The Washington Redskins
are a professional American football team based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team’s headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia, a community in Loudoun County, Virginia, near Dulles International Airport. They are members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).
According to Forbes Magazine, the Redskins are the second most valuable franchise in the NFL, valued at approximately $1.538 billion, having been surpassed by their rivals the Dallas Cowboys in 2007. Despite being the second most valuable franchise, the Redskins remain the highest grossing team in the NFL with $327 million in revenue during the 2007 season. [1] They have also broken the NFL's mark for single-season attendance eight years in a row. [2]
Overall, the Redskins have played for eleven NFL Championships and have won five, including three of the five Super Bowls in which they have played. Four of the five Super Bowl appearances were under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs.
The Redskins are one of only two teams in the NFL with an official marching band. The other is the Baltimore Ravens. [3] The Redskins were also one of the first teams to have a fight song, “Hail to the Redskins.”
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Franchise history
In Boston
The Boston “Football” Braves, owned by
George Preston Marshall, entered the National Football League in
1932 after the
Newark Tornadoes franchise folded
[4] and played at
Braves Field, home of
Boston "baseball" Braves. They had tried to base the team in New York, but were blocked by the NFL’s territorial rule. The Braves were coached by
Lud Wray and were led by Hall of Famers
Cliff Battles (Running Back) and
Turk Edwards (Offensive Tackle). Their first game was held on October 2, 1932 in which they lost to the
Brooklyn Dodgers.
[5] The next week, the Braves would gain their first franchise victory, with a 14-6 win over the
New York Giants.
[6] The Braves would complete their first season with a 4–4–2 record.
In
1933, the team moved into
Fenway Park, home of the
Boston Red Sox, and changed their name to the Redskins.
[7] They also changed their head coach. The team was now led by
Lone Star Dietz,
[8] as Lud Wray moved to Philadelphia to head up its new franchise, the
Eagles.
[9] The Redskins finished the
1933 season with a 5-5-2 record.
[10] In
1934, the Redskins finished in second place with a 6–6 record.
In
1935, under head coach
Eddie Casey, the Redskins had a dismal season, scoring only 65 points and finishing with a 2–8–1 record.
In
1936, under their fourth head coach,
Ray Flaherty, the Redskins won their final three games, outscoring their opponents 74–6, and captured the Eastern Division Championship with a 7–5 record.
However because of extremely poor attendance, highlighted by only 4,813 fans coming out to Fenway Park to see the Redskins trounce the
Pittsburgh Pirates, 30–0, George Preston Marshall elected to give up home field advantage and played the NFL Championship game against the
Green Bay Packers at the
Polo Grounds.
[11] Battles was injured on the tenth play of the game and the Packers won the championship with a 21–6 victory. The Redskins moved to Washington the following season due to lack of fan support in Boston.
The Baugh Era
In their early years in Washington, the Redskins shared
Griffith Stadium with the
Washington Senators baseball team.
[12] In 1937, they signed an innovative rookie quarterback from
Texas Christian University,
Sammy Baugh.
In an era where the forward pass was relatively rare, the Redskins used it as their primary method of gaining yards. "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh also played numerous other positions, including cornerback and punter.
With Sammy Baugh at the helm, the Redskins won the Eastern Division title and went back to the NFL Championship game in their first year in the Nation's Capital. The
1937 NFL Championship game pitted them against the
Chicago Bears. Sammy Baugh threw three touchdown passes and the Redskins prevailed, 28–21.
[13] The two teams would meet again in the
1940 Championship, and the Bears handed the Redskins the most lopsided defeat in NFL history, 73–0.
The Redskins struck back in
1942, as George Preston Marshall used the 1940 humiliation as a rallying point and the Redskins upset the Bears to spoil their try for a perfect season, 14–6.
The teams clashed again the following season and the Bears would even the series at 2-2, capturing the
1943 NFL title, 41-21.
The Redskins challenged for the NFL title again in
1945, but fell a point short to the
Cleveland Rams, 15-14.
Integration and front-office
The team's early success endeared it to the fans of
Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the Redskins began a slow decline. This was in part because of Marshall's tendency to micromanage the team. From 1946 to 1968, the Redskins had only three winning seasons.
Marshall refused to
integrate the team, despite pressure from the
Washington Post and the
Federal Government (a typical comment by Post writer
Shirley Povich was "
Cleveland Browns runner
Jim Brown integrated the Redskins' end zone three times").
[14]
Finally, in 1962,
Interior Secretary Stewart Udall gave the Redskins an ultimatum--unless they signed a black player, the government would evict them from the year-old District of Columbia Stadium.
[15] As a result, the Redskins became the final pro football franchise to integrate, in 1962, its second season in the stadium. First, the team drafted
Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the
Heisman Trophy.
Then, before signing Davis, they traded his rights to the Browns for
wide receiver Bobby Mitchell.
It turned out that Davis had
leukemia and died without ever playing a down in professional football. Mitchell, however, was still in the first half of a career that would land him in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mitchell would be joined by black stars such as receiver
Charley Taylor, running back
Larry Brown (who had a hearing aid installed in his helmet due to near-total deafness), and defensive back
Brig Owens. They would also pull off two of the best trades of the 1960s, gaining colorful quarterback
Sonny Jurgensen from the
Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker
Sam Huff from the
New York Giants.
[16] But even with these additions, the Redskins were still not performing up to expectations. Although the team became more popular than ever, particularly with the addition of Mitchell, they struggled through the 1960s.
In the front office, Marshall had been forced to reduce his duties due to a mental decline in 1962, and the team's other stockholders found it difficult to make decisions without their boss. Marshall died in 1969, and the remaining stockholders sold the team to
Edward Bennett Williams, a Washington resident and one of America's most esteemed attorneys.
[17]
Also in 1969, D.C. Stadium was renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and the Redskins hired
Vince Lombardi — who gained fame coaching with the
Green Bay Packers — to be their new
head coach.
[18] Lombardi led the team to a 7–5–2 record,
their best since
1955, but died of
cancer on the eve of the
1970 season.
Revival
Two years later, Williams signed former
Los Angeles Rams head coach
George Allen as head coach. Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly touted young players, Allen's teams became known as the Over-the-Hill Gang. "The future is now" was his slogan, and his players soon proved him right.
[19]
Allen helped to foster the team's
rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys, which has turned into one of the NFL's most heated matchups.
[20] The Redskins reached the NFC Conference Championship in the 1972 season, defeating Dallas 26–3,
only to lose to the undefeated
Miami Dolphins 14–7 in
Super Bowl VII.
In his seven years as head coach, Allen's teams made the playoffs five times.
[21]
In 1981, new Redskins owner
Jack Kent Cooke signed the
offensive coordinator of the
San Diego Chargers, Joe Gibbs, as their 20th head coach. He coached the team to four
Super Bowls, winning three of them.
[22]
Quarterback
Joe Theismann, running back
John Riggins, and receiver
Art Monk got most of the publicity, but the Redskins were one of the few teams ever to have a famous offensive line. Offensive Line coach
Joe Bugel, who would later go on to be the head coach of the
Phoenix Cardinals, nicknamed them "
The Hogs," not because they were big and fat, but because they would "root around in the mud" on the field.
[23] The "original" Hogs were made up of center
Jeff Bostic, guards
Russ Grimm and
Mark May, and tackles
Joe Jacoby and
George Starke.
[24] In later years other notables such as
Jim Lachey,
Raleigh McKenzie, and
Mark Schlereth were also part of the famous line. Tight ends
Don Warren and
Clint Didier, as well as Riggins, were known as "Honorary Hogs."
