NFL team season (won Super Bowl)
The
.
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 in 1991.[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. In 2016, Chris Chase of USA Today ranked the team as the greatest to ever win a Super Bowl.[2] As of 2023, this is Washington's most recent appearance in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. In addition, this is also Washington's most recent season winning more than 10 regular season games.
Statistics site Football Outsiders ranks the 1991 Redskins as the best team they have measured (from 1986 to present).[3] [4] The team ranked No. 15 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[5] [6]
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.[7] The Redskins had two wide receivers who went over 1,000 yards receiving in 1991: Gary Clark (1,340) and Art Monk (1,049).[8]
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.[9] With the championship, coach Joe Gibbs also became the first head coach to win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.[10]
In 2007,
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,[12] 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
Main article:
1991 NFL Draft
Personnel
Staff
1991 Washington Redskins staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Special teams – Wayne Sevier
Strength and conditioning
Strength – Dan Riley
Assistant strength – Steve Wetzel
[13]
Roster
1991 Washington Redskins roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists
65 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
12 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
64 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
29 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
34 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
88 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
80 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
74 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
-- IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
44 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
-- IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
31 IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
Practice squad
47 active, 12 inactive, 5 practice squad
Rookies in italics
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
DET
WSH
1
5:37
Redskins
Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
0
7
1
3:34
Redskins
Johnson 4-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
0
14
1
0:55
—
—
—
Redskins
Mitchell 69-yard punt return, Lohmiller kick good
0
21
2
11:26
Redskins
Sanders 18-yard touchdown reception from Byner , Lohmiller kick good
0
28
2
1:03
Redskins
Byner 6-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
0
35
3
0:14
Redskins
Clark 38-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
0
42
4
7:45
Redskins
26-yard field goal by Lohmiller
0
45
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
0
45
Week 2
Week 2: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Redskins
7
13
3 10 33
Cowboys
14
7
3 7 31
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
WSH
DAL
1
8:23
Cowboys
Novacek 3-yard touchdown reception from Aikman , Willis kick good
0
7
1
4:47
Redskins
Johnson 3-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
7
7
1
3:48
Cowboys
Smith 75-yard touchdown run, Willis kick good
7
14
2
14:15
Redskins
53-yard field goal by Lohmiller
10
14
2
5:42
Cowboys
Smith 5-yard touchdown reception from Aikman , Willis kick good
10
21
2
4:18
Redskins
Monk 37-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
17
21
2
0:08
Redskins
52-yard field goal by Lohmiller
20
21
3
11:53
Redskins
45-yard field goal by Lohmiller
23
21
3
6:08
Cowboys
51-yard field goal by Willis
23
24
4
12:48
Redskins
Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
30
24
4
5:39
Redskins
46-yard field goal by Lohmiller
33
24
4
0:02
Cowboys
Irvin 6-yard touchdown reception from Aikman , Willis kick good
33
31
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
33
31
Week 3
Week 3: Phoenix Cardinals at Washington Redskins
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals
0
0
0 0 0
Redskins
7
7
14 6 34
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
PHO
WSH
1
8:37
Redskins
Byner 2-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
0
7
2
14:07
Redskins
Sanders 10-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
0
14
3
9:52
Redskins
Clark 28-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
0
21
3
7:06
—
—
—
Redskins
Interception returned 55 yards for touchdown by Marshall , Lohmiller kick good
0
28
4
14:09
Redskins
49-yard field goal by Lohmiller
0
31
4
6:29
Redskins
48-yard field goal by Lohmiller
0
34
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
0
34
Week 4
Washington would not beat the Bengals again until 2020 .
