Old Redskins questions I've always wondered about.......

[grhqofb5]

Here's one: Why was RC Theilmann starting Super Bowl XXII over Russ Grimm? Was Grimm injured? Same question with Grimm on Super Bowl XXVI, why wasn't he starting?

[MartinC]

Here's one: Why was RC Theilmann starting Super Bowl XXII over Russ Grimm? Was Grimm injured? Same question with Grimm on Super Bowl XXVI, why wasn't he starting?

Grimm had a knee injury in 1987 so missed the Super Bowl. By 1991 he was a backup all year - he played in the short yardage and goalline packages. The package was called heavy jumbo.

[Darth Tater]

Here's one: Why was RC Theilmann starting Super Bowl XXII over Russ Grimm? Was Grimm injured? Same question with Grimm on Super Bowl XXVI, why wasn't he starting?

Grimm had been drafted as a center and after Bostic got pushed around in 1986, Grimm was the starting center. He got hurt and Bostic came in and when Grimm got healthy, Bostic was doing great at center so Grimm was moved back to guard behind RC Theilmann who was the starter.

[SkinsFTW]

Grimm had a knee injury in 1987 so missed the Super Bowl. By 1991 he was a backup all year - he played in the short yardage and goalline packages. The package was called heavy jumbo.

Which really does show that voters have no idea which of our OL should have been in the HOF first. Instead of the guy (Jacoby) who was starting anywhere they could put him, even in 1991 on the most dominating line in maybe NFL history, they vote in the guy who was a backup or injured for most of the 2nd half of his career. I'm not saying that he shouldn't be in but Grimm before Jacoby to me doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe there is a reason, I just can't figure out what it is besides him being a coach, which has nothing to do with it. Grimm started 7 seasons worth of games, Jacoby started over 9 including every single game in all 4 of the Redskins SB seasons. Grimm started 6 of a total of 38 games in 87 and 91 and only 30 of 80 regular season games from 1987-1991. It's a head scratcher.

[grhqofb5]

Which really does show that voters have no idea which of our OL should have been in the HOF first. Instead of the guy (Jacoby) who was starting anywhere they could put him, even in 1991 on the most dominating line in maybe NFL history, they vote in the guy who was a backup or injured for most of the 2nd half of his career. I'm not saying that he shouldn't be in but Grimm before Jacoby to me doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe there is a reason, I just can't figure out what it is besides him being a coach, which has nothing to do with it. Grimm started 7 seasons worth of games, Jacoby started over 9 including every single game in all 4 of the Redskins SB seasons. Grimm started 6 of a total of 38 games in 87 and 91 and only 30 of 80 regular season games from 1987-1991. It's a head scratcher.

I have nothing to add to this post, which is sort of why i started this thread. There's a ton of information possessed by some of the older posters on this board that you'll never be able to "google." Man is still greater than the machine in my opinion.

Seems to me that maybe Grimm's "peak" so to speak was higher than Jacoby's?

[SB17]

Okay, here's something I've wanted to know for the last 8 years or so: When Gibbs came back in 2004, wasn't there a lot of talk that the team was in negotiations to bring Beathard back as the GM? And what was (were) the sticking point/s?

[MarkB452]

Theismann wanted to come back and play for the Skins after the injury but the doctors and Gibbs felt it was too dangerous and didn't want him to play for his health...Per Theismann's request Jack Kent Cooke waived him and he went to Philly. Cooke and Gibbs actually wrote a pretty touching letter to Theismann (sentimental Skins fan here) when they released him, thanking him and such. I have a copy of it filed away somewhere, try to find it

>> If you have a copy of the Book "The Washington Redskins Football Vault" by Michael Richman, you will find a copy of this letter on page 99 in the pouch. The letter is dated July 25, 1986. It is a 2 1/2 page letter from JKC to Theismann thanking for him for his years of service to the team and granting him the release he requested from the team.

He never played again as the injury left one leg shorter than the other and he could not run/roll out.

[MartinC]

Seems to me that maybe Grimm's "peak" so to speak was higher than Jacoby's?

I would disagree with this - individually they were All Pro calibre and as a pair working together they were the best LT and LG tandem in the NFL for a 4 or 5 year period. You might get some arguments about other individual players who were maybe better in the same period but no argument about two players next to each other who were better.

Their peak was about the same. Grimm got injuries though while Jacoby was just about indestructible and he played at that high level for much longer than Grimm. Even towards the end of his run when Lachey came and took the LT position (and he WAS better than Jacoby even at his peak) Jacoby moved over to RT and was still playing at a Pro Bowl level in that position.

[Barney B]

I would disagree with this - individually they were All Pro calibre and as a pair working together they were the best LT and LG tandem in the NFL for a 4 or 5 year period. You might get some arguments about other individual players who were maybe better in the same period but no argument about two players next to each other who were better.

Their peak was about the same. Grimm got injuries though while Jacoby was just about indestructible and he played at that high level for much longer than Grimm. Even towards the end of his run when Lachey came and took the LT position (and he WAS better than Jacoby even at his peak) Jacoby moved over to RT and was still playing at a Pro Bowl level in that position.

This is about right. Jacoby was an unusually powerful guy, and was always the strongest Redskin in the weightroom (though that may only have been because Dave Butz was never seen in the weightroom until he was well into his 30's, so, in his prime, no one knew how much he could lift).

