The Washington Commanders are somewhere they have not been since 1992.
Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels has led the No. 6 seed Commanders to back-to-back road upsets and will face division rival Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship. Washington already took down the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions but will be on the road again to face the No. 2 seed. Can Daniels keep Washington’s Cinderella run going and take the Commanders to the Super Bowl?
If so, it would be Washington’s first championship game appearance in quite some time. Let’s look back at Washington’s big game appearances.
SN’S PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NFL scores | Full NFL schedule | Updated NFL bracket
Commanders’ Super Bowl history
When was the last time the Commanders went to the Super Bowl?
Washington’s wild-card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers marked the team’s first playoff win since 2005. Prior to that, they had last made the divisional round in 1999 and 1993 before that.
In 1992, however, Washington advanced all the way to Super Bowl 26. Then the Washington Redskins, the team faced off against the Buffalo Bills.
Led by head coach Joe Gibbs and quarterback Mark Rypien, Washington, having finished 14-2 in the regular season, defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round 24-7 and crushed the Lions 41-10 in the conference championship.
At the end of the first half of Super Bowl 26, Washington led 17-0. Buffalo, playing in its second consecutive Super Bowl, turned the ball over five times, and Washington led the whole game, securing its third Lombardi Trophy.
Rypien won the Super Bowl MVP after compiling 292 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-33 passing.
Four years earlier, Washington faced the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 22. Gibbs was still head coach, but Rypien had not yet entered the fold. Instead, it was Doug Williams who threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns on 18-of-29 passing en route to a 42-10 shellacking and Super Bowl MVP honors.
Yet, that was not Washington’s first Super Bowl victory. In 1983, the team pulled off a shocking upset as Gibbs and quarterback Joe Theismann defeated Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins 27-17. Down 17-10 at halftime, Washington held Miami to 176 total yards and zero second-half points.
John Riggins became the second running back to ever win Super Bowl MVP, rushing for 166 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.
Washington has appeared in two other Super Bowls, losing in 1984 and 1973. They also won NFL Championships in 1937 and 1942.
Here is a full list of Washington’s Super Bowl appearances.
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | MVP |
| Super Bowl 7 | Jan. 14, 1973 | Dolphins | Miami 14, Washington 7 | Jake Scott |
| Super Bowl 17 | Jan. 30, 1983 | Dolphins | Washington 27, Miami 17 | John Riggins |
| Super Bowl 18 | Jan. 22, 1984 | Los Angeles Raiders | Los Angeles 38, Washington 9 | Marcus Allen |
| Super Bowl 22 | Jan. 31, 1988 | Broncos | Washington 42, Denver 10 | Doug Williams |
| Super Bowl 26 | Jan. 26, 1992 | Bills | Washington 37, Buffalo 24 | Mark Rypien |
How many Super Bowls have the Commanders won?
The Commanders have won three Super Bowls and two NFL Championships. Washington has a 3-2 record in the Super Bowl and a 2-4 record in NFL Championship games.
Here is where Washington ranks among teams with more than two Super Bowl victories.
| Team | Wins | Most recent win |
| Patriots | 6 | 2019 |
| Steelers | 6 | 2009 |
| Cowboys | 5 | 1996 |
| 49ers | 5 | 1992 |
| Chiefs | 4 | 2024 |
| Giants | 4 | 2012 |
| Packers | 4 | 2011 |
| Broncos | 3 | 2016 |
| Commanders | 3 | 1992 |
| Raiders | 3 | 1984 |
Most Super Bowl appearances
The Patriots lead the way with three more appearances than the next teams, which share a three-way tie. Of teams with at least six Super Bowl appearances, the Steelers have the best winning percentage, winning six of eight Super Bowls.
| Team | Appearances | Record | Most Recent Appearance |
| Patriots | 11 | 6-5 | 2019 |
| Steelers | 8 | 6-2 | 2009 |
| Cowboys | 8 | 5-3 | 1996 |
| 49ers | 8 | 5-3 | 1995 |
| Broncos | 8 | 3-5 | 2016 |
| Chiefs | 6 | 4-2 | 2024 |
| Commanders | 5 | 3-2 | 1992 |
Longest Super Bowl appearance drought
Of teams that have been to at least one Super Bowl, not an NFL championship game, Washington has the fourth-longest drought.
Here is a full list of the teams with the longest Super Bowl droughts:
| Team | Appearances | Record | Date | Result |
| Jets | 1 | 1-0 | Jan. 12, 1969 | Jets 16, Colts 7 |
| Vikings | 4 | 0-4 | Jan. 9, 1977 | Raiders 32, Vikings 14 |
| Dolphins | 5 | 2-3 | Jan. 20, 1985 | 49ers 38, Dolphins 16 |
| Commanders | 5 | 3-2 | Jan. 26, 1992 | Commanders 37, Buffalo 24 |
| Bills | 4 | 0-4 | Jan. 30, 1994 | Cowboys 30, Bills 13 |
| Cowboys | 8 | 5-3 | Jan. 28, 1996 | Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 |
Both the Bills and Commanders have a chance to snap their droughts this Sunday.
The Lions, Browns and Jets have all appeared in NFL Championship games predating the Super Bowl. Only the Lions, Browns, Texans and Jaguars have never made a Super Bowl appearance.
| Team | Year founded | Best Super Bowl-era playoff finish |
| Lions | 1930 | Conference Championship (2024) |
| Browns | 1946 | Conference Championship (1990) |
| Jaguars | 1995 | Conference Championship (2018) |
| Texans | 2002 | Divisional round (6 seasons) |
The Texans and Lions had opportunities to snap these droughts this season but were both eliminated in the divisional round.
Super Bowl rematches
Within this year’s final four, there are two possible Super Bowl rematches.
Buffalo and Washington played in Super Bowl 26 and Kansas City and Philadelphia played only two years ago, in Super Bowl 57.
Last year saw a Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and 49ers after the two teams met three seasons prior in Super Bowl 54.
| Teams | Matchups |
| Steelers vs. Cowboys | 3 |
| Dolphins vs. Commanders | 2 |
| 49ers vs. Chiefs | 2 |
| 49ers vs. Bengals | 2 |
| Cowboys vs. Bills | 2 |
| Patriots vs. Eagles | 2 |
| Patriots vs. Giants | 2 |
| Patriots vs. Rams | 2 |
