Super Bowl XVII (1982): Miami Dolphins face Washington Redskins at Rose Bowl. Kickoff time: 6:00pm. Winner takes home the Lombardi Trophy. There is no next week for the loser.
Super Bowl XVII (1982) is the season's final accounting for 1982. Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins arrive at Rose Bowl carrying every snap they have played since training camp. Championship games strip the rest of the schedule away; what is left is whichever team executes its identity longest under the brightest light. The narrative that wins is the one with the trophy attached. Lose, and the season collapses into a footnote no matter how it was played.
The whole league is watching Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins. Two conferences have produced their finalists; the rest of the 1982 season is already in the books. The Lombardi is decided here. Every other team's offseason calendar starts the morning after this kickoff.
Miami Dolphins versus Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl XVII (1982). The teams who reach this round have already proven they survive a long schedule; the stats that matter most now are the ones that compress: scoring differential, red-zone efficiency, turnover margin. At this stage of the year, the simple math is that defenses tighten and the team that protects the ball wins more often than the team that scores the most. Whichever side of Miami Dolphins-Washington Redskins cleans up the careless plays first usually walks out with the result. Conservative-game expectations should not surprise the reader; both staffs know exactly what worked all season and will lean hard on what travels. The early answer is the kicking game, where any swing of field position compounds.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-2 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-3 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-5 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-8 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 7-2 | W3 |
| New York Jets | 6-3 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 5-4 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-5 | L3 |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-8-1 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 8-1 | W5 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-3 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-5 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-6 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 2-7 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-4 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-5 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-6 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-7 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 5-3-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5-4 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-4 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-5 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-6 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 8-1 | W4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-3 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-4 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 4-5 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3-6 | L1 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 717171717 |
| Washington Redskins | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 010132727 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | Jimmy Cefalo 76 yard pass from David Woodley ( Uwe von Schamann kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | Mark Moseley 31 yard field goal | 7-3 |
| Dolphins | Uwe von Schamann 20 yard field goal | 10-3 |
| Redskins | Alvin Garrett 4 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick) | 10-10 |
| Dolphins | Fulton Walker 98 yard kickoff return ( Uwe von Schamann kick) | 17-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | Mark Moseley 20 yard field goal | 17-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | John Riggins 43 yard rush ( Mark Moseley kick) | 17-20 |
| Redskins | Charlie Brown 6 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick) | 17-27 |
| Dolphins | Redskins | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 9 | 24 |
| Total Yards | 176 | 400 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 4/17 | 15/23 |
| Pass yards | 97 | 143 |
| Pass TD | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 2 |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 3 |
| Sack yards lost | 17 | 19 |
| Net pass yards | 80 | 124 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 29 | 52 |
| Rush yards | 96 | 276 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 4 | 5 |
| Penalty yards | 55 | 36 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIA | |||||
| David Woodley | 4/14 | 97 | 1 | 1 | |
| Don Strock | 0/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| WAS | |||||
| Joe Theismann | 15/23 | 143 | 2 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIA | ||||
| Andra Franklin | 16 | 49 | 0 | 9 |
| Tony Nathan | 7 | 26 | 0 | 12 |
| David Woodley | 4 | 16 | 0 | 7 |
| Tommy Vigorito | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Duriel Harris | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| WAS | ||||
| John Riggins | 38 | 166 | 1 | 43 |
| Alvin Garrett | 1 | 44 | 0 | 44 |
| Clarence Harmon | 9 | 40 | 0 | 12 |
| Joe Theismann | 3 | 20 | 0 | 12 |
| Rick Walker | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIA | ||||
| Jimmy Cefalo | 2 | 82 | 1 | 76 |
| Duriel Harris | 2 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| WAS | ||||
| Charlie Brown | 6 | 60 | 1 | 26 |
| Don Warren | 5 | 28 | 0 | 10 |
| Rick Walker | 1 | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| John Riggins | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Alvin Garrett | 2 | 13 | 1 | 9 |
Washington Redskins defeated Miami Dolphins 27-17 at Rose Bowl in the Super Bowl XVII (1982). The final scoring play was Redskins: Charlie Brown 6 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick). Top line of the day: Joe Theismann: 143 pass yards on 15-of-23, 2 TD, 2 INT. Washington Redskins take home the Lombardi Trophy.
Washington Redskins walked out of Rose Bowl as the team that survived a Super Bowl XVII (1982) Miami Dolphins will replay in its head for the entire offseason. The scoreboard says 27-17. The final scoring play came from Redskins: Charlie Brown 6 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick). Whether it was the game-decider or just the period at the end of the sentence depends on what the camera caught earlier. Washington Redskins hoist the Lombardi.
Washington Redskins 27, Miami Dolphins 17.
Round: Super Bowl XVII (1982). Q1: 1 scoring play. Q2: 4 scoring plays. Q3: 1 scoring play. Q4: 2 scoring plays.
Top performers: - Joe Theismann: 143 pass yards on 15-of-23, 2 TD, 2 INT - John Riggins: 166 rush yards on 38 carries - Jimmy Cefalo: 2 catches for 82 yards
Super Bowl XVII (1982), played at Rose Bowl. Final: Miami Dolphins 17, Washington Redskins 27, with Washington Redskins taking the result by 10.
**First quarter**
- Dolphins: Jimmy Cefalo 76 yard pass from David Woodley ( Uwe von Schamann kick)
**Second quarter**
- Redskins: Mark Moseley 31 yard field goal - Dolphins: Uwe von Schamann 20 yard field goal - Redskins: Alvin Garrett 4 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick) - Dolphins: Fulton Walker 98 yard kickoff return ( Uwe von Schamann kick)
**Third quarter**
- Redskins: Mark Moseley 20 yard field goal
**Fourth quarter**
- Redskins: John Riggins 43 yard rush ( Mark Moseley kick) - Redskins: Charlie Brown 6 yard pass from Joe Theismann ( Mark Moseley kick)
**Top performers**
- Joe Theismann: 143 pass yards on 15-of-23, 2 TD, 2 INT - John Riggins: 166 rush yards on 38 carries - Jimmy Cefalo: 2 catches for 82 yards