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Washington Football Team

Frank Fleming
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Frank Fleming
96 mins
November 1st, 2023
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Washington Football Team

Historical Moments

1937:On September 16th, the Redskins made their Washington debut, a successful one by beating the New York Giants 13-3 before 24,492 at Griffith Stadium. The star of the game was Running Back Riley Smith, who put the game away with a 60-yard touchdown run. The Redskins would impress Washington fans all season, claiming the Eastern Division with a solid 8-3 record. In the NFL Championship Game, the Redskins faced the Bears on a frigid day in Chicago. The Redskins seemed to have an answer for the Bears all day. Every time the Bears took the lead, Slingin’ Sammy Baugh would answer with a touchdown. In the third quarter alone, Baugh tied the score on Touchdown passes twice before giving the Redskins lead 28-21 with a pass to Ed Justice. The Redskins would not relinquish the lead, winning their first Championship 28-21, as Baugh passed for 352 yards.

1938:The Redskins marched into their second season in Washington with a band and a new fight song, penned by owner George Preston Marshal’s wife, Corrine Griffith, a former silent movie actress. The Redskins quest for a second straight championship ended with a disappointing 36-0 loss to the Giants in New York in the final game of the season, as the Skins settled for second place with a 6-3-2 record.

1939:The Redskins are among the best teams in the NFL again and enter the final game of the season with an 8-1-1 record, facing the Giants in New York with the division title on the line. However, for the second year in a row, the Giants would hold the Redskins off advancing to the NFL Championship with a 9-7 win.

1940:The Redskins come charging out of the gates, winning their first seven games to take control of the Division Title. However, after losing two of their next three games, the Skins were in jeopardy of missing another chance for the Championship Game. In their final game, the Redskins would beat the Philadelphia Eagles at Griffith Stadium to claim the title with a 9-2 record. The Redskins would go on to host the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship Game. The Redskins may have been better off not being there at all. Within 55 seconds, they trailed 7-0, and it only got worse from there, as the Redskins were humiliated before 36,000 at Griffith Stadium. The score remains the biggest playoff blowout in NFL history.

1941:The Redskins looked strong again, getting off to a solid 5-1 start. Their chances for a division title ended with a frustrating four-game losing streak. The Redskins would beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20-14 in their final game to finish with a 6-5 record, as Government and Military workers were paged throughout the game following the attack on Pearl Harbor earlier that morning.

1942:After winning their first game of the season, the Redskins found themselves frustrated by the New York Giants again falling 14-7 despite only allowing one yard on Offense. However, that loss would be the only blemish on the season as the Redskins won the East with an impressive 10-1 record. In the NFL Championship Game, the Redskins would get revenge by beating the Chicago Bears 13-7, completely shutting down their offense. As the final seconds ticked off, 36,000 fans at Griffith Stadium rushed the field, tearing down the goalposts ripping up the sod, and even fighting their way in the locker to celebrate the Redskins second NFL Championship. Hours after the game, coach Ray Flaherty would depart for service in the Navy.

1943:Under new coach, Dutch Bergman appeared to be cruising for another NFL Championship game with a 6-0-1 record. Losses in their final three games, including two to the New York Giants, forced them to have to face the Giants in a Divisional Playoff in New York with Eastern Division on the line. After losing to the Giants 2 weeks in a row, the Redskins took out their frustrations, shutting the Giants out 28-0 to earn a trip to Chicago for an NFL Championship rematch with the Bears. The Redskins were unable to stop Bears quarterback Sid Luckman all day as their hopes for a repeat NFL Championship ended with a 41-21 loss. The Redskins were furthered embarrassed when Owner George Preston Marshal was led out of the stadium by police after a verbal altercation with President Ralph Brizzolara. After the game coach, Bergman was dismissed and replaced by Dudley DeGroot.

1944:With a 6-1-1 record, the Redskins were able to play for the NFL Championship again. However, for the second year in a row, the Redskins lost their final two games of the year to the New York Giants, but this time there was no Divisional Playoff back for the Redskins, who fell from first to third place with a 6-3-1 record.

1945:After a stunning loss in Boston to the Yanks in the season opener, the Redskins caught fire and won their next six games. The Redskins would claim the Eastern Division with an 8-2 record after they won their final two games by shutting out the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. In the NFL Championship Game, the Redskins would face the Rams on a dreary cold day in Cleveland. The game would go down to the last minute as the Redskins lost a heartbreaker 15-14 when two Joe Aguirre field goal attempts hit the goalposts.

1946:Despite the departure of coach Dudley DeGroot, Ray Flaherty is not rehired despite leading them to the Championship Game four times in six years while winning two titles. Instead, the Redskins turned to Turk Edwards. The Redskins would only play mediocre football the rest of the way finishing with a disappointing 5-5-2 record.

1947:In a draft-day blunder, the Redskins select Running Back Cal Rossi for the second year in a row. The previous season it turned out he had a year remaining in college. Now things would get worse when he told the Skins he had no desire top play pro-football. Part of the problem came from scouting. Owner George Preston Marshall only had a 50-cent budget for scouting, which was the price of a couple of football magazines. The Redskins would go on to finish the season with a 4-8 record.

1948:After two poor seasons, the Redskins get back into the playoff picture by getting off to a 6-2 start. However, three straight losses would end their playoff hopes, as they needed a win in their final game to finish with a 7-5 record. Following the season coach, Turk Edwards would be replaced by John Welchel.

1949:The Redskins would play shaky football in their first seven games, posting a 3-3-1 record, leading to the dismissal of Coach John Welchel. Under new coach Herman Ball, the Redskins would only play worse, losing four of five games and finishing with a 4-7-1 record.

1950:In Herman Ball’s first full season as coach, the Redskins start the season on the right note, winning their first game of the season. However, eight straight losses would doom them to a last-place, finishing with a 3-9 record.

1951:The Redskins would continue to struggle under coach Herman Ball losing their first three games before Ball was replaced by Dick Todd. Under Todd, the Redskins would show improvement, winning their first two games and five out of nine games to finish with a 5-7 record. Despite the strong finish, Todd was not kept on as the Redskins hired legendary Green Bay Packers coach Curly Lambeau.

1952:In Curly Lambeau’s first season as coach, the Redskins would get off to a miserable 2-8 start. The Redskins would finish the season on a strong note winning their last two games to finish with a 4-8 record. The season would be the last for Sliggin’ Sammy Baugh, who ended his impressive 16-year career.

1953:The Redskins, who played mediocre football most of the season, ended on a strong note by winning three of their last four games to finish with a 6-5-1 record, ending a four-year string of losing seasons. However, Curly Lambeau would not return for a third season, being replaced by Joe Kuharich.

1954:Under Coach Joe Kuharich the Redskins would lose the first five games on the way to a miserable 3-9 record.

1955:The Redskins would show flashes of brilliance with an impressive midseason four-game winning streak. The Redskins would go on to finish in second place with a solid 8-4 record.

1956:The Redskins bounce back from an awful 0-3 by winning five games in a row. After losing three of their last four games, the Redskins had to settle for a disappointing 6-6 record.

1957:The Redskins struggle all year, getting off to a poor 2-6-1 start and falling out of contention quickly. The Redskins would end the season on a strong note winning their final three games to finish with a 5-6-1 record.

1958:The Redskins continue to struggle to post a dreadful 4-7-1 record. It was the seventh time in ten seasons that the Redskins posted a losing record. It would eventually cost coach Joe Kuharich his job, as Mike Nixon replaced him following the season.

1959:Coach Mike Nixon’s tenure does not get off to a good start losing four of their first five games. After winning two games in a row, the Redskins lose five straight to close the season with a terrible 3-9 record.

1960:The Redskins suffer a miserable 1-9-2 season that was capped by a dreadful eight-game losing streak that closed out the season. Following the season coach, Mike Nixon is fired, ending a dreadful 4-18-2 administration. The Redskins would eventually name Bill McPeak to replace him.

1961:In another draft day blunder, the Redskins select quarterback Norm Snead in the first round over Fran Tarkenton. The sixth quarterback the Redskins selected in the draft in ten years, as the franchise continued to struggle, despite moving into a state of the art new stadium. On October 1st, the Redskins lost to the New York Giants 24-21 in the first game at DC Stadium. Losing would be a regular occurrence for the Redskins, who beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-24 in their final game at DC Stadium. It would be the only win on the season for the Redskins, who finished with an embarrassing 1-12-1 record.

1962:After years of resistance, the Washington Redskins become the last team to integrate their roster when they trade their top draft pick to the Cleveland Browns for Wide Receiver Bobby Mitchell. After the NFL and District of Columbia threatened to evict them, the move came only after the league George Preston Marshall, a known racist, finally relented. Despite playing in a place where it was made known, he was not welcome. Mitchell had a stellar season scoring 11 touchdowns, and posting 1,384 receiving yards, as the Redskins got off to a 4-0-2 start. The Redskins would lose seven of their last eight games to finish with a 5-7-2 record.

1963:The Redskins continue to play awful football losing 10 of their last 11 games on the way to finishing with a 3-11 record. The only bright spot is Wide Receiver Bobby Mitchell who collects 1,436 receiving yards. However, he only catches seven touchdown passes, as quarterback Norm Snead suffers a miserable season in which he throws 27 interceptions.

1964:The Redskins get off to a terrible start losing their first four games, but after winning six of their next eight games, they actually had a chance at a winning season. However, by losing their final two games, the Skins finished 6-8 and posted their eighth straight losing season.

1965:The Redskins get off to a miserable start losing their first five games on the way to yet another losing season with a 6-8 record. Following the season, coach Bill McPeak is fired after five seasons without a winning record. He would eventually be replaced by former Cleveland Browns quarterback Otto Graham.

1966:After playing mediocre football season, the Redskins explode for 72 points in a 72-41 win over the New York Giants at DC Stadium that set a record for total points in a regular-season game. The Redskins would get their head above water the following week with a 34-31 win over the Cowboys in Dallas. A loss in their final game to the Philadelphia Eagles would slide their record to 7-7, ending hopes for their first winning season in 11 years.

1967:With a record of 5-5-3, the Redskins only need a win over the New Orleans Saints at DC Stadium to post their first winning record in 12 years. However, the Redskins would be stunned 30-14 by the expansion Saints and would finish with a 5-6-3 record.

1968:The Redskins struggles continued as the defense allows 358 points in another poor 5-9 season. Following the season coach, Otto Graham is fired and replaced by Vince Lombardi, who leaves the Green Bay Packers after being promised part ownership of Washington’s once great franchise.

