Super Bowl XV

Super Bowl XV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1980 season. The Raiders defeated the Eagles by the score of 27–10, becoming the first wild card playoff team to win a Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XV
1234 Total
OAK 140103 27
PHI 0307 10
DateJanuary 25, 1981 (1981-01-25)
StadiumLouisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
MVPJim Plunkett, quarterback
FavoriteEagles by 3[1][2]
RefereeBen Dreith
Attendance76,135[3]
Current/Future Hall of Famers
Raiders: Al Davis (owner/general manager), Willie Brown‡ (asst. coach), Ron Wolfǂ (scout), Ray Guy, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Ted Hendricks
‡ elected as a player ǂ elected as a general manager
Eagles: Harold Carmichael, Claude Humphrey
Ceremonies
National anthemHelen O'Connell
Coin tossMarie Lombardi, widow of Vince Lombardi
Halftime showJim Skinner Productions presents "Mardi Gras Festival"
TV in the United States
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersDick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, John Brodie and Len Dawson
Nielsen ratings44.4
(est. 68.29 million viewers)[4]
Market share63
Cost of 30-second commercial$324,000
Radio in the United States
NetworkCBS Radio
AnnouncersJack Buck and Hank Stram

The game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 25, 1981, five days after the Iran hostage crisis ended. The game was thus held under patriotic fervor, as the pregame ceremonies honored the end of the crisis.

The Raiders were making their third Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11–5 regular season record, but losing a tiebreaker to the AFC West division winner San Diego Chargers. Oakland then advanced to the Super Bowl with playoff victories over the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns, and San Diego. The Eagles were making their first Super Bowl appearance after posting a 12–4 regular season record and postseason victories over the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys.

Aided by two touchdown passes from quarterback Jim Plunkett, the Raiders jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter of Super Bowl XV, from which the Eagles never recovered. Oakland linebacker Rod Martin also intercepted Philadelphia quarterback Ron Jaworski three times for a Super Bowl record. Plunkett was named the Super Bowl MVP after completing 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 9 yards. Plunkett was also the second Heisman Trophy winner to be named Super Bowl MVP after Roger Staubach in Super Bowl VI.

Background

The NFL awarded Super Bowl XV to New Orleans on March 13, 1979 at the owners meetings in Honolulu.[5]

Oakland Raiders

Super Bowl XV was the climax of Jim Plunkett's revival as an NFL starting quarterback. The 1970 Heisman Trophy winner was selected with the first pick of the 1971 NFL draft by the New England Patriots and was later named the 1971 NFL Rookie of the Year. But Plunkett suffered through five losing seasons with the Patriots and two uneven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before being released as a free agent before the 1978 season.

Plunkett was signed by Oakland to be their backup quarterback, and thus he did not see much playing time, throwing no passes in 1978 and just 15 passes in 1979. Meanwhile, Oakland traded long time starting quarterback Ken Stabler in the 1979 off-season to replace him with Dan Pastorini, a former high school rival of Plunkett who had been selected two spots below him in the 1971 draft. After the Raiders started the 1980 season with a 2–3 record, Pastorini broke his leg and suddenly Plunkett was thrust into the starting role. The 33-year-old Plunkett got off to a bad start, throwing 5 interceptions in a 31–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after relieving Pastorini. However, he recovered and led the Raiders to victory in 9 of their last 11 games in the season, qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card team. Plunkett made 165 out of 320 pass completions for 2,299 yards, 18 touchdown passes, and was intercepted 15 times. He also contributed 141 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.

The Raiders' main offensive deep threat was wide receiver Cliff Branch (44 receptions, 858 yards, 7 touchdowns), while wide receiver Bob Chandler contributed 49 receptions for 786 yards and 10 touchdowns. Running back Mark van Eeghen was the team's top rusher with 838 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also catching 29 passes for 259 yards. Halfback Kenny King rushed for 761 yards and catching 22 passes for 145 yards. The Raiders also had an outstanding offensive line led by two future Hall of Famers, tackle Art Shell and guard Gene Upshaw. Upshaw became the first player to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades. He also played in Super Bowls II (1967) and XI (1976).

Oakland's defense, anchored by defensive end John Matuszak, was punishing. Defensive back Lester Hayes led the league in interceptions (13) and interception return yards (273), and was the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Safety Burgess Owens added three interceptions, returning them for 59 yards and a touchdown. The Raiders also had a trio of great linebackers: future Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks, Pro Bowler Rod Martin (3 Interceptions), and standout rookie Matt Millen.

