1997 Washington Redskins: A Season Of Missed Opportunities

The Washington Redskins entered 1997 looking for a breakthrough. Norv Turner had taken over in 1994 and his rebuilding project showed signs of life by 1996, when the Redskins nearly made the playoffs. Improvement was expected in ’97. But while Washington was still competitive and stayed in the hunt to the bitter end, the postseason continued to prove elusive.

Gus Frerotte’s development at quarterback crested, coinciding with the stagnation of the team. In 1997, Frerotte’s 51% completion rate was one of the worst among starting QBs. His 6.7 yards-per-attempt was subpar. With a 17-12 TD/INT ratio, his 3.0 interception rate ranked 11^th, the only redeeming virtue in a disappointing season that included one of the more bizarre injuries in league history.

Washington’s top three pass catchers in terms of volume were non-receivers, including tight end Jamie Asher, veteran running back Brian Mitchell and fullback Larry Bowie. The trio of receivers—Michael Westbrook, Henry Ellard and Leslie Shephard—could stretch the field. They simply didn’t get the football enough.

A non-descript offensive line presented problems for both pass protection as well as in the running game. Terry Allen’s 724 yards led the ground game, but he only averaged 3.4 yards-per-attempt. Stephen Davis, who had better years ahead of him, started to get more carries as a change-of-pace.

For as many troubles as there were, the Redskins were still able to rank 15^th for points scored in a league that then had 30 teams. Not great, but enough to be competitive. And the defense was better.

Linebacker Ken Harvey was a Pro Bowler who finished with 9 ½ sacks. The corners, Cris Dishman and the great 37-year-old Darrell Green also had Pro Bowl seasons. The ‘Skins D ranked a solid eighth in the NFL for points allowed.

Washington opened the season on Sunday Night in Carolina. The Panthers had made the NFC Championship Game a year earlier, although they would slip back to mediocrity this season. The running game problems weren’t present on this night—Allen ran for 141 yards. In a game that was tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter, the Redskins broke it open late. Frerotte flipped a five-yard TD pass to Shepherd, and they ultimately won 24-10.

Pittsburgh was a perennial playoff team and en route to the AFC Championship Game this season. Washington went on the road and held a 13-7 lead in the fourth quarter. But Frerotte could only throw for 82 yards, he threw three interceptions, and the Redskins were outrushed 222-69. This time, they lost the fourth quarter, and they lost the football game 14-13.

The home opener was against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. Washington generally controlled the flow of play, but they gave up a special teams touchdown and settled for field goals inside the five-yard line twice. The game went to overtime tied 13-all. Frerotte ultimately bailed them out with a 40-yard touchdown strike to Westbrook for the win. It wasn’t pretty, but the ‘Skins were going into an early bye week with a 2-1 record.

Jacksonville was on the far side of the bye. The Jaguars went to the AFC Championship Game in ’96 and were going back to the playoffs this year. Washington struggled early, but on three first-half drives, they held Jacksonville to field goals. That gave Frerotte time to get settled in. He went 16/24 for 244 yards and threw three touchdowns. Allen ran for 122 yards. The ‘Skins took over and won 24-12.

A road trip to mediocre Philadelphia didn’t go quite as well. Washington got pounded in the trenches, losing rush yardage 203-30. They dug themselves an early 14-0 hole and lost 24-10.

That set the stage for a Monday Night visit from Dallas. The Cowboys had won the previous five NFC East titles, a stretch that included three Super Bowl trophies. While the signs of slippage had set in, Dallas was still the team to beat in the division until further notice.

The Redskins did their part to provide that notice. Davis had a breakout game, rushing for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The defense was dominant, as Washington built a 21-3 lead. Allowing a defensive TD let the game get tight, but the ‘Skins still closed out a big 21-16 win.

But they couldn’t sustain it against beatable teams. They went to mediocre Tennessee, were outrushed 204-92 and lost a 28-14 decision not as competitive as it sounds. Even worse, in a home game with a bad Baltimore Ravens team, Washington again got pounded up front, lost rush yardage 199-67 and dropped an embarrassing 20-17 decision. They were 4-4 and a visit to face another bad team, the Chicago Bears, couldn’t be taken for granted.

The Redskins got things reversed up front. They pounded out 203 yards on the ground, 125 from Allen. Frerotte played a sharp game, going 14/20 for 192 yards and no mistakes. Washington cruised to an easy 31-8 win.

