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Mark Rypien, the only Canadian born athlete to win a World Series MVP, Finals MVP, or Super Bowl MVP that's not a flopper
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01:08Success is often described as a journey, a humble beginning with an improbable ending.
01:15On November 12, 1990, the Washington Redskins began their journey.
01:21But their start was not humble.
01:23It was horrifying.
01:26A coach always has a dreaded fear.
01:28And the dreaded fear for me was that game.
01:35Boy, what an unfortunate night for the Redskins, who have been battered tonight.
01:41Helpless.
01:42Redskins are helpless.
01:46Joe Gibbs watched in disbelief as nine of his players went down with injury.
01:52Five of the wounded were either carried or carted off the field.
01:59They beat our eyes out, didn't you?
02:03I mean, literally, that's the nightmare for me in coaching.
02:09As the casualties mounted, Eagles players taunted the Redskins.
02:17Their words became this game's enduring identity.
02:22The Body Bag Game.
02:27Why we were sustaining all those in one game, I don't know.
02:29I don't have the answer to that.
02:31Because I thought he played...
02:31It was Washington's most disheartening defeat in a decade under Joe Gibbs.
02:36I shouldn't.
02:37The Redskins' reign of the 80s appeared to be over.
02:43But Washington's players would not let...
02:45Of course their reign of the 80s was over.
02:48Because it was the 90s.
02:52So ridiculous wording.
02:56The Body Bag Game become their burial.
02:59Instead, they made it their revival.
03:02As the Redskins pushed aside their pain and focused on regaining their pride.
03:08It was embarrassing.
03:10It was embarrassing as a player to hear, you know, this Body Bag Game.
03:17You know, the Redskins were the doormats and we got handled that day.
03:22So we just filed it away and said,
03:24Hey, we'll get another shot at these guys.
03:27They've never beaten us for anything significant.
03:30And if anybody comes out of the NFC East,
03:33there's not going to be those doormat Eagles.
03:36The Eagles never beat the Redskins in the playoffs until 2024.
03:44Two months later, Charles Mann and the Redskins got what they wanted.
03:56Our guys had tremendous pride.
03:59We went back up there and I think it's one of the best efforts I've ever had out of a
04:03football team.
04:05We're playing the Philadelphia Eagles.
04:07They handled us in the game prior.
04:09And now we get a shot back at them.
04:18Play action fake again by Rippen.
04:20Good protection.
04:21Lobs it in the end zone for Mark.
04:23Touchdown, Washington Redskins.
04:26I think every one of us kind of felt that was something more than just a playoff game.
04:33You know, we responded very well and very professionally and went out there and did our job.
04:39Yeah, baby!
04:41Yeah, what's up, baby?
04:45Hey, let's win.
04:46Hey, let's win.
04:47Hey, win with style, man.
04:49Win with style.
04:50Great job.
04:51Proud of all of you.
04:52Proud of all of you, man.
04:54The Redskins earned their revenge against the Eagles.
04:57And with it, a trip to San Francisco.
05:00But amid the celebration, Washington's players knew that the Eagles were not the 49ers.
05:07And Mark Rippen was no Joe Montana.
05:13A sixth-round pick in 1986, Rippen's first five years in Washington were marred by injury.
05:28Accuracy and erratic play.
05:31His mistakes were a constant source of scrutiny in a town accustomed to winning.
05:38Let's face it.
05:39He's going to be judged here with the Redskins if he can win a Super Bowl because that's what other
05:43quarterbacks here have done.
05:45And so he's going to be judged on that.
05:48But by the time the Redskins arrived in San Francisco, Rippen's teammates had already reached their decision.
05:57We knew we weren't going to win it.
05:59Oh, yeah.
06:00We knew we weren't good enough.
06:04And the number one guy is Mark Rippen.
06:09The Redskins were not alone in their assessment of Rippen.
06:13Even their opponents could sense a quarterback in doubt.
06:18His eyes weren't telling me that he was believing in himself.
06:23He came up to the line of scrimmage and in the middle of the first quarter, I came to the
06:26sidelines and said,
06:27this game is going to be won.
06:29This guy doesn't believe he can do it.
06:32Back is Rippen to pass.
06:34Got time.
06:35Throws it up.
06:35Picked off in the end zone.
06:37Intercepted.
06:38I don't know what Mark was looking at.
06:40They had two opportunities down there, and Mark throws two interceptions.
06:47You knew it's going to take a great quarterback with great leadership skills that is super confident to help you
06:55win.