On the field, Jacoby could be beaten by the quickest upfield rushers - Lawrence Taylor and basically nobody else, and there was one particular game where LT beat Jake like a drum, to the tune of 3 or 4 sacks. It's possible that the main reason Jake's not in the HOF yet is that he suffered from facing LT two or three games a year - if he's judged on his excellent performances against Pro Bowlers like Chris Doleman and Richard Dent, he should already be in.

Jim Lachey had the speed to block anybody, including LT (only Anthony Munoz was considered a better pass blocker than Lachey), and while he was a very good run blocker, he was never as dominant a run blocker as Jacoby.

Jacoby did a stint at guard near the end of his career, where he proved both too quick and too strong for the defensive tackles he faced there, and was basically a man among boys, but didn't have the luxury of playing there very long. If he had... hoo boy.

[king991]

Good call, got that a little reversed. Thanks!

HTTR

[GothSkinsFan]

Art Monk closed out his career as an [Eagle]

And ironically, the play on which he broke his wrist, ending his career, was Philly's longest completion (at least to that point of the season and it was fairly late).

---------- Post added May-14th-2012 at 05:20 PM ----------

That was the year Snyder went absolutely nuts in free agency. Bruce Smith, Mark Carrier, Jeff George, etc. I was convinced that we were headed to the SB, but (if memory serves) we lost a handful of games due to poor special teams. Mainly our FG's.

If Bruce Smith had been a situational pass rusher, he would've had a very good season -- he did have 10 sacks as it is -- but he wasn't big or strong enough at that point in his career to handle the run. (Then again, he got handled by us in the '91 SB, so....) Deion played fairly well -- better than anyone we had last season -- and we lost a heartbreaking opener to Dallas because of the team's conditioning. That's a coaching eff-upp. Jeff George was a moronic addition, but the bigger problems were: 1) meshing so many established newcomers; and 2) NORV.

---------- Post added May-14th-2012 at 05:23 PM ----------

You know, sometimes I love these "way back when" threads better than any current team threads.

Does anyone remember the game against NE in 1978 when the Pope was in town and Ch 9 switched coverage, mid-game, to him? Didn't anyone learn from the Heidi game? It's not like this was some fair-weather football town. Anyway, I vividly recall hearing on the radio Brad Dusek recover a fumble and take it in for a 16-14 victory. Well, that was a long time ago and I stand by my recollection.

[mojo]

And ironically, the play on which he broke his wrist, ending his career, was Philly's longest completion (at least to that point of the season and it was fairly late).

---------- Post added May-14th-2012 at 05:20 PM ----------



If Bruce Smith had been a situational pass rusher, he would've had a very good season -- he did have 10 sacks as it is -- but he wasn't big or strong enough at that point in his career to handle the run. (Then again, he got handled by us in the '91 SB, so....) Deion played fairly well -- better than anyone we had last season -- and we lost a heartbreaking opener to Dallas because of the team's conditioning. That's a coaching eff-upp. Jeff George was a moronic addition, but the bigger problems were: 1) meshing so many established newcomers; and 2) NORV.

---------- Post added May-14th-2012 at 05:23 PM ----------

Bruce Smith's time as Skin left a bad taste in my mouth. I believe his only goal was to break the sack record and he played like it. Basically ignoring the run and trying to run a wide loop around the Tackle to get to the QB. Not a fan of the guy at all.

[redskindan07]

Bruce Smith should of never been brought in to the Skins

[2cents]

This is about right. Jacoby was an unusually powerful guy, and was always the strongest Redskin in the weightroom (though that may only have been because Dave Butz was never seen in the weightroom until he was well into his 30's, so, in his prime, no one knew how much he could lift).

On the field, Jacoby could be beaten by the quickest upfield rushers - Lawrence Taylor and basically nobody else, and there was one particular game where LT beat Jake like a drum, to the tune of 3 or 4 sacks. It's possible that the main reason Jake's not in the HOF yet is that he suffered from facing LT two or three games a year - if he's judged on his excellent performances against Pro Bowlers like Chris Doleman and Richard Dent, he should already be in.

Jim Lachey had the speed to block anybody, including LT (only Anthony Munoz was considered a better pass blocker than Lachey), and while he was a very good run blocker, he was never as dominant a run blocker as Jacoby.

Jacoby did a stint at guard near the end of his career, where he proved both too quick and too strong for the defensive tackles he faced there, and was basically a man among boys, but didn't have the luxury of playing there very long. If he had... hoo boy.

All I will say about the game where LT had all those sacks is this: LT said he always brought "a little extra" when the Giants played the Skins. I believe that little extra was a dime bag of crack. I don't think LT deserves to be in the Hall because he was a crack head, and I don't think one game where he was more than likely higher than a kite should keep Jacoby out, and I think Jake should be in the Hall without a doubt.

[GothSkinsFan]

All I will say about the game where LT had all those sacks is this: LT said he always brought "a little extra" when the Giants played the Skins. I believe that little extra was a dime bag of crack. I don't think LT deserves to be in the Hall because he was a crack head, and I don't think one game where he was more than likely higher than a kite should keep Jacoby out, and I think Jake should be in the Hall without a doubt.

Great story from NPR on the broken leg and Jacoby. Since I'm not sure whether posting an active link will get me banned, just copy and edit the (dot)

npr(dot)org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6241687

Go down about halfway - the rest is lead-in. Nice read, but not about Jacoby.