Before I get to my un-informed prediction about this week’s Washington Redskins game, I want to look back at the last time (may not be completely accurate) a Houston football team, the Oilers, visited the Skins.
In 1991, I remember telling a friend before the season that there was no excuse for the Redskins to not win the the NFC East, if not the conference. The Dallas Cowboys were clearly on the rise, but not ready yet, the New York Giants were in decline without Bill Parcells and the Philadelphia Eagles were not going to do anything meaningful in the playoffs. The Phoenix Cardinals were just irrelevant, as was the NFC Central. The only NFC West team worth mentioning was the San Francisco 49ers and they had a Steve Young in his first year as a starter. So, by default, I assumed the talented and seasoned Redskins had just about as easy a path to the Super Bowl as possible. The Redskins made my prediction look good by storming out of the gates 8-0.
The Houston Oilers, led by head coach Jack Pardee, came into RFK Stadium with a 7-1 record. The Curly R has a great recap of that game and its overtime as part of the retrospective on Pardee, who played for the Redskins and was fired as head coach in 1980. In short, it was an back and forth game played in glorious November grass and mud. I recall it being appropriately overcast. The Redskins won the game on an overtime field goal — final 16-13. The Oilers had a chance to win at the end, but kicker Ian Howfield missed a 33 yard attempt. Left unsaid in The Curly R’s recap was Howfield’s explanation for missing.
Howfield claimed that his athletic supporter had became dislodged and was, ahem, crushing his manhood. Two things came to mind:
- Howfield did pretty well considering the circumstances
- Why would he announce such a thing?!
Howfield was cut the next day. Even years later, Howfield seems to have taken it… poorly. Sadly, I cannot find Web confirmation on Howfield’s story, but I remember it. I need Dan Steinberg to look it up.
The Oilers proceeded to the second round of the playoffs that season. The Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI. Both would make the playoffs the following season too; the Redskins would lose in the second round and Joe Gibbs retired in the spring, the Oilers blew a 35-3 lead to the Buffalo Bills. The Oilers never recovered and moved to Tennessee in 1997 and recycled an AFL nickname — the Titans (previously the New York Jets were the Titans) for their new identity. Houston got the NFL back in 2002 and also recycled an AFL nickname — the Texans (originally based on Dallas, now the Kansas City Chiefs).
So, anyway, last week the Redskins beat the Cowboys without an offensive touchdown. The Texans crushed the Indianapolis Colts. I don’t as see the Redskins winning this one.
Texans 27
REDSKINS 17