06:56And he didn't have it.
07:01As a quarterback in Washington, D.C., nothing less than winning the Super Bowl is acceptable.
07:07And if you didn't lead him there, then your days are going to be numbered.
07:19Over the next six years, the Redskins made the playoffs five times, won three NFC championships, and captured two Super
07:30Bowl titles.
07:31Super Bowl champions.
07:32Unfortunately, Gibbs' run of success spoiled his honor.
07:36Cook now expected every season in Washington to be a Super Bowl season.
07:40I am in a state of ecstasy.
07:44Never mind that nonsense about euphoria and so on.
07:47It is sheer, unadulterated, uncompromising ecstasy.
07:52But for three straight years, the Redskins fell short of their owners' expectations.
07:58By the time training camp opened in 1991, Cook's patience had worn thin.
08:05And Mark Rippin's holdout was not helping.
08:10Mark's deal was up.
08:11He wanted a new deal and set out for a little bit there in camp.
08:15And I think, obviously, Mr. Cook being the owner, you know, why isn't he here?
08:20You know what I mean?
08:20All those kinds of things.
08:22Irritated by Rippin's absence, Cook lashed out.
08:26The bloody idiot received the message loud and clear.
08:30Ow!
08:31Ow!
08:31Ow!
08:32Ow!
08:32Ow!
08:33Ow!
08:34Ow!
08:35Mr. Cook came to practice, and I went over and said hi to him.
08:38And he said, Mark, what kind of a year are we going to have?
08:42I said, well, we're going to try to take it all the way this year.
08:45Well, God bless you then, Mark.
08:46Go out and do it.
08:49This looks like something I'd do.
08:51He gets the mighty blockhead award here.
08:52In the preseason, Mark Rippin was still the same quarterback, surrounded by the same questions.
09:00After the Redskins stumbled to a 1-3 preseason record,
09:05Cook decided he had seen enough.
09:09He pointed that little finger at me like he would do, and he goes, you have messed this
09:15thing up.
09:16He goes like that.
09:17And I kind of was taken back.
09:18I says, in what way is that?
09:21He goes, I'll tell you one thing.
09:23You kept too many guys on this team that are old, okay?
09:27And then he goes, now you take Jimmy Johnson down there.
09:30He's doing it the right way, okay?
09:32And he stuck that finger at me again.
09:33You know, well, now I get, you know, I get the veins kind of pop in my neck.
09:38And he goes, I just got bought out of this company, and I got 18 million dollars, and I got
09:51to
09:51figure out what to do with it on taxes.
09:53He says, I'm going to go try and make some money, and so you guys can throw it away.
09:57And then, of course, in his usual way, he went like this.
10:00He goes, I'm not going to mess you up.
10:02You got to do what you think, but I'm telling you, this is what I think.
10:06You know what I mean?
10:07He gave me that with the finger, and I said, here I start off, and I got an owner that
10:13says
10:13we're going to the Super Bowl.
10:15All the fans say we're going to the Super Bowl.
10:18And on Sundays, when I go in there, it should be the happiest day of a lot of people's lives.
10:23You know, the fans are out there throwing frisbees, they're eating hot dogs and stuff,
10:26and I feel like I'm going to throw up.
10:31By the start of the 1991 season, Jack Kent Cook had openly challenged both his coach and
10:37his quarterback.
10:39In week one, Joe Gibbs and Mark Rippon responded with a performance guaranteed to please even
10:46the most demanding owner.
10:53Rippon's got a man wide open.
10:56On it, touchdown, Washington Redskins.
11:03Rippon led Washington to nearly 400 yards of offense in a dominating effort.
11:32The 45-point win was the most one-sided victory in Redskins history.
11:43In two games against the Lions that year, they beat them 86-10.
11:47Best investments, Jack Kent.
11:53For a second straight week, Gibbs successfully orchestrated his offense.
12:04But when it came to his defense, Gibbs chose to delegate.
12:10Joe was the offensive guru, and he oversaw the offense, and that's where he needed to
12:16stay.
12:17And Richie Pettibone was the defensive guru and handled the defense, and that's where
12:21he needed to stay.
12:23I always, with Richie and those guys, I'd always walk down there, and the only thing
12:26I'd ever say is, please stop them.
12:30That's the only thing I could help with.
12:32Richie Pettibone, being as smart as he was, he had a scheme for everything.
12:38And you're just watching these guys come in and out.
