1991 Washington Redskins season
60th season in franchise history; Super Bowl champions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1991 season was the Washington Redskins' 60th in the National Football League (NFL), their 55th representing Washington, D.C., and the eleventh under head coach Joe Gibbs.
| 1991 Washington Redskins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jack Kent Cooke |
| General manager | Charley Casserly |
| President | John Kent Cooke |
| Head coach | Joe Gibbs |
| Offensive coordinator | Joe Gibbs |
| Defensive coordinator | Richie Petitbon |
| Home stadium | RFK Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 14–2 |
| Division place | 1st NFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Falcons) 24–7 Won NFC Championship (vs. Lions) 41–10 Won Super Bowl XXVI (vs. Bills) 37–24 |
| All-Pros | 9
|
| Pro Bowlers | 8
|
The Redskins were coming off two consecutive 10–6 seasons and looking to return to the playoffs for a second straight season. Not only did the Redskins improve their position, but they also put together a season that is considered by some to be one of the best any team has ever played. Washington won a franchise record-tying 14 games, the best record in the league, and their two losses (to two of their division rivals) were by a combined five points. The Redskins ended their campaign as world champions, knocking off the defending AFC Champion Buffalo Bills 37–24, in Super Bowl XXVI.
The Redskins led the league in scoring with 485 points and allowed the second-fewest points (224) in the league, which was an average of 14 points per game.[1] (As of the 1991 season, this was the third-highest total in NFL history, and still ranks in the top 20 all-time.) They had a +18 turnover ratio, also best in the NFL. Their point differential of +261 was the best in franchise history, and the sixth-highest of all time.[2][3] In 2016, Chris Chase of USA Today ranked the team as the greatest to ever win a Super Bowl.[4] They would not return to the NFC Championship Game or win more than 10 regular season games again until 2024, which came several years after the team had changed its name. However, as of 2025, this remains the most recent season where Washington appeared in a Super Bowl.
Statistics site Football Outsiders ranks the 1991 Redskins as the best team they have measured (from 1986 to present).[5][6] The team ranked No. 15 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[7][8]
NFL Films produced a direct-to-home video documentary about the team's season entitled Super Bowl XXVI Champions; it was narrated by Harry Kalas, and produced a documentary about the team's season entitled March to Minneapolis; it was narrated by Jeff Kaye. On January 12, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, in which they ranked the 1991 Redskins at #14; the film was narrated by Donald Sutherland and featured commentary from head coach Joe Gibbs and players Mark Rypien and Charles Mann.
The season
Quarterback Mark Rypien had an outstanding year. His 8.5 yards per pass attempt was second in the league, and his 3,564 passing yards were best in the NFC and fourth in the league. Running back Earnest Byner's 1,048 rushing yards were 5th best in the NFL.[9] The Redskins had two wide receivers who went over 1,000 yards receiving in 1991: Gary Clark (1,340) and Art Monk (1,049).[10]
The Redskins beat the Buffalo Bills 37–24 to win Super Bowl XXVI. The team is also the last Super Bowl champion to never trail in any of their playoff victories. The Redskins' Super Bowl XXVI win was their first in a non-strike season.[11] With the championship, coach Joe Gibbs also became the first head coach to win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.[12]
In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1991 Redskins as the 4th greatest team in NFL history,[13] noting, "you can look at two stats to get a pretty good idea of just how great a team is: yards gained per pass attempt, and yards allowed per pass attempt. The 1991 'Skins topped the NFL in each category, with Mark Rypien averaging 8.5 yards per attempt, while his colleagues on Washington's defense allowed only 6 yards per attempt.... The 'Skins outscored their opponents 485–224, and they had a tough schedule. After going 14–2, they romped through the NFC playoffs, beating the Falcons 24–7 and demolishing the Lions 41–10 on their way to the Super Bowl. In the Big Game, the 'Skins beat the cursed early-1990s Bills 37–24."
Statistics site Football Outsiders has ranked the 1991 Redskins as the greatest team in their ratings history,[14] stating that the team "may have been the most well-rounded team in NFL history. [...] A lot of the best teams in NFL history got a little extra boost by picking on an easy schedule, but not Washington. They had an average schedule, and a harder-than-average schedule of opposing defenses. One reason for that: 1991 was not only the year of the best overall team in [their rating system's] history. It was also the year of the best defense in [their system's] history, which showed up on Washington's schedule twice: the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles."
