Super Bowl XVII Super Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30 , 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena , California to decide the National Football League ( NFL ) champion following the strike - shortened 1982 regular season . The National Football Conference ( NFC ) champion Washington Redskins ( 12 - 1 ) defeated the American Football Conference ( AFC ) champion Miami Dolphins ( 10 - 3 ) , 27 – 17 , as the Redskins scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and gained a Super Bowl record 276 yards on the ground , while holding the Dolphins to just 47 offensive plays for 176 total yards , 76 of which came on a single play . Washington Running back John Riggins was named Super Bowl MVP . He finished the game with 2 Super Bowl records : the most rushing yards in a Super Bowl game ( 166 ) , and the most rushing attempts ( 38 ) . His performance was also his fourth 100 yard rushing game in a row in a postseason game , a postseason record . Riggins also recorded a reception for 15 yards , giving him more total yards than the entire Miami team . This game came at the end of a season that was significantly shortened by a players ' strike . The game was a rematch of Super Bowl VII , also played in the Los Angeles area at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ten years before , where the Dolphins completed their 17 – 0 perfect season at the Redskins ' expense by a score of 14 – 7 . Background . NFL players ' strike . A 57 - day long players ' strike reduced the 1982 regular season from a 16 - game schedule to 9 . Because of the shortened season , the NFL adopted a special 16 - team playoff tournament . Division standings were ignored . Eight teams from each conference were seeded 1 - 8 based on their regular season records . The modified schedule forced the league to extend the regular season into January for the first time . After the 57 - day strike , the NFL extended the regular season one weekend ( pushing the end of the regular season back from December 26 to January 2 ) , moving back the start of the playoffs and eliminating the week off for the first time since Super Bowl IV . The strike - shortened season impacted 4 teams that made the playoffs during the 1981 regular season . The San Francisco 49ers , winners of Super Bowl XVI , suffered a 3 - 6 record . The Buffalo Bills , the New York Giants , and the Philadelphia Eagles did not qualify for the playoffs either . The Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions qualified for the playoffs despite 4 - 5 records , the only sub - . 500 teams to reach the NFL playoffs until the 7 - 9 Seattle Seahawks reached the playoffs following the 2010 season . Washington Redskins . Super Bowl XVII was the Redskins ' first Super Bowl victory ( third NFL championship overall ) , and their second Super Bowl appearance , since they were defeated by the Dolphins , 14 - 7 , in Super Bowl VII . This was the second rematch in Super Bowl history , as the two teams met in Super Bowl VII . Washington finished the strike - shortened regular season with an 8 - 1 record , the best in the NFC , and led the NFL in fewest points allowed ( 128 ) . Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann finished the season as the top rated passer in the NFC , completing 161 out of 252 ( 63 percent ) of his passes for 2 , 033 yards and 13 touchdowns , while also rushing for 150 yards . The main weapons in the passing game were wide receivers Charlie Brown ( 32 receptions , 690 yards , and 8 touchdowns ) and Art Monk ( 35 receptions , 447 yards , and 1 touchdown ) . Running back John Riggins led the Redskins running game , rushing for 553 yards and 3 touchdowns during the regular season . Much of Washington ' s success on offense was also attributed to their offensive line , affectionately known as " The Hogs " . Washington also had impact players on their special teams . Mark Moseley became the first placekicker ever to win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award , making 20 out of 21 field goals and all 18 of his extra point attempts . Kick returner Mike Nelms also gained a combined total of 809 yards returning kickoffs and punts . The Redskins defense was led by 6 - foot - 7 295 - pound defensive tackle Dave Butz , who anchored the line , along with defensive ends Dexter Manley and Tony McGee , who each recorded 6 . 