"The Cowboy Killer" Santana Moss gives an exclusive introduction to the newest episode of Hail Tales: Stories form Washington Football History all about the Monday Night Miracle. Get Your Commanders Tickets Here: https://bit.ly/3SpwKU3 Hosts: Santana Moss, Logan Paulsen, Fred Smoot Producer: Jason Johnson
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the Man Center Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Logan paulsa here with Fred Smooth and Santana Moss
and we as always have a.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Very very special show for you. Today we are going to.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Air an episode of hail Tails talking.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
About the Monday Night Miracles.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So we figured this would be a great opportunity for
our guys, Tana just to kind of give a quick
quick overview of maybe how he feels this connected him
to the fan base here.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I know, every time we go out to anything, people
are like Monday Night Miracle, Cowboy Killer. Yes, yeah, I
mean yeah, So how does this feel?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I think May Night Miracle basically stamped me as the
Cowboy Killer before I even got going. And you know,
having those bigger games, I think that game. Think about
it if your first game ever against a team in
your division was a game that actually it was the
first game my first time ever playing against the Cowboys,
so it was the first time in the rivalry of
(00:53):
me being introduced to the rivalry. Yeah, I had a
performance like that, so prematurely I was stamped the Cowboy Killer,
and almost every time I got to face them, that
was the pressure I was carrying. I had to really
go out there and have big performances. But I love
the fact that in all the memories of the fans
when it comes to this rich history we have as
a team, and they bring up that as their super Bowl.
(01:16):
So that's what I get. That's the gratification I get
out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, No, I think that's that's really cool, really exciting,
and again like it's such an iconic moment here for
the franchise.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
For the friends, for the fan base. Fred, do you
have any I'm here. I renamed it No.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I was looking from Afar, I was in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I left.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
I just left.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
So I called it not the Monday Night Miracle. I
call it the Monday Night massacre because I'm watching it.
Of course, I'm pulling for Washington at this time. And
then I'm like, oh man, we can lose this game,
and time running out.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
It just it looked like it wasn't a chance. And
then I see Tanner burning a coach. He burned coach.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Listen to me.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I was like, let's dude, the bullet not once did
they like? I was like, okay, he ran pass him once.
They ain't gonna let it happen no more. And he
ran pass him again and I could not That.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Is pretty wild, but that that happened in such a
short time frames basically the same player, right.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, basically one of them was a post on the post.
The other one was just a straight post, you know
what I mean? But I think too, man, when you
think about it, and this is something that a lot
of football players can probably contest to, is just or
havn't had that experience. You visualize yourself having big performances,
but you couldn't imagine in a million years to have
one like that.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yeah, you see what I'm saying, Like, you know how many.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Times I don't visualize myself having a big game and
had a big game, but I never had a game
that just ended like that, like you took the game
over And I don't even want credit for saying I
took the game because it took a lot for us
to have that moment. Defensively, had to make stops, quarterback,
had to get the ball up so but just to
be on the other side of catching that pass and
being the guy that scored those touchdowns, man, it's just
(03:00):
in the world.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
And that's why you know, I walked so my head.
Did you feel like you was in a zone.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
You know, we get to the zone, I.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Feel like I was Mario and I got the damn mushroom,
you know, feeling nobody it's the same feeling I felt
numerous of times. The one time it was the time
after that the next year against Jacksonville, like it's like,
no matter what they throw up at you.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Come down by the way, you know what I mean,
So that I had that feeling. So Jason helps out
on that show too. You're a producer, right, Jason is. Yeah,
producers obviously they heard Tanna's perspective holes right to hear
about from the.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Episode Shawn Springs on there.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
You guy there, Nick Novak kicked to the extra point
and touch down there. That was his first game.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Him and Tanna. Yeah, obviously bigger game for Tanna.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
But yeah, coaches that were on the sideline with you
Tanner tell us about how Tanna was, like what it
was your attitude was like in the game, and like, yeah, man,
you know I was. I don't think I've told you this, Tanna,
but I was a kid when this was happening, really younger,
and I would watch games with my dad, and I
(04:15):
don't know, I didn't get this from my dad. But
I would watch every game till the whistle blew, until
the clock at zero. I never gave up. I don't know,
maybe I hadn't been too many times yet, but my
father had, so he was like, I'm going to bed.
So he went to bed and I and when you
caught that touchdown, I started screaming and my dad thought
something's wrong. So he comes out. I'm like, no, this
(04:37):
guy Moss, this guy Moss, He's just and then we
watched the rest of the game together. It was like
a bonding moment for me and my dad, Like just
a good football memory for us.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
But yeah, you provided that. But that was my intro
man to d C. And I mean the rest with history.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I was on a half of.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Next ten Years. Remember, well, it's a great episode.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, it's I think it's always cool to hear from Tenne,
but I think it's also cool to hear those other
people that they can talk about. Its cool to hear
Jason's respective and why it's so important for the city
of DC.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
And that's up right now.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Time Horizon's defense.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
It's in the shut off.
Speaker 8 (05:21):
Thirteen tons had turned off their televisions. Under five minutes
remained in the fourth quarter of a Week two primetime
showdown between Washington and Dallas. The air is hot and
thick in the domed Texas Stadium.
Speaker 7 (05:42):
Cowboys are on top thirteen zero.
Speaker 9 (05:46):
He's like a great relief pitcher who dunge in with
the lead and if he has a thirteen or more
point lead anytime in the fourth quarter. Seventy seven and oh.
Speaker 8 (05:56):
The Burgundy and Gold hadn't won in Dallas in a decade.
In his entire Hall of Fame career, Dallas head coach
Bill Parcells had never lost when leading by thirteen or
more points anytime during a fourth quarter.
Speaker 9 (06:15):
I'll tell you we have seen some improbables these years.
This was only a thirteen nothing game, but this new
ran right up there in terms of improbability.
Speaker 8 (06:29):
A killer born, the heart of a team revealed. What
happens is one of the most exciting, one of the
most memorable spectacles in the last twenty five years of
Washington football. This is hail Tales Stories from Washington football history,
(06:57):
the Monday Night Miracle. Heading into the two thousand and
five season, there were embers of hopes smoldering in Washington.
A year earlier, the legendary Joe Gibbs had come out
of retirement to become head coach of the team again.
(07:20):
All Pro defensive back Sean Springs remembers the crescendo of
optimism in Ashbourne.
Speaker 10 (07:26):
Well, I think it started with four where you know,
we all have a whole bunch of free agents. Myself,
Marcus Washington, Clinton Ports scatted traded from Denver to Washington.
We had pretty good group of free agents that came in.
And coach Gibbs first year so he had pretty much
changed over the whole organization and team, and we had
(07:49):
a rough two thousand and four, but we felt like
we were building on something. Two thousand and five, we'd
had one year on that I belt with being with
coach Gibbs, we had a great offseason, great spring.
Speaker 8 (08:02):
Springs was part of a Washington defense led by defensive
coordinator Greg Williams that had all the talent, toughness, and discipline.
Speaker 7 (08:12):
The unit in two.
Speaker 8 (08:13):
Thousand and five featured other difference makers like Sean Taylor.
Speaker 11 (08:18):
Is intercepted by Sean Taylor his second pick today. Sean Taylor,
Tanner Tanner, my God, Tannler. This Sean Taylor at the
knockout punch maybe.