The Redskins' first Super Bowl win, their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in
Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins beat the
Miami Dolphins 27-17 on January 30, 1983, in Pasadena, California.
John Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and inches, with the Redskins down 17–13, the coaches called "70 Chip" a play designed for short yardage.
[25] Riggins instead gained 43 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. The image of Riggins running through would-be tackler Don McNeal has become one of the all-time Super Bowl highlights. One touchdown later, the Redskins won their first Super Bowl title by a 27–17 score.
The Redskins' 1983 season began with a loss to the
Dallas Cowboys 31–30 on the Monday Night Football season opener,
[26] but they lost only one more game in the regular season (also a Monday Night game, vs. Green Bay, by a score of 48–47
), as they dominated the National Football League with a 14-win season that included scoring a then NFL record of 541 points
[27], many of which came as a result of John Riggins' 24 touchdowns. In the postseason, the Redskins defeated the
Los Angeles Rams 51–7.
The next week, they cruised to a 21–0 lead over the
San Francisco 49ers after 3 quarters in the NFC Champonship Game, but the Redskins' weakness that season was their defense (they allowed 332 points that season). The 49ers fired off 3 touchdowns to tie the game. But
Mark Moseley, who had missed 4 field goals, made the one that counted as the 'Skins beat the 49ers 24–21.
It would be Washington's last win of the season because two weeks later, the Raiders beat the Redskins 38–9 in
Super Bowl XVIII.
The 1987 season began with a 24-day players' strike, reducing the 16-game season to 15. The games for weeks 4-6 were won with all replacement players. The Redskins have the distinction of being the only team with no players crossing the picket line.
[28] Those three victories are often credited with getting the team into the playoffs and the basis for the 2000 movie
The Replacements. The Redskins won their second championship in
Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California. The Redskins routed the
Denver Broncos 42-10
after falling behind 10–0 early in the first quarter. This was the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history. This game is more famous for the stellar performance by quarterback
Doug Williams, who passed for four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to becoming the first black quarterback to lead his team to a
Super Bowl victory.
[29] Rookie running back
Timmy Smith had a great performance as well, running for a Super Bowl record 204 yards.
The Redskins won their most recent
Super Bowl on January 26, 1992, in
Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Redskins, the most dominant team in the NFL in the 1991 season, defeated the
Buffalo Bills 37–24.
Quarterback Mark Rypien was named the MVP. On March 5, 1993, Joe Gibbs retired after 12 years of coaching with the Redskins. In what would prove to be a temporary retirement, Gibbs pursued an interest in
NASCAR by founding
Joe Gibbs Racing.
[30]
Snyder era
1997
In 1997, Redskins owner
Jack Kent Cooke died on the eve of the opening of the new stadium in suburban
Landover, Maryland, that was to be named in his honor. In his will, Cooke left the Redskins to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, with instructions that the foundation sell the team. His son, John Kent Cooke, was unable to raise sufficient funds to purchase the business, and the team was later sold to
Daniel Snyder,
[31] a businessman.
1999
In 1999, the Redskins made the playoffs for the first time since Joe Gibbs's retirement by winning the NFC East. They beat the
Detroit Lions 27-13 in a home wild card game,
but subsequently dropped their divisional playoff game in a 14-13 loss on the road to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2000–2003
Snyder, who grew up as a Redskins fan and who made his fortune in marketing, has made many controversial moves since owning the team, including offering the name of the stadium up to corporate bidders.
FedEx had the highest bid, and the stadium is now named
FedEx Field. The most controversial habit Snyder has practiced is the continuous hiring and firing of head coaches, first firing incumbent coach
Norv Turner, firing replacement
Marty Schottenheimer after only one season, and in 2002, hiring
University of Florida head coach
Steve Spurrier to replace Schottenheimer. Spurrier resigned after the 2003 season with three years left on his contract.
2004
For the 2004 season, Snyder successfully lured former coach Joe Gibbs away from
NASCAR to return as head coach and team president. His employment came with a promise of decreased intervention in football operations from Snyder.
[32] Snyder also expanded
FedEx Field to a league-high capacity of 91,665 seats. Gibbs's return to the franchise did not pay instant dividends as the Redskins finished the 2004 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses.
Despite an impressive defense, the team struggled offensively. Quarterback
Mark Brunell—an off-season acquisition from the
Jacksonville Jaguars—struggled in his first season, and was replaced midway through the season by backup
Patrick Ramsey. On the other hand, some of Gibbs's other new signings, such as
cornerback Shawn Springs and
linebacker Marcus Washington, did very well. The Redskins also picked
Sean Taylor from
University of Miami during the draft in Gibbs's first season.
Partly because owner Dan Snyder has turned the Redskins into the greatest revenue producer in pro football, he has spent a lot of money on free agents. These moves did not work out well in the beginning (
Bruce Smith,
Deion Sanders), but the quality of free agents signed under Coach Gibbs has improved by signing or trading for stars such as Cornelius Griffin,
Santana Moss, and Clinton Portis.
2005
During the 2005 offseason, the Redskins traded back WR
Laveranues Coles to the
New York Jets and acquired WR
Santana Moss in return.
The Redskins used their first pick of the 2005 NFL Draft on
Auburn University cornerback
Carlos Rogers. The Redskins used their next first round draft pick (acquired from the
Denver Broncos) on Auburn Quarterback
Jason Campbell. The rest of their picks included
UCLA fullback Manuel White, Jr.,
Louisville linebacker Robert McCune,
Stanford linebacker Jared Newberry, and
Citadel College fullback
Nehemiah Broughton.
Hoping to improve on the previous season's dismal passing attack, Coach Gibbs added former
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator
Bill Musgrave as his quarterbacks coach. For the first time under Gibbs, the Redskins offense utilized the
shotgun formation.
The team won its first three games, including a Monday Night Football victory over Dallas, but then fell into a slump, including three straight losses in November, which lessened the chances of the team making the playoffs. However, five consecutive victories at the end of the season allowed Washington to finish the season at 10-6, qualifying for the
playoffs as a
wild card team. They opened the playoffs on the road against the
NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, January 7, 2006. They won the rematch by a final score of 17-10,
after taking an early 14-0 lead, which they later seemed to have squandered until replay evidence showed that an apparent touchdown that would have tied the game was in fact an incomplete pass. In that game, the Redskins broke the record for fewest offensive yards (120) gained in a playoff victory, with one of their two touchdowns being from a defensive run after a fumble recovery. The following weekend, they played the
Seattle Seahawks, who had received a first round bye. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins 20-10,
ending the Redskins' hopes of reaching their first NFC Championship Game since 1991.
Three team records were broken during the 2005 season.
Clinton Portis set the Redskins record for rushing yards in a season with 1,516 yards, breaking
Stephen Davis's 2001 mark of 1,432 yards and
Santana Moss's 1,483 receiving yards broke
Bobby Mitchell's 1963 record of 1,436 yards.
Chris Cooley's 71 receptions broke
Jerry Smith's season record for a Redskins tight end.
2006
The inconsistency of the offense during the 2005 season resulted in Gibbs hiring offensive coordinator
Al Saunders as the
Associate Head Coach - Offense. Saunders came from a similar background as Gibbs through being mentored under
Don Coryell and was thought to be able to make the offense become more efficient. Saunders would serve as the primary playcaller. Because of this, it was believed that Gibbs would have the role of Head Coach/CEO with the Redskins in 2006 and would largely deal with personnel matters, as well as having more time to focus on special teams and defense, while Saunders would supplement Gibbs with the offense. Gibbs also added former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator
Jerry Gray to his staff as Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach. Gibbs did lose quarterbacks coach
Bill Musgrave to the
Atlanta Falcons over the summer of 2006.
