1969 Washington Redskins season

NFL team season

1969 Washington Redskins season

Owner| Edward Bennett Williams
General manager| Vince Lombardi
Head coach| Vince Lombardi
Home field| RFK Stadium
Results
Record| 7–5–2
Division place| 2nd NFL Capitol
Playoff finish| Did not qualify

* <- 1968
* Redskins seasons
* 1970 ->

The 1969 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 33rd in Washington, D.C. In his only season with the franchise, the Redskins were led by head coach and general manager Vince Lombardi. The team improved on their 5–9 record from 1968 to finish at 7–5–2. This was the final season to feature the arrow logo on the helmet, and home games were played at RFK Stadium (formerly D.C. Stadium).

## Offseason[edit]

During the week preceding Super Bowl III in January, rumors had circulated that Vince Lombardi had job offers from the Philadelphia Eagles, Boston Patriots, and Washington Redskins.[1] The night before the Super Bowl, Lombardi met with Redskins president Edward Bennett Williams for dinner at Tony Sweet's restaurant.[2] He agreed to coach the Redskins after Williams offered him complete authority over all personnel and football operations, the position of "Executive Vice President", and a 5% ownership stake.[3] Following the death of founding owner George Preston Marshall in August, Williams became the majority owner.

### NFL Draft[edit]

Main article: 1969 NFL Draft

1969 Washington Redskins Draft  Round | Selection | Player | Position | College

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2 | 46 | Eugene Epps | Defensive back | Texas-El Paso
3 | 62 | Ed Cross | Running back | Pine Bluff
5 | 114 | Bill Kishman | Defensive back | Colorado State
6 | 139 | Harold McLinton | Linebacker | Southern
7 | 166 | Jeff Anderson | Running back | Virginia
7 | 173 | John Didion | Center | Oregon State
8 | 191 | Larry Brown | Running back | Kansas State
11 | 269 | Eric Norri | Defensive tackle | Notre Dame
12 | 295 | Bob Shannon | Defensive back | Tennessee State
13 | 322 | Michael Shook | Defensive back | North Texas
14 | 347 | Rick Brand | Defensive tackle | Virginia
15 | 374 | Paul Rogers | Tackle | Virginia
16 | 399 | Mike Washington | Linebacker | Southern
17 | 426 | Rich Dobbert | Defensive end | Springfield (Massachusetts)

### Vince Lombardi[edit]

After stepping down as head coach of the Packers following the 1967 NFL season, a restless Lombardi returned to coaching in 1969 with the Washington Redskins, where he broke a string of 14 losing seasons. The 'Skins would finish with a record of 7–5–2, significant for a number of reasons. Lombardi discovered that rookie running back Larry Brown was deaf in one ear, something that had escaped his parents, schoolteachers, and previous coaches. Lombardi had observed Brown's habit of tilting his head in one direction when listening to signals being called, and walked behind him during drills and said "Larry." When Brown did not answer, the coach asked him to take a hearing exam. Brown was fitted with a hearing aid, and with this correction he would enjoy a successful NFL career.

Lombardi was the first coach to get soft-bellied quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, one of the league's premier forward passers, to get into the best condition he could. He coaxed former All-Pro linebacker Sam Huff out of retirement. He even changed the team's uniform design to reflect that of the Packers, with gold and white trim along the jersey biceps, and later a gold helmet. The foundation Lombardi laid was the groundwork for Washington's early 1970s success under former Los Angeles Rams Coach George Allen. Lombardi had brought a winning attitude to the Nation's Capital, in the same year that the nearby University of Maryland had hired "Lefty" Driesell to coach basketball and the hapless Washington Senators named Ted Williams as manager. It marked a renaissance in sports interest in the Nation's capitol.

Lombardi lasted only one season with the Redskins; he was diagnosed with terminal cancer after the 1969 season and died shortly before the 1970 regular season was to start.

## Roster[edit]

1969 Washington Redskins roster

| Quarterbacks

* 16 Gary Beban
* 9 Sonny Jurgensen
* 13 Frank Ryan

Running backs

* 20 Gerry Allen
* 43 Larry Brown
* 32 Henry Dyer
* 31 Charley Harraway FB
* 40 Dave Kopay

Wide receivers

* 80 Bob Long
* 47 Walter Roberts
* 42 Charley Taylor

Tight ends

* 88 Pat Richter
* 87 Jerry Smith

|  | Offensive linemen

* 68 Willie Banks T
* 51 John Didion C
* 63 Steve Duich G
* 56 Len Hauss C
* 65 Vince Promuto G
* 76 Walt Rock T
* 62 Ray Schoenke G
* 74 Jim Snowden T

Defensive linemen

* 73 Frank Bosch DT
* 79 Dennis Crane DT
* 85 John Hoffman DE
* 66 Carl Kammerer DE
* 82 Clark Miller DE
* 71 Spain Musgrove DE
* 72 Joe Rutgens DT

|  | Linebackers

* 57 Dave Crossan
* 55 Chris Hanburger
* 70 Sam Huff
* 86 Marlin McKeever
* 53 Harold McLinton
* 54 Tom Roussel

