• The schedule was interrupted after Week 2 by a players' strike that lasted 57 days.
  The NFL Players Association had staged three previous strikes - 1968, 1970, and 1974. All those took place before the season began and therefore didn't cause any regular season games to be missed.
• Weeks 3 through 10 were cancelled.
• The NFL announced that play would resume with Week 11 and continue through Week 16. However, a new Week 17 was added to allow important intra-division games from the eight cancelled weeks to be played. The extra Week 17 games would allow some teams to balance out their home and away games to either 5-4 or 4-5.
• Also, the three divisions within the two conferences would be eliminated for determining the qualifiers for the playoffs, which would be expanded from 10 to 16 teams.
• So the 14 teams in each conference were competing for eight playoff spots based on their overall records.

Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys had dominated the NFC East for 16 years starting in 1966.

• They had won the division twelve times in that period, including five of the last six years.
• They had appeared in five Super Bowls, winning two and losing three.

The Washington Redskins were in Year Two of a rebuilding program under new coach Joe Gibbs.

• Under Gibbs, the Redskins had improved from 6-10 in 1980 under Jack Pardee to 8-8 in 1981.
  Fans were not happy when their Skins began the '81 season 0-5. Some wore bags over their heads to the next home game in imitation of what Saints fans had done the year before. But Gibbs had a "come to Jesus meeting" with QB Joe Theismann, who had thrown nine INTs in the first five games. Gibbs accused Joe of being too distracted by non-football activities. When the QB started playing better and handing the ball to Riggins more often, the Redskins won five of their next six.
• The Skins had won both their games before the strike began.
• After the strike, they won six of their first seven games, the only loss coming at home to the Cowboys 24-10. It was the sixth straight win for Dallas over the Redskins.
• Their 8-1 record gave the Redskins the #1 seed for the NFC playoffs.
• The Cowboys were the #2 seed with a 6-3 record and, like the Skins, would host the first two rounds of the playoff.

Both teams won their two playoff games at home to set up another meeting for the NFC Championship.

• Washington defeated the Detroit Lions 31-7 and the Minnesota Vikings 21-7.
• Dallas didn't have as easy a task. They beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-17 and the Green Bay Packers 37-26.

Gibbs and new GM Bobby Beathard had transformed the Redskins from a team that had valued veterans since the regime of George Allen that was continued by his successor, Pardee, into a team that drafted gifted young players.

• Gibbs had served as offensive coordinator under Don Coryell with the Chargers. Coryell, the inventor of the I formation, had gained fame for his innovative passing offense at San Diego.
• Joe had also served under John McKay at both USC and Tampa Bay. McKay, having learned the I formation from Coryell, turned the Trojans into one of top rushing teams annually. (Think Mike Garrett and OJ Simpson.)
• The new offensive line coach was Joe Bugel, who had transformed the Houston Oilers' running game into the best in the NFL. (Think Earl Campbell.) Bugel created a group of giants who reveled in the name "Hogs."

The first task Gibbs set for himself after taking over the Redskins was the re-signing of RB John Riggins.

• After gaining 1,153y in 1979, Riggins left the Redskins 1980 training camp when the club refused to renegotiate his contract. He sat out the entire season.
• Eleven months later, Gibbs talked him into returning and made him the centerpiece of the offense.
• Riggins gained only 714y rushing in '81 as the Redskins started with five losses but won seven of their last nine games to finish 8-8.
• "The Diesel," as John was called, gained 553y in eight games in '82.

As the final minutes ticked away in the Redskins' semifinal victory over Minnesota, the fans started chanting "We want Dallas. We Want Dallas." When the Cowboys beat the Packers the next day, the fans got their wish.