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Bobby Wilson | DT | Michigan St. |
| 3 | 76 | Ricky Ervins | RB | USC |
| 6 | 159 | Dennis Ransom | TE | Texas A&M |
| 7 | 188 | Keith Cash | TE | Texas |
| 8 | 215 | Jimmy Spencer | DB | Florida |
| 9 | 243 | Charles Bell | DB | Baylor |
| 10 | 270 | Cris Shale | P | Bowling Green |
| 11 | 299 | David Gulledge | DB | Jacksonville St. |
| 12 | 326 | Keenan McCardell | WR | UNLV |
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 4 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–16 | 0–1 | Three Rivers Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 10 | at New England Patriots | W 27–6 | 1–1 | Foxboro Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 16 | Cleveland Browns | L 21–24 (OT) | 1–2 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 24 | vs. New York Jets | L 9–13 | 1–3 | Williams–Brice Stadium | Recap |
Preseason Game summaries
Week P3 (Friday, August 16, 1991): vs. Cleveland Browns
Week P3: Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns (2–1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Redskins (1–2) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Regular season
Note: Division opponents are bolded
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1 | Detroit Lions | W 45–0 | 1–0 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 9 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 33–31 | 2–0 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 15 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 34–0 | 3–0 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 22 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 34–27 | 4–0 | Riverfront Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | September 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 23–0 | 5–0 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 6 | at Chicago Bears | W 20–7 | 6–0 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 13 | Cleveland Browns | W 42–17 | 7–0 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | |||||
| 9 | October 27 | at New York Giants | W 17–13 | 8–0 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 3 | Houston Oilers | W 16–13 (OT) | 9–0 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 10 | Atlanta Falcons | W 56–17 | 10–0 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 17 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 41–14 | 11–0 | Three Rivers Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 24 | Dallas Cowboys | L 21–24 | 11–1 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 1 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 27–6 | 12–1 | Anaheim Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 8 | at Phoenix Cardinals | W 20–14 | 13–1 | Sun Devil Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 15 | New York Giants | W 34–17 | 14–1 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 22 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 22–24 | 14–2 | Veterans Stadium | Recap |
Game summaries
Week 1
Week 1: Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Redskins | 21 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 45 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 1, 1991
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear; 76 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 52,958
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (TNT): Skip Caray (play-by-play) and Pat Haden (color commentator)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 2
Week 2: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 7 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 33 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
- Date: September 9, 1991
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear; 81 °F (27 °C); wind 11
- Game attendance: 63,025
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford (color commentators)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 3
Week 3: Phoenix Cardinals at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Redskins | 7 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 34 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 15, 1991
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear; 76 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,662
- Referee: Tom White
- TV announcers (CBS): James Brown (play-by-play) and Randy Cross (color commentator)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 4 (Sunday, September 22, 1991): at Cincinnati Bengals
[16] Washington would not beat the Bengals again until 2020.
Week 4: Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins (4–0) | 3 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
| Bengals (0–4) | 7 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
at Riverfront Stadium • Cincinnati
- Date: September 22, 1991
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy; 59 °F (15 °C)
- Game attendance: 52,038
- Referee: Stan Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Merlin Olsen (color commentator)
- [17]
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSH | Passing | Mark Rypien | 15/23, 217 YDS, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Earnest Byner | 18 CAR, 75 YDS | |
| Receiving | Gary Clark | 6 REC, 53 YDS | |
| CIN | Passing | Boomer Esiason | 18/37, 212 YDS, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Craig Taylor | 5 CAR, 56 YDS | |
| Receiving | Tim McGee | 4 REC, 97 YDS |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Point spread: Redskins –3½
- Over/under: 43.0 (over)
- Time of game: 3 hours, 10 minutes
| Redskins | Game statistics | Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | First downs | 21 |
| 32–132 | Rushes–yards | 25–136 |
