Throwback Game of the Week - Redskins at Bengals

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This weekend’s game marks just the eighth time in history that the Bengals and Redskins have met.

Washington leads the series 4-3 and has outscored Cincinnati, 153-130 in those games.

 Oct. 6, 1974 – Bengals 28, Redskins 17 (Cincinnati)
This game was never in question for the Bengals thanks to defensive back Lemar Parrish. The veteran cornerback and return man fielded a punt and raced 90 yards for a touchdown early in the game. He then added a 47-yard return of a fumble for a score in the third quarter. Cincinnati quarterback Ken Anderson completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and one TD and also rushed for a game-high 70 yards.

The Redskins offense stumbled much of the game until quarterback Sonny Jurgensen came in relief of Billy Kilmer and threw a pair of late touchdowns.

Dec. 15, 1985 – Redskins 27, Bengals 24 (Washington)
The Redskins erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Bengals. Wide receiver Art Monk recorded the best game of his Hall of Fame career with 13 catches for 230 yards in the win that kept his team’s playoff hopes alive. RB George Rogers scored the game-winning touchdown on a 34-yard run midway through the last quarter.

Boomer Esiason led the Bengals offensive attack by completing 22 of 39 passes for 357 yards and a pair of first quarter touchdowns passes.

Dec. 17, 1988 – Bengals 20, Redskins 17 – OT (Cincinnati)
The Bengals clinched their first division title in seven seasons with this overtime win in the regular season finale. Rookie running back Ickey Woods led the way for Cincinnati as he rushed for 115 yards.

Washington had a chance to win at the end of regulation but a swirling wind played havoc with kicker Chip Lohmiller’s 29-yard attempt with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Sept. 22, 1991 – Redskins 34, Bengals 27 (Cincinnati)
The Redskins thwarted a Bengals’ 17-point comeback in the second half when running back Gerald Riggs scored his third TD of the day, a 7-yard run, just before the two-minute warning. Riggs finished the day with 61 yards on the ground to add to the 75 gained by Earnest Byner.

Cincinnati was led by Craig Taylor who rushed for a pair of third quarter touchdowns.

Hall of Fame Perspective
Art Monk, Class of 2008

Art Monk, who was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past August, was the Washington Redskins’ first round pick in 1980. He caught 50 or more passes in a season nine times and gained 1,000 or more yards in five seasons. He finished his Hall of Fame career with 940 receptions.

Monk’s finest day of his career came against the Bengals on Dec. 15, 1985. That day, he hauled in a team record 13 catches for a career-high 230 yards and scored one TD in Washington’s 27-24 win over Cincinnati. It marked the sixth time in seven weeks that Monk had a 100-yard game.

Monk’s 100-yard games, 1985
Week 9 – 106 yards on six catches, 1 TD at Falcons
Week 10 – 103 yards on 5 catches vs. Cowboys
Week 11 – 130 yards on 7 catches vs. Giants
Week 13 – 150 yards on eight catches vs. 49ers
Week 14 – 109 yards on seven catches at Eagles
Week 15 – 230 yards on 13 catches, 1 TD vs. Bengals

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Ray Flaherty, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 1976, was instrumental in bringing success to the Redskins as they moved from Boston to Washington. Named head coach in 1936, the Redskins’ last season in “Beantown,” he led the club to its first NFL championship during their inaugural season in the nation’s capital. Known as an innovator – he is regarded as the one who brought the two-platoon system into the NFL – he introduced the behind-the-line of scrimmage screen pass during the ’37 title game which was key to Washington’s 28-21 win over the Chicago Bears.

In all, Flaherty led the Redskins to four division and two league titles and later coached in the All-America Football Conference. His coaching tenure was preceded by a playing career in the NFL. Flaherty was an end in the late 1920s and early 1930s with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the rival American Football League and in the NFL with the New York Giants and New York Yankees. He was twice named All-NFL (1928, 1932).

Already having been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame based on his accomplishments leading the Cleveland Browns, the legendary Paul Brown was not done with football. He was instrumental in building the expansion Bengals from the ground up. As the team’s first head coach, he guided the Bengals to the playoffs in 1970. In doing so, Cincinnati became the first expansion team to qualify for the postseason in just three years in the league. He gave up the coaching reigns after the 1975 season and remained as the team’s general manager until his death in 1991.

 In 1937, the Washington Redskins drafted quarterback Sammy Baugh out of TCU and signed him to a pro contract. Over the next 17 seasons, “Slingin’ Sammy” revolutionized the NFL’s passing game. His record of six passing titles, although matched by Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, has never been broken. He passed for 21,886 yard and 187 TDs during his career.

