Synopsis
The Washington Redskins always possessed a terrific offensive line under coach Joe Gibbs. Era after era, from one Super Bowl to the next, Gibbs' line was a huge, run-blocking, pass-protecting force. Nicknamed "The Hogs," the unit was probably at its best in 1991, allowing Mark Rypien ample time to become the premier long-range passer in the NFL. Over time, Gibbs noticed that Rypien threw an accurate deep ball, so the coach had the quarterback throw less, but go deep more to wide receivers Gary Clark, Art Monk and Ricky Sanders. The change in strategy also required the line to protect the quarterback longer, and the unit responded. Rypien, who was sacked just seven times in 16 starts, threw for 3,564 yards as the Redskins finished 14-2 during the regular season. During that span, the signal caller completed 13 passes of 47 yards or more. But it was Rypien's 30-yard scoring strike to Clark against Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVI that proved to be the big play of the year. Join NFL Films as they retell the story of the '91 Redskins, a team that won a title in the trenches. America's Game uses exclusive interviews from Gibbs, Rypien and Charles Mann to recount Washington's third Super Bowl championship in franchise history.