1970 Washington Redskins season
| 1970 Washington Redskins season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
Bill Austin (interim) Vince Lombardi (until death) |
| Home field | RFK Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–8 |
| Division place | 4th NFC East |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1970 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 7–5–2 record from 1969. Second-year head coach Vince Lombardi was diagnosed with terminal cancer in late June and died on September 3;[1][2] offensive line coach Bill Austin stepped in as interim head coach in mid-July.[3]
Austin had been an NFL head coach for three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1966–68) and was starting his eighth year as an assistant coach under Lombardi (1959–64, 1969–70). Also, Austin's final four seasons as a player on the offensive line with the New York Giants (1954–57) were with Lombardi as offensive coordinator.
The Redskins finished at 6–8 in 1970, fourth in the NFC East, but with a five-game losing streak in the second half of the season. The last loss was a 34–0 shutout at rival Dallas on December 6, and Washington fell to a 4–8 record and four games behind the Cowboys.[4]
It was the 25th consecutive season that the Redskins did not advance to the playoffs. Austin's contract was not renewed, and he was succeeded by George Allen in January 1971.[5][6] Austin returned to Redskins in 1973 as the offensive line coach under Allen for five seasons.
Offseason
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 43 | Bill Brundige | Defensive Tackle | Colorado |
| 4 | 103 | Paul Laaveg | Tackle | Iowa |
| 5 | 114 | Manny Sistrunk | Defensive Tackle | Arkansas AM&N |
| 5 | 121 | Danny Pierce | Running Back | Memphis State |
| 7 | 173 | Roland Merritt | Wide Receiver | Maryland |
| 7 | 178 | Jimmy Harris | Cornerback | Howard Payne |
| 8 | 199 | Paul Johnson | Defensive Back | Penn State |
| 9 | 225 | Ralph Sonntag | Tackle | Maryland |
| 11 | 277 | Mack Alston | Tight End | Maryland State |
| 12 | 303 | James Kates | Linebacker | Penn State |
| 13 | 329 | Joe Patterson | Tackle | Lawrence |
| 14 | 355 | Tony Moro | Running Back | Dayton |
| 15 | 381 | Vic Lewandowski | Center | Holy Cross |
| 16 | 407 | Steve Bushore | Wide Receiver | Emporia State |
| 17 | 433 | Earl Maxfield | Defensive Tackle | Baylor |
Roster
| 1970 Washington Redskins roster | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
|
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
|
Defensive linemen
Linebackers
|
Defensive backs
Special teams
| ||||||
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 20 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 26–17 | 0–1 | |
| 2 | September 27 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 27–17 | 0–2 | |
| 3 | October 4 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 33–21 | 1–2 | |
| 4 | October 11 | Detroit Lions | W 31–10 | 2–2 | |
| 5 | October 19 | at Oakland Raiders | L 34–20 | 3–2 | |
| 6 | October 25 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 20–0 | 3–3 | |
| 7 | November 1 | at Denver Broncos | W 19–3 | 4–3 | |
| 8 | November 8 | Minnesota Vikings | L 19–10 | 4–4 | |
| 9 | November 15 | at New York Giants | L 35–33 | 4–5 | |
| 10 | November 22 | Dallas Cowboys | L 45–21 | 4–6 | |
| 11 | November 29 | New York Giants | L 27–24 | 4–7 | |
| 12 | December 6 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 34–0 | 4–8 | |
| 13 | December 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 24–6 | 5–8 | |
| 14 | December 20 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 28–27 | 6–8 | |
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 5–3 | 7–4 | 299 | 221 | W5 |
| New York Giants | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 6–2 | 6–5 | 301 | 270 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 5–3 | 6–5 | 325 | 228 | L3 |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 3–5 | 4–7 | 297 | 314 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 10 | 1 | .231 | 1–7 | 1–9–1 | 241 | 332 | W1 |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
References
- ↑ "Lombardi dies of cancer". Milwaukee Journal. wire services. September 3, 1970. p. 1, part 1.
- ↑ "State to mourn Lombardi in rites". Milwaukee Sentinel. September 4, 1970. p. 1, part 1.
- ↑ "'Skins tab Bill Austin". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. July 17, 1970. p. 11.
- ↑ "Cowboys rip Skins, 34-0". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. December 7, 1970. p. 3, part 2.
- ↑ "Allen replaces Bill Austin; Cardinals dismiss Winner". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. W-P. January 7, 1971. p. 13.
- ↑ Lowitt, Bruce (January 7, 1971). "George Allen replaces Bill Austin as Redskin coach". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. p. 25.