Best Team Ever to come up short in a Super Bowl? 1983 Skins!

[hail2skins]

Still remember Joey T in the locker room after the game: "We got our a---- handed to us on a silver platter........only the platter was more like a bent tray in this case!"

The only good thing about that Sunday was that I had semester finals the next day and at least I could pay some attention to my studies by the 4th quarter!!

[jschlesi]

I dont remember a better regular season team. The only other team i liken it to was the 86 (?) Hoyas-- both juggernuats

[Wingman44]

The 83 Redskins had 1 major weakness on defense, CB Anthony Washington, and he got beat badly by Cliff Branch all day long in the Superbowl.

The '68 Colts who lost to the Jets are another team you could add to the list. They were something like 19 point favorites

[DCMONEY]

Yeah that 83 team was one the best to not finish. I was so glad that 91 team didn't do the same.

[radagast5]

Not a bad point. That 1991 team had a very solid all-around team and the defense just seemed to make all the right plays- they were a dominant team- just not quite flashy as the 1982-1983 version' date=' I guess.

But +43 in turnovers! That is mind-boggling. It's tough for a defense to lose games with that kind of margin.... I don't know how I didn't know that before today- but now I'm glad that I know![/quote']

I used to think that +43 turnover margin was impossible to top, the 56-game hitting-streak of NFL records. But, did you realize that over the last seven games of the 2005 season, the Redskins had a +18 turnover margin? Pro-rate that over the course of an entire season and that's a +41 margin.

[RiggoReincarnated]

There was a thread on here awhile ago that talked about why the 83 team fell apart in the superbowl, apparently they went out and partied the night before and weren't right. Really disappointing.

One of the mods knows the whole story, i think it's Tarhog or Henry.

Anyway, that sounds like an awesome team, I wish I had seen them play.

That seems unbelievable for that to happen with Joe Gibbs coached team. For all away games there is a strict 11 PM curfew and I have trouble believing they'd break curfew on eve of the Super Bowl. Though we did play so unbelievably horrible that game...

[RiggoReincarnated]

Although they fell short in SB XVIII, the 1983 Redskins bring back good memories! It was the most talented Redskin team I ever saw.

And I saw them in person during that season when they beat the Rams 42-20 at Anaheim Stadium. I had so much fun that day!

I also fondly remember the 31-10 pounding the Redskins put on Dallas in the second to last week of the season!

Quick story about SBXVIII, I watched the game with several members of my family at my grandparents' house in East Los Angeles. Mostly everybody was rooting for the Raiders. So you could imagine the abuse I was taking that day.

But at the same time, I have to give the Raiders credit. They just played a great all-around game.

With a couple of breaks, the 1983 Redskins could have easily gone 16-0 It's just a shame that they played their one bad game in football's biggest stage.

How was it more talented then the 1991 team?

[bcl05]

I think the '83 team was actually +45 in T/O ratio.

That team was ridiculous - the offense was simply flawless and the D was so opportunistic.

All things considered, however, I do think the 1991 team was more dominant. They didn't need to force turnovers to completely dominate teams.

[ChiefPowhatan17]

I agree that was one of the hardest games to watch. I hated the Raiders for a long time, and I couldn't believe that we had been beat. That team clicked better than the '82 team. :logo::logo::logo:

[BogeyMan]

You could probably throw the '72 Cowboys in as well. They lost 16-13 to Baltimore in a truly ugly game. They came back the next year and destroyed the Dolphins in the Super Bowl.

[BigRay]

That 83 team really broke my heart hell I still have nightmares of that 74 yd touch down run of Marcus Allen..

[chef8181]

The worse play in that game was the screen pass that got intercepted and returned for a touchdown. I can't believe Gibbs called that play when we were so close to our goal line and Theisman threw it right to a Raiders LB. All my friends I was watching with were sure the Skins threw that game. Just horrible to watch and very unexpected with the year we had.

[Drex]

The game got off to a bad start when the Raiders blocked a Jeff Hayes punt and recovered it in the endzone to take a 7-0 lead.

Horrible game all around, one of my earliest yet saddest memories as a skins fan.

[Khun Kao]

I still remember thinking in the 3rd quarter that we still had a chance! Get the ball back and score, get the ball back and score again, get the ball back and score one more time, and we'd be right back in the game.....

After watching them all year during the regular season, you simply believed they could still do it...

I agree that the other really good example of a team laying an egg in the Super Bowl was the Colts team that lost to the Jets.

But if you wanna talk NFL Championship Games, the 'Skins team that lost to the Chicago Bears 73-0 (or something like that). I understand that there are real suspicions (not confirmed) that key players were paid to "take a dive". I think Sammy Baugh said something about that. I got the impression after reading it that he was still bitter about that to this day.

[fight_on_til_you_have_won]

A couple of relevant stats:

-- The 541 points the '83 Redskins scored is still the second highest point total in NFL history. The '98 Vikings put up 558.

-- The record-setting turnover ratio was +43, not +45 as has been erroneous reported, with 61 takeaways and 18 giveaways. In any event, this is mind-blowing. To put this in perspective, Cincinnati led the league in 2005 with a +25 turnover ratio, and was the only team with a ratio better than half of that of the '83 Skins.