Speaker 7 (08:36):
LeVar Arrington.
Speaker 9 (08:37):
He's a big hit for LaVar Arrington if he did.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
And Marcus washington.
Speaker 8 (08:48):
Life where most of the questions swirled was around the
other side of the ball. Former Washington Beat writer Jason
lock and Form explains.
Speaker 12 (09:01):
Really for me, it was about is this going to
be a modern NFL offense or isn't it?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Are they going to be able to produce an.
Speaker 12 (09:09):
Offense that's even close enough to league average to allow
what had been a really good defense to kind of
lead them somewhere? Could they be a playoff team or
wild card ish team.
Speaker 8 (09:22):
Moves were made in the offseason to ramp up the offense.
Quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave joined the staff, adding the shotgun
formation to Washington's playbook. Left tackle Chris Samuels was given
a contract that included the richest signing bonus in franchise history,
and a very important weapon.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
Was added to Washington's wide receiver.
Speaker 13 (09:45):
Room wide receiver Lavernius Cole traded to the Jets for
Santana Moss. In Moss, the Redskins obtained an explosive wide
receiver with blazing speed who is also a dynamic punt returner.
We're excited to have Santana Moss Vice president Phinnis Ferado
(10:06):
said yesterday, he's been a touchdown maker and he has
great speed.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Just looking at that season as a whole, two thousand
and three to two thousand and four, I was trending upward,
you know, especially still on my rookie deal, and I
remember coming into the season at four with perhaps an
agreement of verbal agreement with my agent and the ownership
of Hates to be gonna take care Tana, you know,
probably before the season or why the season going on,
(10:32):
and then all of a sudden in three sixty things changed.
So to come to get into the offseason after a
playoff Berth that would have been my third playoff appearance
in four years, and to hear that I'm about to
be traded, I scratched in my head. But at the
same time, when I understood what was going on, I
(10:52):
was ecstatic about the opportunity and just knowing that I
had some guys over here in Washington that I couldn't
wait to play with him Now.
Speaker 8 (11:01):
The storylines about Washington's offense and defense would be underscored.
In the team's season opening win against the Bears.
Speaker 9 (11:10):
Everything expected close defensive battles.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Curingly offensive numbers except for Porters.
Speaker 9 (11:15):
One hundred and twenty one yards not a lot to
look at, but the Skins win the game.
Speaker 8 (11:22):
No touchdowns scored by Washington. Defense was the star of
the show and the task ahead would only be tougher.
Speaker 14 (11:31):
Anytime you go going to Dallas, certain playing the Cowgirls,
it gets even more intensified.
Speaker 8 (11:38):
Clinton portis NFL offensive Rookie of the Year, two time
Pro Bowler, member of Washington's ninety greatest.
Speaker 14 (11:46):
You know, the city is kind of an electure, especially
coming off of wad So the Sydney electure. Everybody Cowboys, Cowboys,
Cowboys week, Cowboys.
Speaker 15 (11:56):
We people ask you know what do you miss about
the NI not being there?
Speaker 4 (12:01):
It's that rivalry.
Speaker 8 (12:03):
Joe Gibbs, three time Super Bowl champion, Hall of Famer
and coach of that two thousand and five team.
Speaker 15 (12:11):
As much as when you say Redskins and Cowboys, nobody's
on the fence here.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
You are one or the other.
Speaker 15 (12:20):
That's what makes I think the NFL really special because
you do build up rivalries, and that comes from playing
somebody twice a year.
Speaker 8 (12:33):
And in this era of the rivalry, two renowned coaches
were facing off in Gibbs and Dallas's Bill Parcells.
Speaker 15 (12:41):
Bill Parcells to me was I think one of the
most talented guys to ever coach in the NFL. I
had great respect for him.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I laugh.
Speaker 15 (12:55):
I said, now sometimes when I wake up in the
middle of the night with the or it's Billed parcelsick.
I found he was really gifted as a coach. Didn't
like going against Parcels. And when he was with the Giants,
we had some classic battles.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
And then.
Speaker 15 (13:16):
I said, it's the worst thing that happened. Now they
get in coaching the Cowboys. I said, that's not a
good thing.
Speaker 7 (13:23):
So the stage was set.
Speaker 8 (13:25):
Week two of the two thousand and five season, Washington
heads to Dallas for a showdown at the iconic Texas Stadium.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
It was different.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I mean, even though the stadium was considered old at
that time, it was star studded. I mean, you can
honestly feel a different energy.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
In the building when you're there.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
The way it was.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Set up, the way it looked, I mean just the
arrival alone, how the fans greeted you. It was like
you was coming into a place where you wasn't liked,
and the fans that you know out the gate, but
beyond that is just when you entered that stadium, when
you saw that big star in the middle of the field,
you knew this is what I watched before, you know,
as a kid man watching big games being played in
(14:14):
this stadium.
Speaker 8 (14:16):
The pregame buzz was particularly amplified for kicker Nick Novack.
Speaker 16 (14:21):
My first NFL game was a Monday night game.
Speaker 8 (14:23):
Novak, a Charlottesville, Virginia native, who had played at the
University of Maryland, had just been signed a couple of
days earlier after spending time on Dallas's practice squatch.
Speaker 17 (14:35):
Getting the opportunity to go from Maryland to now the
Washington Redskins was was a rare opportunity. I think a
whole lot of guys I think had played for their
hometown team. And I even stayed in Nashburne with my cousins,
stayed at their house so i'd be.
Speaker 16 (14:51):
Close to home. I was.
Speaker 17 (14:52):
It was during the season, so I got picked up,
you know, I didn't know where I was gonna stay.
Definitely heard what the neighbors had to think about the
game and all that stuff after every game, so that
was fun.
Speaker 16 (15:02):
But yeah, I knew it was it was. It was.
It was everything to try to beat that team.
Speaker 17 (15:09):
And I'm sure if I stayed on the Cowboys back
in preseason it'd be it would be the opposite thing.
Speaker 9 (15:17):
Here we go at the end of the week. Number
two Tyson Thompson, a great looking rookie out of San
Jose State, maybe the fastest guy.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
On the team.
Speaker 9 (15:24):
Nick Novack just signed as a click cup against John
hold his hurt to put it in the ear and
the Cowboys would take it from the seven yard.
Speaker 8 (15:31):
The game does not start off well for Washington. Former
center Casey Rabach remembers.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Offensively, we were just flat.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
We really were.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
It wasn't from lack of preparation or anything like that.
Speaker 18 (15:44):
It just it just came out flat, just kind of
not not in tune with each other. We couldn't get
the run game going, the passing game was was non existent.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Protection wise, We're horrible up front. I've started at the
Washington thirty one yard line.
Speaker 9 (16:05):
Brabelle out of the shotgun, a formation that Washington did
not use.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
It all last year, and maybe that's one of the
reasons Brenell loves the shotgun.
Speaker 7 (16:13):
But dad Win was.
Speaker 9 (16:14):
Able to let they did not lie a single play
out of the shotgun last year, and their first play
is that.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
Second and sixteen.
Speaker 10 (16:24):
Here's Rena out of the shocking slings because the outside
it's in a second.
Speaker 9 (16:27):
By moment at the forty yard line. Newman will sit
Dallas up in great field position at the beginning of
the second quarter because that's the play that ends the
first period.
