1982 Washington Redskins: The Fun Bunch

1982 Washington Redskins: The Fun Bunch

1982 Washington Redskins: Fun Bunch

The players’ strike of 1982 gave the National Football League a temporary “black eye” of sorts, as nearly half of the normally scheduled 16-game regular season was canceled as a result. All of October and parts of November were lost because of the strike. Despite this unfortunate turn in the season, there were still good moments to be had in 1982, and that included the sudden rise of the 1982 Washington Redskins, who had gone winless in their preseason games. When Washington started winning in bunches, it came as a complete surprise to the rest of the league, but those close to the Redskins organization and coaching staff weren’t surprised at all.

A Dominant Regular Season

In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Washington Redskins went 8-1, finishing two games ahead of their archrivals, the Dallas Cowboys, in the NFC East division. The Redskins went 6-1 in divisional play and 8-1 in conference play. There was no play pitting AFC and NFC teams against each other during the regular season.

Weapons on Offense

The Backfield

Quarterback Joe Theismann was the first quarterback to give head coach Joe Gibbs real success at the position. Theismann completed 161 of 252 pass attempts for 2,033 yards and 13 touchdowns, throwing just 9 interceptions. Running back John Riggins was the heart and soul of the Redskins teams in the 1980s, running with adrenaline and conviction and often punishing defenders with his aggressive style. Riggins had 177 rushing attempts for 553 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back Joe Washington had 44 rushing attempts for 190 yards and 1 touchdown, while adding 19 receptions for 134 yards and 1 touchdown. Running back Clarence Harmon had 38 rushing attempts for 168 yards and 1 touchdown.

The Fun Bunch Receivers

Wide receiver Charlie Brown had 32 receptions for 690 yards and 8 touchdowns. Wide receiver Art Monk had 35 receptions for 447 yards and 1 touchdown. Tight end Don Warren had 27 receptions for 310 yards. Wide receiver Virgil Seay had 6 receptions for 154 yards. Tight end Rick Walker had 12 receptions for 92 yards and 1 touchdown. Along with wide receiver Alvin Garrett, the combination of Brown, Monk, Warren, and Seay was popularly known as the “Fun Bunch” because of the way they orchestrated group celebrations after scoring touchdowns. They would typically join in a group high-five after one of them caught a touchdown pass.

Defense and Special Teams

Special Teams

On special teams, defensive back Mike Nelms had 23 kick returns for 557 yards and 32 punt returns for 252 yards. Nelms proved to be the only noteworthy special teams player the Redskins had in 1982.

A Ball-Hawking Defense

Running a 4-3 defensive alignment, the Redskins had enough firepower to take down opposing offenses, and the defenders did their jobs exceptionally well. Right defensive end Dexter Manley had 6.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 fumble recoveries. Defensive end and tackle Tony McGee had 6.5 sacks. Left defensive tackle Dave Butz had 4.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. Middle linebacker Neal Olkewicz had 3 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries.

Middle linebacker Rich Milot had 3 sacks. Defensive tackle Darryl Grant had 2.5 sacks. Left linebacker Mel Kaufman had 1.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. Free safety Mark Murphy had 1 sack and 2 interceptions. Right defensive tackle Perry Brooks, defensive end Todd Liebenstein, and left defensive end Matt Mendenhall each had 1 sack. Linebacker Larry Kubin had half a sack and 1 fumble recovery. Right cornerback Vernon Dean and left cornerback Jeris White each had 3 interceptions.

Postseason Honors

Joe Theismann won the Bert Bell Award. Having made 20 of 21 field goals in the regular season, kicker Mark Moseley was chosen as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. For keeping his team together as well as he did, Joe Gibbs was named NFL Coach of the Year.

Closing the Season in Style

The 1982 Washington Redskins finished the regular season on a strong note, riding a 4-game winning streak. The streak began with a 12-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Week 14 on December 12, and it ended with a 28-0 shutout win over the same Cardinals in Week 17 on January 2.

The Road to a Championship

Due to the players’ strike, the NFL opted to form a 16-team tournament for the 1982 season alone, meaning eight teams from each conference would make the playoffs.

Wild Card Round: Redskins 31, Lions 7

In the Wild Card Round on January 8 at their home of RFK Stadium, the #1-seed Redskins soundly defeated the #8-seed Detroit Lions 31-7. Joe Theismann completed 14 of 19 passes for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns. John Riggins had 25 rushing attempts for 119 yards. Alvin Garrett had an outstanding game, catching 6 passes for 110 yards and 3 touchdowns.

In the 1st quarter, Jeris White returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown. Mark Moseley then kicked a 26-yard field goal. In the 2nd quarter, Garrett took the game over with two 21-yard touchdown receptions, and then in the 3rd quarter he added a 27-yard touchdown reception. Detroit tight end David Hill had a 15-yard touchdown reception to save face for the Lions.

Divisional Round: Redskins 21, Vikings 7

In the Divisional Round on January 15, the Redskins hosted the #4-seed Minnesota Vikings at RFK Stadium and beat them soundly, 21-7. Theismann completed 17 of 23 passes for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns while throwing 1 interception. Riggins had 37 rushes for 185 yards and 1 touchdown. Don Warren started the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown reception in the 1st quarter, and then Riggins punched in a 2-yard touchdown run. Minnesota’s only score came in the 2nd quarter when running back Ted Brown had an 18-yard touchdown run. Garrett then put the game out of reach with an 18-yard touchdown reception.

NFC Championship: Redskins 31, Cowboys 17

In the NFC Championship Game on January 22 at RFK Stadium, the Redskins beat their archrivals, the #2-seed Dallas Cowboys, 31-17. Theismann completed 12 of 20 passes for 150 yards and 1 touchdown. Riggins had 35 rushes for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In the 1st quarter, kicker Rafael Septien booted a 27-yard field goal for Dallas, but Charlie Brown answered for Washington with a 19-yard touchdown reception. Riggins punched in a 1-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter. In the 3rd quarter, wide receiver Drew Pearson had a 6-yard touchdown reception, and Riggins then added a 4-yard touchdown run. Wide receiver Michael “Butch” Johnson had a 23-yard touchdown reception for the Cowboys. In the 4th quarter, Moseley kicked a 29-yard field goal, and then Darryl Grant returned an interception 10 yards for a touchdown.

Super Bowl XVII: Redskins 27, Dolphins 17

The stage was set for Super Bowl XVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, as the 1982 Washington Redskins took on the AFC champion Miami Dolphins on January 30. The Redskins ultimately prevailed, beating the Dolphins 27-17 to win their first Super Bowl of the Joe Gibbs era. Joe Theismann completed 15 of 23 passes for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns while throwing 2 interceptions. John Riggins was selected Super Bowl MVP after carrying the ball 38 times for 166 yards and 1 touchdown.

Miami got on the board first with an impressive 76-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo in the 1st quarter. Washington answered in the 2nd quarter with a 31-yard field goal from Mark Moseley. Dolphins kicker Uwe von Schamann then booted a 20-yard field goal. Alvin Garrett followed with a 4-yard touchdown reception. Miami defensive back Fulton Walker then returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. In the 3rd quarter, Moseley kicked a 20-yard field goal. In the 4th quarter, Riggins broke off an amazing 43-yard touchdown run, and finally Charlie Brown added a 6-yard touchdown reception.

The following season, the Redskins returned to the Super Bowl, but they were humbled by the Los Angeles Raiders. Still, the Redskins went on to win two more Super Bowls in the Joe Gibbs era, with two other starting quarterbacks leading the way. The early 1980s to the early 1990s is considered the best stretch in Washington Redskins franchise history.