| Team: | Washington Redskins |
| Year: | 1991 |
| Record: | 14–2 |
| Division Place: | 1st NFC East |
| Coach: | Joe Gibbs |
| General Manager: | Charley Casserly |
| Owner: | Jack Kent Cooke |
| President: | John Kent Cooke |
| Off Coach: | Joe Gibbs |
| Def Coach: | Richie Petitbon |
| Stadium: | RFK Stadium |
| Radio: | WMAL |
| Playoffs: | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Falcons) 24–7 Won NFC Championship (vs. Lions) 41–10 Won Super Bowl XXVI (vs. Bills) 37–24 |
| Shortnavlink: | Redskins seasons |
| Pro Bowlers: | QB Mark Rypien RB Earnest Byner WR Gary Clark OT Jim Lachey G Mark Schlereth DE Charles Mann CB Darrell Green K Chip Lohmiller |
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.
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]
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, ESPN.com ranked the 1991 Redskins as the 4th greatest team in NFL history,[11] 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,[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."
See main article: 1991 NFL draft.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | DT | Michigan St. | ||
| 3 | 76 | RB | USC | ||
| 6 | 159 | Dennis Ransom | TE | Texas A&M | |
| 7 | 188 | TE | Texas | ||
| 8 | 215 | DB | Florida | ||
| 9 | 243 | Charles Bell | DB | Baylor | |
| 10 | 270 | Cris Shale | P | Bowling Green | |
| 11 | 299 | DB | Jacksonville St. | ||
| 12 | 326 | WR | UNLV |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 4 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–16 | 0–1 | Three Rivers Stadium | Recap | |
| 2 | at New England Patriots | W 27–6 | 1–1 | Foxboro Stadium | Recap | ||
| 3 | Cleveland Browns | L 21–24 | 1–2 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | vs. New York Jets | L 9–13 | 1–3 | Williams–Brice Stadium | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1 | Detroit Lions | W 45–0 | 1–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 33–31 | 2–0 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |||
| 3 | September 15 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 34–0 | 3–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | September 22 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 34–27 | 4–0 | Riverfront Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 23–0 | 5–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial 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 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial 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 | 9–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap | ||
| 11 | November 10 | Atlanta Falcons | W 56–17 | 10–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial 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 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial 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 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap | ||
| 17 | December 22 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 22–24 | 14–2 | Veterans Stadium | Recap | ||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||||
See also: 1991 Detroit Lions season.
See also: 1991 Dallas Cowboys season.
See also: 1991 Phoenix Cardinals season.
See also: 1991 Cincinnati Bengals season. Washington would not beat the Bengals again until 2020.
See also: 1991 Philadelphia Eagles season.
See also: 1991 Chicago Bears season.
See also: 1991 Cleveland Browns season.
See also: 1991 New York Giants season.
See also: 1991 Houston Oilers season.
See also: 1991 Atlanta Falcons season.
See main article: article and 1991–92 NFL playoffs.
| Week | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | Bye | ||||||||||
| Divisional | 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 | |||||
| Player | G | Comp. | Att. | Pct. | Yds. | TD | INT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 249 | 421 | 59.1 | 3,564 | 28 | 11 | ||
| 16 | 11 | 22 | 50.0 | 189 | 1 | 0 |
| Player | G | Att. | Yards | Avg. | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 274 | 1,048 | 3.8 | 5 | ||
| 15 | 145 | 680 | 4.7 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 78 | 248 | 3.2 | 11 |
| Player | G | Rec. | Yards | Y/G | Avg. | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 71 | 1,049 | 65.6 | 14.8 | 8 | ||
| 16 | 70 | 1,340 | 83.8 | 19.1 | 10 | ||
| 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 | |
| 16 | 10 | 201 | 12.6 | 20.1 | 4 |
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]