The Raiders were led by head coach Tom Flores, the first Hispanic coach to win a Super Bowl.

Philadelphia Eagles

In 1980, under head coach Dick Vermeil, the Philadelphia Eagles, who had not played in a league championship since their 1960 NFL championship, advanced to their first Super Bowl. Philadelphia's offense ranked 6th in the league in scoring (384 points) and 8th in yards gained (5,519). The Eagles were led by quarterback Ron Jaworski, who completed 257 out of 451 passes for 3,529 yards during the regular season, including 27 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. Another key player on the Eagles offense was halfback Wilbert Montgomery, who was widely considered one of the top running backs in the NFL and had rushed for over 1,200 yards in each of the last two seasons. Injuries during the 1980 regular season had limited him to just 778 yards, but he proved he was fully recovered in the postseason by rushing for 194 yards in the NFC title game. Montgomery was also a superb receiver out of the backfield, recording 50 receptions for 407 yards. The other main deep threats on offense, wide receivers Harold Carmichael and Charlie Smith, along with tight end Keith Krepfle, combined for 125 receptions, 2,090 yards, and 16 touchdowns.

The Eagles' defense led the league in fewest points allowed during the regular season (222), while ranking second in fewest yards (4,443). Nose tackle Charlie Johnson anchored the line, and even managed to record 3 interceptions. Defensive end Claude Humphrey led the team in sacks with 14.5. Linebackers Jerry Robinson(4 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions) and Bill Bergey excelled at both stopping the run and pass coverage. Philadelphia also had a fine secondary, led by veteran defensive backs Herman Edwards (3 interceptions) and Brenard Wilson (6 interceptions), along with rookie Roynell Young (4 interceptions). The Eagles' defense was a major factor in their hard-fought 10–7 victory over the Raiders in the regular season; they sacked Plunkett 8 times.

Playoffs

The Eagles advanced through the playoffs, defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 31–16, and the Dallas Cowboys, 20–7.

Meanwhile, Plunkett and the Raiders defeated the Houston Oilers 27–7, the Cleveland Browns 14–12 (on a play known as Red Right 88), and the San Diego Chargers 34–27. In doing so, Oakland became the third wild card team to advance to the Super Bowl, and the first wild card team to win three postseason rounds since the NFL expanded to a 10-team playoff format in 1978. Hayes had a spectacular performance in the playoffs, adding 5 more interceptions to give him a total of 18 picks in 19 games.

Super Bowl pregame news and notes

In the days before the game, most sports writers were speculating over whether, if the Raiders won, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle would present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the team's owner Al Davis. Prior to the season, the league declined to approve the Raiders' proposal to move from the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. In response, Davis sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws. The conflict caused much friction between Rozelle and Davis. (The Raiders would eventually win the lawsuit, allowing the team to move to Los Angeles before the 1982 season.)

Oakland became the first team to avenge a regular-season loss in the Super Bowl. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 10–7 on November 23 at Veterans Stadium.

This game marked the first Super Bowl where both teams used the 3–4 defensive formation as their base defense. The Raiders were the first team to use the 3–4 in the Super Bowl in Super Bowl XI against the Minnesota Vikings, although the Miami Dolphins used a version of the 3–4 ("53 defense") in Super Bowl VI, Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII. The 3–4 would be used by at least one team in every Super Bowl between Super Bowl XV and game XXVIII.

The Raiders became the first team to appear in a Super Bowl in three different decades (1960s, 1970s and 1980s), having previously played in Super Bowls II and XI.

Broadcasting

The game was broadcast in the United States by NBC, with Dick Enberg handling the play-by-play duties (Enberg's first Super Bowl in that role) and Merlin Olsen serving as color analyst. (John Brodie and Len Dawson, in a separate broadcast booth, also provided occasional analysis during the game.) Bryant Gumbel and Mike Adamle of NFL '80 anchored the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage. Also taking part on NBC's coverage of the game were Pete Axthelm and Bob Trumpy. Like the game two years before, NBC used the same custom, synthesizer-heavy theme in place of their regular music. This game would also be the first Super Bowl to air with closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

CHiPs was broadcast after the game, representing the Super Bowl lead-out program. Toward the end of NBC's coverage, a montage of the game, the arrival of the hostages following their release, and the inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th President of the United States aired to the tune of "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang.

Entertainment

The pregame festivities honored the end of the Iran hostage crisis (which was announced 5 days before the game), and featured a performance by the Southern University band. A large yellow bow 80-foot (24 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide was attached to the outside of the Superdome, while miniature bows were given to fans. (Yellow bows had been used in the US throughout the hostages' time in captivity as a sign of support.)