12:41We had the nickel defense, the dime defense, the penny defense, as they were switching players.
12:47Yeah, Richie Pettibone was a 14-year veteran in the NFL, even a multiple-time All-Pro.
12:58Of course, he knew what he was doing on defense.
13:02He was a first multiple-time All-Pro NFL champion safety.
13:08Of course, he knew what he was doing.
13:22In the battle of youth versus experience, Charles Mann won the fight, and the Redskins
13:30won the game.
13:33Washington erased an 11-point deficit and captured their second win.
13:39But the following week, the nine-year veteran who never missed a play, almost missed the
13:45game.
13:46Hopefully, we can come out on the winning end of the stick.
13:53Before the games, and at 12 midnight, my phone rings, and I just naturally reached over and
13:59grabbed the phone, and it was Joe Gibbs.
14:01And he says, Charles?
14:03I said, yeah.
14:04He said, I got a call from your wife.
14:07And I said, yeah.
14:09He said, she's in labor.
14:10I hung up the phone and was gone.
14:14And Cameron Wesley Mann was born at 642, seven pounds, two ounces.
14:20I hadn't had very much sleep, other than nodding off and on every now and then.
14:25And I was so excited about the fact that we just had a son.
14:30Baby Cameron, can you read that?
14:32Born today, 646.
14:36That's for my family.
14:37I gotta get one more sack, though.
14:39I got two kids.
14:41After that, I'm through.
14:50They don't need a lot of sleep.
14:52You could sleep a lot to beat in the Cardinals back then.
14:59Like, outside of, like, 2008 and 2015.
15:06And delivered, turning in his finest performance of the season.
15:14After three games, Washington was in possession of an unbeaten record while Mann embraced a few memories of his own.
15:22I had two sacks, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble.
15:27And, you know, we clobbered the team.
15:29So, you know, it was all and around a great day.
15:32And I raced back to the hospital afterwards.
15:34And, I mean, it just, you couldn't have wrote a script any better than that.
15:39Charles Mann's perfect script was part of a perfect season, as the Redskins remained undefeated after four weeks of play.
15:50Against Philadelphia, the Redskins' second all-time sack leader.
15:55The big irony is, as bad as the Cardinals were, they started 2-0 that season.
16:05Finished 4-12.
16:07But, Redskins ruined their season.
16:10So, it's Charles Mann's fault.
16:15Added to his tally by overpowering the Eagles in a two-sack performance.
16:25The Redskins had many gifted players.
16:27But none was as gifted in as many ways as Charles Mann.
16:32I always have a saying.
16:34And his saying was, you can't get in all the lines in heaven.
16:38You either get in the front of the smart line, and you get behind in the fin and all these.
16:43Charles somehow got in almost every line, you know, in the front.
16:46This guy is 6'4".
16:48He's got a 28-inch waist, and can run like mad.
16:53And I said, how come I don't look that way in a suit?
16:56With his lethal combination of size, strength, and speed, Mann led the Redskins in sacks for a third time in
17:031991.
17:05And in week five, he led Washington to its third straight home shutout.
17:11We still got a lot of good football ahead of us.
17:14And, you know, we just hope we can stay injury-free and keep playing the kind of excited, motivated football
17:19that we played today.
17:25More prepared than the opposition.
17:30His life is football, and that's it.
17:33He slept on a cot, you know, for years at Redskins Park.
17:39So if Joe was making that kind of a commitment, how in the world could you cut corners?
17:46How could you not give your all?
17:49His spirit that he brought made other guys feel that, gosh, this is a guy that really cares about who
17:55we are and what we're doing.
17:56Hey, they talked about this being our Super Bowl.
17:58Hey, expect that kind of effort.
18:00Expect a great effort from them.
18:01And every single swinging guy starts with teams.
18:04Let's hit it rolling now.
18:05Let's earn this thing today.
18:06Nothing gets away from us.
18:08Let's earn it today, okay?
18:09It's our turn right here.
18:10Let's get this thing.
18:11Our Father, who art in heaven.
18:14I mean, you just respect somebody like that.
18:18And it's great to be able to respect your employer.
18:22Let's hit it now.
18:22Let's go.
18:23Everybody get this thing.
18:24Let's go.
18:24Get it over with.
18:25Let's earn it.
18:26Earn it today now.
18:27Let's earn it.
18:29When I think back to that team, they were highly motivated.
18:34And all you had to do is kind of, you know, point them in the right direction.
18:40Give them a good game plan.
