The Heartbreak of the Super Bowl Matchup That Almost Was
This year’s Super Bowl LVIII matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs feels pretty (pretty) familiar. After all, it was just two years ago that these same teams squared off in Super Bowl LVII (with the Chiefs edging out the Eagle). There are lots of storylines, and I’m sure it will be a great game.
But … this Sunday is going to be pretty painful for fans in Washington and Buffalo. For as much as the football world is buzzing about Chiefs-Eagles Part II, we almost had a rematch of Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) defeated the Buffalo Bills in January 1992.
Washington hasn’t been to the Super Bowl (much less lifted the Lombardi Trophy) since. Buffalo, well, Buffalo’s never won a Super Bowl. (Sorry, Bills’ fans.)
No, we won’t be seeing Commanders-Bills this Sunday. But this week is a chance to look back on the matchup between these two franchises 30-plus years ago, remembering the game and the stars who played in it.
A Nostalgic Look Back: Super Bowl XXVI (January 1992)
No memory of Super Bowl XXVI is complete without a look back at Super Bowl XXV. Whitney Houston’s stirring national anthem, against the backdrop of Desert Storm in Iraq, is an iconic moment. But the game between the Giants and Bills in Tampa Stadium was pretty good, too. Better if you’re a Giants’ fans, because, well, this is how it ended.
Flash forward a year later to Jan. 26, 1992, and the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills took the field under the bright lights of the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Washington, led by the steady hand of head coach Joe Gibbs and the precision of quarterback Mark Rypien, dominated from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, cruising to a 37-24 victory. It was Washington’s third Super Bowl win in a decade, a testament to the team’s excellence during that era.
I was 10, a Cowboys’ fan who hated the Redskins due to division rivalry. I don’t remember a ton from the game. I do recall Art Monk scoring what looked to be the first touchdown of the game. Instant replay overruled it, though, because his foot was halfway out of bounds. It didn’t matter — Washington’s victory was inevitable.
Little did I know the Cowboys would win the next two Super Bowls over the same Bills team.
Poor Buffalo …
That week, Sports Illustrated’s cover featured Rypien tossing a pass under the headline, “Let ’Er Rip.” I still have it, and it’s now for sale. Check it out on eBay:
I don’t remember Joe Gibbs’ first two Super Bowl victories: January 1983 over the Dolphins and January 1988 over the Broncos. But I’ve always been impressed that he won three championships with three different quarterbacks. Now that’s hard to do. Most dynasties are marked by a quarterback who plays the central role of hero, captain, cohesive playmaker, etc. I’m thinking about Bradshaw, Montana, Aikman, and Brady. Gibbs won with Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, and Mark Rypien. He was the continuity.
A Heartbreaking, 30-Plus-Year Wait
I do feel sorry for Washington and Buffalo fans, those who have wandered in the wilderness of dashed hopes and mediocrity at various points over the past three decades. I’m sure the Chiefs and Eagles will put on a good show. But I’ll be hoping for something like the Commanders-Bills in next year’s Super Bowl. It would nice to change things up — and I’m sure it be nice for football fans in Washington and Buffalo.