Week 4: Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Redskins
3
21
3 7 34
Bengals
7
3
14 3 27
at Riverfront Stadium • Cincinnati
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
WSH
CIN
1
10:20
Redskins
40-yard field goal by Lohmiller
3
0
1
0:58
Bengals
Brooks 5-yard touchdown run, Breech kick good
3
7
2
9:08
Redskins
Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
10
7
2
5:38
Bengals
46-yard field goal by Breech
10
10
2
3:48
Redskins
Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
17
10
2
2:13
—
—
—
Redskins
Mitchell 66-yard punt return for a touchdown, Lohmiller kick good
24
10
3
12:01
Redskins
26-yard field goal by Lohmiller
27
10
3
6:12
Bengals
Taylor 1-yard touchdown run, Breech kick good
27
17
3
1:37
Bengals
Taylor 34-yard touchdown run, Breech kick good
27
24
4
9:48
Bengals
25-yard field goal by Breech
27
27
4
2:02
Redskins
Riggs 7-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
34
27
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
34
27
Week 5
Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Eagles
0
0
0 0 0
Redskins
0
10
3 10 23
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
PHI
WSH
2
7:56
Redskins
Monk 19-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
0
7
2
3:26
Redskins
37-yard field goal by Lohmiller
0
10
3
4:38
Redskins
35-yard field goal by Lohmiller
0
13
4
11:21
Redskins
Byner 7-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
0
20
4
0:11
Redskins
27-yard field goal by Lohmiller
0
23
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
0
23
Week 6
Week 6: Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Redskins
0
10
0 10 20
Bears
0
0
7 0 7
at Soldier Field • Chicago
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
WSH
CHI
2
10:25
Redskins
47-yard field goal by Lohmiller
3
0
2
1:53
Redskins
Monk 26-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
10
0
3
1:42
Bears
Anderson 1-yard touchdown run, Butler kick good
10
7
4
6:20
Redskins
Monk 5-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
17
7
4
4:26
Redskins
23-yard field goal by Lohmiller
20
7
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
20
7
Week 7
Week 7: Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins
Period
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, 1991Game time : 1:00 p.m.
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
CLE
WSH
1
3:33
Redskins
Monk 14-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
0
7
1
0:25
Browns
Slaughter 11-yard touchdown reception from Hansen , Stover kick good
7
7
2
11:29
Redskins
Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
7
14
2
4:14
Redskins
Byner 21-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
7
21
3
8:25
Browns
26-yard field goal by Stover
10
21
3
8:07
—
—
—
Browns
Fumble recovery returned 37 yards for touchdown by Newsome , Stover kick good
17
21
3
5:09
Redskins
Ervins 12-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
17
28
4
8:10
Redskins
Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
17
35
4
6:48
Redskins
Ervins 65-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
17
42
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
17
42
Week 9
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
WSH
NYG
1
8:35
Giants
26-yard field goal by Allegre
0
3
1
1:20
Giants
Allegre
kick good
0
10
2
1:40
Giants
36-yard field goal by Allegre
0
13
3
0:42
Redskins
Clark 7-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
7
13
4
12:50
Redskins
Clark 54-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
14
13
4
0:51
Redskins
35-yard field goal by Lohmiller
17
13
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
17
13
Week 10
Week 10: Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins
Period
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, 1991Game time : 1:00 p.m.
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
HOU
WSH
2
14:12
Redskins
21-yard field goal by Lohmiller
0
3
2
2:00
Oilers
24-yard field goal by Howfield
3
3
2
0:03
Oilers
23-yard field goal by Howfield
6
3
3
0:20
Redskins
20-yard field goal by Lohmiller
6
6
4
14:10
Redskins
Byner 23-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
6
13
4
1:42
Oilers
White 1-yard touchdown run, Howfield kick good
13
13
OT
10:59
Redskins
41-yard field goal by Lohmiller
13
16
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
13
16
Week 11
Week 11: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
3
0
14 0 17
Redskins
7
21
7 21 56
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
ATL
WSH
1
9:52
Falcons
31-yard field goal by Johnson
3
0
1
5:43
Redskins
Orr 9-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
3
7
2
7:28
Redskins
Clark 61-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
3
14
2
1:55
Redskins
Rypien 4-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
3
21
2
0:37
Redskins
