1987_Washington_Redskins_season
1987 Washington Redskins season
NFL team season (won Super Bowl)
The 1987 season was the Washington Redskins' strike-shortened 56th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 52nd in Washington, D.C., and their seventh under head coach Joe Gibbs. The season was a shortened season due to the 1987 NFL strike.
| 1987 Washington Redskins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jack Kent Cooke |
| General manager | Bobby Beathard |
| Head coach | Joe Gibbs |
| Home field | RFK Stadium |
| Local radio | WMAL |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (at Bears) 21–17 Won NFC Championship (vs. Vikings) 17–10 Won Super Bowl XXII (vs. Broncos) 42–10 |
| Pro Bowlers | 3
|
| AP All-Pros | 5
|
| |
The team had finished second in the NFC East the previous season with a 12–4 record. Games to be played during the third week of the season were canceled, and replacement players were used to play games from weeks 4 through 6.
The Redskins won the NFC East with an 11–4 record. The Redskins defeated the Denver Broncos 42–10 to win Super Bowl XXII. It was the Redskins' second Super Bowl win in six seasons, and coincidentally, their second Super Bowl win in a strike-season.[1]
Redskins quarterback Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl and was the only one to have emerged victorious until Russell Wilson won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seattle Seahawks.[2]
By virtue of the Redskins' 17–10 victory over Minnesota in the NFC title game, head coach Joe Gibbs earned his 10th playoff victory. He surpassed the legendary Vince Lombardi, who had retired after his 9th playoff victory and (coincidentally) later coached the Redskins for one season. Also ironic was the rumor that, following a disastrous 5-9-1 season, Green Bay would hire Gibbs to replace the dismissed Forrest Gregg. However, after the game, Gibbs would deny that he was interested.[3]
While the replacement Skins all received large playoff shares for their part in the 1987 season, the only replacement player to receive a Super Bowl ring was wide receiver Anthony Allen, because he was on the active roster during the postseason (and made one reception in the NFC title game vs. Minnesota). On March 8, 2018, the Redskins announced that they would honor the replacement players from the 1987 team with Super Bowl XXII rings.[4]
NFL draft
| 1987 Washington Redskins draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 30 | Brian Davis | CB | Nebraska | from Indianapolis |
| 2 | 48 | Wally Kleine | OT | Notre Dame | from LA Raiders |
| 5 | 117 | Timmy Smith | RB | Texas Tech | |
| 6 | 144 | Steve Gage | S | Tulsa | |
| 6 | 164 | Ed Simmons | OT | Eastern Washington | |
| 7 | 192 | Johnny Thomas | CB | Baylor | |
| 8 | 219 | Clarence Vaughn | S | Northern Illinois | |
| 9 | 248 | Alfred Jenkins | RB | Arizona | |
| 10 | 274 | Ted Wilson | WR | UCF | |
| 11 | 304 | Laron Brown | WR | Texas | |
| 12 | 331 | Ray Hitchcock | C | Minnesota | |
| Made roster | |||||
Staff
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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NFL replacement players
After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:
| 1987 Washington Redskins replacement roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| ||||
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
| ||||||
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 23–17 | 1–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | vs Green Bay Packers | W 33–0 | 2–0 | Camp Randall Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 29 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 10–17 | 2–1 | Tampa Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 5 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 26–14 | 3–1 | Anaheim Stadium | Recap |
In 1987, Redskins starting QB Jay Schroeder got injured early in the opening game against the Eagles and was replaced by Williams, who led the team to victory.[5] In his NFL debut, replacement player Ed Rubbert passed for 334 yards.[5] Rubbert also threw three touchdown passes to Anthony Allen. Allen would have 255 receiving yards.[5]
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Redskins | 10 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 52,128
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and John Madden
- Box score
Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,982
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dick Vermeil
- Box score
Week 3: vs. New England Patriots (Canceled)
The Redskins were scheduled to host the New England Patriots, but a players' strike was called following the conclusion of week 2. The week 3 slate of games were cancelled as a result. Games would resume the following week with team rosters mostly made up of replacement players.
