Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
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Bryan wrote:To answer the OP, I'll just reiterate what Jay Z said in that losing Charlie Brown was a huge blow, and losing Joe Washington was also a blow. 84 Skins scored 100+ fewer points and Theismann's passer rating dropped 10+ points. Brown and Washington were big play guys...they each had over 1200 yards from scrimmage in 1983, so I think an offensive drop off would be expected.
74_75_78_79_ wrote:SF seemed to usually have their way with Gibbs’ teams during his initial time in Washington. Not counting that Week #5 loss his first season in ’81 (dropping Wash to 0-5), Gibbs record vs Walsh/Seifert up through that ’92 divisional was 2-6; first of those wins was the ’83 NFCCG in which his supposed 14-2 juggernaut just barely get past their 10-6 opponent (yes, SF was better than their record, close win vs 9-7 Det at home the week prior notwithstanding). The second of those wins was also at RFK, 14-6, against SF’s worst playoff squad ever (see 49-3 divisional round at Meadowlands). But SF’s 1985 playoff installment was not so strong either (10-6) yet they bludgeon Wash (and at RFK), 35-8, which basically exemplifies my point. Yes, ’84 Redskins lose by ‘just’ six to 15-1-to-be SB Champ in Week #2 on MNF, but Wash had to rally like mad in the end just to make the game seem that close. And they give 14-2 SF a good game in the ’92 divisional, but that game signifies to me that SF may have been just a tad worse than their record, the close win making me even more sure going into the NFCCG that Dallas would prevail.
I never really got the impression that Walsh/Seifert had some type of 'hold' on Gibbs. Seems like the Skins ended up playing the Niners when SF would make the SB, but not in 82/87/91. The most important matchup (83 NFCC) was won by the Skins. That 1985 game was Schroeder's 2nd pro start, and the Skins 'bludgeoned' the Niners in 1986 with Schroeder at QB. Both the Skins and Niners were usually good, the Niners usually had more talented players, and the Niners beat a lot of teams during that timespan, not just the Redskins.
IMO San Francisco was better than Washington in 1987. The Vikings did Washington a favor by beating the best and 2nd best teams in the NFC in the playoffs in 1987. SF had a +206 Point Differential and the Saints were next at +139