1969:Before the start of the season, DC Stadium is renamed RFK Stadium in honor of the slain Senator. The Redskins also lose a family member when Owner George Preston Marshall dies at the age of 72. With Vince Lombardi now coaching, the Redskins finally post a winning record at 7-5-2, ending a long, frustrating 14-year drought. Quarterback Sonny Jurgensen who passed for 3,102 yards, said He learned more from him in five days than he had in 12 previous years.

1970:The Redskins are hit hard with tragedy before the season starts when Coach Vince Lombardi dies from colon cancer. Under his replacement Bill Austin the Redskins would take a step back, finishing with a 6-8 record. Not all was lost as running back Larry Brown became the first Redskin to break the 1,000-yard barrier by rushing for 1,125 yards. George Allen would replace Interim Coach Bill Austin following the season.

1971:In George Allen’s first season as coach, the Redskins win their first five games, as newly acquired quarterback Billy Kilmer impresses under center. The Redskins would only play mediocre football down the stretch, but their 9-4-1 record was good enough to earn them the Wild Card spot. In their first playoff game in 26 years, the Redskins faced the 49ers in San Francisco and would take a 10-3 lead into halftime. However, the 49ers would make a thrilling comeback to end the Skins season with a 24-20 win.

1972:Now, wearing burgundy helmets with an Indian’s head on them, the Redskins win their first two games before falling to the Patriots in New England by one point. The loss would stand as the Redskins only blemish until two straight losses ended the season. A nine-game winning streak and an 11-5 record were enough to capture the NFC East, as Running Back Larry Brown won MVP honors by scoring 12 touchdowns and collecting 1,689 all-purpose yards. In the Divisional Playoffs, the Redskins hosted the Green Bay Packers in Washington’s first playoff game in 30 years. The defense was the star that day as the Redskins won 14-3. In the NFC Championship Game, the Redskins shut down the Dallas Cowboys all day and emerged with a 26-3 victory before 53,129 spectators at RFK Stadium.

Super Bowl VII:The Redskins were matched up with Miami Dolphins, who were seeking to complete a perfect 17-0 season, in the Super Bowl played in George Allen’s old stomping grounds, the Los Angeles Coliseum. It was clear early that it was not the Redskins day. They could not get anything going on Offense and trailed the Dolphins 14-0 in the 4th Quarter with five minutes left. However, just as it seemed the Dolphins were going to drive the last nail in the coffin with a Field Goal when the kick was blocked. In a strange move, Dolphins kicker tried to pass the ball, but the ball slipped out of his hands and into the arms of Mike Bass, who returned it 49 yards for the Redskins only score of the day, as the Redskins dreams of a Lombardi Trophy died with a 14-7 loss.

1973:Billy Kilmer and the “Over the Hill Gang” continued to perform their magic as the Redskins compiled another impressive 10-4 record. However, they would have to settle for the Wild Card after losing the Division by a tiebreaker to the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins postseason would come to a quick end with a 27-20 loss to the Vikings in Minnesota.

1974:With Sonny Jurgensen coming off the bench, the Redskins make the playoffs again as a Wild Card posting a 10-4 record for the second season in a row. While sharing duties with Billy Kilmer, Jurgensen would pass for 1,185 yards while connecting on 11 Touchdowns to just five Interceptions. In the playoffs, the Redskins season would end quickly again with a 19-10 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles. After the season, Jurgensen was forced to retire, as the Redskins gave his back up a spot to a young quarterback named Joe Theismann, who they signed out of the CFL a year earlier. That same season the Redskins were purchased by Jack Kent Cooke, giving them another owner with a personality who liked to do things on a grand scale.

1975:The Redskins were in position for the playoffs again, standing at 8-4 entering a match up with Cowboys in Dallas that would decide the Wild Card spot. Also looking to make history was Wide Receiver Charley Taylor who needed just two catches to set the pass catches’ all-time record. Taylor would come up empty, and so would the Redskins as their playoff hopes ended with a 31-10 loss. A week later, Taylor would final grab the record, but the Skins would lose again and finish in third place with an 8-6 record.

1976:The Redskins win their last four games to finish with a 10-4 record, earning the Wild Card spot and their fifth Playoff berth in six years, as Running Back Mike Thomas wins the Offensive Rookie of the Year by rushing for 1,101 yards. Once again, the Redskins would fall right away in the playoff, losing to the Vikings 35-20 in Minnesota.

1977:The Redskins close the season on a strong note by winning their final three games. After a mediocre start, the Redskins 9-5 record is not good enough for a playoff spot. Following the season, coach George Allen is fired and replaced by Jack Pardee despite posting seven straight winning seasons.

1978:Finally, getting a chance to play regularly, Joe Theismann finds life in the NFL rough going as he is sacked 41 times while passing for 2,593 yards. Theismann is also picked off 18 times as the Redskins play mediocre football all year, finishing with an 8-8 record.

1979:Joe Theismann has a coming of age season, passing for 2,797 yards while throwing 20 touchdown passes and running another four Touchdowns in himself, as the Redskins enter the final game of the year in Dallas with NFC East on the line. The Redskins appeared to have the Division locked up with a 34-21 lead late in the fourth quarter. However, the Skins would fall victim to a Roger Staubach come back, falling to 10-6. The loss not only cost the Redskins the division, but it also cost them a playoff spot as the Skins lost all tiebreakers.

1980:With Running Back John Riggins missing the entire season, the Redskins struggle all season, finishing with a disappointing 6-10 record. Following the season, coach Jack Pardee is fired and replaced by Joe Gibbs.

1981:Under Joe Gibbs, the Redskins get off to a terrible start losing their first five games and six out of eight games, as fans started calling for the ouster of the first-year coach. The Redskins would finish the season on a strong note by taking six of their final eight games to finish with an 8-8 record.

1982:Using their momentum for the end of the previous season, the Redskins get off to a solid 2-0 start before the season was interrupted by a two-month Player’s strike. When the players returned, the Redskins did not miss a beat, winning five of their six remaining games to claim the top seed in the playoffs with a 7-1 record, as Kicker Mark Mosley wins the NFL MVP. In doing so, Mosley became the first pure kicker to earn the honor as his foot provided the difference in four of the team’s seven wins, including back-to-back weeks in which he was the only offense the Redskins had. In the Playoffs, the Redskins continued down the warpath destroying the Detroit Lions 31-21 in the first round and beating the Minnesota Vikings 21-7 in the second round. The Redskins would face the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game there John Riggins would grind out 140 yards to break the Cowboys spirits in a 31-17 win that earned the Redskins a trip to their second Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XVII:Ten years after losing to the Miami Dolphins in their first trip to the big game, the Redskins found themselves in a rematch with Fish in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Throughout most of the game, the Redskins shut down the Dolphins offense, including not allowing 1 pass to be completed in the second half. However, thanks to a second-quarter kickoff return, the Dolphins held a 17-13 lead entering the fourth quarter. Things could have been worse as Joe Theismann saved a potential back-breaking Interception at the goal line by batting his own deflected pass down through a Dolphins defender’s arms. As the 4th Quarter was starting, the Redskins Hogs began wearing down the Dolphins killer Bees. John Riggins gave the Redskins a 20-17 lead breaking several tackles with ten minutes left during a powerful 43-yard touchdown run. The Redskins would pad the lead to 27-17, claiming their first Championship in 40 years, as John Riggins was named Super Bowl MVP.

1983:The Redskins started their title defense on the wrong foot by losing to the Dallas Cowboys at RFK Stadium, 31-30. However, the Redskins would only lose one more game the rest of the way to winning the NFC East with a 14-2 record. The season-opening shootout was the first of many as the Redskins scored 541 points setting a new NFL record for total points, as quarterback Joe Theismann won the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. The Redskins defense would allow 332 points as the team was involved in several shootouts on the season. Winning a 37-35 thriller at RFK Stadium over the Los Angeles Raiders and falling to the Packers in Green Bay 48-47. In the playoffs, the Redskins continued to tally up the points beating the Los Angeles Rams 51-7 at RFK Stadium for a berth in the NFC Championship Game. In the Championship, the Redskins would hold a 21-0 lead entering the fourth quarter over the San Francisco 49ers. After Joe Montana tied the game with three touchdown passes, the Redskins needed a Mark Mosley field goal with 40 seconds left to earn a trip to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row with a 24-21 win.

Super Bowl XVIII:In a rematch of a thrilling game earlier in the season, the Redskins faced the Los Angeles Raiders with the Lombardi Trophy on the line in Tampa. Early on, it was obvious that it was not the Redskins day as the Raiders took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a blocked punt. Things would only get worse when Joe Theismann is intercepted at the goal line by Jack Squirek, who gives the Raiders a 21-3 halftime lead. In the third quarter, the Redskins finally cracked the endzone, but Mark Mosley had his PAT blocked. It would be as close as the Redskins ever got as the Raiders went on to break the game open on the way to a 38-9 victory.

1984:The Redskins started the season slowly, losing their first two games against two of the NFL’s top teams. The Redskins would recover to win their next five games, but a midseason slump had them on the playoff bubble at 7-5. The Redskins would finish the season in strong fashion, winning their final four games to win the NFC East with an 11-5 record. The Redskins quest for a third straight NFC Championship ended quickly as the Skins were stunned by the Chicago Bears 23-19 at RFK Stadium.

1985:After getting off to a slow start by losing three of their first four games, the Redskins entered a key Monday Night game with the New York Giants on November 18th with a record of 5-5. The Skins fell behind early, and all hoped looked loss as Joe Theismann’s career came to a quick and sudden end. Late in the second quarter, on a flea-flicker play, Theismann handed the ball off to John Riggins, who pitched the ball back to him. However, the Giants’ defense was not fooled as three Giants swarmed on top of him, causing his leg to buckle and snap as a nationwide audience watched horrified. Theismann would be replaced by Jay Shroeder, who passed for 221 yards the rest of the way leading a 23-21 come from behind victory. Shroeder would play solid football, as the Redskins won four of their last five games. At 10-6, the Redskins missed the playoff by a tiebreaker. Following the season, running back John Riggins would announce his retirement.

