page_title: History of the Washington Football Team
section_title: 1982
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Washington Football Team / Redskins’ decade (1981 to 1992) / 1982
caption_attribution_description: Darrell Green, former American football player.
context_page_description: The Washington Football Team has played over 1,000 games. In those games, the club has won five professional American football championships including two NFL Championships and three Super Bowls. The franchise has also captured 15 NFL divisional titles and five NFC championships.
  The team won the 1937 and 1942 Championship games, as well as Super Bowl XVII, XXII, and XXVI. They also played in and lost the 1936, 1940, 1943, and 1945 Championship games, as well as Super Bowl VII and XVIII. They have made 24 postseason appearances, and have an overall postseason record of 23 wins and 19 losses. Only five teams have appeared in more Super Bowls than Washington: the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, and the San Francisco 49ers; Washington's five appearances are tied with the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, and Green Bay Packers.
  All of the franchise's league titles were attained during two ten-year spans. From 1936 to 1945, the Redskins went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them.
context_section_description: The 1982 season started with two road wins and high hopes in Washington. Then starting on September 21, 1982, the NFL faced a 57-day-long players’ strike, which reduced the 1982 season from a 16 games per team to nine. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament, in which eight teams from each conference were seeded 1–8 based on their regular season records. After the strike was settled, the Redskins dominated, winning six out of the seven remaining games to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976. Mark Moseley also got some attention on December 19, 1982, when he kicked his 21st consecutive field goal against the Giants, breaking Garo Yepremian’s NFL record of 20.
  During 1982, players like quarterback Joe Theismann, running back John Riggins, and receiver Art Monk got most of the publicity, but the Redskins were one of the few teams ever to have a famous offensive line. Line coach Joe Bugel, who later went on to be the head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals, nicknamed them “The Hogs”, not because they were big and fat, but because they would “root around in the mud” on the field. Among the regular Hogs were center Jeff Bostic, guards Raleigh McKenzie and Russ Grimm, and tackles Joe Jacoby, Mark May and Jim Lachey. Tight ends Don Warren and Clint Didier, as well as Riggins, were known as “Honorary Hogs.” Also during the early 1980s, the Redskins had a group of wide receivers and tight ends called the Fun Bunch, who were known for their choreographed group celebrations in the end zone (usually a group high-five) following a touchdown. The members included wide receivers Monk, Virgil Seay, Charlie Brown, and Alvin Garrett, and tight ends Rick Walker, and Don Warren. Every single one of these players won a Super Bowl with the Redskins, and three were chosen for the Pro Bowl. The Fun Bunch's actions eventually resulted in a league-wide ban of “excessive celebration” in 1984. The 1980s Redskins had another group of wide receivers with a nickname: “The Smurfs”, which consisted of Gary Clark, Alvin Garrett, and Charlie Brown. The three were given this nickname because of their diminutive size (Garrett was 5'7", Clark was 5'9", and Brown the tallest at 5'10"), comparing them to the tiny blue comic and cartoon characters in The Smurfs.
  On January 15, 1983, during the second round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings, Riggins rushed for a Redskins playoff record 185 yards (169 m), leading Washington to a 21–7 win and a place in the NFC Championship Game against Dallas, whom they beat 31–17. The Redskins’ first Super Bowl win, and their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins 27–17 on January 30, 1983. Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and inches, with the Redskins down 17–13, the coaches called “70 Chip” a play designed for short yardage. Riggins instead gained 43 yards (39 m) by running through would-be tackler Don McNeal and getting the go-ahead touchdown. The Redskins ended up winning by a 27–17 score.
caption: Darrell Green, cornerback for the Redskins between 1983 and 2002, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.[58]
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