The 1982 NFL season is notable not only for its shortened regular season due to a players' strike but also for the unprecedented playoff structure that was implemented as a direct consequence. With only nine regular season games played by each team, the league had to devise an innovative approach to determine its postseason contenders. This unique format led to an expanded playoff field and ultimately saw the Washington Redskins crowned as Super Bowl
XVII champions.
The Impact of the Strike on the Regular Season
The 1982 NFL season experienced a significant disruption when a players' strike began after Week 2 of the regular season. This labor dispute lasted for 57 days, resulting in the cancellation of games from Week 3 through Week 10. When a settlement was finally reached, the league resumed play, scheduling Weeks 11 through 16 as planned. To make up for some of the lost games and to balance home and away schedules, the games originally slated for Week 3 were played after the resumed regular season, creating a new Week 17. This new Week 17 was later used to host various intra-division games that had been canceled earlier in the season, ensuring teams played either five home and four away games or four home and five away games.
An Expanded and Non-Divisional Playoff Format
Due to the severely shortened nine-game regular season, the NFL made a radical decision regarding playoff qualifications. For the 1982 season, the traditional divisional structure within each conference was temporarily abolished for playoff seeding purposes. Instead of the usual 10 teams, the playoffs were expanded to include 16 teams, with 8 teams from each conference qualifying. This meant that all 14 teams within each conference competed for these 8 spots based solely on their overall conference standings, completely disregarding their divisional records.
This innovative approach created a wide-open playoff race, allowing teams that might not have won their division in a normal season to contend for a championship. The expanded field and the emphasis on overall conference record added an extra layer of excitement and unpredictability to the postseason. The AFC Champions for this unique season were the Miami Dolphins, while the NFC Champions were the Washington Redskins, setting the stage for the league's ultimate contest.
Super Bowl XVII: The Washington Redskins Triumph
The culmination of the 1982 NFL season was Super Bowl XVII, held on January 30, 1983. The championship game took place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, a fitting venue for such a memorable season. In a hard-fought contest, the Washington Redskins emerged victorious, defeating the Miami Dolphins to claim the Super Bowl title. This victory marked a significant achievement for the Redskins, especially considering the challenges and unique circumstances presented by the strike-shortened season and the altered playoff format. The Pro Bowl, an annual exhibition game featuring the league's best players, was held on February 6, 1983, at Aloha Stadium, further marking the end of this distinctive NFL season.
