In one of the most lopsided, and perhaps, surprising Super Bowls in history, The Los Angeles Raiders ripped The Redskins 38-9. The Redskins had averaged almost 34 points a game in 1983. The two teams had played an amazing game, earlier in the season in which The Redskins were victories, over The Raiders 37-35.
In Super Bowl XVIII however, the game was never a contest. On The Redskins 1st possession they ran 6 plays and were forced to punt. Raiders, special team captain, Derrick Jensen charged through the line, blocked Jeff Hayes's kick and recovered the ball in the endzone for a Raider TD and a quick 7-0 lead. The game was pretty much a standoff the rest of the 1st quarter.
With just over 10:00 to go in the 2nd quarter Raiders QB, Jim Plunkett hit WR Cliff Branch on a 50 yard bomb which brought the ball to The Redskins 15 yard line. 2 plays later Plunkett, again hit Branch. This time in the endzone for another Raider TD and a 14-0 lead. Immediately following The Raiders TD, The Redskins marched 73 yards in 12 plays, but settled for a Mark Moseley FG and trailed 14-3. With only :12 left in the hale, The Redskins regained possession of the ball on their own 12 yard line. What happened next, was an incredibly questionable call by, coach Joe Gibbs and was the biggest turning point in the game. Instead of running out the clock and regrouping at halftime, The Redskins decided to run a play. Theismann had set up a screen pass to RB Joe Washington. The Redskins has run a similar play, in a similar situation against The Raiders in that earlier game between the 2 teams. The pass gained 67 yards in the earlier game. However, this time, The Raiders were ready. Raider LB, Matt Millen, was replaced by Jack Squirek and instructed to cover Washington. When Theismann dropped back to throw he floated the ball out towards Washington, but the ball was picked out of the air by Squirek who waltzed into the endzone for a 5 TD return and an insurmountable 21-3 Raider lead.
The Redskins, determined to get back in the game, took the 2nd half kickoff 70 yards in 9 plays for a Redskin TD. The drive was culminated by RB, John Riggins's 1 yard TD plunge. Any momentum that The Redskins gained on the drive was dissipated a bit when Raider TE Don Hasselback charged through the line and blocked the PAT. The Redskins trailed 21-9 but had plenty of time to come back.
The Raiders ended all hopes of a Redskins comeback by taking the ball 70 yards in 8 plays for a TD of their own. Raiders RB, Marcus Allen took the ball the final 5 yards for the score and a 28-9 Raider advantage. The Redskins had one final shot, late in the 3rd quarter when Raider WR, Cliff Branch fumbled on his own, 35 yard line. The Redskins ran 3 plays but gained only 9 yards. On 4th and 1, The Redskins decided to go for it, and memories of a previous year (when Riggins busted through The Dolphins line and the tackle of Dolphins CB, Don McNeil for a 43 yard TD) danced through their heads. However, Raiders LB, Rod Martin ran through the block of Redskins TE, Clint Didier and stopped Riggins and The Redskins, short of the 1st down. The Raiders took over on their own 26 yard line, with only :12 to go in the 3rd quarter. The Raiders called RB Marcus Allen's number. Allen took the handoff wide to the left but saw an ublocked, S, Ken Coffee charging in unblocked. Allen then reversed his field, cut up the middle and exploded past midfield and took the ball the distance for a (at the time) record 74 yard TD run. (This record would be broken by Steelers RB, Willie Parker in Super Bowl XL.) This incredible run gave The Raiders a 35-9 lead.
The Raiders would go on to win the game 38-9. Marcus Allen was chosen the game's MVP. Allen finished the day with 20 carries for a record (at the time) 191 yards rushing.
