Sports Then and Now

Faithful Lions fans celebrate following the 19-14 win over the Redskins.

After 19 straight regular season losses, the Detroit Lions finally ended the second longest losing streak in NFL history with a 19-14 victory over the Washington Redskins.

It marked the first win for the Lions since defeating Kansas City 25-20 on December 23, 2007. The Lions have won only two of 27 games since starting the 2007 season with a 6-2 record.

That the victory would come against the Washington Redskins is somewhat surprising considering that the Redskins have historically dominated the Lions. In 37 all-time meetings entering 2009, the Redskins held a 27-10 series lead, including a 14-2 mark against the Lions since 1983.
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Each week during the 2009 NFL season, Sports Then and Now will pick one upcoming NFL matchup and look through the history books to find an intriguing past meeting between the two teams. We will recap the game and hopefully help reintroduce (or introduce for you younger readers) you to some of the greats (and in some cases not so greats) from the history of professional football.

The Matchup: Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants

Series Record: Two of the oldest teams in the NFL, the Redskins and Giants have met 152 times with the Giants holding an 87-61-4 advantage. The two teams have been division rivals since the Redskins joined the NFL as the Boston Braves in 1932.

The Game: November 27, 1966, D.C. Stadium in Washington, DC

Team Records: Washington Redskins 5-6; New York Giants 1-8-1

Overview: When the Redskins and Giants met in Washington late in the 1966 season, neither team was headed to the playoffs. Actually, far from it as the Giants were on their way to the worst season in team history just three seasons after playing for the NFL title. The Redskins were trying to reach .500 for the first time in a decade. What ensued on this late November afternoon was not necessarily one of the best played games in professional football history, but it was a contest filled with more big plays and scoring than any other game in the history of the league.
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Calvin Hill

With the NFL season starting this week we recognize as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week a player who was the NFL Rookie of the Year 40 years ago and went on to a successful 12-year career.

Many were surprised when the Dallas Cowboys used the 24th pick in the 1969 draft to select a running back from Yale University. However, Calvin Hill proved to be a perfect pick.

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