1982 Washington Redskins season



The  Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 46th in Washington, D.C. Although the Redskins lost all their preseason games, they advanced from an 8–8 record the previous season to become one of the only two teams in NFL history to win the Super Bowl after not winning a pre-season game (the other being the 2021 Los Angeles Rams). The 1990 Buffalo Bills and 2000 New York Giants also made it to the Super Bowl after a winless pre-season, but they did not win the Super Bowl.

The 1982 NFL season was shortened from sixteen games per team to nine because of a players’ strike. The NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament; division standings were ignored, and the top eight teams from each conference earned playoff berths with seeds corresponding to their position in the conference standings. With the best record in the NFC, Washington received the number one seed in the conference for the playoff tournament. Although they and the Los Angeles Raiders had identical 8–1 records, the Redskins were the best in the league because they had a +62-point differential, which was 2 more than the Raiders.

The Redskins marched through the NFC playoffs, beating each of their opponents by an average of 19 points. In a rematch of Washington's only prior Super Bowl appearance ten years prior, the Redskins—in a game famous for Washington's "70 Chip" play on fourth-and-1—went on to beat the Miami Dolphins 27–17 to win Super Bowl XVII. It was the Redskins’ first ever Super Bowl victory, and their first NFL Championship in 40 years. Combining the post-season and their first Super Bowl victory, the Redskins finished the season with an overall record of 12–1.

NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled Hail To The Redskins; it was narrated by John Facenda. On March 22, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1982 Washington Redskins, with team commentary from Russ Grimm, Joe Theismann and Rick Walker, and narrated by Alec Baldwin.

Week P1 (Saturday, August 14, 1982): at Miami Dolphins

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Week P2 (Saturday, August 21, 1982): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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 * Time of Game: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Week P3 (Friday, August 27, 1982): vs. Buffalo Bills

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Week P4 (Friday, September 3, 1982): at Cincinnati Bengals

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Week 1 (Sunday, September 12, 1982): at Philadelphia Eagles

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 * Time of Game: 3 hours, 22 minutes

Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 28/39, 382 YDS, 3 TDs
 * Rushing: Riggins – 20 CAR, 66 YDS, 1 TD; Theismann – 3 CAR, 18 YDS; Harmon – 2 CAR, 16 YDS; Monk – 1 CAR, 8 YDS; Jackson – 4 CAR, 6 YDS
 * Receiving: Monk – 8 REC, 134 YDS, 1 TD; Brown – 5 REC, 97 YDS, 2 TDs; Warren – 4 REC, 73 YDS; Harmon – 3 REC, 38 YDS; Williams – 3 REC, 14 YDS; Riggins – 3 REC, 3 YDS; Walker – 1 REC, 14 YDS; Jackson – 1 REC, 9 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 4/4 PAT, 3/3 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 4 PUNTS, 129 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 7 KR, 152 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 3 PR, 33 YDS
 * Sacks: Manley – 2.0; McGee – 1.5; Brooks – 1.0; Olkewicz – 1.0; Butz – 0.5

Week 2 (Sunday, September 19, 1982): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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 * Time of Game: 2 hours, 55 minutes

Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 12/29, 112 YDS, 1 TD
 * Rushing: Riggins – 34 CAR, 136 YDS; Wonsley – 6 CAR, 22 YDS; Harmon – 3 CAR, 13 YDS; Theismann – 2 CAR, 6 YDS
 * Receiving: Monk – 4 REC, 41 YDS; Brown – 3 REC, 33 YDS; Riggins – 2 REC, 15 YDS; Warren – 2 REC, 15 YDS; Didier – 1 REC, 8 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 0/2 PAT, 3/3 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 7 PUNTS, 284 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 2 KR, 41 YDS; Williams – 1 KR, 2 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 4 PR, 33 YDS
 * Sacks: Manley – 1.0; McGee – 1.0

Week 3 (Sunday, November 21, 1982): at New York Giants

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 16/24, 185 YDS, 2 TDs
 * Rushing: Riggins – 28 CAR, 70 YDS, 1 TD; Harmon – 4 CAR, 33 YDS; Theismann – 4 CAR, 19 YDS; Monk – 2 CAR, 14 YDS; Washington – 1 CAR, 2 YDS; Wonsley – 1 CAR, 1 YD
 * Receiving: Monk – 6 REC, 42 YDS; Brown – 3 REC, 27 YDS, 1 TD; Seay – 2 REC, 71 TDS; Riggins – 2 REC, 3 YDS; Harmon – 1 REC, 7 YDS; Warren – 1 REC, 4 YDS; Wonsley – 1 REC, 1 YD
 * Kicking: Moseley – 3/3 PAT, 2/2 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 4 PUNTS, 164 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 4 KR, 127 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 3 PR, 23 YDS
 * Sacks: Butz – 1.0; Manley – 1.0; McGee – 1.0
 * Interceptions: Manley – 1 INT, –2 YDS

