1987 Washington Redskins season

NFL team season (won Super Bowl) August 2023 March 2026 Washington Redskins 1987 11–4 1st NFC East Joe Gibbs Bobby Beathard Jack Kent Cooke John Kent Cooke Joe Bugel Richie Petitbon RFK Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(at Bears) 21–17Won NFC Championship(vs. Vikings) 17–10Won Super Bowl XXII(vs. Broncos) 42–10 3 WR Gary Clark DE Charles Mann CB Darrell Green 5 WR Gary Clark (1st team) OT Joe Jacoby (1st team) DE Charles Mann (2nd team) CB Darrell Green (1st team) CB Barry Wilburn (1st team) Redskins seasons thumb|right|Redskins guard Raleigh McKenzie covering an opponent on the Broncos during Super Bowl XXII. The 1987 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's strike season. The 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. 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; every union member on the team joined the strike, making them the only team to have no one break.Cohen Rich The scabs who paved the way for the Redskins’ 1987 Super Bowl title SI.com 2015-11-03 https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/11/03/washington-redskins-scabs-super-bowl-xxii 2025-03-08 The replacement team was dubbed by fans as the Washington Scabskins.Weber Greta 2017-05-26 An ESPN Documentary About the 1987 Redskins Replacement Players Is the Ultimate Underdog Story You’ve Never Heard https://washingtonian.com/2017/05/26/espn-30-for-30-documentary-year-of-the-scab-washington-redskins/ 2026-08-27 Washingtonian en-US 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.The 1982 season also had a players' strike 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.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. 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.http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1988/02/01/page/27/article/gibbs-squashes-packer-rumors/ Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s Offseason NFL draft 1987 NFL draft 1987 Washington Redskins 2 30 Brian Davis CB Nebraska from Indianapolis yes 2 48 Wally Kleine OT Notre Dame from LA Raiders yes 5 117 Timmy Smith RB Texas Tech yes 6 144 Steve Gage S Tulsa yes 6 164 Ed Simmons OT Eastern Washington yes 7 192 Johnny Thomas CB Baylor yes 8 219 Clarence Vaughn S Northern Illinois yes 9 248 Alfred Jenkins RB Arizona 10 274 Ted Wilson WR UCF 11 304 Laron Brown WR Texas 12 331 Ray Hitchcock C Minnesota yes no no Undrafted free agents + 1987 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeDarrick BrilzOffensive tackle Oregon StateMark CarlsonOffensive tackle Southern Connecticut StateEric CoyleCenterColoradoKeith RadecicCenterPenn StateEd RubbertQuarterbackLouisvilleTed RomneyOffensive tackle MissouriNorries WilsonOffensive tackleMinnesota Personnel Staff / Coaches 1987 Washington Redskins Owner – Jack Kent Cooke Executive Vice President - John Kent Cooke Senior Vice President - Gerard T. Gabrys Director of Player Personnel - Dick Daniels Director of Pro Scouting - Kirk Mee General manager – Bobby Beathard Assistant General Manager - Bobby Mitchell Assistant General Manager - Charley Casserly Administrative assistant – Bill Hickman Head coach – Joe Gibbs Offensive coordinator – Dan Henning Quarterbacks – Jerry Rhome Running backs – Don Breaux Wide receivers – Charley Taylor Assistant wide receivers – Dan Henning Tight ends – Rennie Simmons Offensive line – Joe Bugel Co-defensive coordinator – Larry Peccatiello Co-defensive coordinator – Richie Petitbon Defensive line – LaVern Torgeson Special teams coordinator – Chuck Banker Strength coach – Joe Diange Conditioning coach – Dan Riley https://archive.org/details/redskins-1987-media-guide-washington-c/page/n3/mode/2up 1987 Washington Redskins Media Guide Washington Redskins Archive.org (6)https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1987.htm 1987 Washington Redskins Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com NFL replacement players After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled: 1987 Washington Redskins replacement rosterQuarterbacks 15 Tony Robinson American football 16 Ed Rubbert y -- Kevin Sisk 11 Jack Stanley American football Running backs -- Von Allen 31 Allen Harvin -- Walter Holman -- Ricky Jemison 21 Tim Jessie y 20 Lionel Vital Wide receivers 30 Anthony Allen wide receiver 84 Keiron Bigby y 83 Richard Johnson wide receiver -- Mike Miller American football -- Mike Rice American football 88 Derrick Shepard wide receiver y -- Carl Williams American football 80 Ted Wilson American football y Tight ends 89 Glenn Dennison 87 K. D. Dunn 83 Craig McEwen y -- Kevin Starks 85 Dave Truitt y 48 Marvin Williams American football -- Glenn BodnarOffensive linemen 75 Darrick Brilz y G 79 Mark Carlson offensive tackle y T 54 John Cowne C 56 Eric Coyle y C 76 Frank Frazier G 62 Phil Pettey G 61 Willard Scissum T -- Don Tucker no 60 Mike Wooten American football Defensive linemen 95 Dan Benish 96 Alec Gibson 99 Ted Karras Jr. y 94 Anthony Sagnella DT -- Robert Scott American football 67 Steve Thompson defensive tackle, born 1965 y DTLinebackers -- Jeff