1991 Major Football League Standings
National Football League (NFL) 1991
AFC Eastern Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Buffalo Bills | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 458 | 318 |
| 2 | +New York Jets | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 314 | 293 |
| 3 | Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 343 | 349 |
| 4 | New England Patriots | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 211 | 305 |
| 5 | Indianapolis Colts | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 143 | 389 |
AFC Central Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Houston Oilers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 386 | 251 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 292 | 344 |
| 3 | Cleveland Browns | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 293 | 298 |
| 4 | Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 263 | 435 |
AFC Western Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Denver Broncos | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 304 | 235 |
| 2 | +Kansas City Chiefs | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 322 | 255 |
| 3 | +Los Angeles Raiders | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 298 | 297 |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 276 | 261 |
| 5 | San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .333 | 274 | 342 |
NFC Eastern Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Washington Redskins | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 485 | 244 |
| 2 | +Dallas Cowboys | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 342 | 310 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 285 | 244 |
| 4 | New York Giants | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 281 | 297 |
| 5 | Phoenix Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 196 | 344 |
NFC Central Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Detroit Lions | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 339 | 295 |
| 2 | +Chicago Bears | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 299 | 269 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 301 | 306 |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 273 | 313 |
| 5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 199 | 365 |
NFC Western Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *New Orleans Saints | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 341 | 211 |
| 2 | +Atlanta Falcons | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 361 | 338 |
| 3 | San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 393 | 239 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Rams | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 234 | 390 |
AFC American Football Conference Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Raiders | 10 - 6 | AFC Wild Card Playoffs | |
| Houston Oilers vs New York Jets | 17 - 10 | AFC Wild Card Playoffs | |
| Denver Broncos vs Houston Oilers | 26 - 24 | AFC Divisional Playoffs | |
| Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs | 37 - 14 | AFC Divisional Playoffs | |
| Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos | 10 - 7 | AFC Championship Game |
NFC National Football Conference Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons | 20 - 27 | NFC Wild Card Playoffs | |
| Chicago Bears vs Dallas Cowboys | 13 - 17 | NFC Wild Card Playoffs | |
| Washington Redskins vs Atlanta Falcons | 24 - 7 | NFC Divisional Playoffs | |
| Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys | 38 - 6 | NFC Divisional Playoffs | |
| Washington Redskins vs Detroit Lions | 41 - 10 | NFC Championship Game |
NFL Super Bowl (AFC Champions v NFC Champions) 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills vs Washington Redskins | 24 - 37 | Super Bowl XXVII |
NFL Report
Buffalo Bills, holding the best record in the AFC (13-3) lost their second Super Bowl in succession, defeated 37-24 by Washington Redskins, holders of the best record in the NFC and entire NFL (14-2). For the AFC it was an eighth successive loss in the biggest event in USA sports. The last time an AFC team won the Super Bowl was Los Angeles Raiders’ 38-9 victory over Washington Redskins on 22 January 1984 at Tampa, Florida in Super Bowl XVIII. Following a scoreless first quarter the Redskins scored 17 points in the second quarter and added a second John Riggs run touchdown 16 seconds into the third quarter to take a commanding 24-0 lead. Buffalo hit back later in the third quarter with a field goal and touchdown to reduce the deficit to 14 points, but another Redskins touchdown before the end of the quarter made the score 31-10. Two more field goals by Lohmiller made the score 37-10 in the fourth quarter. The Bills scored two passing touchdowns late in the game to make the score 37-24 at the final whistle. [NFL References: 1-2]
Canadian Football League (CFL) 1991
CFL Eastern Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  *Toronto Argonauts | 13 | 5 | 0 | 647 | 526 | 26 |
| 2 |  +Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 9 | 9 | 0 | 516 | 499 | 18 |
| 3 |  +Ottawa Rough Riders | 7 | 11 | 0 | 522 | 577 | 14 |
| 4 |  Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 3 | 15 | 0 | 400 | 599 | 6 |