Speaker 14 (16:38):
A lot of the stuff that we practice we weren't doing.
Speaker 8 (16:43):
Dallas gets on the board with a field goal in
the second quarter.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Then ty your first half. It's like we won those matches.
You know it's a gross match and you know one
of us going to come out on top.
Speaker 10 (16:54):
We knew that we could keep you know, any week
we played, we could keep us in the game, right
regardless office score thirty points of the score twelve, we
work and give up a lot of points that will slot.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
To the right shotgun.
Speaker 9 (17:06):
Here, let's Shay a third guy in thepos over the middle,
and that's caught the shy of the first down as
Sean Springs made sure Jason Wentton doesn't get the first
down and Dallas is forced to punt.
Speaker 19 (17:17):
Now, that's one thing that really impresses me with his
Washington redskin corners is that they're good tacklers, and the
play before we saw Walt Harris make a good open
field tackle and then on that one Sean Springs make
a good open field tackle.
Speaker 8 (17:31):
At halftime, the score is three to zero Cowboys.
Speaker 20 (17:35):
Well I spoke to both coaches at the half, starting
with Joe Gibbs. I asked him about his defense being
on the field almost seventeen minutes in the first half
in this heat. He said the reason for that turnovers,
returned the ball over twice.
Speaker 7 (17:47):
For his offense struggling to move the ball.
Speaker 20 (17:50):
In the first half, he said, we have to do
a better job with the ball. Ask for Bill Parcells,
he said, hey, we are struggling just like they are,
despite having the edge in time of possession, a decent
field position. He said, Beef slowed.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
Down a bit.
Speaker 20 (18:03):
We gotta get a running game going.
Speaker 12 (18:05):
It wasn't like I wonder what amazing you know halftime
adjustments they were going to make. It was more like,
can anybody take advantage of a busted coverage and make
a play? Like can somebody catch a screen pass out
in the flat? They catch a couple of blocks and
get fifty yards at yack and turn nothing into something
like it was.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
The bar was was set pretty low.
Speaker 8 (18:31):
Dallas pulls even further ahead in the third quarter.
Speaker 9 (18:34):
First in twenty year, the toss could lets from Jones
and nineties telling him to a touchdown.
Speaker 15 (18:44):
That game was so disappointing because really there wasn't much for.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
A Redskin fan to cheer.
Speaker 8 (18:53):
Four In that game, although down by ten and struggling
to put points on the board, Washington still is within
striking distance and there was a belief that this team
could still turn the game around.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
I never give up. You know, anything could happen.
Speaker 14 (19:12):
The only thing you like, especially for us back in
that day, it's like, man, we need to get eternally
or we just need to score to get points on
the board. And again it was weird situations. When you
got Tanner, you got Coolly myself, it was always a
man like, somebody can make a play. We don't have
(19:34):
a suantee of having a defense that we had at
the time, Like anybody could make the play.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
But it was kind of on us. We always took
up like as a challenge.
Speaker 8 (19:45):
In the fourth Dallas adds a field goal. Washington is
down thirteen zero.
Speaker 18 (19:52):
Amazingly, when you went to the sideline. You never felt
the panic button pushed. And guys still believe. Guys still
we're into the game and you know, had had faith
that we're gonna win this game.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Somehow, some way, I took my hammet off and I
had this frown on my face.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
And then that's when Porters walked up. Tanner was kind
of hot.
Speaker 14 (20:14):
You know, we were on the sideline, couldn't get nothing
going on at Tanna like, man, like, what's up? You
know you got this crazy look on your face?
Speaker 1 (20:22):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 16 (20:22):
He just like you know and old tann Away like, man,
we've been practicing.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Name needs to calling it like whatever was right.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Don't get me wrong, It's never been about me. I
mean any team I played on, I won't even mention
that I'm not getting the ball if the ball did
come away, because I believe everybody has a job and
I shouldn't never have to tell a coach or coach
is that your number one receiver needs to get the.
Speaker 10 (20:50):
Ball, you know, saying Tanner Man, we call him Tanna
Man eight and nine. He won't speak up for himself.
He will not like he's not the typical receiver where
he'll be like tell me the damn.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Ball or I'm gonna He's not that guy. He won't
do that.
Speaker 10 (21:07):
He'll just he'll just be like, you know, sitting on
the bench or whatever.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
And I saw Seepe talking to him.
Speaker 14 (21:13):
And I just will told coach like man trying to
say he can he can get get the safety, like
let's run X, Y Z.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
And then he go.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Coach Gibbs come back and like, hey, you want to
run the DNA if we get the ball back, and
I'm like, look up at the clock and no disrespect
I didn't want to be disrespectful. So I'm like, sure, coach,
like you know, I had to look him up and
he's like, now you want to throw this ball to me?
Speaker 7 (21:34):
Washington does get the ball back? Suck tell me from the.
Speaker 9 (21:40):
Thirty eight pressure on Bruno and you've got one Williams
coming into free is a good chance you're gonna see
your sack. And that's what happens here.
Speaker 18 (21:50):
Mark Maya got sacked either on second down or third
down somewhere around there, and I think Mark said something.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
I remember him saying something the holloway we hallo up.
Speaker 18 (22:01):
After that, one of the effect of get your head
out of here, let's go win this game.
Speaker 8 (22:06):
Under four minutes left to play, fourth and fifteen.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
Bob rosen Ard school fast the push in his shutout
thirteen nothing.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
They'd have to get through the twenty four yard round.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
With new George.
Speaker 9 (22:25):
Brunel hanging in, going deep and it pass touching out
my saf tan on long and boom.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
The first touchdown was strong.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
It was it was.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It was a Deno route that I had, you know,
saw previously ran by Marvin Harrison when he was playing
at Indy against Aaron Glenn, when Aaron Glenn played with
me in New York, and so I was a young
pup watching Marvin Harison run this route and it was
always closer to the end zone. Coach said, Hey, what
the heck, Tanna can run that. Just run it from
(22:56):
wherever we had on the field. Like if you look
at that play over and look how close it was
for me not making that catch, Like I believe Roy
Williams was right there. If he was just launched and
took the pass interference, I probably get hit. The ball
probably bounced off of both of us and it's no catch.
But Roy didn't want to pass an afference call, so
he just kind of like swiped that my hand and
(23:17):
boomed the ball fit perfectly, great pass throw by Mark Brunell,
and come job or trot to the sideline, and everybody
kind of like it has a it's like a breath
of fresh air now on our sideline. And Coach Gibbs like, hey, like,
I guess this kid know what he's talking about.
Speaker 10 (23:33):
Damn we caught it like he started, We back in it.
So then it was like defense, get up, We just
need to stop. We just need to stop. And everybody
was just like re energized, and we just went out
there and then I.
Speaker 9 (23:45):
Think I'm trying out sposed to two win of running
left for Washington. You think that we know the way
for ourselves. Just played through the years. He loves to
play clock Bullish had the running game. But tonight that
Washington defense is stemy. Dallas, You've got Jones carrying nineteen
times sixty five yards only two point nine per.
Speaker 7 (24:03):
Rush tonight or doubts the defense holds strong. Dallas is
forced to punt.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Nick Buyers punt is two deep.