18:41They were ready to go.
18:44Preparation was the cornerstone of Gibbs' coaching success.
18:48But he never set out alone.
18:52Gibbs staff was the largest and brightest in the league.
18:56He had five former or future NFL coaches working alongside him.
19:01We can't say enough about our coaching staff.
19:04And every single game we went into play, we were prepared, you know.
19:07We were prepared mentally to challenge any team we had.
19:11And you really have to take your hats off to all those guys and for what they meant for our
19:15football team.
19:16The meeting of great coaching minds was a nightly ritual at Redskins Park.
19:22The entire staff would descend to a room they nicknamed the submarine to begin devising their weekly game plan.
19:32It's kind of like, you know, we're getting ready to submerge and we're going down and we ain't coming back
19:37up until the game plan is done for that night.
19:40We knew to shut it down for the night when we had a trash truck that used to come at
19:453 o'clock in the morning.
19:47I still remember that.
19:48Everybody would sit back and hear this, and it'd be dumping the trash outside.
19:53And I'd go, okay, it's about 3, man.
19:55We need to wrap this up.
19:57Richie Peck and Emmett and Torgy, all four of those guys working together as a group.
20:02Gibbs made sure everyone knew coaching the Redskins was a team effort.
20:07Even when it came to their biggest play of the 1991 season.
20:11So when I came, Coach Gibbs mentioned that.
20:13Rod Dauhauer happened to be sitting in our meetings.
20:16Obviously, it would be a very important part of it.
20:18And he came up with this idea we need to sprint out.
20:22Try and get the safeties to slide a little bit and let from the backside over here,
20:26let Gary Clark just slide right down the boundary.
20:29Hopefully get the safety to move and turn and throw all the way back across the field.
20:34Sprint bomb.
20:35And so, you know, it's one of those things.
20:38It's how smart I am.
20:40I'm sitting there going, geez, I don't know about that, Rod.
20:43Do you know what I mean?
20:47In week nine, the Redskins were facing the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
20:53Having lost six straight games to their NFC East rival,
20:57Gibbs favored a conservative game plan.
21:05But after a horrible start by the Redskins' offense,
21:10Gibbs knew his game plan had to change.
21:14He was always so good at coming in there during halftime
21:17and figuring out a way we can adjust and make adjustments
21:20to try something and see if we could, you know,
21:22get out of our doldrums and maybe get something going.
21:26There's my gosh, big gut, big gut.
21:31There were a couple of things that we kind of started hitting on.
21:34One of those, we call it gut seal.
21:36You seal the backside with a trap and then you block zone up front.
21:40And what Ricky was doing a great job of in that game,
21:43it kind of got going in the second half
21:45because we'd have Donnie Warren come across and cut
21:47and he started hitting gut.
21:51And we started to get something going running
21:53and then we hit a couple of big plays
21:55and one of them was sprint, bump.
22:02Rolling out to the near side is Riffin
22:04who steps up and throws it long for Clark.
22:06And the five grabs it, touchdown, Washington Redskins.
22:11Oh, what a great pass by Mark Riffin.
22:14He just aired it.
22:16Dead, solid, perfect.
22:18Couldn't have been better.
22:21If one play epitomized the Redskins' success in 1991,
22:26sprint ball was that play.
22:29The coaching staff had the brains to conceive it.
22:33Joe Gibbs had the guts to call it.
22:36And Mark Riffin had the arm to throw it.
22:39It was a perfect opportunity to sprint bomb
22:41and once I threw it, I said,
22:43it's all over with.
22:44This is it.
23:04Riffin's 54-yard touchdown pass
23:07preserved Washington's perfect record.
23:12The Redskins had won eight straight games
23:15and Mark Riffin had won over his team.
23:20Mark, at that point, for all of us,
23:23the team and everybody else,
23:24I think we believed.
23:26And, you know, he kind of earned his way in our heart
23:29and I think he'd proven that he was a quarterback
23:31that could take you all the way.
23:41I always felt like with Mark,
23:44people could easily miss
23:46what made Mark a heck of a quarterback.
23:50Yeah, he'd throw an out.
23:52Many times the ball might wobble and stuff,
23:54may not look that good.
23:57He was not a runner,
23:59not athletic,
23:59didn't run around back there.
24:01And so he was kind of clumsy looking at times.
24:05But what he never missed was the deep ball.
24:13Man, I'm going to tell you,
24:14that deep thing there,
24:16he could hit it.
