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

Aftermath

The Washington Football Team probably had no business beating San Francisco that day. The team barely managed 2.5 yards per carry on the ground. Kilmer did not complete a single pass to a wide receiver and he had an abysmal 3.9 yards per attempted throw for the game.

Defense and special teams kept things close, but by today’s standards, when passing offenses define virtually everything about the professional game, the game could be seen as a bore. I can assure you that to a young fan who had never seen his heroes compete in such rarified air, nothing could be further from the truth.

There was an excitement that began during that 1971 season – an excitement that could not be quelled by one playoff disappointment. It would pulse and grow through a trip to the Super Bowl the following year. Under Allen, Washington usually made the playoffs, though playoff success was still sparse.

The fuse that was lit that season would eventually explode in the following decade and would result in three Super Bowl victories. For me, it began that afternoon in San Francisco. It was that bittersweet taste of almost getting what you want. Before then, none of us dared dream. Afterwards, it was merely a question of how long we would have to wait.

If the future wasn’t now, it sure was a lot closer than it had ever been before.