The NFC East is known for a lot of things. They have a history of success with nine Superbowl championships between the four teams. The games have been some of the most intense and exciting games that any fan, of any team would enjoy watching. But maybe more than any other division, they have some of the most storied rivalries. Today we continue the rivalry series, breaking down memorable moments in the Redskins/Giants rivalry…
I’m really not sure what it is about these two teams, but for some reason, in a division filled with hatred, bitterness, and anger, this feud flies completely under the radar.
Even when I ask Giant and Redskins fans, some who even live in the opposing team’s area, they don’t rank this one within the top half of rivalries in the NFC East. And I guess there’s good reason for that.
With most rivalries in the East, there’s a story, a backdrop, a series of events that lead to the feud. But not this one. There’s only a handful of memorable games, instant classic plays, or moments you won’t forget.
However, in this feud, you have one of the most memorable moments in NFL history. Most of you already know what I’m talking about.
It was more than 20 years ago, Monday Night Football, New York visiting Washington at RFK Stadium. Lawrence Taylor, pro-bowl linebacker (and petifile…but that’s a different story), came along the blind side of Redskins’ Quarterback Joe Theismann and delivered a hit that snapped Theismann’s right leg. A hit Theismann never saw coming, and has never seen since.
He, nor Taylor, has viewed that replay.
Lawrence Taylor may be one of the most feared defensive players in the NFL’s long history. You can easily put him up there with Deacon Jones, Reggie White, and Ronnie Lott. Not saying LT was the best, but MOST FEARED. Possibly, by players and fans alike. And on that play, was the only time I’ve seen L.T. show compassion on the field. Because after he delivered the hit, he immediately popped up and waved towards the trainers to get on the field for Theismann. He then looked at Theismann who was obviously hurt, he placed his hands on his head in shock, as if he couldn’t believe what he just did.
From Washingtonpost.com
"People break legs all the time in football. It involves the cracking of a bone, but most times, you can't see it," said Dan Dierdorf, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman who later became a "Monday Night Football" analyst and was watching the game on TV. "That night, what you saw was so graphic, and when you watch something that's so far out of the normal, you just gag, but you almost can't help watching it again and again."
You’d think a hit like this would leave a bitter taste in Skin fans’ mouths, thus sparking a huge feud that would rival the Cowboys-Redskins feud. I mean if you ask any Cowboy fan that hates the Eagles why they feud, 9 out of 10 of them will probably bring up Michael Irvin’s injury ending at the turf of the Vet.
I spoke with a good friend of mine, Jason Bonnette, who is a lifetime and die hard Redskin fan about the feud. And he made sure I knew that this wasn’t just another game, that he definitely hated the Giants.
“Let me tell you why I hate the Giants,” He began, and I already knew this was going to be good. “Thiesmann was the NFL MVP in 1983 and one of the most legendary Redskins QB’s of all time. But it [The L.T. play] was more effective at making L.T. the most feared defender of all time then it was a blow to the skins.”
Jason continues to speak on how the Redskins continued without their hall of fame quarterback, “Two years later in ’87 the Hogs went on to lead the Redskins to the greatest Super Bowl victory of all time when they won 42-10 over the Denver Broncos. The only thing threw all of the Redskins Super Bowl wins was the Hogs.”
And that is very true; the Redskins relied very heavily on their offensive line throughout the late 80s into the 90s. The offensive lines, nicknamed The Hogs for those of you living under a rock, were a staple in the Redskins’ offense for years upon years. Jason concluded reminding me, “that his lit the fire for one of the most heated rivalries of the 80s.”
We often forget that the Cowboys often struggled in the 80s, especially the late 80s. Meanwhile, the Eagles were a coin flip every year as far as if they were going to be a playoff contender or not. So his statement does indeed hold true that in the 80s, this was one of the more heated feuds in the NFL.
It’s a hit that we’ve seen dozens of times as it was a play that changed the course of history for the NFL. It made one man into a monster, ended one man’s career, and made every team in the league concentrate on the blind side of their quarterback. Not many franchises or rivalries carry a play that has affected so much, but if there was one division that can alter the NFL as we know it, it would be the NFC East.
Below are some games in this rivalry’s past that you may’ve forgotten until now:
Oct. 27, 1991: Redskins Beat Defending Champs to Move to 8-0
After an inspiring Super Bowl run in 1990, the Giants — under the direction of a new head coach, Ray Handley — came out flat in 1991, entering a late October tilt at the Meadowlands with a 4-3 record.
