1988 Redskins

[CSKreager]

I understand the comparison of seasons between 1987 and 1991 but it doesnt correlate. The 91 season was more dominant with the Skins taking care of business in the postseason. The 87 team was lucky to even reach the SB. Had it been the 85 Bears defense instead of an 87 defense that had players looking at their press clippings, the Redskins would have lost. The Vikings had their chances as well, but the ball slipped through their fingers

Like what was already posted, the 1991 Bills were far better than the 1987 Broncos.

The 91 Skins were lucky to make it as well. No Dallas. No San Francisco. The Eagles without Randall Cunningham.

SF was a fool's gold 10-6 and Philly lost at home the year before WITH Randall against an inferior Redskins team.

Plus they only got to host the 87 NFC-CG because Minnesota randomly had two good games with Wade Wilson

[74_75_78_79_]

Not able to quote the last so many comments so I'll just start with that maybe we should merge this thread with the Joe Gibbs one, lol.

I've already given a recent-enough opinion on the '82 Redskins. And a positive opinion, it is...

https://profootballresearchers.com/foru ... ton#p46903

12-1 a better sample-size than a college football National Champ, I said (well, not anymore starting recently, lol)!

'82 is, of course, better than '87 in my opinion. Their only 'slump' was that 3-1 stretch where they scored mostly FGs and that one loss being against the 'real' team they played...Dallas at home, losing 24-10. But TD's-lively they were to start the season before the 57-day interruption, three TDs their next game against the G-men; and then TDs-again the last two games before the playoffs!

My guess is, 3TDs vs NYG notwithstanding, that they were 'rusty' a bit going back in. Then woke up BIG-Time in the Big Easy against Bum's Saints and then scored 4TDs against the Cards in the finale instead of 4 FGs. Then they ROLLED through it all! ("By the time we got to") Wood-Strock giving them a game most of the way in SBXVII? No disgrace being it was against one of Shula's most overachieving performances!

I think the 12-1 Redskins of '82 were better than the '81 Forty Niners as well (RIGGO over Ricky Patton) while also thinking that the '86 Redskins were better than '87 who didn't have that very 14-2 version of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew to deal with who, yes, I feel Washington would have definitely needed to 'avoid' in '87 - MORE-so than needing to 'avoid' 10-2 San Fran!

No disrespect to that '87 team that'd end up finishing on top IRL. Having Gibbs at HC would be the reason I opined that they beat the 10-2 Saints in a hypo-playoff along with feeling why it wouldn't be a shock if they best the Forty Niners at Candlestick in a hypo-NFCCG. But - again - the '87 Redskins WERE 7-4 going into that OT finale vs Minny, and that NFCC vs them almost went into OT as well; so both were even-enough with me. Washington would have beaten Denver anyway in SBXXII, and not by a nail-biter; but Doug playing SO over-his-head in that 2nd Q SURE helped!

Have never seen Donnie Darko, is it good?

Yes! Check it out! I should - again - as well. It'd be like watching it again for the first time. Thinking more of (and still stumped on) that living room scene (still not knowing what game it was), I also would not be surprised if, maybe, the announcing was made up altogether for the film; not a real sound-bite in the first place! "We need to go for a safety" - that very line may be symbolism. Maybe the same with the "miracle" comment, but who knows?

Back to that second game of the '88 Redskins - I was real disappointed! Steelers had a chance to start 2-0, beating the defending-Champs at RFK! It wasn't known yet at the time that Washington would falter as well as nobody knowing just yet that the 'Burgh (a respectable non-scab 6-6 in '87 who beat San Fran in the opener) would sink to their lowest since '69. No, knowing what I know now and not following Wk#2, I don't think that winning that second game to go 2-0 would have made a difference in '88 for the Steelers. They finish...6-10 instead of 5-11.

That Week #2 affair was the middle of three Noll/Gibbs showdowns with Gibbs winning all three. Three games, six different QBs! The first, in '85, was Schroeder's first start (you-know-what infamously happened the previous Monday Night). Instead of going against David Woodley who was out with a stomach virus, Jay went against Scott Campbell in a battle of 6-5s at Three Rivers.

The last of the three Noll/Gibbs games was in '91 and the only lopsided one. And was that 41-14 blast, also at Three Rivers, EVER the case in that O'Donnell/Rypien match! That may have been the final seed planted in inspiring Noll’s eventual resignation end of season.

Which leaves us to the originally mentioned '88 Brister/Williams one. Yes, both legendary HCs should have originally squared-off in '82 at RKF, Oct 17/Wk#6. Bradshaw vs Theismann but we did get that QB match-up three years prior in '79 (with McQuilken & Kruczek mopping up).