 with less than four minutes to play and the ball at their own 10 yard line. Mark Rypien orchestrated a 17-play drive but ultimately it was all for naught as the Redskins weren’t able to convert on a 4th down and the Eagles clinched a playoff berth. The Redskins would get in the following week.
And this concludes our Redskins Rewind series for 2005. I hope you’ve all enjoyed it. Coming in 2006….Redskins Recipes where Brud will choose the perfect meal based on that week’s opponent and Matty will recommend an appropriate accompanying wine.