The 'Washington Redskins' are a professional
American football team based in the
Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at
FedExField in
Landover,
Maryland, which is in
Prince George's County, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in
Ashburn,
Virginia, a community in
Loudoun County, Virginia near
Dulles International Airport. They are members of the
Eastern Division of the
National Football Conference (NFC) in the
National Football League (NFL).
According to
Forbes Magazine, the Redskins are the most valuable sports franchise in the United States, valued at approximately $1.423 billion, and have been the most valuable sports team in the U.S. for seven years running.
[1] They are the wealthiest and most profitable team in the NFL, generating over $300 million in revenue and netting over $100 million annually. They have also broken the NFL's mark for single-season attendance six years in a row
[2] due to having the NFL's largest stadium capacity.
Overall, the Redskins have played for eleven
NFL Championships and have won five, including three of the five
Super Bowls in which they have played. Four of the five Super Bowls were under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach
Joe Gibbs.
The Redskins are one of only two teams in the
NFL with an official marching band. The other is the
Baltimore Ravens. The Redskins were also one of the first teams to have a fight song, "
Hail to the Redskins."
Washingtons' season ticket line is the second longest in the NFL to the
Green Bay Packers. Fans have been known to wait 35 years to get season tickets.
Franchise history
The Redskins in Boston
The Boston “Football” Braves, owned by
George Preston Marshall, entered the National Football League in 1932 after the
Newark Tornadoes franchise folded and played at
Braves Field. They had tried to base the team in New York, but were blocked by the NFL’s territorial rule. The Braves head coach was
Lud Wray, and were led by Hall of Famers
Cliff Battles (Running Back) and
Turk Edwards (Offensive Tackle). Their first game was held on October 2, 1932 in which they lost to the
Brooklyn Dodgers. The next week, the Braves would gain their first franchise victory, with a 14-6 win over the
New York Giants. The Braves would complete their first season with a 4-4-2 record.
In 1933, the team moved into
Fenway Park and changed their name to the Redskins. They also changed their head coach. The team was now led by
Lone Star Dietz, as Lud Wray moved to Philadelphia to head up its new franchise, the Eagles. The Redskins finished the 1933 season with a 5-5-2 record. In 1934, the Redskins finished in 2nd place with a 6-6 record. In 1935, under head coach
Eddie Casey, had a dismal season, scoring only 65 points and finishing with a 2-8-1 record. In 1936, under their fourth head coach,
Ray Flaherty, the Redskins won their final three games, outscoring their opponents 74-6, and captured the Eastern Division Championship with a 7-5 record. However because of extremely poor attendance, highlighted by only 4,813 fans coming out to Fenway Park to see the Redskins trounce the
Pittsburgh Pirates, 30-0, George Preston Marshall elected to give up home field advantage and played the NFL Championship game against the
Green Bay Packers at the
Polo Grounds. Battles was injured on the tenth play of the game and the Packers won the championship with a 21-6 victory. The Redskins moved to Washington the following season due to lack of fan support in Boston.
The Redskins in Washington, D.C.
In their early years in Washington, the Redskins shared Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators baseball team. In 1937, they signed an innovative rookie quarterback from Texas Christian University, future Pro Football Hall of Famer
Sammy Baugh. In an era where the forward pass was relatively rare, the Redskins used it as their primary method of gaining yards. "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh also played numerous other positions, including cornerback and punter.
With Baugh at the helm, the Redskins won the Eastern Division title and went back to the NFL Championship game in their first year in the Nation's Capitol.The
1937 NFL Championship game pitted them against the
Chicago Bears. Sammy Baugh threw three touchdown passes and the Redskins prevailed, 28-21. The two teams would meet again in the
1940 Championship, and the Bears handed the Redskins the most lopsided defeat in NFL history, 73-0. The Redskins struck back in
1942, as George Preston Marshall used the 1940 humiliation as a rallying point and the Redskins upset the Bears to spoil their try for a perfect season, 14-6. The teams clashed again the following season and the Bears would even the series at 2-2, capturing the
1943 NFL title, 41-21. The Redskins challenged for the NFL title again in
1945, but fell a point short to the
Cleveland Rams, 15-14.
Integration and front-office disarray
The team's early success endeared it to the fans of
Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the Redskins began a slow decline. This was in part because of Marshall's tendency to micromanage the team. From 1946 to 1968, the Redskins had only three winning seasons.
Marshall refused to
integrate the team, despite pressure from the
Washington Post and the
Federal Government (a typical comment by Post writer
Shirley Povich was "
Cleveland Browns runner
Jim Brown integrated the Redskins' end zone three times").
Finally, in
1962,
Interior Secretary Stewart Udall gave the Redskins an ultimatum--unless they signed a black player, the government would evict them from the year-old District of Columbia Stadium. As a result, the Redskins became the final pro football franchise to integrate, in 1962, its second season in the stadium. First, the team drafted
Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the
Heisman Trophy. Then, before signing Davis, they traded his rights to the Browns for
wide receiver Bobby Mitchell. However, in an unfortunate twist, it turned out that Davis had
leukemia and died without ever playing a down in professional football, while Mitchell was still in the first half of a career that would land him in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mitchell would be joined by black stars such as receiver
Charley Taylor, running back
Larry Brown (who had a hearing aid installed in his helmet due to near-total deafness), and defensive back
Brig Owens. They would also pull off two of the best trades of the 1960s, gaining colorful quarterback
Sonny Jurgensen from the
Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker
Sam Huff from the
New York Giants. But even with these additions, the Redskins were still not performing up to expectations. Although the team became more popular than ever, particularly with the addition of Mitchell, they struggled through the 1960s.