Speaker 9 (24:16):
And that will come out to the twenty yard line,
So don't have to go eighty yards in two point
fifty two not.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
A game is closer. Now, offense getting the ball back.
You know we weren't you know, we had that one.
Speaker 10 (24:28):
Big explosive play and you're thinking, all right, Dallas is
gonna wake up now.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
They've been playing good defense all game.
Speaker 8 (24:35):
Washington has the ball under three minutes left. On the
first play of the drive, Brunell dumps the ball off
to Portos for ten yards first and ten on Washington's
thirty yard line.
Speaker 19 (24:48):
Yeah, this is when you find up out about your
offensive defense. And this is what good offense is when
you can make plays in this situation.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
A good defense is when you can stop those plays
from the thirty green yard do.
Speaker 10 (25:05):
Touchdown.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Wow, it wasn't the same play, but it was. Coach
was like, what they playing flat footed back there? I
see Roy Williams want to play up in a box
more so than he want to be be a be
a deep safety. So and just from where the corner
was playing me was he was out wide and he
was deep. So I'm like, I knew right there in
(25:26):
there some kind of bracket going on against you know,
for me just basically saying, all right, both of us
got them. We're gonna disguise this in a way to
where it looks like we're playing one position, but we
both have them. And so the the second touchdown was
just a post route, a deep post, and being a
receiver that I am, I was looking at the lineman
and I say, instead of me running this with the
(25:47):
angle that I will normally give it, I'm going to
run cheating a little more towards the safety, so I
can already give myself a good jump away from the
uh dB the cornerback. And when I by the time
I put my foot in the ground, that means I
would be on top of the safety because he's already flat.
So I angled towards the safety more so than you're
straight up the field. So when I put my foot
(26:08):
in the ground, the safety won't have a clear cut
to come, you know, ring my bell. So by doing that,
when I was able to get on them gain ground
and knowing Roy Williams wasn't going to back up by
the time I took that, what I guess I was
counting in my head probably my twelfth step when I
put that foot in the ground and go to the post.
You know, normally when you have a deep post, you're
(26:29):
telling yourself by my second count. You know, my second
step out of that post, out of that initial plant,
the ball should be in the air. When I planned it,
I was like in my head, I'm like one, two
and getting ready to say three to look back now
for the ball. The ball was coming down. So I'm
like Mark Brunell, the genius of Mark Brunell. He just
(26:52):
knew Tanner's go on to beat him. So let me
get this ball up high and with an arc and quick.
And he did so, man, And it made it simple
enough for me. It made it easier for me to
be able to catch it without having to worry about
Aaron Glenn coming into the picture at the last minute.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
If you go back and watch it.
Speaker 7 (27:07):
Aaron Glenn's hand just barely misses it.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
So being that Mark b'nell pull it up with a
with a perfect time and just knew where I was
going to be at man, it was like you would
have thought me and Mark Brnell had been doing that
all summer alone.
Speaker 10 (27:21):
Come out again, Mark those a bomb in Santana and
you're like, what, like like this, where was this? For
the first three quarters while wasting Andy gave everybody a
heart attack. And then when Santana caught it and ran
it in. I just remember him spinning the ball, you know,
his classics tanner Man spinning the ball.
Speaker 8 (27:41):
Thirteen thirteen, Nick Novak steps up to hopefully kick the
game winning extra point in his first ever NFL game.
Speaker 16 (27:50):
You know, extra point's a little different now.
Speaker 17 (27:53):
Back then, if you're kicking from the ten yard line,
so it's only a twenty yard trip shot, you know.
Speaker 16 (27:58):
Now it's from the thirty three, So you got a
thirty three arfield goal now. But uh, you know, I
just normal routine.
Speaker 17 (28:07):
It's pretty common to be post one hundred percent on
still go or extra point accuracy from that range. So
I wasn't worried about missing or any of those thoughts
weren't creeping in my mind.
Speaker 16 (28:19):
It was it was just get the job done.
Speaker 9 (28:22):
And Novak bangs one crew in his NFL debut. So
with two thirty five remaining in regulation, it's now fourteen thirteen,
the job.
Speaker 7 (28:31):
Gets done on that part of special teams.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
Novak is then called into action in a different capacity
just seconds later.
Speaker 9 (28:40):
So one there's night when the crowd and they're always
into the Redskins and the Cowboys had things in hand,
and all of a sudden, hit a gold fight down
by one. Tyson Thompson is back to return to did
novaccians at skyward. It comes down with the two rod
lines Workie Tyson Thompson pass looks funny that big curst,
(29:04):
the speed and no back. The kicker makes the tackle
at midfield.
Speaker 16 (29:10):
Was able to stop him and it was for sure
going to be a touchdown.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
A touchdown prevented, but Dallas does get great field position
for a chance to rip the victory from Washington's hands.
Speaker 15 (29:23):
The really intense thing for me was then we had
to stop them on the drive.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
I got to tell you, I was so uptight.
Speaker 15 (29:32):
Those are the things that I just wonder sometimes, how
how fast was my heart beating, because now you know
you're you are so wrapped up.
Speaker 9 (29:44):
In that and now you're down to one last play
barring a pass interference call which could also set up
a field door. And it rolled under knee and it's
drolls and the lad in the world to gwin.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Then look a look up the team.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
I'm actually where the ball game will land.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
After that, you looked at their sideline and just pure defeat.
It was freaking awesome. It was absolutely awesome.
Speaker 15 (30:13):
Means so much to me so much to the fan base,
for everybody that pulls for the Redskins in those days,
all those people to be able to celebrate that is
just It's one of the great thrills in life.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
That odds defying, heart stopping win showed who Washington was
and where this team could go.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
I think that the game was like we needed that,
we needed that, we needed that win.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
I think it's kind of bronow.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
It seemed again that year was magical.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
You know that that team, you know, we really fought
and and went through games that year. I don't know
if you can consider or call that game one of
the starting points to us knowing that we was pretty.
Speaker 14 (31:13):
Good and it was just one of those tough teams
that we knew we had bought into. Uh, Coach Gibbs
and staff just like, hey, Greg Williams gonna call it
a tough defense, a tough game. You're gonna hit people
and offensively, who's gonna grind it out?
Speaker 1 (31:30):
We're coming down here.
Speaker 14 (31:31):
So it was like everybody had brought in to our
identity and we knew who we were.
Speaker 16 (31:36):
Like that lump, We're gonna leave lumps.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
That's what Coach Gibbs so We're gonna leave some lump songs.
Speaker 8 (31:41):
We know you played us for Santana Moss. The performance
immediately endeared him to his new city.
Speaker 14 (31:47):
Two touchdowns within three minutes, four minutes, Sue mcbombs, and
that created the cowboy killer.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
That's the way you want to be recognized. That's the
way you want to tell them, like, this is what
you're getting, you know, And I think that's what That's
what I was more pleased with than anything. I didn't
care about how we wanted, how I always care. I
went into both of those games week one and week
two of like I'm gonna show you who sent Tanamoss is.
Speaker 8 (32:26):
Like subscribe, comment and stay tuned for more Hailtales episodes
this summer. This episode of Haletal's was narrated, produced, and
researched by me Hannah Lichtenstein, senior copywriter for the Washington Commanders.
It was produced and edited by Jason Johnson, edited by
Nick Lianos. Executive producers are Ryan Yokum and Kevin Klein.