Defensive backs

* 41 Mike Bass CB
* 46 Rickie Harris CB
* 37 Pat Fischer CB
* 40 Aaron Martin S
* 23 Brig Owens S
* 29 Ted Vactor
* 24 Bob Wade CB

Special teams

* 4 Mike Bragg P
* 5 Curt Knight K

|  | Reserve lists

* 26 Bob Brunet RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)

Practice squad

Rookies in italics

## Regular season[edit]

### Schedule[edit]

Week  | Date  | Opponent  | Result  | Record  | Venue  | Attendance  | Recap

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1  | September 21  | at New Orleans Saints | W 26–20  | 1–0  | Tulane Stadium | 73,147  | Recap
2  | September 28  | at Cleveland Browns | L 23–27  | 1–1  | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 82,581  | Recap
3  | October 5  | at San Francisco 49ers | T 17–17  | 1–1–1  | Kezar Stadium | 35,642  | Recap
4  | October 12  | St. Louis Cardinals | W 33–17  | 2–1–1  | RFK Stadium | 50,481  | Recap
5  | October 19  | New York Giants | W 20–14  | 3–1–1  | RFK Stadium  | 50,352  | Recap
6  | October 26  | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 14–7  | 4–1–1  | Pitt Stadium | 46,557  | Recap
7  | November 2  | at Baltimore Colts | L 17–41  | 4–2–1  | Memorial Stadium | 60,238  | Recap
8  | November 9  | Philadelphia Eagles | T 28–28  | 4–2–2  | RFK Stadium  | 50,502  | Recap
9  | November 16  | Dallas Cowboys | L 28–41  | 4–3–2  | RFK Stadium  | 50,474  | Recap
10  | November 23  | Atlanta Falcons | W 27–20  | 5–3–2  | RFK Stadium  | 50,345  | Recap
11  | November 30  | Los Angeles Rams | L 13–24  | 5–4–2  | RFK Stadium  | 50,352  | Recap
12  | December 7  | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 34–29  | 6–4–2  | Franklin Field | 60,658  | Recap
13  | December 14  | New Orleans Saints | W 17–14  | 7–4–2  | RFK Stadium  | 50,354  | Recap
14  | December 21  | at Dallas Cowboys | L 10–20  | 7–5–2  | Cotton Bowl | 56,924  | Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Season summary[edit]

#### Week 9 vs Cowboys[edit]

Week Nine: Dallas Cowboys (7–1) at Washington Redskins (4–2–2)

Period | 1 | 2 | 3| 4| Total

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Cowboys | 17 | 10 | 7| 7| 41
Redskins | 7 | 14 | 7| 0| 28

at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.

* Date: November 16, 1969
* Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C)
* Game attendance: 50,474
* Box Score

Game information

First quarter

* DAL – Mike Clark 36-yard field goal. Cowboys 3–0.
* WSH – Jerry Smith 27-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Redskins 7–3.
* DAL – Lance Rentzel 65-yard pass from Craig Morton (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 10–7.
* DAL – Larry Cole 41-yard interception return (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 17–7.

Second quarter

* DAL – Calvin Hill 3-yard run (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 24–7.
* WSH – Charley Taylor 68-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Cowboys 24–14.
* DAL – Mike Clark 14-yard field goal. Cowboys 27–14.
* WSH – Jerry Smith 11-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Cowboys 27–21.

Third quarter

* DAL – Calvin Hill 7-yard run (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 34–21.
* WSH – Jerry Smith 20-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Cowboys 34–28.

Fourth quarter

* DAL – Dan Reeves 4-yard run (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 41–28.

Top passers

* DAL – Craig Morton – 8/17, 156 yards, TD, INT
* WSH – Sonny Jurgensen – 24/35, 338 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT

Top rushers

* DAL – Calvin Hill – 27 rushes, 150 yards, 2 TD
* WSH – Larry Brown – 11 rushes, 38 yards

Top receivers

* DAL – Lance Rentzel – 2 receptions, 84 yards, TD
* WSH – Charley Taylor – 6 receptions, 155 yards, TD

|

* President Richard Nixon was in attendance.