One reason for the team's struggles was disarray in the front office. Marshall had been forced to reduce his duties due to a mental decline in 1962, and the team's other stockholders found it difficult to make decisions without their boss. Marshall died in 1969, and the remaining stockholders sold the team to
Edward Bennett Williams, a Washington resident and one of America's most esteemed attorneys.
Also in 1969, D.C. Stadium was renamed
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and the Redskins hired future Hall of Famer
Vince Lombardi — who gained fame coaching with the
Green Bay Packers — to be their new
head coach. Lombardi led the team to a 7-5-2 record, their best since
1955, but died of
cancer on the eve of the
1970 season.
Revival
Two years later, Williams signed former
Los Angeles Rams head coach
George Allen as head coach. Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly touted young players, Allen's teams became known as the Over-the-Hill Gang. "The future is now" was his slogan, and his players soon proved him right.
Allen helped to foster the team's
rivalry with the
Dallas Cowboys, which has turned into one of the NFL's most renowned and contentious rivalries. The Redskins reached the NFC Conference Championship in the 1972 season, defeating Dallas 26-3, only to lose to the undefeated
Miami Dolphins 14-7 in
Super Bowl VII. In his 7 years as head coach, Allen's teams made the playoffs 5 times.
In 1981, new Redskins owner
Jack Kent Cooke signed the
offensive coordinator of the
San Diego Chargers,
Joe Gibbs, as their 20th head coach. He coached the team to four
Super Bowls, winning three of them.
Quarterback
Joe Theismann, running back
John Riggins, and receiver
Art Monk got most of the publicity, but the Redskins were one of the few teams ever to have a famous offensive line. Line coach
Joe Bugel, who would later go on to be the head coach of the
Phoenix Cardinals, nicknamed them "
The Hogs," not because they were big and fat, but because they would "root around in the mud" on the field. Among the regular Hogs were center
Jeff Bostic, guards
Raleigh McKenzie and
Russ Grimm, and tackles
Joe Jacoby,
George Starke,
Mark May, and
Jim Lachey. Tight ends
Don Warren and
Clint Didier, as well as Riggins, were known as "Honorary Hogs."
The Redskins' first Super Bowl win, their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in
Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins beat the
Miami Dolphins 27-17 on January 30, 1983, in Pasadena, California. Future Hall of Famer
John Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and inches, with the Redskins down 17-13, the coaches called "70 Chip" a play designed for short yardage. Riggins instead gained 43 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. The image of Riggins running through would-be tackler Don McNeal has become one of the all-time Super Bowl highlights. One touchdown later, the Redskins won their first NFL title in by a 27-17 score.
The Redskins' 1983 season begin with a loss to the Dallas Cowboys 31-30 on the Monday Night Football season opener, but they lost only one more game in the regular season (also a Monday Night game, vs. Green Bay, by a score of 48-47), as they dominated the National Football League with a 14-win season that included scoring a then NFL record of 541 points, many of which came as a result of John Riggins' 24 touchdowns. In the postseason, the Redskins defeated the
Los Angeles Rams 51-7. The next week, they cruised to a 21-0 lead over the
San Francisco 49ers after 3 quarters in the NFC Champonship Game, but the Redskins' weakness that season was their defense (they allowed 332 points that season). The 49ers fired off 3 touchdowns to tie the game. But
Mark Moseley, who had missed 4 field goals, made the one that counted as the 'Skins beat the 49ers 24-21. It would Washington's last win of the season because two weeks later, the Raiders beat the Redskins 38-9 in
Super Bowl XVIII.
The 1987 season began with a 24-day players' strike, reducing the 16-game season to 15. The games for weeks 4-6 were played with all replacement players. The Redskins have the distinction of being the only team with no players crossing the picket line. The Redskins won their second championship in
Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California. The Redskins routed the
Denver Broncos 42-10 after falling behind 10-0 early in the first quarter. This was the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history. This game is more famous for the stellar performance by quarterback
Doug Williams, who passed for four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to becoming the first black quarterback to lead his team to a
Super Bowl victory. Rookie running back
Timmy Smith had a great performance as well, running for a Super-Bowl record 203 yards.
The Redskins won their most recent
Super Bowl on January 26, 1992, in
Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Redskins, the most dominant team in the NFL in the 1991 season, defeated the
Buffalo Bills 37-24. On March 5th, 1993, Joe Gibbs retired after 12 years of coaching with the Redskins. In what would prove to be a temporary retirement, Gibbs pursued an interest in
NASCAR by founding
Joe Gibbs Racing.
The Snyder era
In 1997, Redskins owner
Jack Kent Cooke died on the eve of the opening of the new stadium in suburban
Landover, Maryland, that was to be named in his honor. In his will, Cooke left the Redskins to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, with instructions that the foundation sell the team. His son, John Kent Cooke, was unable to raise sufficient funds to purchase the business, and the team was later sold to
Daniel Snyder.
In 1999, the Redskins made the playoffs for the first time since Joe Gibbs's retirement by winning the
NFC East. They beat the
Detroit Lions 27-13 in a home wild card game, but subsequently dropped their divisional playoff game in a 14-13 loss on the road to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Snyder, who grew up as a Redskins fan and who made his money in marketing, has made many controversial moves since owning the team, including offering the name of the stadium up to corporate bidders.
