Tag: Washington Redskins

Former Washington QB dies at 84

Snead was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1961 NFL draft by Washington.

Norm Snead, who was selected to two Pro Bowls as Washington Redskins quarterback from 1961 to 1963, died Sunday in Naples, Florida, at the age of 84.

Snead grew up in Newport News, Virginia, and attended Wake Forest. During his last two years for the Demon Deacons, he was first-team All-ACC. He was taken by the Redskins with the second overall selection of the 1961 NFL draft.

Washington struggled during Snead’s tenure, posting records of 1-12-1 (1961), 5-7-2 (1962) and 3-11 (1963).

Following the disappointing 1963 season, Snead was traded to the rival Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for QB Sonny Jurgensen.

Jurgensen came to Washington and had a tremendous career, resulting in his being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 1983. Snead would start a total of 159 games for the Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants. His teams had a record of only 52-100-7 in those games, and his 257 interceptions rank sixth all-time.

Commenting years later on the trade, Jurgensen said: “Maybe it was a good thing for Norm, too. Because he had been thrust on the field as a rookie without the surrounding cast that a young quarterback needs. There’s no question he could throw the ball. He just needed surrounding people. So, it was good for him to get out and start fresh.”

One of the more unusual facts regarding Snead’s career was that he was traded for two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Not only was he traded for Jurgensen in 1964, but he was also dealt for Fran Tarkenton in 1972.

The latter trade brought Snead to the Giants, where he enjoyed perhaps his best NFL season, leading the NFL in completion percentage and earning a Pro Bowl selection as the Giants went 8-6. However, it was mostly overlooked because Dallas (the defending Super Bowl champion) and Washington (the NFC champion that season) were both in the top tier of NFL teams in 1972.

Snead had a big arm, but because his teams were so often playing from behind, he led the NFL in interceptions in four different seasons (1963, 1968, 1969, 1973).

Snead passed for 30,797 yards and 196 touchdowns in his career (1961-1976). He was voted to the Pro Bowl four times.

Former Washington QB Robert Griffin III loves attention

The former Washington QB has some advice for the Cowboys. Really.

Former Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin was at it again Sunday night following the Cowboys losing to the Packers.

The Packers jumped out to a 27-0 lead on their way to an easy 48-32 win over the shocked Cowboys, who were the NFC #2 seed.

Following the game, Griffin took to X (Twitter) to declare the Cowboys should make a coaching change. “The bottom line is I hate calling for coaches’ jobs. This is not what I do,” proclaimed the self-appointed guru.

“It’s gotta be the coach. You guys have had three consecutive 12-win seasons and nothing to show for it…”

Griffin then proceeded to mention how some have suggested the Cowboys hire Bill Belichick. Griffin then countered, “But I know who you need. You need Coach Prime. That’s right, Deion Sanders, Coach Prime.”

Griffin has made one outrageous statement after another, dating back to his playing days with Washington.

During his terrible downfall in 2013, he went to the former owner, which was quite divisive; the team fell apart, and the coaching staff was fired in favor of the owner supporting Griffin, who was only managing to prove he could not play in the pocket as an NFL quarterback.

Griffin now declaring the Cowboys need to hire Deion Sanders is pure foolishness. Or perhaps Griffin is figuring out that guys like Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith have made a lot of money and their careers out of making outlandish comments to a culture that increasingly is shallow and reads and thinks less.

Dallas was home and a -7.5-point favorite. In addition, no No. 7 seed had defeated a No. 2 seed since the NFL expanded in the 2020 season to 7 teams qualifying for the playoffs in each conference.

Sanders took the job at Colorado, and after a quick 3-0 start against three teams that all finished with losing records in 2023, the Buffaloes then finished the season 4-8.

Surely, Griffin is not serious, is he?

The more likely scenario is Griffin is again looking for attention. It is, after all, the thing he seeks most.

Josh Harris is busy: Commanders’ name change not a pressing concern

Josh Harris is focused on improving the Commanders on the field right now — not rebranding.

Washington Commanders majority owner Josh Harris was clear in his Monday press conference. The brand “Commanders” is not at all on his front burner.

Harris knows the Commanders will draw an interest from several capable football people. They have the No. 2 overall selection and five choices in the top 100. The new GM and new head coach will have the opportunity to get the second-best quarterback.

“I’m lucky enough to be supported by an amazing ownership group, and obviously, we think we’re an attractive destination for the next generation of leadership. This is probably amongst the most important jobs I have as a managing partner, and it’s important that I do this personally and get this right and that we bring in the right leadership.”

Harris made it clear Monday that his priority is building the leadership structure first as he is replacing Ron Rivera, and most likely, Martin Mayhew will be replaced soon as well.

“So we’re looking for the best people to build an elite franchise that’s going to consistently compete and win championships. So that’s kind of our goal in terms of the structure.