[LD0506]

I've always heard that Riggo & Co. were out closing the bars, absolutely terrorizing the neighborhood the night before. There is a little thing called hubris, they were so sure, so ****y that they took it for granted. Overconfidence has lost more games than anything else. Some of you should consider yourselves lucky that you don't remember, it was heartbreaking. And someone said they hated the Raiders for a long time after that? Why'd you stop? I can accept the '72 Dolphins, they were on a mission but to get abused by the Raiders that way? I'll take it to my grave.......

[docsandy]

Special teams blunder (blocked punt)

Our defensive line manhandled

The Hogs get manhandled

Joe Theismann with a blunder throw (Rocket Screen)

Charlie Brown and Art Monk get roughed up

Don't forget about the guys that were out late past curfew the night before ...

that was the biggie, in my opinion.

[NavyDave]

You just had to open old wounds didnt ya?

My ship (USS California) had relocated to Alameda from Norfolk that year and I had to endure the loss right in the middle of Raiduh Nation

[RiggoReincarnated]

I've always heard that Riggo & Co. were out closing the bars, absolutely terrorizing the neighborhood the night before. There is a little thing called hubris, they were so sure, so ****y that they took it for granted. Overconfidence has lost more games than anything else. Some of you should consider yourselves lucky that you don't remember, it was heartbreaking. And someone said they hated the Raiders for a long time after that? Why'd you stop? I can accept the '72 Dolphins, they were on a mission but to get abused by the Raiders that way? I'll take it to my grave.......

Absolutely, positively, impossible. If that had happened every one of them would have been cut before the 1984 season.

[Leonard Washington]

isn't that the superbowl the skins got blown out by the raiders? if so, we would qualify under a long list of superbowl frauds.

my vote would be for the 93? bills who lost to the giants.

[LApunkrocker72]

How was it more talented then the 1991 team?

The 1991 team was awesome as well. But I would give the 1983 team a slight edge in terms of pure talent.

I would give the 1983 version a small edge at QB (Theismann vs. Rypien), RB (Riggins vs. Byner) and DL (Manley, Butz, Grant, Mann, Liebenstein, McGee vs. Mann, Williams, Johnson, Stokes, Geathers).

But, alas, the 1991 team finished the job, and I will remember the 1991 Redskins for a long time to come.

[scruffylookin]

The 1991 team was awesome as well. But I would give the 1983 team a slight edge in terms of pure talent.

I would give the 1983 version a small edge at QB (Theismann vs. Rypien), RB (Riggins vs. Byner) and DL (Manley, Butz, Grant, Mann, Liebenstein, McGee vs. Mann, Williams, Johnson, Stokes, Geathers).

But, alas, the 1991 team finished the job, and I will remember the 1991 Redskins for a long time to come.

You're right.

The 91 team finished the job and for that you have to rank that season ahead of 83. But I agree with you, the 83 team was more talented or at the very least the talent on the team played better.

QB- Theismann over Rypien

RB- Riggins/Washington over Byner/Ervins/Riggs

TE/HB-Warren/Didier/Walker over Warren/Orr/Middleton

OL- tough call here. 83's line was alot better at run blocking but the 91 line was masterful at pass blocking....I'll call it a push

WR- 91 gets the nod. 83 had a great year by Charlie Brown and when Art Monk came back from injury he was good too, but "The Posse" of 91 was better.

Overall the 83 offense scored more points and gained more yards, you have to give the nod to the 83 offense.

DL- 83 by a mile. They were #1 against the run and had Dexter Manley and Tony McGee rushing the passer and Dave Butz had one of the great years for a defensive tackle. He stuffed the run and registered a career best 11 sacks.

LB- I'll go with 91. Collins, Millen/Gouveia, Marshall were better than Milot, Olkewicz and Kaufman.

Secondary- 91 all the way. Darrell Green was a rookie in 83 but was in his prime in 91. Mark Murphy had a great year in 83 but losing Tony Peters, Jeris White's holdout and Vernon Dean's sophmore slump had this group reeling.

Overall I'll call it a push on defense. Yes the 83 team gave up a ton of yards through the air, but alot of those yards were given up in the second half after the Skins had a huge lead and were playing soft. Also the 83 defense forced a mind blowing 61 turnovers. It still has the team record for most interceptions in a season (34), most fumbles forced (46) and most fumbles recovered (27).

Special teams- close call again. Moseley vs. Lohmiller is a toss up. Hayes vs. Goodburn, I'll give the nod to Hayes for his pooches and his athletic ability on fake punts. Return guy-B Mitch or Mike Nelms?. I'll go with B Mitch. Mike Nelms was a great return guy, but his best years were 80-82 and in 1983 he began to show signs of slipping while Mitchell began to come of age.

Slight edge to 91.

Overall the 83 team had the better season but failed in the biggest game. I think hunger was the main difference between the two squads. The 83 team was the defending Champion and began to take winning for granted, while the 91 team (which knew this might be their last shot) was hungry for one last title.

[bigjumbo1971]

i remember Joey T saying in an interview some years later that the team showed Coach gibbs and the league what not to do before a SB because they partied hard...not too hard to believe with the type of year they had they just got ****y and thought the raiders would roll over for them...and remember at the time Joe gibb was still a young coach (3rd or 4th year)

my other pick is the 1990 bills...its kinda sad that that group never won one

[fuji869]

The 1983 Redskins Top the List also you can add the 1990 Buffalo Bills and the 2001 St. Louis Rams.