1991 Washington Redskins season

1991 Washington Redskins season
Head coach Joe Gibbs
General manager Charley Casserly
Owner Jack Kent Cooke
Home field RFK Stadium
Results
Record 14–2
Division place 1st NFC East
Playoff finish Won Divisional Playoffs (Falcons) 24–7
Won Conference Championship (Lions) 41–10
Won Super Bowl XXVI (5) (Bills) 37–24

The 1991 Washington Redskins season was the team's 60th in the National Football League (NFL), and its 55th in Washington, D.C.. The Redskins dominated the league all season, winning their first eleven games. Their two losses were by margins of 3 and 2 points, respectively.

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]

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.[3] The Redskins had two wide receivers who went over 1,000 yards receiving in 1991: Gary Clark (1,340) and Art Monk (1,049).[4]

The Redskins beat the Buffalo Bills 37–24 to win Super Bowl XXVI. The team is the last Super Bowl champion to never trail in any of their playoff victories.[5] The Redskins' Super Bowl XXVI win was their first in a non-strike season.[6] With the championship, coach Joe Gibbs also became the first head coach to win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.[7]

In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1991 Redskins as the 4th greatest team in NFL history,[8] 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,[9] 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 DVOA history, which showed up on Washington's schedule twice: the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles."

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

[10]

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Game site Record TV Time
1 August 4, 1991 Pittsburgh Steelers L 7–16 Three Rivers Stadium 0–1 TNT[b] 8:00pm
2 August 10, 1991 New England Patriots W 27–6 Foxboro Stadium 1–1 WTTG 7:30pm
3 August 16, 1991 Cleveland Browns L 21–24 (OT) Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 1–2 WTTG 8:00pm
4 August 24, 1991 New York Jets L 9–13 Williams-Brice Stadium 1–3 WTTG 7:00pm

Notes:

a All times in North American Eastern Time.
b Simulcast on WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Game site Record TV Time
1 September 1, 1991 Detroit Lions W 45–0 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 1–0 TNT[b] 8:00pm
2 September 9, 1991 at Dallas Cowboys W 33-31 Texas Stadium 2–0 ABC 9:00pm
3 September 15, 1991 Phoenix Cardinals W 34–0 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 3–0 CBS 1:00pm
4 September 22, 1991 at Cincinnati Bengals W 34–27 Riverfront Stadium 4–0 CBS 1:00pm
5 September 30, 1991 Philadelphia Eagles W 23–0 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 5–0 ABC 9:00pm
6 October 6, 1991 at Chicago Bears W 20–7 Soldier Field 6–0 CBS 1:00pm
7 October 13, 1991 Cleveland Browns W 42–17 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 7–0 NBC 1:00pm
8 Bye
9 October 27, 1991 at New York Giants W 17–13 Giants Stadium 8–0 ESPN[c] 7:30pm
10 November 3, 1991 Houston Oilers W 16–13 (OT) Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 9–0 NBC 1:00pm
11 November 10, 1991 Atlanta Falcons W 56–17 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 10–0 CBS 1:00pm
12 November 17, 1991 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 41–14 Three Rivers Stadium 11–0 CBS 1:00pm
13 November 24, 1991 Dallas Cowboys L 21–24 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 11–1 CBS 1:00pm
14 December 1, 1991 at Los Angeles Rams W 27–6 Anaheim Stadium 12–1 CBS 4:00pm
15 December 8, 1991 at Phoenix Cardinals W 20–14 Sun Devil Stadium 13–1 CBS 4:00pm
16 December 15, 1991 New York Giants W 34–17 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 14–1 CBS 4:00pm
17 December 22, 1991 at Philadelphia Eagles L 22–24 Veterans Stadium 14–2 CBS 4:00pm

Notes:

a All times in North American Eastern Time. (UTC–4 and UTC–5 starting October 27)
b Simulcast on WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.
c Simulcast on WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C.

Game summaries

Week 1

1 234Total
Lions 0 000 0
Redskins 21 1473 45

Week 2

1 234Total
Redskins 7 13310 33
Cowboys 14 737 31

[11]

Week 3

1 234Total
Cardinals 0 000 0
Redskins 7 7146 34

Week 4

1 234Total
Redskins 3 2137 34
Bengals 7 3143 27

Week 5

1 234Total
Eagles 0 000 0
Redskins 0 10310 23

Week 6

1 234Total
Redskins 0 10010 20
Bears 0 070 7

Week 7

1 234Total
Browns 7 0100 17
Redskins 7 14714 42

Week 9

1 234Total
Redskins 0 0710 17
Giants 10 300 13

[12]

Week 10

1 234Total
Oilers 0 607 13
Redskins 0 3310 16

[13]

Week 11

1 234Total
Falcons 3 0140 17
Redskins 7 21721 56

Week 12

1 234Total
Redskins 7 101014 41
Steelers 0 0014 14

Week 13

1 234Total
Cowboys 0 14010 24
Redskins 7 0014 21

Week 14

1 234Total
Redskins 7 0146 27
Rams 3 300 6

Week 15

1 234Total
Redskins 0 0146 20
Cardinals 0 1400 14

Week 16

1 234Total
Giants 3 770 17
Redskins 7 1730 27

Week 17

1 234Total
Redskins 3 1036 22
Eagles 7 0017 24

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

NFC Divisional Playoffs Atlanta Falcons W 24–7 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 15–2 CBS 12:30pm
NFC Championship Detroit Lions W 41–10 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 16–2 CBS 4:15pm
Super Bowl XXVI Buffalo Bills W 37–24 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 17–2 CBS 6:15pm

Divisional

1 234Total
Falcons 0 700 7
Redskins 0 1437 24

NFC Championship

1 234Total
Lions 0 1000 10
Redskins 10 71014 41

Super Bowl

Main article: Super Bowl XXVI
1 234Total
Redskins 0 17146 37
Bills 0 01014 24

Roster

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

Milestones

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 record of 10-5 and beat the 1992 Dallas Cowboys in the league finals 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

External links

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