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Gibbs Greatest Hits: Vol II
Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2004 4:59 pm
by ANT7088
The Redskins came into this game at 5-5, desperate for a win that would keep them in the playoff hunt. Part of the reason the team had been struggling was the poor play of Joe Theismann, who had just seven touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. Joe Gibbs, however, was reluctant to pull Theismann in favor of backup Jay Schroeder, whose only experience had come in mop up work earlier in the season. After this game, Gibbs had no choice.
11/18/85
WASHINGTON (6-5) 23, Giants (7-4) 21
RFK Stadium—Everyone watching on Monday night football, will remember the broken leg, the grotesque angle that Joe Theismann’s shin took when Lawrence Taylor took him down from behind, Taylor’s frantic gesture towards to Redskins sideline to get help for the quarterback, and the removal of Theismann in the stretcher. Redskins fans will remember all that, too, but will also recall how an untested quarterback came off the bench to save the season for Washington.
Theismann, in the midst of one of his worst seasons, started slowly, able to complete just a couple of short passes on the Redskins’ opening drive. On fourth and two at the Washington 43, punter Steve Cox threw to Raphel Cherry for 11 yards and a first down in New York territory. After misfiring on a long pass to Monk, Theismann settled in and completed three passes for 36 yards to finish the drive, including a 10-yard TD pass to tight end Don Warren to give his team a 7-0 lead.
It didn’t take long for the Giants to come back. Two series later, running back Joe Morris got loose on a run off left tackle and couldn’t be caught, going 56 yards for the tying touchdown.
On first down at the Washington 46, the play call was “50 Gut Pitchback”, which called for John Riggins to take a handoff up the middle, stop, and pitch back to Theismann. The maneuver was designed to delay the Giants pass rush long enough to enable Theismann to find an open receiver downfield.
The Giants weren’t fooled. Linebacker Harry Carson and tackle Jim Burt pushed Theismann to his left, where Taylor was waiting. Taylor dragged the quarterback down from behind, falling on Theismann’s right leg in the process. The television replays caught the moment where the leg suddenly gave out, bending in mid-shin in a manner that made even the strongest viewers cringe. Those fainter of heart had a much stronger reaction.
A stretcher took Theismann off the field to a thunderous ovation, and the game resumed. It took just two plays for Jay Schroeder to evoke an ovation of his own. The second-year quarterback, who had thrown just eight NFL passes, zipped a 44-yard completion to Art Monk for a first down at the New York 13. Riggins fumbled the ball away three plays later to kill the scoring threat, but things did not seem quite as bleak as they had as Theismann was lying on the turf. The score remained tied at seven at the half.
Apparently, Joe Gibbs was anxious to see what Schroeder could do after halftime, so he called for an onside kick to start the half. Cox executed it to perfection and recovered the ball himself. Schroeder went back to Monk, this time for 50 yards to the New York four. Riggins scored from a yard out three plays later and the Redskins had a 14-7 lead.
Another long Morris touchdown run, this one of 41 yards, soon had the game tied again. Then George Rogers fumbled the ball back to the Giants at the Washington 23. With a shorter field to work with, Morris only had to run eight yards for his third touchdown and a 21-14 New York lead.
With the game getting away from them, the Redskins responded. They drove 65 yards to a 28-yard Mark Moseley field goal with 11:25 left to play. Gibbs called for another onside kick and it worked as well, with Greg Williams making the recovery at the New York 46. Five plays later, cornerback Elvis Patterson tipped Schroeder’s pass, but Clint Didier snared it for a 14-yard touchdown. Although Moseley missed the point after, the Redskins held a 23-21 lead with 8:52 left to play.
The Giants were unable to cross midfield after that and Washington had an improbable win. On the day, against the NFC top-ranked defense, Schroeder was 13 for 20 for 221 yards.
The Redskins would go on to win five of their last six, but they would lose out on a playoff berth on tiebreakers.
http://story.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=61&p=2&c=270476
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 1:30 pm
by REDEEMEDSKIN
Anybody have streaming video of "the break"? I've never seen it, and was wondering what it looked like.
Also, how long was it until Schroeder became a bum?
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 1:49 pm
by JPFair
I'm not so sure you really wanna see it. It's not for the faint hearted. I was horrified when I saw it live, and I can look at just about anything.
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 2:21 pm
by Redskins1974
REDEEMEDSKIN wrote:Anybody have streaming video of "the break"? I've never seen it, and was wondering what it looked like.
Also, how long was it until Schroeder became a bum?
You really don't want to see it. It was truly nasty. Plus, the network replayed it probably 20+ times to the point where they changed their rules for showing and replaying injuries. If you notice nowadays they rarely replay an injury, they cut to a wide angled shot, the sidelines or commerical break. Even LT claims he has never seen the film and never will (he said he's had opportunities but left the room every time) because being there and part of it was bad enough. LT's reaction said it all too - he was jumping up and down waiving toward the Redskins bench for help then he put his hands on his helmet as if to say what did I just do, a reaction I thought I'd never see from him. Anyways, it was wrong.
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 2:02 am
by joeredskinfan30
I really want to see the Joe
Theismann break video. Anybody have it?
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:43 am
by hailskins666
i'd like to see it too. i saw it about 5 years ago, but the quality was terrible.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 11:49 am
by posse
It was a compound fracture, so you could see the bones sticking out of his skin.