After bringing in new faces
Brandon Lloyd,
Antwaan Randle El,
Adam Archuleta and
Andre Carter with lucrative contracts and lucrative
bonuses in the 2005-06 offseason, expectations for the Redskins were high. The expectations would in no way be met. The Redskins struggled every week to stay close in games and hold leads. The Redskins lost a close season-opener to the
Minnesota Vikings 19-16. However, the season turned for the worse quickly. The Redskins played another primetime game the very next week against the hated rival
Dallas Cowboys on
NBC Sunday Night Football and fell flat on their face, losing 27-10. The Redskins seemed to turn it around after that, routing the
Houston Texans 31-15 and quarterback
Mark Brunell setting a then-NFL record by completing 22 consecutive passes. The Redskins then defeated the highly regarded
Jacksonville Jaguars in
overtime 36-30. However, this 2-game win streak would be the high point. The Redskins entered the next week favored over the slumping rival
New York Giants...and fell on their face again, being demolished 19-3. The Redskins then hosted the winless
Tennessee Titans at home, and lost 25-22, allowing
Vince Young to win his first career start. After a loss to
Indianapolis Colts, the Redskins returned home for a second jab at the Cowboys. The Redskins rallied to tie the game at 19-19. However, the Cowboys were on their way to victory and lined up for a 38-yard field-goal attempt by renowned kicker
Mike Vanderjagt. When the kick went up, it was blocked and returned by
Sean Taylor to the Cowboys 47 yard line as time expired, apparently sending the game to overtime, but a
facemask on Dallas allowed newly signed kicker
Nick Novak attempt a 49 yard field goal on an untimed down. He squeezed it through the uprights and the Redskins won the game 22-19. The next week, the Redskins traveled to Philadelphia to take on the rival
Philadelphia Eagles and fell flat on their face again, falling 27-3. After this, Joe Gibbs replaced Brunell with young quarterback
Jason Campbell. The Redskins continued to lose games by close margins and blow late leads, winning only two of its final 7 games, and finishing the season 5-11, last in the NFC East.
Analysts differ on exactly why the 2006 season was such a failure. Some point to free agent signings such as strong safety
Adam Archuleta and wide receiver
Brandon Lloyd. Others point to the disconnect between the offensive philosophies of Gibbs and Saunders: Gibbs preferring a power-running scheme while Saunders desired an aggressive pass-oriented style. Many looked to the breakdowns in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams's system, while some point to specific player breakdowns in the porous secondary such as the struggles of defensive backs, allowing a league high 30 TD passes, and accumulating an NFL low 6 interceptions. The defense went from 7th overall in 2005 to 29th in 2006.
2007
The 2007 Washington Redskins season was the team's 75th season, and saw the team achieve a record of 9–7 and a playoff appearance. This was an improvement over the 2006 season in which they went 5–11 and finished last in the NFC East.
The Redskins began the
2007 season by "winning ugly" starting the season off 2–0. The Redskins kept winning and losing close games, the only exception to this a 34–3 rout of the
Detroit Lions. The Redskins continued to win ugly and lose ugly to be 5–3 at the halfway mark. However, the Redskins would begin to collapse. The Washington Redskins lost their next three games to fall to 5–6. On Monday, November 26, 2007, Redskins team leader & superstar,
Sean Taylor was shot early in the morning in his
Miami home. The next morning, Sean Taylor passed away. The heartbreak continued for the Washington Redskins, taking a 9–2 halftime lead against the
Buffalo Bills, and eventually a 16–5 lead. However, the Bills cut the lead to 16–14, and got into position with just 8 seconds remaining to win the game. In an attempt to
ice the kicker, head coach Joe Gibbs called timeout. However, he attempted to re-ice him, and called timeout again, which drew an
unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, reducing the field goal from 51 yards to 36, and Bills kicker
Ryan Lindell nailed it with ease. Following the heartbreaking loss, the Redskins attended Sean Taylor's funeral two days later, with a game to play on Thursday night against the
Chicago Bears. The bad news continued, as quarterback Jason Campbell went down for the season with a knee injury. Following this, unlikely hero and backup quarterback
Todd Collins led the Redskins to the victory, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Things continued to turn in the right direction behind Collins, who led the Redskins to a 22-10 victory on
Sunday Night Football
over the
New York Giants and routs of the
Minnesota Vikings and rival
Dallas Cowboys in the final two weeks to propel the Redskins to 9–7 and the final playoff spot in the NFL Playoffs.
The Washington Redskins trailed 13–0 entering the 4th quarter to the
Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Playoffs, but rallied back to take a 14–13 lead, but Redskins kicker
Shaun Suisham missed a field goal later in the game, and the Seahawks scored on the next drive and converted the
two-point conversion. To close the game, Todd Collins threw two interceptions, each returned for touchdowns, and the Redskins fell 35–14.
2008–: The Jim Zorn Era
The Washington Redskins looked to return to the playoffs in
2008 but could not, finishing 8–8. After Joe Gibbs announced his retirement,
Jim Zorn was hired as head coach, and brought in a
West Coast Offense.
The season started about as well as it could have, as the Washington Redskins started the season 6–2, with their two losses coming by a combined 11 points to the
New York Giants and
St. Louis Rams. Furthermore, Redskins star
Clinton Portis led the NFL in rushing yards and Jason Campbell was just 40 pass attempts away from breaking
Bernie Kosar's record of consecutive passes to start the season without an interception. However, the downturn began on the eve of the
2008 Presidential Election, being routed 23–6 by the
Pittsburgh Steelers and Clinton Portis' injuries finally caught up to him. The Redskins continued to struggle, falling all the way to 7–7, with their only win a 3-point victory of the then-2–8
Seattle Seahawks, who were at that point 3–11. Despite this, their fast start ballooned them and thus were still barely breathing, but they needed help. The Washington Redskins upset the
Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, but were eliminated by the
Atlanta Falcons due to their 24–17 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings that same week. The Redskins lost the final game of the season 27–24, despite having a 17–7 lead at halftime, losing on a
Joe Nedney field goal as time expired.
2009
The Redskins signed defensive tackle
Albert Haynesworth to a 7-year, $100 milllion contract in the offseason. They also signed cornerback
DeAngelo Hall to a 6-year, $54 million contract. Hall had joined the team for the final seven games of the 2008 season after being released by the
Oakland Raiders.
The Redskins also signed offensive guard
Derrick Dockery to a 5-year deal, bringing him back to the team that drafted him in 2003. In the
2009 NFL Draft the Redskins, with the 13th pick overall, drafted defensive end
Brian Orakpo out of
Texas. They also released two veterans, offensive tackle
Jon Jansen and wide receiver/kick returner
James Thrash. In addition the Redskins selected University of Kentucky Defensive End Jeremy Jarmon in the third round of the supplemental draft.
