Due to a scheduling quirk, the Washington Commanders’ preparation for Sunday evening’s pivotal NFC East conflict with the New York Giants ought to be considerably simpler than ordinary when Ron Rivera’s workforce reconvenes after its bye week. Washington’s remaining sport earlier than the bye was a Dec. 4 tie towards the identical Giants, who didn’t have the posh of per week off earlier than their rematch with the Commanders and had been routed by the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Washington
Commanders prepare for a rematch unlike any they’ve faced in 56 years
If it appears odd for Washington to be enjoying the identical opponent in consecutive video games, properly, that’s as a result of it’s exceedingly uncommon. It’s solely the third occasion for the reason that AFL-NFL merger in 1970 that an NFL workforce has confronted the identical opponent in consecutive common season video games inside a season. The final time Washington did so was in 1966, when a home-and-home sequence with the Pittsburgh Steelers featured a little bit of uniform-related drama.
After opening the season with a pair of losses by a mixed 40 factors, Washington arrived at Pitt Stadium on Sept. 25, 1966, in determined want of a win. It additionally arrived with just one set of uniforms — white jerseys and gold pants.
Pittsburgh had additionally deliberate to put on white tops, and whereas Steelers proprietor Artwork Rooney had no qualms with the monochromatic matchup continuing as scheduled, referee Tommy Bell refused. Kickoff was delayed 20 minutes whereas Steelers gear supervisor Tony Parisi retrieved Pittsburgh’s black jerseys from the workforce’s headquarters in South Park, Pa., and returned to the stadium through police escort.
“The individuals within the stands didn’t know the distinction,” Rooney informed reporters on the time. “We had extensive gold stripes on high of our jerseys. I feel the individuals would have recognized who had the ball, and the gamers, too. The one individuals excited had been these near the controversy.”
(The Steelers launched new uniforms in 1966 that includes a gold, diamond-shaped yoke. The shoulder design was a nod to a newly refurbished downtown space referred to as the Golden Triangle however resembled a cape. The Batman uniforms, as they’d come to be recognized, had been discontinued after the 1967 season.)
Washington went on to defeat the Steelers, 33-27. Kicker Charlie Gogolak, Washington’s first-round decide in 1966, made 4 area targets from 21, 27, 29 and 14 yards. He may’ve added a fifth, however Washington first-year coach Otto Graham opted to punt from the Steelers’ 37-yard line within the remaining minute whereas defending a six-point lead.
“It felt nice to have the ability to assist the workforce,” stated the 158-pound Gogolak, whom The Washington Put up’s Dave Brady wrote “appeared like a punt-and-pass contest entrant when he took off his shoulder pads.”
Steelers Coach Invoice Austin was irked by the uniform mix-up.
“It doesn’t assist to take a seat in that dressing room for 15 to twenty minutes when the workforce is able to go,” Austin informed reporters after Pittsburgh fell to 1-1-1. “We had no zip and no fireplace. I’m positive the Redskins will see that within the movies. We made many psychological errors, however not due to the Redskins’ gamers. We will probably be higher subsequent week, imagine me.”
Regardless of incomes his first NFL win as a coach, Graham wasn’t happy along with his workforce’s efficiency, both. Washington constructed a 9-0 lead however trailed 21-9 early within the third quarter.
“If they’d not come again within the second half, I might have fired all of them,” Graham informed reporters. “You suppose I’m kidding?”
The subsequent day, Dave Slattery, Washington’s assistant basic supervisor, claimed he wasn’t conscious of the NFL rule requiring the visiting workforce to carry two units of uniforms. He additionally insisted the Steelers by no means notified him of their plans to put on white as a substitute of black, as they usually did at house.
Austin, the Steelers’ coach, wouldn’t let the incident go within the days main as much as the groups’ rematch per week later at D.C. Stadium.
“We’ll be on time for the kickoff,” Austin informed reporters. “We assume they’ll put on their burgundy uniforms, as they elected to do three months in the past, however we’ll be prepared this time for no matter colours they determine to put on.”
The Put up reported that the bizarre schedule “put a brand new burden on the coaches,” who would “discover it onerous to attempt to cross off the opposition as one thing newly tremendous after so wanting a lapse.”
“To shake up his gamers, who’ve scant excuse to be cocky with just one triumph this season, Graham started warning the Redskins on Monday that the Steelers can be ‘mad’ right this moment due to the delay in final Sunday’s begin attributable to a mix-up within the jerseys,” The Put up reported. “ … Even the Redskins’ publicity division was enjoying it scared. It famous that the back-to-back video games had been the primary for the Redskins since 1948, once they opposed the Boston Yanks in successive video games. However the outcomes weren’t talked about. The Redskins received each, 59-21 and 23-7.”
Historical past would repeat itself: Washington quarterback Sonny Jurgensen threw landing passes of 60, 51 and 70 yards, the latter two to Bobby Mitchell, in a 24-10 win.
“Total,” Graham stated, “we appeared higher right this moment than we did final week. However we misplaced momentum within the second quarter. That was partly my fault for calling for the faux area objective. It might have been 21-0 within the second interval.”
Washington went on to complete 7-7. The Steelers went 5-8-1.
The 2 most up-to-date situations of an NFL workforce going through the identical opponent in consecutive video games inside the identical common season got here 30 years aside. In 1991, then-AFC West rivals Seattle and San Diego performed consecutive video games round a bye for each groups. The Seahawks received the primary assembly in Seattle, and the Chargers received the rematch in San Diego. Final 12 months, the Cleveland Browns performed the Baltimore Ravens in consecutive video games. Whereas Cleveland had a bye between the 2 matchups, Baltimore had a highway sport towards the Steelers, which it misplaced. The Ravens received their first sport towards Cleveland. The rested Browns prevailed within the rematch.