Singer, actress, and dancer Helen O'Connell later sang the national anthem. The coin toss ceremony featured Marie Lombardi, the widow of Pro Football Hall of Fame Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.

The halftime show, featuring singers and dancers, was a "Mardi Gras Festival", with a performance from "Up With People".

Game summary

First Quarter

Oakland linebacker Rod Martin intercepted Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski's first pass of the game and returned it 17 yards to Philadelphia's 30-yard line, setting up Jim Plunkett's 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cliff Branch seven plays later. After each team punted once, Jaworski threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rodney Parker, but the score was nullified by an illegal motion penalty on wide receiver Harold Carmichael, and the Eagles ended up being forced to punt. The Raiders later scored another touchdown with about a minute left in the quarter. On third down from the Oakland 20-yard line, Plunkett threw the ball to running back Kenny King at the 39-yard line as he was scrambling around in the backfield to avoid being sacked. King caught the pass as it carried just over the outstretched arms of defensive back Herman Edwards and took off to the end zone for a Super Bowl record 80-yard touchdown reception. The Raiders led 14-0 and tied the Miami Dolphins' record (which still stands) for the largest Super Bowl lead (14 points) at the end of the first quarter, set in Super Bowl VIII.

Second Quarter

The Eagles managed to respond on their next drive, with Jaworski completing passes to tight end John Spagnola and Wilbert Montgomery for gains of 22 and 25 yards on a 61-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by Tony Franklin, making the score 14–3 five minutes into the second quarter. Then with less than 4 minutes left in the period, the Raiders reached the Eagles 27-yard line, only to have kicker Chris Bahr miss a 45-yard field goal. The Eagles then drove 62 yards to Oakland's 11-yard line. On third down, Parker got ahead of defensive back Odis McKinney and was open on a route into the end zone, but Jaworski overthrew him and the pass was incomplete. Then with just 54 seconds left in the half, Franklin attempted a 28-yard field goal, but Raiders linebacker Ted Hendricks extended his 6'7" frame at the line and blocked the kick.

Third Quarter

The Raiders then took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored quickly. Plunkett completed a 13-yard pass to King and a 32-yard completion to receiver Bob Chandler to move the ball to Philadelphia's 33-yard line. Then after a 4-yard run by running back Mark van Eeghen, Plunkett threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Branch, increasing Oakland's lead to 21–3. The Eagles responded by driving 56 yards to the Raiders 34-yard line, but on third down and 3, Jaworski threw his second interception of the game to Martin. Oakland subsequently drove 40 yards and scored with Bahr's 46-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 24–3.

Fourth Quarter

The Eagles finally managed to score a touchdown that counted early in the fourth quarter to cut their deficit to 24–10. Starting from their own 12-yard line, a 43-yard reception by receiver Charlie Smith and a 19-yard catch by Parker sparked an 88-yard, 12-play drive that was capped by Jaworski's 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keith Krepfle. But on their ensuing drive, Oakland marched 72 yards in 11 plays, the longest a 23-yard completion from Plunkett to Chandler. Philadelphia kept the Raiders out of the end zone, but Bahr kicked a 35-yard field goal, increasing Oakland's lead to 27–10.

Oakland's defense then dominated the rest the game, forcing two turnovers on Philadelphia's last 2 possessions of the game to prevent any chance of a comeback. On the Eagles' next drive, Jaworski fumbled a snap and Oakland lineman Willie Jones recovered it. Following a Raiders punt, Martin recorded a Super Bowl record third interception, and the Raiders ran out the clock to win the game.

Cliff Branch's two touchdown catches tied a Super Bowl record. Only Max McGee in Super Bowl I and John Stallworth in Super Bowl XIII caught two touchdowns prior to this. Jaworski finished the game with more completions (18) and yards (291) than Plunkett, but completed just 18 of 38 attempts and was intercepted 3 times. Van Eeghen was the top rusher of the game with 75 yards. King was the top receiver with 93 yards and a touchdown off of just 2 receptions. Eagles running back Wilbert Montgomery led Philadelphia in rushing and receiving with 44 rushing yards and 6 receptions for 91 yards. The Eagles' loss came hours after former head coach Joe Kuharich had died.

After the game, the expected heated confrontation between Rozelle and Davis was actually very civil. As Rozelle presented the Lombardi Trophy to Davis, he praised Plunkett, head coach Tom Flores, the players, and the entire Raiders organization for being the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl. Davis thanked Rozelle, then proceeded to also praise the team.

