Super Bowl XXVI was the 4th Super Bowl appearance and third championship in ten years for the Washington Redskins, forever marking them as one of the NFL’s elite teams.
The Redskins were once again led by their monstrous offensive line, along with Mark Rypien and the Posse. The FULL game is below…enjoy!
Super Bowl XXVI: Redskins vs. Bills
Below is a collection of information from the big game.
About Minneapolis, Minnesota: Football fans in Minnesota were looking forward to hosting Super Bowl XXVI after their Vikings missed the playoffs, and they would now get to see playoff football in the Metrodome. Residents prepared for months for the biggest sporting event of them all, and fans from around the world would tune in to watch the Washington Redskins take on the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ticket Sales / Attendance: There were 63,130 people in attendance at the 26TH Superbowl game in Minneapolis, and it is estimated that another 79.5 million more excited fans watched from home or other football parties around the world while tuning into CBS.
Team Pre-Season Stats: After a heartbreaking loss in last year’s Super Bowl, the Buffalo Bills were anxious to get back to the championship. With the same team still intact, head coach Marv Levy would count on his veteran offense and defensive stars to lead the team through the year and back to the playoffs.
The Redskins were ready to begin the 1991-92 NFL campaign with QB Mark Rypien ready to lead them through the season and, hopefully, a long playoff run. Defensive back Darrell Green and company would also have to help the team from their side of the ball to ensure their success.
Team Roster: The Bills lineup looked similar to the previous year, including QB Jim Kelly, RB Thurman Thomas, WR Don Beebe, WR James Lofton, TE Pete Metzelaars, OL Bruce Smith, and OL Cornelius Bennett.
The Washington Redskins would start the season with QB Mark Rypien, RB Earnest Byner, WR Gary Clark, TE Terry Orr, DB Darrell Green, and DL Charles Mann.
The Game
The Redskins struggled early in the game, scoring only 3 points on their first three possessions on a 34-yard field goal from Lohmiller. However, they managed to take a 17-0 lead into halftime after a 10-yard touchdown reception by Earner Byner and a 1-yard TD run by Gerald Riggs. The Buffalo Bills would have to come back from a 17-0 lead with half of the game to play.
Gerald Riggs started the scoring early in the 3rd quarter with another touchdown run, increasing the Washington lead to 24-0. The touchdown came after an interception on a Jim Kelly pass during the first play of the second half. Buffalo responded with 10 points of their own, but Washington crushed any hope of a comeback with less than two minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter with a 30-yard touchdown reception by Gary Clark.
Buffalo would add two touchdowns in the 4th quarter, but it would not be enough, and Washington would roll to a 37-24 victory. Buffalo would lose a second straight Super Bowl after Jim Kelly was intercepted four times. For Washington head coach Joe Gibbs, it would be his 3rd Super Bowl victory.
Mark Rypien Named MVP
Game MVP: Washington Quarterback Mark Rypien would be named MVP of the 26th Super Bowl after a great performance in the game. He would complete 18 of 32 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. His 35-yard pass to Gary Clark in the 3rd quarter would crush any chance of a Buffalo comeback and lead the Redskins to victory.
Half-Time Show: Timberline Productions presented the halftime show with a theme of Winter Magic. There would be performances by pop star Gloria Estefan along with US Olympic Figure Skaters Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill.
Commercials: The average cost of a 30-second ad was $850,000 during the game, and there were several great commercials during the game. Some of these commercials included an Advil commercial with Nolan Ryan, Air Jordan from Nike, and, of course, Bud Bowl IV.