5 sacks . Washington secondary was led by defensive backs Vernon Dean and Jeris White , who each recorded 3 interceptions . Miami Dolphins . The Dolphins finished the strike - shortened regular season with a 7 - 2 record , ranking them second in the AFC . The Dolphins ' main strength was their defense , nicknamed the " Killer Bees " because 6 of their 11 starters had last names that began with the letter " B " . The " Killer Bees " , anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Bob Baumhower , led the league in fewest total yards allowed ( 2 , 312 ) and fewest passing yards allowed ( 1 , 027 ) . Linebacker A . J . Duhe was extremely effective at blitzing and in pass coverage . And the Dolphins secondary , consisting of defensive backs Don McNeal , Gerald Small and brothers Lyle and Glenn Blackwood , combined for 11 interceptions . However , the Dolphins ' passing attack , led by quarterback David Woodley , ranked last in the league with 1 , 401 total yards , 8 touchdowns , and 13 interceptions . One of the few bright spots in the Dolphins passing attack was wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo , who gained 356 yards off of just 17 receptions , an average of 20 . 9 yards per catch . Wide receiver Duriel Harris also provided a deep threat with 22 receptions for 331 yards . But Miami ' s strength on offense was their running game , ranking 3rd in the league with 1 , 344 yards . Pro Bowl running back Andra Franklin was the team ' s top rusher with 701 yards and 7 touchdowns . Running back Tony Nathan rushed for 233 yards , and caught 16 passes for another 114 yards . Woodley himself also recorded 207 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns . One reason for the Dolphins ' rushing success was the blocking of their offensive line , led by future hall of fame center Dwight Stephenson , along with Pro Bowlers Bob Kuechenberg and Ed Newman . Playoffs . The Dolphins advanced through the special 16 - team playoffs by defeating the New England Patriots , 28 - 13 , the San Diego Chargers , 34 - 13 , and the New York Jets , 14 - 0 , to earn a trip to their fourth Super Bowl in team history . Meanwhile , the Redskins beat the Detroit Lions , 31 - 7 , the Minnesota Vikings , 21 - 7 , and the Dallas Cowboys , 31 – 17 . Before the playoffs , the 33 - year old Riggins told coach Joe Gibbs " I ' m really getting down the road . I don ' t have many of these left . I ' ve been out two weeks and I ' m ready . Give me the ball . " Gibbs did just that , and Riggins ended up rushing for a combined total of 444 yards and 3 touchdowns during those playoff victories Another key contributor in the playoff games was backup wide receiver Alvin Garrett , who replaced Monk after he suffered a leg injury that kept him out of the entire postseason . Although he only recorded one reception during the regular season , Garrett caught a combined total of 13 receptions for 231 yards and 4 touchdowns in Washington ' s 3 playoff games . Super Bowl pregame news . Entering Super Bowl XVII , the Dolphins were favored to win the game , primarily because of their " Killer Bees " defense , which had recorded 12 interceptions in their 3 playoffs games , including 5 each in the final two . Another reason why the Redskins were the underdogs was because they had 26 players on their 45 - man roster who had been signed by the team as free agents , including 14 who had never even been drafted by an NFL team . Television and entertainment . The game was televised in the United States by NBC , with Dick Enberg handling the play - by - play duties and color commentator Merlin Olsen in the broadcast booth . Len Berman and his " NFL ' 82 " castmates , Mike Adamle ( who also covered the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremony ) , Ahmad Rashad and Pete Axthelm anchored the pregame , halftime and postgame coverage . NBC ' s national Nielsen rating of 48 . 6 was the second - highest for a Super Bowl broadcast , trailing only the 49 . 1 garnered by Super Bowl XVI on CBS the year before . Super Bowl XVII was dedicated to University of Alabama Coach Bear Bryant who died on January 26 , 1983 . A moment of silence was held in his memory during the pregame ceremonies . The Los Angeles Unified School District All - City Band played during the pregame ceremonies . Later , actress Leslie Easterbrook performed the national anthem . The coin toss ceremony featured Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Elroy Hirsch . Dolphins captain Bob Kuechenberg called " tails , " and the coin came down " tails . " However , referee Jerry Markbreit became confused by the similar design of both sides of the coin and incorrectly thought " heads " had landed . After a short discussion with his head linesman , Dale Hamer , Markbreit corrected his mistake before