Rolling it up: thirty years ago, Sam Huff made his point - and the Redskins made 72 against the Giants

Sporting News, The, Nov 25, 1996 by Dennis Tuttle

Only seven seconds remained in the game, and for the ecstatic Washington revelers at D.C. Stadium on November 27, 1966, all that was left to anticipate in the Redskins' victory over the hated Giants was the killing of the clock and the bellowing of their postgame chorus of "Hail to the Redskins."

But then something happened. Something inexplicable. Something, somehow, so fitting for this crazy debacle that 30 years later, it remains not only amazing, but still bitterly recorded in history.

"I just yelled, 'Field-goal team. go in there!'" says Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff, who, acting on vengeance and his renowned bloodthirsty instinct, smiled like a court jester when Charlie Gogolak's 29-yard field goal was the final thrust in the Redskins' 72-41 victory over his old team.

Huff was still fuming because Giants coach Allie Sherman had traded him two years earlier and dismantled the heart of one of the NFL's best-ever defenses. "I certainly wanted to get even with the guy standing on the other sideline," Huff says. "The score was only 69-41, and Otto Graham, who was coaching us, was involved with the offense and talking with (quarterback) Sonny (Jurgensen). The field-goal team was on the field before Otto knew what was going on. I just figured what's the difference in 6941 or 72-41? You're still getting beat."

As it turned out, Gogolak's field goal was a huge difference and the epilogue to a game right out of a Dan Jenkins reader. The Redskins' 72 points broke the NFL record of 70 set by the Los Angeles Rams in a 1950 game against the Colts. The 113 combined points are still the most in an NFL game. In all, 10 NFL records that still stand were set or tied that day. Among them, Gogolak kicked nine extra points and his brother, Pete, who kicked for the Giants, had five for a record-tying 14 PATs.

But if you hadn't seen the final score, you'd never know the Redskins won. The Giants had more yards (389-341), more first clowns (25-16) and ran 29 more plays. The Redskins led at the half, 34-14, despite having minus-2 net passing yards.

Giants turnovers turned this one into a laugher before you could say Brig Owens. The Redskins' defensive back had three of Washington's five interceptions, returning one 60 yards for a touchdown. Three Redskins interceptions set up scores, and Owens had tips on two other passes. He made up for it by recovering a fumble and returning it 62 yards for a touchdown.

"I've never seen anything like this game. Things were happening so fast," says Owens, now an attorney and sports agent in Washington. "Our defense was getting turnovers for our offense, and our offense was scoring at will. It got to the point that I was thinking any time I get the ball I can score."

Each team maneuvered up and down the field like a 200-piece marching band. Giants ants quarterback Gary Wood threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Joe Morrison and a 50-yarder to Homer Jones.

The Redskins got three first-half touchdowns from A.D. Whitfield, including a 63-yard run. Hall of Famer Charley Taylor had touchdown receptions of 32 and 74 yards in the third quarter and Rickie Harris had a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"It was bombs away," Owens says. "Balls were going over my head the entire day." And into the stands. Thirteen of the 14 game balls were lost on kicks.

Hall of Fame flanker Bobby Mitchell wasn't without his moment. It had been five years since he last played running back, "but Otto maintained I was still his best running back. I maintained I was an old man," says a laughing Mitchell, who was 31 at the time.

"I didn't want to go back there. The Colts had done that with Lenny Moore, and he cracked his kneecap. Why did I want to do that? I knew I could still run. But late in the game they shifted me into the backfield.

"Sonny knew whet was going on. Before they could send in another guy at halfback, Sonny said, 'You get up there, Bobby.' So I got down in my stance and on the first play he gives it to me, and I get something like 9 yards.

"Sonny didn't give me time to walk off the field. He called the next play, snapped the ball real quick and I was gone."

Mitchell swept left, made a cut and raced 45 yards for the Redskins' 10th, and final, TD.

You could only laugh at the irony. With Huff hootin' and hollerin' for blood and more blood, it was that kind of day.

RELATED ARTICLE: WASHINGTON 72, NEW YORK 41 At D.C. Stadium, attendance 50,439.

NFL records were set for total points (113), highest winning score in a regular-season game (72) and touchdowns (16), climaxed by Charlie Gogolak's field goal with 7 seconds left. Defensive back Brig Owens of Redskins made three interceptions, returning one for touchdown, and raced 62 yards for another score with a recovered fumble.

New York..... 0 14 14 13 -- 41

Washington... 13 21 14 24 -- 72

Wash--Whitfield 5 pass from Jurgensen (kick blocked) Wash--Whitfield 63 run (C. Gogolak kick) Wash--Owens 62 fumble-recovery return (C. Gogolak kick) NY--Jacobs 6 run (P. Gogolak kick) Wash--Whitfield 1 run (C. Gogolak kick) Wash--Looney 9 run (C. Gogolak kick) NY--Wood 1 run (P. Gogolak kick) NY--Morrison 41 pass from Wood (P. Gogolak kick) Wash--Taylor 32 pass from Jurgensen (C. Gogolak kick) NY--Jones 50 pass from Wood (P. Gogolak kick) Wash--Taylor 74 pass from Jurgensen (C. Gogolak kick) Wash--Harris 52 punt return (C. Gogolak kick) Wash--Owens 60 interception (C. Gogolak kick) NY--Thomas 18 pass from Kennedy (kick failed) NY--Lewis 1 run (P. Gogolak kick) Wash--Mitchell 45 run (C. Gogolak kick) Wash--FG C. Gogolak 29