With that being said, the idea that the Redskins have always worn their current uniform is simply wrong. And it’s not just wrong in the sense that way back in 1937 they wore something slightly different; the Redskins and did not adopt the current uniform set until 1979. The first half of our franchise’s history didn’t involve the uniform we know today.

I’m not going to sort through every uniform alteration and shirt/pant combination, but I will run through the Redskins’ helmet history. And even for a team that’s been around for over 70 years, we’ve gone through a lot of them:

1937-1952: Leather Helmets

When the Redskins first arrived in Washington in 1937, players weren’t wearing hard-shelled helmets, but rather leather. The question is if these leather helmets were ever painted a uniform color. The fact that all the photos from this era are black and white, combined with the overall scarcity of action shots, makes this nearly impossible to determine. Here is what little we do know: Helmet Hut² has this yellow and black game-worn helmet from 1939, and in this painting, undoubtedly based on the famous photograph from the 1942 NFL Championship game, the helmet is depicted as burgundy.

I’m not going to go crazy trying to determine each change during the leather helmet era, but if you have any additional information on leather helmets worn by the Redskins, please shoot me an e-mail at mcsher55@gmail.com.

1952-1954: Gold Helmet, Burgundy Stripe

The first hard-shelled helmets were used in 1952, a true gold with a burgundy stripe. 1952 was Sammy Baugh’s final season in football, and it was this helmet he wore. Here Baugh is pictured autographing a replica of that 1952 design. The design was used through 1954.

1954-1956: Cardinal Helmet; Yellow Stripe

At some point in the 1954 season, the team switched to a cardinal helmet with a yellow stripe. It’s interesting that this color scheme would be quickly abandoned, yet is pretty close to the colors the team wears today. The design lasted through 1956.

1957-1958: The Notre Dame Helmet

In 1957, the team returned to the gold helmet, but without the burgundy stripe. For better or worse, the result was a helmet identical to Notre Dame’s. The design was worn late into the 1958 season.

1958-1964: The Feather Helmet

At the end of the 1958 season, the team introduced the first emblem, a feather running up the back of the helmet. It lasted through 1964, but in a couple of slightly different incarnations. The helmet was initially and ultimately burgundy, yet a game-worn helmet from 1961 indicates it was once cardinal. In the 1963 and 1964, numbers were placed on the back of the helmet.

1965-1969: The Spear Helmet

In 1965, the feather was replaced with a spear, again on a burgundy helmet. Following the 1968 season, Vince Lombardi came out of retirement to run the Redskins. Lombardi’s brother-in-law worked for Rawlings, so the Redskins switched uniform providers. When the uniforms arrived, they were the wrong color – a lighter, cardinal red instead of the burgundy. Since it would have been a real hassle to order new uniforms, the helmets were painted to reflect the color change. Tragically³, the color change stuck and the Redskins never returned to burgundy. You can see the difference in this picture of Sonny Jurgensen posing with replicas of every helmet he ever wore⁴.

1970-1971: The Yellow Lombardi Helmet

Hoping to remodel the franchise in the image of his powerful Packer squads, Vince Lombardi redesigned the uniforms to match, introducing a yellow helmet. Unfortunately, Lombardi fell ill with colon cancer and passed away before the start of the 1970 season. He never got to see his creation in action.

1972: The Indian Head Helmet

In 1972, the Redskins ditched the yellow for the helmet we know today. The changes throughout the years have been minor: In 1978, the facemask was changed from gray to gold. In 1982 (the season that yielded Super Bowl XVII), the logo featured curled feathers rather than the traditional straight feathers. The team returned to the straight-feather look in 1983, and other than the occasional throwbacks (worn in 1994, 2002 and 2007), the helmet has since remained unchanged. It should be noted that while the 2002 and 2007 designs are true replicas of helmets from the past, the 1994 helmet was not. For the NFL’s 75th anniversary, all NFL teams wore replicas of their original uniforms. Since the 1937 Redskins didn’t have a hard-shelled helmet, the team just removed the logos from the regular helmet, making this “throwback” a unique helmet unto itself.

And there you have it. Seven⁵ helmets in less than 60 years. So the next time you bristle at the suggestion of a uniform change, just remember that the real Redskins tradition is one of change.

***

¹ For comparison, the second best ten-year stretch in Redskins’ history was 1937-1946, which produced five playoff appearances, a winning percentage of .701* and two NFL championships. It should be noted that the .701 winning percentage is calculated by counting ties as a half win and a half loss, standard practice today. But before 1972, the NFL didn’t count ties at all when calculating winning percentage. Using the old method, the winning percentage would be .713, a franchise best.

² It’s an awesome resource, and one that you’ll find I abuse in this blog entry. The official store is a little lacking in the NFL department, but their college section and World Football League sections is incredible, if a bit pricy.

³ It’s just my opinion, but I think it’s a travesty that the Redskins don’t wear burgundy and gold.

⁴ Don’t be fooled by the order he has them in. The cardinal spear was worn after the burgundy spear.

⁵ Depending on how you want to count the leather helmets, the minor alterations and the throwbacks, the number could be as high as 20 over the team’s history:

1: Plain leather
2: Yellow leather
3: Burgundy leather
4: Gold helmet, burgundy stripe
5: Cardinal helmet, yellow stripe
6: Notre Dame helmet
7: Burgundy Feather
8: Cardinal Feather 9: Burgundy Feather, again
10: Burgundy Feather with numbers
11: Burgundy Spear
12: Red Spear
13: Lombardi Yellow
14: Indian Head, gray facemask
15: Indian Head, yellow facemask
16: Curled feathers
17: Indian Head, yellow facemask, again
18: 1994 Throwback
19: 2002 Throwback
20: 2007 Throwback

There are some fantastic football shots. Unfortunately, the best pictures don’t involve the Redskins; I had no idea this media biased stretched back so far. But there are a lot of interesting photos of the hometown team, and I’ve linked them here for your convenience.

