George Preston Marshall founded the Redskins
franchise in 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves,
sharing Braves Field with the Boston Braves baseball team. A
year later, Marshall moved his team to Fenway Park and changed
the team’s name to the Redskins. The Redskins were not
profitable, and even an Eastern Division championship in 1936
failed to excite Boston fans, so in 1937 Marshall moved the
club to Washington, D.C.
The team found success in its new home. From 1936 to 1942 head
coach Ray Flaherty led the Redskins to seven consecutive winning
records and three appearances in the NFL Championship Game.
Washington faced the Chicago Bears in all three contests, posting
narrow victories in 1937 and 1942 and suffering a 73-0 defeat
in 1940. During the 1937 title match Flaherty introduced the
screen pass. In such a pass, the offensive linemen run downfield
in front of the running back instead of blocking for the quarterback.
The quarterback then throws a short pass to the running back
and the linemen form a screen, blocking downfield to gain yardage.
This strategy has since become a standard offensive play.
Flaherty’s talented offensive unit boasted four future
Hall of Fame members—halfback Cliff Battles, quarterback
Sammy Baugh, tackle Turk Edwards, and end Wayne Millner. In
addition to his six passing crowns, the versatile Baugh also
led the league in punting five times and interceptions once.
His career punting average of 45.1 yards is the highest ever
compiled in NFL history.
The Redskins suffered a 25-season playoff drought from 1946
through 1970, posting just four winning records and changing
head coaches 11 times during that span. Noteworthy individual
achievements during this period included wide receiver Bobby
Mitchell’s yardage championships in 1962 and 1963 and
league-leading performances in 1966 and 1967 by quarterback
Sonny Jurgensen and wide receiver Charley Taylor.
In 1971 former Los Angeles Rams coach George Allen took over
as head coach of the Redskins. He dramatically reshaped the
team through a series of trades for seasoned veteran players.
The retooled Redskins, known as the Over the Hill Gang, recorded
nine victories, the most by a Washington team in 29 years. In
his seven seasons with the club, Allen produced seven winning
records, five playoff appearances, and one trip to the Super
Bowl. Washington’s Super Bowl appearance was in 1973,
when the Miami Dolphins defeated them 14-7. The team remained
successful throughout the 1970s, and in 1976 Allen traded for
the rights of two players who would be the key to Washington’s
success in the 1980s—Joe Theismann and John Riggins.
In 1981 former San Diego Chargers assistant coach Joe Gibbs
was hired to improve the Redskins’ passing game. In his
12 seasons as Washington’s head coach, Gibbs delivered
ten winning records, eight playoff appearances, and three Super
Bowl championships. Gibbs earned his first league crown following
the strike-shortened season of 1982, during which Theismann
led the conference in passing and the Redskins fielded the league’s
toughest defense. Washington defeated Miami 27-17 in the Super
Bowl, led by Riggins’s Super Bowl-record 166 rushing yards.
During the mid-1980s the Redskins dominated the NFC. They were
led by Theismann until a broken leg sustained during a 1985
game forced his retirement. Washington’s defense emerged
as one of the finest in the NFL, led by ends Dexter Manley and
Charles Mann. The defense was especially key in the 1987 season,
when the Redskins finished the year with an 11-4 win-loss record
and defeated the Denver Broncos 42-10 in the Super Bowl.
In 1991 Gibbs assembled one of the most explosive offensive
units in NFL history. Quarterback Mark Rypien led the NFC in
yardage, and running back Earnest Byner and wide receivers Gary
Clark and Art Monk each topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
Washington also fielded the second-toughest defensive unit in
the league. After the season the Redskins routed the Buffalo
Bills 37-24 in the Super Bowl.
Gibbs left the Redskins following the 1992 season and was replaced
by assistant Richie Petitbone. After a year, Petitbone was replaced
by former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Norv Turner.
The Redskins were one of the weaker teams in the league for
much of the mid- and late 1990s, but they rebounded in 1999
and won their division.
1973 VII Lost to Miami Dolphins,14-7
1983 XVII Defeated Miami Dolphins, 27-17
1984 XVIII Lost to Los Angeles Raiders, 38-9
1988 XXII Defeated Denver Broncos, 42-10
1992 XXVI Defeated Buffalo Bills, 37-24
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