CFL Western Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  *Edmonton Eskimos | 12 | 6 | 0 | 671 | 569 | 24 |
| 2 |  +Calgary Stampeders | 11 | 7 | 0 | 596 | 552 | 22 |
| 3 |  +British Columbia Lions | 11 | 7 | 0 | 661 | 587 | 22 |
| 4 |  Saskatchewan Roughriders | 6 | 12 | 0 | 606 | 710 | 12 |
CFL Canadian Football League Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
  Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Ottawa Rough Riders | 26 - 8 | Eastern Semi-Final | |
  Calgary Stampeders vs British Columbia Lions | 43 - 41 | Western Semi-Final | |
 Toronto Argonauts vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 42 - 3 | Eastern Final | |
 Edmonton Eskimos vs Calgary Stampeders | 36 - 38 | Western Final | |
| Toronto Argonauts vs Calgary Stampeders | 36 - 21 | Grey Cup 1991 |
CFL Report
In the Canadian Football League, the Eastern Division’s Toronto Argonauts emerged victorious with a 36-21 victory over Calgary Stampeders. Calgary had the second-best record in the Western Division (11-7) after Edmonton Eskimoes, with Toronto putting up a 13-5 record to take first in the Eastern Division. Calgary eliminated Edmonton 38-36 in the Western Final and Toronto won 42-3 versus Winnipeg in the Eastern Final. [CFL References: 1]
Major Alternative and World Football Leagues 1991
Mid-Continental Football League (MCFL) 1991
MCFL Mid-Continental Football League 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Dayton Steelers | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 102 | 62 |
| 2 | *Cleveland Falcons | 9 | 4 | 0 | .692 | 107 | 92 |
| 3 | Wyandot Chiefs | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | 99 | 91 |
| 4 | Shenango Valley Blasters | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 89 | 130 |
MCFL Mid-Continental Football League Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Falcons vs Dayton Steelers | 7 - 0 | MCFL Championship Game 1991 |
MCFL Report
In other leagues, Cleveland Falcons triumphed 7-0 versus Dayton Steelers in the Mid-Continental Football League (MCFL) Championship Game. The MCFL was a new start-up league based in Ohio and Pennsylvania that took the place of any major 11v11 rival outdoor league to the NFL since the demise of the United States Football League following the 1985 season. Following the season Louisville Bulls of Kentucky replaced Wyandot Chiefs in the four-team league. [MCFL References: 1-2]
Arena Football League (AFL) 1991
AFL Arena Football League 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Detroit Drive | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 437 | 262 |
| 2 | *Tampa Bay Storm | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 421 | 309 |
| 3 | *Denver Dynamite | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 389 | 365 |
| 4 | *Albany Firebirds | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 427 | 342 |
| 5 | Dallas Texans | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 286 | 334 |
| 6 | New Orleans Night | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 314 | 401 |
| 7 |  Orlando Predators | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 321 | 363 |
| 8 | Columbus Thunderbolts | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 | 241 | 460 |
AFL Arena Football League Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Drive vs Albany Firebirds | 37 - 35 | Semi-Finals | |
| Tampa Bay Storm vs Denver Dynamite | 40 - 13 | Semi-Finals | |
| Tampa Bay Storm vs Detroit Drive | 48 - 42 | Arena Bowl V |
AFL Report
The Arena Football League in 1991 expanded by two teams to eight, with Washington Commandos and Pittsburgh Gladiators leaving the league and replaced by four new teams in Tampa Bay Storm (FL), Orlando Predators (FL), New Orleans Night (LA) and Columbus Thunderbolts (OH). Tampa Bay Storm were immediately successful, winning Arena Bowl V 48-42 versus Detroit Drive. As in all other Major Football Leagues in 1991 the two teams with best records reached the Championship Game. Following the season Thunderbolts relocated to Cleveland (OH) and Cincinnati Rockers (OH), Charlotte Rage (NC), Sacramento Attack (CA) and San Antonio Force (TX) were added for 1992. [AFL References: 1]
World League of American Football (WLAF) 1991
WLAF North American East Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  *New York Knights | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 257 | 155 |
| 2 |  Orlando Thunder | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 242 | 286 |
| 3 |  Montreal Machine | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 145 | 144 |
| 4 | Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 | 123 | 300 |
WLAF North American West Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  *Birmingham Fire | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 140 | 140 |
| 2 |  San Antonio Riders | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 176 | 196 |
| 3 |  Sacramento Surge | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 179 | 254 |
WLAF European Division 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  *London Monarchs | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 310 | 121 |
| 2 |  +Barcelona Dragons | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 206 | 126 |
| 3 |  Frankfurt Galaxy | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 155 | 139 |