FedEx had the highest bid, and the stadium is now named
FedEx Field. The most controversial habit Snyder has practiced is the continuous hiring and firing of head coaches, first firing incumbent coach
Norv Turner, firing replacement
Marty Schottenheimer after only one season, and in 2002, hiring
University of Florida head coach
Steve Spurrier to replace Schottenheimer. After two bad years, Spurrier resigned after the 2003 season with three years left on his contract.
For the 2004 season, Snyder successfully lured former coach
Joe Gibbs away from
NASCAR to return as head coach and team president. His employment came with a promise of decreased intervention in football operations from Snyder. Snyder also expanded
FedEx Field to a league-high capacity of 91,665 seats. Gibbs's return to the franchise did not pay instant dividends as the Redskins finished the 2004 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses.
Despite an impressive defense, the team struggled offensively. Quarterback
Mark Brunell—an off-season acquisition from the
Jacksonville Jaguars—struggled in his first season, and was replaced midway through the season by backup
Patrick Ramsey. On the other hand, some of Gibbs's other new signings, such as
cornerback Shawn Springs and
linebacker Marcus Washington, did very well. The Redskins also picked
Sean Taylor from
University of Miami during the draft in Gibbs's first season.
Partly because owner Dan Snyder has turned the Redskins into the greatest revenue producer in pro football, he has spent a lot of money on free agents. These moves did not work out well in the beginning (
Bruce Smith,
Deion Sanders), but the quality of free agents signed under Coach Gibbs has improved by signing or trading for stars such as Cornelius Griffin, Santana Moss, and Clinton Portis.
2005
During the 2005 offseason, the Redskins traded back WR
Laveranues Coles to the
New York Jets and acquired WR
Santana Moss in return.
The Redskins used their first pick of the 2005 NFL Draft on Auburn University cornerback
Carlos Rogers. The Redskins used their next first round draft pick (acquired from the
Denver Broncos) on Auburn Quarterback
Jason Campbell. The rest of their picks included UCLA fullback Manuel White, Jr., Louisville linebacker Robert McCune, Stanford linebacker Jared Newberry, and Citadel College fullback
Nehemiah Broughton.
Hoping to improve on the previous season's dismal passing attack, Coach Gibbs added former
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator
Bill Musgrave as his quarterbacks coach. For the first time under Gibbs, the Redskins offense utilized the
shotgun formation.
The team won its first three games, including a Monday Night Football victory over Dallas, but then fell into a slump, including three straight losses in November, which lessened the chances of the team making the playoffs. However, five consecutive victories at the end of the season allowed Washington to finish the season at 10-6, qualifying for the
playoffs as a
wild card team. They opened the playoffs on the road against the
NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, January 7, 2006. They won the rematch by a final score of 17-10, after taking an early 14-0 lead, which they later seemed to have squandered until replay evidence showed that an apparent touchdown that would have tied the game was in fact an incomplete pass. In that game, the Redskins broke the record for fewest offensive yards (120) gained in a playoff victory, with one of their two touchdowns being from a defensive run after a fumble recovery. The following weekend, they played the
Seattle Seahawks, who had received a first round bye. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins 20-10, ending the Redskins' hopes of reaching their first NFC Championship Game since 1991.
Three team records were broken during the 2005 season.
Clinton Portis set the Redskins record for rushing yards in a season with 1,516 yards, breaking
Stephen Davis's 2001 mark of 1,432 yards and
Santana Moss's 1,483 receiving yards broke
Bobby Mitchell's 1963 record of 1,436 yards.
Chris Cooley's 71 receptions broke
Jerry Smith's season record for a Redskins tight end.
2006
Main articles: 2006 Washington Redskins season
Jason Campbell became starting quarterback during the middle of the 2006 season.
The inconsistency of the offense during the 2005 season resulted in Gibbs hiring offensive coordinator
Al Saunders as the
Associate Head Coach - Offense. Saunders came from a similar background as Gibbs through being mentored under
Don Coryell and was thought to be able to make the offense become more efficient. Saunders would serve as the primary playcaller. Because of this, it was believed that Gibbs would have the role of Head Coach/CEO with the Redskins in 2006 and would largely deal with personnel matters, as well as having more time to focus on special teams and defense, while Saunders would supplement Gibbs with the offense. Gibbs also added former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator
Jerry Gray to his staff as Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach. Gibbs did lose quarterbacks coach
Bill Musgrave to the
Atlanta Falcons over the summer of 2006.
After winning only three of the first nine games of the Washington Redskin's 2006 season, Gibbs, in an effort to save some portion of their season, benched starting quarter back
Mark Brunell in favor of former first round draft pick
Jason Campbell. After losing his first game as a starter to
Tampa Bay, Campbell got his first NFL victory against the
Carolina Panthers, bringing the Redskins out of a three-game losing streak. The Redskins finished 5-11 after a home loss to the
New York Giants, 34-28. Washington finished last in the
NFC East division, the only team in their division to fail to make the playoffs. This marked the second losing season in Joe Gibbs' second term as head coach of the franchise.
Analysts differ on exactly why the 2006 season was such a failure. Some point to free agent busts such as strong safety
Adam Archuleta and wide receiver
Brandon Lloyd. Others point to the disconnect between the offensive philosophies of Gibbs and Saunders: Gibbs preferring a power-running scheme while Saunders desired an aggressive pass-oriented style. Many looked to the breakdowns in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams's system, while some point to specific player breakdowns in the porous secondary such as the struggles of defensive backs
Carlos Rogers,
Sean Taylor, and Archuleta, allowing a league high 30 TD passes, and accumalating an NFL low 6 interceptions. The defense went from 7th overall in 2005 to 29th in 2006.
