It’s finally here – the not-really-all-that-official countdown to the 2023 Washington Commanders regular season. There are exactly 99 days left until the Commanders first game of 2023 against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10th.
Here are some notable things about Washington that contain 99 in some way.
99 Jerseys
Obviously, Chase Young wears the number 99 for the Commanders currently. Here is a list of the other guys that have worn the 99 jersey:
Caleb Brantley: 2018-2019
Jason Buck: 1991-1993
Andre Carter: 2006-2010
Marco Coleman: 1999-2001
Jermaine Haley: 2003-2004
Ricky Jean-Francois: 2015-2016
Jarvis Jenkins: 2012-2014
Ted Karras: 1987-1987
Ryan Kuehl: 1997-1997
Tracy Rocker: 1989-1990
Keith Rucker: 1997-1997
Eddie Saenz: 1946-1951
Rod Stephens: 1995-1996
Chase Young: 2020-2023
Wilbur Young: 1981-1981
99-Yard Touchdown!
The longest pass in Washington Football history is 99 yards. It has only been accomplished 13 times in NFL history, and Washington did it three times. They are the only team to do it multiple times.
Sonny Jurgensen threw the last one in 1968. He connected with running back Jerry Allen at the 35-yard line and Allen took it the rest of the way.
Before that one, quarterback George Izo hooked up with the great Bobby Mitchell in 1963. Mitchell took a pass at midfield and took it to the end zone by himself, for Washington’s second ever 99-yard pass and catch.
The first was almost a full 25 years before that, when Frank Filchock did it for Washington in 1939. He hit fullback great Andy Farkas at the 10-yard line, who then followed a convoy of blockers to pay dirt.
’99 Season
The 1999 season was a decent one. It was Washington’s first season with Brad Johnson at the helm. Have the Redskins had a better quarterback in the nearly 25 years since Johnson? Probably not. The Redskins scored gobs – 443 points to be exact – second in the NFL.
Other names on that ’99 squad were Tre Johnson, Jon Jansen, Cory Raymer, Stephen Alexander, Albert Connell, Michael Westbrook, Larry Centers, Dana Stubblefield, Dan Wilkinson, Marco Coleman, Darrell Green, Champ Bailey, and Sam Shade to name a few.
Norv Turner was the coach and Washington finished a respectable 10-6. They won the NFC East and had a couple of playoff games. They beat the Gus Frerotte led Detroit Lions quite convincingly 27-13 at home at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. The score was flattering as Detroit scored a cheapie with no time left to make it look closer than it really was.
Then they lost a heartbreaker the following week. A 14-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that saw the Bucs score twice in the second half to edge out the Redskins. Stephen Davis was held to just 37 yards rushing and Johnson to just 150 yards passing. Similarly, Washington held Shaun King to just 157 yards, and Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn to 42 yards. By far the most positive play for the Redskins on the day, was a 100-yard kickoff return by the great Brian Mitchell.
It was a strange game. Washington’s high octane offense couldn’t get going, and their 30th ranked defense not only kept them in it but had given them every opportunity to win. Unfortunately, the game was ultimately decided by a mistake.
With 1:17 left to play, the Redskins lined up to kick a potentially game winning field goal. And then it happened. Long snapper Dan Turk botched the snap, and bounced it to the holder, quarterback Brad Johnson.
Johnson tried to salvage a play but was sacked. The game was over and so were the Redskins hopes and dreams for the ’99 season.
Even more tragically, Turk would die of testicular cancer less than a year later.
Three years following, Brad Johnson won a Super Bowl (XXXVII) with a very comparable Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.
Other 99 Stuff
Kirk Cousins had 99 career touchdown passes for Washington. Only five quarterbacks had more (Baugh, Jurgensen, Theismann, Kilmer and Rypien).
Four different players have had 99-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns in franchise history, with Andre Roberts being the last to do it in 2015. (That’s not the longest though – six different Washington players have had longer than 99-yard touchdown returns.)
Less than 100 days to go.
Getting there…
