1954 Washington Redskins season
NFL team season
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The 1954 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 17th in Washington, D.C. The team failed to improve on their 6–5–1 record from 1953. The Redskins sent defensive back Don Paul to the Cleveland Browns. The Redskins acquired Paul from the Chicago Cardinals. Upon his arrival in Washington, he fell in displeasure with George Preston Marshall of the Redskins.[1] Their 35.8% estimated defensive DVOA is the worst since 1950, according to FTN Fantasy. All three of their defensive Pro Bowlers from the season before were on other teams. [2]
| 1954 Washington Redskins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | George Preston Marshall |
| General manager | Dick McCann |
| Head coach | Joe Kuharich |
| Home stadium | Griffith Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 3–9 |
| Division place | 5th NFL Eastern |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
Although the NFL formally desegregated in 1946, many teams were slow to allow black athletes to compete even after the formal barrier had fallen. None were less willing to desegregate than the Washington Redskins, who sought to be the "home team" for a vast Southern market. The Redskins would remain the last bastion of racial segregation in the NFL, refusing to include a single black player on their roster until 1962.[3]
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 6 | at Eleventh Naval District | W 52–0 | 1–0 | Balboa Stadium | 10,000 |
| 2 | August 18 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 7–27 | 1–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 79,813 |
| 3 | August 21 | vs. San Francisco 49ers | L 7–30 | 1–2 | Charles C. Hughes Stadium (Sacramento, CA) | 23,389 |
| 4 | August 27 | at Detroit Lions | L 7–27 | 1–3 | Briggs Stadium | 34,380 |
| 5 | September 4 | vs. Chicago Bears | L 20–29 | 1–4 | Carolina Stadium (Columbia, SC) | 20,000 |
| 6 | September 11 | vs. Green Bay Packers | L 3–31 | 1–5 | Riddick Stadium (Raleigh, NC) | 16,000 |
| 7 | September 18 | at Baltimore Colts | L 14–49 | 1–6 | Baltimore Memorial Stadium | 19,380 |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 26 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 7–41 | 0–1 | Kezar Stadium | 32,085 | Recap |
| 2 | October 2 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–37 | 0–2 | Forbes Field | 22,492 | Recap |
| 3 | October 10 | New York Giants | L 21–51 | 0–3 | Griffith Stadium | 21,217 | Recap |
| 4 | October 17 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 21–49 | 0–4 | Griffith Stadium | 22,051 | Recap |
| 5 | October 24 | at New York Giants | L 7–24 | 0–5 | Polo Grounds | 22,597 | Recap |
| 6 | October 31 | Baltimore Colts | W 24–21 | 1–5 | Griffith Stadium | 23,567 | Recap |
| 7 | November 7 | at Cleveland Browns | L 3–62 | 1–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 25,158 | Recap |
| 8 | November 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 17–14 | 2–6 | Griffith Stadium | 19,388 | Recap |
| 9 | November 21 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 16–38 | 2–7 | Comiskey Park | 15,619 | Recap |
| 10 | November 28 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 33–41 | 2–8 | Connie Mack Stadium | 18,517 | Recap |
| 11 | December 5 | Cleveland Browns | L 14–34 | 2–9 | Griffith Stadium | 21,761 | Recap |
| 12 | December 12 | Chicago Cardinals | W 37–20 | 3–9 | Griffith Stadium | 18,107 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Standings
| NFL Eastern Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Cleveland Browns | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 336 | 162 | L1 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 7–3 | 284 | 230 | W1 | |
| New York Giants | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 7–3 | 293 | 184 | L1 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 4–6 | 219 | 263 | L2 | |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–8 | 207 | 432 | W1 | |
| Chicago Cardinals | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 2–8 | 183 | 347 | L3 | |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