(32:49):
Additional voiceover help comes from Bram Weinstein. Graphics designed by
Zach Osborne and Matt Cashman. Thank you to our guests
for their contributions and thank you for listening.
Welcome to the Man Center Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Logan paulsa here with Fred Smooth and Santana Moss
and we as always have a.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Very very special show for you. Today we are going to.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Air an episode of hail Tails talking.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
About the Monday Night Miracles.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So we figured this would be a great opportunity for
our guys, Tana just to kind of give a quick
quick overview of maybe how he feels this connected him
to the fan base here.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I know, every time we go out to anything, people
are like Monday Night Miracle, Cowboy Killer. Yes, yeah, I
mean yeah, So how does this feel?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I think May Night Miracle basically stamped me as the
Cowboy Killer before I even got going. And you know,
having those bigger games, I think that game. Think about
it if your first game ever against a team in
your division was a game that actually it was the
first game my first time ever playing against the Cowboys,
so it was the first time in the rivalry of
(00:53):
me being introduced to the rivalry. Yeah, I had a
performance like that, so prematurely I was stamped the Cowboy Killer,
and almost every time I got to face them, that
was the pressure I was carrying. I had to really
go out there and have big performances. But I love
the fact that in all the memories of the fans
when it comes to this rich history we have as
a team, and they bring up that as their super Bowl.
(01:16):
So that's what I get. That's the gratification I get
out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, No, I think that's that's really cool, really exciting,
and again like it's such an iconic moment here for
the franchise.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
For the friends, for the fan base. Fred, do you
have any I'm here. I renamed it No.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I was looking from Afar, I was in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I left.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
I just left.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
So I called it not the Monday Night Miracle. I
call it the Monday Night massacre because I'm watching it.
Of course, I'm pulling for Washington at this time. And
then I'm like, oh man, we can lose this game,
and time running out.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
It just it looked like it wasn't a chance. And
then I see Tanner burning a coach. He burned coach.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Listen to me.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I was like, let's dude, the bullet not once did
they like? I was like, okay, he ran pass him once.
They ain't gonna let it happen no more. And he
ran pass him again and I could not That.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Is pretty wild, but that that happened in such a
short time frames basically the same player, right.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, basically one of them was a post on the post.
The other one was just a straight post, you know
what I mean? But I think too, man, when you
think about it, and this is something that a lot
of football players can probably contest to, is just or
havn't had that experience. You visualize yourself having big performances,
but you couldn't imagine in a million years to have
one like that.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yeah, you see what I'm saying, Like, you know how many.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Times I don't visualize myself having a big game and
had a big game, but I never had a game
that just ended like that, like you took the game
over And I don't even want credit for saying I
took the game because it took a lot for us
to have that moment. Defensively, had to make stops, quarterback,
had to get the ball up so but just to
be on the other side of catching that pass and
being the guy that scored those touchdowns, man, it's just
(03:00):
in the world.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
And that's why you know, I walked so my head.
Did you feel like you was in a zone.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
You know, we get to the zone, I.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Feel like I was Mario and I got the damn mushroom,
you know, feeling nobody it's the same feeling I felt
numerous of times. The one time it was the time
after that the next year against Jacksonville, like it's like,
no matter what they throw up at you.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Come down by the way, you know what I mean,
So that I had that feeling. So Jason helps out
on that show too. You're a producer, right, Jason is. Yeah,
producers obviously they heard Tanna's perspective holes right to hear
about from the.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Episode Shawn Springs on there.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
You guy there, Nick Novak kicked to the extra point
and touch down there. That was his first game.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Him and Tanna. Yeah, obviously bigger game for Tanna.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
But yeah, coaches that were on the sideline with you
Tanner tell us about how Tanna was, like what it
was your attitude was like in the game, and like, yeah, man,
you know I was. I don't think I've told you this, Tanna,
but I was a kid when this was happening, really younger,
and I would watch games with my dad, and I
(04:15):
don't know, I didn't get this from my dad. But
I would watch every game till the whistle blew, until
the clock at zero. I never gave up. I don't know,
maybe I hadn't been too many times yet, but my
father had, so he was like, I'm going to bed.
So he went to bed and I and when you
caught that touchdown, I started screaming and my dad thought
something's wrong. So he comes out. I'm like, no, this
(04:37):
guy Moss, this guy Moss, He's just and then we
watched the rest of the game together. It was like
a bonding moment for me and my dad, Like just
a good football memory for us.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
But yeah, you provided that. But that was my intro
man to d C. And I mean the rest with history.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I was on a half of.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Next ten Years. Remember, well, it's a great episode.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, it's I think it's always cool to hear from Tenne,
but I think it's also cool to hear those other
people that they can talk about. Its cool to hear
Jason's respective and why it's so important for the city
of DC.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
And that's up right now.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Time Horizon's defense.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
It's in the shut off.
Speaker 8 (05:21):
Thirteen tons had turned off their televisions. Under five minutes
remained in the fourth quarter of a Week two primetime
showdown between Washington and Dallas. The air is hot and
thick in the domed Texas Stadium.
Speaker 7 (05:42):
Cowboys are on top thirteen zero.
Speaker 9 (05:46):
He's like a great relief pitcher who dunge in with
the lead and if he has a thirteen or more
point lead anytime in the fourth quarter. Seventy seven and oh.
Speaker 8 (05:56):
The Burgundy and Gold hadn't won in Dallas in a decade.
In his entire Hall of Fame career, Dallas head coach
Bill Parcells had never lost when leading by thirteen or
more points anytime during a fourth quarter.
Speaker 9 (06:15):
I'll tell you we have seen some improbables these years.
This was only a thirteen nothing game, but this new
ran right up there in terms of improbability.
Speaker 8 (06:29):
A killer born, the heart of a team revealed. What
happens is one of the most exciting, one of the
most memorable spectacles in the last twenty five years of
Washington football. This is hail Tales Stories from Washington football history,
(06:57):
the Monday Night Miracle. Heading into the two thousand and
five season, there were embers of hopes smoldering in Washington.
A year earlier, the legendary Joe Gibbs had come out
of retirement to become head coach of the team again.
(07:20):
All Pro defensive back Sean Springs remembers the crescendo of
optimism in Ashbourne.
Speaker 10 (07:26):
Well, I think it started with four where you know,
we all have a whole bunch of free agents. Myself,
Marcus Washington, Clinton Ports scatted traded from Denver to Washington.
We had pretty good group of free agents that came in.
And coach Gibbs first year so he had pretty much
changed over the whole organization and team, and we had
(07:49):
a rough two thousand and four, but we felt like
we were building on something. Two thousand and five, we'd
had one year on that I belt with being with
coach Gibbs, we had a great offseason, great spring.
Speaker 8 (08:02):
Springs was part of a Washington defense led by defensive
coordinator Greg Williams that had all the talent, toughness, and discipline.
Speaker 7 (08:12):
The unit in two.
Speaker 8 (08:13):
Thousand and five featured other difference makers like Sean Taylor.
Speaker 11 (08:18):
Is intercepted by Sean Taylor his second pick today. Sean Taylor,
Tanner Tanner, my God, Tannler. This Sean Taylor at the
knockout punch maybe.
Speaker 7 (08:36):
LeVar Arrington.
Speaker 9 (08:37):
He's a big hit for LaVar Arrington if he did.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
And Marcus washington.
