Editing Washington Commanders (section)

==== George Allen years (1971–1977) ====
[[File:Richard M. Nixon meeting with the Washington Redskins football team. - NARA - 194738.jpg|thumb|U.S. President [[Richard Nixon]] meeting with the team in 1971]]
On January 6, 1971, Williams hired former [[Los Angeles Rams]] head coach [[George Allen (American football coach)|George Allen]] as head coach and general manager.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brady |first1=Dave |title=Redskins Hire Allen As Coach |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/redskins/longterm/1997/history/allart/allen_hired.htm |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 12, 2024 |date=January 7, 1971}}</ref> Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly touted young players, Allen's teams became known as the [[The Over-the-Hill Gang (American football)|Over-the-Hill Gang]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=His past molds Bucs' future |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2004/09/10/Bucs/His_past_molds_Bucs__.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103212830/http://www.sptimes.com/2004/09/10/Bucs/His_past_molds_Bucs__.shtml |archive-date=January 3, 2009 |access-date=April 5, 2008 |website=[[St. Petersburg Times]]}}</ref> That [[1971 NFL season|season]], the [[1971 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]] made the [[1971–72 NFL playoffs|playoffs]] for the first time since 1945 with a {{Win-loss record|w=9|l=4|t=1}} record<ref name="seasonresults" /> with Redskins first-year head coach George Allen winning the 1971 [[NFL Coach of the Year]] award, the second of his career, having won his first in 1967 as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AP Coach of the Year Winners |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/ap-coach-of-the-year.htm |access-date=August 10, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> However, they lost in the Divisional Playoffs to the [[1971 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]], 24–20.<ref name="seventies">{{Cite web |title=The 1970s–History by the Decades |url=https://www.commanders.com/team/history/1970-by-the-decade |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Commanders.com |archive-date=May 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513044001/https://www.commanders.com/team/history/1970-by-the-decade |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[1972 NFL season|following season]], the [[1972 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]] hosted their first postseason game in Washington since 1942, where they beat the [[1972 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] 16–3 in the [[1972–73 NFL playoffs|NFC Divisional Playoffs]].<ref name="playoffs" /> The Redskins reached the [[NFC Championship Game]], and in a much-anticipated match-up against the archrival [[Dallas Cowboys]], The Redskins placekicker [[Curt Knight]] kicked an 18-yard field goal in the second quarter to get the scoring underway, then Redskins quarterback [[Billy Kilmer]] connected with Redskins wide receiver [[Charley Taylor]] on a 15-yard touchdown pass and Washington had a 10–3 lead at halftime. In the fourth quarter, Kilmer again went to Taylor, this time for a 45-yard touchdown. Knight added three more field goals that period and The Over-The-Hill-Gang defense allowed only a second-quarter field goal. The final score was Washington 26, Dallas 3.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFC Championship - Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins - December 31st, 1972 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197212310was.htm |access-date=August 10, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> After defeating the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC Championship, the Redskins went on to lose to the [[1972 Miami Dolphins season|undefeated]] [[Miami Dolphins]] 14–7 in [[Super Bowl VII]].<ref name="seventies" /> Redskins running back [[Larry Brown (running back)|Larry Brown]] would be named the 1972 [[NFL MVP]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1972 Awards Voting |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/awards_1972.htm |access-date=August 10, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The Redskins again made the playoffs in [[1973–74 NFL playoffs|1973]], [[1974–75 NFL playoffs|1974]], and [[1976–77 NFL playoffs|1976]], only to lose all three times in the first round.<ref name="seventies" /> After the team failed to make the playoffs in [[1977 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]] despite a {{Win-loss record|w=9|l=5}} record, Allen was fired and was replaced at head coach by [[Jack Pardee]].<ref name="seasonresults" />