Clark 19-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
3
28
3
14:41
Falcons
Haynes 75-yard touchdown reception from Tolliver , Johnson kick good
10
28
3
12:18
Falcons
Rison 15-yard touchdown reception from Tolliver , Johnson kick good
17
28
3
10:13
Redskins
Monk 19-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
17
35
4
12:12
Redskins
Clark 82-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
17
42
4
10:00
Redskins
Monk 64-yard touchdown reception from Rypien , Lohmiller kick good
17
49
4
0:52
Redskins
Interception returned 15 yards for touchdown by Collins , Lohmiller kick good
17
56
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
17
56
Week 12
1
2 3 4 Total
• Redskins
7
10 10 14
41
Steelers
0
0 0 14
14
Date: November 17Location:
Week 13
1
2 3 4 Total
• Cowboys
0
14 0 10
24
Redskins
7
0 0 14
21
Date: November 24Location:
Week 14
1
2 3 4 Total
• Redskins
7
0 14 6
27
Rams
3
3 0 0
6
Date: December 1Location:
Week 15
1
2 3 4 Total
• Redskins
0
0 14 6
20
Cardinals
0
14 0 0
14
Date: December 8Location:
Week 16
1
2 3 4 Total
Giants
3
7 7 0
17
• Redskins
7
17 3 7
34
Date: December 15Location:
Week 17
1
2 3 4 Total
Redskins
3
10 3 6
22
• Eagles
7
0 0 17
24
Date: December 22Location:
Standings
Playoffs
Schedule
Game summaries
NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs Atlanta Falcons
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
0
7
0 0 7
Redskins
0
14
3 7 24
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
ATL
WSH
2
12:36
Redskins
Ervins 17-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
0
7
2
9:25
Redskins
Riggs 2-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
0
14
2
0:57
Falcons
Johnson 1-yard touchdown run, Johnson kick good
7
14
3
6:54
Redskins
24-yard field goal by Lohmiller
7
17
4
6:32
Redskins
Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Lohmiller kick good
7
24
"TOP" = Glossary of American football
.
7
24
NFC Championship Game: vs Detroit Lions
NFC Championship Game: Detroit Lions vs Washington Redskins
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Lions
0
10
0 0 10
Redskins
10
7
10 14 41
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
Super Bowl XXVI: vs Buffalo Bills
Super Bowl XXVI: Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Redskins
0
17
14 6 37
Bills
0
0
10 14 24
at
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Statistics
Passing
Rushing
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
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;[14] 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.
Best team ever
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.[15] Football Outsiders also has them ranked as the best team in NFL history based on their advanced analysis.[16]
References
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1991 Washington Redskins
^ Chase, Chris (January 27, 2016). "Ranking all 49 Super Bowl champions, from best to worst" . USA Today. Retrieved January 30, 2016 .
^ Football Outsiders: 1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary , published July 16, 2012, spanning 1991–2011 seasons.
^ [1] Team Efficiency Ratings 1991
^ "NFL Top 100 Teams" . Pro Football Reference.
^ "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT" . NFL.com .
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1991 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards
^ Pro-Football-Reference: 1991 Washington Redskins
^ The Redskins previously won the Super Bowl after the 1982 and 1987 seasons, both shortened by strikes
^ Joe Theismann , Doug Williams and Mark Rypien
^ ESPN.com, Page 2 – The List: Greatest NFL teams of all time, 2007
^ Football Outsiders: 1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary , published July 16, 2012, spanning 1991–2011 seasons.
^ Washington Redskins 1991 Press Guide . pp. 3–36.
^ "YouTube" . YouTube . Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2016 .
^ http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/promotions/nfl/superleague/?gameId=121 Archived 2011-01-30 at the Wayback Machine "Redskins win on dramatic final play"
^ "Historical DVOA Estimates | Football Outsiders" . www.footballoutsiders.com . Retrieved September 26, 2020 .
External links
Formerly the Boston Braves (1932), Boston Redskins (1933–1936), Washington Redskins (1937–2019), and Washington Football Team (2020–2021)
Based in Landover, Maryland
Headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia
Franchise Stadiums Ownership group Key personnel Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (15) Conference championships (5) League championships (2) Super Bowl championships (3) Hall of Famers Affiliations
Formerly the Boston Braves (1932), Boston Redskins (1933–1936), Washington Redskins (1937–2019), and Washington Football Team (2020–2021)
Bold indicates
appearance