vs. 
Every game has a story. This is the story of Sunday November 3 1991, RFK Stadium, Redskins 16, Oilers 13 (OT).
Curly R continues the inaugural edition of Redskins Greatest Games with Part 5, The Game.
Part 1: Who is Jack Pardee?
Part 2: What Jack Did
Part 3: The Oilers
Part 4: Jack Returns to the NFL
Part 5: The Game
Part 6: The Moment
Part 7: The Aftermath
References
Bonus Material
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Warren Moon. Darrell Green. It actually happened...
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When gameday arrived on Sunday November 3 1991, Jack Pardee set foot in RFK Stadiu
m for the first time since his last home game on December 13 1980. He had never been back and was not sure he ever wanted to go back. But now he was focused on one thing: winning this game. Would it exorcise the demons and purge the bitterness of betrayal? Probably not, but it sure would make Monday feel better. The Oilers winning a Super Bowl was the main target, and if winning in Washington was a part of that plan, that was ok with Jack.
Vice President Dan Quayle and comedian Bill Cosby were Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke's guests in the owner's box[1]. Even the President himself 
had skin in the game. The day before the game, President George HW Bush opened a partisan divide in Washington, publicly calling on Houston to win[2]:
I want the Oilers to win it and I want them to go on and do so well that Barbara and I receive them in the White House as Super Bowl champs,...Two weeks later, when the Washington Post revealed George Bush
was gambling on football[3], a toothless Congress, then in the hands of Democrats, took no action. Years later, George's son would perfect the art of fixing outcomes."I think the Redskins' main objective will be to control Warren Moon, and the Oilers' goal will be to stop the run, forcing Mary Rypien to
pass,"[4] said ESPN analyst Joe Theismann with his trademark razor sharp insight about this game, billed as 'Super Bowl 35-1/2.'[4]=====
There was no scoring in the first quarter as both teams played conservatively, the Redskins sticking to the ground and the Oilers working short passes. In the second quarter, the Redskins made it 3-0 after a 17-play 82 yard drive capped by a Chip Lohmiller 21 yard field goal.[7]
On the next drive, the Oilers did exactly the same thing, driving 81 yards on 17 plays before stalling on the Redskins six. With 2:00 left in the first half, Oilers kicker Ian Howfield tied the game at 3-3 with a 24 yard field goal.[7]
Working the no-huddle, Mark Rypien was hit at release on the next drive and Lamar Lathon intercepted the wobbly pass. Warren Moon took the Oilers 48 yards in 58 seconds to the
Redskins six, where Ian Howfield kicked a 23 yard field goal and gave Houston a 6-3 lead at the half.[7] Both teams looked tentative and the Redskins appeared to be losing momentum.To make matters worse, right tackle Joe Jacoby had sprained his left knee with 1:50 left in the half and it did not look like he could go. Out came 11 year veteran Russ Grimm, reduced to a backup role, and who incidentally had not been happy about his demotion back in ca
mp.[6]By early in the second half, the Redskins had lost both offensive tackles, facing the AFC's top defense. On the first Redskins drive, left tackle big Jim Lachey tweaked his right knee. Russ moved over to left tackle and Plan B
pickup Mark Adickes came in at right tackle.[6]The Redskins then promptly drove 80 yards on 16 plays to the Oilers one yard line, but Gerald Riggs got stuffed. Chip Lohmiller kicked a 20 yard field goal to tie the game at 6-6 with 20 seconds left in the quarter.[7]
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Lorenzo White muffed the handoff and Redskins defensive end Fred Stokes recovered. The next play, Earnest Byner went through a hole opened by reserve tackle Mark Adickes 23 yards for the touchdown, Redskins up 13-6.[7]
Next drive, Redskins safety Brad Edwards intercepted Warren Moon and the Redskins went down to the Oilers 12 before Jeff Bostic and Mark Rypien botched the center-quarterback exchange and the Oilers recovered the ball. Warren then led Houston on a 79 yard drive, ending in Lorenzo's one-yard plunge with 1:42 left in regulation.[7] The game was tied 13-13.
Brian Mitchell, one of the greatest return men in NFL history, then fumbled away the ensuing kickoff at the 23 yard line and now the Oilers had the ball with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter, deep in Redskins territory, tie game.[7]
Three plays got Houston to the Redskins 16. With :04 left on the clock, in came Oilers kicker Ian Howfield,[1] a player that had been tending bar in Oklahoma before the 1991 season, to make a 33-yard field goal to win the game, move to 8-1 and give Jack Pardee his first good night's sleep in 11 years.
He missed it, wide left.[7] The game was going into overtime.
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Curly R's Redskins Greatest Games continues tomorrow with part 6, The Moment.
Dan Quayle from here. Bill Cosby from here. George HW Bush from here. Joe Theismann from here. Joe Jacoby from here. Russ Grimm: Getty Images via Pro Football Hall of Fame from here. Jim Lachey from here.
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