They came back home to face Detroit, who was on the playoff fringe themselves. Allen ran for 94 yards and the Redskins raced to early 21-0 lead. That effectively took the Lions’ co-MVP running back, Barry Sanders, out of the game. Defensive back Darryl Pounds had two interceptions, including a Pick-6. Washington got a decisive 30-7 win.

A visit to Dallas was in the late afternoon TV window. The Redskin defense played a stellar game and led 14-6 in the fourth quarter. But the running game couldn’t get going. Frerotte couldn’t generate any offense. They couldn’t close the deal, the lead got away and it ended as a 17-14 loss.

That set the stage for a big Sunday Night home game with the New York Giants, who were having a turnaround season and held a one-game lead in a packed NFC East race.

The Redskins scored first on a touchdown run from Frerotte. The quarterback decided to celebrate by ramming his head into the concrete wall behind the end zone. It didn’t end well. He went to the locker room with a concussion. Jeff Hostetler, the 36-year-old backup, would play the rest of the night.

Hostetler went to the air frequently, going 19/41 in less than three quarters of work. But it only produced 213 yards, and he also threw three interceptions. Even with Westbrook catching nine passes for 125 yards, the ‘Skins didn’t score after the Frerotte head-butt.

But the defense hung in there. Harvey had a huge game with four sacks. The night ended in a 7-7 tie. Playing at home, it was a disappointment. But given the weird circumstances of the night, it could have been worse.

New York still led the NFC East at 7-4-1 going into the stretch drive, with Washington at 6-5-1. The two teams were set to play again in the penultimate week of the regular season, so the Redskins controlled their destiny. They also narrowly led the race for the final wild-card spot, ahead of 6-6 teams from Dallas, Detroit and Carolina. Philadelphia was still hanging on at 5-6-1.

A home game with a bad St. Louis Rams team was vital. But Frerotte’s injury problems continued, and this one wasn’t self-inflicted. He broke his hip. Somehow, he played through it, which makes an otherwise pedestrian 20/45 for 258 yards stat line look a little more impressive. But there was still no running game, and the Redskins again blew a game to a team they should have beaten, losing 23-20.

New York also lost, as did Dallas and Carolina, so it wasn’t a disaster. But Detroit won. While Washington still controlled their destiny for the division title, they were now a half-game behind in the wild-card race.

The Redskins traveled to Arizona (an NFC East team prior to the realignment of 2002). Davis ran for 92 yards. Hostetler went 18/34 for 226 yards. With a 17-14 lead in the third quarter, Dishman delivered a 21-yard Pick-6. Washington got a badly needed 38-28 win. The Giants also won, but the Lions lost, as the Redskins slipped back into the wild-card lead.

An early Saturday afternoon kickoff in the Meadowlands was the game of the year. With a win, Washington could control the NFC East going into the finale. Lose, and New York would clinch the division, and Detroit could move ahead in the wild-card push.

The game was a complete and total disaster. The Redskins were outrushed 130-45. Hostetler threw four interceptions. They were in a 17-0 hole by the time the first quarter was out and lost 30-10. One day later, they watched Detroit win.

At 7-7-1, Washington still had two possible avenues to the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings had been slumping, putting a seemingly secure playoff berth at risk. The Vikings and Lions were both 8-7, holding down the final two spots. The Redskins needed to beat the Eagles and then just get one break.

Playing in the early afternoon TV window, Washington’s defense made big plays. Pounds returned a fumble eight yards for a score. Green, the proudest holdover from the franchise’s dynasty run whose conclusion was just five years in the rearview mirror, intercepted a pass and took it 83 yards to the house. The defense generated six sacks, two by Harvey. Holding a 28-25 lead in the fourth quarter, Hostetler threw a short TD pass to Westbrook. Washington closed out a 35-32 win.

Minnesota was playing concurrently and beat Indianapolis. It all came down to the late afternoon in Detroit, where both the Lions and New York Jets were playing win-or-go-home, turning it into a de facto playoff game. Detroit pulled out a hard-fought 13-10 win and Washington’s season was over.

It was the second straight winning season for Turner, but there’s no denying the disappointing feel that came with this one, particularly given the multiple losses to weak teams. 1998 turned into a transition year, as Frerotte was benched early and the organization moved on. But in 1999, the long-awaited breakthrough did come, when the Redskins won the NFC East.