1986:With Jay Shroeder now the starting quarterback, the Redskins jump out of the gates, quickly winning their first five games on the way to an 11-2 start. However, the Redskins would have to settle for the Wild Card after losing two of their last three games to finish with a solid 12-4 record. In the Wild Card Game, the Redskins defense shut down the Los Angeles Rams in a 19-7 win at RFK Stadium. A week later, the Redskins traveled to Chicago and shocked the defending Super Bowl Champion Bears, overcoming a 13-7 deficit at halftime for a 27-13 win. They allowed only 87 yards total offense in the second half. In the NFC Championship Game, the Redskins are beaten by the Giants for the third time 17-0 on a cold and windy day in the Meadowlands.

1987:The Redskins got off to a terrific start winning six of their first seven games as the Redskins replacement players were among the best of the scab teams. In their final game, the Redskins replacements beat the Cowboys regulars 13-7 in Dallas. However, Quarterback Jay Shroeder struggled after the strike, and the Redskins only played mediocre football as Doug Williams came in for relief. The Redskins did manage to win the NFC East with an 11-4 record but had a quarterback controversy brewing as they headed into the playoffs. In the Divisional Playoff in Chicago, the Redskins turned to Doug Williams, as they fell behind early 14-0. However, the Redskins stormed back to tie the game at halftime. In the second half, the Skins would take the lead with an acrobatic 52-yard punt return by Darrell Green. The Redskins would go to hold off the Bears for a 21-17 victory. A week later, the Redskins faced the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game at RFK Stadium. In a close battle, the Redskins would take the lead for good with five minutes left in the game on Williams Touchdown pass to Gary Clark. With time winding down, Cornerback Darrell Green playing with strained ribs, clinched the NFC Championship with a bone-crunching hit that locked up a 17-10 victory.

Super Bowl XXII:Back in the Super Bowl for the third time in six years, the Redskins faced the Denver Broncos in San Diego. Things looked bleak as the Redskins trailed 10-0 after the 1st Quarter. However, the Redskins would explode for a record 35 points to take a 35-10 lead into halftime. By the time the second quarter, fans had all memorized the word to Hail to the Redskins as Doug Williams connected on four touchdown passes, two of which were greater the 50 yards, and unknown Running Back Timmy Smith ran for a 58-yard touchdown run. In the second half, the Redskins just sat on the lead, adding one more Smith Touchdown. Doug Williams was the MVP of the 42-10 romp, throwing four touchdown passes and collecting 340 yards through the air.

1988:The Redskins appeared poised for another playoff run when they overcame a 2-3 start by winning their next three games to sit at 5-3 at the season’s midpoint. However, the Redskins playoff hopes would die quickly as they lost six of their last eight games while quarterback Doug Williams struggled with injuries and interceptions.

1989:With Mark Rypien taking over at quarterback, the Redskins thread the .500 mark through the first 12 games before winning their last four games to finish with a 10-6 record. However, it was not good enough for a playoff spot as a 13-3 loss to the Cowboys at RFK Stadium would haunt them all offseason. It was their only win on the season for the Cowboys, and it made for double frustration for the Redskins.

1990:The Redskins played strong football, winning two of their first three games, but found themselves in trouble as Quarterback Mark Rypien was injured in week three win over Dallas Cowboys. Without Rypien, the Redskins would lose three of five games as backup Stan Humphries struggled. When Rypien returned, the Redskins took five of their last seven to make the playoffs with a 10-6 record. In the Wild Card Game, the Redskins stunned the Eagles on a rain-slicked field in Philadelphia 20-6. However, their season would end a week later with a 28-10 demolishing from the 49ers in San Francisco.

1991:Starting with an overwhelming opening night 45-0 shellacking of the Detroit Lions in RFK Stadium, it was clear the Redskins were unstoppable. The Redskins would take command of the NFC East and never look back, jumping out to an 11-0 start blowing away the competition along the way. However, on November 24th, the Redskins dreams of an undefeated season ended with a 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at RFK Stadium. However, the loss was a mere bump in the road as they went on to win their next three games convincingly before losing a meaningless game at the end of the season and posting a 14-2 record. In the Divisional Playoffs, the Redskins overcame heavy rain and swirling winds to beat the Atlanta Falcons 24-7 at RFK Stadium. In the NFC Championship, the Redskins faced the Lions again. This time the game was closer, as the Redskins destroyed the Lions again 41-10 to advance to their fourth Super Bowl in ten years.

Super Bowl XXVI:The Redskins found themselves in the Super Bowl again as they faced the Buffalo Bills in Minneapolis. After a scoreless 1st Quarter, the Redskins took command in the 2nd Quarter by scoring 17 points. After halftime, the Skins continued down the warpath padding their lead to 24-0 before the Bills put up 10 points. However, the Redskins would score a touchdown before the end of the quarter and two Field Goals to establish a big lead. The Bills would score two Touchdown for cosmetic purposes as the Redskins won their third Lombardi trophy by a 37-24 score, as Quarterback Mark Rypien won the Super Bowl MVP.

1992:The Redskins title defense started on the wrong foot as Quarterback Mark Rypien had a long training camp holdout. Perhaps not being fully prepared, Rypien struggled mightily in the Redskins 23-10 season-opening loss on Monday Night to the Cowboys in Dallas. The Redskins would play solid football most of the first half, establishing a 6-3 record. However, the Redskins playoff hopes began to take a hit with a two-game losing streak. The Redskins would recover to win three games in a row but lost their last two games to finish the season with a 9-7 record. Despite the inconstancy, the Redskins still managed to barely make the playoffs. In the Wild Card Round, the Redskins playing as the sixth seed stunned the Vikings 24-7 in Minnesota, playing one of their most complete season games. A week later, their season would end with a 20-13 loss in San Francisco to the 49ers. The loss would mark the end of an era as coach Joe Gibbs retired to concentrate on owning racing cars in NASCAR.

1993:New head coach, Richie Pettibone’s career started with a bang in an impressive Monday Night 35-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys at RFK Stadium. However, the season-opening win was the lone bright spot, as they lost their next games on the way to a terrible 4-12 that was the worst record in the NFC. The season would wind up being the last for Mark Rypien, who was released after a terrible season where he only had four Touchdown passes. In addition, it was the only season for coach Richie Pettibone who was fired and replaced by Norv Turner.

1994:With the departure of Mark Rypien, the Redskins drafted two Quarterbacks, Heath Shuler in the first, and Gus Frerotte in the later rounds. Frerotte got the early opportunities as Heath Shuler held out in Training Camp. However, both only played mediocre football as the Redskins suffered a miserable 3-13 season.

1995:Gus Frerotte established himself as the starter throwing 13 touchdown passes while passing for 2,751 yards in a 6-10 season on which the Redskins showed improvement. Of the six wins the Redskins had, three came against playoff teams, including a satisfying sweep of the eventual Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys.

1996:In the final season of football at RFK Stadium, the Redskins get off to a terrific start winning seven-game sin a row after a loss that opened the season. However, the Redskins revival was short-lived as the Redskins lost six of their next seven games and were eliminated from playoff competition. On December 22nd, the Redskins closed RFK Stadium with a 37-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys, as they posted a 9-7 record.

1997:For many years, a new stadium was the dream of Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke. That dream was about to come true as a new stadium located in Raljon, Maryland, was set to open. In truth, the stadium was in Landover, but Cooke, ever the showman, renamed the 200 acres surrounding the stadium he built with his own money Raljon after his two sons Ralph and John. However, Cooke would not get a chance to see his dream come to fruition as he passed away in April, just five months before the stadium’s opening. On September 14th, the Redskins opened Jack Kent Cooke Stadium with a dramatic 19-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. However, the Skins would only play mediocre football all season, finishing with an 8-7-1 record.

1998:The Redskins stumble out of the gate, losing their first seven games on the way to a 2-9 start, as Trent Green replaces quarterback Gus Frerotte early in the season. The Redskins would finish the season on a strong note winning four games in a row before dropping the last game of the season to the Cowboys in Dallas to finish with a 6-10 record. Following the season, the Redskins sign Free Agent Quarterback Brad Johnson letting both Frerotte and Green go.

1999:With inheritance taxes, overwhelming family finances, the Cooke estate is forced to sell the team. The buyer is Daniel Snyder, a New York investment banker. Snyder would immediately get rid of the name Raljon and would sell the stadium’s name to FedEx. The Redskins would take the Division lead early by winning four of their first five games, as quarterback Brad Johnson was on the way to an impressive season in which he passed for 4,0005 yards. The Redskins would hit a rough stretch losing five of nine games, but by winning their last two games, the Redskins won the NFC East with a 10-6 record. In the Wild Card Round, the Redskins, who did not earn a bye, beat the Detroit Lions 27-13 in the first playoff game ever at FedEx Field. In the Divisional Playoff, the Redskins jumped out to a quick lead over the Buccaneers in Tampa. The Bucs would rally and take a 14-13 lead in the fourth quarter. The Redskins would have one last chance to win the game, but center Dan Turk’s snap to his brother Matt Turk, the holder for a game-winning field goal, went awry, and the Skins season ended in disappointment. Despite making the playoffs, General Manager Charlie Casserly, who had been in the organization for over 20 years, was fired.

2000:With the addition of free agents Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith, the Redskins were the favorites by most experts to make the Super Bowl. The Redskins seemed to be going down a bad path even though they won six of their first eight games. With Brad Johnson hurt most of the second half, the Skins started to struggle and fell out of first palace by losing four of their next five. Still in the playoff chase at 7-6, the Redskins would suddenly fire Coach Norv Turner. The move would backfire as the Skins lost their next two games under interim coach Terry Robiskie before winning their season finale to finish with an 8-8 record. Following the season, Marty Schottenheimer was hired as both the Coach and General Manager, as he hired most of his family to assist him.

2001:With the departure of Quarterback Brad Johnson, the Redskins turned to Jeff George. However, George struggled early and clashed with coach Marty Schottenheimer before being released after an ugly 37-0 Monday Night loss to the Packers in Green Bay. The loss dropped the Redskins to 0-2, as the Skins lost their first two games by a combined 67-3 score. Under new Quarterback Tony Banks, the Redskins would lose their next three games before a dramatic come from behind win in overtime against the Carolina Panthers. The win over the Panthers would trigger a five-game winning streak as the Skins climbed to .500. The rest of the way, the Skins would alternate wins and losses, finishing with an 8-8 record. Despite the strong finish, Schottenheimer is fired after the season as Snyder agrees to buy out his large contract.

