1991 Washington Redskins season

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.

1991 Washington Redskins season
Owner	Jack Kent Cooke
President	John Kent Cooke
General manager	Charley Casserly
Head coach	Joe Gibbs
Offensive coordinator	Joe Gibbs
Defensive coordinator	Richie Petitbon
Home field	RFK Stadium
Local radio	WMAL
Results
Record	14–2
Division place	1st NFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Falcons) 24–7 Won NFC Championship (vs. Lions) 41–10 Won Super Bowl XXVI (vs. Bills) 37–24
Pro Bowlers	8 QB Mark Rypien RB Earnest Byner WR Gary Clark OT Jim Lachey G Mark Schlereth DE Charles Mann CB Darrell Green K Chip Lohmiller
All-Pros	9 QB Mark Rypien (2nd team) RB Earnest Byner (2nd team) WR Gary Clark (2nd team) OT Jim Lachey (1st team) K Chip Lohmiller (2nd team) KR Brian Mitchell (2nd team) CB Darrell Green (2nd team) LB Wilber Marshall (2nd team) DE Charles Mann (2nd team)
← 1990 Redskins seasons 1992 →

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. Their point differential of +261 was the best in franchise history, and the third-highest of all time.^[2][3] In 2016, Chris Chase of USA Today ranked the team as the greatest to ever win a Super Bowl.^[4] As of 2024, this is the most recent season Washington appeared in 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, by which time the team had changed its name.

Statistics site Football Outsiders ranks the 1991 Redskins as the best team they have measured (from 1986 to present).^[5][6] The team ranked No. 15 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.^[7][8]

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.^[9] The Redskins had two wide receivers who went over 1,000 yards receiving in 1991: Gary Clark (1,340) and Art Monk (1,049).^[10]

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.^[11] With the championship, coach Joe Gibbs also became the first head coach to win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.^[12]

In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1991 Redskins as the 4th greatest team in NFL history,^[13] 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,^[14] 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

1991 Washington Redskins 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

Personnel

Staff

1991 Washington Redskins staff

Front office Chairman/COO – Jack Kent Cooke Executive vice president – John Kent Cooke General manager – Charley Casserly Assistant general manager – Bobby Mitchell Director of player personnel – Kirk Mee Director of pro scouting – Joe Mack Director of college scouting – George Saimes Scouting administrator – Mel Kaufman Head coaches Head coach – Joe Gibbs Assistant head coach/defense – Richie Petitbon Offensive coaches Quarterbacks/passing game – Rod Dowhower Running backs – Don Breaux Wide receivers – Charley Taylor Offensive line – Jim Hanifan and Rennie Simmons Offensive assistant/receivers – Jack Burns

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Larry Peccatiello Defensive line – LaVern Torgeson Defensive backs – Emmitt Thomas Defensive line – Bobby DePaul Special teams coaches Special teams – Wayne Sevier Strength and conditioning Strength – Dan Riley Assistant strength – Steve Wetzel

^[15]

Roster

1991 Washington Redskins roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 16 Stan Humphries 10 Jeff Rutledge 11 Mark Rypien Running backs (RB) 21 Earnest Byner 32 Ricky Ervins KR 30 Brian Mitchell 37 Gerald Riggs Wide receivers (WR) 84 Gary Clark 86 Stephen Hobbs 81 Art Monk 83 Ricky Sanders Tight ends (TE) 88 James Jenkins 87 Ron Middleton 89 Terry Orr 85 Don Warren

Offensive linemen (OL) 61 Mark Adickes G 53 Jeff Bostic C 68 Russ Grimm G 66 Joe Jacoby T 79 Jim Lachey T 63 Raleigh McKenzie G 69 Mark Schlereth G 76 Ed Simmons T Defensive linemen (DL) 99 Jason Buck DE 97 Jumpy Geathers DT 78 Tim Johnson DT 71 Charles Mann DE 60 Fred Stokes DE 75 Eric Williams DT 94 Bobby Wilson DT

