The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

I remember the night well to this day.

I had to take part in a stupid Christmas Play at my church (I was a wise man, I think), so I had to leave my beloved Redskins game in the first half. And they were playing Dallas.

Well, they were up 17-0, so I figured I could at least leave in peace, thinking I'd come home and watch the highlights and then watch them in the playoffs the next week.

As we all know, it was not to be. I remember getting out of the play and asking some guy at the church if he knew whether or not the Skins won. His face told me everything I needed to know. That was one horrible week of middle school.

Anyway, people often forget about just how good this team was in 1979. Who here remembers watching that team? They were animals on defense, especially Coy Bacon, who was like the precursor to Dexter Manley. Theismann was coming into his own, and Riggins was young and strong, and they had a couple good receivers as well in Ricky Thompson and Danny Buggs.

They had just REAMED Dallas a few weeks earlier at RFK. It still sickens me that they let that final game slip away, not to mention that the Cardinals lost by over 30 points, guaranteeing that the Redskins would miss the playoffs that year if they lost, even with a 10-6 record, because of some mathematical equation that factored into the playoff scenario.

It's too bad, as I think this team would've really done some serious damage if they'd made it into the playoffs that year, especially with a home field advantage. They never recovered from that loss under Pardee.

I remember. Took me awhile to get over that one. Roger the Dodger had one of his classic fourth quarters finishes. We were up by 13 points with like, a minute and a half left. Riggo had just scored a touchdown on a long run. I thought it was over. That loss was so hard that some say that's why Riggo "retired" for the 1980 season.

Yeah, and I remember the Cardinals were playing the late game against the Bears. We had all the tie breakers against, I believe it was Tampa Bay, unless the Cardinals lost by, like, more than 30 points. The lost 42-6.

Some of the names I remember on that team was Clarence Harman, Lemar Parish, Joe Lavender, Tony Peters, Ken Houston. Oh, and there was this rookie tight end, I believe his name was Donnie Warren.

Yup, and don't forget another rookie by the name of...Monte Coleman!

You are correct. That was Monte's freshman year as well. Little did we know at the time that we were on the cusp of greatness!!

I believe that we drove back to the Cowgirl 45(ish) yard line on that quick out pattern when the time clock elapsed. There was that big ref huddle and they determined that time did expire.

Would Mosely have made that 63 yard FG to win it, send us to the playoffs and tie Dempsy's record for longest FG ??????

ahh - pardee. that's a good reminder that painful seasons can lead to great things. ala - gibbs take one.

pardee coached houston for a few seasons - and a usfl team if i remember correctly. they weren't too bad, but they were no gibbs-skins.

it's funny thinking back that the st. louis cardinals used to be a team to worry about in the 70's when jim hart was running the show. he was one guy who deserved a better team.

Magoo wrote:ahh - pardee. that's a good reminder that painful seasons can lead to great things. ala - gibbs take one.

pardee coached houston for a few seasons - and a usfl team if i remember correctly. they weren't too bad, but they were no gibbs-skins.

it's funny thinking back that the st. louis cardinals used to be a team to worry about in the 70's when jim hart was running the show. he was one guy who deserved a better team.

Yeah, and he GOT a better team when the Redskins picked him up as a backup a few years later.

Argh (and other sounds of pain). I also remember that second Dallas game...saw part of it at my apartment, and then had to go meet someone at Penn Station...watched the last 10 minutes at a bar there. Should have won. And the Redskins were clearly a match for Dallas...and Dallas was the best in the NFC.

A striking play: the Riggins TD run. He swung around the end and flat outran the Dallas defense. Sure, best known later as The Deese, but Riggins was fast.

Some of the good things about Pardee (my third or fourth favorite Redskins coach, after Gibbs and Allen, with a special place for Lombardi):

- Pardee let Joe Walton loosen the offense. No more Larry Brown left, Larry Brown right, pass to Taylor or Jefferson. Then LB left, LB right, etc. Walton shifted from the I formation, with Riggins as the blocking back, to a twin set back. Suddenly, we remembered hy Riggins had been an all-pro fullback.

- Pardee gave the ball to Joe Thiessman.

- Pardee and Beathard collected young guys like Coleman and OLkiewicz who were winners in their guts. No big high and mighty draft choices.

- Pardee noticed that several of old George's speciail-splay specialists coukd hit. Discovered that Wysocki could hit just as hard as a LB as he could covering punts.