2002:New coach Steve Spurrier would come to the Redskins as one of the premier coaches in College Football, with the reputation of being an offensive genius. His attempt to bring the fun and gun offense to the NFL resulted in the Redskins firing more blanks, as the impatient Spurrier rotated Danny Werfel, Shane Matthews, and rookie Patrick Ramsey at quarterback all season, while running back Stephen Davis only managed only 820 yards rushing on the season as the Redskins posted a record of 7-9 which landed them in third place in the NFC East. The season in which the Redskins celebrated their 70th anniversary as an NFL franchise would mark the end of cornerback Darrell Green’s career, as the future Hall of Famer retired after a stellar 20-year career with the Redskins.

2003:The Redskins raided the New York Jets for several key players adding receiver Laveranues Coles, Kicker John Hall, and Kick Return Specialist Chad Morton through free agency. As fate would have it, they would meet their former team as the NFL kicked the season off with a special Thursday Opener at FedEx Field. Coles would have 106 yards receiving while John Hall nailed the game-winner with 5 seconds left as the Skins started the season with a solid 16-13 win. A week later, the Redskins showed their ability to comeback recovering from an early 17-0 deficit on the road as Patrick Ramsey passed for 356 yards, 180 of which were to his new favorite receiver Laveranues Coles a 33-31 victory. After losing to the New York Giants in overtime, the Redskins looked solid again in a 20-17 win over the New England Patriots that had them off to a solid 3-1 start. Ramsey began to struggle, and the Redskins lost their next four games. After a 27-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the Skins slide continued as Patrick Ramsey, under pressure all season, was forced to the sidelines with an injured foot. The Redskins would win just one more game the rest of the season, finishing in third place with a disappointing 5-11 record. The only highlight in the final weeks came when Bruce Smith Jesse Palmer of the New York Giants to set the career all-time sack record in what would be the Hall of Famer’s final season. As the season came to an end, it became apparent that Steve Spurrier was not made for coaching in the NFL, and he would resign following the season. With free-agent signings every season and big coaching hires that did not work out, Owner Daniel Snyder knew he had to do something to bring back the team’s fans’ confidence. To accomplish this, Snyder looked at the team’s glorious past and hired Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs, who led the Redskins to three Super Bowl Championships to replace Spurrier. In building the team for 2004, Snyder was active again, trading Champ Bailey to the Denver Broncos for running back Clinton Portis to give the Skins a player to build the offense around.

2004:Hoping for a return to glory, the Redskins turned to their glory days and brought Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs out of retirement. Gibbs, who led the Redskins to three Super Bowl Championships, had not coached since 1992, spending his time at the track with a successful NASCAR team. All of Washington was a buzz as Gibbs made his return, and things could not start better as Clinton Portis, their big off-season acquisition, scored a 64-yard touchdown run on his very first carry as the Redskins beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-10. The joy would be short-lived as Portis, and the offense struggled to lose their next four games. After a 13-10 win over the Chicago Bears, the Redskins struggles continue as the Redskins offense remained in neutral as they failed to reach 20 points in any of their first nine games, running a 3-6 record. This would lead to the benching of Quarterback Mark Brunell as Patrick Ramsey was given another shot. Under Ramsey, the Redskins would not fare much better as they broke 20 just three times while finishing in last place with a 6-10 record. Among the big disappointments was Portis, who scored just five Touchdowns, while Gibbs decade away from the sidelines showed as he had trouble adjusting to some new rules, including the shorter play clock, as the Redskins often were called for delay of game at crucial times while wasting key timeouts.

2005:Thanks to a solid defense, the Redskins got started with a win as they edged the Chicago Bears 9-7 on three John Hall Field Goals. In Week 2, the Redskins offense stalled again as they trailed the Dallas Cowboys late 13-0 on the road. Two passes from Mark Brunell to Santana Moss changed the game as the two hooked up for two quick Touchdowns, one for 39 yards one for 70 yards to give the Skins a stunning Monday Night win. A week later, the Redskins continued to win on defense as they edged the Seattle Seahawks in overtime 20-17. However, back to back losses to the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs would send the Redskins reeling as they won just two of their next eight games, including a frustrating 36-35 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which the Bucs rolled the dice and went for two with a minute to play with Mike Alstott getting the ball for smash-mouth conversion that some replays showed the ball never crossed the goal-line. Still, the call was not reversed as it was ruled inconclusive by the officials. At 5-6, the Redskins looked anything but a playoff team, but a solid 24-9 road win over the St. Louis Rams would suddenly get the team back on track, as they won a second in a row the following week against the Arizona Cardinals. The Skins continued to roll when they came home, crushing the Cowboys 35-7 to suddenly get back into the playoff picture. The following week they extend the streak to four in a row as they crushed the New York Giants 35-20 on Christmas Eve. Needing another win to close the season to sneak into the playoffs, the Redskins would not disappoint as they beat the reeling Philadelphia Eagles 31-20 to finish at 10-6, earning the sixth seed in the NFC Playoffs. One of the big reasons for the strong finish was Running Back Clinton Portis, who broke 100 yards in each game as he a solid 1,516-yard season with 11 touchdowns, while often appearing in colorful costumes during the week leading up to games. In the playoffs, the Redskins would get a rematch with the Buccaneers and thanks to their defense as a LaVar Arrington interception set up Portis for a shirt Touchdown run to give the Skins a 7-0 lead, then a 51-yard fumble recovery from Sean Taylor gave them a 14-0 lead before the 1st Quarter was over. As it turned it out, the Redskins would need their defense to do some scoring because the offense was stalled all day as Mark Brunell passed for a mere 41 yards as the Redskins had just 120 yards total offense. The early scoring would be enough as the Redskins went on to win the game 17-10. A week later, the Redskins would rely on their defense again as they held a 3-0 lead late in the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks. However, it would not be enough as the Super Bowl Bound Seahawks, buoyed by their fans, would take a 7-3 lead into halftime and would go on to take the game over in the second half as they beat the Redskins 20-10 to advance to the NFC Championship Game.

2006:The Redskins season suffered a setback before it even began as Running Back Clinton Ports suffered a painful shoulder injury in the team’s first pre-season game. Though he returned in time to play in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, he was slowed all season, rushing for just 523 yards with 7 Touchdowns in eight games, as the Redskins struggled to win just two of their first seven games. In a game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Redskins were given new life after Nick Novak missed a 49-yard Field Goal with 31 seconds left as the Cowboys own attempt at a game-winning Field Goal was blocked and returned to set Novak up for a second chance with an untimed down thanks to a Dallas penalty. Novak would not miss this time, giving the Redskins a spirit-lifting 22-19 victory. A week later, quarterback Mark Brunnel continued to struggle, passing for 132 yards with an interception in a 27-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. At 3-6, and the playoffs slipping away, coach Joe Gibbs decided to bench Brunnel in favor of Jason Campbell, the Redskins first-round pick in 2005. After playing well but losing in his first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Campbell looked like an experienced veteran leading the Skins to a fourth-quarter 17-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. Campbell still showed he had a lot of room to grow as he won just two of his seven starts as the Redskins finished in last place with a 5-11 record.

2007:Coming off a disappointing season, the Redskins pinned their hopes on Jason Campbell as he began the season as the starting Quarterback. In the opener, he struggled at times with two interceptions. However, the Skins defense stepped up, as they beat the Miami Dolphins in overtime 16-13. A week later, it was the defense again, as they did not allow a touchdown beating the Philadelphia Eagles on the road 20-12. In Week 3, the Redskins looked poised to go 3-0, as they led the New York Giants 17-3 at halftime. The Giants rallied in the second half and took a 24-17, as the Redskins fell short at the goal line late in the fourth quarter while trying to tie the game. They would recover the following week as they slammed the Detroit Lions 34-3, as Jason Campbell was flawless, with fullback Mike Sellers getting two touchdowns while bulldozing the Lions defense. After losing to the Green Bay Packers on the road, the Redskins defense answered again, as they overcame a shaky game from Jason Campbell to beat the Arizona Cardinals 21-19. The Redskins defense would not be as brilliant the following week as they lost to the unbeaten New England Patriots 52-7, but the Skins continued to bounce back, beating the New York Jets 23-20 in overtime the following week to improve to 5-3. However, Jason Campbell’s inconsistency would begin to catch up with them as they lost their next three games while committing costly errors at crucial times. At 5-6, the Redskins once-promising season looked like it was on the verge of ending in more disappointment when their world was suddenly rocked by tragedy. In their 19-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Redskins were without Pro-Bowl Cornerback Sean Taylor who suffered a sprained knee and went to his Miami home to recover. In the early morning hours of November 26th, he was shot by armed intruders. Despite doctors’ best efforts, Taylor had lost too much blood and died the following day at the age of 24. The entire NFL was shocked as every team wore a 21 decal for the remainder of the season, while the Redskins faced the choir of moving on. In their first game after a week of mourning, the Redskins played valiantly as they led the Buffalo Bills 16-5 late in the third quarter. With four field goals by Rian Lindell, including one with four seconds left, the Skins would drop their fourth in a row 17-16. Four days later, facing the Chicago Bears, the Redskins suffered another loss as Jason Campbell was lost for the remainder of the year with a knee injury. However, they would rally behind back up Todd Collins, who had just one NFL touchdown since 1997; he would get two in this game as the Redskins ended their losing streak with a 24-16 win. With Collins starting the following week, the Redskins would rely on their defense to beat the New York Giants on a blustery night at the Meadowlands 22-10. With the momentum, the Redskins faced a key road game against the Minnesota Vikings, as their defense shut down Rookie of the Year Adrian Peterson. Todd Collins was solid once again as they won 32-21 to get back over .500 and into position to make the playoffs, which they would do by beating the Dallas Cowboys, who rested many of their regulars in the final game of the season 27-6. After a tumultuous 9-7 season, the Redskins entered the playoffs with a four-game winning streak, as they overcome tragedy and injury. In the Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Redskins offense sputtered much of the game, but thanks to their defense, they still had a chance to win as they trailed 13-0 entering the fourth quarter. On the first play of the final quarter, the Skins would get back in the game with a touchdown as Collins hit Antwaan Randle El from seven yards out. Needing something dramatic, the Skins kept the momentum as LeRon Landry intercepted Tim Hasselbeck to give the ball right back to Collins, who gave them a 14-13 lead with a 30-yard pass to Santana Moss. However, the Seahawks would recover and would recapture the lead, as the Skins now faced desperation. Unfortunately, the ride would come to a crashing end as Todd Collins had two interceptions returned for touchdowns as the Seahawks pulled away for a 35-14 win. Following the season, Joe Gibbs, the Hall of Fame coach who returned in 2004, retired again, citing exhaustion and a desire to concentrate on his NASCAR team. After an exhaustive search, the Redskins would settle on Jim Zorn to be their next head coach.

