One
might ask, “Why would anyone think about the 1966 Washington
Redskins, then or now?” and they would have made a strong point
against the waste of time and energy. If nothing else, the less
than glorious mid-sixties Redskins managed to place sixteen
members who saw game time action in 1966, onto the 1969 roster.
This is significant because for most die-hard Redskins fans, 1969
was the beginning of the rebirth of the team, “Life After
Lombardi” as many have referred to it. That sixteen of Lombardi's
first roster of forty-six players came from the underachieving
1966 squad indicates that long lasting talent was brought onto the
team. For those who truly know the Redskins, its obvious that one
also has to give some thought to the 1965 edition of the team to
understand the ’66 season. Placed into a larger historical
context, the mighty Washington Redskins had hit the skids! Once
Hall Of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh called it quits after the
1952 season, the Washington Redskins went downhill quickly. The
eight victory season of 1955 proved to be a high water mark as
achieving break-even football became an accomplishment afterwards.
The 3-9 and 1-9-2 records under head coach Mike Nixon’s leadership
in 1959 and ’60 though typical, led to his dismissal. Bill McPeak
was named as the new head coach for 1961 and although young, he
was seen as a savior based upon his previous service in the NFL.
McPeak was a Western Pennsylvania high school hero, a star at
Pitt, and a three-time Pro Bowl performer for the Pittsburgh
Steelers in a nine season pro career. In his final two seasons as
an active player, he “tripled up” as an assistant coach and one of
the Steelers most valued scouts. Retiring as a player after the
1957 season, he was a full time assistant and scout with
Pittsburgh and joined Nixon’s Redskins staff for the ’60 season.
Unfortunately, Nixon’s inability to light a fire under the hapless
‘Skins found McPeak as the new head coach and General Manager
entering the 1961 season but he could do no better than to match
the one-win season of his predecessor. After two 6-8 seasons in
1964 and ’65, the writing was on the wall, especially with the
Redskins in turmoil. The ’65 record placed the ‘Skins in the
middle of the Eastern Conference pack and while the public saw a
team mired in mediocrity, insiders knew that all hell had broken
loose within the team structure. Defensive back Johnny Sample, who
had been picked up in 1963, was suspended for “insubordination”
after refusing to turn in a number of playbooks and found himself
on the N.Y. Jets at the start of preseason camp in 1966.
Hard-nosed fullback Rick Casares who had starred with the Bears
for ten seasons, found himself in only three games worth of
action, getting but two carries and was cut loose because he was
seen as a disruptive force. Dependable linebacker John Reger had
joined the Redskins in ’64 after nine outstanding seasons with the
Steelers but he decided to retire after 1965, disgusted with the
bickering between the quarterbacks and receivers who refused to
speak with each other until owner Edward Bennett Williams forced a
midseason meeting between all of those involved to resolve the
outstanding disagreements. Defensive end Bill Quinlan’s
politically sensitive remarks sparked an all-out bout of
fisticuffs between 185 pound defensive back Ben Scotti and
260-pound John Mellekas. Scotti broke both hands pounding Mellekas
to a bloody pulp! McPeak, known as a lenient “players’ coach” wore
that reputation like a kiss of death because of the ongoing losing
record and multiple team problems. The coach had projected a “Big
Back Attack” that was supposed to feature FB’s Bob Briggs and
George Hughley, both out of Central Oklahoma, and after noting
their ineffective performances, observers wondered how little
known Central Oklahoma had become such a major attraction on the
Redskins' scouting itinerary. Old warhorses Danny Lewis and
Casares were supposed to make it easier to spring loose swift
Pervis “Afterburner” Atkins and second year halfback Charley
Taylor but the running game was a dismal failure. Many of
the ‘Skins’ personnel decisions as directed by GM McPeak led to
some head-scratching as Atkins totaled forty-four yards before
being cut and sent off to the Raiders, Casares totaled five,
Briggs ten, and Hughley a less than hefty 175 rushing yards for
the entire season. Only Lewis’ 343 and Taylor’s 402 from scrimmage
managed to boost the Redskins’ rushing total to a league low 1037
total yards on the ground with a pitiful 2.9 yards-per-carry
average. Winning six of their last nine games of ’65 was more than
offset by the next to worst scoring offense in the league and it
probably wasn’t a difficult decision to fire McPeak at the end of
the season. To McPeak’s credit, he had continuing success in the
NFL as an assistant with the Lions and Dolphins and after missing
a few seasons recovering from a stroke, returned as the Patriots
Director Of Scouting. Relative to the Redskins, as the GM he left
the incoming coach with a collection of excellent players to build
upon including Sam Huff, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor, and
Chris Hanburger. The 1965 version of the Redskins also introduced
a new helmet design with the beautiful and unique “feather design”
being replaced by what would eventually become the just as popular
“spear design."
