1978 Washington Redskins season
The 1978 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 42nd in Washington, D.C. The team failed to improve on their 9–5 record from 1977, finishing 8-8.
| 1978 Washington Redskins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jack Kent Cooke |
| General manager | Bobby Beathard |
| Head coach | Jack Pardee |
| Home field | RFK Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
This was the first of Jack Pardee's three seasons as head coach of the Redskins. This was also the first season in which the NFL expanded from a 14-game season to a 16-game schedule. The Redskins started the season 6-0 and got to 8-3, but ended the season with a five-game losing streak and missed the playoffs. The losing streak began with a loss to a Cardinals team which had started 0-8. The Cardinals would not win again at RFK Stadium until 1993, their sixth season in Arizona.
Quarterback and longtime Redskins favorite Billy Kilmer, who primarily served as backup to Joe Theismann during this season, would retire when it was over.