Logos and uniforms
The
Washington Redskins' primary colors are burgundy and gold. The Redskins' current uniform design was introduced by coach
Jack Pardee in 1979. From 1961 through 1978, the Redskins wore gold pants with both the burgundy and white jerseys, although details of the jerseys and pants changed a few times during this period. Gold face masks were introduced in 1978 and remain to this day; previous to that they were grey. They are one of three NFL teams that primarily wear their white jerseys at home (the others being the
Dallas Cowboys and the
Miami Dolphins, the last two teams playing in warm weather cities, do traditionally wear dark jerseys at night or late in the season). The tradition of wearing white jerseys over burgundy pants at home, which is considered the "classic" look, was started by
Joe Gibbs when he took over as coach in 1981. Gibbs was an assistant for the
San Diego Chargers in 1979 and 1980, and the Chargers wore white at home during the tenure of coach
Don Coryell in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Their burgundy jersey is primarily used when the opposing team decides to wear white at home, which comes mostly against the
Dallas Cowboys and occasionally the
Philadelphia Eagles, and is normally worn over white pants. Outside of Dallas and Philadelphia, the burgundy jersey is also worn on the road against other teams that like to wear white at home for early season games. From 1981 through 2000, the Redskins wore their white jerseys over burgundy pants at home almost exclusively. In 1994, as part of a league-wide celebration of the NFL's 75th Anniversary, during certain games the Redskins wore special uniforms which emulated the uniforms worn by the team in its inaugural season as the Washington Redskins, 1937. Both worn over gold pants, the burgundy jerseys featured gold numbers bordered in white and the white jerseys featured burgundy numbers bordered in gold. The most distinctive feature of both colors of the jersey was the patches worn on both sleeves, which were a reproduction of the patches worn on the full-length sleeves of the 1937 jersey. Worn with these uniforms was a plain burgundy helmet with a gold facemask. In 2001, the Redskins wore burgundy for all home games in preseason and regular season per a decision by Marty Schottenheimer, their coach for that year. In 2002, the team celebrated the passing of 70 years since its creation as the Boston Braves in 1932, and wore a special home uniform of burgundy jersey over gold pants which roughly resembled the home uniforms used from 1969-1978. The helmets used with this special home uniform during that year were a reproduction of the helmets used by the team from 1965-1969. In 2004, when Joe Gibbs became the coach of the Redskins once again, the team switched back to wearing white jerseys at home.
Their white jersey has provided three basic color combinations, two of which have been previously alluded to in this article. The last combination consists of both white jerseys and pants. That particular combination surfaced in the first game of the 2003 season, when the team was coached by Steve Spurrier, on a nationally televised game against the
New York Jets, which led many sports fans and Redskin faithful alike to point out that they have never seen that particular combination. That year the Redskins wore it two more times. That look didn't appear again until midway through the 2005 season when the Redskins wore it in a road game against the
St. Louis Rams. The Redskins won six games, including one in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wearing that combination and the local media jokingly pointed out that the reason the Redskins were winning was because of the white on white combination. In the NFC Divisional Game against the eventual 2005 NFC Champion
Seattle Seahawks, the Redskins wore the all-white jerseys, in hopes that they could keep their streak going; however, they lost 20-10. The Redskins continued to wear the white jerseys and white pants into the 2006 preseason. In the 2006 season, the Redskins started wearing black cleats, something that hasn't been done for quite a while. It was a surprise because they wore white cleats during the preseason. They would have to wear that color for the rest of the season, because the NFL usually asks teams to choose either black or white cleats to be worn throughout the season.
After the white-on-white period which lasted from the mid/late 2005 season into 2006, the classic uniform of white jerseys over burgundy pants reappeared on November 26, 2006, in a home game against the
Carolina Panthers. The decision to return to the classic look may have symbolized a desire by the team to turn a new page on their 2006 season, which had been very lackluster previous to that game, the period of success with the white jerseys over white pants having come to an end the previous season. The move may have also been related to the fact that this home game was the second start and first home start of second-year quarterback Jason Campbell, and that the game and the previous week's game were, in the hopes and perceptions of many Redskins fans, the start of the "Jason Campbell era." The Redskins went on to win that game against Carolina, preserving slim hopes of the team's being able to make it to the 2006 playoffs, although they ultimately missed the playoffs.
In celebration of the franchise's 75th anniversary, the Redskins wore a special throwback uniform for the September 23, 2007 home game against the New York Giants. Players wore a white jersey with burgundy and gold stripes on the sleeves and the 75th anniversary logo on the left chest. The pants were gold, with white and burgundy stripes down the side. The helmet was yellow-colored with a maroon "R" logo. The helmet and uniform styles (besides the anniversary patch) were the same as the ones the franchise used during the 1970-71 seasons. While this throwback uniform was worn during a home game, it was actually the away uniform for 1970-71. The legendary Vince Lombardi, who coached the Redskins in 1969 before passing away during the 1970 pre-season, was the inspiration behind the helmet. Lombardi pushed for the logo, which sat inside a white circle enclosed within a red circle border, with Indian feathers hanging down from the side, because of its similarity to the "G" on the helmets worn by his Green Bay Packers for many years.
On September 14, 2008, Week 2 and Game Two for the team of the 2008 season, the 'Skins again donned the white-on-white look, reminiscent of the successful stretch at the end of the 2005 season.
On
November 3,
2008, the Redskins wore burgundy jerseys over their burgundy pants in a
Monday night home game against the
Pittsburgh Steelers the night before the
2008 U.S. Presidential election. The Redskins lost the game, 23-6.
[33] It was the first time the Redskins went with the dark "
monochrome" look that many NFL teams have adopted in some form over the past few years, and was also a rare home game use of the burgundy jerseys. The Redskins again wore the burgundy jerseys at home against the Giants in Week 12 on November 30, 2008, and against the Eagles in Week 16 on December 21, 2008.
Native American Mascot Controversy
Some people consider the namesake and logo of the Washington Redskins
insensitive towards Native Americans.
[34] There has been movements by certain groups to change the name,
[35] but the attempts have been unsuccessful. Others make the case in defense that the The Redskins name is intended to honor the bravery and dignity of Native Americans and that, regardless of past usage, the word "redskins" today refers to the football team. Notwithstanding the protests of activists, a 2002 poll commissioned by
Sports Illustrated
found that 75% of those Native Americans surveyed had no objection to the Redskins name.
[36] However, the results of the poll have been criticized due to Sport's Illustrated's refusal to provide polling information (i.e. how participants were recruited and contacted, if they were concentrated in one region, if one ethnic group is over represented and the exact wording and order of questions).
[37] [38] But in 2004, a poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania essentially confirmed the prior poll's findings, concluding that 91% of the American Indians surveyed in the 48 states on the mainland USA found the name acceptable and setting out in detail the exact wording of the questions.
[39]
In 1992, a group of Native Americans led by
Suzan Harjo filed to have the United States
trademarks associated with the Redskins name cancelled under statutes which prevent registration of
disparaging terms. The
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in 1999 ruled in favor of the petition and cancelled the trademarks. Following appeals, in 2005 the
D.C. Court of Appeals in
Pro-Football, Inc. v. Harjo
reversed the cancellation, ruling that there was insufficient
evidence to support the finding of
disparagement and holding that the majority of the petitioners were barred by
laches from maintaining the suit.
[40] Had the cancellation of the trademark been successful, the team could have still used the name, and it still would have had enforceable trademark rights under state and local law. It would thus have been able to prevent others from using its marks on promotional goods, such jackets and caps. It would, however, have lost various benefits of federal trademark registration, such as the ability to enlist the aid of the U.S. Customs Service to seize infringing imports at the border. On May 15, 2009 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirmed an earlier ruling that the Native Americans had waited too long to challenge the trademark. The trademark was registered in 1967. Native Americans successfully got the court to reconsider based on the fact the one of the plantiffs, Mateo Romero, was only one in 1967 and turned 18 in 1984. The court decision affirmed that even accepting the 1984 date, that the Native Americans had still waited too long for the 1992 challenge.