When the Harris group conducted their initial press conference in July, there were more than a few references to the success of the old “Redskins” in a previous generation. The fan base excitement instantly spread, and talk of dumping the “Commanders” brand swelled.”

In defense of the Harris group, they talked of the success of the old “Redskins;” they did not talk of changing the name back to “Redskins.”

Consequently, when asked Monday about the possibility of a new name other than “Commanders,” Harris responded, “As you can see, we’re a little busy…Working on the next improvements to our stadium, in terms of fan experience, in terms of premium areas, and fixing a lot of different things and investing in the stadium. We’re going to be rolling out a big investment program in the next few weeks, and there’s an enormous amount of detail that the business staff and some of the ownership group are working on. Then, we’ve got obviously our new home and thinking about that. Right now, our focus today is on sports first and foremost, and then these other things and so, those are our focuses right now.”

Leaders must prioritize, determining what must be done and what must not be done. Sounds like Harris has a firm foundation and discerns where his attention should be presently.

When they last met: Commanders and Jets

These teams last met in 2019 and it was ugly.

“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

NY Jets 34, Washington 17 – Week 11, November 17, 2019

Sam Darnold passed for four touchdown passes as the Jets easily defeated the Redskins 34-17 at FedEx Field.

This was one of the more embarrassing games of 2019 as the Jets actually led at one point 34-3 before two late Washington touchdowns made the final score closer than the actual game.

The game was so lopsided that the Jets actually outgained Washington 400-225 in total offensive yards. Darnold completed 19 of his 30 passing attempts for 293 yards, four touchdown passes and one interception. His day computed to a passer’s rating of 121.2.

On the other hand, Dwayne Haskins also completed 19 passes in his 35 passing attempts for 214 yards, two late touchdowns and one interception for a 79.9 passer rating.

The Jets rushing attack was led by Le’Veon Bell as he gained 59 yards in 18 carries and Bilal Powell rushed for 42 yards on 7 carries. The Washington running game was very anemic all day as Adrian Peterson could only generate 25 yards in his 9 carries, and likewise, Derrius Guice only accumulated 24 yards in his 7 carries.

Trailing 34-3 in the final quarter, Haskins connected with Guice on a 45-yard touchdown pass. Then, with only 1:11 remaining, Haskins found tight end Jeremy Sprinkle for a one-yard touchdown to conclude the scoring.

The Vikings and the uniqueness of a 3-0 win in the NFL

Saivion Mixson took a look at other notable games that ended 3-0 after the Vikings pulled out the win over the Raiders.

The Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders combined to score a total of three points on Sunday.

Minnesota had to pull starter Josh Dobbs for Nick Mullens to generate some sort of spark. Aidan O’Connell looked like a deer in headlights as Brian Flores continued to throw look after look at the fourth-round rookie. It was truly a sight to behold.

The game itself was the first 3-0 win since 2007, the third in the last 40 seasons and just the seventh in the Super Bowl Era.

There are two ways that you can look at this:

  1. The defenses played out of their minds for 60 minutes, in turn making scoring difficult. Or…
  2. The offenses played for 60 minutes and could not muster a touchdown or even make the game exciting by throwing a pick-six or anything to keep the fans intrigued.

However you choose to interpret this phenomenon is up to you. I choose to celebrate the beauty of a game where the defense triumphs like they did on Sunday.

Why? Because it’s never supposed to happen. The NFL has done everything to make games entertaining, high-flying and high-scoring. They laugh in the face of those who scream that defense wins championships because the fact that offenses sell tickets is deemed exceptionally more important. 

So when the football gods give us a beautiful chaotic miracle in the form of a 3-0 rock fight between two struggling teams, I have no choice but to celebrate it.

How I choose to celebrate it is to analyze the circumstances surrounding the four most recent examples of these beautiful miracles.

Former Maryland and Washington TE Frank Wycheck dies

Frank Wycheck played for the University of Maryland and was drafted by Washington. He would become an excellent tight end for the Oilers/Titans.

Ardent Maryland and Washington football fans are saddened to hear Frank Wycheck died suddenly this weekend.

Wycheck residing in Chattanooga, Tenn., apparently fell and hit his head in his home sometime Saturday morning, his family conveyed in a statement released this weekend. Wycheck was found Saturday afternoon. He was 52.

The former Maryland Terrapin was drafted 160th overall by the Redskins in 1993. At tight end, he caught 23 passes in the 8 games he started in his two Washington seasons (1993-94) and was released. Upset he had been released, he voiced his disapproval, and sure enough, Wycheck proved Redskins head coach Norv Turner wrong when he was claimed by the Houston Oilers.

Wycheck proceeded to play nine seasons for the Oilers/Titans, catching 482 passes for 4,958 yards for 27 touchdowns and 264 first downs. Wycheck was a Pro Bowler three consecutive seasons (1998-2000) and was All-Pro 2nd team in 2000.