Speaker 8 (08:48):
Life where most of the questions swirled was around the
other side of the ball. Former Washington Beat writer Jason
lock and Form explains.
Speaker 12 (09:01):
Really for me, it was about is this going to
be a modern NFL offense or isn't it?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Are they going to be able to produce an.
Speaker 12 (09:09):
Offense that's even close enough to league average to allow
what had been a really good defense to kind of
lead them somewhere? Could they be a playoff team or
wild card ish team.
Speaker 8 (09:22):
Moves were made in the offseason to ramp up the offense.
Quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave joined the staff, adding the shotgun
formation to Washington's playbook. Left tackle Chris Samuels was given
a contract that included the richest signing bonus in franchise history,
and a very important weapon.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
Was added to Washington's wide receiver.
Speaker 13 (09:45):
Room wide receiver Lavernius Cole traded to the Jets for
Santana Moss. In Moss, the Redskins obtained an explosive wide
receiver with blazing speed who is also a dynamic punt returner.
We're excited to have Santana Moss Vice president Phinnis Ferado
(10:06):
said yesterday, he's been a touchdown maker and he has
great speed.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Just looking at that season as a whole, two thousand
and three to two thousand and four, I was trending upward,
you know, especially still on my rookie deal, and I
remember coming into the season at four with perhaps an
agreement of verbal agreement with my agent and the ownership
of Hates to be gonna take care Tana, you know,
probably before the season or why the season going on,
(10:32):
and then all of a sudden in three sixty things changed.
So to come to get into the offseason after a
playoff Berth that would have been my third playoff appearance
in four years, and to hear that I'm about to
be traded, I scratched in my head. But at the
same time, when I understood what was going on, I
(10:52):
was ecstatic about the opportunity and just knowing that I
had some guys over here in Washington that I couldn't
wait to play with him Now.
Speaker 8 (11:01):
The storylines about Washington's offense and defense would be underscored.
In the team's season opening win against the Bears.
Speaker 9 (11:10):
Everything expected close defensive battles.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Curingly offensive numbers except for Porters.
Speaker 9 (11:15):
One hundred and twenty one yards not a lot to
look at, but the Skins win the game.
Speaker 8 (11:22):
No touchdowns scored by Washington. Defense was the star of
the show and the task ahead would only be tougher.
Speaker 14 (11:31):
Anytime you go going to Dallas, certain playing the Cowgirls,
it gets even more intensified.
Speaker 8 (11:38):
Clinton portis NFL offensive Rookie of the Year, two time
Pro Bowler, member of Washington's ninety greatest.
Speaker 14 (11:46):
You know, the city is kind of an electure, especially
coming off of wad So the Sydney electure. Everybody Cowboys, Cowboys,
Cowboys week, Cowboys.
Speaker 15 (11:56):
We people ask you know what do you miss about
the NI not being there?
Speaker 4 (12:01):
It's that rivalry.
Speaker 8 (12:03):
Joe Gibbs, three time Super Bowl champion, Hall of Famer
and coach of that two thousand and five team.
Speaker 15 (12:11):
As much as when you say Redskins and Cowboys, nobody's
on the fence here.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
You are one or the other.
Speaker 15 (12:20):
That's what makes I think the NFL really special because
you do build up rivalries, and that comes from playing
somebody twice a year.
Speaker 8 (12:33):
And in this era of the rivalry, two renowned coaches
were facing off in Gibbs and Dallas's Bill Parcells.
Speaker 15 (12:41):
Bill Parcells to me was I think one of the
most talented guys to ever coach in the NFL. I
had great respect for him.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I laugh.
Speaker 15 (12:55):
I said, now sometimes when I wake up in the
middle of the night with the or it's Billed parcelsick.
I found he was really gifted as a coach. Didn't
like going against Parcels. And when he was with the Giants,
we had some classic battles.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
And then.
Speaker 15 (13:16):
I said, it's the worst thing that happened. Now they
get in coaching the Cowboys. I said, that's not a
good thing.
Speaker 7 (13:23):
So the stage was set.
Speaker 8 (13:25):
Week two of the two thousand and five season, Washington
heads to Dallas for a showdown at the iconic Texas Stadium.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
It was different.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I mean, even though the stadium was considered old at
that time, it was star studded. I mean, you can
honestly feel a different energy.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
In the building when you're there.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
The way it was.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Set up, the way it looked, I mean just the
arrival alone, how the fans greeted you. It was like
you was coming into a place where you wasn't liked,
and the fans that you know out the gate, but
beyond that is just when you entered that stadium, when
you saw that big star in the middle of the field,
you knew this is what I watched before, you know,
as a kid man watching big games being played in
(14:14):
this stadium.
Speaker 8 (14:16):
The pregame buzz was particularly amplified for kicker Nick Novack.
Speaker 16 (14:21):
My first NFL game was a Monday night game.
Speaker 8 (14:23):
Novak, a Charlottesville, Virginia native, who had played at the
University of Maryland, had just been signed a couple of
days earlier after spending time on Dallas's practice squatch.
Speaker 17 (14:35):
Getting the opportunity to go from Maryland to now the
Washington Redskins was was a rare opportunity. I think a
whole lot of guys I think had played for their
hometown team. And I even stayed in Nashburne with my cousins,
stayed at their house so i'd be.
Speaker 16 (14:51):
Close to home. I was.
Speaker 17 (14:52):
It was during the season, so I got picked up,
you know, I didn't know where I was gonna stay.
Definitely heard what the neighbors had to think about the
game and all that stuff after every game, so that
was fun.
Speaker 16 (15:02):
But yeah, I knew it was it was. It was.
It was everything to try to beat that team.
Speaker 17 (15:09):
And I'm sure if I stayed on the Cowboys back
in preseason it'd be it would be the opposite thing.
Speaker 9 (15:17):
Here we go at the end of the week. Number
two Tyson Thompson, a great looking rookie out of San
Jose State, maybe the fastest guy.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
On the team.
Speaker 9 (15:24):
Nick Novack just signed as a click cup against John
hold his hurt to put it in the ear and
the Cowboys would take it from the seven yard.
Speaker 8 (15:31):
The game does not start off well for Washington. Former
center Casey Rabach remembers.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Offensively, we were just flat.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
We really were.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
It wasn't from lack of preparation or anything like that.
Speaker 18 (15:44):
It just it just came out flat, just kind of
not not in tune with each other. We couldn't get
the run game going, the passing game was was non existent.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Protection wise, We're horrible up front. I've started at the
Washington thirty one yard line.
Speaker 9 (16:05):
Brabelle out of the shotgun, a formation that Washington did
not use.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
It all last year, and maybe that's one of the
reasons Brenell loves the shotgun.
Speaker 7 (16:13):
But dad Win was.
Speaker 9 (16:14):
Able to let they did not lie a single play
out of the shotgun last year, and their first play
is that.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
Second and sixteen.
Speaker 10 (16:24):
Here's Rena out of the shocking slings because the outside
it's in a second.
Speaker 9 (16:27):
By moment at the forty yard line. Newman will sit
Dallas up in great field position at the beginning of
the second quarter because that's the play that ends the
first period.
Speaker 14 (16:38):
A lot of the stuff that we practice we weren't doing.