[41]
Season-by-season records
Record vs. opponents
(As of the conclusion of the
2008 NFL season. Includes postseason records.)
Note:
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties''
Team
| W
| L
| T
| Percent
| Last Result
| Last Date
| Last Locale
| Postseason
|
Miami Dolphins
| 4
| 6
| 0
| .400
| W 16-13 (OT)
| Sep 9, 2007
| Landover
|
Oakland Raiders
| 3
| 7
| 0
| .300
| L 16-13
| Nov 20, 2005
| Landover
|
Carolina Panthers
| 7
| 1
| 0
| .875
| W 17-13
| Nov 26, 2006
| Landover
|
Arizona Cardinals
| 74
| 44
| 2
| .624
| W 24-17
| Sep 21, 2008
| Landover
|
Chicago Bears
| 18
| 20
| 1
| .474
| W 24-16
| Dec 7, 2007
| Landover
|
Jacksonville Jaguars
| 3
| 1
| 0
| .750
| W 36-30 (OT)
| Oct 1, 2006
| Landover
|
Cleveland Browns
| 10
| 33
| 1
| .303
| W 14-11
| Oct 19, 2008
| Landover
|
Atlanta Falcons
| 14
| 5
| 1
| .737
| L 24-14
| Dec 3, 2006
| Landover
|
Dallas Cowboys
| 37
| 57
| 2
| .385
| L 10-14
| Nov 16, 2008
| Landover
|
Denver Broncos
| 4
| 6
| 0
| .400
| L 21-19
| Oct 9, 2005
| Denver
|
New Orleans Saints
| 15
| 7
| 0
| .681
| W 29-24
| Sep 14, 2008
| Landover
|
New York Giants
| 61
| 87
| 4
| .415
| L 23-7
| Nov 30, 2008
| Landover
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
| 42
| 21
| 3
| .666
| L 23-6
| Nov 3, 2008
| Landover
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| 7
| 8
| 0
| .467
| L 19-13
| Nov 25, 2007
| Tampa
|
Kansas City Chiefs
| 1
| 6
| 0
| .143
| L 28-21
| Oct 16, 2005
| Kansas City, MO
|
Buffalo Bills
| 4
| 7
| 0
| .364
| L 17-16
| Dec 2, 2007
| Landover
|
Tennessee Titans
| 4
| 6
| 0
| .400
| L 25-22
| Oct 15, 2006
| Landover
|
Indianapolis Colts
| 10
| 18
| 0
| .357
| L 36-22
| Oct 22, 2006
| Indianapolis
|
Detroit Lions
| 26
| 10
| 0
| .788
| W 25-17
| Oct 26, 2008
| Detroit
|
Green Bay Packers
| 12
| 17
| 1
| .414
| L 17-14
| Oct 14, 2007
| Green Bay
|
Minnesota Vikings
| 8
| 6
| 0
| .571
| W 32-21
| Dec 23, 2007
| Minneapolis
|
St. Louis Rams
| 20
| 8
| 1
| .722
| L 19-17
| Oct 15, 2008
| Landover
|
San Francisco 49ers
| 9
| 14
| 1
| .450
| L 27-24
| Dec 28, 2008
| San Francisco
|
Seattle Seahawks
| 10
| 4
| 0
| .714
| W 20-17
| Nov 23, 2008
| Seattle
|
Baltimore Ravens
| 1
| 3
| 0
| .250
| L 24-10
| Dec 7, 2008
| Baltimore
|
New England Patriots
| 6
| 2
| 0
| .750
| L 52-7
| Oct 28, 2007
| Foxboro, MA
|
Philadelphia Eagles
| 77
| 66
| 6
| .535
| W 10-3
| Dec 21, 2008
| Landover
|
Houston Texans
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 1.000
| W 31-15
| Sept 24, 2006
| Houston
|
Cincinnati Bengals
| 4
| 4
| 0
| .500
| L 20-13
| Dec 14, 2008
| Cincinnati, OH
|
New York Jets
| 8
| 1
| 0
| .889
| W 23-20 (OT)
| Nov 4, 2007
| East Rutherford, NJ
|
San Diego Chargers
| 6
| 2
| 0
| .750
| L 23-17 (OT)
| Nov 27, 2005
| Landover
|
Total
| 507
| 476
| 23
| .515
|
|
|
|
Rivalries
The Redskins and
Dallas Cowboys enjoy what has been called by Sports Illustrated the top NFL rivalry of all time and "one of the greatest in sports." The two teams storied rivalry goes back to 1960 when the two clubs first played each other, resulting in a Washington victory. Since that time, Dallas has led the all-time series 57-39-2. In recent years the Redskins have gained ground, winning a majority of games since 2005 with a record of 5-3. On September 28, 2008, the Redskins beat the Cowboys 26–24 in the final Redskins/Cowboys game at
Texas Stadium.
The Redskins also share a long rivalry with the
New York Giants that dates back to the days that the Redskins were in Boston.
Less prominently, a rivalry also exists between the Redskins and
Philadelphia Eagles.
Players of note
Current roster
|
Quarterbacks
- 5 Colt Brennan
- 17 Jason Campbell
- 15 Todd Collins
Running Backs
- 46 Ladell Betts
- 31 Rock Cartwright KR
- 26 Clinton Portis
- 45 Mike Sellers FB
Wide Receivers
- 12 Malcolm Kelly
- 89 Santana Moss
- 82 Antwaan Randle El PR
- 11 Devin Thomas
- 83 James Thrash
Tight Ends
- 47 Chris Cooley
- 86 Fred Davis
- 87 Todd Yoder
|
| Offensive Linemen
- 78 D'Anthony Batiste G
- 62 Devin Clark
T
- 69 Jason Fabini G/T
- 74 Stephon Heyer T
- 76 Jon Jansen T
- 66 Pete Kendall G
- 63 Will Montgomery G
- 61 Casey Rabach C
- 75 Chad Rinehart
G
- 77 Randy Thomas G
Defensive Linemen
- 79 Lorenzo Alexander DT
- 73 Ryan Boschetti DT
- 99 Andre Carter DE
- 92 Demetric Evans DE
- 64 Kedric Golston DT
- 96 Cornelius Griffin DT
- 98 Rob Jackson
DE
- 94 Anthony Montgomery DT
- 55 Jason Taylor DE
- 95 Chris Wilson DE
|
| Linebackers
- 54 H. B. Blades ILB
- 50 Khary Campbell OLB
- 51 Alfred Fincher OLB
- 59 London Fletcher ILB
- 52 Rocky McIntosh OLB
- 53 Marcus Washington OLB
Defensive Backs
- 25 Mike Green S
- 23 DeAngelo Hall CB
- 48 Chris Horton
SS
- 30 LaRon Landry FS
- 41 Kareem Moore
FS
- 22 Carlos Rogers CB
- 27 Fred Smoot CB
- 24 Shawn Springs CB
- 20 Justin Tryon
CB
Special Teams
- 67 Ethan Albright LS
- 1 Ryan Plackemeier P
- 6 Shaun Suisham K
|
| Reserve Lists
- 90 Alex Buzbee DE (IR)
- 93 Phillip Daniels DE (IR)
- 23 Reed Doughty SS (IR)
- 68 Justin Geisinger C/G (IR)
- 60 Chris Samuels OT (IR)
- 58 Matt Sinclair OLB (IR)
- 57 Rian Wallace OLB (IR)
Practice Squad
- 56 Brandon Archer ILB
- 57 Johnny Baldwin OLB (Injured)
- 36 Nehemiah Broughton FB
- 84 Horace Gant
WR
- 40 Michael Grant
S
- 80 Marques Hagans WR
- 71 Rueben Riley G
- 72 Isaiah Ross G
- 34 Byron Westbrook CB
Rookies in italics
updated 2008-12-09
•
53 Active, 7 Inactive, 9 PS
? More rosters
|
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Washington Redskins inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
|
Players
|
Number
| Name
| Positions
| Seasons
| Number
| Name
| Positions
| Seasons
|
9
| Sonny Jurgensen
| QB
| 1964-1974
| 17
| Turk Edwards
| OT-DT