Logo and uniforms
Redskins logo 1965-1969
Redskins logo 1982
Redskins logo 1972-1981, 1983-present
The Washington Redskins' primary colors are burgundy and gold. They are one of the three NFL teams that primarily wear their white jerseys at home (the others being the
Dallas Cowboys and the
Miami Dolphins). The tradition of wearing white jerseys at home was started by
Joe Gibbs when he took over as coach in 1981. Gibbs was an assistant for the
San Diego Chargers in 1979 and 1980, and the Chargers wore white at home during the tenure of coach
Don Coryell in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Their burgundy jersey (which is primarily used for when the opposing team decides to wear white at home, which comes mostly against the Dallas Cowboys) consists of burgundy jerseys and white pants. In 2001, however, the Redskins wore burgundy at home per a decision by Marty Schottenheimer, their coach for that year. The other combination of burgundy jerseys and gold pants was used mostly in the past and for the 2002 season, when the Redskins celebrated their 70th anniversary and wore these colors at home.
The Redskins' current uniform design was introduced by coach
Jack Pardee in 1979. From 1972 through 1978, the Redskins wore gold pants with both the burgundy and white jerseys. Gold face masks were introduced in 1978 and remain to this day.
Their white jersey consists of three combinations. One is the white jerseys and burgundy pants, which is considered the "classic" look. The other (and lesser known) combination is the white jerseys and gold pants, which was used in the past when they weren't wearing their burgundy jersey. The last combination consists of both white jerseys and pants. That particular combination surfaced in the first game of the 2003 season on a nationally televised game against the
New York Jets, which led to many sports fans and Redskin faithful alike to point out that they have never seen that particular combination. That year the Redskins wore it two more times. That look didn't appear again until midway through the 2005 season when the Redskins wore it in a road game against the
St. Louis Rams. The Redskins won six games (including one in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wearing that combination) and the local media jokingly pointed out that the reason why the Redskins were winning was because of the white on white combination. In the NFC Divisional Game against the eventual 2005 NFC Champion
Seattle Seahawks, the Redskins wore the all-white jerseys, in hopes that they could keep their luck going; however, they lost 20-10. The Redskins have continued to wear the white jerseys and white pants into the 2006 pre-season. In the 2006 season, the Redskins started wearing black cleats, something that hasn't been done for quite a while. It was a surprise because they wore white cleats during the preseason. They would have to wear that color for the rest of the season, because the NFL usually asks teams to choose either black or white cleats to be worn throughout the season.
From 1981 through 2000, the Redskins always wore white at home. This changed in 2001. The Redskins wore their burgundy uniforms for all their home games under new head coach Marty Schottenheimer. In 2002, the Redskins wore white for their home opener due to the heat and then switched to burgundy for the remainder of the season. In 2003, the Redskins wore white at home during preseason and September before switching to burgundy starting in October. In 2004, with the return of Joe Gibbs as head coach, the Redskins switched to wearing white for all their home games.
The classic uniform of white jerseys over burgundy pants reappeared on November 26, 2006, in a home game against the
Carolina Panthers. The decision to return to the classic look may have symbolized a desire by the team to turn a new page on their 2006 season, which had been very lackluster previous to that game, the period of success with the white jerseys over white pants having come to an end the previous season. The move may have also been related to the fact that this home game was the second start and first home start of second-year quarterback Jason Campbell, and that the game and the previous week's game were, in the hopes and perceptions of many Redskins fans, the start of the "Jason Campbell era." The Redskins went on to win that game against Carolina, preserving slim hopes of the team's being able to make it to the 2006 playoffs, although they ultimately missed the playoffs.
Even though many NFL teams with dark pants have chosen to match those with their dark jerseys, through the 2006 season, the Redskins have yet to match the burgundy pants with burgundy jerseys.
Some consider the namesake and logo of the Washington Redskins racist towards Native Americans. Lately there has been movements by political correctness groups to change the name, but the attempts have been unsuccessful. Many make the case in defense that their (The Redskins) name is intended to honor the bravery and dignity of Native Americans and that, regardless of past usage, the word "redskins" today refers to the football team, while most members of the Native American community do not find it offensive, some still do. One of the most eloquent suggestions -- the Washington Clout -- came in 1999 via
Washington Post humor writer
Gene Weingarten, who recalled in a "memo" to then-new owner Dan Snyder (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/15/AR2005111500459.html) an entry from the very first
Style Invitational contest (which had also produced such gems as the Washington L'Enfant Terribles, the Washington Homicide Capitols, and the Baltimore Redskins).