| 217 | Passing yards | 212 |
| 15–23–1 | Passes | 18–37–1 |
| 1–5 | Sacked–yards | 4–26 |
| 212 | Net passing yards | 186 |
| 344 | Total yards | 322 |
| 180 | Return yards | 63 |
| 2–40.0 | Punts | 3–46.7 |
| 1–1 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 6–100 | Penalties–yards | 4–50 |
| 32:09 | Time of possession | 27:51 |
Individual stats
| Redskins Passing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG3 | Rate | |
| Rypien | 15/23 | 217 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 54 | 77.6 |
| Redskins Kicking | ||
|---|---|---|
| FGM–FGA | XPM–XPA | |
| Lohmiller | 2–2 | 4–4 |
| Redskins Punting | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Y/P | Lng | Blck | |
| Goodburn | 2 | 80 | 40.0 | 46 | |
| Redskins Punt Returns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | Y/Rt | TD | Lng | |
| Mitchell | 2 | 93 | 46.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Redskins Interceptions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Int | Yds | TD | LG | PD | |
| Edwards | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Week 5
Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Redskins | 0 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 30, 1991
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear; 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 55,198
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford (color commentators)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 6 (Sunday, October 6, 1991): at Chicago Bears
Week 6: Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins (6–0) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Bears (4–2) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Soldier Field • Chicago
- Date: October 6, 1991
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy; 43 °F (6 °C), relative humidity 64%, wind 16 miles per hour (26 km/h; 14 kn)
- Game attendance: 64,961
- Referee: Bernie Kukar
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
- [19]
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSH | Passing | Mark Rypien | 18/31, 168 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Earnest Byner | 21 CAR, 63 YDS | |
| Receiving | Art Monk | 6 REC, 69 YDS, 2 TDs | |
| CHI | Passing | Jim Harbaugh | 17/41, 206 YDS, 3 INTs |
| Rushing | Neal Anderson | 18 CAR, 73 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Ron Morris | 5 REC, 106 YDS |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Point spread: Redskins –3
- Over/under: 37.0 (under)
- Time of game: 2 hours, 58 minutes
| Redskins | Game statistics | Bears |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | First downs | 19 |
| 26–75 | Rushes–yards | 28–120 |
| 168 | Passing yards | 206 |
| 18–31–1 | Passes | 17–41–3 |
| 0–0 | Sacked–yards | 1–7 |
| 68 | Net passing yards | 199 |
| 243 | Total yards | 319 |
| 114 | Return yards | 98 |
| 5–44.2 | Punts | 5–40.2 |
| 1–0 | Fumbles–lost | 1–0 |
| 9–60 | Penalties–yards | 6–32 |
| 27:37 | Time of possession | 32:23 |
Individual stats
| Redskins Passing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG3 | Rate | |
| Rypien | 18/31 | 168 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 81.1 |
| Redskins Kicking | ||
|---|---|---|
| FGM–FGA | XPM–XPA | |
| Lohmiller | 2–3 | 2–2 |
- Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 54
| Redskins Punting | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Y/P | Lng | Blck | |
| Goodburn | 5 | 221 | 44.2 | 61 | |
| Redskins Kick Returns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | Y/Rt | TD | Lng | |
| Mitchell | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Redskins Sacks | |
|---|---|
| Sacks | |
| Collins | 1.0 |
Week 7
Week 7: Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Redskins | 7 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: October 13, 1991
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear; 55 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,715
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play) and Todd Christensen (color commentator)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 9
Week 9: Washington Redskins at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Giants | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Giants Stadium • East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 27, 1991
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy; 64 °F (18 °C); wind 9
- Game attendance: 76,627
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Joe Theismann (color commentator)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 10
Week 10: Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Redskins | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 3, 1991
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy; 48 °F (9 °C)
- Game attendance: 55,096
- Referee: Gerry Austin
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Paul Maguire (color commentator)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 11 (Sunday, November 10, 1991): vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 11: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons (5–5) | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
| Redskins (10–0) | 7 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 56 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 10, 1991
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy; 40 °F (4 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 17 miles per hour (27 km/h; 15 kn)
- Game attendance: 52,641
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (CBS): James Brown (play-by-play), Randy Cross (color commentator) and Lesley Visser (sideline reporter)
- [21]