24:25I think we were, gosh,
24:26we must have been 75, 80 percent
24:29on capitalizing on big plays.
24:31That says a lot.
24:32One receiver's got to have an ability to get open,
24:35you know, get separation from a defensive back.
24:39Protection has to be good.
24:41The throw has to be good.
24:44We are uncanny.
24:45We had 30 plays over 40 yards.
24:47That year was unbelievable.
24:51He had the perfect football mind.
24:53What?
24:54He was set on that front row
24:56of that meeting room.
24:58If I asked anybody in there a question,
25:00he was so in tune with what was going on,
25:03he'd answer.
25:04Both inside guys back up.
25:06We can still block it,
25:06but it's not,
25:07it's still got to run a hot.
25:08Might want to ask Rod.
25:09We had all sorts of packages,
25:11you know,
25:11and that was the uniqueness
25:12of what we were doing.
25:12We went to three wides.
25:14We went to two wides and two tights.
25:16We went to two wides,
25:16two running backs,
25:17and one tight end.
25:18We had a lot of different variations in offense.
25:22It was very multi-dimensional.
25:24The Redskins' diverse offense
25:26benefited from a trio of talented receivers.
25:29Art Monk,
25:31Ricky Sanders,
25:32and Gary Clark.
25:35Known as the Posse,
25:37the three men formed a devastating receiving core.
25:41And he's going to throw another fly pattern.
25:43There he is.
25:44Touchdown!
25:47Week 11,
25:49the Posse soared past the Atlanta Falcons
25:51while their quarterback enjoyed the greatest game of his career.
25:54Mark Rippin threw for 442 yards and six touchdowns.
26:00He was only one touchdown shy of the NFL's all-time mark.
26:05They beat the Falcons 80-24 that season.
26:11Combined.
26:15It's unfathomable.
26:1956 points.
26:24Their defense was not legit enough to not quit.
26:32And his coach knew it.
26:35He came over to me and said,
26:36hey, you want to go for the record?
26:38And I says,
26:39you know,
26:39I'm really not a record guy.
26:41I'm not into those things.
26:43I said,
26:43besides,
26:44coach,
26:44we might play these guys again.
26:47Rippin had turned in the league's best passing performance of 1991.
26:51He really had the perfect football mind.
26:54He predicted it.
26:56But his decision to turn down a shot at history was not surprising.
27:01Rippin's humility mirrored the overall character of his team.
27:06The Redskins were understated,
27:08but overwhelming.
27:12Twelve months after being left for dead in the body bag game,
27:16Mark Rippin and the Washington Redskins were alive and well.
27:20At 11 and all.
27:24But we still were under the radar.
27:26People aren't really taking notice of us yet.
27:29Heck,
27:29you know,
27:30HBO inside the NFL didn't come into week 12.
27:38The thing that everybody's talking about is,
27:41can this team go undefeated?
27:42You were on that undefeated team.
27:44Is this when the pressure really starts to build?
27:46As they look at their schedule,
27:47they will honestly say,
27:49there isn't a team on that schedule that they should lose to.
27:55Well,
28:02yes,
28:02guess what?
28:03They lost the next week.
28:06You were fortunate to play.
28:08I think we started,
28:09you know,
28:09letting ourselves dream a little bit.
28:11Are you thinking about the undefeated season?
28:13You know,
28:13we look at them one game at a time.
28:15Sure.
28:15You know,
28:15at home sitting around with your wife and,
28:18you know,
28:18you're saying,
28:19Hey,
28:19wouldn't that be great?
28:20It would be a nice thing.
28:21But if we don't,
28:22I went home that night and I remember talking to my wife and I said,
28:26gosh,
28:27you know,
28:27we're going to need a lot of tickets.
28:29Can you guys go undefeated?
28:31That's a tough question.
28:32That's one of the toughest things to do in sports these days.
28:34I think every team that gets to that point would kind of have that,
28:38you know,
28:39cross their mind.
28:41But as happens in sports,
28:44the knuckle sandwich was right around the corner.
28:48And Aitman runs a draw.
28:50Emmitt Smith up the middle,
28:5125,
28:51comes right to the 20,
28:53a block from Martin to the 10,
28:54Smith,
28:55touchdown,
28:56Cowboy!
28:58The thing that I believe Joe thought would happen to us,
29:03that he thought human nature,
29:05people were starting to talk about how great you are.
29:08That stuff,
29:09I mean,
29:09it came tumbling in on us.