Braswell 92 Derek Bunch 57 Anthony Copeland 90 Bobby Curtis American football -- Jon Kimmel 50 Carlton Rose 91 Tony Settles y 59 Eric Wilson linebacker, born 1962 58 Dave Windham Defensive backs 22 Danny Burmeister y S 36 Joe Cofer SS 25 Dave Etherly y CB 37 Charles Jackson defensive back SS -- Eric Jeffries 34 Garry Kimble American football CB 39 Skip Lane FS 46 Mike Mitchell cornerback CB -- Dennis Woodberry Special teams  8 Brendan Toibin K  2 Jack Weil American football P Roster 1987 Washington Redskins 11 Mark Rypien 10 Jay Schroeder 17 Doug Williams quarterback 29 Reggie Branch 24 Kelvin Bryant 35 Keith Griffin American football 38 George Rogers American football 36 Timmy Smith y 89 Anthony Allen wide receiver 84 Gary Clark American football 83 Ricky Sanders 89 Clarence Verdin 80 Eric Yarber 88 Joe Caravello 86 Clint Didier 82 Anthony Jones American football 87 Terry Orr 85 Don Warren 53 Jeff Bostic C 68 Russ Grimm C 66 Joe Jacoby LT 61 Rick Kehr G 73 Mark May RT 63 Raleigh McKenzie G 69 R.C. Thielemann G 65 Dave Butz DT 77 Darryl Grant DT 78 Dean Hamel DT 64 Steve Hamilton American football DE 74 Markus Koch DE 72 Dexter Manley DE 71 Charles Mann DE American football 50 Ravin Caldwell OLB 51 Monte Coleman OLB 54 Kurt Gouveia MLB 55 Mel Kaufman OLB 57 Rich Milot MLB 52 Neal Olkewicz MLB 23 Todd Bowles FS 34 Brian Davis American football y CB 32 Vernon Dean CB 48 Steve Gage y FS 28 Darrell Green CB 41 Tim Morrison American football CB 40 Alvin Walton SS 45 Barry Wilburn CB 46 Dennis Woodberry CB 12 Steve Cox P American football 58 David Jones offensive lineman LS  6 Ali Haji-Sheikh K  4 Jess Atkinson K IR 95 Dan Benish DT IR 75 Darrick Brilz y G IR 79 Mark Carlson offensive tackle y OT IR -- Anthony Copeland LB IR 56 Eric Coyle y C IR 59 Ray Hitchcock y C IR -- Wally Kleine y T IR 67 Kit Lathrop DE IR -- Craig McEwen y TE IR 60 Dan McQuaid OT IR 81 Art Monk WR IR 97 Albert Reese tight end y TE IR -- Kenneth Robinson y LB IR linebacker 76 Ed Simmons y OT IR -- Chris Spachman y DT IR 47 Johnny Thomas cornerback y CB IR 31 Clarence Vaughn y S IR Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 14, 1987 Pittsburgh Steelers W 23–171–0 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 2 August 22, 1987 vs Green Bay PackersW 33–02–0 Camp Randall StadiumRecap 3 August 29, 1987at Tampa Bay BuccaneersL 10–172–1 Tampa StadiumRecap 4 September 5, 1987 at Los Angeles Rams W 26–143–1 Anaheim StadiumRecap Regular season 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. In his NFL debut, replacement player Ed Rubbert passed for 334 yards.Sports Illustrated, Oct. 27, 2008, p.24, Vol. 109, No. 16 Rubbert also threw three touchdown passes to Anthony Allen. Allen would have 255 receiving yards. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 13 Philadelphia EaglesW 34–24 1–0Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 2 September 20, 1987 at Atlanta FalconsL 20–21 1–1 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Recap - September 27 New England Patriots Cancelled due to the 1987 NFL strike † 3 October 4 St. Louis Cardinals W 28–21 2–1 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 4 October 11 at New York Giants W 38–12 3–1 Giants Stadium Recap 5 October 19, 1987 at Dallas Cowboys W 13–7 4–1 Texas Stadium Recap 6 October 25 New York Jets W 17–16 5–1 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 7 November 1, 1987 at Buffalo Bills W 27–7 6–1 Rich Stadium Recap 8 November 8 at Philadelphia Eagles L 27–31 6–2 Veterans Stadium Recap 9 November 15 Detroit Lions W 20–13 7–2 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 10 November 23, 1987 Los Angeles Rams L 26–30 7–3 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 11 November 29 New York Giants W 23–19 8–3 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 12 December 6 at St. Louis Cardinals W 34–17 9–3 Busch Memorial Stadium Recap 13 December 13 Dallas Cowboys W 24–20 10–3 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap 14 December 20 at Miami Dolphins L 21–23 10–4 Joe Robbie Stadium Recap 15 December 26, 1987 at Minnesota Vikings W 27–24 (OT) 11–4 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Recap Regular season summaries Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 1: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins – Game summary September 13 1:00 p.m. EDT Eagles 0 10 14 0 Redskins 10 7 7 10 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 52,128 74 F C Dick Jorgensen CBS Verne Lundquist and John Madden Box score First quarter WAS – Jess Atkinson 27-yard field goal, 11:30. Redskins 3–0. WAS – Art Monk 6-yard pass from Doug Williams (Jess Atkinson kick), 4:18. Redskins 10–0. Second quarter PHI – Mike Quick 30-yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Paul McFadden kick), 10:58. Redskins 10–7. PHI – Paul McFadden 43-yard field goal, 5:32. Tied 10–10. WAS – George Rogers 1-yard run (Steve Cox kick), 0:38. Redskins 17–10. Third quarter WAS – Reggie Branch 1-yard run (Steve Cox kick), 11:12. Redskins 24–10. PHI – Randall Cunningham 2-yard run (Paul McFadden kick), 