2008:After their strong finish to reach the playoffs, the Redskins had high expectations under new coach Jim Zorn. Zorn’s debut would not go as planned as the Redskins are beaten by the New York Giants 16-7 in the NFL’s Thursday Night kickoff special. However, they would quickly rebound, winning their next four games, including a thrilling 26-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on the road. After a puzzling 19-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams at FedEx Field, the Redskins continued to play well, winning their next two games, as they held a 6-2 record midway through the season. However, their offense began to sputter as they dropped five of their next six games. During this slump, the Redskins running game became non-existent as Clinton Portis managed to crack 100 yards in just one game, which was the only game they won over the Seattle Seahawks. At 7-7, the Redskins still had faint hopes for the playoffs as they upset the Philadelphia Eagles 10-3 in the next to last game of the regular season. They could not get the help they needed with tiebreakers and were eliminated anyway. The Redskins would end the season with a 24-17 loss on the road to the San Francisco 49ers as they posted an 8-8 record.

2009:Hoping to upgrade their defense, the Redskins signed free agent Albert Haynesworth on a seven-year, $100 million contract with unrestricted free agent Albert Haynesworth. The deal included $41 million guaranteed and could reach $115 million. In the season opener, the Redskins played well but had nothing to show for it as they lost on the road to the New York Giants 23-17. A week later, in their home opener, the Redskins struggled, but thanks to a solid defensive effort, they were able to come away with a 9-7 win over the St. Louis Rams. They would not be as fortunate a week later as they lost to the Detroit Lions on the road 19-14. The win ended the Lions 19 game losing streak that lasted more than a season. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home, the Redskins would win again to improve to 2-2 with a 16-13 win. In the next two weeks, the Redskins would continue to struggle with losses against the previously winless Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs. At 2-4, the Redskins only wins had come against teams that had not won a game, and three losses have come against teams that only won one game. The Redskins would lose two more games before and after their bye week to slip to 2-6. In Week 10, the Redskins finally got back in the win column by rallying to beat the Denver Broncos 27-17 with 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, as LaDell Betts one yard Touchdown run gave them the lead for good. Against the Dallas Cowboys on the road, the Redskins defense put up one of their best games of the year as they held the Cowboys, a team with a solid offense, off the scoreboard until the 4th Quarter. However, the Skins could only manage two field goals and ended up with a disappointing 7-6 loss. After falling to 3-8 with a 27-24 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Redskins gave the unbeaten New Orleans Saints all they could handle in more, leading most of the game. However, each time they seemed poise to pull away, the Redskins would make a crucial mistake to let the Saints back in the game. Eventually, the game would go to overtime, where the Saints improved to 12-0 with a 33-30 win. The Redskins would rebound to beat the Oakland Raiders 34-13 for their only road win of the season. As the season was winding down, the Redskins announced Coach Jim Zorn would not return in 2010, though he remained on the sidelines for the remainder of the season. In the final three games, the Redskins suffered an embarrassing 45-12 loss to the Giants on Monday Night at FedEx Field, then in primetime six days later, they were blanked by the Cowboys 17-14. They would end the season with a 23-20 loss to the San Diego Chargers posting an awful record of 4-12. After the season was over, the Redskins hired two-time Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan to lead what they hope would be a revival. They also made one of the off-season’s biggest trades, landing Quarterback Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles for draft picks.

2010:It was the beginning of a new era for Redskins football, as Mike Shanahan took over as coach, and Bruce Allen was named General Manager while Donovan McNabb was acquired to be the new quarterback. However, not everyone was happy with the new regime, as Albert Haynesworth protested the new Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslet’s plans to switch from the traditional 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense. Haynesworth refused to join the Redskins for any of the mandatory minicamps and showed up to training camp woefully out of shape, as he was unable to even complete basic fitness drills. Despite the problems with Haynesworth, the Redskins got off to a good start as they beat the Dallas Cowboys 13-7 in the Sunday Night opener at FedEx Field, as DeAngelo Hall made the game’s biggest play at the end of the first half returning a Tony Romo interception 32 yards for a touchdown. The Redskins would play well in Week 2 but fell to the Houston Texan 30-27 in overtime, spoiling a 426-yard passing day from Donovan McNabb, which was the second biggest game of his career. Following a 30-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams, McNabb returned to Philadelphia for the first time since the trade and struggled. The Redskins defense shut down the Eagles after QB Michael Vick left the game with a rib injury as they won the game 17-12. A week later, trailing the Green Bay Packers 13-3 after three quarters, McNabb would lead the Redskins to a comeback 16-13 win in overtime, as he connected with Anthony Armstrong on a 48-yard touchdown pass to get the rally started. Following a hard-fought 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Redskins continued to play solid football. DeAngelo Hall tied an NFL record with four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown 92 yards as the Redskins beat the Chicago Bears 17-14 in Soldier Field. Things would begin to unravel a week later as the Redskins fell to 4-4 with a 37-25 loss to the Detroit Lions on the road. Late in the game, Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman, who fumbled the snap and allowed Ndamukong Suh to seal the game by recovering for a touchdown. Shanahan had stated publically that McNabb was failing to grasp the team’s two-minute offense. Trying to smooth things over, the Redskins worked on a new contract extension for McNabb, giving the quarterback a five-year extension worth $78 million ($3.5 million guaranteed) with a chance to make it $88 million by completing incentives. McNabb also got a $10 million bonus for finishing the season with the Redskins. After the deal was announced, the Redskins would suffer an embarrassing 59-28 loss to the Eagles at FedEx Field on Monday Night Football. The Redskins would rebound a week later to beat the Tennessee Titans in overtime 17-14, as McNabb passed for 376 yards. However, the Redskins would continue to struggle as they suffered losses at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. Following the Giants’ loss, the Redskins would suspend Albert Haynesworth for conduct detrimental to the team. That would be followed by the most frustrating loss of the season as they dropped a 17-16 heartbreaker to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at a rain-soaked FedEx Field. Down 17-10, Donovan McNabb connected with Santana Moss on a six-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left. However, the point after was botched when the snap slipped through the hands of holder Hunter Smith. The game was also frustrating for kicker Graham Gano who missed two short field goal attempts earlier in the game. Following the loss, Mike Shanahan benched McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman, stating that he wanted to evaluate Grossman in gameplay. The Redskins would lose two of their last three games with Grossman under center, finishing the season with a record of 6-10.

2011:Hosting the New York Giants on September 11th, the victims of the terrorist attack were honored before the game, especially those at the Pentagon. The Pentagon, the center of the nation’s defense, was among those hit ten years earlier during the terrorist attacks. Defense was the driving force for the Redskins, on this date as Ryan Kerrigan ran back an Eli Manning Interception nine yards for a touchdown in the second half as the Redskins started the season with a 28-14 win. A week later, the Redskins would need a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Arizona Cardinals, as Graham Gano nailed a 34-yard field goal to give the Redskins a 22-21 lead with 1:50 left. The Redskins would then lock up the victory as the Cardinals fumbled away the ensuing kickoff. Playing on the road on Monday night a week later, the Redskins would suffer their first loss as the Dallas Cowboys won with six field goals by Dan Bailey 18-16. With Brian Orakpo getting two and a half sacks, the Redskins beat the St. Louis Rams 17-10, holding off a late charge as they went into the early bye week with a record of 3-1. After the bye week, the Redskins season would go in a tailspin, as Quarterback Rex Grossman had four interceptions in a 20-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. During the loss, John Beck took over at quarterback, and things did not get better as the Redskins would lose their next six games, culminating with a frustrating 27-24 home loss to the Cowboys in overtime. Rex Grossman returned to the starting job after Beck’s struggles. Down 17-7 in the fourth quarter on the road, the Redskins looked to be heading for a seventh loss. However, a 28 yard run by Roy Helu and a 50-yard pass from Grossman to Anthony Armstrong were the key plays as the Reskins scored 16 unanswered points to win the game 23-17. Back home against the Jets, the Redskins looked to be in control as they took an early 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter. However, the Jets flew past the Redskins with three touchdowns on the way to a 34-19 win. A week later, they would suffer more frustration as they lost to the New England Patriots 34-27, as their defense allowed 357 yards to Tom Brady. Facing another ten loss season, the Redskins put up their best effort the following week against the New York Giants in the Meadowlands, the Redskins had their best effort of the season, intercepting Eli Manning three times as they won the game 23-10, allowing just a late Touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw. It marked the first time since 1999 that the Redskins swept the Giants. The loss would drop the Giants record to 7-7 and seemed to end their postseason hopes. The Giants would make a stunning turnaround as they won the NFC East with wins in their last two games, propelling them to an improbable Super Bowl run. The same could not be said for the Redskins, as they ended the season with two straight losses to finish with a record of 5-11. After their struggles at quarterback, the Redskins rolled the dice in the draft and traded four high round picks, including their number six pick and #1 in 2013 and 2014, to the St. Louis Rams to move up to the second pick in the draft. With the second pick in the draft, the Redskins selected Robert Griffin III from Baylor, who had just won the Heisman Trophy and brought comparisons to Cam Newton.

