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The 1996 Redskins: A season of missed opportunity

By Kyle Hundley

27 Sep 1998: Head coach Norv Turner of the Washington Redskins looks on during the game against the Denver Broncos at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Broncos defeated the Redskins 38-16. Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Allsport
27 Sep 1998: Head coach Norv Turner of the Washington Redskins looks on during the game against the Denver Broncos at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Broncos defeated the Redskins 38-16. Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Allsport /
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27 Sep 1998: Head coach Norv Turner of the Washington Redskins looks on during the game against the Denver Broncos at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Broncos defeated the Redskins 38-16. Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Allsport
27 Sep 1998: Head coach Norv Turner of the Washington Redskins looks on during the game against the Denver Broncos at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Broncos defeated the Redskins 38-16. Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Allsport /

Where it went wrong

The 1996 team became the first team in NFL history to start 7-1 and miss the playoffs. How was this possible? There a few reasons why as to why the team wasn’t able to make the playoffs after such a fast start.

One of these reasons was that the defense was unable to stop the running game. On the season, they allowed over 2,200 rushing yards. While injuries did contribute to this high number, the defense as a whole did not play as good at the end of the season as it did at the start. Many times as well, they didn’t play as well at the end of the game as they did at the beginning.

The team’s inability to close out games was the biggest reason why they were unable to make the playoffs. They lost two games in overtime that they appeared to have won in regulation, as well as a third game they lost on a last-second kick. They also lost their Week 1 game by a field goal, despite being plus-three in the turnover margin that game.

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Had this Redskins team been able to close those games out, there was a real possibility that the road to Super Bowl XXXI would’ve had to go through RFK Stadium, instead of Lambeau Field. This season will forever be looked at as a season of missed opportunity.

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