1938 Team

The Redskins’ 1937 Championship season apparently caught someone’s attention at LIFE, because there are a number of portraits of players on the 1938 team. Some are unidentified (although I’m pretty sure that’s Ernie Pinckert, who made the Pro Bowl in 1938), others we all ought to know, such as Sammy Baugh (here wearing a helmet) and the original #17, Turk Edwards (here wearing a cap). And if you think the game is tough today, two unidentified players offer a black eye (best guess: Less Olsonn) and a broken nose (best guess: Ben Smith) as evidence that 1930’s football makes today’s game look like hopscotch.

Also, we have a shot of Henry “Red” Krause and a sort of awkward picture of the very hairy Edwin Kahn. I’m guessing that these pictures were taken in the preseason, because Kahn played his last regular season NFL game in 1937.

Finally, the man who holds the highest winning percentage in team history, Ray Flaherty. I’m intrigued by the logo on his hat – it looks like the bottom of an over-lapping “N” and “Y”. Perhaps from his playing days with the Yankees or Giants?

Eddie LeBaron

LIFE must have done a feature on Eddie LeBaron, because he has a ton of pictures in the archives. Not only do we see him on the field, but also at home with his family and at a car dealership.

There are a number of shots from an October 1958 game against the Giants. One is bug’s eye view of the Redskins huddle (unfortunately, the only other player we can clearly make out is #51, center Jim Schrader). Others are Eddie on the bench and a nice action shot of LeBaron running the ball as halfback Jim Podoley (#24) and guard Dick Stanfel (#60) look to block. According to profootballreference.com, this game would have taken place on October 12, 1958. The Giants, who would go on to lose the 1958 NFL Championship in “The Greatest Game Ever Played”, defeated the Redskins 21-14 on a fourth quarter touchdown pass from Charlie Conerly to Ken MacAfee.

Conerly was actually an eleventh-round draft pick of the Redskins in 1945. The quarterback did graduate from college in 1945, but played two more seasons at Ole Miss in 1946 and 1947, I guess as a graduate student. The Redskins retained both interest and his rights, and were still scouting Conerly in 1947. According to the Washington Post, when Redskins General Manager Dick McCann was asked why Washington would be interested in quarterbacks when Sammy Baugh was still going strong, he replied, “They’d make wonderful trading material, wouldn’t they?”

Indeed they would, and the Redskins traded Conerly’s rights to the Giants for halfback Howie Livingston. The idea was that the Redskins already had their quarterback of the future in Alabama rookie Harry Gilmer, and this was a chance to land Livingston for a prospect who may end up playing baseball (Conerly would end up turning down a $100,000 contract to play for the Dodgers). The trade proved to be a mistake, as Livingston recorded just two rushing attempts in two and a half seasons with the Redskins while Conerly won top rookie honors in 1948 and went on to quarterback the Giants for a decade, making the Pro Bowl twice and leading New York to a world title in 1956.

Harry Gilmer did end up making two Pro Bowls himself, but the guy who really ended up succeeding Baugh was LeBaron. LeBaron never won a championship like Conerly, but he did make four Pro Bowls, including one in this featured 1958 season. But Eddie must have known he couldn’t play forever, because he gave new meaning to the term student-athlete by studying law at George Washington University. LeBaron would complete his J.D. in 1959 and joined a law firm in Midland, Texas. LeBaron’s employer was willing to let him keep playing, but LeBaron retired, citing the distance between Midland and Washington. Luckily, LeBaron found a team closer to his new employer, and became the first quarterback of the expansion Cowboys (pictured here with founding owner Clint Murchison, Jr.) The Redskins traded his rights to Dallas for veteran defensive lineman Ray Krouse and a draft pick, which would end up being Norm Snead.

Quarterbacks of the NFL, 1961

LIFE made the starting quarterbacks for each team get together for a group shot prior to the 1961 season. The players had to each throw a ball simultaneously, which made for some interesting takes. I’m sure that didn’t get old quick. Most of the uniforms look awfully similar in black and white, but this color shot really makes the jerseys stand out. It’s hard to believe that those Cowboys uniforms are now throwbacks, because when they first came out, those stars on the shoulders must have been considered cutting-edge. Redskins rookie quarterback Norm Snead is second from the right in the back row, and the man who he will one day be traded for, Sonny Jurgensen, is second from the right in the front row, wearing an Eagles jersey. That’s painful to look at. Jim Ninowski, who would play for the Redskins sparingly in 1967 and 1968, is the first man on left in the front row, representing the Detroit Lions.

Otto Graham

Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham coached the Redskins from 1966 to 1968, and he makes a number of appearances in the archives, including sporting his short shorts in a 1966 practice. We also see Otto with his son before his Redskins debut, a 35-0 loss to the Baltimore Colts in an exhibition game held on August 3, 1966.

Here are two more pictures, probably from training camp: One features Graham with an unidentified quarterback (I’d be willing to bet it’s Dick Shiner, who wore #14 at Maryland and was with the Redskins in 1966), and the other shows Graham speaking to both #14 and to the man himself, Sonny Jurgensen. For the record, I absolutely love the helmet Jurgensen is leaning on.