29:13That was kind of like a wake up call and said,
29:16all right,
29:16let's back to what we're doing and get back on track.
29:21Because,
29:22you know,
29:22you can have a great year as you have and do all these wonderful things.
29:27But if you don't win,
29:28now,
29:30they're not going to remember you for anything other than you didn't get it done.
29:36In the 1991 season,
29:39Mark Rippon had found the light at the end of a very long tunnel.
29:45A quarterback who had once been considered mediocre,
29:49he had suddenly become spectacular.
29:53Rippon threw for more than 3,500 yards
29:56and led the NFC with 28 touchdowns.
30:00The Redskins won the NFC East with a 14-2 record
30:04and clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
30:20Good afternoon from a windy, rainy Washington, D.C.
30:26where the Redskins,
30:27who have viewed from the top all year long,
30:30have suddenly realized how far they could possibly fall.
30:36Rippon had had a career day in Atlanta's regular season visit to RFK Stadium.
30:43But the Falcons were flying high from an upset win the previous week.
30:47And their newfound celebrity had attracted an entourage.
30:52Hey, say hi to Ted Shaker in the truck.
30:54Ted, how you doing, Ted?
30:56Happy New Year.
30:58They had MC Hammer on their sidelines.
31:01They were making a music video.
31:04I mean, come on.
31:06Don't disrespect us like that.
31:08Why would you even do that?
31:09I mean, you all know, you know, that you haven't won here.
31:13You're trying to get under our skin.
31:16It doesn't bother us one bit.
31:17But rap artists and heavyweight champions were just circus sideshows in comparison to Atlanta's ringmaster, Jerry Glanville.
31:30They just smoked those guys in 56-7-10.
31:40There's Brett Favre.
31:42There's Brett Favre as a rookie.
31:44Mike, what are they doing?
31:45Throwing spirals?
31:47I hate when they throw spirals.
31:50And I'm thinking to myself, it was so far out of context.
31:53Like for me, I'm down there paralyzed.
31:56You know, I'm ready to throw up.
31:57And here's Jerry.
31:58I used to pee.
31:59He was kind of, yeah, he was doing a little dance and stuff.
32:02Thanks for coming, really.
32:03We thought we were going to leave your ass at the airport.
32:05You know, I can't remember me.
32:07I'm going, are you scaredy?
32:09Are you scaredy?
32:10I'm not scared.
32:11Are you frightened?
32:13I'm frightened.
32:13I'm not frightened.
32:14I'm frightened.
32:15Are you afraid?
32:17Never been afraid in your life?
32:19Never.
32:19I love you.
32:20Especially since you've been there.
32:25And we wanted to beat them so bad.
32:28Ah.
32:43It was really, uh, it kind of shut your mouth, kind of a statement that we made to, uh, to
32:50MC Hammer and the Atlanta Falcons.
32:53The Redskins forced Atlanta into six turnovers, ending the day for the Falcons and their sideline entertainment.
33:04Despite the weather, Mark Rippin moved the offense with ease.
33:08And Washington's running game ensured the victory.
33:14The rain-soaked RFK fans celebrated with a unique chowling of affection.
33:21One guy threw one of those things and everybody went, hey, whoa!
33:32The yellow seat cushions were flying.
33:39Great memory for us and, uh, it was a great day and I think the weather kind of fit us.
33:44Everything did.
33:44It kind of all went our way.
33:47The following week, things continued to go the Redskins' way thanks to a late change in the Lions lineup.
33:54I could not believe they had a guy named Conover, a rookie, starting at right tackle.
34:05Woo!
34:06Yeah, baby, yeah!
34:08So, I mean, I'm just going nuts.
34:10Let's go get it!
34:11It's out there!
34:13The first play, I'm just going to light into him with all my might.
34:19With a fight and he has no chance of winning.
34:26I remember getting into his chest before he could get out of his stance hardly.
34:31And I was able to reach up and knock the ball out of the quarterback's hand and fumble.
34:37Fred Stokes picks it up.
34:40First down for the Redskins on, like, the eight-yard line and we go in to score and, you know,
34:46the rest was history.
34:50Andre Ware is back.
34:51Throws it to the left side.
34:52Picked off at the 33-yard line.
34:54It comes to return by Darrell Green.
34:56He's back to the 10.
34:57Cuts to the 5.
34:58Touchdown, Washington Redskins!
35:00In the NFC Championship game, the Redskins flexed their defensive muscle.
35:06While they showed off the league's most prolific offense.