Linebackers (LB) 50 Ravin Caldwell OLB 51 Monte Coleman OLB 55 Andre Collins OLB 54 Kurt Gouveia MLB 58 Wilber Marshall OLB 57 Matt Millen MLB Defensive backs (DB) 26 Danny Copeland SS 27 Brad Edwards FS 28 Darrell Green CB 47 A. J. Johnson CB 45 Sidney Johnson CB 35 Martin Mayhew CB 20 Alvoid Mays CB 40 Alvin Walton SS Special teams 82 John Brandes LS  2 Kelly Goodburn P  8 Chip Lohmiller K

Practice squad 24 Carl Harry WR 46 Dennis Ransom TE 72 Thomas Rayam G 95 Ted Rogers LB 23 Jimmy Spencer Reserve 65 Ray Brown G (IR) 12 Cary Conklin QB (IR) 64 Mo Elewonibi G (IR) 29 David Gulledge S (IR) 34 Terry Hoage S (IR) 88 Jimmie Johnson TE (IR) 80 Joe Johnson WR (IR) 74 Markus Koch DE (IR) -- Keenan McCardell WR (IR) 44 John Settle RB (IR) -- Cris Shale P (IR) 31 Clarence Vaughn S (IR) 47 active, 12 inactive, 5 practice squad Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 4	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 7–16	0–1	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
2	August 10	at New England Patriots	W 27–6	1–1	Foxboro Stadium	Recap
3	August 16	Cleveland Browns	L 21–24 (OT)	1–2	RFK Stadium	Recap
4	August 24	vs. New York Jets	L 9–13	1–3	Williams–Brice Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Note: Division opponents are bolded

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 1	Detroit Lions	W 45–0	1–0	RFK Stadium	Recap
2	September 9	at Dallas Cowboys	W 33–31	2–0	Texas Stadium	Recap
3	September 15	Phoenix Cardinals	W 34–0	3–0	RFK Stadium	Recap
4	September 22	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 34–27	4–0	Riverfront Stadium	Recap
5	September 30	Philadelphia Eagles	W 23–0	5–0	RFK 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	RFK 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 (OT)	9–0	RFK Stadium	Recap
11	November 10	Atlanta Falcons	W 56–17	10–0	RFK 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	RFK 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	RFK Stadium	Recap
17	December 22	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 22–24	14–2	Veterans Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

Week 1

See also: 1991 Detroit Lions season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	0	0	0	0
Redskins	21	14	7	3	45

Game information
Lions Rodney Peete 8/22, 75 Yds, 3 INT Cedric Jackson 10 Rush, 39 Yds Don Overton 4 Rec, 38 Yds Redskins Mark Rypien 15/19, 183 Yds, 2 TD, INT Earnest Byner 16 Rush, 83 Yds, TD Gary Clark 6 Rec, 107 Yds, TD

Week 1: Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: September 1, 1991
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear; 76 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 52,958
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (TNT): Skip Caray (play-by-play) and Pat Haden (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 0 45

Week 2

See also: 1991 Dallas Cowboys season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	7	13	3	10	33
Cowboys	14	7	3	7	31

Game information
Redskins Mark Rypien 14/26, 203 Yds, 2 TD, INT Earnest Byner 22 Rush, 101 Yds Ricky Sanders 5 Rec, 85 Yds Cowboys Troy Aikman 27/42, 242 Yds, 3 TD Emmitt Smith 11 Rush, 112 Yds, TD Emmitt Smith 8 Rec, 42 Yds, TD

Week 2: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys

at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas

• Date: September 9, 1991
• Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear; 81 °F (27 °C); wind 11
• Game attendance: 63,025
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford (color commentators)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 33 31

Week 3

See also: 1991 Phoenix Cardinals season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0
Redskins	7	7	14	6	34

Game information
Cardinals Tom Tupa 13/24, 120 Yds, 3 INT Johnny Johnson 8 Rush, 27 Yds Tim Jorden 5 Rec, 36 Yds Redskins Mark Rypien 15/23, 181 Yds, TD Earnest Byner 23 Rush, 109 Yds, TD Gary Clark 5 Rec, 72 Yds

Week 3: Phoenix Cardinals at Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: September 15, 1991
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear; 76 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 54,662
• Referee: Tom White
• TV announcers (CBS): James Brown (play-by-play) and Randy Cross (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 0 34

Week 4

See also: 1991 Cincinnati Bengals season

Washington would not beat the Bengals again until 2020.