Speaker 8 (16:43):
Dallas gets on the board with a field goal in
the second quarter.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Then ty your first half. It's like we won those matches.
You know it's a gross match and you know one
of us going to come out on top.
Speaker 10 (16:54):
We knew that we could keep you know, any week
we played, we could keep us in the game, right
regardless office score thirty points of the score twelve, we
work and give up a lot of points that will slot.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
To the right shotgun.
Speaker 9 (17:06):
Here, let's Shay a third guy in thepos over the middle,
and that's caught the shy of the first down as
Sean Springs made sure Jason Wentton doesn't get the first
down and Dallas is forced to punt.
Speaker 19 (17:17):
Now, that's one thing that really impresses me with his
Washington redskin corners is that they're good tacklers, and the
play before we saw Walt Harris make a good open
field tackle and then on that one Sean Springs make
a good open field tackle.
Speaker 8 (17:31):
At halftime, the score is three to zero Cowboys.
Speaker 20 (17:35):
Well I spoke to both coaches at the half, starting
with Joe Gibbs. I asked him about his defense being
on the field almost seventeen minutes in the first half
in this heat. He said the reason for that turnovers,
returned the ball over twice.
Speaker 7 (17:47):
For his offense struggling to move the ball.
Speaker 20 (17:50):
In the first half, he said, we have to do
a better job with the ball. Ask for Bill Parcells,
he said, hey, we are struggling just like they are,
despite having the edge in time of possession, a decent
field position. He said, Beef slowed.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
Down a bit.
Speaker 20 (18:03):
We gotta get a running game going.
Speaker 12 (18:05):
It wasn't like I wonder what amazing you know halftime
adjustments they were going to make. It was more like,
can anybody take advantage of a busted coverage and make
a play? Like can somebody catch a screen pass out
in the flat? They catch a couple of blocks and
get fifty yards at yack and turn nothing into something
like it was.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
The bar was was set pretty low.
Speaker 8 (18:31):
Dallas pulls even further ahead in the third quarter.
Speaker 9 (18:34):
First in twenty year, the toss could lets from Jones
and nineties telling him to a touchdown.
Speaker 15 (18:44):
That game was so disappointing because really there wasn't much for.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
A Redskin fan to cheer.
Speaker 8 (18:53):
Four In that game, although down by ten and struggling
to put points on the board, Washington still is within
striking distance and there was a belief that this team
could still turn the game around.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
I never give up. You know, anything could happen.
Speaker 14 (19:12):
The only thing you like, especially for us back in
that day, it's like, man, we need to get eternally
or we just need to score to get points on
the board. And again it was weird situations. When you
got Tanner, you got Coolly myself, it was always a
man like, somebody can make a play. We don't have
(19:34):
a suantee of having a defense that we had at
the time, Like anybody could make the play.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
But it was kind of on us. We always took
up like as a challenge.
Speaker 8 (19:45):
In the fourth Dallas adds a field goal. Washington is
down thirteen zero.
Speaker 18 (19:52):
Amazingly, when you went to the sideline. You never felt
the panic button pushed. And guys still believe. Guys still
we're into the game and you know, had had faith
that we're gonna win this game.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Somehow, some way, I took my hammet off and I
had this frown on my face.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
And then that's when Porters walked up. Tanner was kind
of hot.
Speaker 14 (20:14):
You know, we were on the sideline, couldn't get nothing
going on at Tanna like, man, like, what's up? You
know you got this crazy look on your face?
Speaker 1 (20:22):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 16 (20:22):
He just like you know and old tann Away like, man,
we've been practicing.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Name needs to calling it like whatever was right.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Don't get me wrong, It's never been about me. I
mean any team I played on, I won't even mention
that I'm not getting the ball if the ball did
come away, because I believe everybody has a job and
I shouldn't never have to tell a coach or coach
is that your number one receiver needs to get the.
Speaker 10 (20:50):
Ball, you know, saying Tanner Man, we call him Tanna
Man eight and nine. He won't speak up for himself.
He will not like he's not the typical receiver where
he'll be like tell me the damn.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Ball or I'm gonna He's not that guy. He won't
do that.
Speaker 10 (21:07):
He'll just he'll just be like, you know, sitting on
the bench or whatever.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
And I saw Seepe talking to him.
Speaker 14 (21:13):
And I just will told coach like man trying to
say he can he can get get the safety, like
let's run X, Y Z.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
And then he go.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Coach Gibbs come back and like, hey, you want to
run the DNA if we get the ball back, and
I'm like, look up at the clock and no disrespect
I didn't want to be disrespectful. So I'm like, sure, coach,
like you know, I had to look him up and
he's like, now you want to throw this ball to me?
Speaker 7 (21:34):
Washington does get the ball back? Suck tell me from the.
Speaker 9 (21:40):
Thirty eight pressure on Bruno and you've got one Williams
coming into free is a good chance you're gonna see
your sack. And that's what happens here.
Speaker 18 (21:50):
Mark Maya got sacked either on second down or third
down somewhere around there, and I think Mark said something.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
I remember him saying something the holloway we hallo up.
Speaker 18 (22:01):
After that, one of the effect of get your head
out of here, let's go win this game.
Speaker 8 (22:06):
Under four minutes left to play, fourth and fifteen.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
Bob rosen Ard school fast the push in his shutout
thirteen nothing.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
They'd have to get through the twenty four yard round.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
With new George.
Speaker 9 (22:25):
Brunel hanging in, going deep and it pass touching out
my saf tan on long and boom.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
The first touchdown was strong.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
It was it was.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It was a Deno route that I had, you know,
saw previously ran by Marvin Harrison when he was playing
at Indy against Aaron Glenn, when Aaron Glenn played with
me in New York, and so I was a young
pup watching Marvin Harison run this route and it was
always closer to the end zone. Coach said, Hey, what
the heck, Tanna can run that. Just run it from
(22:56):
wherever we had on the field. Like if you look
at that play over and look how close it was
for me not making that catch, Like I believe Roy
Williams was right there. If he was just launched and
took the pass interference, I probably get hit. The ball
probably bounced off of both of us and it's no catch.
But Roy didn't want to pass an afference call, so
he just kind of like swiped that my hand and
(23:17):
boomed the ball fit perfectly, great pass throw by Mark Brunell,
and come job or trot to the sideline, and everybody
kind of like it has a it's like a breath
of fresh air now on our sideline. And Coach Gibbs like, hey, like,
I guess this kid know what he's talking about.
Speaker 10 (23:33):
Damn we caught it like he started, We back in it.
So then it was like defense, get up, We just
need to stop. We just need to stop. And everybody
was just like re energized, and we just went out
there and then I.
Speaker 9 (23:45):
Think I'm trying out sposed to two win of running
left for Washington. You think that we know the way
for ourselves. Just played through the years. He loves to
play clock Bullish had the running game. But tonight that
Washington defense is stemy. Dallas, You've got Jones carrying nineteen
times sixty five yards only two point nine per.
Speaker 7 (24:03):
Rush tonight or doubts the defense holds strong. Dallas is
forced to punt.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Nick Buyers punt is two deep.
Speaker 9 (24:16):
And that will come out to the twenty yard line,
So don't have to go eighty yards in two point
fifty two not.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
A game is closer. Now, offense getting the ball back.
You know we weren't you know, we had that one.