MORE FROM PROFOOTBALLHOF.COM The Hall’s website includes an in-depth look at the draft from its beginning in the 1930s through today. See the rundown of the 1937 draft. Story>>> Sammy Baugh’s HOF bio>>> Baugh is one of three players to win a “triple crown” – three different statistical categories in the same year. Story>>> FROM THE HALL’S ARCHIVES One of Baugh’s finest single-game performances came on the day that the Washington Redskins paid tribute to him. He threw for 355 yards and 6 touchdowns against the eventual champion Chicago Cardinals on “Sammy Baugh Day.” See the game program from this game played on November 23, 1947. PDF (2.27 MB)>>> Baugh was presented with a car as part of his special day. See a photo of the presentation. PDF (662 KB)>>>

 

Muñoz was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team and to its All-Decade Team of the 1980s.

Name, Position, Year of Induction

Bobby Mitchell utilized his exceptional speed and great playmaking ability to amass more than 14,000 combined net yards in his career.	Tackle Anthony Muñoz was named All-Pro and selected to play in the Pro Bowl 11 straight times during his career in Cincinnati.

Redskins
The Redskins have 17 long-time members inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition, five other Hall of Fame members spent part of his career, albeit brief, with the team.

George Allen, Coach, 2002
Cliff Battles, Halfback, 1968
Sammy Baugh, Quarterback, 1963
Bill Dudley, Halfback, 1966
Albert Glen “Turk” Edwards, Tackle, 1969
Ray Flaherty, Coach, 1976
Joe Gibbs, Coach, 1996
Darrell Green, Cornerback, 2008
Ken Houston, Safety, 1986
Sam Huff, Linebacker, 1982
*David “Deacon” Jones, Defensive End, 1980
*Stan Jones, Guard/Defensive Tackle, 1991
Sonny Jurgensen, Quarterback, 1983
*Paul Krause, Safety, 1998
*Earl “Curly” Lambeau, Coach, 1963
*Vince Lombardi, Coach, 1971
George Preston Marshall, Owner, 1963
Wayne Millner, End, 1968
Bobby Mitchell, Wide Receiver/Halfback, 1983
Art Monk, Wide Receiver, 2008
John Riggins, Running Back, 1992
Charley Taylor, Wide Receiver, 1984

Bengals
The Bengals have one long-time member inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition, one other Hall of Fame member spent part of his career, albeit brief, with Cincinnati.

*Charlie Joiner, Wide Receiver, 1996
Anthony Muñoz, Tackle, 1998

*Notes that the Hall of Famer spent time with the Redskins or Bengals but made his major contribution to the NFL with another team.

1. Who holds the Redskins record for most rushing touchdowns in a season?
a. Clinton Portis
b. Terry Allen
c. Earnest Byner
d. John Riggins

2. Which Redskins’ QB has thrown the most career touchdown passes?
a. Joe Theismann
b. Sammy Baugh
c. Sonny Jurgensen
d. Mark Rypien

3. Who has the most receptions in Redskins history?
a. Bobby Mitchell
b. Art Monk
c. Charley Taylor
d. Gary Clark

4. Who has the longest kickoff return in Redskins history?
a. Brian Mitchell
b. Rock Cartwright
c. Larry Jones
d. Bobby Mitchell

5. Which player played the most games in a Redskins uniform?
a. Sammy Baugh
b. Art Monk
c. Darrell Green
d. Mark Moseley

1. Who has played the most games in Bengals history?
a. Willie Anderson
b. Ken Anderson
c. Ken Riley
d. Reggie Williams

2. Which Bengals player holds the team record for most career touchdowns?
a. James Brooks
b. Cris Collinsworth
c. Pete Johnson
d. Chad Johnson

3. What defender holds the Bengals record for most career interceptions?
a. David Fulcher
b. Lemar Parrish
c. Tory James
d. Ken Riley

4. What quarterback has thrown for the most career yards in Bengals history?
a. Carson Palmer
b. Jeff Blake
c. Boomer Esiason
d. Ken Anderson

5. Which Bengal holds the record for most rushing yards in a single game?
a. Rudi Johnson
b. Ickey Woods
c. Harold Green
d. Corey Dillon

Many mementos from the Redskins and Bengals are on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here are two such artifacts enjoyed by visitors to the museum in Canton.

Read the caption under the image below and then take a guess at what you’re looking at. Click on the picture for the full photo and more information on the treasured artifact.