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, which was an average of 14 points per game. (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 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 2024, which came several years after the team had changed its name. However, as of 2025, 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 (from 1986 to present).Football Outsiders: 1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary , published July 16, 2012, spanning 1991–2011 seasons. Team Efficiency Ratings 1991 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.Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1991 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards The Redskins had two wide receivers who went over 1,000 yards receiving in 1991: Gary Clark (1,340) and Art Monk (1,049).Pro-Football-Reference: 1991 Washington Redskins
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.The Commanders previously won the Super Bowl after the 1982 and 1987 seasons, both shortened by strikes With the championship, coach Joe Gibbs also became the first head coach to win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien
In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1991 Redskins as the 4th greatest team in NFL history,ESPN.com, Page 2 – The List: Greatest NFL teams of all time, 2007 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,Football Outsiders: 1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary , published July 16, 2012, spanning 1991–2011 seasons. 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
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
Roster
Preseason 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 RFK Stadium Recap 4 vs. New York Jets L 9–13 1–3 Williams–Brice Stadium Recap
Preseason Game summaries
Week P3 (Friday, August 16, 1991): vs. Cleveland Browns
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 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 at Cincinnati Bengals W 34–27 4–0 Riverfront Stadium Recap 5 Philadelphia Eagles W 23–0 5–0 RFK Stadium Recap 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 9–0 RFK Stadium Recap 11 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
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4 (Sunday, September 22, 1991): at Cincinnati Bengals The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-28. Washington would not beat the Bengals again until 2020.
Point spread: Redskins –3½ Over/under: 43.0 (over) Time of game: 3 hours, 10 minutes
RedskinsGame statisticsBengals20 First downs 2132–132 Rushes–yards 25–136217 Passing yards 21215–23–1 18–37–11–5 Sacked–yards 4–26212 Net passing yards 186344 Total yards 322180 Return yards 632–40.0 3–46.71–1 Fumbles–lost 0–06–100 Penalties–yards 4–5032:09 Time of possession 27:51
Individual stats Redskins Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateRypien15/2321701155477.6
Redskins Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Byner1875012Riggs1061320Rypien3–200Monk1–20–2
Redskins ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Clark653017Byner556027Monk284052Sanders114014Hobbs1505
Redskins KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPALohmiller2–24–4
Redskins PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckGoodburn28040.046
Redskins Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell25427.000Ervins13333.000
Redskins Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell29346.510
Redskins SacksSacksColeman1.0Mann1.0Stokes1.0Wilson1.0
Redskins InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDEdwards1000
Week 5
Week 6 (Sunday, October 6, 1991): at Chicago Bears The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-24.
Point spread: Redskins –3 Over/under: 37.0 (under) Time of game: 2 hours, 58 minutes
RedskinsGame statisticsBears12 First downs 1926–75 Rushes–yards 28–120168 Passing yards 20618–31–1 17–41–30–0 Sacked–yards 1–768 Net passing yards 199243 Total yards 319114 Return yards 985–44.2 5–40.21–0 Fumbles–lost 1–09–60 Penalties–yards 6–3227:37 Time of possession 32:23
Individual stats Redskins Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateRypien18/3116821002681.1
Redskins Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Byner2163015Monk1505Riggs2404Sanders1202Rypien1101
Redskins ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Monk669226Clark544015Sanders438013Byner31706
Redskins KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPALohmiller2–32–2
Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 54
Redskins PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckGoodburn522144.261
Redskins Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell24321.500
Redskins Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell4399.800Hobbs11010.000
Redskins SacksSacksCollins1.0
Redskins InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDGouveia122022Marshall1000Stokes1000
Week 7
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11 (Sunday, November 10, 1991): vs. Atlanta Falcons The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-21.
Point spread: Redskins –12 Over/under: 35.0 (over) Time of game: 3 hours, 30 minutes
FalconsGame statisticsRedskins12 First downs 2018–62 Rushes–yards 36–108243 Passing yards 45114–35–3 17–32–06–34 Sacked–yards 0–0209 Net passing yards 451271 Total yards 559164 Return yards 1347–40.0 5–36.03–3 Fumbles–lost 0–06–40 Penalties–yards 6–5625:44 Time of possession 34:16
Individual stats Redskins Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateRypien16/31442600082136.8Rutledge1/1900009104.2
Redskins Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Ervins1639012Byner123305Riggs629029Rypien1404Monk1303
Redskins ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Monk7164264Clark4203382Sanders329011Orr246137Hobbs1909
Redskins KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPALohmiller0–18–8
Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 48
Redskins PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckGoodburn518036.039
Redskins Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell49724.300
Redskins Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell2178.50
Redskins SacksSacksGeathers1.5Johnson1.5Wilson1.5Marshall1.0Stokes0.5
Redskins InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDCollins115115Johnson1505Mays1000
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Standings
Playoffs
Schedule Week Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap 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 Buffalo Bills (A1) W 37–24 3–0 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Recap
Game summaries NFC Divisional Playoffs (January 4, 1992): vs. (6) Atlanta Falcons The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-21.
Point spread: Redskins –11½ Over/under: 43.0 (under) Time of game: 3 hours, 5 minutes
FalconsGame statisticsRedskins12 First downs 2214–43 Rushes–yards 45–162178 Passing yards 17017–32–4 14–29–14–28 Sacked–yards 0–0150 Net passing yards 170193 Total yards 332107 Return yards 1064–42.2 4–38.83–2 Fumbles–lost 0–03–19 Penalties–yards 4–2323:52 Time of possession 36:08
Individual stats Redskins Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateRypien14/2917001002652.4
Redskins Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Ervins23104117Byner1457013Riggs4722Monk1–20–2Rypien3–40–1
Redskins ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Clark664019Monk345019Ervins324011Sanders126026Byner111011
Redskins KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPALohmiller1–43–3
Missed Field Goals: Lohmiller 47, 37, 44
Redskins PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckGoodburn415538.844
Redskins Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell25125.5035
Redskins Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMitchell3289.3026
Redskins SacksSacksStokes2.0Coleman1.0Johnson1.0
Redskins InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDCopeland119019Gouveia1606Mayhew1202Coleman1000
NFC Championship Game: vs Detroit Lions
Super Bowl XXVI (Sunday, January 26, 1992): vs. (A1) Buffalo Bills The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-23.
Point spread: Redskins –7