4:19. Redskins 24–17. PHI – Reggie White 70-yard fumble return (Paul McFadden kick), 0:08. Tied 24–24. Fourth quarter WAS – Art Monk 39-yard pass from Doug Williams (Steve Cox kick), 14:53. Redskins 31–24. WAS – Steve Cox 40-yard field goal, 5:20. Redskins 34–24. Top passers PHI – Randall Cunningham – 21/36, 269 yards, TD, 2 INT WAS – Doug Williams – 17/27, 272 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PHI – Michael Haddix – 14 rushes, 60 yards WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 7 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers PHI – John Spagnola – 6 receptions, 61 yards WAS – Gary Clark – 8 receptions, 102 yards Week 2 (Sunday, September 20, 1987): at Atlanta Falcons The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-21. Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 2: Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary September 20, 1987 1:00 p.m. EDT Redskins (1–1) 7 0 6 7 Falcons (1–1) 7 0 7 7 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia 50,982 70 F C, relative humidity 67%, wind 10 mph km/h knots Ben Dreith CBS Verne Lundquist (play-by-play) and Dick Vermeil (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons – September 20, 1987 right Washington Redskins WSH Atlanta Falcons ATL Doug Williams 18/30, 198 YDS, 3 TDs, 2 INTs Keith Griffin 14 CAR, 73 YDS Kelvin Bryant 6 REC, 76 YDS, TD Scott Campbell 17/34, 271 YDS, 2 TDs, INT Gerald Riggs 23 CAR, 130 YDS, TD Ken Whisenhunt 6 REC, 68 YDS WSH ATL collapsed 1 7:11 Redskins RecTD Bryant Williams 17 good Haji-Sheikh 7 0 1 1:29 Falcons RecTD Dixon Campbell 22 good Luckhurst 7 7 3 8:56 Redskins RecTD Clark Williams 18 no good Haji-Sheikh 13 7 3 5:13 Falcons RecTD Bailey Campbell 23 good Luckhurst 13 14 4 11:48 Redskins RecTD Monk Williams 6 good Haji-Sheikh 20 14 4 6:47 Falcons RushTD Riggs 4 good Luckhurst 20 21 20 21 Point spread: Redskins –6½ Over/under: 41.5 (under) Time of game: RedskinsGame statisticsFalcons21 First downs 1832–145 Rushes–yards 29–125198 Passing yards 27118–30–2 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 17–34–11–8 Sacked–yards 1–2190 Net passing yards 269325 Total yards 394111 Return yards 775–51.6 Punts Number–Average yardage 6–46.52–1 Fumbles–lost 2–05–54 Penalties–yards 8–5033:02 Time of possession 26:58 Individual stats Redskins Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateWilliams18/3019832193585.1 Redskins Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Griffin1473013Bryant1570012Branch1303Williams1303Monk1−40−4 Redskins ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Bryant676135Sanders445014Clark352129Monk21216Dennison2805Yarber1505 Redskins KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPAHaji-Sheikh0–12–3 Missed Field Goals: Haji-Sheikh 33 Redskins PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckCox525851.6 Redskins Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngGriffin3289.300 Redskins Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngYarber46115.300 Redskins SacksSacksHamilton1.0 Redskins InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDWilburn1220220 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 Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 4: St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Redskins – Game summary October 4 1:00 p.m. EDT Cardinals 0 7 7 7 Redskins 7 7 14 0 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 27,728 50 F C Jerry Seeman CBS Tim Ryan and Joe Theismann Box score First quarter WAS – Anthony Allen 34-yard pass from Ed Rubbert (Brendan Toibin kick), 1:20. Redskins 7–0. Second quarter STL – Earl Ferrell 1-yard run (Jason Staurovsky kick), 9:28. Tied 7–7. WAS – Anthony Allen 88-yard pass from Ed Rubbert (Brendan Toibin kick), 9:05. Redskins 14–7. Third quarter STL – Earl Ferrell 1-yard run (Jason Staurovsky kick), 8:01. Tied 14–14. WAS – Lionel Vital 8-yard run (Brendan Toibin kick), 5:24. Redskins 21–14. WAS – Anthony Allen 48-yard pass from Ed Rubbert (Brendan Toibin kick), 2:02. Redskins 28–14. Fourth quarter STL – Pete Noga 60-yard interception return (Jason Staurovsky kick), 12:17. Redskins 28–21. Top passers STL – Shawn Halloran – 16/35, 258 yards WAS – Ed Rubbert – 14/24, 334 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers STL – Earl Ferrell – 27 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD WAS – Lionel Vital – 27 rushes, 82 yards, TD Top receivers STL – J. T. Smith – 6 receptions, 116 yards WAS – Anthony Allen – 7 receptions, 255 yards, 3 TD 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.Washington City Paper McKenna Dave https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/469459/anthony-allen-redskins-record-holding-receiver-gets-bounced-from-high-school-job/ Anthony Allen, Redskins Record-Holding Receiver, Gets Bounced From High School Job October 20, 2010 August 20, 2023 Week 5: at New York Giants Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 5: Washington Redskins at New York Giants – Game summary October 11 4:00 p.m. EDT Redskins 3 21 7 7 Giants 3 0 9 0 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 