Editing Super Bowl VII (section)

===Washington Redskins===
{{Main article|1972 Washington Redskins season}}

Following the death of Redskins head coach [[Vince Lombardi]] 17 days prior to the start of the 1970 season, Washington finished 6–8 under interim coach [[Bill Austin (American football, born 1928)|Bill Austin]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1972 Washington Redskins Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1972.htm |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Shortly after the conclusion of the 1970 season, the Redskins hired [[George Allen (American football coach)|George Allen]] as their head coach, hoping he could turn the team's fortunes around. Allen's philosophy was that veteran players win games, so immediately after taking over the team, he traded away most of the younger team members and draft choices for older, more established players. His motto was "The future is now." Washington quickly became the oldest team in the NFL and earned the nickname "The Over-the-Hill Gang." The average age of starters was 31 years old.<ref>Dave Hyde, ''Still Perfect! The Untold Story of the 1972 Miami Dolphins'', p. 239. Dolphins/Curtis Publishing, 2002 {{ISBN|0-9702677-1-1}}</ref> However, Allen's strategy turned the Redskins around, as the team improved to a 9–4–1 record in 1971, and finished the 1972 season with an NFC-best 11–3 record.

Washington was led by 33-year-old quarterback [[Billy Kilmer]], who completed 120 out of 225 passes for 1,648 yards and a league-leading 19 touchdowns during the regular season, with only 11 interceptions, giving him an NFL-best 84.8 [[passer rating]]. Kilmer had started the first three games of the season, was replaced in Game 4 by 38-year-old [[Sonny Jurgensen]], then replaced Jurgensen when he was lost for the season with an [[Achilles tendon]] injury. The Redskins' powerful rushing attack featured two backs. [[Larry Brown (running back)|Larry Brown]] gained 1,216 yards (first in the NFC and second in the NFL, behind only [[O. J. Simpson]]'s 1,251 rushing yards) on 285 carries during the regular season, caught 32 passes for 473 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, earning him both the [[NFL Most Valuable Player Award]] and the [[NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award]]. [[Charley Harraway]] ran for 567 yards on 148 carries. Future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] wide receiver [[Charley Taylor]] and wide receiver [[Roy Jefferson]] provided the team with a solid deep threat, combining for 84 receptions, 1,223 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Veteran tight end [[Jerry Smith (tight end)|Jerry Smith]] added 21 receptions for 353 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Washington also had a solid defense led by linebacker [[Chris Hanburger]] (four interceptions, 98 return yards, one touchdown) and cornerbacks [[Pat Fischer]] (four interceptions, 61 return yards) and [[Mike Bass]] (three interceptions, 53 return yards)