Watch: Redskins’ Matt Ioannidis Turns Field Into Slip ‘N Slide During Failed Sack Attempt

Heading into Sunday’s battle between the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, there was an expectation that the weather would be a factor. FedExField was dealing with a constant downfall of rain in the hours leading to kickoff, which created a marshlike environment when the players took the field. As perfect evidence of this, Matt Ioannidis of the Redskins accidentally turned the field into a Slip ‘N Slide during one play.

Late in the first quarter, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo dropped back in search of an open receiver. He was immediately chased by Ioannidis, who was looking for a big play to shut down an undefeated team. The Washington defender dove for Garoppolo’s feet to trip him up, but he missed and hit the ground.

What’s fascinating about this play is that Ioannidis slid roughly eight yards toward the sideline while water splashed up into the air.

By all reports, Ioannidis was not the only player affected by the mass amount of moisture on the field. Every time a player hit the ground, they would send water up into the air.

With the wind and the rain, throwing the ball became more difficult for both quarterbacks, at least during the first half. Redskins signal-caller Case Keenum managed 43 yards during the first half while Garoppolo struggled to top 10 yards prior to the end of the second quarter.

There have been many games in NFL history in which weather has been a massive factor, such as the Fog Bowl that took place in 1988. However, the majority of games known for weather mostly dealt with heavy snow or below-freezing temperatures.

For example, the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles once played a game in the driving snow that resulted in the field being completely covered. The field was essentially covered during this 2013 matchup, which meant that every player would hit the ground and fling powder into the air. There were multiple occasions in which a receiver’s facemask would be caked with snow after being tackled.

Sunday’s battle between the Redskins and the 49ers was certainly similar for the sheer effect of the elements, but this game had a decidedly different feel. Instead of a high-scoring affair, such as the aforementioned 34-20 Eagles victory in 2013, this game between the 49ers and Redskins was marked by the utter lack of big plays.

Photo Credit: Scott Taetsch/Getty