Mike Richman: Redskins-Giants Rivalry

Source:Redskins Historian- Mike Richman, talking to Redskins radio announcer Larry Michael.

"In his weekly appearance on Redskins Nation during the 2012 season, Mike Richman discusses moments in Redskins history in relation to the upcoming Monday night game against the Giants.  Redskins Nation is hosted by Larry Michael, the "Voice of the Redskins."  You can also watch the show on Mike's web site at:Redskins Historian. Check it out!" 

From Redskins Historian 

"In his weekly appearance on Redskins Nation during the 2012 season, Mike Richman discusses moments in Redskins history in relation to the upcoming game against the Giants.  Redskins Nation is hosted by Larry Michael, the "Voice of the Redskins."  You can also watch the show on Mike's web site at:Redskins Historian. Check it out!" 

Source:Redskins Historian- Mike Richman.

From Redskins Historian 

I think the thing that you have to understand about the rivalry that the Redskins have with the New York Giants, is that it's part of the NFC East. So you have to understand the NFC East division in the NFL first and then when you have that down, following the Redskins-Giants rivalry, if you are familiar with the history of the two clubs against each other. 

If you look at the Redskins-Giants sort of the way you look at a prison and see how the gangs in the prison or gangs on the street try to coexist, then you can see why the Redskins and Giants don't like each other and I would argue hate each other, why the fans of both clubs hate each other. They're both in the NFC East, they're about 250 miles from each other and play each other on the weekends, which means their fans can make the trip to see their team play in the other's stadium. Both clubs are traditional winners (forgetting about the last 20 years for the Redskins) and both clubs want to win the NFC East every year, to make it easier to get to the NFC Playoffs. 

Both the Redskins and Giants when they're good, are tough, physical, teams that hit and tackle really hard and both go after the QB and like to nail the receivers after they catch the ball. You watch a normal Redskins-Giants game, even when one team is not having a winning season, you are going to see a lot of hard-hitting, you are are going to see a lot of little fights break out, you are going to see som questionable hits as well. 

My most memorable moment as a Redskins fan of this great rivalry, is a really bad one, actually I have 4 really bad ones, as well as a couple of good ones. Giants LB Lawrence Taylor and DE Leonard Marshall, breaking Redskins QB Joe Theisman's leg during that infamous Monday Night game in 1985. If there is any good news there, it's that Jay Schroeder became the QB and the Redskins came back to win that game and go on to have a winning season finishing at 10-6. They were 5-5 going into that game. 

During the the Giants first Super Bowl season in 1986, they beat the Redskins 3 times, including shutting them out during the NFC Championship 17-0. The Redskins were 13-5 that season with 3 of their losses coming against the Giants. They also lost to the Denver Broncos, so they lost to the Super Bowl teams 4 times that year and only lost 1 other game that entire season. Gives you an idea how good the 86 Redskins were. 

So 3 of my good memories of this rivalry would have to be in 87 when the Redskins swept the Giants, which probably cost the Giants a playoff spot that year. And one of those victories was a big comeback win when they were down 17 points in the 2nd half at homes. The Redskins also swept the Giants in 1991, their first victory over the Giants since 1987, was on a Sunday Night game at New York. And then in 1999, when the Redskins were looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1992, they swept the Giants again. They probably don't win the NFC East that year had they not swept the Giants, because the Dallas Cowboys swept them. 

As the great football analyst John Madden says, you can't have a great rivalry unless the two teams involved are consistent winners and winning at the same time. I think that along with the Redskins and Giants being in the same division and being reasonably close to each other, and that both teams are traditionally, big, strong, and tough, is what makes this rivalry great and memorable.