The Redskins gladly took over as the best team in the division, rolling to a 7-0 start behind quarterback Mark Rypien. For the Giants, this game was an opportunity to put their slow start behind them. For the Redskins, it was a chance to snap a six-game losing streak to the Giants and legitimize themselves as the team to beat.
Spurred on by the Sunday night crowd, the Giants took a 13-0 halftime lead. But that would be all for the defending champs, as Washington thoroughly outplayed them in the second half in a 17-13 comeback win.
The Redskins were on their way to a Super Bowl season, capped off by a 37-24 triumph over Buffalo. The Giants were on their way to an 8-8 season.
Nov. 23, 1997: With First Place at Stake, Teams Tie
In a Sunday night game for control of the N.F.C. East, neither team proved worthy. This 7-7 tiewas memorable, but only because of its listlessness and sheer bizarreness. The teams combined for 22 punts and 6 turnovers, and missed three potentially game-winning field goals in overtime.
The game’s most memorable moment came courtesy of Redskins quarterback Gus Frerotte, who, after scoring a second-quarter touchdown, leaped and head-butted the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium retaining wall in awkward celebration. The maneuver gave Frerotte a strained neck, but has provided comedic fodder for football fans ever since.
The game ended when a 54-yard field-goal attempt by Redskins kicker Scott Blanton fell short as time ran out in overtime. The kick would have been shorter if not for a boneheaded personal foul penalty a few plays earlier on receiver Michael Westbrook, who removed his helmet while protesting a call.
It was an appropriate ending to an inept night of football. But by not losing, the Giants had done what they had to. Three weeks later, they clinched the division at home against Washington.
Oct. 30, 2005: Giants Win One for the Duke
On the Monday before this game, Wellington Mara, the Giants’ longtime owner, succumbed to lymphoma at the age of 89. That Friday, Tiki Barber, who was at Mara’s bedside close to his death, led his teammates into St. Patrick’s Cathedral to honor him.
Two days later in the Meadowlands, Barber took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage and scampered 57 yards. It was a sign of things to come: Barber went on to rush for 206 yards in a 36-0 Giants rout.
It was a fitting tribute to a deeply respected patriarch of the Giants and the league. Mara was instrumental in ushering in the N.F.L.’s revenue-sharing system — eschewing what many thought were his own interests as the owner of a big-market team — as well as in brokering the N.F.L.’s merger with the A.F.L.
The blowout over the Redskins moved the Giants to 5-2 on the season, positioning them for the first of three (and counting) straight playoff appearances under Tom Coughlin.
Dec. 30, 2006: Barber Carries Giants to the Playoffs
Entering the final game of the 2006 season, the Giants were a broken team, both physically and psychologically, having lost six of their last seven games to turn a 6-2 start into a 7-8 record.
Despite everything, they had a chance to make the playoffs with a win over Washington at FedEx Field. And Tiki Barber –- in what would have been the last game of his career had the Giants lost –- singlehandedly carried them there.
In a performance for the ages, Barber rushed for a franchise-record 234 yards while scoring three touchdowns. And while the rest of the Giants continued their bumbling play, they were able to hold on for a 34-28 victory.
The next week, the team was put out of its misery in a loss to Philadelphia in Barber’s last game.
Sept. 23, 2007: Giants Resuscitate Season with Goal-Line Stand
The Giants were 0-2 and trailing the 2-0 Redskins at halftime, 17-3, on the road. What were the odds of the Giants winning the Super Bowl?
Things couldn’t have been bleaker, but the Giants — displaying, for the first time, a resilience that would characterize their team — stormed back. They took a 24-17 lead late in the game to set the stage for the season’s pivotal moment.
With 58 seconds left, the Redskins had first-and-goal at the Giants’ 1-yard line. But in the nick of time, the Giants’ maligned defense, which had surrendered the most points in the league over the first two games and seemed on the verge of choking away the third, seized the moment.
After stonewalling the Redskins for three plays in a row, the G-Men sealed the game when Justin Tuck knifed through the line to slow running back Ladell Betts, allowing the Big Blue D to converge on him to preserve the win.
The Giants were alive and well. And though the season would have its ups and downs from that point forward, it certainly ended well.
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