Tag: 1991 Washington Redskins

Legendary Washington coach Joe Gibbs turns 83

The legendary Joe Gibbs turned 83 on Saturday. We look back at his wonderful career.

Washington Redskins football history was forever changed on Jan. 13, 1981.

On that day, the Redskins announced the hiring of the San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator. He was a man who had never yet been a football head coach at any level.

Yet, Joe Jackson Gibbs was prepared and ready for the challenge of being an NFL head coach.

Saturday, Gibbs had another birthday, his 83rd. Nov. 25, 1940, Joe Gibbs was born in Mocksville, N.C.

Jack Kent Cooke, then owner of the Redskins, had never talked previously with Gibbs prior to their interview, which was reported to have lasted 3 and 1/2 hours.

Gibbs got off to a slow start losing his first five NFL games. Once he figured out his personnel’s strengths and weaknesses, Gibbs led a turnaround that saw Washington win 8 of its final 11 games in 1981.

He proceeded to then lead Washington to a Super Bowl championship (1982), another NFC championship and trip to the Super Bowl (1983), and a third consecutive divisional championship (1984).

In 1985, Gibbs lost Joe Theismann to his career-ending injury, but Washington still finished 10-6. A trip to the NFC championship game followed in 1986, and his second Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXII (1987 season).

Gibbs experienced his only losing season in 1988 (7-9) but recovered well with a 10-6 in 1989 and another 10-6 with a road playoff win at Philadelphia (20-6) which resulted in Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan being fired.

The greatest Redskins team of all time followed in 1991 when Gibbs’ team was 14-2 and won all three playoff games going away (24-7, 41-10, 37-24). Super Bowl XXVI capped the 1991 season as Washington led Buffalo 37-10 before winning 37-24.

After the 1992 season (9-7) and a road playoff win at Minnesota, Gibbs “retired” from coaching. Following 12 years away from the NFL, Gibbs felt empathy for the franchise struggling as it was and returned to Washington in 2004.

After a 6-10 2004 season, Washington, in 2005, finished 10-6 and won a road playoff game in Tampa. His worst season came in 2006 (5-11), and then a 9-7 team that lost at Seattle in the playoffs marked his final season (2007).

Gibbs enjoys a significant unmatched accomplishment in NFL history. The vast majority of coaches who won multiple Super Bowls did so with the same quarterback. Bill Parcells won two with Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler. George Seifert won with Joe Montana, then Steve Young.

But Gibbs is the only coach in NFL history to have won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. In addition, each of those quarterbacks, Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien, will never be in the Hall of Fame.

Conclusion? Joe Gibbs adapted his offenses to his personnel and won was a unit that was well-coached.

It’s sad to see people age, and Coach Joe is 83. Commanders Wire wishes Coach Joe a Happy 83rd Birthday and thanks him for his voluminous accomplishments, for bringing such joy to the fan base, and honor and success to the organization.

Commanders Season Opener in 84 days; Washington’s best wearing 84?

This one is easy, right?

[connatix div_id=”3f8b015acdd24c648befc5d5dac47469″ player_id=”afe1e038-d3c2-49c0-922d-6511a229f69c” cid=”7cbcea0d-4ce2-4c75-9a8d-fbe02a192c24″]

Commanders Wire begins a countdown to the Commanders season opener for 2023 in 84 days. Who was Washington’s best player wearing number 84?

Washington fans that know some of the history, at least of the Super Bowl era, are altogether certain this is a “no-brainer.” Gary Clark is without question the greatest player in franchise history to wear No. 84.

Here are Gary Clark’s ten longest NFL touchdowns.

Playing his high school football at Pulaski High in Dublin, VA, Clark moved on to college football, remaining in Virginia. Clark at James Madison University earned honorable mention All-American honors in 1982-83 in the Dukes (1-AA) program.

Drafted in the USFL by the Jacksonville Bulls in 1984, Clark led the team in receptions and receiving yards. Washington then drafted Clark 55th overall in round 2 of the 1984 Supplemental Draft.

When Clark was signed by Washington in 1985, the former JMU receiver instantly earned his respect, starting ten games, catching 72 passes (12.9 ypr) 5 for touchdowns.

For five seasons, Clark caught at least 70 passes, while for six seasons, Clark was on the receiving end of at least seven touchdown passes for the Burgundy and Gold, including ten in the Super Bowl Championship 1991 season in which No. 84 averaged a very impressive 19.1 yards on his 70 receptions.

For four seasons, Clark was voted a Pro Bowler, and in 1987 (another Super Bowl Championship season), Clark was voted Associated Press All-Pro First Team.

In his eight Washington seasons (1985-92), Clark collected 549 receptions for 8,742 yards, averaging 15.9 yards a reception and 58 regular season touchdown passes.

Clark also had a touchdown reception in both Super Bowls XXII and XXVI, which were Washington Redskins victories over Denver (42-10) and Buffalo (38-24). Here are Gary Clark’s Super Bowl touchdown receptions.

Commanders flirt with shutout in Houston

When was the last time that Washington shut another NFL team out?

The Commanders not only scored from the defensive side when Kendall Fuller returned his interception 37 yards for a touchdown, the defense also shutout the Texans for the first half.

The Commanders defense did not yield a point until Ka’imi Fairbairn’s field goal with 9:53 remaining in the third quarter. The Texans did manage to find the end zone with 3:19 remaining in the game narrowing the Commanders’ lead to 23-10.