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	3	21	3	7	34
Bengals	7	3	14	3	27

Game information
Redskins Mark Rypien 15/23, 217 Yds, INT Earnest Byner 18 Rush, 75 Yds Gary Clark 6 Rec, 53 Yds Bengals Boomer Esiason 18/37, 212 Yds, INT Craig Taylor 5 Rush, 56 Yds Tim McGee 4 Rec, 97 Yds

Week 4: Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals

at Riverfront Stadium • Cincinnati

• Date: September 22, 1991
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy; 59 °F (15 °C)
• Game attendance: 52,038
• Referee: Stan Kemp
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Merlin Olsen (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 34 27

Week 5

See also: 1991 Philadelphia Eagles season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	0	0	0	0
Redskins	0	10	3	10	23

Game information
Eagles Jim McMahon 4/6, 32 Yds Heath Sherman 12 Rush, 38 Yds Fred Barnett 2 Rec, 19 Yds Redskins Mark Rypien 13/23, 204 Yds, TD, 2 INT Earnest Byner 29 Rush, 95 Yds, TD Art Monk 3 Rec, 33 Yds, TD

Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: September 30, 1991
• Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear; 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 55,198
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford (color commentators)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 0 23

Week 6

See also: 1991 Chicago Bears season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	10	0	10	20
Bears	0	0	7	0	7

Game information
Redskins Mark Rypien 18/31, 168 Yds, 2 TD, INT Earnest Byner 21 Rush, 63 Yds Art Monk 6 Rec, 69 Yds, 2 TD Bears Jim Harbaugh 17/41, 206 Yds, 3 INT Neal Anderson 18 Rush, 73 Yds, TD Ron Morris 5 Rec, 106 Yds

Week 6: Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears

at Soldier Field • Chicago

• Date: October 6, 1991
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy; 43 °F (6 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,961
• Referee: Bernie Kukar
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 20 7

Week 7

See also: 1991 Cleveland Browns season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	7	0	10	0	17
Redskins	7	14	7	14	42

Game information
Browns Bernie Kosar 21/29, 266 Yds Kevin Mack 14 Rush, 70 Yds Kevin Mack 6 Rec, 53 Yds Redskins Mark Rypien 16/22, 190 Yds, TD Ricky Ervins 13 Rush, 133 Yds, 2 TD Art Monk 7 Rec, 106 Yds, TD

Week 7: Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: October 13, 1991
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear; 55 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 54,715
• Referee: Tom Dooley
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play) and Todd Christensen (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 42

Week 9

See also: 1991 New York Giants season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	0	7	10	17
Giants	10	3	0	0	13

Game information
Redskins Mark Rypien 12/25, 159 Yds, 2 TD, INT Ricky Ervins 20 Rush, 82 Yds Gary Clark 3 Rec, 70 Yds, 2 TD Giants Jeff Hostetler 14/21, 137 Yds, INT Rodney Hampton 21 Rush, 83 Yds, TD Rodney Hampton 6 Red, 39 Yds

Week 9: Washington Redskins at New York Giants

at Giants Stadium • East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: October 27, 1991
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Partly cloudy; 64 °F (18 °C); wind 9
• Game attendance: 76,627
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Joe Theismann (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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 Hampton 1-yard touchdown run, 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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 13

Week 10

See also: 1991 Houston Oilers season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Oilers	0	6	0	7	0	13
Redskins	0	3	3	7	3	16