| 1932-1940
|
20
| Cliff Battles
| RB-CB
| 1932-1937
| 26
| Paul Krause
| S
| 1964-1967
|
27
| Ken Houston
| S
| 1973-1980
| 28
| Darrell Green
| CB
| 1983-2002
|
33
| Sammy Baugh
| QB-S-P
| 1937-1952
| 35
| Bill Dudley
| RB-CB
| 1950-1953
|
40
| Wayne Millner
| TE-DE
| 1936-1941
| 42
| Charley Taylor
| WR
| 1964-1977
|
44
| John Riggins
| RB
| 1976-1985
| 49
| Bobby Mitchell
| RB
| 1962-1968
|
70
| Sam Huff
| LB
| 1964-1967
| 73
| Stan Jones
| DT
| 1966
|
75
| Deacon Jones
| DE
| 1974
| 78
| Bruce Smith
| DE
| 2000-03
|
81
| Art Monk
| WR
| 1980-1993
|
|
|
|
|
Management
|
Number
| Name
| Positions
| Seasons
| Number
| Name
| Positions
| Seasons
|
--
| George Allen
| Head coach
| 1971-1977
| --
| Ray Flaherty
| Head coach
| 1936-1942
|
--
| Joe Gibbs
| Head coach
| 1981-1992, 2004-2007
| --
| Otto Graham
| Head coach
| 1966-1968
|
--
| Curly Lambeau
| Head coach
| 1952-1953
| --
| Vince Lombardi
| Head coach
| 1969
|
--
| George Preston Marshall
| Owner & founder
| 1932-1969
| --
| Mike McCormack
| Assistant coach
| 1965-1972
|
--
| Emmitt Thomas
| Assistant coach
| 1986-94
|
|
|
|
|
Retired numbers
- 33 Sammy Baugh, QB-S-P, 1937-52
Unofficial retired numbers
The Redskins' policy since Baugh's retirement has been to not retire numbers. However, some numbers are unofficially retired and are usually withheld from being assigned to new players. The following numbers of past Redskin greats fall into that category.
- 7 Joe Theismann, QB, 1974-85
- 9 Sonny Jurgensen, QB, 1964-74
- 28 Darrell Green, CB, 1983-2002
- 42 Charley Taylor, WR, 1964-77
- 43 Larry Brown, RB, 1969-76
- 44 John Riggins, RB, 1976-79, 1981-85
- 49 Bobby Mitchell, RB, 1962-68
- 51 Monte Coleman, LB, 1979-94
- 65 Dave Butz, DT, 1975-88
- 70 Sam Huff, LB, 1964-69 (worn by Leonard Marshall in 1993)
- 81 Art Monk, WR, 1980-93
The use of unofficial retired numbers drew controversy during
Steve Spurrier's first year as head coach.
[42] Quarterbacks
Danny Wuerffel and
Shane Matthews first wore 7 and 9 respectively during training camp. The resulting sports talk furor led to them switching to 17 and 6.
During the season, reserve tight end
Leonard Stephens wore number 49 for the season. After his retirement as assistant GM,
Bobby Mitchell blasted the team, accusing late owners
Edward Bennett Williams and
Jack Kent Cooke of racism for not being considered for GM and was upset that the team would let a player like Leonard Stephens wear his number.
[43] Although
Sean Taylor's number (21) has yet to be re-issued, it is unclear yet whether it falls into this category.
Washington Hall of Stars
The Washington Hall of Stars is a series of banners hanging at
RFK Stadium honoring D.C. performers from all sports. It was previously located on a series of white-and-red signs ringing the face of the stadium's mezzanine level. Another version hangs on a large sign on one of the parking garages at
Nationals Park. The Redskins honored on it include Hall-of-Famers Allen, Battles, Baugh, Dudley, Houston, Huff, Jurgensen, Marshall, Millner, Mitchell, Riggins, and Taylor; "retired number" honorees Brown, Monk, Moseley, and Theismann; and the following:
- Arthur "Dutch" Bergman, Head Coach 1943, also coached in D.C. at The Catholic University of America and President of the company that lobbied for the building of what became RFK Stadium
- 80 Gene Brito DE 1951–58
- 65 Dave Butz DT 1975–88
- Jack Kent Cooke, team owner 1961–97 (majority owner from 1974, sole owner from 1985)
- 37 Pat Fischer DB 1968–77
- 68 Russ Grimm OG 1981–91
- 55 Chris Hanburger LB 1965–78
- 56 Len Hauss C 1964–77
- 66 Joe Jacoby OT 1981–93
- 47 Dick James RB 1955–63
- 22 Charlie Justice RB 1950–54
- 17 Billy Kilmer QB 1971–78
- 14 Eddie LeBaron QB 1952–59
- Vince Lombardi, head coach 1969 (in Hall of Fame for coaching with Packers)
- 23 Brig Owens SS 1966–77
- 65 Vince Promuto G 1960–70
- 87 Jerry Smith TE 1965–77
- 17 Doug Williams QB 1986–89
- Edward Bennett Williams, team owner 1962–85 (majority owner until 1974)
Despite having been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Turk Edwards, Ray Flaherty, Joe Gibbs, and Paul Krause are not on the Hall of Stars banners. Edwards, Flaherty, and Gibbs had been honored on signs on the prior version of the Hall of Stars.
The 70 Greatest Redskins
In honor of the Redskins' 70th anniversary, on June 13, 2002, a panel selected the 70 Greatest Redskins to honor the players and coaches who were significant on-field contributors to the Redskins five championships and rich history. They were honored in a weekend of festivities, including a special halftime ceremony during the Redskins' 26–21 win over the
Indianapolis Colts.
[45]
The panel that chose the 70 consisted of former news anchor
Bernard Shaw; former player
Bobby Mitchell; Senator
George Allen (son of coach
George Allen); broadcaster
Ken Beatrice; Noel Epstein, editor for the
Washington Post; former diplomat
Joseph J. Sisco; Phil Hochberg, who retired in 2001 after 38 years as team stadium announcer; Pro Football Hall of Fame historian Joe Horrigan; sportscaster
George Michael; sports director
Andy Pollin; NFL Films president
Steven Sabol; and news anchor
Jim Vance.
The list includes three head coaches and 67 players, of which 41 were offensive players, 23 defensive players and three special teams players.
Among the 70 Greatest, there are 92
Super Bowl appearances, with 47 going once and 45 playing in more than one. Twenty-nine members possess one Super Bowl ring and 26 have more than one. Also, before the Super Bowl, members of the 70 made 18 World Championship appearances including six that participated in the Redskins' NFL Championship victories in 1937 and 1942.
