Washington Football Team: 50-year anniversary of the playoff return

The playoffs

Washington brought a stingy defense, a Pro Bowl running back in Larry Brown (Washington’s only Pro Bowler in 1971), and a game-changing special teams unit out to the Bay area, to take on the equally stingy 49er defense, quarterback John Brodie, and star receiver Gene Washington. Vegas listed San Fran as 5.5 point favorites.

But the Washington Football Team used that special teams advantage to good effect early on. George Allen was among the first coaches to recognize the value of teams. He had a future Hall of Fame coach in Marv Levy running the unit, and kept players like punt blocker Bill Malinchak, wedge buster Rusty Tillman, and long snapper George Burman on the roster specifically for their special teams ability.

The first touchdown was set up when backup safety Jon Jaqua blocked Steve Spurrier’s punt (yes, that Steve Spurrier) and Kilmer was able to hit tight end Jerry Smith for a 5-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.

Just before halftime, after a 49er field goal, special teams struck again. Ted Vactor returned a punt 47 yards to put Washington deep in San Fran territory. Another touchdown would put Washington up 17-3 at the half.

This is where one of the most infamous plays in Washington Football Team history was born. Depending on who you believe, either coach Allen or his good friend President Richard Nixon called for a trick play – a reverse to Roy Jefferson. 49ers lineman Cedric Hardman was not fooled on the play. Jefferson lost 13 yards. San Francisco blocked Curt Knight’s subsequent field goal try and all the potential momentum vanished.

Still, the defense was holding strong and special teams were providing major advantages. Speedy Duncan, another of the veterans brought in by Allen before the season, returned the second half kickoff 67 yards to set up Washington again. But the offense stalled when Larry Brown was stuffed on a fourth-down try.

A few plays later, the San Francisco offense finally woke up. Brodie heaved a bomb to Gene Washington who beat the leaping cornerback Pat Fischer for the ball, then outran safety Brig Owens, who had been playing near the line, en route to a 78-yards touchdown. The score was tied.

Kilmer’s sole interception of the game turned into another 49ers touchdown a little while later, but still the special teams kept Washington alive. Another sensational Duncan return set up a field goal so that entering the final quarter, the Washington Football Team trailed 17-13.

That’s when the vaunted special teams that had played so well that day – indeed, that entire season – finally faltered. George Burman, the league’s first true long snapper, who had been lured out of retirement by Allen to handle the punt snaps, short-hopped punter Mike Bragg in the Washington end zone. Bragg could not control the ball and San Francisco’s Bob Hoskins fell on it for the easiest touchdown of the day.

A late touchdown from Kilmer to Brown left the final score 24-20 in favor of San Francisco. The following week, the 49ers would be stopped cold by Dallas in a 14-3 loss.