Dan Marino Arrival

Lore & Background

This Super Bowl came at the end of a season shortened by a players' strike, with teams playing only nine regular season games. The Redskins had an NFC-best 8–1 record, while the Dolphins finished at 7–2. The game was a rematch of Super Bowl VII, where the Dolphins completed their perfect season. This was the second Super Bowl to rematch teams, the first being Super Bowl XIII, and the first where the previous losing team won.

Reader's Guide

The first half ended with the Dolphins leading 17–10. The Redskins scored 17 unanswered points in the second half, gaining a Super Bowl record 276 rushing yards. The turning point came with 10:10 remaining when John Riggins broke through for a touchdown on fourth down. Riggins was named Super Bowl MVP, setting records for most rushing yards (166) and most rushing attempts (38) in a Super Bowl.

Did You Know?

• This was the first outdoor Super Bowl to have a Jumbotron, a temporary Sony Diamond Vision screen installed in the northeast corner of the stadium.
• John Riggins became the first player from an NFC team to rush for 100 yards in a Super Bowl.
• The Dolphins' defense, nicknamed the 'Killer Bees,' allowed the fewest total yards in the league during the regular season.