Game information
Oilers Warren Moon 25/44, 250 Yds, 2 INT Lorenzo White 11 Rush, 14 Yds, TD Drew Hill 9 Rec, 83 Yds Redskins Mark Rypien 21/34, 195 Yds, INT Earnest Byner 21 Rush, 112 Yds, TD Art Monk 8 Rec, 62 Yds

Week 10: Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: November 3, 1991
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy; 48 °F (9 °C)
• Game attendance: 55,096
• Referee: Gerry Austin
• TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Paul Maguire (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 13 16

Week 11

See also: 1991 Atlanta Falcons season

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	0	14	0	17
Redskins	7	21	7	21	56

Game information
Falcons Billy Joe Tolliver 14/31, 243 Yds, 2 TD, INT Mike Rozier 11 Rush, 45 Yds Andre Rison 7 Rec, 72 Yds, TD Redskins Mark Rypien 16/31, 442 Yds, 6 TD Ricky Ervins 16 Rush, 39 Yds Art Monk 7 Rec, 164 Yds, 2 TD

Week 11: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: November 10, 1991
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy; 39 °F (4 °C)
• Game attendance: 52,641
• Referee: Dale Hamer
• TV announcers (CBS): James Brown (play-by-play), Randy Cross (color commentator) and Lesley Visser (sideline reporter)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see 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 17 Location: Three Rivers Stadium Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 56,813 Game weather: Clear; 47 °F (8 °C) Referee: Tom White TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen

Week 13

1 2 3 4 Total • Cowboys 0 14 0 10 24 Redskins 7 0 0 14 21 Date: November 24 Location: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 55,561 Game weather: Clear; 52 °F (11 °C) Referee: Bob McElwee TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Week 14

1 2 3 4 Total • Redskins 7 0 14 6 27 Rams 3 3 0 0 6 Date: December 1 Location: Anaheim Stadium Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 55,027 Game weather: Clear; 55 °F (13 °C) Referee: Dick Hantak TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen

Week 15

1 2 3 4 Total • Redskins 0 0 14 6 20 Cardinals 0 14 0 0 14 Date: December 8 Location: Sun Devil Stadium Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 48,373 Game weather: Partly cloudy; 60 °F (16 °C) Referee: Bernie Kukar TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts

Week 16

1 2 3 4 Total Giants 3 7 7 0 17 • Redskins 7 17 3 7 34 Date: December 15 Location: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 54,722 Game weather: Partly cloudy; 40 °F (4 °C) Referee: Pat Haggerty TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Week 17

1 2 3 4 Total Redskins 3 10 3 6 22 • Eagles 7 0 0 17 24 Date: December 22 Location: Veterans Stadium Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 58,988 Game weather: Clear; 37 °F (3 °C) Referee: Dale Hamer TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	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

Main article: 1991–92 NFL playoffs

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
Divisional	January 4	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

Game summaries

NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs Atlanta Falcons

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	0	0	7
Redskins	0	14	3	7	24

Game information
Falcons Chris Miller 17/32, 178 Yds, 4 INT Tracy Johnson 8 Rush, 33 Yds, TD Andre Rison 7 Rec, 62 Yds Redskins Mark Rypien 14/29, 170 Yds, INT Ricky Ervins 23 Rush, 104 Yds, TD Gary Clark 6 Rec, 64 Yds

NFC Divisional Playoffs: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: January 4, 1992 (Sat)
• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Heavy rain with strong winds; 49 °F (9 °C)
• Game attendance: 55,181
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (color commentator) and Lesley Visser (sideline reporter)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

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" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 24

NFC Championship Game: vs Detroit Lions

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	10	0	0	10
Redskins	10	7	10	14	41

NFC Championship Game: Detroit Lions vs Washington Redskins

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

• Date: January 12 (Sun)
• Game time: 4 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Clear skies; 40 °F (4 °C)
• Game attendance: 55,858
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers: Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator)
• Box Score

