Redskins Rewind: Redskins vs. Cardinals

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Redskins vs. Cardinals

The next time you and your friends are playing a pick-up game of football, think of this-Over 100 years ago, a bunch of guys were playing football on some field in Chicago. These guys would roll over in their graves today if they knew their decision to toss the football around would result in them being the original Cardinals. From Chicago to St. Louis to Arizona, the Cardinals have a lengthy, if not always successful, history. And much of it is tied to the Redskins.

In 1973, Don Coryell was named the head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals had just come off back to back 4-9-1 seasons and were looking for a spark. They were also hoping Coryell could jumpstart an offense that had finished no better than 20th in points scored the previous two years. To do this, Coryell enlisted the help of a former assistant of his, an up and coming coach who he tapped to be the Cardinals’ offensive backfield coach-Joseph Jackson Gibbs. Gibbs helped jump the offense from 23rd to 11th in the league in points scored his first year with the team, to 9th his second year, and to 7th his third year. Along the way, the Cardinals captured two division crowns as well. Gibbs’ experience in St. Louis helped him ultimately be named head coach of the Washington Redskins in 1981.

In week three of the 1981 season, Gibbs faced his former team for the first time as head coach. Thirty-seven year old Cardinals QB Jim Hart, who had his best years under Gibbs, completed just 12 passes that day. But three were for touchdowns. So, in spite of over 500 yards total offense for the Skins that day the Cardinals came out on top in St. Louis with an exciting 40-30 victory. The Redskins would return the favor several weeks later, riding three Theismann TD passes and three Riggins TD runs to a 42-21 win.

Over the next two years the Redskins would go 4-0 against the Cardinals, usually winning quite easily. The Cardinals however, were slowly getting better. And by 1984, they were ready to at least put up a fight. In week eight of the ’84 season, the Cardinals trailed the Redskins by one game in the division standings. The Skins, riding a five game winning streak, looked to extend their lead in the standings with a win over the Cardinals. The Skins had a 24-17 lead, after letting the Cards come back from down 21-10, with around 10 minutes left in the final quarter. Neil Lomax hit Roy Green on an 83-yard post play to pull within one. The Skins still held a slight lead thanks to a missed extra point. But the Redskins were unable to burn time off the clock or get a first down during their next possession and gave the ball right back to the Cardinals. The Cardinals would make the Redskins pay with a game-winning field goal to end the Redskins’ five-game winning streak.

Arguably, and perhaps without much argument, the greatest game ever in the history of the Redskins and Cardinals came on the last day of the 1984 season. A lot was at stake, the winner would win the division crown. And if the Cardinals lost, they would go home and miss the playoffs. The Redskins jumped to an early lead thanks to two Art Monk touchdowns. By halftime, the Redskins had a seemingly comfortable 23-7 lead. But, as I’m sure many of you recall from those days, no lead was ever really safe when facing the Neil Lomax-Roy Green connection. Sure enough, the two combined for two touchdowns in the second half and helped pull the Cards to within two with 30 seconds left in the game. With time running out, the Cardinals K Neil O’Donoghue lined up for the game-winning field goal and the NFC East crown. The 50-yard attempt was wide left and the Skins were division champions. Much of their success that day was thanks to Art Monk’s 11 catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns. The 11 catches gave him a then NFL record 106 for the season. But apparently, he’s still not good enough for Canton.

The Redskins would again win their next four matchups with the Cardinals over the next two years. But when the Redskins and Cardinals met in week three of the 1987 season, things were a little strange. When the Redskins took the field, the names on the backs of the jerseys were names like Allen, Rubbert, and Vital. While the Cardinals had about a dozen regular players cross the picket line to play that game, the Redskins had zero. “The Replacements” may not have been household names but for a brief moment they were Redskins, and on this day Anthony Allen had a game that has never been matched by any Redskins receiver, real or scab. Allen’s franchise record 255 yards receiving helped lead the Redskins to a 28-21 home win over the Cardinals. The “real” Redskins were just as successful several weeks later, scoring 24 unanswered points to knock off the Cardinals 34-17.

By 1988, the Cardinals had left St. Louis for the greener pastures of Phoenix. The Redskins made their first visit to Phoenix in week four of the 1988 season. A couple of days before the game, Doug Williams had an emergency appendectomy. I remember this quite vividly, because the local NBC affiliate interrupted the Cosby Show to tell me about this. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Skins but you don’t get between me and Denise Huxtable!! Ok, so anyway, with Williams out this meant it would be Mark Rypien’s first NFL start, probably came a lot sooner than Gibbs had intended. Rypien threw for three touchdown passes that day, perfectly executing a couple of two minute drills. However, some costly Rypien mistakes (a safety, and a fumble returned for a TD) helped seal the deal for the Cardinals as they went on to win 30-21. Rypien would get his revenge a couple of weeks later with a 4-TD performance in a 33-17 win.

Interesting factoid about the second matchup of the 1989 season-the Cardinals QB was none other than Tom Tupa. Following the 1989 season, Joe Bugel would leave the Redskins coaching staff to try his hand at head coach of the Cardinals.

Joe Gibbs 1.0’s final game against the Cardinals came on Thanksgiving weekend 1992. Gibbs showed no mercy for his friend Buges and his struggling Cardinals. Mark Rypien threw two touchdown passes, and even backup QB Cary Conklin got in on the fun with a TD to Monk. Meanwhile, Safety Brad Edwards had three interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. The Redskins won easily 41-3.

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Mattyk72

thanks Tafkas