9,123 52 F C Tom Dooley CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden Box score First quarter NYG – George Benyola 45-yard field goal, 11:48. Giants 3–0. WAS – Obed Ariri 22-yard field goal, 6:57. Tied 3–3. Second quarter WAS – Wayne Wilson 1-yard run (Obed Ariri kick), 9:50. Redskins 10–3. WAS – Lionel Vital 22-yard run (Obed Ariri kick), 5:05. Redskins 17–3. WAS – Wayne Wilson 3-yard run (Obed Ariri kick), 1:15. Redskins 24–3. Third quarter NYG – Edwin Lovelady 23-yard pass from Mike Busch (kick failed), 10:54. Redskins 24–9. WAS – Wayne Wilson 64-yard pass from Ed Rubbert (Obed Ariri kick), 9:36. Redskins 31–9. NYG – George Beynola 20-yard field goal, 6:02. Redskins 31–12. Fourth quarter WAS – Tim Jessie 14-yard run (Obed Ariri kick), 1:55. Redskins 38–12. Top passers WAS – Ed Rubbert – 11/23, 176 yards, TD NYG – Mike Busch – 14/41, 183 yards, TD, INT Top rushers WAS – Lionel Vital – 27 rushes, 128 yards, TD NYG – Van Williams – 12 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers WAS – Anthony Allen – 4 receptions, 51 yards NYG – Lewis Bennett – 4 receptions, 66 yards Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 6: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary October 19, 1987 9:00 p.m. EDT/8:00 p.m. CDT Redskins 3 0 7 3 Cowboys 0 0 7 0 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 60,415 67 F C Pat Haggerty ABC Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf Box score First quarter WAS – Obed Ariri 19-yard field goal, 8:49. Redskins 3–0. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter WAS – Ted Wilson 16-yard run (Obed Ariri kick), 10:35. Redskins 10–0. DAL – Kelvin Edwards 23-yard pass from Danny White (Kerry Brady kick), 8:10. Redskins 10–7. Fourth quarter WAS – Obed Ariri 39-yard field goal, 6:13. Redskins 13–7. Top passers WAS – Tony Robinson – 11/15, 152 yards, 2 INT DAL – Danny White – 21/36, 262 yards, TD, INT Top rushers WAS – Lionel Vital – 26 rushes, 136 yards DAL – Tony Dorsett – 19 rushes, 81 yards Top receivers WAS – Craig McEwen – 7 receptions, 108 yards DAL – Kelvin Edwards – 6 receptions, 104 yards, TD 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 Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 7: New York Jets at Washington Redskins – Game summary October 25 1:00 p.m. EST Jets 0 3 10 3 Redskins 0 7 0 10 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 53,497 56 F C Dick Hantak NBC Marv Albert and Joe Namath Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter WAS – Gary Clark 20-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 11:21. Redskins 7–0. NYJ – Pat Leahy 33-yard field goal, 2:25. Redskins 7–3. Third quarter NYJ – Pat Leahy 23-yard field goal, 7:39. Redskins 7–6. NYJ – Mickey Shuler 15-yard pass from Ken O'Brien (Pat Leahy kick), 0:06. Jets 13–7. Fourth quarter NYJ – Pat Leahy 21-yard field goal, 10:38. Jets 16–7. WAS – Kelvin Bryant 2-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 5:15. Jets 16–14. WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 28-yard field goal, 0:54. Redskins 17–16. Top passers NYJ – Ken O'Brien – 18/27, 174 yards, TD, INT WAS – Jay Schroeder – 15/38, 275 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers NYJ – Roger Vick – 4 rushes, 29 yards WAS – Keith Griffin – 20 rushes, 79 yards Top receivers NYJ – Al Toon – 9 receptions, 97 yards WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 4 receptions, 67 yards, TD 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 come back 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 (Sunday, November 1, 1987): at Buffalo Bills The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-23. Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center Week 8: Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary collapsed November 1, 1987 1:00 p.m. EST Redskins (6–1) 3 14 10 0 Bills (3–4) 0 0 0 7 Rich Stadium • Orchard Park, New York 71,640 44 F C, relative humidity 74%, wind 7 mph km/h knots Jerry Markbreit CBS Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Terry Bradshaw (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills – November 1, 1987 right Washington Redskins WSH Buffalo Bills BUF Jay Schroeder 11/18, 132 YDS, 2 TDs George Rogers 30 CAR, 125 YDS Art Monk 5 REC, 38 YDS Jim Kelly 25/43, 292 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs Robb Riddick 6 CAR, 19 YDS Andre Reed 8 REC, 108 YDS, 1 TD WSH BUF collapsed 1 10:45 Redskins FG 30 Haji-Sheikh 3 0 2 14:53 Redskins RecTD Bryant Schroeder 12 good Haji-Sheikh 10 0 2 7:06 Redskins RushTD Schroeder 13 good Haji-Sheikh 17 0 3 10:02 Redskins RecTD Bryant Schroeder 7 good Haji-Sheikh 24 0 3 2:29 Redskins FG 33 Haji-Sheikh 27 0 4 14:57 Bills RecTD Reed Kelly 17 good Norwood 27 7 27 7 Point spread: Redskins –3½ Over/under: 45.0 (under) Time of game: RedskinsGame statisticsBills24 First downs 1453–299 Rushes–yards 10–21132 Passing yards 29211–18–0 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 25–43–32–25 Sacked–yards 3–33107 Net passing yards 259406 Total yards 28092 Return yards 745–44.4 Punts Number–Average