There was blood everywhere. He left a big red spot on the field they had to soak up before resuming play.
He was screaming in agony.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:31 pm
by hailskins666
nobodys got a link to it? come on now, someones gotta have something. i still want to see it.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:00 pm
by Chris Luva Luva
I don't think I can watch it. I tore my ligaments in both knees playing football and anytime I think of an injury I get a queasy feeling.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:07 pm
by NC43Hog
What a goulish bunch we have here. Those of us that experienced it live have a much different perspective, but I can't fault my brothers for wanting to see if for themselve.
LT also mentioned it was the "sound" of the leg breaking that is hard for him to shake. And yes, they replayed the thing to death that night. We all wanted Joe yanked because he was having such a bad year, but none of us wanted him out this way and we never imagined that was the last time he would suit up in the NFL.
2 onside kicks, I had forgotten about those. Gibbs had some nerve, that's for sure.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:13 pm
by tsaler
Whew, yeah, that was really bad. I don't recommend any of you who haven't seen it check it out. It's... not cool at all. The only injury I've seen that was even close to being as bad as that was when Rich Seubert broke his leg last year against the Eagles. I watched that one live. A close third would be when Marc Colombo broke his leg or tore something in his knee the year before that. *shivers*
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:14 pm
by NC43Hog
Hey tsaler, check you private messsges.
And I agree with your last post.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:34 pm
by hailskins666
tsaler wrote:Whew, yeah, that was really bad. I don't recommend any of you who haven't seen it check it out. It's... not cool at all. The only injury I've seen that was even close to being as bad as that was when Rich Seubert broke his leg last year against the Eagles. I watched that one live. A close third would be when Marc Colombo broke his leg or tore something in his knee the year before that. *shivers*
see, its all the "don't watch it" crap that makes me want to see it that much more. i don't mind gore. i just want to see it damnit! i want to see the blood on the field, the bones hangin through the skin, the whole nine. i can take it, give it to me, i'm dying here!
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:40 pm
by welch
1. As the others have said, you don't want to see the play.
2. How long before Jay S. became "a bum"? He played well the rest of that season, although, as I remember, the Redskins missed the playoffs with about a 10-6 record. He was all-pro the next year, when the team went to the NFC championship, but lost 17-0 to the Giants in the Wind Bowl. Tremendous the week before against the Bears -- the Ditka/46 defense Bears, who ran their all-out blitz all day. The Redskins were heavy underdogs, of course, but Schroeder and Monk kept bombing them. Developed a nasty habit of throwing bullets into the ground the following year, and was benched in favor of Doug Williams...that was the SB 22 year. I don;t think he was ever a "bum"...overconfident, maybe, but he had a powerful arm.
3. And...because I'm tired of reading SI's Dr Z say that Art Monk never made things happen, never caught the long passes, was just a slow, good-hands, possession receiver, I've picked out a few quotes from the original story to indicate what Monk was like:
After misfiring on a long pass to Monk
...who was that target?
The second-year quarterback, who had thrown just eight NFL passes, zipped a 44-yard completion to Art Monk for a first down at the New York 13.
Schroeder went back to Monk, this time for 50 yards to the New York four.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:46 pm
by NC43Hog
Stop saying "you don't want to see it", you are bumming hailskin666 out.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:51 pm
by hailskins666
NC43Hog wrote:Stop saying "you don't want to see it", you are bumming hailskin666 out.
i'll find it....somewhere. and i'll post a link.
i saw it a while back, but the feed i saw looked like it had been done using a camcorder, while watching a tv??? couldn't really tell all that much about it. you could see LT jumping up and down waving his arms, but the leg itself, was in the background. i will find it!
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:58 pm
by NC43Hog
I think the most upsetting thing about the event was it wasn't expected. In other words we knew he was hurt, but not until they showed the replay the first time did everyone watching go "Ohhh Noooo". It really was one of the more greusome things I have seen in sports.
I have no doubt you will find it Hailskin. Good shopping.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:02 pm
by hailskins666
i love some gore.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:12 pm
by NC43Hog
I don't remember it being extremely bloody so you might be dissapointed, just the fact that the human leg was not intendend to bend that way. Ouch.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:41 pm
by hailskins666
it's all good, blood or no. crap, i can't find it.
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:13 pm
by tcwest10
I won't be here for that. That was singly the most horrific thing I'd ever seen on a football field.
Put it this way...
http://www.washtimes.com/sports/2003111 ... -9456r.htm
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:29 pm
by hailskins666
"Can we see it seven more times, please, ABC?"
please! i'll settle for once.
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:16 am
by riggoranger
I remember listening to the game on the radio in the next room while I was putting together a model airplane. I was so fed up with Theismann's play that I just didn't care to watch them on TV - I guess I was a spoiled from the previous two seasons. Anyway, I liked Shroeder, and when I heard that Joe went down, I was actually happy. But when I went in the other room and saw the replay, I felt BAD. Still do. That was one of the most gruesome things I've ever seen, and Joe was in serious pain.
That play two years ago on Thanksgiving against Dallas when Bryan Barker got his nose smashed up was probably the second worst injury I've seen.
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:41 am
by DEHog
hailskins666 wrote::twisted: i love some gore.
Come work with me for a day
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:31 am
by REDEEMEDSKIN
Brutal. 