RFK Stadium - Things started going downhill at the outset for the Redskins when Carl Monroe returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Washington came in needing a win to remain in control of its own playoff destiny. The 49ers, though, who were in desperate straits themselves, used the return as a springboard to an easy win.

“Just like (the Redskins), we’ve had a rough season,” said San Francisco running back Roger Craig after the game. “Today, I started getting the feeling that things might work out all right after all.”

The Washington players had just the opposite feeling; they knew that even three wins in their last three games probably wouldn’t be enough to gain a playoff spot.