October 11, 1970

It’s weird seeing anyone other than Barry Sanders wearing #20 for the Lions, but that’s what Len Barney was sporting as he tried to guard Redskins wideouts Jon Henderson, Walter Roberts and future Hall of Famer Charlie Taylor. I’m assuming these pictures are from October 11, 1970 – a 31-10 Redskins victory. The Redskins only wore those yellow helmets in 1970 and 1971, and Washington only played the Lions once in that span, although it’s always possible these were taken in a preseason game. If this was the aforementioned 1970 game, then Barney didn’t do a very good job, as Taylor caught six balls for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

Everything Else that’s Even Remotely Relevant

Ronald Reagan’s 1927 high school football team. Assuming the date is correct and Reagan didn’t repeat or skip any grades, this was probably taken when he was 16 and in his junior year of high school. It’s a real stretch in terms of being Redskins-related, but I’m going to include it based on his “Where’s Ricky Sanders?” line at the Super Bowl XXII celebration.

Also not really Redskins-related, but definitely Washington D.C.-related. LIFE had a number of photos from a 1946 game between Howard University and Shaw College, probably the Homecoming game judging the crowd and the festivities. I love Howard’s uniforms, but they apparently weren’t issued to everyone. Looking at those pictures and this shot of the bench, it looks like all uniform numbers 51 and above are on the plain whites, and every number 50 and below are in the striped jerseys. In fact, if you zoom in on this team photo, you can see a player wearing #100, about twelve or so guys in from the left on the second row. Fortunately, the cheerleaders were having no uniform issues.

There aren’t any shots of Griffith Stadium setup for football, the Redskins home from 1937-1960, but there are plenty of baseball and even church services.

A 1952 shot of Maryland quarterback Jack Scarbath. Scarbath would be Redskins’ 1953 first round pick (third overall), but was out of the NFL by 1957.

Future Redskins linebacker and radio color man Sam Huff in a 1959 game against the Cardinals.

Joe Kuharich coached the Redskins from 1954 to 1958, compiling a 26-32-2 record. Here, he leads Notre Dame against Northwestern in 1959. The Irish fell 30-24, perhaps due to those funky helmets they were wearing.

Washington Post sports editor Shirley Povich, posing with a book in 1959.

1961 was the Redskins first in RFK (then known as D.C. Stadium). This picture shows the structure in April of the next year, as John F. Kennedy took in the first game of the Senator’s baseball season.

Ernie Davis was the first overall pick of the 1962 draft and the first black player to ever be under Redskins control. He was immediately traded to the Browns for Bobby Mitchell, who would become the first black player to ever actually play for the Redskins. Davis was diagnosed with lukemia in the summer of 1962, and never played a game for the Browns. Here, Davis watches the Browns practice in October of 1962. He would pass away just seven months later.

Future Redskins Head Coach Steve Spurrier runs a little Fun ‘n Gun of his own as a Florida Gator in 1966.

Not really Redskins-related, other than the fact it makes the Cowboys look like dopes, but here is “Dandy” Don Meredith posing in a suit of armor. I’m not really sure I want to know what the story is there.

This 1971 picture of George Allen was mis-identified as taking place during a Packers and Colts game. It makes me wonder if this photo, filed under the same set, is actually of the Redskins marching band.

And finally, old foe Jason Sehorn gives us an excuse to look at a picture of Angie Harmon.

Quarterback ratings have been slowly rising since the game’s inception. We have reliable passing statistics dating back to 1936, and since then, the league average rating has risen from 28.9 to this season’s all-time high of 81.5. To try to get a sense of how Baugh’s 1937 season would translate into today’s passing environment, I normalized the statistic:

(QB rtg / Lg. avg. QB rtg) * 2008 Lg avg. QB rtg = Relative Quarterback Rating
(50.5 / 34.41) * 81.5 = 119.1

Baugh’s 1937 season would be the equivalent of a quarterback posting a 119.1 rating today. Thanks to the wonders of Microsoft Excel, it wasn’t hard to chart each year’s starting Redskins quarterback:

