# 1987 Washington Redskins season

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.
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 strike-breakers.
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.
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.
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.
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.

## Offseason
### 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 ||||||

## Personnel
### NFL replacement players

After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:

### Roster
## Preseason

| 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 |

## 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. 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 Eagles | W 34–24 | 1–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 20–21 | 1–1 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 27 | New England Patriots | Cancelled due to the 1987 NFL strike † | Cancelled due to the 1987 NFL strike † | Cancelled due to the 1987 NFL strike † | Cancelled due to the 1987 NFL strike † |
| 4 | October 4 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 28–21 | 2–1 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 11 | at New York Giants | W 38–12 | 3–1 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 19 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 13–7 | 4–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 25 | New York Jets | W 17–16 | 5–1 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | November 1 | at Buffalo Bills | W 27–7 | 6–1 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 8 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 27–31 | 6–2 | Veterans Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 15 | Detroit Lions | W 20–13 | 7–2 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 23 | Los Angeles Rams | L 26–30 | 7–3 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 29 | New York Giants | W 23–19 | 8–3 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 6 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 34–17 | 9–3 | Busch Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 13 | Dallas Cowboys | W 24–20 | 10–3 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 20 | at Miami Dolphins | L 21–23 | 10–4 | Joe Robbie Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 26 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 27–24 (OT) | 11–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Redskins | 10 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
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
Game information :
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: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
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
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Kelvin Bryant 17-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 7:11. Redskins 7–0.
ATL – Floyd Dixon 22-yard pass from Scott Campbell (Mick Luckhurst kick), 1:29. Tied 7–7.
Second quarter
No scoring plays
Third quarter
WAS – Gary Clark 18-yard pass from Doug Williams (kick failed), 8:56. Redskins 13–7.
ATL – Stacey Bailey 23-yard pass from Scott Campbell (Mick Luckhurst kick), 5:13. Falcons 14–13.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Art Monk 6-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 11:48. Redskins 20–14.
ATL – Gerald Riggs 4-yard run (Mick Luckhurst kick), 6:47. Falcons 21–20.
Top passers
WAS – Doug Williams – 18/30, 198 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
ATL – Scott Campbell – 17/34, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
WAS – Keith Griffin – 14 rushes, 73 yards
ATL – Gerald Riggs – 23 rushes, 120 yards, TD
Top receivers
WAS – Kelvin Bryant – 6 receptions, 76 yards, TD
ATL – Ken Whisenhunt – 6 receptions, 68 yards :

#### 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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Redskins | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
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
Game information :
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.

#### Week 5: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 3 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Giants | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
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
Game information :
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: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
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
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 30-yard field goal, 10:45. Redskins 3–0.
Second quarter
WAS – Kelvin Bryant 12-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 14:53. Redskins 10–0.
WAS – Jay Schroeder 13-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 7:06. Redskins 17–0.
Third quarter
WAS – Kelvin Bryant 7-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 10:02. Redskins 24–0.
WAS – Ali Haji-Sheikh 33-yard field goal, 2:29. Redskins 27–0.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Andre Reed 17-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick), 14:57. Redskins 27–7.
Top passers
WAS – Jay Schroeder – 11/18, 132 yards, 2 TD
BUF – Jim Kelly – 25/43, 292 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
WAS – George Rogers – 30 rushes, 125 yards
BUF – Robb Riddick – 6 rushes, 19 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Art Monk – 5 receptions, 38 yards
BUF – Andre Reed – 8 receptions, 108 yards, TD :

#### Week 9: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Redskins | 0 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 14 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 30 |
| Redskins | 9 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 23 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 10 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 34 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 20 |
| Redskins | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 24 |
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
Game information :
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

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | 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 |

## Postseason
### 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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
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
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Calvin Thomas 2-yard run (Kevin Butler kick). Bears 7–0.
Second quarter
CHI – Ron Morris 14-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kevin Butler kick). Bears 14–0.
WAS – George Rogers 3-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Bears 14–7.
WAS – Clint Didier 18-yard pass from Doug Williams (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Tied 14–14.
Third quarter
WAS – Darrell Green 52-yard punt return (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick). Redskins 21–14.
CHI – Kevin Butler 25-yard field goal. Redskins 21–17.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
WAS – Doug Williams – 14/29, 207 yards, TD, INT
CHI – Jim McMahon – 15/29, 197 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
WAS – Timmy Smith – 16 rushes, 66 yards
CHI – Walter Payton – 18 rushes, 85 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Ricky Sanders – 6 receptions, 92 yards
CHI – Ron Morris – 2 receptions, 47 yards, TD :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
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
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 35 | 0 | 7 | 42 |
| Broncos | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
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
Game information :
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.

## Statistics
### 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 |