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Washington 72 - New York Giants 41
Dateline: Sunday, November 27, 1966. 50,439 pack the stands at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. 7-seconds remain in a 69-41 football game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants. This was already the highest scoring game in professional football history. And it was about to get uglier.The most bizarre play of a most bizarre game came with 7-seconds remaining on 4th down, the Giants lined up on their 23 yard line. Quarterback Tom Kennedy apparently lost track of downs, and thinking it was third down, threw the ball out of bounds resulting in New York turning the ball over.
With several personal vendettas in play, the Redskins called a time out and, with those 7-seconds remaining on the clock, Charlie Gogolak kicked a 29-yard field goal to raise the score to 72-41.
113-total points scored. 16-touchdowns. 72 points by one team. Most extra points kicked by a Gogolak - Charlie kicked 9 for the Redskins, Pete kicked 5; actually, it is the most extra points made in a game with or without a Gogolak.
Why send the place kicker into the game? "He needed the practice," said head coach, hall of famer, Otto Graham. Gogolak had missed two field goals the previous week in a 14-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Sam Huff and Vince Promuto, both lay claim to having given the "T" signal to the referees with the intention of encouraging the field goal attempt. Both had personal reasons for ratcheting up the score: Huff had been traded to the Redskins against his wishes 2-seasons before on April 9, 1964; Promuto grew up watching the Giants run the score up over a hapless Redskins team and this was his chance for payoff.
The score could have been even worse, but for a blocked extra point attempt by the Giants in the first quarter.
The difference of that field goal is the difference in what team goes into the record books as the team that has scored the most points in a game - in 1950, the Los Angeles Rams won 70- 27 over the Baltimore Colts.
Comments
Pat Donahue
(Guest)
(Guest)
11/25/2009
I was at that game--with about 5 Graydog loads of newspaper boys from the Cleveland area. It was like watching a tennis match--long pass; long run back; long punt return, etc.
Cort Greene
(Guest)
(Guest)
11/16/2009
I was at the the game, a 14 tear old and was very happy at the outcome since they had been know as the Deadskins for many years.
Thanks Soony, Bobby, Sam,Chris H., Charley, Vince P. et al!
Rojo Rojito
Dave Campbell
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/28/2008
I was at that game, had just turned 10 yrs. old, sitting in the upper deck of one of the end zones. It's the only Redskin game I went to as a kid. I still don't no how we got the tickets. I remember Charley Taylor made a block on a guy during a special teams play. It made one of those loud Butkus-like noises. Everyone around us in the upper deck gasped. Also remember towards the end of the game, they put Bobby Mitchell in the backfield. When he came over from Cleveland, the Redskins had used him primarily, if not exclusively, as a flanker and split end. So for old time sakes, the Skins put him in the backfield for one play. Jurgensen handed him the ball and he slashed thru the Giants defense and scored from beyond the Giants 40 yard line. My seat in the upper deck was right behind Mitchell, so I could see the blocks and the holes forming. One of those childhood memories I'll always remember. One correction. It was called District of Columbia or DC Stadium in those days. R
Heh; I just commented on your article about prolific offense, saying "offense sells tickets"...but considering the sloppy nature of this one, I don't know if the money would've been worth it!
I, like Ryan, had no idea this game had ever happened. Crazy! Thanks for the work, Mo!
Frag - as I was looking at this game and knowing Belichick is such a student of history, I heard a few things there that sounded familiar, "He needed the practice" for one.
Talk about running up the score.... Sending in the place kicker to make it 72-41 sort of puts the argument about the Pats to bed huh?
Didn't know about this game. Pretty nuts.
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