Playing 137 games for the Titans, Wycheck went from being a Redskins castaway to actually setting a franchise record when in 99 consecutive games he caught at least one pass. Frank also achieved being the team receiving leader for three consecutive seasons (1999-2001).

He is best remembered for a single play in the Jan. 8, 2000 AFC wild-card game. In the closing seconds, Buffalo kicked off to the Titans’ Lorenzo Neal who handed off to Wycheck. Frank, moving to his right, suddenly threw back across the field to his left to Kevin Dyson, who ran down the left sideline for a touchdown and a 22-16 Titans victory. The play became known as the “Music City Miracle.”

After the conclusion of Wycheck’s career, he stated he believed he may have CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), which sometimes results in those who have been exposed to concussions and repetitive forceful impacts to the head.

Wycheck’s family will reportedly agree to Wycheck’s desire to involve experts in CTE research and ongoing brain injury.

Following his NFL career, Frank was employed in sports talk radio in Nashville. He was also part of the Titans NFL game radio broadcast team through the 2016 season. He relocated to Chattanooga, moving to be closer to his family. He is survived by his two daughters and three grandchildren.

6 Heisman Trophy winners have played for Washington

Six former Washington players have won the Heisman Trophy. Could the Commanders draft the 2023 Heisman winner?

Will the Commanders land this year’s Heisman Trophy winner?

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was named the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner on Saturday, finishing first in this year’s balloting. Winning the Heisman, Daniels becomes the third LSU Tiger to capture the award. Billy Cannon (1959) and Joe Burrow (2019) preceded him in winning the honor.

Just this week, CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson conducted a 2024 NFL Mock Draft of the first round and Wilson had the Commanders selecting Daniels.

Washington last drafted a Heisman Trophy winner when then-owner Daniel Snyder orchestrated a trade with the St. Louis Rams. Washington traded up from the No. 6 overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft to the No. 2 overall selection. Washington also gave up their 2012 second-round pick and 2013 and 2014 first-round picks for the opportunity to draft Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.

1996 Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel (Florida) was not drafted by Washington. He was actually drafted by the Saints in 1997, then spent time with the Packers, Bears and Texans before he went to Washington in 2002 and was released during the 2003 preseason.

1991 winner Desmond Howard was drafted by Washington in the first round (4th overall) in 1992. Howard caught five touchdown passes and returned one punt for a touchdown in his three seasons in Washington before moving on to play for four other teams.

George Rogers was the 1980 Heisman winner, taken by the Saints first overall in the 1981 draft. He was one of the leading NFL rushers for four seasons in New Orleans and then ran for Washington the last three years of his career (1985-87).

Gary Beban (UCLA) was awarded the 1967 Heisman and drafted by the Rams in the second round. He came to Washington in 1968 but appeared in only five games in his two Washington seasons (1968-69) and was out of the NFL.

Vic Janowicz (Ohio State) won the Heisman in 1950, was drafted 79th overall by Washington in 1952, pursued an MLB career, then played two seasons with the Redskins before a car accident ended his NFL career.

This year’s Heisman voting was the closest since the 2018 Heisman when Kyler Murray (Oklahoma QB) finished ahead of Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa by 296 points. Daniels finished 328 points ahead of Washington Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr.

Top 10 2023 Heisman Trophy Voting Official Results:

  1. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: 2,029 points (503 first-place votes)
  2. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: 1,701 points (292 first-place votes)
  3. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: 885 points (51 first-place votes)
  4. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: 352 points (20 first-place votes)
  5. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State: 85 points (8 first-place votes)
  6. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: 73 points (4 first-place votes)
  7. Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State: 31 points (1 first-place vote)
  8. Cody Schrader, RB, Missouri: 29 points (1 first-place vote)
  9. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan: 28 points (3 first-place votes)
  10. J.J. McCrathy, QB, Michigan: 21 points (1 first-place vote)

Looking back at one of the most significant wins in Washington history

Looking back to one of the most memorable wins in franchise history.

This weekend marks the 40-year anniversary of one of the most significant Washington Redskins-Dallas Cowboys games in the rivalry’s storied history.

Both teams were at the top of the NFL. Washington was the defending Super Bowl champion. Dallas had been to the NFC championship game three consecutive seasons (1980-82), losing to Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington.

The Redskins had defeated the Cowboys at RFK Stadium 31-17 in the 1982 NFC title game before defeating the Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII 27-17.

The 1983 season opener pitted Dallas against Washington in a rematch of the NFC championship game. Washington raced out to a 23-3 halftime lead. But Dallas played a near-perfect second half, storming back to shock the Redskins and the RFK fans, winning 31-30.