yardage 5–41.62–1 Fumbles–lost 2–16–45 Penalties–yards 7–5540:58 Time of possession 19:02 Individual stats Redskins Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateScheoeder11/181322022551120.6 Redskins Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Rogers30125014Smith754016Monk354026Bryant946015Schroeder315113Griffin1505 Redskins ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Monk538011Bryant319212Clark272051Rogers13035 Redskins KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPAHaji-Sheikh2–23–3 Redskins PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckCox522244.4 Redskins Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngGriffin11515.000 Redskins Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngYarber22512.500 Redskins SacksSacksManley2.0Milot1.0 Redskins InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDColeman1280280Bowles1240240Wilburn10000 Week 9: at Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 9: Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary November 8 1:00 p.m. EST Redskins 7 14 0 6 Eagles 7 10 0 14 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 63,609 52 F C Fred Wyant CBS Dick Stockton and Terry Bradshaw Box score First quarter PHI – Anthony Toney 3-yard run (Paul McFadden kick), 8:50. Eagles 7–0. WAS – George Rogers 3-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 3:41. Tied 7–7. Second quarter WAS – Art Monk 19-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 8:56. Redskins 14–7. WAS – Darrell Green 26-yard fumble return (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 5:25. Redskins 21–7. PHI – Paul McFadden 37-yard field goal, 2:33. Redskins 21–10. PHI – Mike Quick 6-yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Paul McFadden kick), 0:14. Redskins 21–17. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter PHI – Mike Quick 32-yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Paul McFadden kick), 7:13. Eagles 24–21. WAS – Gary Clark 47-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (kick failed), 2:29. Redskins 27–24. PHI – Gregg Garrity 40-yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Paul McFadden kick), 1:06. Eagles 31–27. Top passers WAS – Jay Schroeder – 16/46, 265 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT PHI – Randall Cunningham – 18/31, 268 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT Top rushers WAS – George Rogers – 19 rushes, 80 yards, TD PHI – Anthony Toney – 20 rushes, 87 yards, TD Top receivers WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 5 receptions, 57 yards PHI – Anthony Toney – 6 receptions, 38 yards Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 10: Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins – Game summary November 15 1:00 p.m. EST Lions 3 0 10 0 Redskins 0 17 3 0 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 53,593 49 F C Ben Dreith CBS Verne Lundquist and Dick Vermeil Box score First quarter DET – Eddie Murray 40-yard field goal, 7:16. Lions 3–0. Second quarter WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 33-yard field goal, 14:51. Tied 3–3. WAS – Kelvin Bryant 16-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 2:27. Redskins 10–3. WAS – Gary Clark 42-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 0:27. Redskins 17–3. Third quarter DET – Eddie Murray 41-yard field goal, 11:18. Redskins 17–6. WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 41-yard field goal, 5:37. Redskins 20–6. DET – Karl Bernard 2-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 1:51. Redskins 20–13. Top passers DET – Chuck Long – 23/37, 249 yards, 4 INT WAS – Doug Williams – 11/18, 161 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DET – James Jones – 16 rushes, 53 yards WAS – George Rogers – 9 rushes, 56 yards Top receivers DET – Jeff Chadwick – 7 receptions, 94 yards WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 5 receptions, 42 yards, TD Week 11: vs. Los Angeles Rams Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 11: Los Angeles Rams at Washington Redskins – Game summary November 23, 1987 9:00 p.m. EST Rams 14 9 7 0 Redskins 9 7 3 7 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 53,614 38 F C ABC Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf Box score First quarter LAR – Mike Wilcher 35-yard fumble return (Mike Lansford kick). Rams 7–0. WAS – Art Monk 17-yard pass from Doug Williams (kick failed). Rams 7–6. WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 22-yard field goal. Redskins 9–7. LAR – Ron Brown 95-yard kickoff return (Mike Lansford kick). Rams 14–9. Second quarter LAR – Mike Lansford 37-yard field goal. Rams 17–9. LAR – Charles White 1-yard run (kick failed). Rams 23–9. WAS – Doug Williams 1-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Rams 23–16. Third quarter WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 29-yard field goal. Rams 23–19. LAR – Ron Brown 26-yard pass from Jim Everett (Mike Lansford kick). Rams 30–19. Fourth quarter WAS – Art Monk 5-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Rams 30–26. Top passers