35:13Washington strolled to the NFC Championship, outscoring their two playoff opponents by a combined total of 48 points.
35:22Their domination was more than impressive.
35:25It was historic.
35:26The 1991 Redskins posted the largest average margin of victory among all Super Bowl champions.
35:34With the win, Mark Rippon rewarded his coach's faith by finally becoming a championship quarterback.
35:41While Joe Gibbs rewarded his owner's loyalty by delivering Washington's fourth Super Bowl berth in 10 years.
35:58Instead of warm Miami or sunny San Diego, the league took its championship to frigid Minneapolis, Minnesota.
36:19The only thing colder than the weather in the Twin Cities was the reception Joe Gibbs gave to the media
36:27as his team prepared to face the AFC champion, Buffalo Bills.
36:33Our week up here, we're going to try and keep as much as we can, a regular work week.
36:37And try and enjoy everything as we go.
36:40And like I said, we're excited about being here.
36:44Joe had an uncanny knack of brainwashing people.
36:51He said the same stuff over and over and over.
36:55He's a good receiver.
36:56And you're talking about a great quarterback.
36:58So on offense, what you got is a problem.
37:01They got some tough suckers on that team.
37:03You know, they're great.
37:05You're talking about the most valuable player in the league at running back.
37:07Yada, yada, yada, yada, yada.
37:09And then the camera would be in front of us and we would say they got, they're some tough suckers.
37:13Those guys are great players.
37:15Big, strong, and fast.
37:16They got a great team.
37:17They have some great speed.
37:19Like, wait a minute.
37:20That's not my words.
37:21That's Joe's words.
37:22They're athletes and their team defensively are as good as they are in the league.
37:26What about the Redskins?
37:27Was it a lot of fun to interview the Redskins?
37:30Oh, sure.
37:30Yeah.
37:31I mean, this is like a convention of morticians.
37:34I mean, this is not a fun group.
37:36But I'll tell you, you know, but compared to Joe Gibbs, a lot of them do go through life with
37:44a lampshade.
37:45No, but one guy said that we are a perfect reflection of our coach.
37:50I don't picture myself that way.
37:52But then again, I guess you always look at yourself a little better than what other people do.
37:56And so I think people look at that and they say, well, this guy, man, he has no sense of
38:00humor.
38:00Look at him.
38:01He's milk toast.
38:02You know what I mean?
38:02I think the difference between teams is a very small difference.
38:06Because of under Joe Gibbs system, there's no real superstar, but it's a super team.
38:13You know, we weren't sexy enough for the media.
38:16We couldn't sit back.
38:17That fact was made abundantly clear when USA Today ran an article criticizing, of all things, Mark Rippon's hairstyle.
38:26Oh, yeah.
38:27My haircut.
38:28He's kind of blase.
38:30You know, I don't care.
38:31I'm not there for those people.
38:33The people writing that didn't like us for some reason.
38:36It's just kind of like, well, gosh, these guys aren't flamboyant.
38:40Gee, something's wrong with these guys.
38:44Thurman Thomas was getting all the press and Bruce Smith and, you know, and Cornelius Bennett.
38:51And, you know, they're the guys.
38:53And so they were, you know, so preoccupied with stuff that Thurman Thomas obviously didn't have his helmet when the
39:00start of the game happened.
39:03Davis is in it running back, not Thurman Thomas.
39:06Let's see.
39:06Kelly goes back, wanted to hand the ball off, was left with nowhere to go.
39:10Gets pounded at the 45, 46-yard line.
39:13Kenneth Davis was supposed to run the ball, which makes us ask, what's wrong with Thurman Thomas?
39:20You know, I mean, this is the biggest game of your career, and you don't have your helmet when the
39:25game starts.
39:27Thomas eventually tracked down his helmet.
39:30He would need it.
39:33The Redskins smothered the Bills' running attack.
39:36Holding the NFL's most valuable player to 13 yards on 10 carries.
39:43Once their ground threat was taken away, the Bills' offense collapsed.
39:48Jim Kelly was sacked five times.
39:51And the Buffalo players began losing their helmets.
39:55For a whole new reason.
39:59The Redskins' defense had silenced the Bills' experience.
40:0337-24, you know, it was, you know, they had a chance.
40:07No, they didn't.
40:09It's 37-0.
40:11And then Joe Gibbs was a great man.
40:17Maybe even a saint.
40:21He told them to calm down and just let the Bills score.
40:27The final score is misleading.
