National East

Despite their onfield successes, Pro-Football, Inc., the corporate title of the Washington Redskins, did not fatten stockholders' pockets in fiscal 1972. On both counts Coach George Allen can take a bow. There was standing room only and a Super Bowl box office, yet the flood of income turned into outgo in Allen's eager hands. Bad annual reports won't dent Allen's consciousness, however. In the off-season, Washington added to its collection of high-priced help. Duane Thomas from San Diego, Oiler Safety Ken Houston and Green Bay Linebacker Dave Robinson.

Allen gave up little in the way of talent, but lots of cash. It took very long green to lure Robinson out of retirement and to convince Thomas that deep down he wanted to give his all for Coach and the Skins. What the heck, George Allen never claimed to be an economist.

" Tom Landry brings in 90 rooks and announces a fight for survival," says Guard John Wilbur, who began his career at Dallas. " George Allen never says a word, but gets Duane Thomas, and we get the message." Very simply, the communication is get cracking or be gone. Allen dearly wants a Lombardi Trophy to go with a coaching record that is already the best in the NFC. Without the sterling silver football he is only the most successful disappointment in the game.

It is a well coordinated defense that Allen emphasizes: tight-knit, lots of gang tackling, and the Skins seldom give up the touchdown pass. Yet the team lacks the fine touch for interceptions. Enter Ken Houston, interceptor. The rush line does not command heroic titles, but it is persistent and effective. This is not so with the middle linebacking. Here Allen is hoping to make do with Harold McLinton, a young man often confused by pass coverage. But there are two heavy hitters to flank him—Robinson and Chris Hanburger, both of whom are also notable pass defenders.

At the moment, Duane Thomas' great talent is an embarrassment of riches. Where to play him? He will probably spell Larry Brown (1,216 yards gained rushing in 1972), the key to Allen's ball-control approach, for Fullback Charley Harraway is needed to block.

Although he is first in the hearts of D.C. fans, Sonny Jurgensen is only second in Allen's favor to start at quarterback. Over the winter, while his torn Achilles' was mending, gloomy Sonny consulted a psychiatrist. Now his injury is healed and his battered ego is patched up, or so he hopes. However, analysis did not alter his situation. Billy Kilmer, a quarterback of negligible form but undeniable credentials, will run the team. He does get the job done—19 touchdowns and but 11 interceptions last season. The pass blocking is excellent and the receiving is even better. Washington can throw deep to Charley Taylor and Roy Jefferson or short to Tight Ends Jerry Smith and Alvin Reed. But Allen is so defense-minded that he seems to view offense as a rest period for his precious defense. Of course, he can always go to Jurgensen if the defense is allowing too many points. With this kind of insurance, Washington will again make the playoffs, but little, if any, profit.

In Dallas, Tom Landry, the coach with the enigmatic smile, is smiling. Landry's apparent pleasure has to do with the shift in the Cowboys' outlook. "Now Washington is it," he says. "The Redskins are the automatic to win in the East and Dallas is just another contender."

The Cowboys are delighted by the change in status. "It got so we believed the preseason write-ups," says Defensive Tackle Bob Lilly, who claims complacency turned into lassitude last season. "Now we'll have to scrap all the way to make the playoffs." The introduction of the dogfight factor has created unusual cohesion in the Cowboy ranks. "We're no longer a collection of stars, but a meld of young and old players struggling to make it," says Lilly. Before they reached a state of togetherness, the Cowboys, Lilly included, blistered the Texas skies with curses and threats of retirement. The players claim it cleared the air.

For most of those automatic seasons, defense carried Dallas. No longer. Even Lilly is on the decline, and the word is out that the Cowboys' front four is vulnerable to the run. Meanwhile, the linebacking has slowed and the pass coverage has fallen off. Wisely, Landry has switched from man-to-man to zone coverage. This cooperative responsibility eases the labors of Linebackers Dave Edwards, Lee Roy Jordan—who's been pressed by rookie Rodrigo Barnes—and D. D. Lewis, who has taken over for retired Chuck Howley. It is also a relief for the corner-backs, who were beaten all too often.

This then is the season for the offense to shoulder the load. The blocking is blue-chip and Calvin Hill, Walt Garrison and Robert Newhouse can pound it out. From all evidence, the passing game should be exceptional. Roger Staubach is hale and reaching the top of a very impressive form, and Craig Morton had an exceptional preseason, completing 67.3% of his passes.