Year  Redskin           Rtg   LgAvg  Ratio  adjusted for 2008
2008  Campbell, Jason   84.3   81.5  1.034   84.3
2007  Campbell, Jason   77.6   80.9  0.959   78.2
2006  Brunell, Mark     86.5   78.5  1.102   89.8
2005  Brunell, Mark     85.9   78.2  1.098   89.5
2004  Ramsey, Patrick   74.8   80.9  0.925   75.4
2003  Ramsey, Patrick   75.8   76.6  0.990   80.6
2002  Ramsey, Patrick   71.8   78.6  0.913   74.4
2001  Banks, Tony       71.3   76.6  0.931   75.9
2000  Johnson, Brad     75.7   76.2  0.993   81.0
1999  Johnson, Brad     90.0   75.1  1.198   97.7
1998  Green, Trent      81.8   76.2  1.073   87.5
1997  Frerotte, Gus     73.8   75.0  0.984   80.2
1996  Frerotte, Gus     79.3   75.0  1.057   86.2
1995  Frerotte, Gus     70.2   77.5  0.906   73.8
1994  Shuler, Heath     59.6   76.7  0.777   63.3
1993  Rypien, Mark      56.3   74.7  0.754   61.4
1992  Rypien, Mark      71.7   72.8  0.985   80.2
1991  Rypien, Mark      97.9   74.2  1.319  107.5
1990  Rypien, Mark      78.4   75.0  1.045   85.2
1989  Rypien, Mark      88.1   73.3  1.201   98.0
1988  Williams, Doug    77.4   70.6  1.096   89.3
1987  Schroeder, Jay    71.0   72.6  0.977   79.7
1986  Schroeder, Jay    72.9   71.5  1.019   83.1
1985  Theismann, Joe    59.6   70.7  0.842   68.7
1984  Theismann, Joe    86.6   73.2  1.183   96.4
1983  Theismann, Joe    97.0   73.1  1.326  108.1
1982  Theismann, Joe    91.3   70.6  1.293  105.4
1981  Theismann, Joe    77.3   70.5  1.096   89.4
1980  Theismann, Joe    75.2   71.3  1.054   86.0
1979  Theismann, Joe    83.9   67.8  1.237  100.9
1978  Theismann, Joe    61.6   62.1  0.991   80.8
1977  Kilmer, Billy     66.5   57.8  1.150   93.8
1976  Kilmer, Billy     70.3   63.6  1.105   90.1
1975  Kilmer, Billy     77.2   62.8  1.229  100.2
1974  Kilmer, Billy     83.5   61.4  1.359  110.8
1973  Kilmer, Billy     81.3   61.7  1.317  107.4
1972  Kilmer, Billy     84.8   63.5  1.335  108.8
1971  Kilmer, Billy     74.0   59.3  1.247  101.7
1970  Jurgensen, Sonny  91.5   62.5  1.464  119.3
1969  Jurgensen, Sonny  85.4   68.6  1.244  101.5
1968  Jurgensen, Sonny  81.7   65.6  1.245  101.5
1967  Jurgensen, Sonny  87.3   63.7  1.370  111.7
1966  Jurgensen, Sonny  84.5   64.2  1.316  107.3
1965  Jurgensen, Sonny  69.6   70.2  0.991   80.8
1964  Jurgensen, Sonny  85.4   68.0  1.255  102.4
1963  Snead, Norm       58.1   68.4  0.849   69.2
1962  Snead, Norm       74.7   69.4  1.076   87.7
1961  Snead, Norm       51.6   65.2  0.791   64.5
1960  Guglielmi, Ralph  55.7   61.0  0.913   74.4
1959  LeBaron, Eddie    54.0   64.1  0.842   68.7
1958  LeBaron, Eddie    83.3   62.8  1.326  108.1
1957  LeBaron, Eddie    86.1   59.9  1.437  117.1
1956  Dorow, Al         64.2   57.1  1.124   91.6
1955  LeBaron, Eddie    50.5   54.6  0.924   75.4
1954  Dorow, Al         54.2   59.0  0.918   74.9
1953  LeBaron, Eddie    28.3   50.9  0.555   45.3
1952  LeBaron, Eddie    65.7   51.8  1.268  103.4
1951  Baugh, Sammy      43.8   52.3  0.837   68.3
1950  Baugh, Sammy      68.1   49.8  1.367  111.4
1949  Baugh, Sammy      81.2   51.2  1.585  129.3
1948  Baugh, Sammy      78.3   60.0  1.305  106.2
1947  Baugh, Sammy      92.0   57.6  1.597  130.0
1946  Baugh, Sammy      54.2   47.6  1.138   92.7
1945  Baugh, Sammy     109.9   47.6  2.308  187.9
1944  Filchock, Frank   86.0   42.1  2.042  166.3
1943  Baugh, Sammy      78.0   48.6  1.604  130.6
1942  Baugh, Sammy      82.5   40.3  2.047  166.6
1941  Baugh, Sammy      52.2   39.6  1.318  107.3
1940  Baugh, Sammy      85.6   38.6  2.217  180.5
1939  Baugh, Sammy      52.3   39.7  1.317  107.2
1938  Baugh, Sammy      48.1   35.5  1.354  110.3
1937  Baugh, Sammy      50.5   34.5  1.463  119.1
1936  Battles, Cliff    17.1   28.9  0.591   48.2
1935  Shepherd, Bill    24.5   25.4  0.964   78.5
1934  Hokuf, Steve      23.7   18.8  1.260  102.6
1933  Musick, Jim        5.4   26.3  0.205   16.7
1932  Hughes, Honolulu   5.8   27.2  0.213   17.4


A couple of things immediately stand out. First, the Boston Braves had a quarterback named Honolulu Hughes. Second, notice that while the league average quarterback rating has risen over time, it hasn’t always been a flat slope. The first time the league average broke 60.0 was 1948, yet it took another 10 years for the average rating to break that mark for good. The same thing happened in 1965, when the league average surpassed 70.0 for the first time ever. Quarterback ratings slumped back into the 60s, and it wasn’t until 1980 that ratings were back into the 70s.

The maximum quarterback rating is 153.8, but for this exercise, there is no reason why we can’t exceed that limit. And good thing, because Baugh broke the barrier three times by himself. Forgotten Redskin Flingin’ Frank Filchock, Baugh’s understudy and teammate, also accomplished the feat.

The numbers illustrate how incredible Baugh’s 1945 season really was. It still stands as the highest single-season mark in franchise history, and it was done at a time when the league average was roughly half of what it is today. Plenty of other interesting oddities can be identified, including the sad fact that Heath Shuler’s 1994 season was actually a slight step up from Mark Rypien’s 1993. Also, look at how Jurgensen and Kilmer combined for ten consectuive years of 100+ relative quarterback rating from 1966-1975, yet the team produced just four playoff appearnces and zero championships. It just goes to show that the quarterback is only one guy.