Season-by-season records
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | 'Boston Braves'
|-
|1932 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 4th NFL || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | 'Boston Redskins'
|-
|1933 || 5 || 5 || 2 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1934 || 6 || 6 || 0 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1935 || 2 || 8 || 1 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1936 || 7 || 5 || 0 || '1st NFL East' || Lost NFL Championship (
Packers) 21-6
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | 'Washington Redskins'
|-
|1937 || 8 || 3 || 0 || '1st NFL East' || 'Won NFL Championship' (
Bears) 28-21
|-
|1938 || 6 || 3 || 2 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1939 || 8 || 2 || 1 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1940 || 9 || 2 || 0 || '1st NFL East' || Lost NFL Championship (
Bears) 73-0
|-
|1941 || 6 || 5 || 0 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1942 || 10 || 1 || 0 || '1st NFL East' || 'Won NFL Championship' (
Bears) 14-6
|-
|1943 || 6 || 3 || 1 || '1st NFL East' || 'Won' Eastern Divisional Playoff (
Giants) 28-0
Lost NFL Championship (
Bears) 41-21
|-
|1944 || 6 || 3 || 1 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1945 || 8 || 2 || 0 || '1st NFL East' || Lost NFL Championship (
C. Rams) 15-14
|-
|1946 || 5 || 5 || 1 || T-3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1947 || 4 || 8 || 0 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1948 || 7 || 5 || 0 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1949 || 4 || 7 || 1 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1950 || 3 || 9 || 0 || 6th NFL AFC || --
|-
|1951 || 5 || 7 || 0 || 3rd NFL AFC || --
|-
|1952 || 4 || 8 || 0 || T-5th NFL AFC || --
|-
|1953 || 6 || 5 || 1 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1954 || 3 || 9 || 0 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1955 || 8 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1956 || 6 || 6 || 0 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1957 || 5 || 6 || 1 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1958 || 4 || 7 || 1 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1959 || 3 || 9 || 0 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1960 || 1 || 9 || 2 || 6th NFL East || --
|-
|1961 || 1 || 12 || 1 || 7th NFL East || --
|-
|1962 || 5 || 7 || 2 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1963 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 6th NFL East || --
|-
|1964 || 6 || 8 || 0 || T-3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1965 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1966 || 7 || 7 || 0 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1967 || 5 || 6 || 3 || 3rd NFL Capitol || --
|-
|1968 || 5 || 9 || 0 || 3rd NFL Capitol || --
|-
|1969 || 7 || 5 || 2 || 2nd NFL Capitol || --
|-
|1970 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --
|-
|1971 || 9 || 4 || 1 || 2nd NFC East || Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
49ers) 24-20
|-
|1972 || 11 || 3 || 0 || '1st NFC East' || 'Won'
Divisional Playoffs (
Packers) 16-3
'Won'
Conference Championship (
Cowboys) 26-3
Lost
Super Bowl VII (
Dolphins) 14-7
|-
|1973 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
Vikings) 27-20
|-
|1974 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
L.A. Rams) 19-10
|-
|1975 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1976 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
Vikings) 35-20
|-
|1977 || 9 || 5 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || --
|-
|1978 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1979 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1980 || 6 || 10 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1981 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --
|-
|1982 || 8 || 1 || 0 || '1st NFC Conf.'+ || 'Won'
First Round (
Lions) 31-7
'Won'
Second Round (
Vikings) 21-7
'Won'
Conference Championship (
Cowboys) 31-17
'Won
Super Bowl XVII' (
Dolphins) 27-17
|-
|1983 || 14 || 2 || 0 || '1st NFC East' || 'Won'
Divisional Playoffs (
L.A. Rams) 51-7
'Won'
Conference Championship (
49ers) 24-21
Lost
Super Bowl XVIII (
L.A. Raiders) 38-9
|-
|1984 || 11 || 5 || 0 || '1st NFC East' || Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
Bears) 23-19
|-
|1985 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1986 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || 'Won'
Wild Card Playoffs (
L.A. Rams) 19-7
'Won'
Divisional Playoffs (
Bears) 27-13
Lost
Conference Championship (
Giants) 17-0
|-
|1987 || 11 || 4 || 0 || '1st NFC East' || 'Won'
Divisional Playoffs (
Bears) 21-17
'Won'
Conference Championship (
Vikings) 17-10
'Won
Super Bowl XXII' (
Broncos) 42-10
|-
|1988 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1989 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1990 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || 'Won'
Wild Card Playoffs (
Eagles) 20-6
Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
49ers) 28-10
|-
|1991 || 14 || 2 || 0 || '1st NFC East' || 'Won'
Divisional Playoffs (
Falcons) 24-7
'Won'
Conference Championship (
Lions) 41-10
'Won
Super Bowl XXVI' (
Bills) 37-24
|-
|1992 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || 'Won'
Wild Card Playoffs (
Vikings) 24-7
Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
49ers) 20-13
|-
|1993 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 5th NFC East || --
|-
|1994 || 3 || 13 || 0 || 5th NFC East || --
|-
|1995 || 6 || 10 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1996 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|1997 || 8 || 7 || 1 || 2nd NFC East || --
|-
|1998 || 6 || 10 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --
|-
|1999 || 10 || 6 || 0 || '1st NFC East' || 'Won'
Wild Card Playoffs (
Lions) 27-13
Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
Buccaneers) 14-13
|-
|2000 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|2001 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || --
|-
|2002 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|2003 || 5 || 11 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --
|-
|2004 || 6 || 10 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --
|-
|2005 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || 'Won'
Wild Card Playoffs (
Buccaneers) 17-10
Lost
Divisional Playoffs (
Seahawks) 20-10
|-
|
2006 || 5 || 11 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --
|-
|
2007 || 0 || 0 || 0 || NFC East || --
|-
!Totals || 543 || 495 || 27
|colspan="2"| (1932-2005, including NFL playoffs)
★ = Current Standing
+ = Due to a strike-shortened season in 1982, all teams were ranked by conference instead of division.
