The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season

Regular season (NFL)

The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...

 of the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII

Super Bowl XVIII

Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...

 when the Los Angeles Raiders

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 defeated the Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

.

Major rule changes

• In the last 30 seconds of a half, with the defensive team behind with no more time outs, a defensive foul cannot prevent the half to end except for the normal options that are available to the offensive team.
• Pass interference will not be called if there was incidental contact, or if when players make simultaneous attempts to catch, tip, block, or bat the ball.
• A player may not use a helmet, that is no longer worn by anyone, as a weapon to strike or hit an opponent.

Division Races

Starting in 1978, ten teams qualified for the playoffs: the winners of each of the divisions, and two wild-card teams in each conference. The two wild cards would meet for the right to face whichever of the three division winners had the best overall record. The tiebreaker rules were based on head-to-head competition, followed by division records, common opponents records, and conference play.

National Football Conference

Week	Eastern		Central		Western		WildCard		WildCard
1	Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... , Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	1–0	3 teams	1–0	3 teams	1–0
2	Cowboys	2–0	4 teams	1–1	Rams	2–0
3	Cowboys	3–0	Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... , Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...	2–1	4 teams	2–1
4	Cowboys	4–0	Vikings	3–1	49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...	3–1	Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...	3–1	6 teams	2–2
5	Cowboys	5–0	Vikings, Packers	3–2	49ers	4–1	Redskins	4–1	5 teams	3–2
6	Cowboys	6–0	Vikings	4–2	3 teams	4–2	Redskins	5–1	4 teams	4–2
7	Cowboys	7–0	Vikings	5–2	49ers, Rams	5–2	3 teams	5–2	3 teams	4–3
8	Cowboys	7–1	Vikings	6–2	49ers	6–2	Redskins	6–2	Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... , Rams	5–3
9	Cowboys	8–1	Vikings	6–3	49ers	6–3	Redskins	7–2	Saints, Rams	5–4
10	Cowboys	9–1	Vikings	6–4	3 teams	6–4	Redskins	8–2	3 teams	6–4
11	Cowboys, Redskins	9–2	Vikings, Packers	6–5	49ers, Rams	7–4	Cowboys, Redskins	9–2	49ers, Rams	7–4
12	Cowboys, Redskins	10–2	Vikings	7–5	49ers, Rams	7–5	Cowboys, Redskins	10–2	49ers, Rams	7–5
13	Cowboys, Redskins	11–2	Vikings, Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...	7–6	Rams	8–5	Cowboys, Redskins	11–2	Lions, Vikings	7–6
14	Cowboys, Redskins	12–2	Lions	8–6	49ers, Rams	8–6	Cowboys, Redskins	12–2	49ers, Rams	8–6
15	Redskins	13–2	Lions, Packers	8–7	49ers	9–6	Cowboys	12–3	4 teams	8–7
16	Redskins	14–2	Lions	9–7	49ers	10–6	Cowboys	12–4	Rams	9–7

American Football Conference

Week	Eastern		Central		Western		WildCard		WildCard
1	3 teams	1–0	4 teams	0–1	3 teams	1–0
2	Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	2–0	Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... , Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	1–1	Raiders, Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	2–0
3	Dolphins, Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	2–1	Steelers, Browns	2–1	Raiders	3–0	6 teams	2–1
4	Dolphins, Bills	3–1	Browns	3–1	Raiders	4–0	3 teams	3–1	6 teams	2–2
5	4 teams	3–2	Steelers, Browns	3–2	Raiders	4–1	7 teams	3–2	4 teams	2–3
6	Bills, Colts History of the Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....	4–2	Steelers, Browns	4–2	Raiders	5–1	4 teams	4–2	5 teams	3–3
7	Bills	5–2	Steelers	5–2	Raiders	5–2	Dolphins, Colts	4–3	Browns, Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...	4–3
8	Dolphins, Bills	5–3	Steelers	6–2	Raiders	6–2	Dolphins, Bills	5–3	Broncos	5–3
9	Dolphins, Bills	6–3	Steelers	7–2	Raiders, Broncos	6–3	Dolphins, Bills	6–3	Raiders, Broncos	6–3
10	Dolphins	7–3	Steelers	8–2	Raiders	7–3	Bills, Colts	6–4	Seahawks, Broncos	6–4
11	Dolphins, Bills	7–4	Steelers	9–2	Raiders	8–3	Dolphins, Bills	7–4	5 teams	6–5
12	Dolphins	8–4	Steelers	9–3	Raiders	9–3	3 teams	7–5	3 teams	6–5
13	Dolphins	9–4	Steelers	9–4	Raiders	10–3	Browns	8–5	3 teams	7–6
14	Dolphins	10–4	Steelers	9–5	Raiders	11–3	3 teams	8–6	4 teams	7–7
15	Dolphins	11–4	Steelers	10–5	Raiders	11–4	Broncos	9–6	4 teams	8–7
16	Dolphins	12–4	Steelers	10–6	Raiders	12–4	Seahawks	9–7	Broncos	9–7

