The Redskins-Cowboys rivalry of the 1970s is etched in NFL history.
The rivalry began when the Redskins hired George Allen as head coach in 1971. Allen had been the head coach of the LA Rams from 1966-1970.
Washington had some great teams in the 1930s and early 1940s. But even though the ‘Skins played in six NFL title games–winning two of them–their recent history wasn’t much to crow about. From 1946-1970 they had only four winning seasons and no post-season appearances.
Allen wanted to win right away, not in the future. His motto was “The Future is Now!” He wanted veteran players, and he was willing to trade away draft picks to get them, including getting several players who were with him in Los Angeles. Those players would enhance the talent already on the team, players like Sonny Jurgensen at quarterback, Charley Taylor at wide receiver, Jerry Smith at tight end, Larry Brown at running back, and Chris Hanburger at linebacker.
Some criticized Allen for trading away top draft picks, but it was hard to argue with the results. After five weeks in 1971, the team was in first place in their division with a 5-0 record. The most impressive of those wins came in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl. Quarterback Billy Kilmer connected with receiver Roy Jefferson for a 50-yard score to give Washington a 14-3 lead. The Redskins prevailed that day, 20-16.
Kilmer and Jefferson were examples of how Allen stacked his team with vets. Kilmer came by way of New Orleans and was slated to be the team’s back-up QB to starter Sonny Jurgensen. Jefferson came from Baltimore and was supposed to complement star receive Charley Taylor. But after Jurgenson and Taylor went down with serious injuries, Kilmer and Jefferson stepped in to fill the void.
The story was a bit different for the Dallas Cowboys. Born in expansion in 1960, the team struggled to produce a winning team until 1966 when it fell one game short of reaching the Super Bowl. It was the beginning of a pattern. 1967 was the same as 1966, falling one game short of the Super Bowl. In 1968 and, again, in 1969, Dallas lost in the divisional playoff game. Dallas finally reached the Super Bowl in 1970 but lost the game on a last-second field goal.
The Cowboys and Redskins met again in 1971, Week 10, in a game played at RFK Stadium. Dallas got it’s revenge with a 13-0 shutout and went on to win its first-ever Super Bowl. The Redskins, on the other hand, lost their playoff game to the 49ers, 24-20. But George Allen had proved his point: no longer would the Dallas Cowboys have a free ride to the division title.
Allen, a master psychologist, knew that overtaking the Cowboys as divisional champions wouldn’t be easy. He needed more than players to do it. So he manufactured intense dislike for ‘that team’ from Texas. It wasn’t a stretch for him, either.
When he was with the Rams, the Cowboys accused Allen of sending spies to watch their practices. He resented the accusation and waited to exact revenge. It came during the 1971 regular-season game when a dog ran onto the field. Allen accused the Cowboys of using the dog to disrupt his team’s concentration. Washington won, 20-16.
So deep was Allen’s dislike, that he refused to call one of his players, Dallas Hickman, by his first name. Allen’s players bought into his detest for the Cowboys, including d- lineman Diron Talbert, who focused his angst on Cowboys’ quarterback Roger Staubach.
As the 1972 season approached, the goal for Washington was crystal clear: overtake Dallas as divisional champions and get to the Super Bowl.
Washington drew first blood in a Week 6 matchup at RFK stadium. They won, 24-20, and moved into 1st place with a 5-1 record. But Dallas got even in Week 13 with a 34-24 victory. Overall, the ‘Skins finished the season 11-3, while the Cowboys ended at 10-4. That meant Washington was the division winner, and Dallas had to settle for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs.
Washington beat Green Bay 16-3 in the first playoff game. Dallas beat the SF 49ers 30-28 with a furious come-from-behind rally. Those victories set up a Cowboys/Redskins match-up New Year’s Eve in DC. The winner would go on to face the undefeated Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl.
Cowboys’ coach Tom Landry decided to start Roger Staubach at quarterback over Craig Morton even though Staubach had missed most of the season because of shoulder surgery. But the start was earned–Staubach engineered that comeback win over the 49ers.
But strategy wasn’t enough. The game was never close. The Redskins cruised to a 26-3 win. Afterward, Diron Talbert implied that it was easier to beat the Cowboys with Roger Staubach at the helm vis-a-vis Craig Morton. That insinuation incensed Staubach, who vowed to get even.
He didn’t have to wait long. A snafu gave Staubach something to smile about. Those in charge of ordering shoes for the big game must have thought that the Cowboys would be Miami’s opponent. Burgundy shoes–the ‘Skins color–never arrived. “Blue shoes!” Talbert yelled.
It got worse from there: the Redskins lost the Super Bowl.
