10 greatest Washington Commanders teams of all time

10. 2005 Washington

This is more of a nostalgic pick. The franchise had suffered without head coach Joe Gibbs for over a decade. He came back, made an important trade for Clinton Portis, and Washington turned playoff-relevant again.
The team beat the Buccaneers in the playoffs before losing to the Seahawks in a tough divisional round setback.

9. 1942 Washington

It’s difficult to include a team from this era of the NFL. But we’ll give a nod to Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, and sneak the NFL champion Washington squad into the mix at No. 9. They beat the previously undefeated Bears in the title game.

A strong defensive finish made this team legit. The Skins allowed only 19 total points over their last five games, including the 14-6 championship win. Baugh didn’t have to light up the scoreboard to get the Skins a title.

8. 2024 Commanders

It’s easy to dismiss this team based on the roster. This group would not make the top 20 in overall talent. But this isn’t a list of the most talented teams of all time. It’s a ranking of the greatest teams of all time. And the 2024 Commanders scored a ton of points, won almost every close game, and reached the NFC Championship game.

The 12 regular-season wins tied for the third-highest total in franchise history. This team, and its star rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels, belongs in any top 10 conversation.

7. 1986 Washington

With Jay Schroeder torturing defenses with deep balls, the ‘Skins stayed step for step with the Giants for most of the season. And when the NFC Championship rolled around, they met them again.

Unfortunately, a windy day in Meadowlands Stadium zapped the ‘Skins passing attack, and the Giants pitched a shutout. Still, the ‘Skins won 14 overall games.

6. 1984 Washington

This team still had John Riggins and Joe Theismann. So it felt like Washington could win it all after two straight years in the big game. The ‘Skins won the NFC East, but the 15-1 49ers were prohibitive favorites in the playoffs.

A tough 23-19 playoff loss to the Bears didn’t diminish a terrific year with 11 wins. Art Monk set the then-NFL record for most receptions in a season.

5. 1972 Washington

You can’t sell this bunch short. Yes, the roster was full of aging players, but the team got off to an 11-1 start before losing the final two regular-season games.

They handled the Packers and crushed the Cowboys in the playoffs before running into the undefeated Miami Dolphins buzz saw in the Super Bowl. When it comes to team play, this group turned in a top-five effort.

4. 1983 Washington

All the ‘Skins had to do was beat the Raiders as they had done in the regular season, and this would have been the greatest Washington team of all time. Both regular-season losses were by one point. And the ‘Skins remarkably scored 27 or more points in 15 of their 16 regular-season games. In the other game, they totaled 23 points. Included in the mix was a 37-35 win over the Raiders.

Washington won 14 regular-season games and powered into the Super Bowl. But the ‘Skins offense fell flat and the Raiders whipped them. That game turned on two big plays, but they were devastating enough to keep the ‘83 bunch at No. 4.

3. 1982 Washington

This was a magical season. The Skins won four tight games in the regular season, won the first two rounds of an eight-team NFC playoff, and finally got past nemesis Dallas in the NFC Championship game. That game turned in the fourth quarter when Dexter Manley tipped a Gary Hogeboom screen pass. Defensive tackle Darryl Grant plucked it out of the air and ran for a clinching touchdown in the 31-17 victory.

In one way, the win over Dallas in the NFC Championship game overshadowed the Super Bowl. However, beating the Cowboys wouldn’t have the same historical sense to it without finishing off the deal against the Dolphins. And it didn’t come easily. The Dolphins led 17-13 when John Riggins took the counter-trey handoff, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, and raced 43 for the go-ahead and eventual winning score in a 27-17 decision.

2. 1987 Washington

This team was better than some people remember. They lost four games by totals of 1, 4, 4, and 2 points. They were a few plays away from turning in a perfect season.

And they did it despite the amazing fact that they used four different quarterbacks. Ed Rubbert, a Louisville product, started three games when the regular players went on strike. He went 3-0, completing 26 of 49 passes for 532 yards with four touchdowns and only one interception. Tony Robinson, a University of Tennessee product, also played, going 11 of 18 for 152 yards and throwing a pair of picks.

Jay Schroeder posted a record of 8-2 in the regular season, completing only 48 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Doug Williams compiled a 0-2 mark with 11 scoring strikes and five picks. Williams took over full-time in the postseason, hitting his stride in the Super Bowl. He threw for 340 yards with four touchdown tosses.

In all, Washington used 27 skill players for the season. Eighteen players had at least one rushing attempt. Twenty-one players had at least one pass reception. And 15 different players scored a touchdown. There’s little doubt that this was Gibbs’ finest job of coaching in his illustrious career.

And it all came together beautifully with a perfect second quarter in the Super Bowl against the Broncos, leading to a 42-10 blowout win and earning the No. 2 spot on this all-time list.

1. 1991 Washington

This team went two steps better than the 1987 bunch. It only lost twice, by totals of 3 and 2 points. The team started the season with 11 straight wins and didn’t get challenged in the postseason.

The 1991 team claimed its spot not only as the best in Washington history, but also as one of the top teams in the history of the NFL.

The combination of a solid defense and an explosive offense proved to be too much for the NFL to handle. This was Joe Gibbs’ finest work.

Gibbs always tried to be conservative about the potential of his teams. Before the 1991 season, WTTG-5 reporter Steve Buckhantz told Gibbs that a magazine had picked Washington to go to the Super Bowl. Buckhantz said, “Everybody is saying this is the best team you’ve ever had,” according to commanders.com.

Gibbs replied, “Now, wait a minute. Who is everybody?”

Buckhantz told Gibbs of the magazine prediction, and Gibbs said, “Take that for what it’s worth, Steve. We haven’t won a division around here in four years. And I think you have to look at the source. I’m not taking that as a knock on our team. Anybody who wants to say it. They can go ahead and say it. But certainly nobody around here has said it. Right now, we’ve got real problems.”

Buckhantz said Gibbs “was as animated as anybody has ever seen him. And his veins were standing out of his neck, and he was mad.”

After the ’Skins won the title, Buckhantz reminded Gibbs of the conversation. And Gibbs said, “I feel pretty stupid about that incident. I was mad at somebody. It might have been anybody I attacked that day. I’ll never do that again.’ “