Just three years removed from winning Super Bowl XV with a team that originally called Oakland home, head coach Tom Flores guided the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders back to the big game, a season that saw the continued resurgence of quarterback Jim Plunkett, the one who made the vertical passing game go for the silver and black.
Regular Season Dominance
The Raiders went 12-4 in the 1983 regular season, winning the AFC West division by three games over the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos.
An Offense Built on Balance and Big Plays
Plunkett completed 230 of 379 pass attempts for 2,935 yards and 20 touchdowns. Running back Marcus Allen had 1,014 yards off 266 rushing attempts and scored 9 touchdowns while also having 68 receptions for 590 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Frank Hawkins had 526 yards off 110 rushing attempts and scored 6 touchdowns while also having 20 receptions for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fullback Kenny King had 294 yards off 82 rushing attempts and scored 1 touchdown while also having 4 receptions for 149 yards and 1 touchdown.
Wide receiver Cliff Branch had 39 receptions for 696 yards and 5 touchdowns. Wide receiver Malcolm Barnwell had 35 receptions and 513 yards and 1 touchdown. Tight end Todd Christensen had 92 receptions for 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wide receiver Darryl “Dokie” Williams had 14 receptions for 259 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Calvin Muhammad had 13 receptions for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Raiders also had an effective special teams unit, as running back Greg Pruitt had 58 punt returns for 666 yards and 1 touchdown while also having 31 kick returns for 604 yards. Wide receiver Cleo Montgomery had 21 kick returns for 464 yards.
A Defense That Suffocated Opponents
The Raiders were best known for their stifling 3-4 defense that easily stopped opposing offenses. Defensive end Howie Long had 13 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. Defensive end Greg Townsend had 10.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery for 66 yards and 1 touchdown, and scored a 2-point safety. Defensive end Lyle Alzado had 7 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and scored a safety. Nose tackle Bill Pickel had 6 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. Nose tackle Archie Reese had 4 sacks. Free safety Vann McElroy had 8 interceptions for 68 yards and 3 fumble recoveries.
Outside linebacker Rod Martin had 6 sacks, 4 interceptions for 81 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Cornerback Lester Hayes had 2 interceptions. Strong safety Mike Davis had 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 2 fumble recoveries. Inside linebacker Matt Millen had 2 sacks and 1 interception. Defensive back James Davis and cornerback Ted Watts both had 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery. Outside linebacker Ted Hendricks and inside linebacker Bob Nelson both had 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
Signature Regular-Season Wins
The biggest regular season win for the Raiders came in Week 14 on December 1, when they pounded the San Diego Chargers 42-10. The closest win experienced by the Raiders came in Week 6 on October 9 against long-time rivals the Kansas City Chiefs, narrowly escaping with a 21-20 win.
A Playoff Run Built for a Rematch
Avenging the Steelers in the Divisional Round
Another chapter in the storied rivalry between the Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers unfolded in the Division Round on January 1, 1984, and Los Angeles prevailed with a 38-10 win. Jim Plunkett completed 21 of 34 pass attempts for 232 yards while Marcus Allen had 121 yards off 13 rushing attempts and scored 2 touchdowns. Lyle Alzado had 2.5 sacks.
Steelers kicker Gary Anderson got his team on the board first with a 17-yard field goal in the 1st quarter, but Los Angeles firmly seized control with an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown by Lester Hayes, and then in the 2nd quarter Allen had a 4-yard touchdown run, and kicker Chris Bahr followed with a 45-yard field goal. In the 3rd quarter Kenny King had a 9-yard touchdown run, and Allen followed with a 49-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh wide receiver John Stallworth caught a 58-yard touchdown pass, but it was far too little for the Steelers as Frank Hawkins had a 2-yard touchdown run to end the Raider rout.
Cruising Past Seattle for the AFC Title
On January 8 the Raiders played against AFC West division rivals the Seattle Seahawks in the AFC Championship Game, and Los Angeles made quick work of Seattle, winning 30-14. Marcus Allen had 154 yards off 25 rushing attempts while also having 7 receptions for 62 yards and 1 touchdown. Malcolm Barnwell had 5 receptions for 116 yards.
A 20-yard field goal kicked by Chris Bahr in the 1st quarter opened the scoring, and then Frank Hawkins put in some hard work in the 2nd quarter, having a 1-yard touchdown run and a 5-yard touchdown run. Bahr then came back to kick a 45-yard field goal. In the 3rd quarter Allen caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Plunkett, and then Seattle started scoring late. Seahawks running back Dan Doornink had an 11-yard touchdown reception, and after Bahr kicked a 35-yard field goal in the 4th quarter, Seahawks tight end Charlie Young had a 9-yard touchdown reception.
Super Bowl XVIII: Burying the Redskins
The only thing on the minds of the Los Angeles Raiders was unfinished business as they played against the NFC Champion Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium on January 22. The Redskins had previously handed the Raiders a 37-35 loss in Week 5 on October 2 at RFK Stadium.
A Blowout Building From the First Snap
The scoring for Super Bowl XVIII started with an exciting special teams play as running back and tight end Derrick Jensen blocked a punt and recovered the football in the end zone for a touchdown. In the 2nd quarter Cliff Branch caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jim Plunkett, and then Washington got on the board with a 24-yard field goal by kicker Mark Moseley. Linebacker Jack Squirek then returned an interception 5 yards for a touchdown to give Los Angeles a 21-3 halftime lead. Redskins running back John Riggins had a 1-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter.
Marcus Allen’s Signature Run
However, Riggins would be trumped by Marcus Allen, who had a 5-yard touchdown run and a spectacular run that would go down as one of the best runs in Super Bowl history. The play was designed for Allen to run strictly to the left of the field, but after he made an unusually wide turn once he realized Washington defenders were closing in on him, Allen changed course and cut back to run up the middle of the field for the spectacular 74-yard touchdown run.
Finishing the Rout and Sealing the Legacy
In the 4th quarter Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann got sacked 3 times, and the cherry on top was provided by Chris Bahr’s 21-yard field goal. Though the Redskins lost this game, running back and wide receiver Alvin Garrett had a good game on special teams, as he had 100 yards off 5 kick returns.
Marcus Allen was named Super Bowl XVIII Most Valuable Player, as he had 191 yards off 20 rushing attempts and scored 2 touchdowns for the game. This also marked the final game in the long and successful career of Ted Hendricks, who won 3 Super Bowls with the Raiders (including Super Bowls XI and XV) and Super Bowl V with the Baltimore Colts. The 1983 Los Angeles Raiders were a team with a true commitment to excellence.