Players of note
Main articles: List of Washington Redskins players
Current roster
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Players
★ 9
Sonny Jurgensen, QB, 1964-74
★ 17
Albert Glen "Turk" Edwards, OT-DT, 1932-40
★ 20
Cliff Battles, RB-CB, 1932-37
★ 22
Paul Krause, S, 1964-67
★ 27
Ken Houston, S, 1973-80
★ 33
Sammy Baugh, QB-S-P, 1937-52
★ 35
Bill Dudley, RB-CB, 1950-53
★ 40
Wayne Millner, TE-DE, 1936-41, player-coach 1945
★ 42
Charley Taylor, WR, 1964-77
★ 44
John Riggins, RB, 1976-85
★ 49
Bobby Mitchell, RB, 1962-68, later team executive
★ 70
Sam Huff, LB, 1964-69
★ 73
Stan Jones, DT 1966
Management
★
George Allen, Head Coach, 1971-77
★
Ray Flaherty, Head Coach, 1936-42
★
Joe Gibbs, Head Coach, 1981-92, 2004-present
★
Otto Graham, Head Coach 1966-68
★
George Preston Marshall, team Founder-Owner, 1932-69
★
Mike McCormack, Assistant Coach 1965-72
Retired numbers
★ 33
Sammy Baugh, QB-S-P, 1937-52
Unofficial retired numbers
The Redskins' policy since Baugh's retirement has been to not retire numbers. However, some numbers are unofficially retired and are usually withheld from being assigned to new players. The following numbers of past Redskin greats fall into that category.
★ 7
Joe Theismann, QB, 1974-85
★ 9
Sonny Jurgensen, QB, 1964-74
★ 28
Darrell Green, CB, 1983-2002
★ 42
Charley Taylor, WR, 1964-77
★ 43
Larry Brown, RB, 1969-76
★ 44
John Riggins, RB, 1976-79, 1981-85
★ 49
Bobby Mitchell, RB, 1962-68
★ 51
Monte Coleman, LB, 1979-94
★ 70
Sam Huff, LB, 1964-69 (Worn by Leonard Marshall in 1993)
★ 81
Art Monk, WR, 1980-93
In the film ''
Everybody's All-American'', Gavin Grey (played by
Dennis Quaid) plays for the Redskins, and his number 47 is retired. In real life, that number was worn by running back
Dick James at the time of the film (the 1960s), and the Redskins keep this number in circulation (currently worn by RB/TE
Chris Cooley).
The use of unofficial retired numbers drew controversy during
Steve Spurrier's first year as head coach. Quarterbacks
Danny Wuerffel and
Shane Matthews first wore 7 and 9 respectively during training camp. The resulting sports talk furor led to them switching to 17 and 6. During the season, reserve tight end
Leonard Stephens wore number 49 for the season. After his retirement as assistant GM,
Bobby Mitchell blasted the team, accusing late owners
Edward Bennett Williams and
Jack Kent Cooke of racism for not being considered for GM and was upset that the team would let a player like Leonard Stephens wear his number.
Washington Hall of Stars
The Washington Hall of Stars is a series of banners, on what is now the right-field wall at
RFK Stadium, honoring D.C. performers from all sports. It was previously located on a series of white-and-red signs ringing the face of the stadium's mezzanine level. The Redskins honored on it include Hall-of-Famers Allen, Battles, Baugh, Dudley, Houston, Huff, Jurgensen, Marshall, Millner, Mitchell, Riggins, and Taylor; "retired number" honorees Brown, Monk, Moseley, and Theismann; and the following:
★
Arthur "Dutch" Bergman, Head Coach 1943, also coached in D.C. at
The Catholic University of America and President of the company that lobbied for the building of what became RFK Stadium
★ 80
Gene Brito DE 1951-58
★ 65
Dave Butz DT 1975-88
★
Jack Kent Cooke, Team Owner 1961-97 (majority owner from 1974, sole owner from 1985)
★ 37
Pat Fischer DB 1968-77
★ 68
Russ Grimm OG 1981-91
★ 55
Chris Hanburger LB 1965-78
★ 56
Len Hauss C 1964-77
★ 66
Joe Jacoby OT 1981-93
★ 47
Dick James RB 1955-63
★ 22
Charlie Justice RB 1950-54
★ 17
Billy Kilmer QB 1971-78
★ 14
Eddie LeBaron QB 1952-59
★
Vince Lombardi, Head Coach 1969 (in Hall of Fame for coaching with Packers)
★ 23
Brig Owens SS 1966-77
★ 65
Vince Promuto G 1960-70
★ 87
Jerry Smith TE 1965-77
★ 17
Doug Williams QB 1986-89
★
Edward Bennett Williams, Team Owner 1962-85 (majority owner until 1974)
Despite having been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Turk Edwards, Ray Flaherty, Joe Gibbs, and Paul Krause are not on the Hall of Stars banners. Edwards, Flaherty, and Gibbs had been honored on signs on the prior version of the Hall of Stars; Gibbs's name may be restored following his retirement from coaching.
The 70 Greatest Redskins
In honor of the Redskins' 70th anniversary in June 2002 , a panel selected the 70 Greatest Redskins to honor the players and coaches who were significant on-field contributors to the Redskins five championships and rich history. They were honored in a weekend of festivities, including a special halftime ceremony during the Redskins' 26-21 win over the
Indianapolis Colts.
The list includes three head coaches and 67 players, of which 41 were offensive players, 23 defensive players and three special teams players. The following players were named to the list but are not listed in the above sections.
