The golden foot: Mark Moseley's kicking would be critical on the road to Redskins glory again. (The Washington Post)

Halfway through the 1970s, the Redskins clearly were moving way beyond over the hill, and Allen had given away most of the team's draft choices. But because the league and its players' union still had not agreed to a new contract, there was an unusual window of opportunity after the 1975 season to acquire free-agent players whose contracts had expired. Allen took full advantage, signing New York Jets fullback John Riggins and adding two longtime Dallas nemeses — running back Calvin Hill and tight end Jean Fugett — to his 1976 roster.

Riggins saw most of his action that year as a blocking back, leading the way for Thomas to gain more than 1,000 yards. In addition, kicker Mark Moseley, signed as a free agent in 1974, led the league that year with 22 field goals, and Eddie Brown gain 646 yards returning punts, the second highest total in league history. The Redskins finished 10-4 with a wild-card spot, but they were crushed, 35-20, by the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs.

The 1977 season would be Allen's last hurrah in Washington. His contract was in its final year, and Allen and Williams were having difficulty reaching a new one.

Other Pages in Chapter 3: 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112

Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 Names, Numbers Trivia Quiz Index

Redskins | NFL | Sports