Week 4 (Sunday, November 28, 1982): vs. Philadelphia Eagles

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 * Time of Game: 2 hours, 57 minutes

Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 14/28, 259 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs
 * Rushing: Riggins – 20 CAR, 52 YDS; Walker – 2 CAR, 11 YDS; Washington – 1 CAR, 3 YDS; Theismann – 7 CAR, 1 YD; Monk – 1 CAR, –6 YDS
 * Receiving: Warren – 4 REC, 34 YDS; Brown – 3 REC, 124 YDS, 1 TD; Seay – 2 REC, 37 YDS; Harmon – 2 REC, 14 YDS; Giaquinto – 1 REC, 29 YDS; Riggins – 1 REC, 11 YDS; Monk – 1 REC, 10 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 1/1 PAT, 2/2 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 7 PUNTS, 194 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 3 KR, 89 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 4 PR, 17 YDS
 * Sacks: Butz – 1.0; Olkewicz – 1.0
 * Interceptions: White – 2 INTs, 0 YDS; Peters – 1 INT, 14 YDS; Murphy – 1 INT, 0 YDS

Week 5 (Sunday, December 5, 1982): vs. Dallas Cowboys

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 19/29, 234 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs; Washington – 1/1, 35 YDS
 * Rushing: Washington – 6 CAR, 32 YDS; Riggins – 9 CAR, 26 YDS; Theismann – 1 CAR, 8 YDS; Wonsley – 1 CAR, 0 YDS
 * Receiving: Monk – 7 REC, 100 YDS; Warren – 5 REC, 59 YDS; Washington – 3 REC, 26 YDS; Brown – 2 REC, 52 YDS; Seay – 1 REC, 24 YDS; Harmon – 1 REC, 7 YDS; Walker – 1 REC, 1 YD
 * Kicking: Moseley – 1/1 PAT, 1/1 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 5 PUNTS, 162 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 5 KR, 129 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 2 PR, 6 YDS
 * Sacks: Manley – 1.0
 * Interceptions: Dean – 2 INTs, 43 YDS

Week 6 (Sunday, December 12, 1982): at St. Louis Cardinals

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 17/26, 188 YDS
 * Rushing: Riggins – 25 CAR, 89 YDS; Washington – 5 CAR, 15 YDS; Theismann – 1 CAR, 11 YDS; Harmon – 1 CAR, 4 YDS; Monk – 2 CAR, 3 YDS
 * Receiving: Washington – 8 REC, 78 YDS; Warren – 3 REC, 33 YDS; Brown – 2 REC, 47 YDS; Walker – 2 REC, 15 YDS; Riggins – 1 REC, 11 YDS; Harmon – 1 REC, 4 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 4/4 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 3 PUNTS, 123 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Garrett – 1 KR, 17 YDS; Nelms – 1 KR, 9 YDS
 * Punt Return: Williams – 1 PR, 9 YDS; Nelms – 1 PR, 0 YDS
 * Sacks: Butz – 1.0; McGee – 1.0; Grant – 0.5; Manley – 0.5

Week 7 (Sunday, December 19, 1982): vs. New York Giants

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 25/38, 252 YDS, 4 INTs
 * Rushing: Riggins – 31 CAR, 87 YDS; Washington – 3 CAR, 26 YDS, 1 TD; Theismann – 6 CAR, 21 YDS; Harmon – 1 CAR, 0 YDS
 * Receiving: Brown – 7 REC, 96 YDS; Washington – 5 REC, 28 YDS; Monk – 4 REC, 60 YDS; Warren – 4 REC, 33 YDS; Walker – 4 REC, 28 YDS; Riggins – 1 REC, 7 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 0/1 PAT, 3/3 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 4 PUNTS, 167 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Garrett – 1 KR, 18 YDS; Wonsley – 1 KR, 14 YDS; Nelms – 1 KR, 10 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 5 PR, 34 YDS
 * Sacks: Milot – 3.0; Kaufman – 1.0; Kubin – 0.5; Olkewicz – 0.5