If we sort by the normalized statistic, here would be the ten best seasons:

Year  Redskin           Rtg   LgAvg  Ratio  adjusted for 2008
1945  Baugh, Sammy     109.9   47.6  2.308  187.9
1940  Baugh, Sammy      85.6   38.6  2.217  180.5
1942  Baugh, Sammy      82.5   40.3  2.047  166.6
1944  Filchock, Frank   86.0   42.1  2.042  166.3
1943  Baugh, Sammy      78.0   48.6  1.604  130.6
1947  Baugh, Sammy      92.0   57.6  1.597  130.0
1949  Baugh, Sammy      81.2   51.2  1.585  129.3
1970  Jurgensen, Sonny  91.5   62.5  1.464  119.3
1937  Baugh, Sammy      50.5   34.5  1.463  119.1
1957  LeBaron, Eddie    86.1   59.9  1.437  117.1


Sammy Baugh dominates, no real shock there. I was surprised to see Eddie LeBaron sneak into the top 10. This is interesting, but in terms of seeing how a guy like Baugh might stack up against guys like Jurgensen and Theismann, a more useful number would be a career mark. To find this, I multiplied each season’s 2008-adjusted quarterback rating by passes attempted, added those numbers up, and divided the sum by career passes attempted. I didn’t bother doing this for every quarterback in team history (sorry, Jeff Rutledge) but rather the most notable and most recent:

Redskin            Rtg
Baugh, Sammy      126.3
Jurgensen, Sonny  104.7
Kilmer, Billy     101.9
Theismann, Joe     91.1
Johnson, Brad      90.8
Williams, Doug     90.3
Rypien, Mark       88.9
LeBaron, Eddie     83.7
Brunell, Mark      83.2
Schroeder, Jay     82.6
Campbell, Jason    81.0
Frerotte, Gus      78.1
Ramsey, Patrick    77.9
Snead, Norm        73.6
Shuler, Heath      61.8


I’ve always operated under the impression that Baugh, Jurgensen and Theismen were the three best quarterbacks in team history, in that order. I’ve always believed that Shuler was the worst, and everyone else falls somewhere in between. These rankings back up a lot of that. Baugh is in first by a wide margin, Jurgensen second, and Heath Shuler last.

But there are a few things that did surprise me. One was how ordinary Norm Snead was – I always thought that he was a better player (and to be fair, he did go on to have better years with the Eagles and Giants). Another is that Kilmer outpaces Theismann by a pretty substantial margin. I would guess that Kilmer gets underrated because he played with and after Jurgensen, inviting immediate comparisons. And of course, Theismann’s XVII Super Bowl ring and 1983 NFL MVP Trophy don’t hurt his cause.

So far, normalizing quarterback ratings appear to be a good way of comparing quarterbacks across eras. If I can compare Sammy Baugh to Sonny Jurgensen, why not to Joe Montana or Tom Brady?

I calculated the career numbers of all the NFL Hall of Famers, as well as the no-doubt future Hall of Famers (Manning, Brady, Favre). I also tossed in Ken Anderson, who was the league’s leader in quarterback rating four different seasons. The only other guys to accomplish that feat are Sammy Baugh, Roger Staubach, Steve Young and, depending on how you want to count AFL seasons, Len Dawson. (Of course, all those guys also won championships.):

Player              Rtg
Clark, Dutch        137.6
Herber, Arnie       133.7
Luckman, Sid        129.0
Baugh, Sammy        126.2
Graham, Otto        125.5
Parker, Ace         113.1
Dawson, Len         110.5
Staubach, Roger     108.9
Van Brocklin, Norm  108.1
Young, Steve        105.2
Montana, Joe        103.4
Jurgensen, Sonny    102.7
Tarkenton, Fran     101.9
Griese, Bob         101.9
Anderson, Ken       101.3
Tittle, Y.A.        100.2
Starr, Bart          99.9
Waterfield, Bob      98.6
Unitas, Johnny       98.3
Manning, Peyton      98.3
Brady, Tom           96.0
Fouts, Dan           95.5
Marino, Dan          95.3
Kelly, Jim           92.9
Layne, Bobby         91.4
Favre, Brett         90.6
Bradshaw, Terry      89.4
Moon, Warren         88.8
Aikman, Troy         88.4
Namath, Joe          88.4
Elway, John          87.7
Blanda, George       86.7


There’s a lot that makes sense here, especially the bottom five of Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, Joe Namath, John Elway and George Blanda. Ken Anderson stacks up nicely with the Hall of Famers. But the top is pretty worrisome. All of the pre-modern players finish in the top six. To say that I’m not ready to declare Dutch Clark as the greatest passer in football history would be an understatement.

This doesn’t really seem to make a ton of sense, so let’s take a look at the single-season league leaders:

