Great Moments At FedEx Field

It is hard to believe the Washington Redskins have played a decade at FedEx Field in the Maryland suburbs. But the team is closing in on 10 seasons on the field that was the dream of the late Jack Kent Cooke, and it once carried his name. When the Redskins play their home opener in the 2006 NFL regular season, it will mark the start of the franchise's 10th season at FedExField.

Here's a look back at 10 of the great Redskins moments at 91,704-seat FedExField, the NFL's largest stadium.

10. Sept. 14, 1997
On Week 3 of the 1997 campaign, the Redskins edged the Arizona Cardinals 19-13 in overtime to win the first game ever played at the facility. Gus Frerotte threw a 40-yard TD pass to Michael Westbrook to decide the game. The Cards had won the coin toss at the start of the overtime period, but rookie defensive lineman Kenard Lang stripped running back Leeland McElroy of the football and linebacker Derek Smith recovered, putting the Redskins in scoring position.

9. Oct. 31, 1999
One of the more humorous scenes in Redskins history took place in the course of a 48-22 win over the Chicago Bears. Burly defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson intercepted a Shane Matthews pass and raced 88 yards down the sidelines for a TD. Never known for his foot speed, Wilkinson could have handed the ball off to a member of his blocking convoy, which included Darrell Green, the fastest man on the team. But the 6-4, 340-pound "Big Daddy" chose to hold on to his interception as he lumbered down the sidelines and into the end zone.

8. Oct. 21, 2001
The Redskins, 0-5 when they hosted Carolina, fell behind 14-0 in the fourth quarter. But then LaVar Arrington picked off a Chris Weinke pass and raced 67 yards for the TD that gave the Redskins life. Rod Gardner's 85-yard TD catch off of a Tony Banks pass tied the game with :12 left. Brett Conway's 23-yard field goal in overtime won it for Washington. The Redskins would go on to become the first 0-5 team in NFL history to go on a five-game winning streak.

7. Dec. 24, 2005
Pummeled 36-0 eight weeks earlier at the Meadowlands, the Redskins put together a solid 35-20 win over the Giants on Christmas Eve. In the second half, Patrick Ramsey took over for the injured Mark Brunell and finished off the job. Santana Moss was spectacular, grabbing 17- and 59-yard TD passes from Brunell and a 72-yard TD catch from Ramsey. The Giants had won the first 2005 matchup in convincing style, which was staged a few days after the death of longtime team owner Wellington Mara. Tiki Barber had embarrassed the Redskins' defense with a career-high 206 rushing yards in the Oct. 30 matchup. Following the Redskins' win on Christmas Eve, Barber, held to a modest 80 yards on 16 carries, was quoted as saying: "Washington has momentum, a deep-seated desire and a purpose."

6. Oct. 15, 2000
Kevin Mitchell intercepted a pass at the Redskins' 1-yard line, Kenard Lang produced a memorable sack dance and Stephen Davis ran over Rod Woodson en route to a 33-yard TD as the Redskins won the "Battle of the Beltways" 10-3 over Baltimore. Davis finished with 21 carries for 91 yards and James Thrash had six catches for 62 yards as the Redskins improved to 5-2. As the Redskins faltered down the stretch, the Ravens would go on to become Super Bowl champions.

5. Oct. 1, 2000
Playing against Tampa Bay, the team that had knocked them out of the 1999 playoffs just 10 months earlier, the Redskins rallied for a 17-14 win in overtime. In this one, the Redskins were sparked by none other than "Prime Time." Deion Sanders returned a punt 57 yards in the overtime session to set up Michael Husted's game-winning 20-yard field goal. Sanders, known for his exceptional talents as a punt returner, had entered the game with a lowly average of 3.4 yards per punt return on the season. After his flamboyant 57-yard effort, Sanders told reporters: "All you doubters, there's room on the bandwagon."

4. Dec. 29, 2002
In an emotional farewell, Darrell Green says goodbye to Redskins fans with a lap around the field. After 20 seasons in the NFL, Green, the face of the franchise for many seasons, calls it a career. The Redskins beat the Cowboys 20-14 to end a 10-game losing skid versus their arch-rivals. LaVar Arrington and Daryl Gardener led the Redskins' defense; Arrington recovered a Dallas fumble in the end zone for a score. Said cornerback Champ Bailey: "Beating Dallas and sending Darrell off with a win? You can't do much better than that."

3. Oct. 27, 2002
The Redskins edged Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 26-21 in a Sunday Night ESPN matchup that coincided with the halftime celebration honoring the 70 Greatest Redskins. Head coach Joe Gibbs, Darrell Green, John Riggins, Sonny Jurgensen and Art Monk were among those to receive lengthy and boisterous cheers when their names were announced to Redskins fans.

2. Jan. 8, 2000
The Redskins returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 1992 campaign with a 27-13 Wild Card round win over Detroit. Tre' Johnson and Robert Porcher of the Lions were ejected following a scuffle. Albert Connell took in a 30-yard TD strike from Brad Johnson just before halftime as the Redskins went up 27-0. Stephen Davis dominated, with 15 carries, 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Larry Centers had seven catches out of the backfield. Champ Bailey and Matt Stevens intercepted Gus Frerotte, the ex-Redskin who was Detroit's quarterback.

1. Dec. 18, 2005
Energized by a raucous crowd, the Redskins clobbered Dallas 35-7, marking the first sweep over the Cowboys since the 1995 season. The Redskins scored twice in the final 1:25 of the second quarter to go up 28-0 and put the game away. Chris Cooley scored three touchdowns and Clinton Portis rushed for 112 yards in the one-sided win. On defense, Phillip Daniels had four sacks of Drew Bledsoe and Marcus Washington added two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception that set up a touchdown.