NFL Team by Team Guide: Washington Commanders
The Washington franchise was founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves. A year later, the franchise was renamed the Redskins and in 1937 moved to Washington, D.C. where it has been ever since. Washington has had two periods – 1936 to 1945 and 1982 to 1991 – of great success in franchise history.
Other than those two periods, the franchise has struggled. Since winning a Super Bowl following the end of the 1991 season, Washington has had just nine winning seasons and only made the postseason six times. The franchise’s nickname, the Redskins, was a point of controversy over the years. The team finally retired the name in 2020.
Washington games are broadcast regionally on FOX Sports and CBS. National broadcasts, like Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football, can be seen on NBC Sports, ESPN, and the NFL Network. Washington fans can watch nearly the complete Washington schedule via live streaming on services such as fuboTV, HULU, and Amazon Prime Video.
Commanders' Home
Upon moving to D.C., Washington played in the old Griffith Stadium up until 1960 when they moved into RFK Stadium. In 1997, the team moved into its new and current home FedEx Field, which was originally known as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. From 2004 to 2010, FedEx Field had the largest seating capacity (91,000) of any stadium in the NFL. Currently, it seats 82,000 for home games.
Championship History
Washington has had 24 appearances in the NFL playoffs. Fourteen of those playoff berths were secured by winning a division title. Washington has won a total of five conference championships (1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, and 1991). The franchise has played in five Super Bowls and has won three (1982, 1987, and 1991). Washington also won NFL championships in 1937 and 1942 prior to the AFL-NFL merger.
Best of the Washington Commanders
“Slingin’” Sammy Baugh was a brilliant two-way player who was Washington’s quarterback from 1937 to 1952. He led the franchise to two NFL titles in 1937 and 1942 and earned seven first-team All-Pro honors. Baugh led the NFL in passing four times and was also the league’s leader in interceptions in 1943. He was one of the game’s first great passers and was part of the original charter Pro Football Hall of Fame class in 1963.
John Riggins was the sixth overall pick of the franchise in the 1971 NFL draft. A tough, bruising runner, Riggins led the league in rushing touchdowns twice (1983, 1984), and was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1978. Riggins led Washington to Super Bowl XVII after the strike-shortened 1982 season. He was the game’s MVP with 166 yards rushing and a touchdown in the team’s win over Miami. Riggins was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 1992.
It was head coach Joe Gibbs that led Washington to its most successful period in franchise history. Gibbs did two stints with Washington; the first from 1981 to 1992 was extremely successful. The team won five NFC East Division titles and made the NFL playoffs eight times. Gibbs led the franchise to all three of its Super Bowl victories (1982, 1987, and 1991).
Author: Dan Anderson