WLAF World League of American Football Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
  Birmingham Fire vs Barcelona Dragons | 3 - 10 | Semi-Finals | |
  New York Knights vs London Monarchs | 26 - 42 | Semi-Finals | |
| London Monarchs vs Barcelona Dragons | 21 - 0 | World Bowl '91 |
WLAF Report
The National Football League established the World League of American Football (WLAF) to further promote the sport around the World. Beginning in 1991 with ten teams the WLAF was divided into three divisions: European (with teams in London, England, UK; Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; and Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany); North American East Division (three teams in USA: New York/New Jersey Knights, NJ; Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, NC; and Orlando Thunder, FL; plus one team in Quebec, Canada: Montreal Machine) and North American West Division (Three teams in USA: Birmingham Fire, AL; San Antonio Riders, TX; and Sacramento Surge, CA). An imbalance in players allocated by the NFL for development in the WLAF meant no team in the European Division finished with a losing record, and no team in either North American Division finished with a winning record. World Bowl ’91 was won by London Monarchs by 21-0 versus Barcelona Dragons at the hallowed grounds of Wembley Stadium, the home of England’s National Soccer Team. Following the 1991 season the winless Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks were replaced by Ohio Glory in Columbus for 1992. [WLAF References: 1-4]
Association of American Football of USSR (AAF) 1991
AAF Association of American Football of USSR 1991
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *Moscow Bruins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | *Moscow Swans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Caspian Sphinxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Kharkov Atlantis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Donetsk Scythians (Ukr) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Minsk Zubrs (Bison) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Association of American Football USSR Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moscow Bruins (Bears) vs Moscow Swans | Win - Loss | Association of American Football USSR Championship 1991 |
AAF Report
A new Football power emerged on the scene in 1991: The USSR. Following glasnost the USSR opened up to American Football and a six-team league was established with teams in Moscow (Bruins and Swans), Caspian Sea Region (Sphinxes), Ukraine (Donetsk Scythians and Kharkov Atlantis) and Belarus (Minsk Zubrs – ‘Bison’). The first and only official Championship of USSR ended with a Moscow Bruins victory over Moscow Swans. After the season the USSR broke up, with Moscow Bears (Bruins) and Krasnoyarsk Siberian Devils competing for Championship of Russia. Kharkov Atlantis and Donetsk Scythians joined newly independent Ukraine’s Football Association and Minsk Zubrs joined Belarus’ Football Association. [AAF USSR References 1-2]
Stock Image
1991 Major Football League References
NFL References [1]
National Football League – 1996 Record and Factbook “Past Standings: 1996” p. 278.
Published by National Football League, Workman Publishing Co., New York
NFL References [2]
National Football League – 1996 Record and Factbook “Super Bowl Summaries” p. 327-329.
Published by National Football League, Workman Publishing Co., New York
MCFL References (1)
Semi-Pro Football -Defunct Leagues: EMCFL (Champs)
https://www.semiprofootball.org/minor/champs/mcfl.htm
[Accessed 1 January 2024]
MCFL References (2)
Semi-Pro Football – Defunct Leagues: EMCFL (1991)
https://www.semiprofootball.org/index.htm
[Accessed 1 January 2024]
CFL References (1)
Canadian Football League – CFL Standings: The 1990s
http://web.archive.org/web/19991108193646/http://www.cfl.ca/CFLArchives/1990s.html
[Accessed 20 January 2023][Archived at the Wayback Machine]
WLAF References (1-3)
Anon. (1991) “Standings” First Down, June 1, 1991, pg. 5
Anon. (1991) “Jon’s too Hort to handle” First Down, June 8, 1991, pg. 4-5
Anglesey, Steve (1991) “Enter the Dragons!” First Down, June 15, 1992, pg. 6-7
WLAF References (4)
World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1991
http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id165.html
[Accessed 23 April 2018]
Arena Football League References (1)
Arena Football League (2016) 2016 Record and Factbook pp. 67-83 / 52.
AAF USSR References (1)
American Football in Russia (2017) History of American Football in USSR and Russia
http://www.americanfootball.ru/Hist_RUS.php
Accessed 24 December 2017
AAF USSR References (2)
Anon. (1991) “Curtain Call” First Down. September 29, 1991. pg. 10.
Published by Mediawatch, Charlbury, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom.
About this Document
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 14 March 2025. First Published: 1 January 2024
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2024
You may quote this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. The Logos and Photos used in this article remain the property of the organisations and individuals which own the copyright and are used here for educational and information purposes only. All Rights Reserved.