Week 8 (Sunday, December 26, 1982): at New Orleans Saints

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 14/23, 264 YDS, 2 TDs
 * Rushing: Washington – 15 CAR, 67 YDS; Theismann – 5 CAR, 58 YDS; Harmon – 6 CAR, 39 YDS; Riggins – 9 CAR, 27 YDS; Giaquinto – 1 CAR, 5 YDS; Monk – 1 CAR, 2 YDS
 * Receiving: Monk – 5 REC, 60 YDS; Brown – 4 REC, 156 YDS, 2 TDs; Warren – 2 REC, 32 YDS; Seay – 1 REC, 22 YDS; Walker – 1 REC, –3 YDS; Washington – 1 REC, –3 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 3/3 PAT, 2/2 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 7 PUNTS, 321 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Giaquinto – 1 KR, 21 YDS; Anderson – 1 KR, 7 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 10 PR, 106 YDS
 * Sacks: Grant – 1.0; Liebenstein – 1.0; Manley – 1.0; McGee – 1.0; Mendenhall – 1.0
 * Interceptions: Murphy – 1 INT, 0 YDS

Week 9 (Sunday, January 2, 1983): vs. St. Louis Cardinals

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 16/25, 157 YDS, 3 TDs
 * Rushing: Clarence Harmon – 21 CAR, 63 YDS, 1 TD; Washington – 13 CAR, 45 YDS; Wonsley – 3 CAR, 13 YDS; Theismann – 2 CAR, 8 YDS
 * Receiving: Walker – 3 REC, 37 YDS, 1 TD; Brown – 3 REC, 28 YDS; Harmon – 3 REC, 18 YDS; Warren – 2 REC, 27 YDS; Washington – 2 REC, 5 YDS; Giaquinto – 1 REC, 36 YDS; Garrett – 1 REC, 6 YDS; Didier – 1 REC, 2 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 4/4 PAT, 0/1 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 10 PUNTS, 392 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Harmon – 1 KR, 13 YDS
 * Punt Return: Giaquinto – 5 PR, 34 YDS
 * Sacks: Butz – 1.0; Grant – 1.0; McGee – 1.0; Murphy – 1.0; Kaufman – 0.5; Olkewicz – 0.5
 * Interceptions: Dean – 1 INT, 19 YDS; McDaniel – 1 INT, 7 YDS, White – 1 INT, 4 YDS
 * Redskins Missed Field Goals: Moseley 40

Regular Season Stats
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Scoring Summary

Team

Quarter-by-quarter

Fun Bunch
The Fun Bunch was the nickname for the wide receivers and tight ends of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League during the early 1980s. Known for their choreographed group celebrations in the end zone (usually a group high-five) following a touchdown.

The members of the Fun Bunch included the Redskins' wide receivers Art 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 have been chosen for the Pro Bowl. The first high-five leap performed by the Fun Bunch occurred after an Alvin Garrett touchdown 1982 first-round Playoff game against the Detroit Lions.

The Fun Bunch celebration was begun as a tribute to Art Monk, who was injured late in the 1982 regular season and could not participate in the playoffs that year. Garrett forgot about the arranged celebration after his first two touchdown grabs against the Lions. Thankfully, he nabbed a third TD, and the Fun Bunch was born.

The celebration continued into the following year, with Monk joining in. Some Redskins opponents, however, had begun to get annoyed with the display. In a week 15 game against the rival Dallas Cowboys, things came to a head. The game would decide both which team would win the NFC East division, and which of the two teams would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the second half, with the Redskins leading 14–10, Darrell Green intercepted a Danny White pass on a carom. On the very next play, quarterback Joe Theismann hit Art Monk for a 43-yard touchdown pass and catch to break the game open. After the score, the Redskins' receivers gathered in the end zone to celebrate, but were joined by members of the Cowboys secondary. There was some pushing and shoving between the players, and the Fun Bunch went ahead and jumped, albeit with very little high-fiving possible. Both teams were assessed a penalty for unsportsman-like behavior, which offset each other, and the game continued.

The Fun Bunch celebrations were discontinued the following year. NFL rule changes regarding excessive celebrations made such pre-planned group activities a penalty, although this rule was subsequently scaled back. The Fun Bunch remains an iconic symbol of the success the Redskins had in 1982 and 1983.

Playoffs
Notes:


 * All times are EASTERN time.