Week 4: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Redskins | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C)
- Game attendance: 27,728
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Joe Theismann
- Box score
In the first game since the start of the strike, Washington hosted divisional rival St. Louis. The Cardinals' roster had a few players that crossed the picket line, while the Redskins' roster was completely made up of replacement players. Wide receiver Anthony Allen finished the game with 255 receiving yards, breaking the franchise record for receiving yards in a single game.[6]
Week 5: at New York Giants
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 3 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Giants | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 9,123
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
- Box score
Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Date: October 19
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT/8:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,415
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
- Box score
Days before the game, the players' strike was ended. However, the replacement players were still in use week six due to an owner-induced deadline for the regular players to return, with the union missing the deadline. Washington traveled to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on ABC's Monday Night Football in what would be the last game to feature the replacement players. The Redskins' roster consisted entirely of replacement players while the Cowboys had several players that crossed the picket line, including star defensive tackle Randy White and running back Tony Dorsett. With the strike over, Washington was only one of two franchises to not have any players cross the picket line, with the other being the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Redskins would sign some of the replacement players to the regular roster. Players of note include wide receiver Anthony Allen and tight end Craig McEwen.
Week 7: vs. New York Jets
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 53,497
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Joe Namath
- Box score
In the first game with its regular players since week 2, Washington hosted the New York Jets. Washington's offense struggled throughout most of the game, with fans booing the team and demanding that the replacement players be put into the game. The Redskins would comeback in the fourth quarter to defeat the Jets 17–16, with kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh kicking the game-winning field goal with just under a minute left to play.
Week 8: at Buffalo Bills
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,640
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Terry Bradshaw
- Box score
Week 9: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,609
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Terry Bradshaw
- Box score
Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Redskins | 0 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C)
- Game attendance: 53,593
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dick Vermeil
- Box score
Week 11: vs. Los Angeles Rams
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 14 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 30 |
| Redskins | 9 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 23
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C)
- Game attendance: 53,614
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
- Box score
Week 12: vs. New York Giants
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 23 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 45,815
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
- Box score
Week 13: at St. Louis Cardinals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 10 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 34 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 31,324
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Joe Theismann
- Box score
Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 20 |
| Redskins | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: December 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,882
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
- Box score
Week 15: at Miami Dolphins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: December 20
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,715
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Roy Firestone and Larry Csonka
- Box score
Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: December 26
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (played indoors)
- Game attendance: 59,160
- TV: CBS
- Box score
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Washington Redskins(3) | 11 | 4 | 0 | .733 | 7–1 | 9–3 | 379 | 285 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 340 | 348 | W2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 3–5 | 7–7 | 362 | 368 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 3–5 | 4–7 | 337 | 380 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 9 | 0 | .400 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 280 | 312 | W2 |
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Schedule
| Playoff Round | Date | Opponent (Seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFC Divisional Playoffs | January 10, 1988 | at Chicago Bears (2) | W 21–17 | 1–0 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 17, 1988 | Minnesota Vikings (5) | W 17–10 | 2–0 | RFK Stadium | Recap |
| Super Bowl XXII | January 31, 1988 | Denver Broncos (A1) | W 42–10 | 3–0 | Jack Murphy Stadium | Recap |
Game summaries
Divisional Rounds at Chicago Bears
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: January 10, 1988
- Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
- Game weather: 4 °F (−16 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,268
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
- Box score
After a first-round bye, Washington's playoff run began in the divisional round at Chicago. The Bears were the NFC's 2nd-seed, having finished the regular season at 11–4 and winning the NFC Central. Chicago jumped out to a 14–0 lead, but Washington would score 21 unanswered points, winning the game 21–17.