70 Greatest Redskins (Number, Name, Position, Year)
21
Terry Allen RB 1995-98
41
Mike Bass CB 1969-75
20
Cliff Battles B 1932-37
33
Sammy Baugh QB 1937-52
31
Don Bosseler B 1957-64
53
Jeff Bostic C 1980-93
4
Mike Bragg P 1968-79
80
Gene Brito DE 1951-53, 1955-58
43
Larry Brown RB 1969-76
77
Bill Brundige DE 1970-77
65
Dave Butz DT 1975-88
21
Earnest Byner RB 1989-93
84
Gary Clark WR 1985-92
51
Monte Coleman LB 1979-94
53
Al DeMao C 1945-53
36
Chuck Drazenovich LB 1950-59
35
Bill Dudley RB 1950-51, 1953
17
Turk Edwards T 1932-40
44
Andy Farkas FB 1938-44
37
Pat Fischer CB 1968-77
28
Darrell Green CB 1983-2002
68
Russ Grimm G 1981-91
55
Chris Hanburger LB 1965-78
57
Ken Harvey LB 1994-98
56
Len Hauss C 1964-77
27
Ken Houston S 1973-80
70
Sam Huff LB 1964-67, 1969
66
Joe Jacoby T/G 1981-93
47
Dick James RB 1955-63
9
Sonny Jurgensen QB 1964-74
22
Charlie Justice RB 1950, 1952-54
17
Billy Kilmer QB 1971-78
26
Paul Krause DB 1964-67
79
Jim Lachey T 1988-95
14
Eddie LeBaron QB 1952-53, 1955-59
72
Dexter Manley DE 1981-89
71
Charles Mann DE 1983-93
58
Wilber Marshall LB 1988-92
73
Mark May T 1981-89
79
Ron McDole DE 1971-78
63
Raleigh McKenzie G 1985-94
53
Harold McLinton LB 1969-78
40
Wayne Millner E 1936-41, 1945
49
Bobby Mitchell FL 1962-68
30
Brian Mitchell RB 1990-99
81
Art Monk WR 1980-93
3
Mark Moseley K 1974-86
29
Mark Murphy S 1977-84
21
Mike Nelms KR 1980-84
52
Neal Olkewicz LB 1979-89
23
Brig Owens DB 1966-77
65
Vince Promuto G 1960-70
44
John Riggins RB 1976-79, 1981-85
11
Mark Rypien QB 1987-93
83
Ricky Sanders WR 1986-93
76
Ed Simmons T 1987-97
87
Jerry Smith TE 1965-77
60
Dick Stanfel G 1956-58
74
George Starke T 1973-84
72
Diron Talbert DT 1971-80
84
Hugh Taylor E 1947-54
42
Charley Taylor WR 1964-77
7
Joe Theismann QB 1974-85
67
Rusty Tillman LB 1970-77
85
Don Warren TE 1979-92
25
Joe Washington RB 1981-84
17
Doug Williams QB 1986-89
George Allen Head Coach 1971-77
Ray Flaherty Head Coach 1936-42
Joe Gibbs Head Coach 1981-92, 2004-''Present''
List of the 70 Greatest Redskins from the Redskins' Official Website
Other notable alumni
★ 56
LaVar Arrington LB 2000-05
★ 24
Champ Bailey CB 1999-2003
★ 89
Verlon Biggs DE 1972-75
★ 48
Stephen Davis RB 1996-2002
★ 45
Leslie "Speedy" Duncan KR DB 1971-74
★ 86
Clint Didier TE 1982-89
★ 12
Gus Frerotte QB 1994-1998
★ 10
Trent Green QB 1993-95
★ 31
Charley Harraway FB 1969-73
★ 57
Ken Harvey OLB 1994-98
★ 75
Terry Hermeling OT 1970-80
★ 80
Roy Jefferson WR 1971-76
★ 14
Brad Johnson QB 1999-2001
★ 77
Tre' Johnson OG 1994-2000, 2002,2003
★ 5
Curt Knight K 1969-73
★ 8
Chip Lohmiller K 1988-94
★ 32
Jack Pardee LB 1971-73
★ 66
Myron Pottios MLB 1971-73
★ 38
George Rogers RB 1985-87
★ 11
Mark Rypien QB 1987-1993
★ 21
Deion Sanders DB 2000-2002
★ 78
Bruce Smith DE 2000-03
★ 21
Fred Smoot CB 2001-2005; 2007-
★ 40
Alvin Walton SS 1986-91
★ 82
Michael Westbrook WR 1995-2001
All-time first-round draft picks
Coaches of note
Head coaches
★
Lud Wray 1932
★
William Dietz 1933-1934
★
Eddie Casey 1935
★
Ray Flaherty 1936-1942
★
Dutch Bergman 1943
★
Dudley DeGroot 1944-1945
★
Turk Edwards 1946-1948
★
John Whelchel 1949
★
Herman Ball 1949-1951
★
Dick Todd 1951
★
★
Curly Lambeau 1952-1953
★
Joe Kuharich 1954-1958
★
Mike Nixon 1959-1960
★
Bill McPeak 1961-1965
★
Otto Graham 1966-1968
★
Vince Lombardi 1969
★
★
★
Bill Austin 1970
★
★
George Allen 1971-1977
★
Jack Pardee 1978-1980
★
Joe Gibbs 1981-1992
★
Richie Petitbon 1993
★
Norv Turner 1994-2000
★
Terry Robiskie 2000
★
★
Marty Schottenheimer 2001
★
Steve Spurrier 2002-2003
★
Joe Gibbs 2004-Present
''
★ Interim Coach
''
★
★ Lombardi died before the start of the 1970 Season
Current staff
'Note:' The Redskins' coaching staff is quite unorthodox sporting five top assistant coaches including three former NFL Head Coaches. The entire staff in general is one of the most experienced in the NFL. They are also currently the highest paid coaching staff in the league. Also,
Joe Bugel is unofficially the offensive line coach, with the title of Assistant Head Coach-Offense.