LAR – Jim Everett – 7/13, 106 yards, TD, INT WAS – Doug Williams – 24/46, 308 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers LAR – Charles White – 35 rushes, 112 yards, TD WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 7 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers LAR – Ron Brown – 2 receptions, 39 yards, TD WAS – Art Monk – 5 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TD Week 12: vs. New York Giants Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 12: New York Giants at Washington Redskins – Game summary November 29 4:00 p.m. EST Giants 10 6 3 0 Redskins 0 0 9 14 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 45,815 52 F C Pat Haggerty CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden Box score First quarter NYG – Raúl Allegre 24-yard field goal. Giants 3–0. NYG – Mark Bavaro 30-yard pass from Phil Simms (Raúl Allegre kick). Giants 10–0. Second quarter NYG – Raúl Allegre 42-yard field goal. Giants 13–0. NYG – Raúl Allegre 30-yard field goal. Giants 16–0. Third quarter WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 41-yard field goal. Giants 16–3. NYG – Raúl Allegre 45-yard field goal. Giants 19–3. WAS – Gary Clark 34-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (kick failed). Giants 19–9. Fourth quarter WAS – Keith Griffin 6-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Giants 19–16. WAS – Ricky Sanders 28-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 23–19. Top passers NYG – Phil Simms – 12/29, 236 yards, TD, INT WAS – Jay Schroeder – 28/46, 331 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Joe Morris – 27 rushes, 76 yards WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 11 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers NYG – Tony Galbreath – 4 receptions, 54 yards WAS – Gary Clark – 7 receptions, 112 yards, TD Week 13: at St. Louis Cardinals Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 13: Washington Redskins at St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary December 6 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Redskins 10 0 21 3 Cardinals 0 14 3 0 Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri 31,324 39 F C Tom Dooley CBS Tim Ryan and Joe Theismann Box score First quarter WAS – Gary Clark 84-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 7–0. WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 22-yard field goal. Redskins 10–0. Second quarter STL – Stump Mitchell 3-yard pass from Neil Lomax (Jim Gallery kick). Redskins 10–7. STL – J. T. Smith 4-yard pass from Neil Lomax (Jim Gallery kick). Cardinals 14–10. Third quarter STL – Jim Gallery 48-yard field goal. Cardinals 17–10. WAS – Jay Schroeder 7-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Tied 17–17. WAS – George Rogers 6-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 24–17. WAS – Clint Didier 19-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 31–17. Fourth quarter WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 40-yard field goal. Redskins 34–17. Top passers WAS – Jay Schroeder – 13/25, 235 yards, 2 TD, INT STL – Neil Lomax – 21/39, 241 yards, 2 TD Top rushers WAS – George Rogers – 29 rushes, 133 yards, TD STL – Stump Mitchell – 20 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers WAS – Gary Clark – 5 receptions, 130 yards, TD STL – Roy Green – 6 receptions, 90 yards Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Game summary December 13 1:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 3 0 10 7 Redskins 7 10 7 0 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 54,882 46 F C Gordon McCarter CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden Box score First quarter WAS – George Rogers 1-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 7–0. DAL – Roger Ruzek 22-yard field goal. Redskins 7–3. Second quarter WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 31-yard field goal. Redskins 10–3. WAS – Gary Clark 56-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 17–3. Third quarter WAS – George Rogers 1-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 24–3. DAL – Roger Ruzek 37-yard field goal. Redskins 24–6. DAL – Mike Renfro 25-yard pass from Danny White (Roger Ruzek kick). Redskins 24–13. Fourth quarter DAL – Rod Barksdale 5-yard pass from Danny White (Roger Ruzek kick). Redskins 24–20. Top passers DAL – Danny White – 27/49, 359 yards, 2 TD, INT WAS – Jay Schroeder – 13/26, 250 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DAL – Herschel Walker – 14 rushes, 44 yards WAS – George Rogers – 27 rushes, 64 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DAL – Mike Renfro – 6 receptions, 97 yards, TD WAS – Gary Clark – 9 receptions, 187 yards, TD Week 15: at Miami Dolphins Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 15: Washington Redskins at Miami Dolphins – Game summary December 20 8:00 p.m. EST Redskins 0 7 7 7 Dolphins 0 9 0 14 Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida 65,715 74 F C Fred Wyant ESPN Mike Patrick, Roy Firestone and Larry Csonka Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter MIA – Fuad Reveiz 48-yard field goal. Dolphins 3–0. WAS – Kelvin Bryant 6-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 7–3. MIA – Mark Duper 26-yard pass from Dan Marino (kick failed). Dolphins 9–7. Third quarter WAS – Jay Schroeder 6-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 14–9. Fourth quarter MIA – Mark Duper 59-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick). Dolphins 16–14. WAS – George Rogers 2-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 21–16. MIA – Mark Duper 6-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick). Dolphins 23–21. Top passers WAS – Jay Schroeder – 19/38, 272 yards, INT MIA – Dan Marino – 22/50, 393 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 9 rushes, 84 yards, TD MIA – Troy Stradford – 12 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 5 receptions, 69 yards MIA – Mark Duper – 6 receptions, 170 yards, 3 TD Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 16: Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 26, 1987 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST Redskins 0 7 7 10 3 Vikings 7 0 0 17 0 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 59,160 None (played indoors) CBS Box score First quarter MIN – Alfred Anderson (Chuck Nelson kick). Vikings 7–0. Second quarter WAS – Barry Wilburn 100-yard interception return (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Tied 7–7. Third quarter WAS – Ricky Sanders 46-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 14–7. Fourth quarter MIN – Alfred Anderson 1-yard run (Chuck Nelson kick). Tied 14–14. MIN – Wade Wilson 1-yard run (Chuck Nelson kick). Vikings 21–14. MIN – Chuck Nelson 20-yard field goal. Vikings 24–14. WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 37-yard field goal. Vikings 24–17. WAS – Ricky Sanders 51-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Tied 24–24. Overtime WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 26-yard field goal. Redskins 27–24. Top passers WAS – Doug Williams – 11/22, 217 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIN – Wade Wilson – 14/27, 206 yards, 3 INT Top rushers WAS – George Rogers – 10 rushes, 51 yards MIN – Wade Wilson – 10 rushes, 75 yards, TD Top receivers WAS – Ricky Sanders – 8 receptions, 164 yards, 2 TD MIN – Steve Jordan – 5 receptions, 65 yards Standings Postseason thumb|right|Redskins cornerback Barry Wilburn, pictured in the NFC Championship game, was a key player in Washington's defensive unit who snagged two interceptions during Super Bowl XXII. 1987–88 NFL playoffs Schedule Playoff Round Date Opponent (Seed) Result Record Game site NFL.comrecap Divisional 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 NFC Divisional Playoffs (Sunday, January 10, 1988): at Chicago Bears The Football Database. Retrieved 2026-Jan-24. Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed NFC Divisional Playoffs: (3) Washington Redskins at (2) Chicago Bears – Game summary January 10, 1988 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST Redskins (1–0) 0 14 7 0 Bears (0–1) 7 7 3 0 Soldier Field • Chicago, Illinois 65,268 4 F C, relative humidity 65%, wind 11 mph km/h knots, wind chill -20 F C Pat Haggerty CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator) and Irv Cross (sidelines) Pro Football Reference; NFC Divisional Playoffs – Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears – January 10, 1988 right Washington Redskins WSH Chicago Bears CHI Doug Williams 14/29, YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Timmy Smith 16 CAR, 66 YDS Ricky Sanders 6 REC, 92 YDS Jim McMahon 15/29, 197 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs Walter Payton 18 CAR, 85 YDS Ron Morris 2 REC, 47 YDS, 1 TD WSH CHI collapsed 1 6:23 Bears RushTD Thomas 2 good Butler 0 7 2 8:06 Bears RecTD Morris McMahon 14 good Butler 0 14 2 4:51 Redskins RushTD Rogers 3 good Haji-Sheikh 7 14 2 0:51 Redskins RecTD Didier Williams 14 good Haji-Sheikh 14 14 3 11:40 Redskins — — — Other Green 52-yard punt return, Haji-Sheikh kick good 21 14 3 4:47 Bears FG 25 Kevin Butler 21 17 21 17 Point spread: Redskins +4½ Over/under: 38.0 (push) Time of game: 3 hours, 5 minutes RedskinsGame statisticsBears17 First downs 1529–72 Rushes–yards 30–110207 Passing yards 19714–29–1 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 15–29–31–7 Sacked–yards 5–27200 Net passing yards 170272 Total yards 280144 Return yards 1154–42.3 Punts Number–Average yardage 4–36.31–1 Fumbles–lost 1–03–20 Penalties–yards 5–5027:03 Time of possession 32:57 Individual stats Redskins Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateWilliams14/2920711173269.2 Redskins Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Smith1666013Rogers61314Bryant3806Williams2−100Clark1−60−6Schroeder1−80−8 Redskins ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Sanders692032Clark456021Didier232118Warren116016Rogers111011 Redskins KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPAHaji-Sheikh3–3 Redskins PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckCox416942.3 