#### Week 12[edit]

|  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Redskins | 7 | 6| 14| 7 | 34
Eagles | 7 | 9| 3| 10 | 29

* Date: December 7
* Location: Franklin Field
* Game attendance: 60,658
* Game weather: Sleet; 32 °F (0 °C); wind 10 mph

| Scoring summary

Q1| | PHI| Keyes 2 yard run (Baker kick)| PHI 7–0
Q1| | WSH| Taylor 12 yard pass from Jurgensen (Knight kick)| Tie 7–7
Q2| | PHI| Jackson 29 yard pass from Snead (Baker kick)| PHI 14–7
Q2| | PHI| Safety, Jurgensen tackled in end zone by Tom| PHI 16–7
Q2| | WSH| Knight 12 yard field goal| PHI 16–10
Q2| | WSH| Knight 43 yard field goal| PHI 16–13
Q3| | PHI| Baker 47 yard field goal| PHI 19–13
Q3| | WSH| Hoffman recovered fumble in end zone (Knight kick)| WSH 20–19
Q3| | WSH| Smith 25 yard pass from Jurgensen (Knight kick)| WSH 27–19
Q4| | PHI| Baker 19 yard field goal| WSH 27–22
Q4| | WSH| Brown 1 yard run (Knight kick)| WSH 34–22
Q4| | PHI| Jackson 10 yard pass from Snead (Baker kick)| WSH 34–29

* Larry Brown 19 Rush, 138 Yds

[4]

### Standings[edit]

NFL Capitol

* view
* talk
* edit

| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK
Dallas Cowboys | 11  | 2  | 1  | .846  | 6–0  | 9–1  | 369  | 223  | W3
Washington Redskins | 7  | 5  | 2  | .583  | 3–2–1  | 6–3–1  | 307  | 319  | L1
New Orleans Saints | 5  | 9  | 0  | .357  | 1–5  | 4–6  | 311  | 393  | W1
Philadelphia Eagles | 4  | 9  | 1  | .308  | 1–4–1  | 4–5–1  | 279  | 377  | L4

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

## References[edit]

1. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 452, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
2. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 453, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
3. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 457, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
4. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-17.

* Redskins on Pro Football Reference

* v
* t
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Washington Commanders

* Formerly the Boston Braves (1932), Boston Redskins (1933–1936), Washington Redskins (1937–2019), and Washington Football Team (2020–2021)
* Based in Landover, Maryland
* Headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia

Franchise|

* History
* Seasons
* Players
* Coaches
* Draft
* First-round
* Starting quarterbacks
* Records
* Broadcasters

Stadiums|

* Braves Field
* Fenway Park
* Griffith Stadium
* RFK Stadium
* FedExField

Ownership group|

* Managing partner: Josh Harris
* Limited partners: Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson, David Blitzer, Mark Ein, others

Key personnel|

* President: Jason Wright
* General manager: Adam Peters
* Head coach: Vacant

Culture|

* "Hail to the Commanders"
* Marching Band
* Major Tuddy
* Hogettes
* Chief Zee
* Redskins name controversy
* Name change advocates
* Opinion polls
* Trademark dispute
* Original Americans Foundation
* "Go Fund Yourself"
* The Replacements
* Everybody's All-American

Lore|

* Bears 73, Redskins 0
* The Hogs
* The Fun Bunch
* The Over-the-Hill Gang
* Body Bag Game
* Raljon, Maryland
* Redskins Rule
* Ricky Williams trade

Rivalries|

* Dallas Cowboys
* New York Giants
* Philadelphia Eagles

Division championships (15)|

* 1936
* 1937
* 1940
* 1942
* 1943
* 1945
* 1972
* 1983
* 1984
* 1987
* 1991
* 1999
* 2012
* 2015
* 2020

Conference championships (5)|

* 1972
* 1982
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991

League championships (2)|

* 1937
* 1942

Super Bowl championships (3)|

* 1982 (XVII)
* 1987 (XXII)
* 1991 (XXVI)

Hall of Famers|

* Cliff Battles
* Sammy Baugh
* Bill Dudley
* Turk Edwards
* Joe Gibbs
* Darrell Green
* Russ Grimm
* Chris Hanburger
* Ken Houston
* Sam Huff
* Deacon Jones
* Stan Jones
* Sonny Jurgensen
* Paul Krause
* Vince Lombardi
* Wayne Millner
* Bobby Mitchell
* Art Monk
* John Riggins
* Bruce Smith
* Charley Taylor

Affiliations|

* League: National Football League
* Conference: National Football Conference
* Division: East Division

* v
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Washington Commanders seasons

Formerly the Boston Braves (1932), Boston Redskins (1933–1936), Washington Redskins (1937–2019), and Washington Football Team (2020–2021)

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Bold indicates NFL Championship or Super Bowl victory
Italics indicates NFL Championship or Super Bowl appearance

* v
* t
* e

1969 NFL season

| Eastern Conference| Capitol | Century| Coastal| Central | Western Conference

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Dallas | Cleveland| Atlanta| Chicago
New Orleans | New York| Baltimore| Detroit
Philadelphia | Pittsburgh| Los Angeles| Green Bay
Washington | St. Louis| San Francisco| Minnesota

* 1969 NFL Draft
* NFL playoffs
* NFL Championship
* Pro Bowl
* Super Bowl IV

* Related: 1969 AFL season

*[IR]: Injured reserve
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[PCT]: Winning percentage
*[DIV]: Win–Loss record within their division
*[CONF]: Win–Loss record within their conference
*[PF]: Points For (Total points scored)
*[PA]: Points Against (Total points allowed)
*[STK]: Current Winning or Losing Streak
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template