You’ve heard the names. Bill Belichick. Vince Lombardi. Chuck Noll. They’re the heavyweights of NFL history, the guys with the statues and the multi-volume biographies. But honestly, if we’re talking about pure, unadulterated coaching wizardry, there’s one guy who stands in a tier all by himself.
Joe Gibbs.
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When you look at Joe Gibbs Super Bowl wins, you aren't just looking at a successful coach. You’re looking at a guy who broke the game of football. He won three rings in a decade. That’s impressive enough, right? But here is the kicker that basically makes every other Hall of Fame coach look like they were playing on "easy" mode: he did it with three different quarterbacks.
Not one of those QBs—Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, or Mark Rypien—is in the Hall of Fame.
Think about that for a second. Belichick had Brady. Noll had Bradshaw. Walsh had Montana. Gibbs? He had a system, a massive offensive line, and an uncanny ability to turn whoever was under center into a world-beater.
The First One: Riggins and the 70 Chip
The journey started in 1982, a year that was, frankly, a total mess for the NFL. There was a players' strike, the season was chopped down to nine games, and everyone was kinda just winging it. Gibbs had started his career in Washington 0-5 the previous year. People wanted his head.
By Super Bowl XVII in January 1983, they were singing a different tune.
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Facing the Miami Dolphins, Washington was trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter. It was 4th and 1. Most coaches today would probably have a panic attack and kick the field goal or try some fancy RPO. Gibbs? He called "70 Chip."
Basically, he gave the ball to John Riggins—a man who looked like he belonged on a construction site rather than a football field—and told him to run left. Riggins didn't just get the yard; he steamrolled Don McNeal and went 43 yards for the score. Washington won 27-17. It was Gibbs' first taste of glory and the birth of "The Hogs," that legendary, burger-eating offensive line that basically redefined how big a human being could be while still being athletic.
Breaking Barriers: Super Bowl XXII
If the 1982 win was about grit, the 1987 season’s victory was about a total, absolute explosion.
Doug Williams wasn't even the starter for most of that year. Jay Schroeder was the guy. But Gibbs had a feeling. He'd coached Williams back in the Tampa Bay days and knew the guy had a cannon for an arm.
Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos started like a nightmare. John Elway and the Broncos went up 10-0 immediately. Williams twisted his knee and had to hobble off. It looked like a blowout. Then the second quarter happened.
Honestly, it’s still the most ridiculous quarter in the history of the sport.
- 35 points.
- 18 offensive plays.
- Five touchdowns.
Williams threw four of them. He became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, shattering a disgusting "glass ceiling" that had plagued the league for decades. Meanwhile, a rookie named Timmy Smith—who barely did anything the rest of his career—rushed for a Super Bowl record 204 yards. That’s the Gibbs magic. He found the hot hand and rode it until the wheels fell off.
The Masterpiece: 1991 and Mark Rypien
A lot of people say the 1985 Bears or the 1972 Dolphins are the best teams ever. They’re wrong.
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The 1991 Washington team was a buzzsaw. They went 14-2. They had the #1 offense and the #2 defense. And leading them was Mark Rypien, a guy from Washington State who wasn't exactly a household name.
By the time they hit Super Bowl XXVI against the Buffalo Bills, it wasn't even a contest. The Bills had Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, but they didn't have a prayer. Gibbs’ offense was so balanced it was terrifying. Rypien threw for 292 yards, the defense sacked Kelly five times, and Washington cruised to a 37-24 win.
This was the peak of Joe Gibbs Super Bowl wins. Three rings. Three QBs. Ten years.
Why Joe Gibbs Still Matters Today
What most people get wrong about Gibbs is thinking he was just a "power run" guy. He wasn't. He was a chameleon.
He created the "H-Back" position because he was tired of Lawrence Taylor destroying his quarterbacks. He put three wide receivers on the field before it was "cool" because he wanted to force defenses to spread out. He used more pre-snap motion than almost anyone in the 80s.
He didn't have a "philosophy" he forced on players. He looked at what he had and built a skyscraper out of it.
After he retired (the first time), he went over to NASCAR and won five championships there as an owner. The guy just knows how to organize people. He’s the only person in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. That sort of versatility is unheard of.
Actionable Insights from the Gibbs Era
If you’re a student of the game or just a fan who wants to sound smarter at the bar, here’s what you take away from the Gibbs years:
- Adaptability beats "System": Don't be the coach who tries to run a West Coast offense with a statuesque QB. Gibbs changed his scheme to fit Theismann (scrambler), Williams (pocket passer), and Rypien (deep ball specialist).
- Invest in the Trenches: You can't win without "The Hogs." Washington outspent and out-coached everyone on the offensive line. Size plus execution equals wins.
- The Power of the Backup: Two of Gibbs’ Super Bowl wins involved quarterbacks or running backs who weren't the "intended" stars at the start of the year. Preparation down the roster is everything.
You won't see another run like this. The salary cap and the modern reliance on "Franchise QBs" make the Gibbs triple-threat almost impossible to replicate. He didn't just win championships; he proved that a great leader can win with anyone, provided they have a plan and a few 300-pounders up front.
To really understand the history of the NFL, you have to look past the flashy stats and look at how Joe Gibbs manipulated the scoreboard. He was the ultimate chess player in a game of checkers.
Study the 1991 season film if you want to see football perfection. It's as close as any team has ever come.
Next Steps for Deep Diving:
- Watch the "A Football Life" documentary on Joe Gibbs to see his transition from football to racing.
- Look up the 1991 Washington Redskins DVOA ratings on Football Outsiders; they remain one of the highest-rated teams in the history of advanced analytics.
- Analyze the "70 Chip" play-call to see how Gibbs used a tight end in motion to manipulate defensive keys—a tactic still used by every NFL team today.