• The Redskins' staff made some changes from the game plan they used in the 24-10 loss to the Cowboys December 5.
• G Russ Grimm explained, "We were zone blocking last time and not coming off quickly. We went more man-to-man, more double-teams this time. We decided to take them on, be physical, and let the best man win."
• The staff also installed a new formation with TE Rick Walker flexed out wide with the other TE, Donnie Warren, going in motion.
• But none of those adjustments would mean anything if Dallas corraled Riggins the way they did in the earlier game - just 26y on nine carries. "We need a big game from you," C Jeff Bostic told Big John, who replied, "You take care of the guys up front and leave the rest to me."

The Redskins were renowned for having great fans, but the players could not remember a more fired up crowd than the one that gathered in RFK Stadium for the NFC Championship game against the Cowboys.

• DT Darryll Grant recalled, "The fans were screaming like they were going to come down there and physically do harm. The intensity that I saw in the fans that day, the stadium rocking, and being in that tunnel, hearing them call out the other team, sends chills down my spine."
• FS Mark Murphy recalled years later: "I've been around the NFL and athletics for years, and I have never been around a more electric, intense stadium than that day. I distinctly remember looking behind our bench - and our fans standing up, just jumping up and down on the stands. And you could see the bleachers just going up and down. It's probably a miracle that they didn't collapse. The atmosphere of the stadium was just unbelievable."

• The Cowboys launched a business-like drive that consumed 7:45. Mixing passes and runs, they marched inexorably into Redskin territory with five first downs. Finally, on 3rd-and-5 at the 10, CB Vernon Dean knocked down a pass to WR Drew Pearson at the goal line. So Rafael Septien kicked a 27y FG. Cowboys 3 Redskins 0 (7:15)
  Washington responded with a drive of their own that went all the way. Mixing runs by the lone RB, Riggins, with Theisman passes, they traveled 84y in nine plays to take the lead. The key plays were a scramble to his left by Theismann, who threw back to the right to TE Warren for 15y to the Dallas 45 and a 17y burst over LT by Riggins to the 19. From there, Joe
  hit Charlie Brown with a 19y TD pass on a post pattern. Mark Moseley, the last of the straight on kickers, converted. Redskins 7 Cowboys 3 (1:55)
  After Dallas went three-and-out, the Redskins started at their 40 after the punt. Riggins gained 11 into Cowboys territory as the period ended.
  End Q1: Redskins 7 Cowboys 3

• The Redskins used up almost seven minutes with a drive deep into Dallas territory that ended with Moseley hitting the left upright on a field goal try.
  Neither team could move the ball on the next two possessions but the Cowboys' special teams failed twice to give the Skins another TD.
  First, Danny White, who also handled the punting for Dallas, got off a poor 29y punt to the Washington 42. When the Redskins punted four plays later,
  Rod Hill muffed it to give the Redskins possession at the 11. Four running plays later, Riggins jumped over from the one. Redskins 14 Cowboys 3
  
  Riggins scores over Randy White.
  After the teams exchanged punts, the Cowboys went to shortgun formation to try to move into field goal position. White completed three straight passes to move the ball to the Washington 32. Then disaster struck. RDE Dexter Manley took an inside route, got around LT Pat Donovan, and smashed White high, causing a concussion that sidelined the QB for the rest of the game. Gary Hogeboom came in and completed a pass to Timmy Newsome to the 24. Dallas hustled the field goal unit onto the field, but time expired before they could line up.
  
  Dexter Manley knocks Danny White out of the game.
  End Q2: Redskins 14 Cowboys 3

• The half started badly for the Redskins. First, Mike Nelms fumbled the kickoff when hit, and Washington was lucky to cover the ball on the seven. Four plays later, Dallas was in business at the Washington 39 after the punt.
  
