1983 NFL season

1983 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration September 3 – December 19, 1983
Playoffs
Start date December 24, 1983
AFC Champions Los Angeles Raiders
NFC Champions Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XVIII
Date January 22, 1984
Site Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Champions Los Angeles Raiders
Pro Bowl
Date January 28, 1984
Site Aloha Stadium

The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 at Tampa Stadium in Florida.

Major rule changes

Regular Season games not broadcast by Network TV

Date Time Teams Local TV Announcers
October 9, 1983 4:00 PM EDT Kansas City @ Los Angeles Raiders KCTV (Kansas City area)
(blacked out in Los Angeles area)
Don Fortune (play-by-play)
Len Dawson (analyst)

Division Races

Starting in 1978, ten teams qualified for the playoffs: the winners of each of the divisions, and two wild-card teams in each conference. The two wild cards would meet for the right to face whichever of the three division winners had the best overall record. The tiebreaker rules were based on head-to-head competition, followed by division records, common opponents records, and conference play.

National Football Conference

Week Eastern Central Western WildCard WildCard
1 Cowboys, Eagles 1–0 3 teams 1–0 3 teams 1–0
2 Cowboys 2–0 4 teams 1–1 Rams 2–0
3 Cowboys 3–0 Vikings, Packers 2–1 4 teams 2–1
4 Cowboys 4–0 Vikings 3–1 49ers 3–1 Redskins 3–1 6 teams 2–2
5 Cowboys 5–0 Vikings, Packers 3–2 49ers 4–1 Redskins 4–1 5 teams 3–2
6 Cowboys 6–0 Vikings 4–2 3 teams 4–2 Redskins 5–1 4 teams 4–2
7 Cowboys 7–0 Vikings 5–2 49ers, Rams 5–2 3 teams 5–2 3 teams 4–3
8 Cowboys 7–1 Vikings 6–2 49ers 6–2 Redskins 6–2 Saints, Rams 5–3
9 Cowboys 8–1 Vikings 6–3 49ers 6–3 Redskins 7–2 Saints, Rams 5–4
10 Cowboys 9–1 Vikings 6–4 3 teams 6–4 Redskins 8–2 3 teams 6–4
11 Cowboys, Redskins 9–2 Vikings, Packers 6–5 49ers, Rams 7–4 Cowboys, Redskins 9–2 49ers, Rams 7–4
12 Cowboys, Redskins 10–2 Vikings 7–5 49ers, Rams 7–5 Cowboys, Redskins 10–2 49ers, Rams 7–5
13 Cowboys, Redskins 11–2 Vikings, Lions 7–6 Rams 8–5 Cowboys, Redskins 11–2 Lions, Vikings 7–6
14 Cowboys, Redskins 12–2 Lions 8–6 49ers, Rams 8–6 Cowboys, Redskins 12–2 49ers, Rams 8–6
15 Redskins 13–2 Lions, Packers 8–7 49ers 9–6 Cowboys 12–3 4 teams 8–7
16 Washington 14–2 Detroit 9–7 San Francisco 10–6 Dallas 12–4 Los Angeles 9–7

American Football Conference

Week Eastern Central Western WildCard WildCard
1 3 teams 1–0 4 teams 0–1 3 teams 1–0
2 Dolphins 2–0 Steelers, Browns 1–1 Raiders, Broncos 2–0
3 Dolphins, Bills 2–1 Steelers, Browns 2–1 Raiders 3–0 6 teams 2–1
4 Dolphins, Bills 3–1 Browns 3–1 Raiders 4–0 3 teams 3–1 6 teams 2–2
5 4 teams 3–2 Steelers, Browns 3–2 Raiders 4–1 7 teams 3–2 4 teams 2–3
6 Bills, Colts 4–2 Steelers, Browns 4–2 Raiders 5–1 4 teams 4–2 5 teams 3–3
7 Bills 5–2 Steelers 5–2 Raiders 5–2 Dolphins, Colts 4–3 Browns, Seahawks 4–3
8 Dolphins, Bills 5–3 Steelers 6–2 Raiders 6–2 Dolphins, Bills 5–3 Broncos 5–3
9 Dolphins, Bills 6–3 Steelers 7–2 Raiders, Broncos 6–3 Dolphins, Bills 6–3 Raiders, Broncos 6–3
10 Dolphins 7–3 Steelers 8–2 Raiders 7–3 Bills, Colts 6–4 Seahawks, Broncos 6–4
11 Dolphins, Bills 7–4 Steelers 9–2 Raiders 8–3 Dolphins, Bills 7–4 5 teams 6–5
12 Dolphins 8–4 Steelers 9–3 Raiders 9–3 3 teams 7–5 3 teams 6–5
13 Dolphins 9–4 Steelers 9–4 Raiders 10–3 Browns 8–5 3 teams 7–6
14 Dolphins 10–4 Steelers 9–5 Raiders 11–3 3 teams 8–6 4 teams 7–7
15 Dolphins 11–4 Steelers 10–5 Raiders 11–4 Broncos 9–6 4 teams 8–7
16 Miami 12–4 Pittsburgh 10–6 Los Angeles 12–4 Seattle 9–7 Denver 9–7

