Week 3 around-league at Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium. The Washington Redskins (0-2) travel to face the St. Louis Cardinals (0-2) on Sun September 20, 1981. Both teams winless. The schedule's first NFC East showdown.
Joe Theismann at quarterback for Washington. Joe Gibbs in his first year as head coach. Jim Hart at quarterback for the Cardinals. Ottis Anderson at running back. The Cardinals' Stump Mitchell at receiver.
The loser falls to 0-3.[1]
Joe Gibbs' Redskins are 0-2. Joe Theismann has thrown four interceptions through two games. The Cardinals are also 0-2 in Jim Hanifan's second year. Ottis Anderson averages 90 rushing yards per game.
The kind of NFC East game where the loser falls into the bottom tier of the division The Sunday game is the kind of cross-divisional matchup the schedule produces.
Week 3 begins the conference's early-October sort. The 49ers, Falcons, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Lions compete in the NFC. The Cardinals and Redskins meet as both 0-2 teams. Around the AFC the Chargers, Bills, and Bengals lead. The Sunday game is the kind of cross-divisional matchup that tells you where two struggling teams sit relative to their schedules.
Through two games the Redskins are 0-2 with a minus 16 differential. The Cardinals are 0-2 with a minus 23. Joe Theismann 38 of 64, 469, three touchdowns, four interceptions. Jim Hart 32 of 54, 414, two touchdowns, four interceptions. Ottis Anderson 45 carries for 180 The Sunday game is the kind of cross-divisional matchup the schedule produces.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-0 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-2 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 2-0 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 2-0 | W2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 1-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-2 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-0 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 1-1 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1-1 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-0 | W2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-1 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 1-1 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 0-2 | L2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-0 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-0 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 1-1 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-2 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-2 | L2 |
Washington Redskins 10, St. Louis Cardinals 9Washington Redskins 17, St. Louis Cardinals 26Washington Redskins 17, St. Louis Cardinals 26Washington Redskins 30, St. Louis Cardinals 40Washington Redskins 30, St. Louis Cardinals 40[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 10 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 1017173030 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 9 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 926264040 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Neil O'Donoghue 24 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Redskins | Mark Moseley 21 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Redskins | Ricky Thompson 34 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick) | 10-3 |
| Cardinals | Roy Green 58 yard pass from Jim Hart | 10-9 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Neil O'Donoghue 47 yard field goal | 10-12 |
| Cardinals | Stump Mitchell 50 yard punt return ( Neil O'Donoghue kick) | 10-19 |
| Redskins | Art Monk 79 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick) | 17-19 |
| Cardinals | Greg LaFleur 27 yard pass from Jim Hart ( Neil O'Donoghue kick) | 17-26 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Dave Stief 6 yard pass from Jim Hart ( Neil O'Donoghue kick) | 17-33 |
| Cardinals | Ottis Anderson 7 yard rush ( Neil O'Donoghue kick) | 17-40 |
| Redskins | Rick Walker 20 yard pass from Joe Theismann | 23-40 |
| Redskins | Ricky Thompson 10 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick) | 30-40 |
Jim Hart threw three touchdowns and Stump Mitchell returned a punt 50 yards for a score as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Redskins 40-30 at Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium. Hart finished 21 of 41 for 280 with the touchdowns to Roy Green (58), Greg LaFleur (27), and Dave Stief (6). The Cardinals improved to 1-2 with their first win of the year.[1]
Jim Hart threw three touchdowns and Stump Mitchell returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Redskins 40-30 at Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium. The win gave the Cardinals their first victory of 1981 and dropped Washington to 0-3.
Hart connected on a 58-yard touchdown to Roy Green that opened up the scoring. Greg LaFleur caught a 27-yard touchdown later in the second quarter. Dave Stief added a 6-yard touchdown. Ottis Anderson ran in a 7-yard score. Mitchell's 50-yard punt return for a touchdown extended the lead.
Joe Theismann threw four touchdowns (Ricky Thompson 34, Art Monk 79, Rick Walker 20, Thompson 10) but the Redskins' offense produced 30 points and the defense gave up 40. Art Monk's 79-yard touchdown was the day's longest play. Theismann finished 21 of 36 for 367.
Cardinals 40, Redskins 30. Margin: plus 10. Week 3.
A 40-30 home win for the St. Louis Cardinals over the Washington Redskins at Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium. The Cardinals improve to 1-2 with their first win of the 1981 season.
How it unfolded
Neil O'Donoghue opened the scoring with a 24-yard field goal. Mark Moseley made a 21-yard field goal. Ricky Thompson caught a 34-yard touchdown from Theismann. Roy Green caught a 58-yard touchdown from Hart to push the Cardinals ahead 10-10 (the 49-yard reception broken into a 58-yard scoring play). O'Donoghue made a 47-yard field goal. Stump Mitchell's 50-yard punt return for a touchdown made it 23-10. Art Monk caught a 79-yard touchdown from Theismann to cut it to 23-17. Greg LaFleur caught a 27-yard touchdown from Hart. Dave Stief caught a 6-yard touchdown. Ottis Anderson ran in a 7-yard rushing touchdown. Rick Walker caught a 20-yard touchdown from Theismann. Thompson caught a second 10-yard touchdown for Washington's final score.
The turning point
Mitchell's 50-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter. With the score tied early and the two winless teams looking to break the early-season cycle, the Cardinals' special teams produced the kind of explosive play that defined the day.
By the numbers
Hart 21 of 41 for 280 with three touchdowns. Theismann 21 of 36 for 367 with four touchdowns. Art Monk seven catches for 167 with the 79-yard touchdown. Roy Green five catches for 105 with a touchdown. Ottis Anderson 12 carries for 65 with a touchdown...
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 24 | 18 |
| Total Yards | 521 | 315 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 25/37 | 12/22 |
| Pass yards | 388 | 226 |
| Pass TD | 4 | 3 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 0 | 2 |
| Sack yards lost | 0 | 18 |
| Net pass yards | 388 | 208 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 27 | 37 |
| Rush yards | 133 | 107 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 4 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 8 | 8 |
| Penalty yards | 67 | 60 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAS | |||||
| Joe Theismann | 25/37 | 388 | 4 | 1 | |
| STL | |||||
| Jim Hart | 12/22 | 226 | 3 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAS | ||||
| Wilbur Jackson | 22 | 104 | 0 | 14 |
| Terry Metcalf | 3 | 18 | 0 | 11 |
| Joe Theismann | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Mike Connell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STL | ||||
| Wayne Morris | 13 | 60 | 0 | 13 |
| Ottis Anderson | 20 | 48 | 1 | 9 |
| Willard Harrell | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Neil Lomax | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAS | ||||
| Art Monk | 4 | 128 | 1 | 79 |
| Ricky Thompson | 7 | 106 | 2 | 34 |
| Terry Metcalf | 4 | 69 | 0 | 52 |
| Rick Walker | 3 | 41 | 1 | 20 |
| Clarence Harmon | 1 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Wilbur Jackson | 3 | 13 | 0 | 6 |
| Don Warren | 2 | 12 | 0 | 11 |
| Greg McCrary | 1 | -4 | 0 | -4 |
| STL | ||||
| Roy Green | 4 | 115 | 1 | 58 |
| Dave Stief | 2 | 35 | 1 | 29 |
| Ottis Anderson | 3 | 29 | 0 | 16 |
| Greg LaFleur | 1 | 27 | 1 | 27 |
| Willard Harrell | 2 | 20 | 0 | 19 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1981 Classic - Washington Redskins at St. Louis Cardinals - Game Thread