1982 NFC First Round: (Saturday, January 8, 1983): vs. Detroit Lions

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 14/19, 210 YDS, 3 TDs
 * Rushing: Riggins – 25 CAR, 119 YDS; Jackson – 8 CAR, 27 YDS; Walker – 2 CAR, 14 YDS; Washington – 1 CAR, 9 YDS; Theismann – 2 CAR, 6 YDS
 * Receiving: Garrett – 6 REC, 110 YDS, 3 TDs; Walker – 4 REC, 16 YDS; Brown – 3 REC, 69 YDS; Washington – 1 REC, 15 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 4/4 PAT, 1/2 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 4 PUNTS, 125 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 2 KR, 37 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 3 PR, 60 YDS
 * Sacks: Coleman – 1.0; Dean – 1.0; Manley – 1.0; Murphy – 1.0
 * Interceptions: White – 2 INTs, 77 YDS, 1 TD
 * Redskins Missed Field Goals: Moseley 42

1982 NFC Second Round (Saturday, January 15, 1983): vs. Minnesota Vikings

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 17/23, 213 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT
 * Rushing: Riggins – 37 CAR, 185 YDS, 1 TD; Washington – 1 CAR, 11 YDS; Garrett – 1 CAR, 4 YDS; Theismann – 3 CAR, 4 YDS
 * Receiving: Brown – 5 REC, 59 YDS; Warren – 4 REC, 20 YDS, 1 TD; Garrett – 3 REC, 75 YDS, 1 TD; Giaquinto – 2 REC, 39 YDS; Walker – 2 REC, 15 YDS; Washington – 1 REC, 5 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 3/3 PAT, 0/2 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 2 PUNTS, 60 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 1 KR, 22 YDS; Jackson – 1 KR, 18 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 1 PR, 9 YDS
 * Sacks: Manley – 1.0; McGee – 1.0
 * Redskins Missed Field Goals: Moseley 47, 39

Running back John Riggins led the Redskins to a victory with 185 rushing yards and a touchdown.

1982 NFC Championship Game (Saturday, January 22, 1983): vs. Dallas Cowboys

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Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 12/20, 150 YDS, 1 TD
 * Rushing: Riggins – 36 CAR, 140 YDS, 2 TDs; Washington – 2 CAR, 2 YDS; Garrett – 1 CAR, –2 YDS; Theismann – 1 CAR, –3 YDS
 * Receiving: Garrett – 4 REC, 46 YDS; Brown – 3 REC, 58 YDS, 1 TD; Warren – 2 REC, 24 YDS; Washington – 1 REC, 13 YDS; Walker – 1 REC, 9 YDS; Harmon – 1 REC, 4 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 4/4 PAT, 1/2 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 5 PUNTS, 201 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 4 KR, 128 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 2 PR, 14 YDS
 * Interceptions: Grant – 1 INT, 10 YDS, 1 TD; Kaufman – 1 INT, 2 YDS
 * Redskins Missed Field Goals: Moseley 27

John Riggins, who ran nine straight times to help Washington run out the clock in the final period, finished the game with 140 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.

Super Bowl XVII (Sunday, January 30, 1983): vs. Miami Dolphins

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 * Time of Game: 3 hours, 13 minutes

Individual stats
 * Passing: Theismann – 15/23, 143 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
 * Rushing: Riggins – 38 CAR, 166 YDS, 1 TD; Garrett – 1 CAR, 44 YDS; Clarence Harmon – 9 CAR, 40 YDS; Theismann – 3 CAR, 20 YDS; Walker – 1 CAR, 6 YDS
 * Receiving: Brown – 6 REC, 60 YDS, 1 TD; Warren – 5 REC, 28 YDS; Garrett – 2 REC, 13 YDS, 1 TD; Walker – 1 REC, 27 YDS; Riggins – 1 REC, 15 YDS
 * Kicking: Moseley – 3/3 PAT, 2/2 FG
 * Punting: Hayes – 4 PUNTS, 168 YDS
 * Kickoff Return: Nelms – 2 KR, 44 YDS; Wonsley – 1 KR, 13 YDS
 * Punt Return: Nelms – 6 PR, 52 YDS
 * Sacks: Manley – 1.0
 * Interceptions: Murphy – 1 INT, 0 YDS

Playoff Stats
Passing

Rushing

Receiving

Kicking

Punting

Kick Return

Punt Return

Sacks

Interceptions

Fumbles

Tackles

Scoring Summary

Team

Quarter-by-quarter

Awards and records

 * Joe Gibbs, National Football League Coach of the Year Award
 * Mark Moseley, National Football League Most Valuable Player Award,
 * John Riggins, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
 * Joe Theismann, Bert Bell Award
 * Joe Theismann, NFC Leader, Passer Rating (91.3)
 * Jim Speros, recognized as youngest full-time assistant coach in NFL history.