NFC Championship vs. Minnesota Vikings
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: January 17, 1988
- Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C)
- Game attendance: 55,212
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
- Box score
After defeating the Bears in the divisional round, the Redskins hosted the surprising Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship. Minnesota just scraped into the playoffs, finishing the regular season 8–7, earning the NFC's fifth and final seed. The Vikings finished the regular season losing three of their last four, but pulled off two major upsets once the playoffs started. Minnesota defeated the 12–3 New Orleans Saints 44–10 in the wild card round, then took down the NFC's top seed, the San Francisco 49ers, 36–24 in the divisional round.
Washington would end Minnesota's run of upsets, limiting the Vikings' run game to only 76 yards and sacked quarterback Wade Wilson eight times. The Vikings' defense would limit Doug Williams, who finished the game only completing 9 passes on 26 attempts for 119 yards. The Redskins' defense prevented a game-tying touchdown in the final minute of regulation to give Washington the 17–10 victory and send the team to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in franchise history.
Super Bowl XXII
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 35 | 0 | 7 | 42 |
| Broncos | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: January 31, 1988
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 73,302
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
- Box score
After defeating the Vikings in the NFC championship, the Redskins faced off against the AFC champion Denver Broncos, who were making their second-straight Super Bowl appearance. The Broncos faced off against the Browns in the AFC Championship Game, with Denver having a 38–31 lead in the waning minutes of the game. The Browns drove down the field and looked like they would score the game-tying touchdown, but running back Earnest Byner was stripped of the ball at the goal line by Bronco cornerback Jeremiah Castille and recovered the ball for Denver. This was the Redskins' fourth Super Bowl appearance and the third overall for the Broncos.
The Broncos jumped out to a 10–0 first quarter lead, with Denver finishing the quarter with 142 yards against Washington's 64. Starting quarterback Doug Williams briefly exited the game late in the first quarter and early in the second due to a possible leg injury, with Jay Schroeder entering the game. Williams's return to the game ignited a spark in the Redskins' offense, scoring 35-straight points to lead 35–10 at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Washington would score the last points of the game in the fourth to go up 42–10. After a slow first quarter, the team would score 42 unanswered points and gained 602 yards of total offense.
Williams was named the game's MVP, finishing 18-of-29 for 340 yards, with four touchdowns, and one interception, breaking the Super Bowl record for most passing yards. Washington broke other Super Bowl records, including most rushing yards by a player (Timmy Smith, with 204), most receiving yards by a player (Ricky Sanders, with 193), and most extra points made (Ali Haji-Sheikh, with 6). The 45 combined points scored in the first half set the record for most points scored in a half, while the 7 points scored in the second half set the record for the fewest points scored in a half. This was Washington's second Super Bowl victory, having previously won Super Bowl XVII 27–17 over the Miami Dolphins.
Team
| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 28) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing offense | 3,495 | 233.0 | 4th |
| Rushing offense | 2,102 | 140.1 | 7th |
| Total offense | 5,597 | 373.1 | 3rd |
| Passing defense | 3,343 | 222.9 | 24th |
| Rushing defense | 1,679 | 111.9 | 10th |
| Total defense | 5,022 | 334.8 | 18th |
Individual
| Category | Player | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | |||
| Passing yards | Jay Schroeder | 1,878 | |
| Passing touchdowns | Jay Schroeder | 12 | |
| Rushing yards | George Rogers | 613 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | George Rogers | 6 | |
| Receiving yards | Gary Clark | 1,066 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | Gary Clark | 7 | |
| Defense | |||
| Tackles | Monte Coleman | 107 | |
| Sacks | Charles Mann | 9.5 | |
| Interceptions | Barry Wilburn | 9 | |
- The 1982 season also had a players' strike
- As of the 2014 season, he is one of only two African-American quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl, the other being Russell Wilson; Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb and Cam Newton have all started at quarterback in the Super Bowl, but each of the three lost their Super Bowl appearance.
- Sports Illustrated, Oct. 27, 2008, p.24, Vol. 109, No. 16
- McKenna, Dave (October 20, 2010). "Anthony Allen, Redskins Record-Holding Receiver, Gets Bounced From High School Job". Washington City Paper. Retrieved August 20, 2023.