2012:The Robert Griffin III era started with a bang, as the Redskins rookie quarterback started the season and connected with Pierre Garcon for an 88-yard touchdown pass in the 1st Quarter at the Superdome against the New Orleans Saints. RG III was as good as advertised in leading the Redskins to a 40-32, as Griffin became the first quarterback to pass for over 300 yards in his first game, with 320 yards and two touchdowns. RG III had more highlight-reel plays as he hit Leonard Hankerson for a 68-yard strike on a play-action pass to build a 21-6 on the road against the St. Louis Rams. In the second half, the Rams would rally and win the game 31-28, as Billy Cundiff’s 62 yard Field Goal attempt missed badly as time expires. The kick was made longer as Josh Morgan took an inopportune unsportsmanlike penalty for throwing the ball at Rams defender Cortland Finnegan. Robert Griffin III continued to wow the fans in the home opener, passing for 221 yards and rushing for 85, but he was outgunned by Andy Dalton, who led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 38-31 win, with 328 yards and three touchdown passes. Facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4, the Redskins got their second win of the year, as Billy Cundiff squeezed a 42 yard Field Goal off the uprights with three seconds left in a 24-22 road win. The Redskins were playing well on the road, but at home, they lost their eighth straight as Robert Griffin III is knocked out of the game in the third quarter during a 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. RG III would return a week later and help end the losing streak at Fed Ex Field by running for 138 yards, including a game-sealing 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter as the Redskins beat the Minnesota Vikings 38-26. However, the joy would be short-lived as the Redskins would lose their next three games and head into the bye week with a subpar record of 3-6. At 3-6, Mike Shanahan made a statement that the rest of the season would be used to evaluate players. Some took it as the coach giving up on the season. Still, his reasoning was to motivate his team. It looked like it worked as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles 31-6, with RG III collecting four touchdown passes, including one 49 yards to Aldrick Robinson and a 61 yarder to Santana Moss. Four days later, on Thanksgiving, the Redskins had another big game from Robert Griffin III. They beat the Dallas Cowboys 38-30, with as RGII had four more TD passes, including 68 yards to Robinsons and a 59-yard pass to Garcon during a 28 point explosion in the second quarter. A week later, they completed the NFC East trifecta by edging the New York Giants 17-16 during a Monday Night Game at FedEx Field. At 6-6, the Redskins were back in the playoff picture as they faced the Baltimore Ravens with beltway bragging rights on the line. Trailing 28-20 late in the fourth quarter, Griffin suffered an injury when his leg bent awkwardly on a hit by Haloti Ngata. Despite his best efforts to continue the drive, the pain was too much for RGIII, who left the game in favor of Kirk Cousins. The Redskins rookie backup would show that he too was a worth NFL quarterback as hit Pierre Garcon with an 11 yard TD pass with 29 seconds left and tied the game on a bootleg for the two-point conversion. The Redskins would beat the Ravens in overtime 31-28 on 34 yard Field Goal by Kai Forbath. A week later, on the road against the Cleveland Browns, it was no RGIII, no problem as the Redskins led by Kirk Cousins won the game 38-21, as Cousins passed with 329 yards with two touchdowns. Robert Griffin III would return for Week 16 as the Redskins beat the Eagles on the road 27-20, setting up a Primetime season-ender against the Cowboys at FedEx Field with the winner taking the NFC Eastern Division title and the loser going home. The Cowboys dominated the first quarter. However, two Tony Romo interceptions kept the game scoreless. Each team would score in the second quarter, with the Redskins taking control on a ten-yard touchdown run by RGIII in the third quarter. With the Redskins leading 21-18, Rob Jackson, Alfred Morris sealed the win with his third TD of the game with three minutes left. At 10-6, the Redskins were NFC East Champs, as Robert Griffin III was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

2012 Playoffs:In the Wild Card Round, the Redskins hosted the Seattle Seahawks in the first playoff game at FedEx Field since 1999. The Redskins dominated the first 15 minutes as Robert Griffin III had two touchdown passes to build a 14-0 lead. However, the second TD to Logan Paulsen saw the Redskins quarterback re-injure his knee. Attempting to play through the pain on a sloppy field proved difficult as the Redskins failed to score the remainder of the game. The Seahawks would rally to win the game 24-14, as RGIII had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter with torn ACL and LCL. Some criticized the Redskins for allowing Griffin to continue to play the game on the muddy field, but RGIII would not have any of it, saying playing was his choice, and he wanted to win the game for his teammates.

2013:The Redskins would open the season with a Monday Night showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles. After spending the off-season recovering from knee surgery, Robert Griffin III was able to make the start. After not taking a snap during the pre-season, it was clear that RG III was rust as the Eagles jumped out to a 33-7 lead. The Skins would make a late charge as Griffin passed for 329 yards, losing 33-27. Week 2 would be more of the same, as they fell behind 31-0 against the Green Bay Packers on the road. Like he did in the opener Robert Griffin III played well in the second half passing for 320 yards with three touchdowns as the Packers won the game 38-20. In Week 3, the Redskins defense continued to get torn apart, as the Detroit Lions won at FedEx Field 27-20. It marked the first time since moving to Washington that the Redskins lost a home game to the Lions, ending a 21 game winning streak dating back to Boston in 1935. The Redskins continued to struggle in Week 4, as the Oakland Raiders jumped out to an early 14-0 lead Saverio Rocca had a punt blocked, leading to the game’s first score. However, the Redskins defense would stiffen as David Amerson returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown to put them back in the game. In the second half, the Redskins would get touchdowns from Pierre Garcon and Roy Helu to win the game 24-20. Following the bye week, the Redskins lost a crucial Sunday Night battle with the Dallas Cowboys 31-16, as RG III turned the ball over twice, while a special teams breakdown led to an 86 yard punt return by Dwayne Harris. With their season on the brink and a feud between Coach Mike Shanahan and QB Robert Griffin III brewing, the Redskins hosted the Chicago Bears in an old fashioned shot out at FedEx Field. The game would go back and forth with big-play throughout. Brian Orakpo had a 29-yard inception return, while the Redskins Special teams had another letdown, allowing Devin Hester to return a punt 81 yards. In the second half, the Redskins would answer a 50 yard run by Matt Forte with a 45-yard touchdown reception by Aldrick Robinson. Ultimately the Redskins would win the game 45-41, with Roy Helu scoring the winning touchdown with 45 seconds left. Against the Denver Broncos on the road, the Redskins would get off to a strong start taking a 21-7 lead in the third quarter thanks to a pick-six by DeAngelo Hall. However, the Broncos would close the game with 38 unanswered points as Robert Griffin III was benched in the fourth quarter. RG III continued to struggle in Week 9 as he had an ill-advised pass lead to a pick-six by Sean Lissemore. The Redskins would comeback using three touchdowns by Darrell Young to beat the San Diego Chargers 30-24 in overtime. It would be the Redskins final win of the season. The Redskins would drop their final eight games, finishing with a record of 3-13. The Redskins defense was among the worst in the NFL, allowing 478 points, while Robert Griffin III had a disappointing sophomore season, with 16 touchdown pass and 12 interceptions, while passing for 3,203 yards. However, more concerning were the 11 fumbles. As friction between RGIII and Mike Shanahan and owner Daniel Snyder, who was supporting his star quarterback, became the headlines, the Redskins coach decided to shutdown Griffin in the final three games choosing to start Kirk Cousins. The Redskins 27-26 loss against the Atlanta Falcons may have summed up the season as Cousins connected with Santana Moss on a three-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss. Instead of overtime, Shanahan attempted to win the game with a two-point conversion and was turned aside. A week later, they would see a nine-point lead against the Cowboys evaporate in the final six minutes of a 24-23 loss at home. Following the season, the Redskins would dismiss nearly their entire coaching staff, including Mike Shanahan.

Name Controversy:The pressure for the Redskins to change their name continued to build, as President Barak Obama called for a change. The Senate led by Nevada Senator Harry Reid also called for the change as a federal lawsuit stripped them of their trademark. With the political pressure building, the group-think media which control most of the discussion also turned up the pressure with several football announcers grandstanding by saying they will only call the team Washington. Several major newspapers also refused to use the name Redskins and stopped using the team’s logo. Despite the increasing pressure, Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder has been resilient, saying that he will fight to uphold the Redskins name’s tradition. The controversy began as an upstate New York tribe called the name offensive. Despite the pressure, and an overwhelming amount of fans continued to support the name Redskins, including several Native American groups.

2014:The Washington Redskins began the season with new coach Jay Gruden on the road against the Houston Texans, losing 17-6 with several special team failures, including a blocked punt leading to a Houston touchdown. In their home opener, the Redskins got some bad news early as Robert Griffin III exited the game early with a dislocated ankle. Fortunately for the Redskins, Kirk Cousins played well in relief, passing for 250 yards with two touchdowns in a 41-10 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cousins played well in their first start against the Philadelphia Eagles, passing for 427 yards with three touchdowns, including an 81-yard play to DeSean Jackson. However, the Eagles still held on to win the game 37-34. Four nights later, the Redskins returned home and came up flat against the New York Giants, losing 45-14. Kirk Cousins would continue his inconsistent quarterback play in losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. In Week 7, Cousins struggled again as the Redskins trailed the Tennessee Titans 10-6 at halftime at FedEx Field. Looking for a jump start, Cousins was benched in favor of Colt McCoy, who immediately made a big play connecting with Pierre Garcon on a 70-yard touchdown score. McCoy got the start the following week in a Monday Night Game in Dallas. Passing for 299 yards, with a seven-yard run, Colt McCoy led the Redskins to a 20-17 overtime win, setting up Kai Forbath to win the game with a 40 yard Field Goal. RGIII returned the following week and had a solid performance, as the Redskins lost a shootout against the Minnesota Vikings 29-26. However, following a bye week, Robert Griffin III struggled as the Redskins lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers leading to him being benched in Week 13 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. Colt McCoy got the start against the Colts and put up big numbers passing for 392 yards with three touchdowns, but it was not enough as the Colts won the game 49-27. Neither McCoy nor Griffin could help the Redskins at FedEx Field in Week 14 as they were put up a lifeless effort losing 24-0. Following a 24-13 loss to the Giants in the Meadowlands, the Redskins got their most satisfying win of the season, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24 on a 26 yard Kai Forbath Field Goal to eliminate their division rivals from the postseason. The Redskins season would end with another dud, losing to the Cowboys 44-17 at home as they posted a record of 4-12.