NFL rules certainly favor the offense, making scoring easier, and the NFL certainly doesn’t desire to see shutouts in their games. Interestingly enough there have been three shutouts already this season:

  • Saints 24, Raiders 0 (Oct. 30, 2022)
  • Patriots 29, Lions 0 (Oct. 9, 2022)
  • Jaguars 24, Colts 0 (Sept. 18, 2022)

How about Washington? Well, Washington was last shut out on Oct. 20, 2019, on a wet soggy FedEx Field by the 49ers 9-0. You might also recall Washington finishing the 2018 season poorly with both Alex Smith and Colt McCoy being lost to season-ending injuries. They were shut out by the Eagles on December 30, 2018, 24-0.

When was the last time Washington shut out an NFL opponent?

Had Washington shut out the Texans Sunday, it would have been the first Washington shutout since the magical 1991 season when the former Redskins went 14-2, won the NFC, and then Super Bowl XXVI over the Bills 37-24.

In the 1991 season opener, Washington faced the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. The Lions had to come to RFK without their injured Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. Washington crushed the Lions 45-0.

Two weeks later, Washington rolled the Phoenix Cardinals 34-0 at RFK. If that wasn’t enough, two weeks later on Monday Night Football, the Eagles came to RFK without their starting quarterback Randall Cunningham. The Eagles had to play Pat Ryan and Jim McMahon and only managed four first downs in a 23-0 shutout against the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Therefore, it’s been 31 years since Washington’s defense shut out an NFL opponent. Sunday, the Commanders defense was good enough and the Texans offense lousy enough that after the first half, the Texans had managed a single first down, five total yards (6 rushing, -1 passing).

Consequently, at halftime, the idea for this story was born.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Charley Casserly remembers the 1991 Washington Super Bowl champions

Charley Casserly and Al Galdi look back at Washington’s magical 1991 season.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://washingtonfootballwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Former Washington General Manager Charley Casserly was a guest on “The Al Galdi Podcast” Wednesday, celebrating the 30-Year Anniversary of Washington’s last NFL championship.

Washington fans ages 30 and younger simply have difficulty realizing just how strong this Washington Football Team franchise was in the Joe Gibbs era (1981-1992). They were the Washington Redskins in those days. 10 of those years Washington won at least 10 games. eight of those years Washington was in the playoffs. Washington played in five NFC Championship games.

Is this sinking in for you, yet? There were four NFC Championships and thus four Super Bowl games and three Super Bowl Championships. Yes, I am actually describing the same NFL franchise.

Al Galdi celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the last Washington Super Bowl championship (Super Bowl XXVI)  over the Buffalo Bills.

Galdi and Casserly provided numerous nuggets of fascinating info/data of that dominant Washington team. Space only permits I mention a few. Galdi did a splendid job giving tribute to the 1991 Redskins.

“It was a dominant team. We had three shutouts, said Casserly. “When USA TODAY ranked the 49 Super Bowl champs a few years ago, we were ranked number 1.”

“Mark Rypien threw 421 passes and he was sacked seven times. That is one sack for every 60 passes for a non-mobile quarterback,” emphasized Casserly.

“The last preseason game that year we played Buffalo and we stunk. It was tense on the plane ride home. There was an uncertainty of where we were at that time.”

“There was a famous article in the Washingtonian saying that perhaps we had gotten too soft as a team. Perhaps we had too many Christians on the team. Which was absurd and certainly proven that way.”

Once the season started “it kept getting better and better. It just flowed then through the whole year. You get on a roll, and everything is going right, and that is what happened.”

Galdi interjected, “It was incredible. The 1991 team had a regular-season point differential of +261, which is just absurd.”

1991: The greatest season in Washington Football history, Week 9

We could use some good news. Ivan has the latest in his series, looking back at Week 9 of the 1991 season — the greatest season in Washington’s franchise history.

This 2021 NFL season reminds us that 30 years ago Washington assembled its greatest team in franchise history, going 14-2 and racing through the playoffs to the Super Bowl XXVI championship and Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Week 9—Washington 17, NY Giants 13— October 27, 1991

Washington overcame a 13-point halftime deficit, coming back to defeat the NY Giants 17-13, before a Sunday night national TV audience and a sold-out Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Coming into the game undefeated (7-0) Washington was dominated in the first half by the Giants, who limited the Redskins to 26 passing yards and 9 rushing yards in only 16 offensive snaps. On the other hand, the Giants in 36 offensive snaps, had gained 119 passing yards and 88 rushing.

Adding salt to the wound was Gary Clark dropping what should have been a touchdown pass from QB Mark Rypien, permitting the Giants to keep their 13-0 lead at the half.

Rypien came back to Clark on a quick in-pattern, from seven yards out in the third quarter, reducing the Giants’ lead to 13-7.

The duo connected again in the final quarter, Rypien rolling out to his left, then looking across the field to his right and throwing deep, to Clark who had gotten behind the defense for a 54-yard touchdown pass, providing Washington their first lead 14-13.

Chip Lohmiller added a 35-yard field goal, and the Washington defense shut out the Giants in the second half, pushing Washington’s record to 8-0.

Rypien finished his night completing 12 of 25 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Earnest Byner limited, playing through an injury gained only 11 yards in 10 carries. However, Ricky Ervins’ 82 rushing yards on 20 carries led Washington.

“The Posse” of Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders each collected three receptions on the night. Clark led in receiving yardage with 70 yards, Monk supplied 42 yards and Sanders 33.

Rodney Hampton led the Giants’ rushing attack with 83 yards in his 21 rushing attempts. Hampton enjoyed a very busy night, also leading Giant receivers with six receptions (39 yards), while Stephen Baker’s three receptions produced 77 yards.

Wilber Marshall intercepted a Jeff Hostetler pass, as the defending Super Bowl champion Giants fell to 4-4 for 1991.

Here is the second half of that game.