NFL: Super Bowl Memories - running documentary (1 to 57)

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 06:55 PM

Throwing against the long arms of Hendricks and Matuszak, Jaworski was again picked off by Rod Martin. The Raiders turned it into a FG, 24-3.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:03 PM

Originally posted by ChuckyTheGoat

Throwing against the long arms of Hendricks and Matuszak, Jaworski was again picked off by Rod Martin. The Raiders turned it into a FG, 24-3.

Eagles salvaged a TD. But Rod Martin picked off Jaworski for a third time. 27-10 Final.

*Plunkett played great, won the SB MVP. Could have easily gone to Martin.

A few milestones:
*Gene Upshaw played in a Super Bowl in a third decade. He'd retire a year later.
*Kicker Chris Bahr won a Super Bowl. Matched his brother Matt, who had won a Super Bowl with the Steelers the year before.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:04 PM

SB16: Bengals vs Niners

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:07 PM

Originally posted by ChuckyTheGoat

SB16: Bengals vs Niners

These teams came in off historic wins in the Conference Finals:

*Bengals beat the warm-weather Chargers in the "Freezer Bowl" played in frigid Cincinnati.
*Niners nipped the Cowboys, 28-27, in the famous "Catch" game. Montana to Clark.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:33 PM

Great ties between Niners and Bengals:

*Bill Walsh had coached in Cincinnati under Paul Brown. Walsh thought he would be Brown's successor but he was passed over.

*Walsh had coached Kenny Anderson in his formative years. Moving on from Cincinnati, one has to wonder if KEN ANDERSON might have developed into JOE MONTANA if Walsh had stayed in Cincinnati.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:35 PM

Niners fumble away the opening kickoff. Great chance for the Bengals.

Anderson was NFL MVP in 1980. But he threw a redzone INT to Dwight Hicks.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:42 PM

After a Niner TD, Cris Collinsworth fumbled in the redzone. Turnover at the Niner 8.

Walsh's precision offense was then on display. 92-yard TD drive. 14-0.

It's been said that the Walsh offense had no tendencies. So balanced that scouting it is almost impossible.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:45 PM

Facenda's narration on this game is so insightful. Facenda mentions that Walsh picked up a trick from their regular-season road trip to Detroit. Walsh found that a bouncing ball behaved funny on the hard Silverdome turf.

He instructed Ray Wersching to squib-kick the kickoffs. This worked to a charm late in the first half:
1) Fumbled return pinned the Bengals inside their own 10.
2) On the next kickoff, even better. The Bengals fumbled again, this time the Niners recovered.

After two Field Goals, the Niners led 20-0 at halftime.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 07:56 PM

Re-vitalized the Bengals seize momentum in the 3rd quarter:

*Early Bengal TD on scramble by Anderson. Niners, 20-7.

*Niner offense stalled in the 3rd quarter.

*49-yard pass to Collinsworth put the Bengals into the redzone.

*LB Keena Turner missed the call to go out on the field, leaving the Niners with only ten defenders.

First and goal for the Bengals.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 08:00 PM

1st Down. Power-back Pete Johnson gains two yards.

2nd/goal from the 1. Against the goal-line Defense, this play is hilarious. Blair Bush tries to leap like a frog to get to Jack Reynolds but he has no blocking angle. Reynolds delivered a crushing blow against another Johnson rush attempt.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 08:05 PM

3rd/1. This is the play that will go down in history.

It almost looks like a remnant from Bill Walsh's short-passing game. Anderson hits Charles Alexander hit on a square-out in the Right flat. Surely Alexander will turn in for one yard of YAC to score the touchdown.

Not today. LB Danny Bunz read the play with great anticipation. Bunz stuffed Alexander and stopped him one foot short of the goalline.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 08:11 PM

4th/1. Another Johnson rush attempt off Right Tackle. Johnson is stopped by a mass of humanity.

Surely the greatest goal line stand in Super Bowl history.

**jackpot269** · 02-12-23, 08:27 PM

Originally posted by ChuckyTheGoat

Eagles salvaged a TD. But Rod Martin picked off Jaworski for a third time. 27-10 Final.

*Plunkett played great, won the SB MVP. Could have easily gone to Martin.

A few milestones:
*Gene Upshaw played in a Super Bowl in a third decade. He'd retire a year later.
*Kicker Chris Bahr won a Super Bowl. Matched his brother Matt, who had won a Super Bowl with the Steelers the year before.

