2007: A tumultuous year in Washington Football history

It’s weird to think about in hindsight, but the 2007 season was one of great significance and sadness for the Washington Commanders.

Between Sean Taylor tragically losing his life during a home invasion and Joe Gibbs being forced into ending his coaching career due to a family matter, losing legends was kind of the underlying theme of the 2007 season.

It wasn’t a magical year by any stretch of the imagination, but it culminated in a playoff appearance after finishing with a 9-7 record. You know the old saying “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades”?

Well, Washington’s 9-7 record didn’t accurately communicate how well they performed all campaign, as six of their seven losses came by one score or less. If three of those turn out differently, you’re looking at a 12-win team.

Regardless, the consistency Washington displayed that year after they finished 5-11 the season prior is just a testament to the legend that is Gibbs, who came out of retirement in 2004 and led Washington to the playoffs in two of four seasons before he retired again after the playoff loss to Seattle in ’07.

The 2007 season marked Washington’s fourth playoff appearance since they last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 1992, so let’s take a stroll down memory lane and take you through the bullet points of that tumultuous season.

A look back at the Washington Commanders’ 2007 season

The 2007 Washington squad mirrored the 2021 team in the fact it was plagued by inconsistent quarterback play. Even a coach of Gibbs’ caliber couldn’t overcome Jason Campbell, who completed just 60% of his passes for 207.7 yards per game and 12 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, equating to a 77.6 passer rating.

Luckily for Washington, they had Clinton Portis to carry the offensive load. And the star running back did just that in leading the league with 325 carries, which he turned into 1,262 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Due to Campbell’s struggles under center, though, Portis faced stacked boxes most games and averaged just 3.9 yards per attempt, a far cry from his 4.4 career average.

Another parallel between the 2021 and 2007 versions of Washington is that both endured four-game losing streaks. The only difference?

The Gibbs-led squad stopped the bleeding and the team still had its neck above water at 5-7 after the skid. From there, they rattled off four-straight wins to close out the regular season and sneak into the playoffs with a 9-7 record.

It was an inspired run for a team that had lost hard-sitting safety Sean Taylor, who was Gibbs’ first draft pick for Washington after he made his comeback official in 2004, three days before their Week 13 matchup against Buffalo.

Washington came up short in that game, but the only thing worth remembering is the moving pre-game celebrations. Before kickoff, FedEx Field held a memorial service for the late defensive star. On Washington’s first defensive snap of the game, they honored Taylor by fielding 10 players, leaving the safety position abandoned. Additionally, players around the league donned a No. 21 sticker on the back of their helmets to honor Taylor’s memory.

As for Washington’s tribute video, here it is in full.

Unfortunately for Washington, the emotional letdown stemming from Taylor’s tragic death came against the 10-6 Seahawks in the wild card round. Washington’s offense was shutout for the first three quarters and got outscored 22-14 in the final frame en route to a 35-14 loss.

It was a disappointing end to what was a magical late-season run, but it was nothing Washington should hang its head over. After all, Campbell was lost for the year after suffering a dislocated left patella in Week 14 vs the Bears.

That prompted career backup Todd Collins, who hadn’t attempted a regular-season pass since 2004, into a starting role. Collins didn’t set the earth on fire, but he played mistake-free football, throwing for 888 yards and five touchdowns to zero interceptions and a 106.4 passer rating over three starts.

As expected, Collins’ magic ran out in the playoffs against a Seattle defense that surrendered the seventh-fewest points in the NFL that year.

All in all, Washington was a fringe playoff team, but the fact they even got into the tournament is a testament to the team’s mental fortitude. It helps they had Gibbs at the helm to help them navigate the adversity and Taylor’s death, but the legendary coach retired after his grandson was diagnosed with leukemia.

Gibbs initially intended on staying on as Washington’s coach, but ultimately decided he couldn’t make the necessary commitment to the franchise and admirably chose to spend more time with his family.

Washington didn’t make the playoffs again until 2012 and they’ve only done so three times in the 14 years since Gibbs called it a career. If that stat doesn’t encapsulate the consistency Gibbs brought to Ashburn over his two stints with the organization, good luck finding something that does.

For a coach who won three Super Bowls, owns a 154-94 career regular-season record and an immaculate 17-7 playoff record, getting Washington to the playoffs in 2007 was one of the finest accomplishments of Gibbs’ illustrious career.