Oakland became only the second wild card team to make it to the Super Bowl and the first to come away victorious. The Super Bowl IV champion Kansas City Chiefs are often thought of as a "wild-card team," but they were not; during 1969, the season before the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger, the second-place finishers in both divisions of the American Football League qualified for the playoffs. Flores became the first person to be a member of a Super Bowl winning team as a player and head coach. He was a member of the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV, but did not play in the game.

Box score

Super Bowl XV: Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10
1 2 34Total
Raiders (AFC) 14 0 10327
Eagles (NFC) 0 3 0710

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: January 25, 1981
  • Game time: 5:16 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), played indoors, domed stadium[6]
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP OAK PHI
1 8:56 7 30 4:16 OAK Cliff Branch 2-yard touchdown reception from Jim Plunkett, Chris Bahr kick good 7 0
1 :09 3 86 :57 OAK Kenny King 80-yard touchdown reception from Plunkett, Bahr kick good 14 0
2 10:28 8 61 4:41 PHI 30-yard field goal by Tony Franklin 14 3
3 12:24 5 76 2:36 OAK Branch 29-yard touchdown reception from Plunkett, Bahr kick good 21 3
3 4:35 7 40 3:45 OAK 46-yard field goal by Bahr 24 3
4 13:59 12 88 5:36 PHI Keith Krepfle 8-yard touchdown reception from Ron Jaworski, Franklin kick good 24 10
4 8:29 11 72 5:30 OAK 35-yard field goal by Bahr 27 10
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 27 10

Final statistics

Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XV, Super Bowl XV Play Finder Oak, Super Bowl XV Play Finder Phi, Super Bowl XV Play by Play

Statistical comparison

Oakland Raiders Philadelphia Eagles
First downs1719
First downs rushing63
First downs passing1014
First downs penalty12
Third down efficiency6/125/12
Fourth down efficiency0/01/1
Net yards rushing11769
Rushing attempts3426
Yards per rush3.42.7
Passing – Completions/attempts13/2118/38
Times sacked-total yards1–10–0
Interceptions thrown03
Net yards passing260291
Total net yards377360
Punt returns-total yards2–13–20
Kickoff returns-total yards3–486–87
Interceptions-total return yards3–440–0
Punts-average yardage3–42.03–36.3
Fumbles-lost0–01–1
Penalties-total yards5–376–57
Time of possession29:4930:11
Turnovers04

Individual statistics

Raiders Passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Rating
Jim Plunkett 13/21 261 3 0 145.0
Raiders Rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3 Yds/Car
Mark Van Eeghen 18 75 0 8 4.17
Kenny King 6 18 0 6 3.00
Derrick Jensen 4 17 0 6 4.25
Jim Plunkett 3 9 0 5 3.00
Arthur Whittington 3 –2 0 0 –0.67
Raiders Receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3 Target5
Cliff Branch 5 67 2 29 7
Bob Chandler 4 77 0 32 6
Kenny King 2 93 1 80 3
Raymond Chester 2 24 0 16 3
Mark Van Eeghen 0 0 0 0 1
Arthur Whittington 0 0 0 0 1
Eagles Passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Rating
Ron Jaworski 18/38 291 1 3 49.3
Eagles Rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3 Yds/Car
Wilbert Montgomery 16 44 0 8 2.75
Leroy Harris 7 14 0 5 2.00
Louie Giammona 1 7 0 7 7.00
Perry Harrington 1 4 0 4 4.00
Ron Jaworski 1 0 0 0 0.00
Eagles Receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3 Target5
Wilbert Montgomery 6 91 0 25 10
Harold Carmichael 5 83 0 29 8
Charles A. Smith 2 59 0 43 5
Keith Krepfle 2 16 1 8 3
John Spagnola 1 22 0 22 3
Rodney Parker 1 19 0 19 3
Leroy Harris 1 1 0 1 1
Billy Campfield 0 0 0 0 2

1Completions/attempts 2Carries 3Long gain 4Receptions 5Times targeted

Records Set

The following records were set in Super Bowl XV, according to the official NFL.com boxscore[7] and the ProFootball reference.com game summary.[8]

