Gary Clark recalls how the Hogs used to troll defenses originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Wednesday marked the 30th anniversary of Washington’s Super Bowl XXVI victory over the Buffalo Bills. The team celebrated the date by having a live stream with members of the team reliving a season that culminated with them lifting the Lombardi trophy.
Washington not only beat the best teams that season, but they also had some swagger on their squad helping them on their way to that Super Bowl. Wide receiver Gary Clark said Russ Grimm and the offensive line used to tell the defense what their plays were during the live stream.
“In the 1987 season, we’re playing in the ’88 Super Bowl; I heard a lineman telling Denver what play we were gonna run,” Clark said. “They were telling them what play we were gonna run. I’m sitting there like, ‘What are ya’ll doing? Why are ya’ll telling them the play?'”
Though the tactic confused Clark at first, his teammates’ confidence on the field quickly reminded him of the value of preparation. Soon enough, he would tell defensive backs what he was doing before the snap.
Washington Football Talk Podcast | Listen and Subscribe | Watch on Youtube
“After a while, I figured it out because they prepared themselves in a way where [they] could tell you exactly what [they’re] doing, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Clark said. “When we trained that way, I’m looking at nobody that’s out-trained me. I can tell you what I’m gonna do, and there’s nothing you can do about it, especially if you’re in man [coverage].”
It’s that swagger that the team had that helped Washington go through some of the best teams in the NFL throughout the 1991 season. They played 11 games against teams with 10+ wins and went 9-2, outscoring the best teams in the league that year 338-157.
They played the Atlanta Falcons (10-6) twice, a 56-17 win in the regular season and a 24-7 victory in the NFC Divisional Round. Washington also saw the Detroit Lions (12-4) twice, winning 45-0 in the regular season and 41-10 in the NFC championship game. Washington’s only losses were to Philadelphia (10-6) in Week 16 after they clinched the No. 1 seed and Dallas (11-5) at home.