2015:As the season began, the Washington Redskins put an end to their long-running quarterback controversy as they named Kirk Cousins as their starter and demoted Robert Griffin III to third string. Opening the season against the Miami Dolphins at FedEx Field, the Redskins got off to a strong start, taking an early 10-0 lead. After DeSean Jackson suffered a hamstring injury, their offense sputtered as the Dolphins rallied to win the game 17-10. The Redskins would rebound the following week by beating the St. Louis Rams 24-10 as Matt Jones had a big game rushing for 123 yards with two touchdowns. Four days later, the Redskins played their first road game against the New York Giants at the Meadowlands. Things got off to a bad start for the Skins when Tress Way had a punt blocked out the endzone’s back. Kirk Cousins was picked off on their next possession, setting up an easy touchdown as the Giants quickly led 9-0. The Giants would eventually build a 25-6 lead before the Redskins scored twice in the final quarter, but it was too late as the Giants won the game 32-21. Returning home, the Redskins rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-20 as Kirk Cousins connected with Pierre Garcon for a four-yard score with 35 seconds left. The following week would see the Redskins rally again in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons. However, with the game tied in overtime 19-19, Kirk Cousins makes a critical mistake as a pass to Ryan Grant is picked off by Robert Alford and returned 59 yards as the Falcons win the game at the Georgia Dome 25-19. Things began to look bleak for the Redskins as they suffered a 34-20 loss at the Meadowlands against the New York Jets to fall to 2-4. Returning home, the Redskins continued to play sloppy football as they trailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-0 in the second quarter. The Redskins got on the board just before halftime as Kirk Cousins scrambled eight yards for a touchdown. Cousins would get the game closer in the third quarter with a pair of short touchdown passes. However, the Redskins still had work to do, down 30-24 in the game’s final two minutes. For the second time in the young season, Kirk Cousins would lead the Redskins down the field in the game’s closing moments and pull out a dramatic win as he found Josh Reed in the endzone for a six-yard score with 24 seconds left to win the game 31-30. Despite their 3-4 record, Kirk Cousins had begun quieting the critics with two dramatic fourth-quarter scoring drives. On the way into the locker, a victorious Kirk Cousins was seen shouting, “You Like That” at the media along the way. This would become the Reskins catchphrase for the remainder of the season. After the bye week, Redskins fans could not like what they saw, as they suffered a 27-10 loss to the New England Patriots in Foxboro. The Redskins were much better at home, beating the New Orleans Saints as Kirk Cousins had a tremendous game, passing for 324 yards with four touchdowns, including a 78-yard pass play to Matt Jones. The Redskins were in the thick of the race for the playoffs as the entire NFC East had a losing record. Playing against the stronger teams in the NFL was bad news for the Redskins as they suffered a humbling 44-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The loss in Charlotte did nothing to damage the Redskins playoff hopes as they beat the Giants the following week 20-14 at FedEx Field. Kirk Cousins made the big plays early, building a 17-0 lead at the half with a 63-yard pass to DeSean Jackson and a one-yard sneak into the endzone, as they held off the Giants late rally to end a five-game losing streak against Big Blue. A week later, with a chance to put some space between the rest of their division rivals, the Redskins suffered a major letdown losing at home to the Dallas Cowboys 19-16. Heading into the final four games of the season, the Redskins were tied for first despite a less than stellar record of 5-7. They had played well at home but were terrible on the road losing their first six games. With three of their last four games away from FedEx Field, the Redskins faced long odds. At Soldier Field, the Redskins hoped to turn things around as they took an early 14-0 lead. The Bears would claw their way back and tie the score at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Dustin Hopkins would hit a 47-yard Field Goal, which would prove to be the game-winner as the Redskins held on to a first place with a 24-21 win. In their final home game of the year, the Redskins would get back to .500 by beating the Buffalo Bills 35-25 as Kirk Cousins passed for 319 yards with four touchdowns while running in another. On Saturday night in Philadelphia, the day after Christmas, the Redskins would clinch the NFC East by beating the Eagles 38-24 as Cousins had another big game with 365 yards and four scores. The Redskins would go on to beat the Cowboys 34-23 to finish with a record of 9-7. Kirk Cousins proved to be the right choice as the Redskins quarterback as he finished the year with 4,166 yards and 29 touchdowns.

2015 Playoffs:In the Wild Card Round, the Washington Redskins would host the Green Bay Packers. Things looked good early for the Redskins as Tress Way pinned the Packers deep, leading to two points when Preston Smith sacked Aaron Rodgers in the endzone. On the following possession, the Redskins appeared to have a touchdown, before it was ruled DeSean Jackson was pushed out at the one, leading them to settle for a Field Goal. The Redskins would get a touchdown early in the second quarter to take an 11-0 lead. However, the Packers would find their grove and scored 17 unanswered points before the end of the first half. The Redskins would briefly regain the lead on a 73-yard drive at the start of the third quarter. The Packers would answer and shutdown Washington the rest of the way, winning the game 35-18.

2016:After winning the NFC East, the Washington Redskins looked to prove they were for real. Against a tough schedule, the Redskins got off to a slow start as they opened the season with a 38-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at FedEx Field. After a 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Redskins appeared to be heading for a 0-3 start as they trailed the New York Giants early 14-3 in the Meadowlands. Thanks to a strong second half by Kirk Cousins, the Redskins rallied to win the game 29-27 as Dustin Hopkins 37-yard field goal with 1:51 left was the difference. A week later, the Redskins earned their first home win as Cousins had three touchdown passes in a 31-20 win over the Cleveland Browns. In Week 5, the Redskins won the beltway battle, defeating the Baltimore Ravens 16-10 as they completely shut down the Ravens offense in the second half. The Redskins surge continued with a 27-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Washington appeared to be heading for a fifth straight win as they rallied from a ten-point deficit to take a 17-13 lead with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. However, the Lions answered, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds left to win 20-17. A week later, the Redskins made their first trip to London and came home with a 27-27 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals. Following the bye week, the Redskins overcame an ugly second quarter to beat the Minnesota Vikings 26-20 as Dustin Hopkins kicked four field goals for the only scoring in the second half. In a playoff rematch on Sunday Night Football, the Redskins got revenge on the Green Bay Packers, scoring an impressive 42-24 win. Leading the way was Kirk Cousins, who outdueled Aaron Rodgers with 375 yards with three touchdowns, while Robert Kelley had a big night on the ground with 137 yards and three touchdowns. Four days later, the Redskins suffered a major setback as they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 31-26 on Thanksgiving. After a second straight loss to the Arizona Cardinals 33-31, the Redskins kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a 27-22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, as Chris Thompson’s 25-yard run after the two-minute warning was the difference. Returning home, the Redskins suffered a major letdown on Monday Night Football, losing to the Carolina Panthers 26-15. The Redskins bounced back to beat the Chicago Bears 41-21 in Soldier Field, but with a chance to sneak into the playoffs in the final week of the season, lost at home to the Giants 19-10, finishing the year with a record of 8-7-1.

2017:The season began with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins playing under the Franchise Tag for the second-straight season, all but guaranteeing that it would be his last year with the Washington Redskins. Washington opened the season at home versus the eventual Super Bowl Winners, the Philadelphia Eagles, who sacked Kirk Cousins four times. Carson Wentz got off to a hot start in the game, throwing for 307 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception returned for a touchdown by Ryan Kerrigan. Cousins meanwhile managed just 240 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Neither team got much from the rushing attack, but Wentz’s dominance was enough to get the Eagles to come away with a 30-17 victory for their first win at the FedEx field since 2013. In Week 2, the Redskins headed west to take on the Los Angeles Rams, coached by former Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay. Cousins threw for just 179 yards and one touchdown, while Chris Thompson made the most of his three carries, turning in 77 rushing yards and two scores on the way to a solid 27-20 win to even their record. In Week 3, the Oakland Raiders came to town for a Sunday night game and were embarrassed by the Redskins as Kirk Cousins exploded for 365 passing yards and three touchdowns, including one to Josh Doctson for the first score of his career. Thompson continued his dominance, racking up 188 total yards and one touchdown, as the Redskins won 27-10. Chris Thompson came crashing back down to earth in Week 4, as Alex Smith, Kareem Hunt, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs offense was too much for the Redskins, as they fell 29-20. With rumors swirling that Cousins would eventually leave to join his former offensive coordinator, who was coaching the San Francisco 49ers, the Redskins welcomed Kyle Shanahan back to FedEx Field after their bye week, edging the 49ers by two points, 26-24. Cousins followed up that win with his second-straight 300-yard performance in Week 6. However, that was no match for Wentz’s four touchdown passes, as the Eagles took down the Redskins once again 34-24 on Monday Night Football. A monster, 150-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance from Ezekiel Elliott the following week proved to be enough to hand the Redskins their first two-game losing streak of the season, 33-19 dropping them to 0-3 against NFC East opponents. The damage didn’t stop there, as a hamstring injury shut down the oft-injured Jordan Reed for the rest of the season. Washington got back in the win column in Week 8, thanks to a spectacular two-minute drill led by Kirk Cousins, which was capped off by Rob Kelley, punching it in from the goal-line to give the Redskins a 17-14 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Despite big performances from several Redskins the following week, including interceptions on back-to-back plays by D.J. Swearinger, Maurice Harris catching his first career touchdown pass, Kirk Cousins topping 300 passing yards once again, the Redskins fell 38-30 to the Minnesota Vikings. The Redskins were once again unable to get anything going on the ground in that game, but fourth-round pick Samaje Perine broke out the following week with the first 100-plus yard rushing game of his career on the road against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. That was a positive sign for the rushing game after Chris Thompson was lost for the season with a broken leg. Kirk Cousins once again topped 300 yards to go along with three touchdown passes in that game, but the defense could not contain Drew Brees and Mark Ingram, as the Saints won rallied to win in overtime 34-31 to give the Redskins another two-game losing streak. The Redskins got back on track in Week 11, as Perine kept rolling with another 100-yard performance. Kerrigan had his second two-sack outing of the season, and Cousins had a rocky day. Still, his two passing touchdowns were good enough to outlast his pick-six, as the Redskins picked up their first division win of the season in a 20-10 victory over the New York Giants. That momentum came to a grinding halt a week later, as the Elliott-less Cowboys put the Redskins back in the losing column 38-14, on the heels of a 127 rushing yard performance from former-Redskins running back Alfred Morris. With one loss comes another, as the Redskins fell to the Los Angeles Chargers 30-13 in Week 13, giving them their third two-game losing streak of the season. In Week 14, it was the defensive front that shined for the Redskins, as Anthony Lanier racked up three pass deflections, two sacks and a crucial forced fumble in the fourth quarter helped spur the Redskins to a 20-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Preston Smith was another bright spot in that game, as he tallied an interception to go along with his recovery of the Preston Smith forced a fumble. The following week, Washington took down the Denver Broncos at home by a score of 27-11 to give them their first two-game winning streak since Week 3. Kirk Cousins finished just one yard shy of his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season while connecting with three different receivers for touchdown passes. That win wasn’t good enough to keep the Redskins in playoff contention, but the starters still played in Week 17. Unfortunately for them, that proved not to help as Cousins registered his worst game of the season, managing just 158 passing yards, with no touchdowns and three interceptions. The ground game wasn’t much better, as they continued to struggle, with Kapri Bibbs leading the team with just 47 rushing yards. That depressing 18-10 loss to the Giants in the Meadowlands wrapped up a 7-9 season to rank the Redskins third in the NFC East and marked the end of the Kirk Cousins era in Washington, as he later moved onto the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason.

