1982 NFL season

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The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, a verdict was handed down against the league in the trial brought by the Oakland Raiders and the Los Angeles Coliseum back in 1980. The jury ruled that the NFL violated antitrust laws when it declined to approve the proposed move by the team from Oakland, California to Los Angeles. Thus, the league was forced to let the officially renamed Los Angeles Raiders play in the second largest city in the United States.

The league faced another problem when a 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to 9. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament. Division standings were ignored. Eight teams from each conference were seeded 1-8 based on their regular season records.

The season ended with Super Bowl XVII when the Washington Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins.

Contents 1 Major rule changes 2 Final standings 2.1 Tiebreakers 3 Playoffs 4 References

[edit] Major rule changes

• The penalty for incidental grabbing of a facemask that is committed by the defensive team is changed from 5 yards and an automatic first down to just 5 yards.
• The penalties for illegally kicking, batting, or punching the ball are changed from 15 yards to 10 yards.
• The league discontinued the 1979 numbering system for officials, with officials numbered separately by position, and reverted back to the original system where each NFL official was assigned a different number.

[edit] Final standings

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

Qualified for playoffs

[edit] Tiebreakers

• AFC
  • Miami finished ahead of Cincinnati based on better conference record (6-1 to Bengals' 6-2).
  • Pittsburgh finished ahead of San Diego based on better record against common opponents (3-1 to Chargers' 2-1) after N.Y. Jets were eliminated from three-way tie based on conference record (Pittsburgh and San Diego 5-3 to Jets' 2-3).
  • Cleveland finished ahead of Buffalo and Seattle based on better conference record (4-3 to Bills' 3-3 to Seahawks' 3-5).
  • Buffalo finished ahead of Seattle based on better conference record (3-3 to Seahawks' 3-5).
• NFC
  • Minnesota (4-1), Atlanta (4-3), St. Louis (5-4), Tampa Bay (3-3) seeds were determined by best won-lost record in conference games.
  • Detroit finished ahead of New Orleans and the N.Y. Giants based on best conference record (4-4 to Saints' 3-5 to Giants' 3-5).
  • San Francisco finished ahead of Chicago, and Chicago finished ahead of Philadelphia, based on conference record (49ers' 2-3 to Bears' 2-5 to Eagles' 1-5).

[edit] Playoffs

Main article: NFL playoffs, 1982-83

First Round

Second Round

Conf. Championship Games

Super Bowl XVII

January 9 - Riverfront Stadium

6) N.Y. Jets

44

January 15 - L.A. Memorial Coliseum

3) Cincinnati

17

6) N.Y. Jets

17

January 8 - L.A. Memorial Coliseum

1) L.A. Raiders

14

8) Cleveland

10

January 23 - Miami Orange Bowl

1) L.A. Raiders

27

6) N.Y. Jets

0

January 9 - Three Rivers Stadium

2) Miami

14

5) San Diego

31

January 16 - Miami Orange Bowl

4) Pittsburgh

28

5) San Diego

14

January 8 - Miami Orange Bowl

2) Miami

34

7) New England

13

January 30 - Rose Bowl

2) Miami

28

A2) Miami

17

January 8 - Lambeau Field

N1) Washington

27

6) St. Louis

16

January 16 - Texas Stadium

3) Green Bay

41

3) Green Bay

26

January 9 - Texas Stadium

2)Dallas

37

7) Tampa Bay

17

January 22 - RFK Stadium

2) Dallas

30

2) Dallas

17

January 9 - Metrodome

1) Washington

31

5) Atlanta

24

January 15 - RFK Stadium

4) Minnesota

30

4) Minnesota

7

January 8 - RFK Stadium

1) Washington

21

8) Detroit

7

1) Washington

31

[edit] References

• NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
• NFL History 1981-1990 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
• 1982 season in details
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)