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | Passing | Billy Joe Tolliver | 14/31, 243 YDS, 2 TDs, INT |
| Rushing | Mike Rozier | 11 CAR, 45 YDS | |
| Receiving | Andre Rison | 7 REC, 72 YDS, TD | |
| WSH | Passing | Mark Rypien | 16/31, 442 YDS, 6 TDs |
| Rushing | Ricky Ervins | 16 CAR, 39 YDS | |
| Receiving | Art Monk | 7 REC, 164 YDS, 2 TDs |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Point spread: Redskins –12
- Over/under: 35.0 (over)
- Time of game: 3 hours, 30 minutes
| Falcons | Game statistics | Redskins |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | First downs | 20 |
| 18–62 | Rushes–yards | 36–108 |
| 243 | Passing yards | 451 |
| 14–35–3 | Passes | 17–32–0 |
| 6–34 | Sacked–yards | 0–0 |
| 209 | Net passing yards | 451 |
| 271 | Total yards | 559 |
| 164 | Return yards | 134 |
| 7–40.0 | Punts | 5–36.0 |
| 3–3 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 6–40 | Penalties–yards | 6–56 |
| 25:44 | Time of possession | 34:16 |
Individual stats
| Redskins Kicking | ||
|---|---|---|
| FGM–FGA | XPM–XPA | |
| Lohmiller | 0–1 | 8–8 |
- Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 48
| Redskins Punting | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Y/P | Lng | Blck | |
| Goodburn | 5 | 180 | 36.0 | 39 | |
| Redskins Kick Returns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | Y/Rt | TD | Lng | |
| Mitchell | 4 | 97 | 24.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Redskins Punt Returns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | Y/Rt | TD | Lng | |
| Mitchell | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | |
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Redskins | 7 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 41 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
- Date: November 17
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 56,813
- Game weather: Clear; 47 °F (8 °C)
- Referee: Tom White
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
- Date: November 24
- Location: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 55,561
- Game weather: Clear; 52 °F (11 °C)
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Redskins | 7 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 27 |
| Rams | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
- Date: December 1
- Location: Anaheim Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 55,027
- Game weather: Clear; 55 °F (13 °C)
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Redskins | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: December 8
- Location: Sun Devil Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 48,373
- Game weather: Partly cloudy; 60 °F (16 °C)
- Referee: Bernie Kukar
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
Week 16
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • Redskins | 7 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: December 15
- Location: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 54,722
- Game weather: Partly cloudy; 40 °F (4 °C)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Week 17
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 3 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 22 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 24 |
- Date: December 22
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 58,988
- Game weather: Clear; 37 °F (3 °C)
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Washington Redskins | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 6–2 | 10–2 | 485 | 224 | L1 |
| (5) Dallas Cowboys | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 342 | 310 | W5 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–3 | 6–6 | 285 | 244 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 281 | 297 | W1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 3–11 | 196 | 344 | L8 |
Playoffs
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | January 4 | Atlanta Falcons (6) | W 24–7 | 1–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| Championship | January 12 | Detroit Lions (2) | W 41–10 | 2–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| Super Bowl XXVI | January 26 | Buffalo Bills (A1) | W 37–24 | 3–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Recap |
Game summaries
NFC Divisional Playoffs (January 4, 1992): vs. (6) Atlanta Falcons
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons (1–1) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Redskins (1–0) | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: January 4, 1992 (Sat)
- Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Heavy rain with strong winds; 49 °F (9 °C), relative humidity 94%, wind 25 miles per hour (40 km/h; 22 kn)
- Game attendance: 55,181
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (color commentator) and Lesley Visser (sideline reporter)
- [23]
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | Passing | Chris Miller | 17/32, 178 YDS, 4 INTs |
| Rushing | Tracy Johnson | 8 CAR, 33 YDS, TD | |
| Receiving | Andre Rison | 7 REC, 62 YDS | |
| WSH | Passing | Mark Rypien | 14/29, 170 YDS, INT |
| Rushing | Ricky Ervins | 23 CAR, 104 YDSds, TD | |
| Receiving | Gary Clark | 6 REC, 64 YDS |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Point spread: Redskins –11½
- Over/under: 43.0 (under)
- Time of game: 3 hours, 5 minutes
| Falcons | Game statistics | Redskins |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | First downs | 22 |
| 14–43 | Rushes–yards | 45–162 |
| 178 | Passing yards | 170 |
| 17–32–4 | Passes | 14–29–1 |
| 4–28 | Sacked–yards | 0–0 |
| 150 | Net passing yards | 170 |
| 193 | Total yards | 332 |
| 107 | Return yards | 106 |
| 4–42.2 | Punts | 4–38.8 |
