1991 Washington Redskins season
The 1991 season was the Washington Redskins' 60th in the National Football League, 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 were by a combined five points. The Redskins ended their campaign as world champions, knocking off the [1991 1991 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills season|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 in the league, which was an average of 14 points per game. 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. In 2016, Chris Chase of USA Today ranked the team as the greatest to ever win a Super Bowl. They would not return to the NFC Championship Game or win more than 10 regular season games again until the 2024 season, which came several years after the team had changed its name. However, as of today, 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. The team ranked No. 15 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.
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. The Redskins had two wide receivers who went over 1,000 yards receiving in 1991: Gary Clark and Art Monk.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. With the championship, coach Joe Gibbs also became the first head coach to win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.
In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1991 Redskins as the 4th greatest team in NFL history, 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 [1991 Atlanta 1991 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons season|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, 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 history. It was also the year of the best defense in 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 |
Regular season
Note: Division opponents are 'bolded'''''Week 4 (Sunday, September 22, 1991): at Cincinnati Bengals">1991 Cincinnati Bengals season">Cincinnati Bengals
Washington would not beat the Bengals again until 2020.- Point spread: Redskins –3½
- Over/under: 43.0
- 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 | 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 | 3–46.7 | |
| 1–1 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 6–100 | Penalties–yards | 4–50 |
| 32:09 | Time of possession | 27:51 |
'''Individual stats'''
Week 6 (Sunday, October 6, 1991): at Chicago Bears">1991 Chicago Bears season">Chicago Bears
- Point spread: Redskins –3
- Over/under: 37.0
- 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 | 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 | 5–40.2 | |
| 1–0 | Fumbles–lost | 1–0 |
| 9–60 | Penalties–yards | 6–32 |
| 27:37 | Time of possession | 32:23 |
Individual stats
- Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 54
Week 11 (Sunday, November 10, 1991): vs. Atlanta Falcons">1991 Atlanta Falcons season">Atlanta Falcons
- Point spread: Redskins –12
- Over/under: 35.0
- 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 | 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 | 5–36.0 | |
| 3–3 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 6–40 | Penalties–yards | 6–56 |
| 25:44 | Time of possession | 34:16 |
Individual stats
- Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 48
Playoffs
NFC Divisional Playoffs (January 4, 1992): vs. (6) Atlanta Falcons">1991 Atlanta Falcons season">Atlanta Falcons
- Point spread: Redskins –11½
- Over/under: 43.0
- 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 | 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 | 4–38.8 | |
| 3–2 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 3–19 | Penalties–yards | 4–23 |
| 23:52 | Time of possession | 36:08 |
Individual stats
- Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 47, 37, 44
[Super Bowl XXVI] (Sunday, January 26, 1992): vs. (A1) Buffalo Bills">1992 Buffalo Bills season">Buffalo Bills
- Point spread: Redskins –7
- Over/under: 48.0
- 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 | 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 | 6–35.0 | |
| 1–0 | Fumbles–lost | 6–1 |
| 5–82 | Penalties–yards | 6–50 |
| 33:43 | Time of possession | 26:17 |
'''Individual stats'''
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; 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.