the kickoff . The halftime show was produced by Bob Jani Productions and titled " KaleidoSUPERscope " , and featured the Los Angeles Super Drill Team . Following the game , NBC aired the premiere episode of " The A - Team " , beginning the tradition of the game ' s host network airing programming after the game . The game was shown live in the UK for the first time when Channel 4 , Britain ' s newest channel ( launched 2 November 1982 ) covered it . Additionally , the Super Bowl was shown live in Canada on CTV , which also simulcasted NBC ' s coverage . This Super Bowl has appeared on " NFL ' s Greatest Games " under the title " Hog Day Afternoon . " The game is also referenced in the film " " . Game summary . Miami scored first on their second possession with a 76 - yard touchdown pass from quarterback David Woodley to wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo . Then after forcing the Redskins to punt , Woodley attempted a deep pass again , but was hit by Washington defensive end Dexter Manley causing him to fumble , and defensive tackle Dave Butz recovered the ball . The turnover led to Redskins kicker Mark Moseley ' s 31 - yard field goal to cut the lead 7 – 3 two plays into the second quarter . Miami kick returner Fulton Walker returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to the Dolphins 47 - yard line . From there , the Dolphins advanced to the Redskins 3 - yard line . But Woodley ' s pass fell incomplete on third down , so Miami had to settle for kicker Uwe von Schamann ' s 20 - yard field goal to increase their lead to 10 - 3 with 6 minutes left in the half . Although the drive was only 50 yards long , it consisted of 13 plays and took 8 : 39 off the clock . Aided by a 27 - yard completion from quarterback Joe Theismann to tight end Rick Walker , four runs and a 15 - yard reception by running back John Riggins , and a 12 - yard run from Theismann himself , the Redskins marched 80 yards in 11 plays to score on wide receiver Alvin Garrett ' s 4 - yard touchdown reception . Garrett ' s touchdown tied the game 10 - 10 with less than 2 minutes left in the half , but the tie did not last long : Fulton Walker returned the ensuing kickoff a Super Bowl record 98 yards for a touchdown to give the Dolphins a 17 – 10 lead . It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history . A penalty on the ensuing kickoff forced Washington to start their next drive at their own 7 - yard line , but they managed to get to the 28 on their first 4 plays . Then a pass interference penalty on defensive back Lyle Blackwood on the next play moved the ball to the Miami 42 - yard line . Immediately after Blackwood ' s penalty , wide receiver Charlie Brown ' s 24 - yard reception advanced the Redskins to the Dolphins 16 - yard line . After calling their final timeout with 14 second left , Washington made one last attempt to score a touchdown before trying a field goal . Theismann ' s subsequent pass was caught by Garrett , but he was tackled at the 9 - yard line by defensive back Glenn Blackwood , preventing any field goal attempt as the Redskins were unable to stop the clock before time expired in the half . Both teams opened the second half trading punts . But after driving to their own 47 - yard line on their second possession of the third period , the Redskins managed to fool the Dolphins with a reverse play . Riggins took a hand off from Theismann , who then handed the ball off to Garrett , who was running in the opposite direction . The play worked perfectly as Garrett ran the ball 44 yards to Miami ' s 9 - yard line before being tackled . But the Dolphins defense only allowed Washington to advance to the 3 - yard line on their next three plays , and so the Redskins had to settle for another field goal from Moseley to cut their deficit to 17 – 13 . Later in the third period , Theismann was intercepted by Miami linebacker A . J . Duhe at the Redskins 47 - yard line . After the turnover , the Dolphins reached the 37 - yard line , and Woodley tried to pass the ball deep to Cefalo again . But Washington defensive back Vernon Dean deflected the ball and safety Mark Murphy made a one - handed interception at the 5 - yard line as he was falling to the ground . After the Redskins got a first down , Theismann had a pass blocked at the line of scrimmage by Kim Bokamper . Bokamper nearly intercepted the pass in the Redskins ' end zone but for a timely move by Theismann to knock the ball out of Bokamper ' s hands . The Redskins then drove to Miami ' s 43 - yard line , and once again tried to fool Miami with a trick play , this