A look back at Washington’s 1992 Super Bowl victory

Once upon a time, years and years ago, there was actually a competent football team in Washington. Seven years before Dan Snyder’s reign began, the Washington Redskins faced off against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI on January 26, 1992.

Yes, you read that correctly, it has been 30 years to the day since Washington won its last Super Bowl. 30 years since Washington last won 14 games in a season. 30 years since Washington’s offense was ranked first in the league.

Times sure were different back then when double-digit wins weren’t seen as a major accomplishment and sneaking into the playoffs wasn’t reason for celebration.

If it’s any consolation for Washington fans, the Bills haven’t won a Super Bowl EVER, but they definitely seem much closer to returning to one with their franchise quarterback already identified in Josh Allen.

Since the Super Bowl win in 1992,  Washington has only made the playoffs seven times in 30 seasons, never advancing past the divisional round.

Yes, it has been tough to be a Washington fan for a long time coming, but let’s not focus on the negatives. Instead, let’s take some time to relish Super Bowl XXVI, when the play on the field was the biggest celebration instead of a team name rebranding.

Despite facing a Bills team that was making its second of four consecutive Super Bowl trips, Washington was a seven-point favorite coming into the game.

After a scoreless first quarter to open the game, Washington scored 24 unanswered points before Buffalo got on the board. But there was no Patriots-esque comeback in this game.

Early in the fourth quarter, Washington held a 37-10 lead before the Bills scored two touchdowns in a hair over two minutes to pull within 13, which was as close as they got.

Mark Rypien was anything but spectacular in the game, finishing with 292 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Washington’s goal-line back, Gerald Riggs, who was the original Peyton Barber, had five carries for seven yards, adding in two rushing touchdowns.

However, it was the defense that came up big in this game, forcing five turnovers, including four interceptions from Bills’ quarterback Jim Kelly. Bills running back Thurman Thomas, who was the NFL MVP for the 1991 season, was held to only 13 yards on 10 carries by Washington’s defense. Future Hall of Fame receiver Andre Reed was held to only five receptions for 34 yards.

So how did that 1991 team compare to the 2021 Washington Football Team? Well, the 1991 team had the top-ranked scoring offense and the second-best defense based on points allowed, while the 2021 squad was ranked 23rd offensively and 25th defensively.

The offensive line in 1991 was led by the “Hogs,” which included Jim Lachey, Mark Schlereth, Russ Grimm, and Joe Jacoby. Washington’s offensive line has been one of its strengths in recent years, but injuries along the offensive line, including utilizing a fourth-string center led to issues throughout the season for the Football Team.

Washington allowed 43 sacks in 2021 compared to a league-low 9 sacks allowed by the 1991 offensive line.

The offense was loaded with receiving weapons with two 1000+ yard receivers in Gary Clark and Art Monk, as well as a burner in Ricky Sanders. Washington’s 2021 team relied primarily on Terry McLaurin, with no other receiver getting even 400 yards receiving. Logan Thomas who serves as a primary target was injured for the majority of the season and Curtis Samuel, who was supposed to play the burner role only played 84 total snaps and had fewer receiving yards (27) than the millions he got in his contract (34.5).

The running back situations were fairly similar with the 1991 team primarily using a two-back system with a veteran in Earnest Byner and a younger back in Ricky Ervins, which is similar to the Antonio Gibson-J.D. McKissic tandem. Unfortunately for the 2021 team, McKissic missed six games late in the season which was a major loss for the team.

The defense is where the major differences lie. The 2021 team was supposed to be one of the top defenses on paper, but the execution fell far short with a -5 turnover differential compared to a +18 differential for the 1991 squad, which topped the league.

Despite the kicker struggles and having to use four kickers during the season, the 2021 special teams were surprisingly better than the 1991 team. With a better kicking percentage, yards/punt, and yards per kick return. Now DeAndre Carter is no Brian Mitchell, but he was serviceable and brought Washington’s return game up a notch.

Having Mark Rypien led Washington to a Super Bowl showed that you don’t need a franchise quarterback to win a championship. Rypien did have a career year in 1991 but his career passer rating and completion percentage are lower than Taylor Heinicke’s.

Yes, the game has changed over the past thirty years and Washington’s priority is still to find a franchise passer, but just remember, over the past five years, Jared Goff, Nick Foles, and Jimmy Garoppolo have led their teams to the Super Bowl.

Garoppolo has a chance to go to his second Super Bowl in three years. Jimmy G, averaging 151 yards per game in the playoffs with a 61% completion rating, 0 TDs, and 2 INTs. That in itself, along with the 1991 Washington Redskins’ success proves that the sum is always greater than its parts, even at the QB position.