The franchise was the worst in the USFL in terms of both game play – a combined record of 7-29-0 – and attendance during its two seasons in Washington, prompting the move to Orlando.
The Federals' efforts were severely hobbled when the Redskins won Super Bowl XVII on January 30, 1983 – their first NFL championship since 1942 – only 36 days before the Federals′ first game.
[2] The team lured Ray Jauch to be its head coach; he had previously guided the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers to success in the Canadian Football League.
The Federals initially made a splash by signing running back Craig James, one half of the famous "Pony Express" backfield at SMU.
Jauch's biggest mistake was probably giving the opening day starter, NFL veteran Kim McQuilken, the quick hook for rookie quarterback Mike Hohensee.
From there the team never seemed to settle in with a quarterback for more than a few games in a row, and when McQuilken did play, he often pressed, forcing his throws into coverage.
The team alternated between McQuilken and Hohensee, with occasional appearances by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback "Jefferson Street" Joe Gilliam, who was far past his prime; he had last played a meaningful professional down in 1975, and he only threw for 673 yards.
The Blitz, led by former Detroit Lions and Baltimore Colts quarterback Greg Landry, raced out to a 28–0 lead.
The Blitz held Washington to only one first down and a mere 24 yards total offense in the first half; Chicago led 21–0 before the Federals even recorded a second first down.
The Panthers were led by future NFL quarterback Bobby Hebert, and wide receiver Anthony Carter, one of the fastest players in the league.
In the second half, Federals rookie linebacker Mike Corvino helped stop two late Stars drives with a sack and an interception.
They had a fair amount of offensive talent and skill players with comparatively good depth, and they finished the season third in the league in passing attempts.
rookies in italics 43 Active, 6 Inactive Despite losing millions of dollars in 1983, Bernhard was committed to another season in Washington.
The USFL added six new teams for the 1984 season, and with the league-wide talent pool expected to be diluted by expansion, the 1984 schedule seemed likely to include a number of very winnable games.
The Birmingham Stallions' acquisition of Cliff Stoudt made their 1983 quarterback Reggie Collier available, and the Federals added him for depth in 1984 alongside Hohensee and rookie Lou Pagley.
Player familiarity with the system and their teammates and having a proven winner like Jauch as a coach suggested the Federals were bound to deliver better results in 1984.
[1] In an effort to save face, Bernhard fired Jauch three days after the game and replaced him with his offensive coordinator, former Maryland Terrapins and Dallas Cowboys running back Dick Bielski.
Hohensee played fairly well for a second-year starter and finished the season with a very respectable – by USFL standards – passer rating of 72.2.
Halfback Curtis Bledsoe replaced James as the team's featured running back, rushing for a respectable 1,080 yards and seven touchdowns in 1984.
Wide receiver Joey Walters caught 98 passes for 1,410 yards and seven touchdowns and made The Sporting News 1984 USFL All-Star Team, becoming the Federals' main star.
rookies in italics 43 Active, 7 Inactive In March 1984, with the Federals failing on the field and at the gate for a second straight season, Bernhard decided to sell the franchise.
[1] In anticipation of the deal, the USFL executed a lease agreement for the Spirit to play at the Miami Orange Bowl.
[1] Weiser envisioned closing the deal to purchase the Federals soon after the end of the 1984 USFL season, with Schnellenberger in the interim hiring assistant coaches and joining them in evaluating player talent on the Federals and elsewhere in the USFL and preparing a plan of action for the team after Weiser concluded the purchase.
[1] In June 1984, Bernhard's Washington Football Partners entered into a preliminary agreement to sell the Federals to American Sports, Ltd., a company controlled by Weiser.
Weiser promptly canceled the deal to purchase the Federals, and American Sports, Ltd., relinquished the franchise to Washington Football Partners two days later.
[3] Shortly thereafter, hospital magnate Donald Dizney, who had been a minority owner of the Tampa Bay Bandits before briefly joining Weiser's group, stepped in to end Bernhard's suffering.
Unlike Schnellenberger and Weiser of the stillborn Miami franchise, Dizney did not have the benefit of several months of research of coaching and player possibilities.
[1] With Schnellenberger opting not to follow the team to Orlando,[3] Dizney turned to Lee Corso, a Florida State University alumnus and a longtime college head coach best known for his tenure at Indiana.
[11] Ultimately, the Renegades were one of eight teams selected to continue operations in the 1986 season, when the USFL planned to switch to a fall schedule.