Speaker 10 (24:28):
Big explosive play and you're thinking, all right, Dallas is
gonna wake up now.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
They've been playing good defense all game.
Speaker 8 (24:35):
Washington has the ball under three minutes left. On the
first play of the drive, Brunell dumps the ball off
to Portos for ten yards first and ten on Washington's
thirty yard line.
Speaker 19 (24:48):
Yeah, this is when you find up out about your
offensive defense. And this is what good offense is when
you can make plays in this situation.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
A good defense is when you can stop those plays
from the thirty green yard do.
Speaker 10 (25:05):
Touchdown.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Wow, it wasn't the same play, but it was. Coach
was like, what they playing flat footed back there? I
see Roy Williams want to play up in a box
more so than he want to be be a be
a deep safety. So and just from where the corner
was playing me was he was out wide and he
was deep. So I'm like, I knew right there in
(25:26):
there some kind of bracket going on against you know,
for me just basically saying, all right, both of us
got them. We're gonna disguise this in a way to
where it looks like we're playing one position, but we
both have them. And so the the second touchdown was
just a post route, a deep post, and being a
receiver that I am, I was looking at the lineman
and I say, instead of me running this with the
(25:47):
angle that I will normally give it, I'm going to
run cheating a little more towards the safety, so I
can already give myself a good jump away from the
uh dB the cornerback. And when I by the time
I put my foot in the ground, that means I
would be on top of the safety because he's already flat.
So I angled towards the safety more so than you're
straight up the field. So when I put my foot
(26:08):
in the ground, the safety won't have a clear cut
to come, you know, ring my bell. So by doing that,
when I was able to get on them gain ground
and knowing Roy Williams wasn't going to back up by
the time I took that, what I guess I was
counting in my head probably my twelfth step when I
put that foot in the ground and go to the post.
You know, normally when you have a deep post, you're
(26:29):
telling yourself by my second count. You know, my second
step out of that post, out of that initial plant,
the ball should be in the air. When I planned it,
I was like in my head, I'm like one, two
and getting ready to say three to look back now
for the ball. The ball was coming down. So I'm
like Mark Brunell, the genius of Mark Brunell. He just
(26:52):
knew Tanner's go on to beat him. So let me
get this ball up high and with an arc and quick.
And he did so, man, And it made it simple
enough for me. It made it easier for me to
be able to catch it without having to worry about
Aaron Glenn coming into the picture at the last minute.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
If you go back and watch it.
Speaker 7 (27:07):
Aaron Glenn's hand just barely misses it.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
So being that Mark b'nell pull it up with a
with a perfect time and just knew where I was
going to be at man, it was like you would
have thought me and Mark Brnell had been doing that
all summer alone.
Speaker 10 (27:21):
Come out again, Mark those a bomb in Santana and
you're like, what, like like this, where was this? For
the first three quarters while wasting Andy gave everybody a
heart attack. And then when Santana caught it and ran
it in. I just remember him spinning the ball, you know,
his classics tanner Man spinning the ball.
Speaker 8 (27:41):
Thirteen thirteen, Nick Novak steps up to hopefully kick the
game winning extra point in his first ever NFL game.
Speaker 16 (27:50):
You know, extra point's a little different now.
Speaker 17 (27:53):
Back then, if you're kicking from the ten yard line,
so it's only a twenty yard trip shot, you know.
Speaker 16 (27:58):
Now it's from the thirty three, So you got a
thirty three arfield goal now. But uh, you know, I
just normal routine.
Speaker 17 (28:07):
It's pretty common to be post one hundred percent on
still go or extra point accuracy from that range. So
I wasn't worried about missing or any of those thoughts
weren't creeping in my mind.
Speaker 16 (28:19):
It was it was just get the job done.
Speaker 9 (28:22):
And Novak bangs one crew in his NFL debut. So
with two thirty five remaining in regulation, it's now fourteen thirteen,
the job.
Speaker 7 (28:31):
Gets done on that part of special teams.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
Novak is then called into action in a different capacity
just seconds later.
Speaker 9 (28:40):
So one there's night when the crowd and they're always
into the Redskins and the Cowboys had things in hand,
and all of a sudden, hit a gold fight down
by one. Tyson Thompson is back to return to did
novaccians at skyward. It comes down with the two rod
lines Workie Tyson Thompson pass looks funny that big curst,
(29:04):
the speed and no back. The kicker makes the tackle
at midfield.
Speaker 16 (29:10):
Was able to stop him and it was for sure
going to be a touchdown.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
A touchdown prevented, but Dallas does get great field position
for a chance to rip the victory from Washington's hands.
Speaker 15 (29:23):
The really intense thing for me was then we had
to stop them on the drive.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
I got to tell you, I was so uptight.
Speaker 15 (29:32):
Those are the things that I just wonder sometimes, how
how fast was my heart beating, because now you know
you're you are so wrapped up.
Speaker 9 (29:44):
In that and now you're down to one last play
barring a pass interference call which could also set up
a field door. And it rolled under knee and it's
drolls and the lad in the world to gwin.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Then look a look up the team.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
I'm actually where the ball game will land.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
After that, you looked at their sideline and just pure defeat.
It was freaking awesome. It was absolutely awesome.
Speaker 15 (30:13):
Means so much to me so much to the fan base,
for everybody that pulls for the Redskins in those days,
all those people to be able to celebrate that is
just It's one of the great thrills in life.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
That odds defying, heart stopping win showed who Washington was
and where this team could go.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
I think that the game was like we needed that,
we needed that, we needed that win.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
I think it's kind of bronow.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
It seemed again that year was magical.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
You know that that team, you know, we really fought
and and went through games that year. I don't know
if you can consider or call that game one of
the starting points to us knowing that we was pretty.
Speaker 14 (31:13):
Good and it was just one of those tough teams
that we knew we had bought into. Uh, Coach Gibbs
and staff just like, hey, Greg Williams gonna call it
a tough defense, a tough game. You're gonna hit people
and offensively, who's gonna grind it out?
Speaker 1 (31:30):
We're coming down here.
Speaker 14 (31:31):
So it was like everybody had brought in to our
identity and we knew who we were.
Speaker 16 (31:36):
Like that lump, We're gonna leave lumps.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
That's what Coach Gibbs so We're gonna leave some lump songs.
Speaker 8 (31:41):
We know you played us for Santana Moss. The performance
immediately endeared him to his new city.
Speaker 14 (31:47):
Two touchdowns within three minutes, four minutes, Sue mcbombs, and
that created the cowboy killer.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
That's the way you want to be recognized. That's the
way you want to tell them, like, this is what
you're getting, you know, And I think that's what That's
what I was more pleased with than anything. I didn't
care about how we wanted, how I always care. I
went into both of those games week one and week
two of like I'm gonna show you who sent Tanamoss is.
Speaker 8 (32:26):
Like subscribe, comment and stay tuned for more Hailtales episodes
this summer. This episode of Haletal's was narrated, produced, and
researched by me Hannah Lichtenstein, senior copywriter for the Washington Commanders.
It was produced and edited by Jason Johnson, edited by
Nick Lianos. Executive producers are Ryan Yokum and Kevin Klein.
(32:49):
Additional voiceover help comes from Bram Weinstein. Graphics designed by
Zach Osborne and Matt Cashman. Thank you to our guests
for their contributions and thank you for listening.
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