All season long, Washington had to think about how they had blown a 20-point halftime lead to their most hated rivals. Week 15 came on Dec. 11. The game buildup was huge as both Dallas and Washington were owning the NFC, both sharing 12-2 records. Washington players boarded the plane for Dallas dressed in Army fatigues.

The winner of this game would no doubt be the winner of the NFC East and earn the home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs. The rematch of the season opener would, this time, be played at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. Dallas was made a three-point favorite.

Washington and the Cowboys were dominant that season. It was only the second time since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 that two teams within the same division had won 12 games. Dallas and Philadelphia had also accomplished the feat in 1980, then met in the NFC championship game in Philadelphia.

Dallas star running back Tony Dorsett had rushed for at least 100 yards in three consecutive games, and when he gained 100 yards at home, Dallas was an astonishing 25-0.

Dallas had been held to 21 points only once all season — until this day. The Washington defense dominated the line of scrimmage, holding Dorsett to only 34 yards on his 14 carries (2.4 YPC). The Cowboys finished with a franchise low in their history 33 yards on 20 rushing attempts (1.65 YPC).

Meanwhile, Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann attempted only 17 passes. But he did complete 11 for 203 yards (11.9 YPA), including touchdown passes of 40 yards (Clint Didier) and 43 yards (Art Monk).

First Half

Second Half

The lopsided outcome was a surprise to all involved. Washington manhandled Dallas 31-10 for their first win at Dallas since the 1976 team coached by George Allen.

John Riggins (27-89) and Joe Washington (8-44) led a running attack that produced 166 yards on 42 carries (3.9 YPC). Washington generated 366 yards and Dallas only 205, and Washington won the turnover battle 4-1.

Greg Williams, filling in for injured starting safety Mark Murphy, came up with two interceptions, and cornerback Darrell Green added another.

The loss shattered the Cowboys’ season. They never recovered, losing in the season finale to San Francisco and then at home to the Rams in the playoffs.

Washington defeated the Giants in the season finale, then the Rams 51-7 at RFK in the divisional round. The Redskins then beat the visiting 49ers 24-21 in the NFC championship game before losing to the Raiders 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII.

Former Washington wide receiver DeSean Jackson retires from NFL

Jackson played 15 seasons in the NFL, including three excellent years in Washington. He ends his career as one of the greatest deep threats in NFL history.

Longtime NFL wide receiver DeSean Jackson announced his retirement on Wednesday after 15 seasons.

Jackson is best known for his two stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, but after Philadelphia cut him in March 2014, Jackson signed a three-year deal with the then-Washington Redskins. During his three seasons in Washington, Jackson caught 142 passes for 2,702 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Jackson went over 1,000 yards receiving in two of his three Washington seasons.

After Washington, Jackson played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning to the Eagles. He finished his career with stints in Las Vegas, Los Angeles (Rams) and Baltimore. In total, Jackson spent eight seasons with Philadelphia.

For his career, Jackson finished with 641 receptions, 11,263 yards, 58 receiving touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and four punts returned for touchdowns. Jackson averaged a remarkable 17.6 yards per reception over the course of his lengthy career.

His greatest successes came against the Dallas Cowboys. He had 1,330 receiving yards vs. Dallas. He also had over 1,000 yards against the Giants. However, he had seven career receiving touchdowns against Washington, his most against any team.

During his time with the Redskins, Jackson made Philly pay as he had some big games against his former team.

How good was Jackson? Check out this statistic, courtesy of Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports.

Jackson should be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he’s the best deep-ball receiver of his era and arguably the greatest ever.

Congratulations on an outstanding career.

Former Washington LB London Fletcher named semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class

Is this the year for London Fletcher?

Is 2024 the year for London Fletcher?

On Tuesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 25 modern-era semifinalists for the class of 2024, and the former Washington linebacker made the cut. It’s Fletcher’s third consecutive year as a semifinalist.

Fletcher signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent from John Carroll University in 1998. Fletcher spent four seasons with the Rams before signing with Buffalo, where he spent the next five years of his career. Fletcher signed with Washington as a free agent in 2007 and played his seven seasons in the burgundy and gold.

In 16 NFL seasons, Fletcher played in 256 games and recorded 2,039 tackles, 39 sacks, 109 tackles for loss, 19 forced fumbles, 23 interceptions, 12 fumble recoveries and three touchdowns. He appeared in four Pro Bowls [all with Washington], was a two-time second-team All-Pro, is in Washington’s Ring of Fame, and is also one of the franchise’s 90 greatest players. Fletcher is currently a radio analyst for the Washington Commanders.

Fletcher’s numbers rival Ray Lewis, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 — his first year of eligibility.

The Hall of Fame also has 12 senior semifinalists for the 2024 class, and former Washington offensive tackle Joe Jacoby was among those names. We’ve made the case for Jacoby numerous times as he remains one of the biggest Pro Football Hall of Fame snubs.