  White warmed up, but the team doctor refused to allow him to reenter the game. Danny said after the game, "I don't remember anything that happened. I don't even remember the day."
  White's replacement, strong armed Gary Hogeboom, had thrown all of eight passes in his three-year career.
  The Cowboys thought enough of "The Boomer" to rip up his $50,000 contract in June and replace it with a three-year deal starting at $175,000.
  Hogeboom moved the offense for a touchdown on their first possession of the half. He completed three passes on the march, the final one 6y TD pass to Drew Pearson. Redskins 14 Cowboys 10 (11:29)
  
  Hogeboom hands off to Tony Dorsett.
  The Skins answered right back. Nelms made up for his fumble on the previous kickoff by returning this one 76y to the Dallas 20. But a sack soon made it 3rd-and-18. Theisman then escaped the rush to his right and threw to WR Charlie Brown, who came back for a diving catch at the 6. That made it Riggins time. The Diesel plowed to the three, then barreled into the end zone on the next play. Redskins 21 Cowboys 10 (9:11)
  Hogeboom marched Dallas right down the field, going six-for-six from the shotgun formation. The drive covered 84y and culminated in a 23y TD pass to Butch Johnson. Redskins 21 Cowboys 17 (3:25)
  The Skins got one first down on a defensive holding but no more and had to punt. Dallas could now take the lead with a touchdown. Starting from his 45, Hogeboom connected with Pearson to the Washington 44 to convert a 3rd-and-10 as the quarter ended.
  End Q3: Redskins 21 Cowboys 17

• Hogeboom hit TE Doug Cosbie on a crossing pattern to the 25. Then Dorsett gained 5. But the Redskins tossed Tony for a 3y loss and forced Gary's first incompletion from the shotgun to bring out Septien, who missed a 42y field goal to snap his streak of 15 in a row in the playoffs.
  The Redskins ran three plays and punted to give the Cowboys another chance to take the lead. But on the first play, LLB Mel Kaufman made a great over the shoulder grab of The Boomer's pass at the 40.
  The Redskins moved from there to a field goal. Riggins ran twice before Theismann found Brown on 3rd-and-four for a first down at the 21. Big John ran three straight times but fell a yard short of the first down marker. So Moseley booted a 29y field goal. Redskins 24 Cowboys 17 (7:12)
  The Washington defense struck again on the first play after the kickoff. RDE Manley batted Hogeboom's pass into the air. RDT Darryl Grant caught it and ran into the end zone. Washington now had 17 points off three Dallas turnovers while not giving up the ball themselves. Redskins 31 Cowboys 17 (6:55)
  Dallas gained two first downs on passes to Pearson and Johnson to the Washington 38 as the clock ticked under five minutes. But four straight incompletions turned the ball over.
  Theismann handed to Riggins eight straight times. He went over the 100y mark on his 30th carry to gain two first downs to almost run out the clock.
  
  Confusion reigned for about five minutes when the Cowboys left the field with 12 seconds still on the clock after Theismann hit the ground on fourth down. Fans swarmed onto the field and even began to tear down the goal posts while officials tried to restore order. The referee went into the Cowboys locker room and told the team it had to have 11 players back on the field for a final play because the clock had stopped on a change of possession at the Dallas 20. 11 players who had not removed their uniforms came out to a chorus of boos and lined up to finish the game with WR Pearson at QB (a position he played at the same high school that Theismann attended in New Jersey).
  FINAL SCORE: REDSKINS 31 COWBOYS 17
  

• Joe Gibbs: "You are witnessing one of the happiest days in someone's life. It was a great team effort, the same type of effort we have had all year."
• Joe Theismann: "I'm so excited, I want to jump up and down. I'll probably cry when I get home. I'm afraid to pinch myself; I might wake up. ... This is the closest team I've ever been on."
• Tom Landry: "I don't feel as bad as when we lost to San Francisco last year [on Clark's last minute catch]. We had the team that could beat San Francisco. I was sure about that team. But this was just a crazy year. And I couldn't ever put a finger on this team." Landry noticed the togetherness of the Redskins. "They had a good day. They played well. They didn't make any errors, and they did the things they had to do to win the game. We made mistakes that I felt we couldn't make if we were going to win. This team (Cowboys) wasn't quite the solid team because of the strike and all the things that took place. We never got on a good roll. The Redskins were on a roll year."