| 3–2 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 3–19 | Penalties–yards | 4–23 |
| 23:52 | Time of possession | 36:08 |
Individual stats
| Redskins Passing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG3 | Rate | |
| Rypien | 14/29 | 170 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 52.4 |
| Redskins Kicking | ||
|---|---|---|
| FGM–FGA | XPM–XPA | |
| Lohmiller | 1–4 | 3–3 |
- Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 47, 37, 44
| Redskins Punting | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Y/P | Lng | Blck | |
| Goodburn | 4 | 155 | 38.8 | 44 | |
| Redskins Kick Returns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | Y/Rt | TD | Lng | |
| Mitchell | 2 | 51 | 25.5 | 0 | 35 |
| Redskins Punt Returns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | Y/Rt | TD | Lng | |
| Mitchell | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 0 | 26 |
NFC Championship Game: vs Detroit Lions
NFC Championship Game: Detroit Lions vs Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Redskins | 10 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 41 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: January 12 (Sun)
- Game time: 4 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Clear skies; 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 55,858
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers: Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator)
- Box Score
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Super Bowl XXVI (Sunday, January 26, 1992): vs. (A1) Buffalo Bills
Super Bowl XXVI: Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins (3–0) | 0 | 17 | 14 | 6 | 37 |
| Bills (2–1) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: January 26, 1992
- Game time: 6:18 pm. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors, domed stadium
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), and Lesley Visser (sideline reporter)
- [25]
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSH | Passing | Mark Rypien | 18/33, 292 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Ricky Ervins | 13 CAR, 72 YDS | |
| Receiving | Gary Clark Art Monk | 7 Rec, 114 YDS, 1 TD 7 Rec, 113 YDS | |
| BUF | Passing | Jim Kelly | 28/58, 275 YDS, 2 TDs, 4 INTs |
| Rushing | Kenneth Davis | 4 CAR, 17 YDS | |
| Receiving | James Lofton | 7 REC, 92 YDS |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Point spread: Redskins –7
- Over/under: 48.0 (over)
- Time of game: 3 hours, 42 minutes
| Redskins | Game statistics | Bills |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | First downs | 25 |
| 40–125 | Rushes–yards | 18–43 |
| 292 | Passing yards | 286 |
| 17–32–4 | Passes | 14–29–1 |
| 0–0 | Sacked–yards | 5–46 |
| 292 | Net passing yards | 240 |
| 417 | Total yards | 283 |
| 95 | Return yards | 90 |
| 4–37.5 | Punts | 6–35.0 |
| 1–0 | Fumbles–lost | 6–1 |
| 5–82 | Penalties–yards | 6–50 |
| 33:43 | Time of possession | 26:17 |
Individual stats
| Redskins Passing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG3 | Rate | |
| Rypien | 18/33 | 292 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 92.0 |
| Redskins Kicking | ||
|---|---|---|
| FGM–FGA | XPM–XPA | |
| Lohmiller | 3–3 | 4–4 |
| Redskins Punting | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Y/P | Lng | Blck | |
| Goodburn | 4 | 150 | 37.5 | 45 | |
| Redskins Kick Returns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | Y/Rt | TD | Lng | |
| Mitchell | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 16 |
Statistics
Passing
| Player | G | Comp. | Att. | Pct. | Yds. | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Rypien | 16 | 249 | 421 | 59.1 | 3,564 | 28 | 11 |
| Jeff Rutledge | 16 | 11 | 22 | 50.0 | 189 | 1 | 0 |
Rushing
| Player | G | Att. | Yards | Avg. | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnest Byner | 16 | 274 | 1,048 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Ricky Ervins | 15 | 145 | 680 | 4.7 | 3 |
| Gerald Riggs | 16 | 78 | 248 | 3.2 | 11 |
Receiving
| Player | G | Rec. | Yards | Y/G | Avg. | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Monk | 16 | 71 | 1,049 | 65.6 | 14.8 | 8 |
| Gary Clark | 16 | 70 | 1,340 | 83.8 | 19.1 | 10 |
| Ricky Sanders | 16 | 45 | 580 | 36.3 | 12.9 | 5 |
| Earnest Byner | 16 | 34 | 308 | 19.3 | 9.1 | 0 |
| Ricky Ervins | 16 | 16 | 181 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 1 |
| Terry Orr | 16 | 10 | 201 | 12.6 | 20.1 | 4 |
Kicking
| Player | FGM | FGA | Pct. | XPM | XPA | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chip Lohmiller | 31 | 43 | 72.1 | 56 | 56 | 100.0 |
Awards and records
- Mark Rypien, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
- Mark Rypien, UPI NFC Player of the Year
- Mark Rypien, Pro Bowl Selection
Milestones
- November 10, 1991 – Mark Rypien threw for 442 yards and 6 touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons, despite being taken out of the game in the middle of the 4th quarter;[26] when Atlanta did the same, their third-string quarterback, a rookie named Brett Favre, made his NFL debut – and his first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. On that same day, Warren Moon of the Houston Oilers threw for over 400 yards as well in an overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Legacy
In 2010, ESPN conducted a "super league," consisting of the best Super Bowl winning teams of all time; the 1991 Redskins finished the regular season in first place with a record of 14-2 and beat the 1992 Dallas Cowboys in the "Super Bowl" to be named the greatest team of all time.[27] Football Outsiders also has them ranked as the best Super Bowl-winning team in NFL history based on their advanced analysis.[28]