Final standings

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

– clinched wild card

Wild card (sports)

The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...

 berth, – clinched division title

Tiebreakers

• Los Angeles Raiders was the first AFC seed over Miami based on head-to-head sweep (1–0).
• Seattle was the first AFC Wild Card ahead of Denver based on better division record (5–3 to Broncos' 3–5) after Cleveland was eliminated from the three-way tie based on head-to-head record (Seattle and Denver 2–1 to Browns' 0–2).
• New England finished ahead of Buffalo in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
• Baltimore finished ahead of N.Y. Jets in the AFC East based on better conference record (5–9 to Jets' 4–8).
• San Diego finished ahead of Kansas City in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
• Minnesota ended up in fourth place in the NFC Central after being eliminated from the three-way tie based on conference record (Chicago 7–7 and Green Bay 6–6 to Vikings' 4–8).
• Green Bay finished ahead of Chicago in the NFC Central based on better record against common opponents (5–5 to Bears' 4–6).

AFC

• Wild-Card playoff: SEATTLE 31, Denver 7
• Divisional playoffs: Seattle 27, MIAMI 20; L.A. RAIDERS 38, Pittsburgh 10
• AFC Championship: L.A. RAIDERS 30, Seattle 14 at Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles
  Los Ángeles
  Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
  
  , California
  California
  California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
  
   January 8, 1984

NFC

• Wild-Card playoff: L.A. Rams 24, DALLAS 17
• Divisional playoffs: SAN FRANCISCO 24, Detroit 23; WASHINGTON 51, L.A. Rams 7
• NFC Championship: WASHINGTON 24, San Francisco 21 at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
  Washington, D.C.
  Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
  
  , January 8, 1984

Super Bowl

• Super Bowl XVIII
  Super Bowl XVIII
  Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
  
  : L.A. Raiders (AFC) 38, Washington (NFC) 9, at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
  Tampa, Florida
  Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
  
  , January 22, 1984

Awards

Most Valuable Player NFL Most Valuable Player Award The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP...	Joe Theismann Joe Theismann Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII... , Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... , Washington
Coach of the Year NFL Coach of the Year Award The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the...	Joe Gibbs Joe Gibbs Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins... , Washington
Offensive Player of the Year NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is given annually by the Associated Press to the offensive player of the National Football League believed to have had the most outstanding season...	Joe Theismann Joe Theismann Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII... , Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... , Washington
Defensive Player of the Year NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie...	Doug Betters Doug Betters Doug Betters is an American football player who played defensive end for the Miami Dolphins from 1978 to 1987.After graduating from Arlington Heights High School in Illinois, Betters played college Division I football for the University of Montana Grizzlies from 1974 to 1976, then transferred to... , Defensive End Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... , Miami
Offensive Rookie of the Year	Eric Dickerson Eric Dickerson Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former professional running back in the National Football League who in his career played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.-College career:... , Running Back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... , L.A. Rams
Defensive Rookie of the Year	Vernon Maxwell, Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... , Baltimore Colts