Year   League Leader        Rtg   LgAvg  Ratio  adjusted for 2008
1934   Herber, Arnie        72.6   18.8  3.861  314.3
1935   Danowski, Ed         69.7   25.4  2.744  223.4
1945   Baugh, Sammy        109.9   47.6  2.308  187.9
1940   Baugh, Sammy         85.6   38.6  2.218  180.5
1943   Luckman, Sid        107.5   48.6  2.211  180.1
1942   Isbell, Cecil        87.0   40.3  2.158  175.7
1941   Isbell, Cecil        81.4   39.6  2.055  167.3
1944   Filchock, Frank      86.0   42.1  2.042  166.3
1936   Herber, Arnie        58.9   28.9  2.038  165.9
1933   Newman, Harry        51.7   26.3  1.965  160.0
1953   Graham, Otto         99.7   50.9  1.958  159.4
1932   Herber, Arnie        51.5   27.2  1.893  154.1
1960   Plum, Milt          110.4   61.0  1.809  147.3
1962*  Dawson, Len          98.3   55.2  1.780  145.0
1971   Staubach, Roger     104.8   59.3  1.767  143.9
1955   Graham, Otto         94.0   54.6  1.721  140.1
1950   Van Brocklin, Norm   85.1   49.8  1.708  139.1
1947** Graham, Otto        109.2   64.5  1.693  137.8
1966*  Dawson, Len         101.7   60.6  1.678  136.6
1949** Graham, Otto         97.5   58.4  1.669  135.9
1968*  Dawson, Len          98.6   59.5  1.657  134.9
1949   Thompson, Tommy      84.4   51.2  1.648  134.2
1948   Thompson, Tommy      98.4   60.0  1.640  133.5
1966   Starr, Bart         105.0   64.2  1.635  133.1
1976   Stabler, Ken        103.4   63.6  1.625  132.3
1961*  Blanda, George       91.3   56.3  1.621  132.0
1948** Albert, Frankie     102.9   64.2  1.602  130.5
1959   Conerly, Charlie    102.7   64.1  1.602  130.4
1947   Baugh, Sammy         92.0   57.6  1.597  130.0
1951   Waterfield, Bob      81.8   52.3  1.564  127.3
1974   Anderson, Ken        95.7   61.4  1.558  126.9
1989   Montana, Joe        112.4   73.3  1.533  124.8
1973   Staubach, Roger      94.6   61.7  1.533  124.8
1963   Tittle, Y.A.        104.8   68.4  1.532  124.7
1977   Griese, Bob          87.8   57.8  1.519  123.6
1938   Parker, Ace*         53.5   35.5  1.507  122.7
1964*  Dawson, Len          89.9   59.7  1.505  122.6
1970   Brodie, John         93.8   62.5  1.500  122.2
2004   Manning, Peyton     121.1   80.9  1.496  121.9
1975   Anderson, Ken        93.9   62.8  1.495  121.7
1946   Luckman, Sid         71.0   47.6  1.491  121.4
1984   Marino, Dan         108.9   73.2  1.487  121.1
1994   Young, Steve        112.8   76.7  1.470  119.7
1992   Young, Steve        107.0   72.8  1.469  119.6
1957   Unitas, Johnny       88.0   59.9  1.469  119.6
1937   Baugh, Sammy         50.5   34.5  1.463  119.1
1965*  Dawson, Len          81.3   55.6  1.462  119.0
1956   Brown, Ed            83.1   57.1  1.455  118.5
1999   Warner, Kurt        109.2   75.1  1.454  118.4
2007   Brady, Tom          117.2   80.9  1.448  117.9
1939   Hall, Parker         57.5   39.7  1.448  117.9
1961   Wade, Billy          93.7   65.2  1.437  117.0
1969*  Cook, Greg           88.3   61.5  1.435  116.9
1958   Unitas, Johnny       90.0   62.8  1.433  116.7
1967*  Dawson, Len          83.7   58.5  1.430  116.5
1964   Star, Bartt          97.1   68.0  1.427  116.2
1968   Morrall, Earl        93.2   65.6  1.420  115.6
1987   Montana, Joe        102.1   72.6  1.406  114.5
1963*  Rote, Tobin          86.7   62.1  1.396  113.6
1997   Young, Steve        104.7   75.0  1.396  113.6
1981   Anderson, Ken        98.4   70.5  1.395  113.6
1998   Cunningham, Randall 106.0   76.2  1.391  113.2
1965   Unitas, Johnny       97.4   70.2  1.387  112.9
1952   Van Brocklin, Norm   71.5   51.8  1.380  112.4
1988   Esiason, Boomer      97.4   70.6  1.379  112.3
1991   Young, Steve        101.8   74.2  1.371  111.7
1967   Jurgensen, Sonny     87.3   63.7  1.370  111.6
1978   Staubach, Roger      84.9   62.1  1.367  111.3
1954   Burk, Adrian         80.4   59.0  1.362  110.9
1979   Staubach, Roger      92.3   67.8  1.361  110.8
1985   O'Brien, Ken         96.2   70.7  1.360  110.8
1993   Young, Steve        101.5   74.7  1.358  110.6
2000   Griese, Brian       102.9   76.2  1.350  109.9
1982   Anderson, Ken        95.3   70.6  1.349  109.9
1990   Kelly, Jim          101.2   75.0  1.349  109.8
1972   Kilmer, Billy        84.8   63.5  1.335  108.7
1983   Bartkowski, Steve    97.6   73.1  1.335  108.7
2005   Manning, Peyton     104.1   78.2  1.331  108.4
2002   Pennington, Chad    104.2   78.6  1.325  107.9
2001   Warner, Kurt        101.4   76.6  1.323  107.8
2003   McNair, Steve       100.4   76.6  1.310  106.7
1962   Starr, Bart          90.7   69.4  1.306  106.4
1995   Harbaugh, Jim       100.7   77.5  1.299  105.8
2008   Rivers, Phillip     105.5   81.4  1.296  105.5
1996   Young, Steve         97.2   75.0  1.296  105.5
1986   Kramer, Tommy        92.6   71.5  1.295  105.4
2006   Manning, Peyton     101.0   78.5  1.286  104.7
1980   Sipe, Brian          91.4   71.3  1.281  104.3
1969   Tarkenton, Fran      87.2   68.6  1.271  103.5
1946** Albert, Frankie      69.8   55.4  1.259  102.6
1960*  Tom Flores           71.8   59.6  1.204   98.1
* American Football League season
** All-American Football Conference season

Now this completely fails the smell test. The idea that the top ten seasons in NFL history all occurred before 1950 doesn’t make any sense. The notion that Peyton Manning’s historic 2004 season would only rank 40th in NFL history is absurd. Obviously, this system favors the older players. The early greats like Baugh and Luckman were further ahead of the curve than today’s best like Manning and Brady, but that doesn’t neccesarily mean they were better. It’s a good reminder that statistics can mislead, especially in a sport as unique and ever-changing as football.