Enjoying the nice work and remembering these early Superbowl! You do a great job of summarizing Chucky!
The Raiders are my team in the NFL, and have been since I first started watching football in the mid-70's. Plunkett did play well in this game but he would make me so mad, watching him take so many sacks because he was so immobile! My 90 year old Grannie could out run him!! Thanks again Chucky

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 08:32 PM

Awesome, Jack. Thank you.

Flores saw what you saw. He had to protect Plunkett better to have a chance.

Just wait til I get to 1983. What a game.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 09:02 PM

The Niners maintained a 13-point working margin. After another Niner punt, the Bengals drove again and scored on a Dan Ross TD reception. 10:00 left, Niners, 20-14.

Trying to regain some momentum, Montana hit Mike Wilson on a key 3rd down play. Wilson was scouted as a burner who would run deep. On this play Wilson ran a fly-comeback, and Montana hit him perfectly.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 09:05 PM

Wersching's FG on the drive pushed the lead out to 9.

The Niners held on for a 26-21 win. Niners were champs for the FIRST TIME (but not the last).

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 09:07 PM

SB17: Dolphins vs Redskins

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 09:18 PM

Originally posted by ChuckyTheGoat

SB17: Dolphins vs Redskins

This was a weird one, in one regard. Came after the strike-shortened 1982 season.

Teams played only nine regular-season games. But they broadened the playoffs to 8 teams in each league.

*Dolphins benefited from the Jets knocking off top-seed Raiders. Hosted AFC final, beat Jets 14-0.
*WASH was 8-1 in the Regular season. Hosted the NFC title game at a raucous RFK vs rival Cowboys.

Morning of the NFC Title game, John Riggins is arriving at the stadium. He sees Off Line coach Joe Bugel.

RIGGINS: "Gimme the ball, Buges, gimme the ball. Tell Gibbsy I want the ball. There are 80,000 people in the stands...and they came to see ME." Redskins won, 31-17.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 10:27 PM

MIA: Woodley to Cefalo, Long TD for 1st score. 7-0.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 10:31 PM

See post 123. Riggins was used to a heavy workload. The Redskins gave MIA a heavy dose of Riggins off-tackle, especially off Left Tackle with Joe Jacoby against an undersized Kim Bokamper.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 10:35 PM

WASH used formations and mis-direction to keep the MIA defense off-balance. Thiesmann TD pass, 10-10.

But Fulton Walker returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD. 98 yards, MIA 17-10.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 10:41 PM

Long reverse by Alvin Garrett. Set up a Moseley FG. MIA, 17-13.

Thiesmann struggled vs Miami's quickness. Two 2nd-half INTs, and almost a 3rd.

Bokamper deflected a Thiesmann pass and close the goal-line almost had a pick-six. But Thiesmann broke it up at the last moment for an Incompletion.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 11:12 PM

Entering the fourth quarter, WASH used a deliberate gameplan of running directly at the Dolphin defense.

The Redskins drive set up the key play on 4th/1 from the MIA 43. 10:00 left:

*In goal-line set, Riggins ran off left tackle. With a key block from Clint Didier, Riggins got thru the line.

One-on-one against Don McNeal, Riggins tractor-pulled Don McNeal and then cut loose for a 43-yard TD.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 11:17 PM

Woodley struggled mightily in the 2h. The Dolphins couldn't generate a pass offense.

The Hogs continued to wear out the MIA defense. Riggins' playoff performance was unprecedented.

They bled off the clock. And Thiesmann evenutally hit Charlie Brown to seal it. 27-17.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 11:22 PM

SB18: Raiders vs Redskins

These teams had met earlier in the season. Redskins won in WASH, 37-35. But there's one key asterisk on the first meeting.*

*The first meet was before the Raiders traded for CB Mike Haynes.

The Raiders for Haynes, who had been holding out with the Patriots. WASH General Manager Bobby Beathard conceded that the Haynes trade changed the balance of power.

Once the Raiders acquired Haynes, they now had Haynes and The Judge on the corners. Along with a veteran cast, the Raiders became an incredibly tough defense to attack.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 11:27 PM

*Raiders had ripped thru the AFC playoffs. They blew out the Steelers and the Seahawks. 30-14 final vs SEA didn't do it justice. Raiders were up 27-0 at half vs SEA. Their pass defense eclipsed top receiver Steve Largent to the point that he was almost invisible.