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

AFC East
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(2) Miami Dolphins 1240.750389250
New England Patriots 880.500274289
Buffalo Bills 880.500283351
Baltimore Colts 790.438264354
New York Jets 790.438313331
AFC Central
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(3) Pittsburgh Steelers 1060.625355303
Cleveland Browns 970.563356342
Cincinnati Bengals 790.438346302
Houston Oilers 2140.125288460
AFC West
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(1) Los Angeles Raiders 1240.750442338
(4) Seattle Seahawks 970.563403397
(5) Denver Broncos 970.563302327
San Diego Chargers 6100.375358462
Kansas City Chiefs 6100.375386367
NFC East
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(1) Washington Redskins 1420.875541332
(4) Dallas Cowboys 1240.750479360
St. Louis Cardinals 871.531374428
Philadelphia Eagles 5110.313233322
New York Giants 3121.219267347
NFC Central
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(3) Detroit Lions 970.563347286
Green Bay Packers 880.500429439
Chicago Bears 880.500311301
Minnesota Vikings 880.500316348
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2140.125241380
NFC West
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(2) San Francisco 49ers 1060.625432293
(5) Los Angeles Rams 970.563361344
New Orleans Saints 880.500319337
Atlanta Falcons 790.438370389

Tiebreakers

Playoffs

NOTE: The Los Angeles Raiders (the AFC 1 seed) did not play the Seattle Seahawks (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.
                                   
Divisional Playoffs
    Dec. 31 – Candlestick Park        
NFC Wild Card Game NFC Championship
 3  Detroit  23
Dec. 26 – Texas Stadium     Jan. 8 – RFK Stadium
 2  San Francisco  24  
 5  LA Rams  24  2  San Francisco  21
Jan. 1 – RFK Stadium
 4  Dallas  17      1  Washington  24   Super Bowl XVIII
 5  LA Rams  7
    Jan. 22 – Tampa Stadium
 1  Washington  51  
 N1  Washington  9
Dec. 31 – Miami Orange Bowl
AFC Wild Card Game AFC Championship    A1  LA Raiders  38
 4  Seattle  27
Dec. 24 – Kingdome     Jan. 8 – L.A. Memorial Coliseum
 2*  Miami  20  
 5  Denver  7  4  Seattle  14
Jan. 1 – L.A. Memorial Coliseum
 4  Seattle  31      1  LA Raiders  30  
 3  Pittsburgh  10
   
 1*  LA Raiders  38  

Statistical leaders

Team

Points scoredWashington Redskins (541)
Total yards gainedSan Diego Chargers (6,197)
Yards rushingChicago Bears (2,727)
Yards passingSan Diego Chargers (4,661)
Fewest points allowedMiami Dolphins (250)
Fewest total yards allowedCincinnati Bengals (4,327)
Fewest rushing yards allowedWashington Redskins (1,289)
Fewest passing yards allowedNew Orleans Saints (2,691)

Milestones

The following players set all-time records during the season:

Most Touchdowns, Season John Riggins, Washington (24)
Most Rushing Touchdowns, Season John Riggins, Washington (24)
Most Punt Return Yards, Season Greg Pruitt, Los Angeles Raiders (666)
Most Total Field Goals Made, Season Ali Haji-Sheikh, New York Giants (35)

Awards

Most Valuable PlayerJoe Theismann, Quarterback, Washington
Coach of the YearJoe Gibbs, Washington
Offensive Player of the YearJoe Theismann, Quarterback, Washington
Defensive Player of the YearDoug Betters, Defensive End, Miami
Offensive Rookie of the YearEric Dickerson, Running Back, LA Rams
Defensive Rookie of the YearVernon Maxwell, Linebacker, Baltimore Colts

References

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