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP DET WSH 1 13:54 WSH Gerald Riggs 2-yard touchdown run, Chip Lohmiller kick good 0 7 1 11:58 WSH 20-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller 0 10 2 12:35 DET Willie Green 18-yard touchdown reception from Erik Kramer, Eddie Murray kick good 7 10 2 7:44 WSH Gerald Riggs 3-yard touchdown run, Chip Lohmiller kick good 7 17 2 0:37 DET 30-yard field goal by Eddie Murray 10 17 3 11:52 WAS 28-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller 10 20 3 2:23 WSH Gary Clark 45-yard touchdown reception from Mark Rypien, Chip Lohmiller kick good 10 27 4 10:45 WSH Art Monk 21-yard touchdown reception from Mark Rypien, Chip Lohmiller kick good 10 34 4 10:11 WSH Interception returned 32 yards for touchdown by Darrell Green, Chip Lohmiller kick good 10 41 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 41

Super Bowl XXVI: vs Buffalo Bills

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	17	14	6	37
Bills	0	0	10	14	24

Super Bowl XXVI: Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: January 26
• Game time: 6:18 pm. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors, domed stadium
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), and Lesley Visser (sideline reporter)
• Box Score

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP WSH BUF 2 13:02 7 64 2:40 WSH 34-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller 3 0 2 9:54 5 51 2:12 WSH Earnest Byner 10-yard touchdown reception from Mark Rypien, Chip Lohmiller kick good 10 0 2 7:17 5 55 2:18 WSH Gerald Riggs 1-yard touchdown run, Chip Lohmiller kick good 17 0 3 14:44 1 2 0:03 WSH Gerald Riggs 2-yard touchdown run, Chip Lohmiller kick good 24 0 3 11:59 11 77 2:45 BUF 21-yard field goal by Scott Norwood 24 3 3 5:58 6 56 2:19 BUF Thurman Thomas 1-yard touchdown run, Scott Norwood kick good 24 10 3 1:24 11 79 4:34 WSH Gary Clark 30-yard touchdown reception from Mark Rypien, Chip Lohmiller kick good 31 10 4 14:54 4 7 0:57 WSH 25-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller 34 10 4 11:36 5 11 2:30 WSH 39-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller 37 10 4 5:59 15 79 5:37 BUF Pete Metzelaars 2-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Scott Norwood kick good 37 17 4 3:55 9 50 2:04 BUF Don Beebe 4-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Scott Norwood kick good 37 24 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 37 24

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

• 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;^[16] 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.^[17] Football Outsiders also has them ranked as the best Super Bowl-winning team in NFL history based on their advanced analysis.^[18]

References

1. Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1991 Washington Redskins
2. "Commanders Point Differential In 1991". StatMuse. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
3. "Best Point Differential By An NFL Team In A Season Since 1991". StatMuse. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
4. Chase, Chris (January 27, 2016). "Ranking all 49 Super Bowl champions, from best to worst". USA Today. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
5. Football Outsiders: 1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary, published July 16, 2012, spanning 1991–2011 seasons.
6. Team Efficiency Ratings 1991
7. "NFL Top 100 Teams". Pro Football Reference.
8. "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT". NFL.com.
9. Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1991 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards
10. Pro-Football-Reference: 1991 Washington Redskins
11. The Redskins previously won the Super Bowl after the 1982 and 1987 seasons, both shortened by strikes
12. Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien
13. ESPN.com, Page 2 – The List: Greatest NFL teams of all time, 2007
14. Football Outsiders: 1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary, published July 16, 2012, spanning 1991–2011 seasons.
15. Washington Redskins 1991 Press Guide. pp. 3–36.
16. "YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
17. https://promo.espn.com/espn/promotions/nfl/superleague/?gameId=121 "Redskins win on dramatic final play"
18. "Historical DVOA Estimates | Football Outsiders". www.footballoutsiders.com. Retrieved September 26, 2020.

External links

• 1991 Washington Redskins at Pro-Football-Reference.com