time a flea flicker . Riggins took a pitch from Theismann , ran up to the line of scrimmage , and then pitched the ball back to Theismann who then attempted to pass it . But this time Miami was not fooled , and Lyle Blackwood made a diving interception at the 1 - yard line . ( This was the first Super Bowl ever to have 3 consecutive drives end with interceptions ) . However , Blackwood ' s interception turned out to be somewhat beneficial for the Redskins , as it pinned Miami back at their own 1 . The Dolphins could only gain 3 yards with their next three plays , and Washington ended up getting the ball back with great field position on their own 48 - yard line . The Redskins ran three plays to reach Miami ' s 43 - yard line , but then faced a fourth down and one to go . Instead of punting , the Redskins decided to gamble and attempt to get the first down with a run from Riggins . But Riggins did a lot more than pick up the first down . Coach Joe Gibbs called his trademark play I - Right 70 Chip , starting TE Clint Didier in motion towards the right , then reversing motion back to the left . Theismann handed to Riggins who broke a tackle from Miami cornerback Don McNeal and took off for a 43 - yard touchdown run , giving Washington their first lead of the game , 20 – 17 , with a little more than 10 minutes remaining in the game . McNeal , who was assigned to cover Didier on the play , slipped briefly as Didier changed direction . The Redskins ran the play to the left , behind Didier and FB Otis Wonsley , and Riggins ran over McNeal to score the touchdown . Although McNeal did indeed slip briefly while following Didier across the formation , it would have made little difference in the outcome of the play . Despite a valiant effort by McNeal , the 185 lb . corner could do little more than hold on briefly as he met the 240 lb . Riggins running with a full head of steam , hit him high , and slid down his body as The Diesel pulled away towards the end zone and the Redskins 1st Super Bowl victory . Washington quickly forced Miami to punt on their next possession , and punt returner Mike Nelms ' s 12 - yard return gave the Redskins great field position at the Dolphins 41 - yard line . The Redskins then executed 5 consecutive running plays by Riggins , consuming a lot of time off the clock and moving the ball to the 23 - yard line . Then on third down , Theismann made a key pass completion to Brown to the 9 - yard line . Riggins then advanced the ball to the 6 - yard line with two more runs . Then after the 2 - minute warning , Brown caught a touchdown pass on the next play , increasing the Redskins lead to 27 — 17 and putting the game away . Walker returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards to the 35 - yard line , but Miami could only advance to the 39 before turning the ball over on downs . Washington had completely dominated Miami in the second half , allowing only two first downs and no pass completions . Overall , the Dolphins gained just 9 first downs and 4 completions in the entire game . " Their way is what we called Dolphin football , " said left guard Bob Kuechenberg , one of only two holdovers from Miami ' s three previous Super Bowl teams in the 1970s ( the other was defensive end Vern Den Herder ) . " They controlled the second half and they ' re fitting world champions . " Woodley finished the game with just 4 out of 14 completions for 97 yards . Receiver Duriel Harris , who recorded 2 receptions for 15 yards , was the only other Dolphins player to catch a pass in the game besides Cefalo . And after catching a 76 - yard pass in the first quarter , Cefalo caught just 1 more pass for 6 yards in the entire game . Walker finished the game with 4 kickoff returns for 190 yards and a touchdown , setting Super Bowl records for most kickoff return yards and highest single game yards per return average ( 47 . 5 ) . Meanwhile , Theismann , the first starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl while wearing a single digit number ( 7 ) , finished 15 out of 23 for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns , with 2 interceptions . He also added 20 rushing yards on 3 carries . Brown was the Redskins leading receiver with 6 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown . Nelms returned 6 punts returns for 52 yards , both Super Bowl records , and returned 2 kickoffs for 44 yards . Overall , Washington gained 400 yards of offense , including a Super Bowl record 276 rushing yards , while limiting Miami to only 176 , with just 34 yards in the second half . Starting lineups . Miami Washington