| Team: | Washington Redskins |
| Year: | 1988 |
| Record: | 7–9 |
| Division Place: | 3rd NFC East |
| Coach: | Joe Gibbs |
| General Manager: | Bobby Beathard |
| Owner: | Jack Kent Cooke |
| President: | John Kent Cooke |
| Off Coach: | Joe Bugel |
| Def Coach: | Richie Petitbon |
| Stadium: | RFK Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Shortnavlink: | Redskins seasons |
The 1988 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 57th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 53rd in Washington, D.C. They failed to improve on their 11–4 record from 1987, when they won Super Bowl XXII, and finished 7-9. The Redskins failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1985. They were the seventh team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the playoffs.[1]
The Week 8 meeting against Green Bay at Lambeau Field would be the two teams' final meeting for 13 years.
The 7-9 finish would be the only time during Gibbs' first stint with the Redskins that the team finished with a losing record.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at New York Giants | L 20–27 | 0–1 | Giants Stadium | 76,417 | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 30–29 | 1–1 | RFK Stadium | 54,083 | Recap | |
| 3 | September 18 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–10 | 2–1 | RFK Stadium | 53,920 | Recap | |
| 4 | September 25 | at Phoenix Cardinals | L 21–30 | 2–2 | Sun Devil Stadium | 61,973 | Recap | |
| 5 | October 2 | New York Giants | L 23–24 | 2–3 | RFK Stadium | 54,601 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 9 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 35–17 | 3–3 | Texas Stadium | 63,325 | Recap | |
| 7 | October 16 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 33–17 | 4–3 | RFK Stadium | 54,402 | Recap | |
| 8 | October 23 | at Green Bay Packers | W 20–17 | 5–3 | Lambeau Field | 51,767 | Recap | |
| 9 | October 30 | at Houston Oilers | L 17–41 | 5–4 | Astrodome | 48,781 | Recap | |
| 10 | November 6 | New Orleans Saints | W 27–24 | 6–4 | RFK Stadium | 54,183 | Recap | |
| 11 | November 13 | Chicago Bears | L 14–34 | 6–5 | RFK Stadium | 52,418 | Recap | |
| 12 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 21–37 | 6–6 | Candlestick Park | 59,268 | Recap | ||
| 13 | November 27 | Cleveland Browns | L 13–17 | 6–7 | RFK Stadium | 51,604 | Recap | |
| 14 | December 4 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 20–19 | 7–7 | Veterans Stadium | 65,947 | Recap | |
| 15 | December 11 | Dallas Cowboys | L 17–24 | 7–8 | RFK Stadium | 51,526 | Recap | |
| 16 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 17–20 (OT) | 7–9 | Riverfront Stadium | 52,157 | Recap |
1988 Team Starters
Offense
17 Doug Williams QB 32 Craig McEwan RB 36 Timmy Smith FB 81 Art Monk WR 84 Gary Clark WR 85 Don Warren TE
66 Joe Jacoby LT 63 Raleigh McKenzie LG 53 Jeff Bostic C 73 Mark May RG 79 Jim Lachey RT
Defense
71 Charles Mann LDE 65 Dave Butz LDT 77 Darryl Grant RDT 72 Dexter Manley RDT
51 Monte Coleman LB 52 Neal Olkewicz LB 58 Wilber Marshall LB
45 Barry Wilburn LCB 28 Darrell Green RCB 40 Alvin Walton SS 23 Todd Bowles FS
8 Chip Lohmiller K 15 Greg Coleman P 80 Derrick Shepherd PR 22 Jamie Morris KR