Super Bowl XVII was an American football game between the AFC champion Miami Dolphins and the NFC champion Washington Redskins to decide the 1982 NFL season champion….as the Redskins defeated the Dolphins by the score of 27–17 to win their first Super Bowl. The game was played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. This Super Bowl came at the end of a season that was significantly shortened by a players’ strike….for each team ended up only playing nine regular season games….which resulted in NBA conducting a special 16-team, four-round playoff tournament where divisions were ignored in the seeding. The Redskins had an NFC-best 8–1 regular season record….whereas the Dolphins finished at 7–2….as both teams advanced through the first three postseason rounds to Super Bowl XVII.
The game then became a rematch of Super Bowl VII….which was also played in the Los Angeles area at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum some ten years before….a game in which the Dolphins completed their 17–0 perfect season at the Redskins’ expense by a score of 14–7….for this game was the second Super Bowl to rematch teams (1st being Super Bowl XIII).
As the game went to halftime….the Dolphins took a 7 point lead and lots of confidence into the locker room….but the Redskins scored 17 unanswered points in the second half….while gaining a Super Bowl record 276 yards on the ground….when holding the Dolphins to just 47 offensive plays for 176 total yards….76 of which came on a single play….nevertheless, Miami built a 17–10 halftime lead with Jimmy Cefalo’s 76-yard touchdown catch and Fulton Walker’s 98-yard kickoff return.
The turning point in the game came with 10:10 remaining….facing fourth down and 1-yard to go at the Dolphins’ 43-yard line….trailing 17–13….Washington RB John Riggins broke through the Miami defense….scoring a touchdown to take the lead…..as WR Charlie Brown added an insurance touchdown with his 6-yard scoring reception.
RB John Riggins was named Super Bowl MVP….after finishing the game with 2 Super Bowl records….the most rushing yards in a Super Bowl game (166)….and the most rushing attempts (38)….as his performance was 4th 100-yard rushing game in a row in a postseason game….which was a postseason record.[9]….cuz Riggins was the first player from an NFC team to rush for 100 yards in a Super Bowl….as he also recorded a reception for 15 yards….which gave him more total yards than the entire Miami offense.