#
| Name
| Position
| Years
|
21
| Terry Allen
| RB
| 1995–98
|
41
| Mike Bass
| CB
| 1969–75
|
20
| Cliff Battles
| B
| 1932–37
|
33
| Sammy Baugh
| QB
| 1937–52
|
31
| Don Bosseler
| B
| 1957–64
|
53
| Jeff Bostic
| C
| 1980–93
|
4
| Mike Bragg
| P
| 1968–79
|
80
| Gene Brito
| DE
| 1951–53,55–58
|
43
| Larry Brown
| RB
| 1969–76
|
77
| Bill Brundige
| DE
| 1970–77
|
65
| Dave Butz
| DT
| 1975–88
|
21
| Earnest Byner
| RB
| 1989–93
|
84
| Gary Clark
| WR
| 1985–92
|
51
| Monte Coleman
| LB
| 1979–94
|
53
| Al DeMao
| C
| 1945–53
|
36
| Chuck Drazenovich
| LB
| 1950–59
|
35
| Bill Dudley
| RB
| 1950–51,53
|
17
| Turk Edwards
| OT
| 1932–40
|
44
| Andy Farkas
| FB
| 1938–44
|
37
| Pat Fischer
| CB
| 1968–77
|
28
| Darrell Green
| CB
| 1983–2002
|
68
| Russ Grimm
| G
| 1981–91
|
55
| Chris Hanburger
| LB
| 1965–78
|
57
| Ken Harvey
| LB
| 1994–98
|
56
| Len Hauss
| C
| 1964–77
|
27
| Ken Houston
| S
| 1973–80
|
70
| Sam Huff
| LB
| 1964–67,69
|
66
| Joe Jacoby
| OT/G
| 1981–93
|
47
| Dick James
| RB
| 1955–63
|
9
| Sonny Jurgensen
| QB
| 1964–74
|
22
| Charlie Justice
| RB
| 1950,52–54
|
17
| Billy Kilmer
| QB
| 1971–78
|
26
| Paul Krause
| DB
| 1964–67
|
79
| Jim Lachey
| OT
| 1988–95
|
14
| Eddie LeBaron
| QB
| 1952–53,55–59
|
#
| Name
| Position
| Years
|
72
| Dexter Manley
| DE
| 1981–89
|
71
| Charles Mann
| DE
| 1983–93
|
58
| Wilber Marshall
| LB
| 1988–92
|
73
| Mark May
| OT
| 1981–89
|
79
| Ron McDole
| DE
| 1971–78
|
63
| Raleigh McKenzie
| G
| 1985–94
|
53
| Harold McLinton
| LB
| 1969–78
|
40
| Wayne Millner
| E
| 1936–41,45
|
49
| Bobby Mitchell
| FL
| 1962–68
|
30
| Brian Mitchell
| RB
| 1990–99
|
81
| Art Monk
| WR
| 1980–93
|
3
| Mark Moseley
| K
| 1974–86
|
29
| Mark Murphy
| S
| 1977–84
|
21
| Mike Nelms
| KR
| 1980–84
|
52
| Neal Olkewicz
| LB
| 1979–89
|
23
| Brig Owens
| DB
| 1966–77
|
65
| Vince Promuto
| G
| 1960–70
|
44
| John Riggins
| RB
| 1976–79,81–85
|
11
| Mark Rypien
| QB
| 1987–93
|
83
| Ricky Sanders
| WR
| 1986–93
|
76
| Ed Simmons
| OT
| 1987–97
|
87
| Jerry Smith
| TE
| 1965–77
|
60
| Dick Stanfel
| G
| 1956–58
|
74
| George Starke
| OT
| 1973–84
|
72
| Diron Talbert
| DT
| 1971–80
|
84
| Hugh Taylor
| E
| 1947–54
|
42
| Charley Taylor
| WR
| 1964–77
|
7
| Joe Theismann
| QB
| 1974–85
|
67
| Rusty Tillman
| LB
| 1970–77
|
85
| Don Warren
| TE
| 1979–92
|
25
| Joe Washington
| RB
| 1981–84
|
17
| Doug Williams
| QB
| 1986–89
|
| George Allen
| head coach
| 1971–77
|
| Ray Flaherty
| head coach
| 1936–42
|
| Joe Gibbs
| head coach
| 1981–92,04–07
|
All-time first-round draft picks
Coaches of note
Current staff
|
|
| Front Office
- Owner/CEO - Daniel Snyder
- Executive Vice President of Football Operations - Vinny Cerrato
- Vice President of Football Administration - Eric Shaffer
- Director of Player Personnel - Scott Campbell
- Director of Pro Personnel - Morocco Brown
Head Coaches
- Head Coach - Jim Zorn
- Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs - Stump Mitchell
Offensive Coaches
- Offensive Coordinator - Sherman Smith
- Wide Receivers - Stan Hixon
- Tight Ends - Rennie Simmons
- Offensive Line - Joe Bugel
- Offensive Quality Control - Bill Khayat
- Offensive Assistant - Chris Meidt
|
|
|
Defensive Coaches
- Defensive Coordinator - Greg Blache
- Defensive Line - John Palermo
- Linebackers - Kirk Olivadotti
- Secondary - Jerry Gray
- Safeties - Steve Jackson
- Defensive Quality Control - Arthur Smith
Special Teams Coaches
- Special Teams - Danny Smith
Strength and Conditioning
- Head Strength and Conditioning - John Hastings
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning - Harrison Bernstein
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning - Bobby Crumpler
?
? More NFL staffs
|
Single-season records
- Passing Yards
: 4,109 Jay Schroeder (1986) [46]
- Passing Touchdowns
: 31 Sonny Jurgensen (1967)
- Rushing Yards
: 1,516 Clinton Portis (2005) [47]
- Receptions
: 106 Art Monk (1984)
- Receiving Yards
: 1,483 Santana Moss (2005)
- Pass Interceptions
: 13 Dan Sandifer (1948)
- Field Goals Made
: 33 Mark Moseley (1983)
- Points
: 161 Mark Moseley (1983)
- Total Touchdowns
: 24 John Riggins (1983)
- Punt Return Average
: 15.3 Johnny Williams (1952)
- Kickoff Return Average
: 29.7 Mike Nelms (1981)
- Punting Average
: 51.4* Sammy Baugh (1940) [48]
* NFL Record
Redskins career records
- Passing Yards
: 25,206 Joe Theismann (1974–1985)
- Passing Touchdowns
: 187 Sammy Baugh (1937–1952)
- Rushing Yards
: 7,472 John Riggins (1976–1979,1981–1985)
- Receptions
: 888 Art Monk (1980–1993)
- Receiving Yards
: 12,028 Art Monk (1980–1993) [49]
- Pass Interceptions
: 54 Darrell Green (1983–2002)
- Field Goals Made
: 263 Mark Moseley (1974–1986)
- Points
: 1,207 Mark Moseley (1974-1986)
- Total Touchdowns
: 90 Charley Taylor (1964–1977)
- Punt Return Average
: 12.8 Johnny Williams (1952–1953)
- Kickoff Return Average
: 28.5 Bobby Mitchell (1962–1968)
- Punting Average
: 45.1 Sammy Baugh (1937–1952)
- Sacks
: 97.5 Dexter Manley (1981–1989)
NFL records
Offense
- The Washington Redskins have had two 14 win seasons, in both 1983 and 1991. This is sixth place all time. [50]
- The Redskins scored 541 points in 1983, an NFL record that was surpassed by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings and again by the 2007 New England Patriots, and is still third all time. [51]
- The Redskins' 72 points against the New York Giants on November 27, 1966, is the most points ever scored by an NFL team in a regular season game and the 72 to 41 score amounted to 113 points and the highest scoring game ever in NFL history.