Player Records Set [8]
Longest scoring play80 yds receptionKenny King
Passing Records
Most attempts, game38Ron Jaworski
Highest passer rating, game145.0Jim Plunkett
Longest pass80 yds (TD)
Receiving Records
Longest Reception80 yds (TD)Kenny King
Defense
Most interceptions, game3Rod Martin000(Oak)
Records Tied
Most touchdowns, game2Cliff Branch
Most receiving touchdowns, game2
Most completions, game18Ron Jaworski
Most interceptions, career3Rod Martin
Most kickoff returns, game5Billy Campfield000(Phi)
Most 40-plus yard field goals, game1Chris Bahr000(Oak)


  • ‡ Sacks an official statistic since Super Bowl XVII by the NFL. Sacks are listed as "Tackled Attempting to Pass" in the official NFL box score for Super Bowl XV.[7]


Team Records Set [8]
Defense
Most yards allowed in a win360Raiders
Records Tied
Most points, first quarter14 ptsOakland
Largest lead, end of first quarter14 pts
Fewest turnovers, game0
Fewest rushing touchdowns0Raiders
Eagles
Fewest times sacked0Eagles
Records Set, both team totals [8]
TotalRaidersEagles
Passing, Both Teams
Most passing yards (net)551 yds260291
Fewest times sacked110
Punting, Both Teams
Fewest punts, game633
Records tied, both team totals
Most points, first quarter14 pts140
Fewest rushing touchdowns000

Starting lineups

Source:[9]

Hall of Fame‡

OaklandPositionPhiladelphia
Offense
Cliff BranchWRHarold Carmichael
Art ShellLTStan Walters
Gene UpshawLGPetey Perot
Dave DalbyCGuy Morriss
Mickey MarvinRGWoody Peoples
Henry LawrenceRTJerry Sisemore
Raymond ChesterTEKeith Krepfle
Bob ChandlerWRCharlie Smith
Jim PlunkettQBRon Jaworski
Mark Van EeghenRBLeroy Harris
Kenny KingRBWilbert Montgomery
Defense
John MatuszakLEDennis Harrison
Reggie KinlawMGCharlie Johnson
Dave BrowningRECarl Hairston
Ted HendricksLLBJohn Bunting
Matt MillenILBBill Bergey
Bob NelsonILBFrank LeMaster
Rod MartinRLBJerry Robinson
Lester HayesLCBRoynell Young
Dwayne O'SteenRCBHerm Edwards
Mike DavisSSRandy Logan
Burgess OwensFSBrenard Wilson

Officials

  • Referee: Ben Dreith #12 second Super Bowl (VIII)
  • Umpire: Frank Sinkovitz #20 first Super Bowl on field
  • Head Linesman: Tony Veteri #8 fourth Super Bowl (II, VII, X)
  • Line Judge: Tom Dooley #10 first Super Bowl
  • Back Judge: Tom Kelleher #7 fourth Super Bowl (IV, VII, XI)
  • Side Judge: Dean Look #9 second Super Bowl (XIII)
  • Field Judge: Fritz Graf #17 third Super Bowl (V, VIII)
  • Alternate Referee: Dick Jorgensen #6 worked Super Bowl XXIV
  • Alternate Umpire: John Keck #4 worked Super Bowl XXX

Dooley, Graf, Kelleher and Veteri wore #7 at their respective officiating positions during 1979-81 (except Dooley was promoted to Referee for 1981, wearing #19), but Kelleher had priority on the number for the Super Bowl, due to his seniority. Kelleher and Veteri became the third and fourth officials to work four Super Bowls, joining Jack Fette and Stan Javie.

gollark: Meh, close enough.
gollark: Anyway, the Galaxy S...5 or so... actually did have waterproofing and a removable battery.
gollark: Which is basically what I want! But they wouldn't, probably, if they had some exposed module ports on the back.
gollark: 1. they are not mutually exclusive, it's been done2. I want *some amount* of waterproofing
gollark: I don't really care much about waterproofing as long as a phone is able to resist... briefly having water dropped on it, and use in rain, which mine can.

References

Specific

  1. DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015). "Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll". The Linemakers. Sporting News. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  2. "Super Bowl History". Vegas Insider. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  3. "Super Bowl Winners". NFL.com. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  4. "Historical Super Bowl Nielsen TV Ratings, 1967–2009 – Ratings". TV by the Numbers. January 18, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  5. "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  6. "Super Bowl Game-Time Temperatures". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  7. "Super Bowl XV boxscore". NFL.com. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  8. "Super Bowl XV statistics". Pro Football reference.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  9. "Super Bowl XV–National Football League Game Summary" (PDF). NFLGSIS.com. National Football League. January 25, 1981. Retrieved March 10, 2018.

General

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.