1983 Los Angeles Raiders: Pitch Black

1983 Los Angeles Raiders: Pitch Black

[paypal_donation_button]1983 Los Angeles Raiders: Pitch Black

Just 3 years removed from winning Super Bowl XV with a team that originally called Oakland home, head coach Tom Flores guided the Los Angeles Raiders back to the big game in the 1983 NFL season, 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.

The Raiders went 12-4 in the 1983 regular season, winning the AFC West division by 3 games over the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. 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 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.

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.

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.

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 would prevail 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.

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.

The only thing on the minds of the Los Angeles Raiders was unfinished business as they would play against the NFC Champion Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII in 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.

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 endzone 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.

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.

In the 4th quarter Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann would get sacked 3 times, and the cherry on top would be 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 would be 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 would win 3 Super Bowls with the Raiders (including Super Bowls XI and Super Bowl XV) and Super Bowl V with the Baltimore Colts. Los Angeles had a team that had a true commitment to excellence.