In today's Rewarding Moments In Redskins History presented by Maryland Lottery My Lottery Rewards, we look back toformer Redskins running back Earnest Byner's 145-yard performance that led the burgundy and gold into the 1990 playoffs.
In retrospect, the 1990 season and a defeat of the Patriots set the tone for the following year when Washington captured Super Bowl XXVI.
But on Dec. 15, 1990, the Redskins were recovering from the infamous Monday Night Football "Body Bag" game against the Philadelphia Eagles that saw nine Redskins players depart the game due to injury. The Patriots were not as physical as the Redskins' NFC East rivals, yet the game was a battle of the trenches in rainy and frigid conditions.
"Oh, man, it was cold. It was wet. It was hard," said former Redskins safety Todd Bowles, now the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "It was a cross between freezing and ice skating."
After returning a fumble for a touchdown and forcing a safety, the Redskins relied heavily upon Earnest Byner for the rest of the Week 15 battle. Byner finished the game with 149 yards on a career-high 39 carries, helping the offense overcome a quiet performance from quarterback Mark Rypien -- who completed five of his 11 passes for 100 yards -- and rushing the Redskins into the playoffs.
