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Washington Redskins: Looking back on the 1991 Super Bowl season

By Kyle Hundley

Mark Rypien #11 Quarterback for the Washington Redskins calls the play on the line of scrimmage during the National Football Conference East game against the Cleveland Browns on 13 October 1991 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, United States. The Redskins won the game 42 - 17. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Allsport/Getty Images)
Mark Rypien #11 Quarterback for the Washington Redskins calls the play on the line of scrimmage during the National Football Conference East game against the Cleveland Browns on 13 October 1991 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, United States. The Redskins won the game 42 - 17. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images) /

With Super Bowl 53 on the horizon, it’s time to take a quick look back to the last time the Washington Redskins hoisted the Lombardi trophy.

Ah, what a great year 1991 was. Classics like Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Boy’z in the Hood came out in theaters, and later on VHS. Metallica, Bryan Adams, and Ice Cube were some of the big names in the music industry. Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, and Jose Canseco were some of the best athletes in their respective sports. And the Washington Redskins were the best team in the NFL. Yes, you read that right.

Being born in 1988 and being a Redskins fan, like my fellow millennials, I have never seen them win the Super Bowl–or even come close for that matter. There’s been no Redskins glory in my life. The greatest euphoria I experienced was when Joe Gibbs came out of retirement in 2004. Who better to lead the team back to the Super Bowl than the same coach who won three Super Bowls here a little over a decade before?

But four quick years and two playoff appearances later, it was all over. Gibbs retired again, taking his three Super Bowl titles with him. With every year that passes by, the Redskins are another year removed from their last championship. With a new champion about to be crowned, it’s time to take a look back at the 1991 team that brought glory back to old D.C.

The 1991 championship was a direct result of the 1990 season and the trials and tribulations that the Redskins faced as a team. From the infamous ‘body bag’ game in which they were embarrassed in Philadelphia, to eventually bowing out to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoffs, the 1990 campaign was about growth and setting themselves up for future success the following year.

During the 1991 preseason, the Redskins did not look anything like eventual Super Bowl champions, as they went just 1-3, keeping things very vanilla and not wanting to give anything away. When the regular season started, and the games started to count, Washington looked nothing like they did in the preseason.

From the season-opening rout against the Detroit Lions to the eventual demolition of the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl, there was no doubt that the Redskins were best team in the NFL that season. It’s time to look at some of the key individuals and units that made that championship possible.

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