Single-season records
★ 'Passing Yards': 4,109
Jay Schroeder (1986)
★ 'Passing Touchdowns': 31
Sonny Jurgensen (1967)
★ 'Rushing Yards': 1,516
Clinton Portis (2005)
★ 'Receptions': 106
Art Monk (1984)
★ 'Receiving Yards': 1,483
Santana Moss (2005)
★ 'Pass Interceptions': 13
Dan Sandifer (1948)
★ 'Field Goals Made': 33
Mark Moseley (1983)
★ 'Points': 161
Mark Moseley (1983)
★ 'Total Touchdowns': 24
John Riggins (1983)
★ 'Punt Return Average': 15.3
Johnny Williams (1952)
★ 'Kickoff Return Average': 29.7
Mike Nelms (1981)
★ 'Punting Average': 51.4
★
Sammy Baugh (1940)
★ 'Scoring for Opponent':12
John Parson Jr. (1985)
''
★ NFL Record''
Redskins career records
★ 'Passing Yards': 25,206
Joe Theismann (1974-1985)
★ 'Passing Touchdowns': 187
Sammy Baugh (1937-1952)
★ 'Rushing Yards': 7,472
John Riggins (1976-1979,1981-1985)
★ 'Receptions': 888
Art Monk (1980-1993)
★ 'Receiving Yards': 12,028
Art Monk (1980-1993)
★ 'Pass Interceptions': 54
Darrell Green (1983-2002)
★ 'Field Goals Made': 263
Mark Moseley (1974-1986)
★ 'Points': 1,207
Mark Moseley (1974-1986)
★ 'Total Touchdowns': 90
Charley Taylor (1964-1977)
★ 'Punt Return Average': 12.8
Johnny Williams (1952-1953)
★ 'Kickoff Return Average': 28.5
Bobby Mitchell (1962-1968)
★ 'Punting Average': 45.1
Sammy Baugh (1937-1952)
NFL Records
The Washington Redskins have won 14 games twice in a season, in 1983 and 1991. This is second place all time.
The Redskins scored 541 points in 1983, an NFL record that wasn't surpassed until the 1998 season, and is still second all time.
The Washington Redskins 72 points against the New York Giants on Nov. 27, 1966 is the most points ever scored by an NFL team in a regular season game and the 72 to 41 score amounted to 113 points and the highest scoring game ever in NFL history. The second half scoring for the game amounted to 65 points, the second highest point total for second half scoring and the third highest total scoring in any half in NFL history. The Redskins 10 touchdowns are the most by a team in a single game and the 16 total touchdowns are the most combined for a game. The Redskins 9 PATs is the second most all time for a single game and the 14 combined is the most ever in a game.
The Redskins led the league in field goals for 8 seasons, 1945, 1956, 1971, 1976-77, 1979, 1982, 1992. Only the Green Bay Packers have ever led more. Their 49 field goals attempted in 1971 is the most ever attempted in a single season.
The Redskins and Bears attempted an NFL record 11 field goals on Nov. 14, 1971 and the Redskins and Giants tied that mark on Nov. 14, 1976.
The Redskins 28 consecutive games, from 1988 to 1990, scoring a field goal is third all time.
The Redskins set a record for most first downs in a game with 39 in a game against Detroit on Nov. 4, 1990. They also set a record by not allowing a single first down against the N.Y. Giants on Sept. 27, 1942.
The Washington Redskins have led the league in passing 8 times, in 1938, 1940, 1944, 1947-48, 1967, 1974, 1989. Only the San Diego Chargers have led more times. The Redskins led the league in completion percentage 11 times, in 1937, 1939-1940, 1942-45, 1947-48, 1969-1970, second only to the San Francisco 49ers. Their 4 straight years from 1942-45 is the second longest streak.
The Washington Redskins led the league in punting average 6 times, in 1940-43, 1945, 1958. Second only to the Denver Broncos. Their four consecutive years from 1940-43 is an NFL record.
The Redskins 9 sacks allowed in 1991 is the third fewest allowed in a season.
Radio and television
As of 2006, the Redskins' flagship "station" is
Triple X ESPN Radio, which is actually three
simulcast signals that combine to serve the metropolitan Washington area. Triple X is owned by
Red Zebra Broadcasting, which in turn is owned by Snyder.
Larry Michael, formerly of
Westwood One, is the team's
play-by-play announcer and director of broadcasting. Michael replaced longtime announcer
Frank Herzog in
2004.
Sonny Jurgensen and
Sam Huff are the
color analysts. Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on
WUSA in the Washington, D.C. area and on
Comcast SportsNet in the overall
Mid-Atlantic region. Comcast SportsNet also airs an extensive game recap after each Redskins regular season Sunday game.
References
1. [1]
2. [2]
See also
★
Native American Mascot Controversy
★
List of Washington Redskins players
★
Washington Redskins Cheerleaders
★
Cowboys-Redskins rivalry
★
Redskin
External links
★
Fedexfield.com
★
Washington Redskins official web site
★
Sports E-Cyclopedia.com
★
ESPN's Redskin Page
★
The Redskin Report
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