But there was no way I was going come up completely empty after all this work, so I tried a different, if less scientific, exercise.  I identified the seasons in which the league-leading quarterback finished with a quarterback rating at least ten points higher than his closest competitor, not just in that same season, but also the seasons before and after. For example, Tom Brady’s 2007 (117.2) was better than any other quarterback’s 2006, 2007 and 2008:

Year  Player             Rtg   Year  Next Closest          Rtg   Diff   Length
2007  Brady, Tom        117.2  2007  Roethlisberger, Ben  104.1  13.1   3 years
2004  Manning, Peyton   121.1  2004  Culpepper, Daunte    110.9  10.2   3 years
1994  Young, Steve*     112.8  1993  Harbaugh, Jim        100.7  12.1   3 years
1989  Montana, Joe*     112.4  1990  Kelly, Jim           101.2  11.2   5 years
1971  Staubach, Roger*  104.8  1970  Brodie, John          93.8  11.0   3 years
1953  Graham, Otto       99.7  1953  Van Brocklin, Norm    84.1  15.6   2 years
1945  Baugh, Sammy*     109.9  1944  Filchock, Frank       86.0  23.9   2 years
1943  Luckman, Sid*     107.5  1942  Isbell, Cecil         87.0  20.5   2 years
*won NFL Championship


By “length”, I mean the number of years it took for another quarterback to post a mark within ten points of the mark. For example, no quarterback got within Joe Montana’s 1989 mark of 112.4 until Steve young posted a 112.8 five years later in 1994.

It’s a short list. The feat has only been accomplished eight times in NFL history, and never twice by the same man. Baugh had the highest “margin of victory”, but Joe Montana’s mark lasted the longest. I think if you were going to make a list of the five best single seasons, those five championship seasons would be a pretty good place to start.

“Just have to come back to the only online Redskins home to smile some more.

One game is not a season, as we all said last week, but it sure helps when that game is a win!.

Hail to the Redskins. Remember Gene Brito every time a DE makes a play. I wish Sammy Baugh was in good health, but at least Sonny saw the pass to Moss.

Slingin Sammy, The Little General, Sonny, Billy, Joe T, Doug, the Rypper: I hope we’ve seen the torch picked up.

Flaherty, Lombardi, Old George, Jack, Joe: one game, yes, but maybe, just maybe we’ve seen another torch picked up.

Trying to tone down my enthusiasm, but this is way different than a win by Spurrier. That offense was not fit for the NFL. Richie Petibon, our great defensive coordinator, stopped every Spurrier-like offense in 1991: call it Red Gun, Silver Streak, Run & Shot, Floopdie Whoop or Mouse Davis’s Genius plan, but Petibon and the Redskins proved that it wouldn’t work.

Before the NFC championship game, reporters asked Petibon, “Coach, the Lions scored 45 points on the Cowboys last week. How can you possibly stop them?”

Petibon just said, “Oh, I don’t know, but we probably won’t try what the Cowboys did”. Just for the pleasure of remembering, and explaining to those too young to remember the Gibbs teams, Sir Charles Mann sprinted through the Lion’s right tackle, waved at Barry Sanders, and knocked QB Erik Kramer a few feet in the air…and knocked the ball about five yards away. Redskins recovered, scored on the next play, and the game was over.

Fun to remember.

That’s why we knew that Spurrier’s coaching in the NFL would be no more effective than Spurrier’s quarterbacking. (As Casey Stengel said, you can look it up.)

At the very least, thngs look better with a win than with two losses.

What happened to that “NFL executive” who told the Post that Campbell could only play QB for a Coryell/Gibbs/Saunders offense?”

GSPODS: Authentic Larry Brown Washington Redskins merchandise is next to impossible to find. How would a fifty-eight year native New Yorker who became a Washington Redskins fan because of Larry Brown obtain a signed jersey, helmet or football? Is there a specific charity or company you work with?I relive the 1972 NFL season in my head every year. I have to, because even NFL Films doesn’t seem to have a Larry Brown MVP film. I’d like my two young boys to see on film what I only see in memory. Do you have any suggestions?

What would you most like people to know about Larry Brown outside of football?

 

 

What music CD(s) never leaves your vehicle?

Larry Brown: I would be happy to personalize an autograph picture or any football memorabilia. You can send it to my attention at NAI Michael Companies, Inc. (4640 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 300, Lanham, Maryland 20706). Currently, I am a Commercial Real Estate Broker with this company and in my spare time I support the Prince George’s County Special Olympics.

Regarding NFL footage, I would suggest you contact NFL Films and request the Washington Redskins highlight films from 1969-73. I sure you and your sons will enjoy them, especially the 1972 season. The contact information is below:

NFL Films
One NFL Plaza,
Mt. Laurel, New Jersey 08054
Voice mail: 856-638-6843
Fax: 856-638-0139

I am a jazz and rhythm & blues (oldies) enthusiast. I can’t drive my car without listening to Peter White, George Benson, The Temptations and Four Tops. I also exercise every day, enjoy watching mystery movies, playing golf, keeping up with the stock market and following politics.

DEHog: What RB’s do you like to watch in todays NFL and is there one who reminds you of yourself??

LB: Clinton Portis, Brian Westbrook, Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson are the RBs I enjoy watching perform. Clinton is the one that bears a resemblance to me because he’s an all-purpose back who is tough and can play every down, if necessary.

Jake: THANK YOU MR. BROWN! Your time is very much appreciated here.

I actually have two-questions.

What were your interpretations of Vince Lombardi before he came to D.C.?

And what is the most memorable thing you learned from him during his one season here?

LB: I read Lombardi as a Field General, like George C. Scott’s portrayal of Patton, with vast leadership, motivational skills and a tremendous thirst for perfection.

Lombardi made punctuality a very important issue at all times. I understood his message to mean that a person should place the same value on other people’s time as placed on theirs. I have practice this so long that it’s now habitual for me on a daily basis.

Fios: Aside from the jaw-dropping contracts, is there any aspect of today’s NFL that you prefer when compared with your era, and vice-versa?

What is your take on the efforts (both by the players and the league) to assist ex-players struggling with complications from their injuries?

