A 24-year-old sensation will lead them. An 84-year-old legend will root them on.
When rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leads the Washington Commanders into Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, among those in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field will be Hall-of-Fame coach Joe Gibbs. He was the coach of the then-Redskins in 1991, the last time Washington played in a title game.
That year, Mark Rypien threw two touchdowns, Darrell Green scored on a Pick 6 and Gibbs' team held Barry Sanders to 44 yards in a 41-10 rout over the Detroit Lions at old RFK Stadium. Two weeks later they swamped the Buffalo Bills won Super Bowl XXVI.
Gibbs said this week on Washington radio that indeed plans to be in Philly Sunday for Washington's return to glory.
"I'm gonna go to the game," he said. "That's my plan, let's go, here we go!"
Gibbs is Washington's all-time winningest coach with 127, well ahead of George Allen with 67. He was NFL Coach of the Year twice and led the Redskins to Super Bowl wins in 1982, 1987 and '91.
"All of us really respect it," he said of the surprisingly fast organizational turnaround orchestrated by new owner Josh Harris, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. "I think it is great and fantastic for all the fans there. It's great for all of us to be a part of it. I just think it's a special time."