Redskins Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngSanders22512.5013Smith11919.0019Branch11212.0012 Redskins Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngGreen15252.0152Yarber2136.508 Redskins SacksSacksMann3.0Hamilton1.0Grant0.5Koch0.5 Redskins InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDDavis123023Wilburn1000Woodberry1000 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 Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed NFC Championship: (5) Minnesota Vikings at (3) Washington Redskins – Game summary January 17, 1988 12:30 p.m. EST Vikings 0 7 0 3 Redskins 7 0 3 7 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 55,212 35 F C Ben Dreith CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden Box score First quarter WAS – Kelvin Bryant 42-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 7–0. Second quarter MIN – Leo Lewis 23-yard pass from Wade Wilson (Chuck Nelson kick). Tied 7–7. Third quarter WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 28-yard field goal. Redskins 10–7. Fourth quarter MIN – Chuck Nelson 18-yard field goal. Tied 10–10. WAS – Gary Clark 7-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 17–10. Top passers MIN – Wade Wilson – 19/39, 243 yards, TD, INT WAS – Doug Williams – 9/26, 119 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Wade Wilson – 4 rushes, 28 yards WAS – Timmy Smith – 13 rushes, 72 yards Top receivers MIN – Anthony Carter – 7 receptions 85 yards WAS – Gary Clark – 3 receptions, 57 yards, TD 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 Super Bowl XXII Washington Redskins 1987 2; text-align:center collapsed Super Bowl XXII: (N3) Washington Redskins vs. (A1) Denver Broncos – Game summary January 31, 1988 6:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. PST Redskins 0 35 0 7 Broncos 10 0 0 0 Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California 73,302 Partly cloudy, 61 F C Bob McElwee ABC Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf Box score First quarter DEN – Ricky Nattiel 56-yard pass from John Elway (Rich Karlis kick), 13:03. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 56 yards, 0:08. DEN – Rich Karlis 24-yard field goal, 9:09. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:05. Second quarter WAS – Ricky Sanders 80-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 14:07. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:10. WAS – Gary Clark 27-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 10:15. Redskins 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:44. WAS – Timmy Smith 58-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 6:27. Redskins 21–10. Drive: 2 plays, 74 yards, 0:51. WAS – Ricky Sanders 50-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 3:42. Redskins 28–10. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 0:52. WAS – Clint Didier 8-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 1:04. Redskins 35–10. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 1:10. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter WAS – Timmy Smith 4-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 13:09. Redskins 42–10. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 2:03. Top passers WAS – Doug Williams – 18/29, 340 yards, 4 TD, INT DEN – John Elway – 14/38, 257 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers WAS – Timmy Smith – 22 rushes, 204 yards, 2 TD DEN – Gene Lang – 5 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers WAS – Ricky Sanders – 9 receptions, 193 yards, 2 TD DEN – Mark Jackson – 4 receptions, 76 yards 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. Legacy While the replacement players 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.https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2763188-redskins-to-award-1987-replacement-players-with-super-bowl-rings Redskins to Award 1987 Replacement Players with Super Bowl Rings Bleacher Report NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled Second to None; it was narrated by Pat Summerall. On March 2, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1987 Washington Redskins, with team commentary from Doug Williams, Jeff Bostic and Darrell Green, and narrated by Gene Hackman.August 2026 A 30 for 30 documentary on the season, titled Year of the Scab, released in 2017.Shapiro Leonard 2017-06-13 ‘I always hated being called a scab’: A new movie revisits the 1987 NFL strike — and Redskins’ triumph https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/i-always-hated-being-called-a-scab-a-new-movie-revisits-the-1987-nfl-strike--and-redskins-triumph/2017/06/12/d79c1d96-4d51-11e7-bc1b-fddbd8359dee_story.html 2026-08-27 The Washington Post en-US 0190-8286 Statistics Team CategoryTotal yardsYards per gameNFL 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 CategoryPlayerTotal 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 References Washington Category:Washington Redskins seasons Category:NFC East championship seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Category:Super Bowl champion seasons Wash