Written by Barry Cohen (@ScaryBarry4)

2018:The Washington Redskins also got off to a strong start, beating the Arizona Cardinals 24-6 on the road to open the season. Alex Smith, acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs, played well in the opener, passing for 255 yards with two touchdowns. After a disappointing 21-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the home opener, the Redskins flexed their muscles against the Green Bay Packers, winning 31-17 as Adrian Peterson rushed for 120 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Following a bye, the Redskins’ Monday Night struggles continued in Week 5, as they were torched by the New Orleans Saints 43-19 at the Superdome. The loss was a mere bump in the Redskins road as they won their next three games, beating the Carolina Panthers 23-17. A week later, they beat the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field for the first time since 2012. Preston Smith made the big play, recovering a Dak Prescott fumble and scoring to give Washington a 20-10 lead that would hold up as a 20-17 win. The Redskins third win came in the Meadowlands, as Adrian Peterson had a 64-yard run to beat the New York Giants 20-13. The Redskins streak came to an end with a 38-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. The Redskins bounced back to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-3 in an ugly battle in Tampa. At 6-3, the Redskins were in playoff contention as they hosted the Houston Texans on November 18th. It was the 33rd anniversary of Joe Theismann’s leg injury when déjà vu struck the Redskins as Alex Smith suffered a similar injury when he was sacked by J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson. The Redskins lost the game to the Houston Texans 23-21, the same score as the game in which the Redskins beat the Giants in 1985 the night Theismann suffered a career-ending injury. Four days later, the Redskins lost 23-21 to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The Redskins would win just one game for the rest of the season, finishing with a record of 7-9 for the second consecutive season. Smith was having a solid season before the injury, passing for 2,180 yards with ten touchdowns before the injury. Adrian Peterson showed he still had something left in the tank, with 1,250 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns. Tackle Tent Williams played in his seventh straight Pro Bowl. He was joined by Ryan Kerrigan, who led the team with 13 sacks.

2019:Following his broken leg, complications developed for Alex Smith. He developed a life-threatening condition, Necrotizing Fasciitis, also known as the Flesh-Eating Disease. As a result, Smith developed sepsis and needed 17 surgeries, as doctors considered amputating his leg. As a result, Alex Smith was unable to play in the 2019 season. The Redskins selected quarterback Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State with the 15th overall pick while signing Case Keenum. Trent Williams also had his battle off-field with cancer, as a growth on his head was determined to be Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Williams had the growth removed but had trouble wearing a helmet and was placed on the non-football injury list, missing the entire season. Trent Williams was unhappy with the treatment he received from the team and would request a trade. Washington would grant his request, sending Trent Williams to the San Francisco 49ers for a pair of draft picks. The Redskins would stumble out of the gate, losing their first five games. As a result, Jay Gruden was fired on October 7th. Bill Callahan would coach the team on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. The Redskins would win their first game with Callahan calling the plays, as they beat the Miami Dolphins 17-16 in a battle of winless teams, holding off a late charge by Miami as the Dolphins tried to win the game by going for two with six seconds left in regulation. A week later, they suffered an ugly 9-0 loss at FedEx Field as boos and showers rained down throughout the game. Following a 19-9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Redskins decided to switch at quarterback, giving Dwyane Haskins his first start against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. Haskins struggled in his first start as the Redskins lost 24-9, dropping to 1-8 on the season. Following a bye week and a 34-17 loss to the New York Jets, Haskins had his first win against the Detroit Lions as Dustin Hopkins hit to field goals in the final two minutes to beat the Detroit Lions 19-16 in Week 13. A week later, Derrius Guice rushed for 129 yards with two touchdowns as the Redskins stunned the Carolina Panthers 29-21. It would be the Redskins’ final win as they lost their final four games and finished the season with a record of 3-13. Following the season in the wake of social justice concerns across the county, the name Redskins was retired, as Daniel Snyder announced they would play as the Washington Football Team in 2020.

Championship Teams

Washington Stadiums

Washington Wonders

George Preston Marshall

Owner 1937-1969

Turk Edwards

1937-1940

Ray Flaherty

Coach 1937-1942

Ed Justice

1937-1942

Charley Malone

1937-1942

Willie Wilkin

1938-1943

Andy Farkas

1938-1944

Wayne Milner

1937-1941, 1945

Frank Filchock

1938-1941, 1944-1945

Joe Aguirre

1941-1943, 1945

Wilbur Moore

1939-1946

Dick Todd

1939-1942, 1945-1948

Dick Poillon

1942, 1946-1949

Slingin’ Sammy Baugh

1937-1952

Al DeMao

1945-1953

Laurie Niemi

1949-1953

Bill Dudley

1950-1951, 1953

Hugh Taylor

1947-1954

Harry Gilmer

1948-1952, 1954

Choo-Choo Justice

1950, 1952-1954

Paul Lipscomb

1950-1954

Gene Brito

1951-1953, 1955-1958

Joe Scudero

1954-1958

Chuck Drazenovich

1950-1959

Ed LeBaron

1952-1959

John Carson

1954-1959

Jim Schrader

1954-1961

Dick James

1956-1963

Bill Anderson

1958-1963

Norm Snead

1961-1963

Don Bosseler

1957-1964

Bob Toneff

1959-1964

Paul Krause

1964-1967

Bobby Mitchell

1962-1968

Joe Rutgens

1961-1969

Sam Huff

1964-1967, 1969

Vince Lombardi

Coach 1969

Vince Promuto

1960-1970

Sonny Jurgensen

1964-1974

Speedy Duncan

1971-1974

Ray Schoenke

1966-1975

Mike Bass

1969-1975

Larry Brown

1969-1976

1972 NFL MVP

Roy Jefferson

1971-1976

Len Hauss

1964-1977

Charley Taylor

1964-1975, 1977

1964 Offensive Rookie

Jerry Smith

1965-1977

Brig Owens

1966-1977

Pat Fischer

1968-1977

Bill Brundige

1970-1977

George Allen

Coach 1971-1977

Chris Hanburger

1965-1978

Harold McLinton

1969-1978

Billy Kilmer

1971-1978

Ron McDole

1971-1978

Mike Thomas

1975-1978

1975 Offensive Rookie

Mike Bragg

1968-1979

Terry Hermeling

1970-1973, 1975-1980

Diron Talbert

1971-1980

Ken Houston

1973-1980

Jack Kent Cooke

Owner 1960-1997

Brad Dusek

1974-1981

Joe Lavender

1976-1982

Mark Murphy

1977-1984

Mike Nelms

1980-1984

Joe Washington

1981-1984

Charlie Brown

1982-1984

George Starke

1974-1985

Joe Theismann

1974-1985

1983 Off. Player & NFL MVP

John Riggins

1976-1979, 1981-1985

Super Bowl XVII MVP

Tony Peters

1979-1985

Mark Moseley

1974-1986

1982 NFL MVP

Rich Milot

1979-1987

Vernon Dean

1982-1987

Dave Butz

1975-1988

Jay Schroeder

1984-1988

Timmy Smith

1987-1988

Neal Olkewicz

1979-1989

Dexter Manley

1981-1989

Mark May

1981-1989

Doug Williams

1986-1989

Super Bowl XXII MVP

Darryl Grant

1981-1990

Russ Grimm

1981-1991

Don Warren

1979-1992

Art Monk

1980-1992

Joe Gibbs

Coach 1981-92, 2004-07

Gary Clark

1985-1992

Wilber Marshall

1988-1992

Jeff Bostic

1980-1993

Joe Jacoby

1981-1993

Charles Mann

1983-1993

Ricky Sanders

1986-1993

Mark Rypien

1987-1993

Super Bowl XXVI MVP

Earnest Byner

1989-1993

Monte Coleman

1979-1994

Chip Lohmiller

1988-1994

Raleigh McKenzie

1985-1994

Mark Schlereth

1989-1994

Jim Lachey

1988-1995

Ed Simmons

1987-1997

Gus Frerotte

1994-1998

Ken Harvey

1994-1998

Terry Allen

1995-1998

Brian Mitchell

1990-1999

Brad Johnson

1999-2000

Daniel Snyder

Owner 1999-Present

Michael Westbrook

1995-2001

Darrell Green

1983-2002

Stephen Davis

1996-2002

Dan Wilkinson

1998-2002

Champ Bailey

1999-2003

Bruce Smith

2000-2003

Rod Gardner

2001-2004

Fred Smoot

2001-2004

LaVar Arrington

2000-2005

Patrick Ramsey

2002-2005

Lemar Marshall

2001-2006

John Hall

2003-2006

Mark Brunnell

2004-2007

Sean Taylor

2004-2007

Jon Jansen

1999-2003, 2005-2008

Shawn Springs

2004-2008

Marcus Washington

2004-2008

Chris Samuels

2000-2009

Ladell Betts

2002-2009

Rock Cartwright

2002-2009

Cornelius Griffin

2004-2009

Jason Campbell

2005-2009

Antwaan Randle El

2006-2009

Todd Collins

2007-2009

Clinton Portis

2004-2010

Andre Carter

2006-2010

Albert Haynesworth

2009-2010

Donovan McNabb

2010

Mike Sellers

1998-2000, 2004-2011

Chirs Cooley

2004-2011

Rocky McIntosh

2006-2011

LeRon Landry

2007-2011

Graham Gano

2009-2011

Anthony Armstrong

2010-2011

Ryan Torain

2010-2011

Reed Doughty

2006-2013

London Fletcher

2007-2013

Fred Davis

2008-2013

Rob Jackson

2008-2013

Will Montgomery

2009-2013

Mike Shanahan

Coach 2010-2013

Adam Carriker

2010-2013

Rex Grossman

2010-2013

Saverio Rocca

2011-2013

Josh Morgan

2012-2013

Santana Moss

2005-2014

Brian Orakpo

2009-2014

Stephen Bowen

2011-2014

Chris Chester

2011-2014

Barry Cofield

2011-2014

Leonard Hankerson

2011-2014

Roy Helu Jr.

2011-2014

Tyler Polumbus

2011-2014

Brandon Meriweather

2012-2014

Perry Riley Jr.

2010-2015

Darrel Young

2010-2015

Tom Compton

2012-Present

Kai Forbath

2012-2015

Robert Griffin III

2012-2015

2012 Offensive Rookie

Alfred Morris

2012-2015

Keenan Robinson

2012-2015

Jason Hatcher

2014-2015

Kory Lichtensteiger

2010-2016

Chris Baker

2011-2016

Pierre Garcon

2012-2016

DeSean Jackson

2014-2016

Will Blackmon

2015-2016

Matt Jones

2015-2016

DeAngelo Hall

2008-2017

Kirk C

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Author

Frank Fleming
Frank Fleming founded the Sports Ecyclopedia in 2001 & is a passionate Devils fan.