40:33Explosive attack.
40:34But Gibbs and his staff were far from finished.
40:37They had all the defense come together and said,
40:40we got to play.
40:44Kurt Gavea, I want you to sit on the H-back.
40:47And this guy, you do this.
40:49And Wilbur, you do that.
40:50And Jim Kelly's going to throw the ball right here.
40:54Now, Kurt, you should make the play.
40:58Kelly to pass.
40:59Blitz.
41:00Stump the middle.
41:00Has to dump it off.
41:01Picked off.
41:02Intercepted at the 25.
41:03To the 20.
41:04And the 15.
41:04It's Gavea to the 5.
41:06Almost to the end zone.
41:07Forced out of bounds at the 2.
41:12Seconds into the third quarter,
41:13Jim Kelly and the Bills were ambushed
41:15by the brains of the Redskins' coaches
41:18and the brawn of their players.
41:22The interception led to another Redskins touchdown.
41:28Washington was comfortably ahead.
41:30And Mark Rippon was about to showcase
41:33his signature talent on football's biggest stage.
41:40Back he goes.
41:41Good protection again.
41:43Going deep.
41:43He's got Clark in the end zone.
41:45Touchdown, Washington Redskins.
42:09With his bad hair and bizarre celebration,
42:14Mark Rippon proved that style points
42:16were of no value in the Super Bowl.
42:19I mean, I watch that in slow motion.
42:21I go, oh my goodness, what is he doing?
42:23But it's just the emotions caught me at that time.
42:26You know, this is the Super Bowl
42:27and we are handing it to him.
42:29And I came over to sidelines
42:30and one of the guys from Disney
42:34came over and tapped me on the shoulder
42:35and said, by the way, you're the MVP.
42:39And that's kind of when I started practicing my lines.
42:42You know, I'm going to Disney World.
42:44I'm going to Disneyland.
42:50Mark Rippon's fairy tale ending
42:54was so fitting.
42:56A question mark quarterback
42:58when his story began,
43:00Rippon silenced his critics
43:10This ring right here
43:11doesn't mean, gosh, I was great.
43:13I had to play a great cheer.
43:14These are memories.
43:15These are guys that, you know,
43:16they were a huge part of what we did.
43:19Stood behind their group
43:21and just raised to an unbelievable level.
43:25A level that I think is the greatest team
43:27that ever played in the Super Bowl.
43:30Rippon's tribute to his teammates
43:32was returned by the same man
43:34who one year earlier
43:35had been his harshest critic.
43:39It reminds me of the success
43:43that I had in my career.
43:45It also reminds me of the quarterback.
43:49So I put on a ring
43:50and I think of Mark Rippon.
43:54While Joe Gibbs had guided
43:55his quarterback's path
43:57to his place as a champion,
44:00Mark Rippon had helped
44:02his coach's journey
44:03reach legendary status.
44:06Gibbs was now the only head coach
44:08in NFL history
44:09to win three Super Bowl titles
44:12with three different quarterbacks.
44:15I was standing out on the field
44:17waiting to do an interview
44:18with Charles Mann
44:19and he said something
44:21that really struck me.
44:22I'll always remember it.
44:25I said, gosh,
44:26we just won the Super Bowl
44:31but really it was the getting there
44:34that really was
44:35what made it so special.
44:39It's the struggle of getting there.
44:42It's not as much having got it
44:45but it's all that going through
44:47and all the obstacles
44:48you've had to overcome
44:49to get something that hard.
44:54Okay, so now here you are.
44:55Picture this.
44:55You go through this whole year.
44:56You win a Super Bowl.
44:58You just let out
44:59a big sigh of relief.
45:01I go out, grab Pat,
45:03give her a hug and a kiss.
45:04We get in the car.
45:05Okay?
45:07And just before the limo pulls off,
45:09this fan grabs the door
45:11and jerks the door open
45:13this limo.
45:13He knew we were in there
45:14and he goes,
45:15hey, we got to get them next year.
45:17Are you hearing me?
45:18He goes, like,
45:21give me 30 minutes, will you?
45:23I thought to myself,
45:25here we go again.
45:26I think that's probably part
45:27of a football coach's life.
45:33And 82 Redskins were
45:3691 Redskins, sorry.
45:39Were
45:41they lost one real game
45:43the entire season
45:44by three points.
45:47They were a handful of points
45:49away from being
45:50undefeated
45:5219-0
45:55with Mark Rippon as quarterback.
45:57back.
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