LB: Free agency would have been nice to experience during my era although I realize the team/fan loyalty diminishes to some degree under this condition. But maybe not nearly as much, since the NFL televisions contracts weren’t as large as they are today. Furthermore, this additional leverage would have allowed us to increase our monetary value a little more relative to punishment our bodies received.

It also would be interesting to see the game played today with many of the rules that existed in my era, such as, the crack back block and chop block. Also, I would include the rule that prevented the offensive lineman, while pass blocking, from having their hands outside of their shoulders. I think this makes the game tougher, the way I like it.

I think both the players and owners are moving in the right direction. However, I would like to see the pace increased substantially because many players are hurting with injuries sustained from playing football and need instant assistance now.

Warmother: Who was the hardest hitting player you went against? Hit’s in practice also count.

LB: Willie Lanier (MLB, Kansas City Chiefs) and Dave Wilcox (OLB, San Francisco 49ers) hit me the hardest.

KazooSkinsFan: When I was a kid in Michigan and realized my local team was the Lions, there was a point I could have gone either way between the Redskins and the Cowboys. Just the thought makes me shudder even today. Fortunately, in all seriousness, I had a Larry Brown poster on my wall and turned out all right. But how do we make sure kids don’t make the wrong choices in life? Things like booze, cigarettes and the Dallas Cowboys?

LB: Many teens and adolescents act out as a result of peer pressure and the need to feel accepted by their peers. On the other hand, there are kids who have the ability to draw the line, because they know if they do something wrong they will have to face the consequences of their actions. Most likely they benefited from having strong parents and role models, such as teachers and counselors who were involved in their growth and development. By instilling in them good morals and values and demonstrating that we care, we can each help build their confidence levels so that they are encouraged to make the right decisions for their lives. As for growing up a Dallas Cowboy fan, there’s no remedy for a misguided childhood.

yupchagee: What is your most memorable moment as a player?

LB: I would have to say being named the NFL 1972 MVP.

KazooSkinsFan: The Vince Lombardi story with the hearing was a great story. Is it reallly true that he personnally figured out you were deaf in one ear? Is there a story behind the story?

Football was hugely popular in the 70s and you were certainly one of the real stars of the era. But as JansenFan pointed out there were not multi-million dollar contracts then. I’m curious if the generations that came after yours who owe you a great debt of gratitude for paving the way pay that debt. Do they recognize what you and your generation did for them?

Who are some of the most personally interesting people you knew in the NFL?

How do the players feel when all the massive cuts come toward the end of training camp? Obviously it’s a competitive business, but it has to be hard from an emotional standpoint. Players are your friends, competitors, teammates and it’s their dream to play in the NFL, which suddenly gets fulfilled or crushed.

LB: It’s true. Vince figured it out. One day while watching game footage in slow motion, he asked me why I was late moving on the snap count. I told him I had difficulty reading the defensive alignments. I thought my answer would satisfy his curiosity and put the issue to rest. Later in the week, I was sitting in front of my locker at RFK Stadium when I saw two men approaching me in long white coats and I said to myself, “What could I have done to deserve this kind of treatment?” I remember thinking “St. Elizabeth Hospital (insane asylum) here I come!” Fortunately for me, these men were there to give me a hearing examination, which confirmed that I was deaf in one ear. Shortly thereafter, Vince got permission from the NFL Commissioner to install a hearing aid in my helmet. The day we tested it, he asked me to put the helmet on and go to the other side of the locker room. He said, “Larry can you hear me?” I said, “Coach I have NEVER had any trouble hearing you.” We had a good laugh and the rest is history!

I believe the new generation does realize the contribution we have made to the game and how it has positively benefited them. As a result of their efforts, many of us former players have received an increase in our pension benefits, participate in a discounted prescription drug program and are waiting for details on a health insurance program. So, to date there has been some recognition, but not nearly as much as our contribution has done for them.

One player that comes to mind is Duane Thomas. Most people probably remember him as being problematic and difficult to coach, but I think this was his way of getting even with the NFL for a wrong he felt they inflicted on him. I sensed that he was extremely bright and knew exactly what he was doing. I remember during an interview he was asked, “What it was like to play in the ultimate game (Super Bowl)?” He said, “If it’s the ultimate game, why do they play it every year?” Duane is currently an artist and doing very well on the west coast.

Obviously, getting cut in training camp at any given time is not a good feeling. My suggestion, although it’s difficult, is to not get too complacent and focus on working hard and making the team. The reality is that people get fired every day and then move on to possibly better opportunities. The same holds true for athletes in sports.

NC43Hog: Thanks for being such a great running back and idol of mine as a youngster.

December 16, 1973 – Philly at RFK and it was snowing (how perfect is that). This game was maybe one of your best ever – 4 touchdowns (3 through the air), 150 yards on the ground and the win (38-20) clinched a wild card playoff birth.

Did your linemen really have to carry you back to the huddle after each run, or was that just a ploy to sucker the defense? Which ever it was, it worked – you saved your energy for the runs and had an awesome day.

What was the coaching style differences between Allen ang Lombardi? Of the modern day coaches, who would you have liked to play for?

Thanks for the memories.

LB: Thanks for bringing back those great memories!

The offensive lineman never had to carry me back to the huddle, but I took the “beltway” back, which allowed me to get a breather so I could carry the football again.

Vince Lombardi’s approach was direct in your face, like George C. Scott’s portrayal of Patton. George Allen’s was less confrontational and focused on incentives to motivate his players.

Regarding modern day coaches, it would have been a pleasure to play for Tony Dungy, Bill Belichick and possibly Andy Reid.

GSPODS: A final thank you and a promise I’ll be annoying the veterans committee on your behalf for induction and enshrinement in the Hall Of Fame. Now that the pencil pushers have come around on Art Monk, it’s time to right several other wrongs, beginning with #43.