ESPN: City standings: Washington, D.C.
Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:03 pm
The best and worst of Washington's pro teams over the past 25 years:
Overall winning percentage: .498 (19th)
Best year: 1987
The best year for combined winning percentage was 1983, when the Redskins went 14-2, the Bullets 42-40 and the Capitals scored 94 points (39-25-16), but will give the nod to '87, when all three teams had winning records and the Redskins won the Super Bowl.
Worst year: 2003
We could take '93 or '94 when both the Redskins and Bullets were awful (4-12 and 22-60 in '93 and 3-13 and 24-58 in '94) but '03 was the most disappointing. First, the Wizards missed the playoffs in Michael Jordan's final season; then the Capitals followed a good regular season (92 points) with a first-round playoff flameout; and the Redskins suffered through another Steve Spurrier fiasco (5-11).
Best moment: John Riggins breaks a tackle on 4th-and-1 early in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XVII and rambles 43 yards to give the Redskins a 20-17 lead over the Dolphins. They go on to win 27-17 for the team's first Super Bowl title.
Worst moment: Joe Gibbs' retirement. Signing Juwon Howard. Coaxing MJ out of retirement. Daniel Snyder purchasing the Redskins. The Leonard Hamilton era. Wes Unseld for some sort of career achievement award?
Best team: 1991 Redskins (14-2)
The most underrated great team in NFL history. The Redskins led the NFL in points scored, were second in fewest points allowed, lost twice by a combined five points (including the last game of the season, when many regulars were rested) and then won three playoff games by scores of 24-7, 41-10 and 37-24.
Worst team: 2001 Wizards (19-63)
The Bullets/Wizards have won only one playoff series in the last 25 years, so there are many bad teams to choose from. But the one season under an overmatched Hamilton was the worst of all. Honorable mention to the '93 Redskins, which went 3-13 and finished 26th (out of 28 teams) in both yards gained and yards allowed.
Best individual season: Joe Theismann, 1983
Theismann was named NFL MVP by the Associated Press after throwing for 3,714 yards with 29 TDs and just 11 interceptions. John Riggins scored 24 TDs that year and rushed for over 1,300 yards, but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry (and didn't even make the Pro Bowl).
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