Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984 featured the
defending NFL Champions, the Washington Redskins, against the Los Angeles
Raiders. If anything, the Redskins, coached by Joe Gibbs, appeared to be even
better in ’83, at least on offense. After losing their opening game, they
breezed through the rest of the schedule to again top the NFC East at 14-2.
Along the way, they set a new league record for points (541) thanks to a
high-powered offense directed by QB Joe Theismann and including RB John Riggins
and wide receivers Charlie Brown, Art Monk, and Alvin Garrett along with an
outstanding offensive line, known as “the Hogs”. If there were major concerns,
they were in regard to the pass defense.
The Raiders, coached by Tom Flores, topped the AFC West
with a 12-4 record. While QB Jim Plunkett had lost his job to Marc Wilson for a
time during the season, he played well down the stretch. Second-year RB Marcus
Allen (pictured above) was outstanding both as a runner from scrimmage and receiver out of the
backfield, TE Todd Christensen caught 92 passes, and veteran WR Cliff Branch
was still productive when healthy. The veteran-laden defense was tough and
aggressive.
The two teams had met during the regular season and the
Redskins won an exciting back-and-forth contest in Washington. The defending
champs, having thrashed the Rams and then just gotten past the 49ers in the
postseason to win the NFC title, were three-point favorites coming into the
game. Meanwhile, LA had soundly beaten the Steelers and Seahawks in the
playoffs.
There were 72,920 fans in attendance at Tampa Stadium. Following
their first possession, the Redskins were forced to punt from their 30 yard
line. The kick by Jeff Hayes was blocked by TE Derrick Jensen (pictured below), who then
recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to give Los Angeles the early lead.
On Washington’s next series, it was the turn of the
Raiders to suffer a miscue on a punt as the kick by Hayes hit Los Angeles CB
Ted Watts in the back and was recovered by the Redskins. However, they failed
to capitalize, gaining just 15 yards before Mark Moseley missed a field goal
try from 44 yards out.
Both teams had difficulty generating offense in the early
going. On the third play of the second quarter, it seemed as though the
Redskins might benefit from a botched punt when Ray Guy had to jump for a high
snap, but he one-handed it and was able to get the kick away. LA held the
Redskins on the next series and, upon regaining possession, came out throwing.
Jim Plunkett connected with Cliff Branch down the middle for a 50-yard gain.
Two plays later, it was Plunkett to Branch again for a 12-yard touchdown and,
with the successful extra point, a 14-0 lead.
Down by two touchdowns, the Redskins put together a
13-play, 73-yard series, highlighted by Theismann completing a pass to Alvin
Garrett for 17 yards in a third-and-17 situation and throwing to TE Clint
Didier twice, for 18 yards and then 20 yards to get inside the LA 20. However, they
were unable to reach the end zone as the drive stalled at the seven. Moseley
kicked a 24-yard field goal to get Washington on the board.
The Redskins got the ball back following a punt by the
Raiders at their 12 yard line with 12 seconds left in the half. Theismann, with
three receivers set wide to his right, tossed a swing pass to the left intended
for RB Joe Washington – a play that had been a big-gainer when the clubs met in
the regular season – but LB Jack Squirek stepped in front of the receiver,
picked off the pass at the five, and had clear sailing for a touchdown (pictured at left) that
made it 21-3 in favor of the Raiders at the half.
Washington started the second half strong with a 70-yard
scoring drive. Theismann completed three passes and John Riggins ran the ball six
times, the last on a one-yard plunge into the end zone for a TD. However, TE
Don Hasselbeck blocked Moseley’s extra point attempt to keep the score at 21-9.
The Raiders responded with a 70-yard drive in eight plays
that was helped along by a 38-yard pass interference penalty on CB Darrell
Green. Los Angeles converted a third-and-four play at the Washington 11 as
Plunkett threw to FB Frank Hawkins for six yards and Marcus Allen capped the
series with a five-yard touchdown carry.
Trying to keep up, the Redskins were unable to convert on
fourth-and-one at the LA 26 and, on the last play of the third quarter, Allen
made a big play that, for all intents, finished off the defending champs. With
a first down at the LA 26, Allen took a pitchout from Plunkett and began to
sweep to his left. However, with SS Ken Coffey fast approaching, he reversed
field and had clear sailing to a 74-yard TD. It set a new Super Bowl record for
longest run, eclipsing the 58-yard carry by Tom Matte of the Colts in Super
Bowl III. More importantly for the Raiders, it put Washington in a very deep
hole at 35-9.
The fourth quarter was anticlimactic. The Raiders added a
21-yard field goal by Chris Bahr following an interception by CB Mike Haynes
and came away with a stunning 38-9 win. It was the most points scored in a
Super Bowl up to that time, as well as a record victory margin.
LA had more total yards (385 to 283) although the
Redskins generated more first downs (19 to 18). But, critically, Washington was
only able to gain 90 yards on the ground, averaging 2.5 yards per carry as the
Raiders typically dominated the line of scrimmage. In addition, the Los Angeles defense sacked
Theismann six times and the Redskins turned the ball over three times – once
directly for a score – as opposed to two turnovers by LA.
NT Reggie Kinlaw was a big part of the successful effort
against the ground game while cornerbacks Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes blanketed
wide receivers Charlie Brown and Art Monk.
Marcus Allen was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 191
yards on 20 carries that included two touchdowns; the rushing total set a new Super Bowl
record, breaking that of John Riggins set a year earlier. Jim Plunkett
completed 16 of 25 passes for 172 yards and a TD with none intercepted. Cliff
Branch (pictured at right) caught 6 passes for 94 yards and a score.
For the Redskins, the continually-harassed Joe Theismann
was successful on 16 of 35 throws for 243 yards with no touchdowns and two
picked off. John Riggins was held to 64 rushing yards on 26 carries and scored
a TD. Clint Didier led the club with 5 pass receptions, for 65 yards, while
Charlie Brown gained 93 yards on his three catches.
“The turning point
was when they scored at the start of the second half and we came right back and
scored,” said Tom Flores. “That was big for us.”
“What hurt the most was the Raiders coming back right
after we scored at the start of the third quarter,” echoed Charlie Brown in
summing up the defeat.
“This is the first time since Joe Gibbs has been here
that any team has controlled our offense the way the Raiders did,” Joe
Theismann noted.
“They pressed us with tight man-to-man coverages,”
explained Coach Gibbs. “When they play you like that you either get the big
plays or you have problems.”
In speaking to the Raiders afterward, managing general
partner Al Davis enthused, “Of all the great teams we’ve had, this team
dominated so much that, in my opinion, you are the greatest Raider team of all
time and you rank with the greatest teams that ever played in any sport.”
The Raiders were 11-5 in the highly-competitive AFC West
in 1984, reaching the postseason as a Wild Card team and losing to the
division-rival Seahawks in the first playoff round. Washington topped the NFC East
again in ’84, but also fell short of a return to the Super Bowl with a loss to
the Bears in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The Redskins would win
another NFC title in 1987, by which time such stalwarts as Joe Theismann and
John Riggins were long gone.
