The Redskins’ last road to glory

It’s been two decades since the once-formidable Redskins plowed through the regular season and playoffs on the way to their third, and last, Super Bowl championship in the 1991-92 season.

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Sept. 9, 1991

Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman would go on to win three Super Bowls, but this day belonged to linebacker Kurt Gouveia and the Redskins as Washington moved to 2-0 with a 33-31 victory over Dallas.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Sept. 9, 1991

Redskins holder and backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge, left, linebacker Ravin Caldwell, center, and place kicker Chip Lohmiller watch the flight of his 46-yard field goal that later provided a cushion in a two-point victory. Lohmiller set a team standard that day by hitting four field goals, all from 45-plus yards, including a 52- and 53-yarder.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Sept. 22, 1991

Redskins running back Gerald Riggs makes a dash for daylight as tight ends Ron Middleton, left, and Terry Orr lead the way in Washington's 34-27 win over Cincinnati to improve to 4-0 while the Bengals slipped to 0-4. Riggs had 10 carries for 61 yards and three touchdowns on the day.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Sept. 22, 1991

Quarterback Mark Rypien unleashes one of his trademark deep throws during a Week 4 victory over the Bengals at since-demolished Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. It was only one of three games that Rypien failed to throw a touchdown pass that season.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Sept. 22, 1991

Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk navigates an open patch of turf against the Bengals. The 1991 season would be the last truly exceptional season of Monk’s career as the 12-year veteran would catch 71 balls for 1,049 yards and eight touchdowns. By comparison, Houston’s Haywood Jeffires lead the league with 100 receptions and Michael Irvin led in yardage with 1,523.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Oct. 27, 1991

Running back Ricky Ervins collects some hard-earned yards during a 17-13 victory over the Giants that kept the Redskins undefeated at 8-0. Ervins, a third-round pick out of USC, would last four years with the Redskins but never had a better season than his first.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Oct. 27, 1991

Rypien struggled against the Giants this late October day, completing just 12 of 25 passes for 159 yards, although he did connect for a pair of touchdowns to Redskins stalwart Gary Clark in the second half.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Oct. 27, 1991

Running back Earnest Byner, center, is bottled up against the Giants at the old Meadowlands Stadium, managing just 11 yards on 10 carries. Byner would run for 1,048 yards and five touchdowns that season and would eventually finish out his career with the Baltimore Ravens in 1997.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Nov. 17, 1991

Old Hogs and new Mark Schlereth, Ron Middleton, Ed Simmons, Jim Lachey and Jeff Bostic enjoy a sabbatical on the bench during the Redskins' 41-14 trouncing of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium that pushed Washington to 11-0. The remnants of the famed offensive line would see its last, best days during that 1991 season.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Oct. 27, 1991

Tight end Don Warren (No. 85) and Hall of Fame guard Russ Grimm listen intently as Coach Joe Gibbs and offensive line coach Jim Hanifan deliver instruction against the Steelers.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 4, 1992

Ricky Ervins follows tackle Jim Lachey through the driving rain and slop as the Redskins take down the Falcons during the NFC divisional playoffs at RFK Stadium. Ervins rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, Byner for 57 yards and Riggs scored two touchdowns on four carries in a game dominated by the home team.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 4, 1992

Yellow seat cushions come pouring out onto the field as Redskins fans at RFK Stadium instigate their own late-game celebration as Washington moved into the NFC championship game.

Nancy Andrews / The Washington Post

Jan. 12, 1992

Quarterback Mark Rypien was feeling it against the upstart Lions in the NFC championship game. Rypien only threw the ball 17 times that day, but a dominant and opportunistic defense did the rest as the Redskins advanced to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in franchise history.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 12, 1992

Defensive coordinator Richie Pettibon, center, discusses tactics with linebackers Andre Collins, left, and Wilbur Marshall, right, during the Redskins' massacre of the Lions. Collins, Marshall and company limited future Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders to just 44 yards on 11 carries.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 12, 1992

Tempestuous Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke, right, sporting his trademark houndstooth jacket, celebrates a touchdown by embracing his wife Marlene, left, as the Redskins advance to their fourth — and final — Super Bowl during Cooke's tenure.

Nancy Andrews / The Washington Post

Jan. 12, 1992

The Hoggettes, a staple of RFK Stadium since the early days of the Hogs in the 1980s, stand for the national anthem at the NFC championship game.

Nancy Andrews / The Washington Post

Jan. 12, 1992

Mark Rypien, in the midst of the best season of his career (249 of 421, 28 touchdowns, 97.9 QB rating), warms up next to Coach Gibbs prior to the Redskins’ dismantling of the Lions.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 12, 1992

The Redskins were a team on a mission in 1991, and despite two losses during the regular season — by a combined five points — were clearly the NFL's dominant team heading into the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.

Nancy Andrews / The Washington Post

Jan. 12, 1992

Cornerback Darrell Green's 32-yard interception return for a touchdown put the Lions out of their misery late in the fourth quarter.

Rich Lipski / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Redskins wide receiver Gary Clark, right, his patented towel hanging from his waistband, prospects for addtional yardage as Bills cornerback Nate Odomes enters the picture. Clark caught seven balls for 114 yards and the touchdown that put the Redskins up 31-10 and the game essentially out of reach in Super Bowl XXVI at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Veteran left tackle Joe Jacoby and the Redskins make their point with a powerful display of physical dominance against the Bills in Super Bowl XXVI.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly was harassed and bullied by a stout Redskins defense from start to finish. Pictured, defenders Eric Williams, left, Jason Buck and Charles Mann swarm the helpless Kelly. The Bills quarterback was sacked five times and picked off four times.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Redskins running back Gerald Riggs plunges into the end zone with little resistance to give the Redskins a commanding 24-0 lead in Super Bowl XXVI. During the 1991 postseason, Riggs rushed for six touchdowns in three games, all of the short-yardage variety.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Jim Kelly was forced to sling the ball after he and the Bills fell into a 24-point hole. Kelly threw the ball a Super Bowl-record 58 times, a mark that still stands today.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Safety Brad Edwards was one of the unsung heroes of Super Bowl XXVI, with a pair of interceptions and at least one touchdown-saving hit on Bills wide receiver Don Beebe.

Joel Richardson / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Mark Rypien never shined brighter than in Super Bowl XXVI, when he earned Super Bowl most valuable player honors for leading the Redskins to victory. Rypien finished 18 of 33 for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Gary Clark's third-quarter touchdown helped pave the way for the Redskins' third Super Bowl triumph of the Joe Gibbs era.

Joel Richardson / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

Joe Gibbs and Jim Hanifan share a joyful embrace as the Redskins send the D.C. area into a Super Bowl-winning frenzy.

Rich Lipski / The Washington Post

Jan. 26, 1992

All eyes are on Mark Rypien and his daughter after his super performance against the Bills.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Jan. 28, 1992

Joe Gibbs, surrounded by his players, holds the Vince Lombardi trophy during a rally for the Super Bowl champions on the National Mall. A day of pure euphoria would soon give way to a precipitous franchise decay that exists to this day, with the Redskins having enjoyed only two 10-win seasons since that historic 17-2 campaign.

Doug Mills / Associated Press

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