The second half scoring for the game amounted to 65 points, the second highest point total for second half scoring and the third highest total scoring in any half in NFL history. The Redskins' ten touchdowns are the most by a team in a single game and the 16 total touchdowns are the most combined for a game. [52] The Redskins' nine PATs is the second most all time for a single game and the 14 combined is the most ever in a game. [53]
- The Redskins set a record for most first downs in a game with 39 in a game against Detroit on November 4, 1990. They also set a record by not allowing a single first down against the N.Y. Giants on September 27, 1942. [54]
- The Redskins have led the league in passing eight times, in 1938, 1940, 1944, 1947–48, 1967, 1974, 1989. Only the San Diego Chargers have led more times. [55] The Redskins led the league in completion percentage 11 times, in 1937, 1939–1940, 1942–45, 1947–48, 1969–1970, second only to the San Francisco 49ers.
Their four straight years from 1942–45 is the second longest streak.
- The Redskins' nine sacks allowed in 1991 is the third fewest allowed in a season.
- The Redskins' completed 43 passes in an overtime win against Detroit on November 4, 1990, second most all-time.
Defense
- The Redskins recovered eight opponent's fumbles against the St. Louis Cardinals on October 25, 1976, which is the most ever in one game. [56]
- The Redskins' allowed 82 first downs in 1937, third fewest all-time. [57]
- The Redskins have led the league in fewest total yards allowed five times, 1935-37, 1939, and 1946, which is the third most. [58] Their three consecutive years from 1935-37 is an NFL record.
- The Redskins have lead the league in fewest passing yards allowed seven times, in 1939, 1942, 1945, 1952-53, 1980, and 1985, second only to Green Bay (10). [59]
- The Redskins had 61 defensive turnovers in 1983, the third most all-time. [60] The turnover differential of +43 that year was the highest of all time.
- The Redskins had only 12 defensive turnovers in 2006, the fewest in a 16-game season and second all time. (The Baltimore Colts had 11 turnovers in the strike-shortened 1982 Season which lasted only 9 games.) [61]
Special teams
- The Redskins led the league in field goals for eight seasons, 1945, 1956, 1971, 1976-77, 1979, 1982, 1992. Only the Green Bay Packers have ever led more. Their 49 field goals attempted in 1971 is the most ever attempted in a single season. [62]
- The Redskins and Bears attempted an NFL record 11 field goals on November 14, 1971, and the Redskins and Giants tied that mark on November 14, 1976.
- The Redskins 28 consecutive games, from 1988 to 1990, scoring a field goal is third all time.
- The Redskins have led the league in punting average six times, in 1940-43, 1945, and 1958, second only to the Denver Broncos. [63] Their four consecutive years from 1940–43 is an NFL record.
- The Redskins have led the league in average kickoff return yards eight times, in 1942, 1947, 1962–63, 1973–74, 1981, and 1995, more than any other team. [64]
Broadcasting
Radio
s of }} 2008
[], the Redskins'
flagship station is
WTEM (ESPN 980), owned by
Red Zebra Broadcasting, which in turn is owned by Snyder. Redskins games are also simulcast on the five other Red Zebra stations in the Washington, D.C. area.
[65]
Larry Michael, formerly of
Westwood One, is the team's
play-by-play announcer and director of broadcasting.
[66] Michael replaced longtime announcer
Frank Herzog in
2004.
[67] Sonny Jurgensen and
Sam Huff are the
color analysts.
Rick Walker is the
sideline reporter.
Television
Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on
WRC in the Washington, D.C. area and on
Comcast SportsNet in the overall
Mid-Atlantic region. Comcast SportsNet also airs an extensive game recap after each Redskins regular season Sunday game.
Superstition regarding US Presidential elections
For 17 of the past 18
United States Presidential elections, a win for the Redskins' last home game prior to
Election Day coincided with the
incumbent party winning re-election. The exception was in 2004, when the
Republican Party incumbent
George W. Bush won re-election despite the
Green Bay Packers beating the Redskins.
[68] Other than this exception, this "Redskins Rule" has proven true since 1936 when they won and incumbent
Franklin D. Roosevelt won re-election, prior to the Redskins' move from
Boston in 1937.
[69]
In 2008, the
Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Redskins on the eve of Election Day 23-6, and
Barack Obama won the presidency the following evening.
The Redskins Rule was discovered by Steve Hirdt, executive vice president of the
Elias Sports Bureau, while searching for discussion fodder in 2000 for a game between the Redskins and
Titans.
[70]
References
- #2 Washington Redskins
- http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Redskins_Set_NFL_Attendance_Record_In__07_5502.jsp
- Not just whistling dixie in D.C.
- National Football League Franchise Transactions
- Washington Redskins: Firsts, Records, Odds & Ends
- 1932 Boston Braves
- Fenway Park
- Birth of the Washington Redskins
- Philadelphia Eagles (1933-present)
- Washington Redskins' History
- Washington Redskins (1932-present)
- Third Stadium a Real Charm
- Washington Redskins playoff history
- Lecture: Lynn Povich and George Solomon
- Civil Rights on the Gridiron
- PRO FOOTBALL: INSIDE THE N.F.L.; A Greatest Redskin Still Loves New York
- A Look At The Four Redskins Owners
- Vince Lombardi Biography
- His past molds Bucs' future
- NFL spy stories once had comedic touch
- George Allen
- Joe Gibbs
- Hernando: News and notes
- Bostic, the Last of the Hogs, Remains Busy in the Trenches
- Magic '70 Chip' Ends Four Decades of Trying
- MNF's Greatest Games: Dallas-Washington 1983
- 1983 Washington Redskins
- Gibbs' first job is to tame Snyder
- Williams Delivers a Super Bowl Triumph
- Profile and History
- Redskins Are Sold For $800 Million
- Gibbs' deal more lucrative than Spurrier's
- ''ESPN.com'' Roethlisberger leaves at halftime, Leftwich leads Steelers past Skins
- What's In A Name?
- Native community divided on mascots
- The Indian Wars
- Of Polls and Race Prejudice: Sports Illustrated’s Errant "Indian Wars"
- The Sports Illustrated Poll on Mascots
- Most Indians Say Name of Washington “Redskins” Is Acceptable
While 9 Percent Call It Offensive, Annenberg Data Show
- ''Pro-Football, Inc. v. Harjo'', 415 F.3d 44 (2005).
- Quinn Emanuel's Raskopf Wins Affirmance of Washington Redskins' Trademarks - law.com - May 15, 2009
- Theismann's No. 7 taken out of circulation again
- 'Deeply Hurt,' Mitchell Retires; Redskins Great Felt Slighted by Team
- Mark May's Career Statistics
- History: 70 Greatest Redskins
- Team-by-team single-season records - Names and Numbers
- Moss, Portis Set New Franchise Marks
- Oldest Individual Single-Season and Single-Game Records
- History : Career Stats Leaders
- Team Records: Games Won
- Team Records: Scoring
- Team Records: Touchdowns
- Team Records: Points After Touchdown
- Team Records: First Downs
- Team Records: Passing
- Team Records: Fumbles
- Defense Records: First Downs
- Defense Records: Net Yards Allowed
- Defense Records: Passing
- Defense Records: Turnovers
- Defense Records: Turnovers
- Team Records: Field goals
- Team Records: Punting
- Team Records: Kickoff returns
- Snyder's Simulcast Plans Center on WTEM
- Larry Michael: D.C.'s most versatile voice
- WJFK replaces Herzog; L. Michael joins Jurgensen, Huff
- CNN ''McCain gets bad sign?'' November 4, 2008.
- The China Post ''‘Redskins Rule’ could predict election winner'', Updated Saturday, November 1, 2008, 10:46 am TWN, AFP.
- The Orlando Sentinal ''Did Washington Redskins' loss to Pittsburgh Steelers clinch the Presidential election for Barack Obama over John McCain?'', November 4, 2008.