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Raiders Dominated In All Phases

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By TOM FORD

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 1984

Updated: 11/20/2008 04:54 pm

TAMPA - Pro football's bad guy image has been passed from the Los Angeles Raiders to the Washingon Redskins.

Fret not, the Raiders are still mean, still nasty. Bad has new meaning. Bad as in fumbles. Bad as in interceptions. Bad as in the inability to produce the big play, or in preventing the Raiders from making them.

And as for every Redskins' foul-up, there seemed to be a Raiders' accomplishment to match. The Raiders, throughout the buildup to Super Bowl XVIII, talked a mean game and Sunday, they played one, defeating Washington 38-9, resulting in the biggest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.

The Redskins were bad and the Raiders, who seldom had to resort to the underhanded tactics they have built a reputation on, were good. It was that simple, as millions watching on television and 72,920 fans at Tampa Stadium could clearly see.

Washington was outgained 385 yards to 283, but most killing were its mistakes. Quarterbacks Joe Theismann, 16 of 35 for 243 yards was twice intercepted. The Redskins turned the ball over on a fumble and a blocked punt resulted in a Raiders touchdown.

"Our usual game is no turnovers, sound special teams play and taking advantage of other teams' mistakes," Washington coach Joe Gibbs said. "That usually is our trademark. Today, it was their trademark."

The hero of the Raider's victory was not defensive end Lyle Alzado, who had boasted of ripping the faces from the Redskins assigned to block him. Nor was it any of the colorful characters Al Davis has recruited over three decades. The hero was running back Marcus Allen, a relatively laid-back player, who prefers to do his part upholding the Raiders tradition by his acts on the field.

Allen, who was the game's MVP, set a Super Bowl record by rushing for 191 yards. Included among his 20 carries was a record setting 74-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third period. He also scored from the 5.

" We were totally prepared and took it to them from the start," said quarterback Jim Plunkett, who, despite hitting on 16 of 25 passes for 172 yards and two TDs, was overshadowed by Allen and the Raiders defense that tied up the famous "Hogs" offensive line.

Thus ended the Redskins' reign as World Champions. Gone is Washington's winning streak. The 'Skins had won 11 games in a row. Ended is John Riggins' six-game playoff string of rushing for more than 100 yards. He was held to 64 on 26 carries.

By winning their third World Championship, the Raiders became the second team to capture more than two Super Bowls. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won four.

Washington, attempting to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl winner since the Steelers of 1978-79 and only the second team in NFL history to win 17 games in a season, finished the year with a 16-3 record. The Raiders, 15-4, gave the American Football Conference a 10-4 advantage against the National Conference in Super Bowls played since the 1970 merger.

At times, the wisest thing the Raiders did was let the Redskins have the ball.

Uncharacteristically, Washington, entering the game with a plus-43 takeaway margin, gave the Raiders 14 points on a blocked-punt TD by Derrick Jensen and Jack Squirrek's 5-yard interception return.

On the Redskins' first series, Jeff Hayes, after pulling down Jeff Bostick's high snap delivered from the Redskins' 30, punted the ball into Jensen, who had side-stepped would be blocker Ottis Wonsley. The backward chase was on. As justice would have it, Jensen out-hustled two teammates and fell on the ball in the endzone. Chris Bahr's point after kick put LA ahead 7-0 at the 10:08 mark.

"I think they were so concerned with Lester Hayes and Odis McKinney coming off the corners that they kind of forgot about me," said Jensen.

The Raiders worked harder for their second touchdown, although it, too, was attained with relative ease. LA had the ball on its 34 and Plunkett, with a 20-mile-an-hour wind at his back for the first time connected with Cliff Branch for a 50-yard gain to the Redskins 15. After a 2-yard run by Allen, Branch, lining up on the left side, found himself in a one-on-one mismatch with cornerback Anthony Washington. Branch, with a nine year edge in pro experience, beat Washington on an inside move and made the 13-yard TD reception.

Washington then produced its most impressive drive of the game. Theismann, who missed on his first five pass attempts, was 3-5 during a 13-play, 73-yard march to the LA 7. From there, Mark Mosely, who had missed a 44-yard attempt in the first period, hit from 24 yards to reduce the Redskins deficit to 14-3 at the 3:05 mark. There were two big plays in route – Theismann's 18 –yard pass to Alvin Garrett on third-and-18 and a 19-yard interference penalty on cornerback Hayes that placed the ball at the LA 34.

At first, it appeared the 'Skins would not succumb easily. They took the second-half kickoff and drove 70 yards, Theismann accounting for 50 on three completions. Riggins scored from the 1 – making him the first player in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in six straight playoff games – but Washington's woes continued when Don Hasselback blocked Mosely's point after attempt. The Rerdskins trailed 21-9 with 10:52 remaining in the third quarter. It became 28-9 as the Raiders' next possession when Allen scored from the 5 to complete an 8-play, 70-yard drive.

Allen would strike again after the Raiders stopped Riggins on 4th and-one at the LA 26. On first down, Allen tried the right side and, finding the way clogged, reversed field. He then cut up the middle and outran the Redskins to set a Super Bowl record with a rushing touchdown of 74 yards. The third period ended with Allen's dash and the Raiders led 35-9.

"It was my fault it ended up that way," said Allen, who was actually criticizing himself for having to cut back. "I should have been inside instead of outside, so I had to make something out of the play."

In the Raiders locker room after the game, President Ronald Reagan spoke to coach Tom Flores by way of a TV hookup.

A year ago, Reagan lauded Riggins for his 167-yard performance against Miami at the Rose Bowl. Sunday, Reagan commended Allen.

"I got a call from Moscow," said Reagan. "They said that Marcus Allen is a new weapon and that we'd have to dismantle him."

This article originally appeared in The Tampa Tribune on January, 23rd 1984.

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