Race for the final NFC wild card spot, 1981

[74_75_78_79_]

The 9-7 Giants, in LT's rookie year, would end up punching their ticket to their first playoff berth in 18 years as well as first winning season in 9 on that final week (Saturday) of the '81 season. Always an intriguing team to look back on...the already mentioned it being Sir Lawrence of the Meadowlands' debut, that coaching staff under Ray Perkins, and a running back - now out of Earl's shadow - who the G-men's current backfield stud, Skattebo, is reminding me of!

However, it's easy to forget that numerous teams in the NFC were still in the race for that final wild card with just a couple weeks to go! Tampa Bay, who of course would end up winning the Central, were just 8-6 en route to losing to San Diego the following week to drop them to 8-7. And just beneath them was Green Bay, Detroit, and also Minnesota all tied at 7-7 with the Pack just completing their sweep of the Lions to bring them into the thick of things. The free-falling Vikings just lost their third-straight, a close 10-9 loss at the spoiler Bears. But they were still in it with an important date at Pontiac the following week.

Having just lost by one at Tampa in a battle of 7-6s, the Falcons were actually still in it as well as...the Cardinals who were also at 7-7 going into that penultimate week! They had a home date at Busch with the Giants who were also 7-7!

The final team that I'll mention, though, is one who was 6-8 by then, but were actually still in it - that team being Washington in Joe Gibbs' HC debut! Yes, we know the story - and I believe it was mentioned here recently as well as numerous times in the past - lost their first five games and then rallied from there. They split with the Giants to make it 5-6, winning 5 of their last 6, but then came two hard-fought losses to two quality teams...Dallas and then Buffalo. Yet the Redskins bounce back big against the Eagles, and then convincingly clobber the Colts and then at the Rams to make things even with that 8-8 finish!

I believe it was said here by someone (maybe I'm wrong) that if Dallas would have beaten NYG on that final Saturday, it would have been Washington traveling to Philly the following week instead. But the G-men would have still had a better division record than the Redskins so not sure of that. I would guess that Green Bay would have gotten the nod due to their sweep over them as well as also sweeping Detroit. Thanks in-advance to anyone who could fill me in.

Whoever it would have been, not taking it away from the Giants, but playing against a Cowboy team whose playoff positioning was already set-in-stone at 2nd-seed no matter what not an unfortunate scenario to have been in. But that's the breaks. GB and the others should have each won themselves an extra game going in.

But it looks like by that immediate moment, playoff-time, the Redskins may have been the best of all these teams already mentioned and likely get by the stumbling Eagles as well; and perhaps offer San Fran something better than NYG did in real time. In either event, the 8-3 finish definitely is seen as a warning to the league of Washington being an elite team of the decade ahead starting immediately the following year! What do you all think?

Upon season’s end, were they already in ’82 form? Were they at least better than they were in ’79? To the former, I’d say not yet. Latter? I’d think so!

[Mark]

I won't predict what may have happened but one interesting thing about Washington vs. Philadelphia that year; in week 4 Washington out gained them 337 yards to 221 but lost 36-13. In week 14 Philadelphia out gained Washington 416 yards to 176 but lost 15-13.

[Ten Minute Ticker]

I have the image of Ray Stachowicz getting a punt blocked at Shea burned into my mind as part of the Packers’ demise.

[74_75_78_79_]

I won't predict what may have happened but one interesting thing about Washington vs. Philadelphia that year; in week 4 Washington out gained them 337 yards to 221 but lost 36-13. In week 14 Philadelphia out gained Washington 416 yards to 176 but lost 15-13.

Interesting factoid! Those four games between Philly (Vermeil) and Washington (Gibbs) in '81/'82 resembled changing-of-the-guard. That '82 opener is an underrated classic and their second game, though a defensive game instead/not as exciting, was close as well.

Back to how good I opine Washington was by the end of '81, they were clearly playoff-caliber (again, better than '79) but sadly a case of "too little, too late". They were a little better for most of the abbreviated '82 until the penultimate week at New Orleans when they really turned it on the rest of the way - shutting out the 5-3 Cards, 28-0, in the finale and then rolling through the playoffs, most importantly topping Dallas and then MIami for the whole prize!


PS - back to Vermeil vs Gibbs, they would meet one more time as HCs. Yep, it would be 23 seasons later, 2005, Vermeil's very last year and Gibbs' very first season back! Week #6, Chiefs 28 Redskins 21 at Arrowhead. Both would go on to finish 10-6. Gibbs gets in the post-season, Vermeil just short!