*Redskins were 14-2 in the regular season. They narrowly got by the Niners, 24-21, in the NFC Title game.

Context of this game is that the Redskins came in with a lot of acclaim. 12-1 in 1982, 16-2 in 1983. Redskins had won 28 of their L31 contests, and they were defending Super Bowl champs.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 11:46 PM

In the first quarter WASH punted from deep in their own territory. After a high snap, Derrick Jensen blocked the punt. He also fell on the ball in the endzone for a Touchdown.

RAID 7-0. It would be the first of TWO game-changing plays in the first half.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-12-23, 11:54 PM

After sucking the Redskins in with conservative plays, Plunkett went deep to Cliff Branch. Branch had always been explosive, averaging as much as 25 yards per catch in his younger days. Even at age 35, Branch beat two defenders for a 50-yard gain.

Plunkett would again hit Branch, this time for the Touchdown. Think Branch was shifty on his cuts? Ask Mel Blount what it was like to cover Branch. Branch spun Blount around like a top.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-13-23, 12:03 AM

The prowess of the Raider cornerbacks must be noted:
*Lester Hayes ("The Judge") was DEF POY in 1980 when he intercepted 13 passes.
*Mike Haynes was maybe more understated. But his balance and tight coverage were perfect.

Hayes/Haynes locked up Washington's top two receivers Monk/Brown. Monk/Brown combined for zero catches in the first half.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-13-23, 12:17 AM

The Redskins had scored an NFL record 541 points in the regular season. But the Raiders had snuffed out the Redskins with tough run defense that matched the tight coverage of their corners.

With the Raiders leading 14-3 and only 0:12 left in the second quarter, the stage was set for the SECOND game-changing play of the half. Raider assistant Charlie Sumner played a hunch that the Redskins might try to hit RB Joe Washington on a screen pass. WASH had run that play in a similar spot in the regular season meet.

Sumner subbed out LB Matt Millen and put in pass defense specialist Jack Squirek. Sumner instructed Squirek to shadow Washington. Thiesmann unthinkably soft-tossed a gift pass. Squirek leaped up and virtually fell into the endzone for the pick-six. Gift-wrapped seven points, Raiders led at half, 21-3.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-13-23, 11:24 AM

Early in the third quarter Thiesmann connected to drive into the redzone. TD Riggins, but Moseley missed the extra point. RAID, 21-9.

The Raiders used balance on the subsequent drive, TD Marcus Allen. 28-9.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-13-23, 11:27 AM

Credit must be given to the Raider defensive front. In 1982 the Redskin ground attack drove them to the title. On this day, Riggins & Co were snuffed out.

Of particular note is NG Reggie Kinlaw. He was disruptive in 1980. He again dominated his opponent in 1983.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-13-23, 11:32 AM

At 28-9, the Raiders were killing off the clock...when Marcus Allen delivered (arguably) the most artistic run in Super Bowl history. On a play designed to run off left tackle, Allen reversed fields and found an alley up the gut. Allen eluded at least six defenders en route to a 74-yard TD.

It can only be described as a magical run. Enough to secure him the Super Bowl MVP.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-13-23, 11:42 AM

Allen was amazing. He iced the game with even more open-field running. 191 rush yards, a Super Bowl record.

38-9 final. The images at the end of the game will stick with me. It was utter domination.

Veteran Lyle Alzado savored the win as much as anyone. The picture of Alzado and Howie Long post-game is timeless.

The juxtaposition sticks out to me:
*Alzado a veteran who had played for multiple teams. He had been thru the ringer.
*Howie Long recorded 13 sacks in 1983 and made his first Pro Bowl. A young player coming into his own.

Despite the age gap, Alzado and Long would become good friends. Ten years later, Alzado would be dead as a result of significant health problems.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 02-13-23, 11:57 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV6DbL2KCBM

In the postgame, Al Davis called this the:
1) greatest Raider team of all-time, and
2) among the "ranks of the great teams that have played any professional sport."

Maybe it was the moment. Was he wrong?

Consider the way they ripped through three playoff opponents. Consider level of opponent in the Super Bowl and how thoroughly they dominated the game. It was a truly awesome performance.