My friends, THE GURU and THE CHIEF have waited 33 years for this weekend and, heck, THE TRE MAN has waited a lifetime.
Yes, it’s been more than three decades since My Beloved Commies appeared in the NFC Championship game and, during many lean years, it’s felt like a much longer drought than that. Of course, as a Cubs fan, my son is used to exceedingly long waits.
Who does a better job of teaching a kid sports perseverance than I do, eh?
Now, suddenly and surprisingly, during this 2024 campaign, THE TRE MAN’s ship has reached shore with Washington back in the NFC title game for the first time since the 1991 season. And it has me thinking about the most important game in franchise history and, in my opinion, the most important play in Burgundy & Gold annals.
The date was January 22, 1983, and Dallas came to DC’s RFK Stadium for the NFC title game, the Cowboys’ 10th conference championship appearance in 13 years. You read that right, folks. Dallas, along with Pittsburgh, was the NFL’s gold standard. Full stop.
Even as a clueless 12-year-old, I had a sense of the game’s importance, mainly because my pops was on edge all week, like a man who had simultaneously given up cigarettes, candy and cursing. Putting a fine point on it, on gameday, I heard something coming from the kitchen downstairs and quietly tip-toed down the steps. It must’ve been 5:30 a.m.
What I saw was a vision I’ll never forget. It was THE CHIEF, sitting in his lounge chair and drinking warm milk in a terry cloth bathrobe. It was a golden color as I recall.
Noticing me, he looked up and, with the stare of a man ticketed to serve a life sentence at Alcatraz, said
“Son, we’ve GOT to have this game.”
Of course, to understand the importance of the 1983 contest, you have to get your arms around the bitterness of the rivalry, especially from the Washington side. We couldn’t stand Dallas because we were not Dallas. In fact, the game marked our first championship appearance since 1972 when Coach George Allen & Co. vanquished the hated Cowboys, 26-3, at RFK.
Sadly, after that big ‘72 victory, the Skins would return to famine with no postseason wins over the ensuing decade. Making matters worse, Washington’s 0-4 postseason record during that span contrasted with the Cowboys’ sterling 11-7 mark, including six NFC title game appearances, three NFC championships and a Super Bowl XII win against Denver.
Then, in 1982 the script changed as a second-year coach by the name of Joe Gibbs led Washington to an 8-1 record in a strike-shortened season, followed by playoff wins over Dee-troit (31-7) and Minnesota (21-7) to set the stage for the NFC championship, the first - and only - conference title game to be played on a Saturday.
The family - THE CHIEF, MRS BRAVE and MISS SIXPOINTS - and I settled into our seats at our new home in Littleton, Colo., and watched a tense affair. The Skins took a 14-3 lead into the half before Dallas backup QB Gary Hogeboom - replacing the concussed Danny White - led a stirring third-quarter rally with touchdown passes to future Hall of Famer Drew Pearson and Butch Johnson.
After a Mark Moseley field goal pushed our lead to 24-17 in the fourth quarter, the most important play in Washington history happened. And it came from an unlikely source.
Yes, the playmaker - with a major assist from all-world defensive end Dexter Manley - was none other than defensive tackle Darryl Grant. A ninth-round draft pick a year earlier. An offensive lineman at Rice University. A guy that few people knew outside of the nation’s capital. Darryl. Grant.
From there, the Skins ran out the clock with the famed Hogs offensive line and future HOFer John Riggins pounding star defensive tackle Randy White and the fierce Dallas defensive line. At one point, they ran the same play - 50 gut - nine straight times, all right at White, led by another future HOFer, left guard Russ Grimm.
The game turned out to be the final league championship appearance in Tom Landry’s illustrious career. The Dallas head coach lasted six more seasons but wouldn’t capture another playoff victory, losing twice to the Los Angeles Rams in postseason openers.
Washington, of course, was just getting started under Gibbs, who would lead the Skins to three Super Bowl titles in four appearances, with each of those winning teams featuring a different starting quarterback and running back.
And that brings us to this weekend with THE TRE MAN and I planning to visit the not-so-friendly environs of Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is at 3 pm Sunday on Fox.
Sadly, THE CHIEF won’t be with us, as he’ll be sequestered with MRS BRAVE and MISS SIXPOINTS in Venice, Fla., knocking on wood and knocking back appetizers like his life depends upon it.
At day’s end, of course, I’m taking My Beloved Commies (14-5, 7-3 away) to beat the host Eagles (15-3, 9-1 home).
Yes, the Birds are a tremendous team with an outstanding head coach. Yes, they’re an NFC juggernaut like the Cowboys of 1980s. And, yes, this Washington team was 4-13 a year ago and is led by a rookie quarterback.
But this DC team not only thinks it can win. It expects to win. And that belief will have them headed to New Orleans in two weeks. I’m rolling with my boys, 27-24.
At 6:30 pm tomorrow on CBS/Paramount+, I’m taking the Bills (15-4, 5-4 away) in Kansas City (16-2, 9-0 home). It’s hard to go against Reid and Mahomes but it just feels like Josh Allen’s time and the Buffalo team seems like it’s peeking at just the right time.
For those that say Kansas City can’t be beat at home, you’re largely correct as it doesn’t happen often. In fact, the Chiefs are 10-1 at Arrowhead in the postseason since 2019 with the lone blemish a loss to Cincinnati and red-hot Joe Burrow in the 2021 playoffs.
Is 2024 Josh Allen equal to 2021 Joe Burrow? Yes, I think he is. Go with Buffalo in a tight one, 30-29.
The Divisional/CFP record was 5-0, moving the postseason mark to 9-2 (.818) and the season total to 184-100 (.648). Enjoy the games, folks. Should be a blast!