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.
"1981 Super Bowl" redirects here. For the Super Bowl that was played at the completion of the 1981 season, see Super Bowl XVI.
Oakland Raiders (4)
(AFC)
(11–5)
January 25, 1981
76,135[3]
Marie Lombardi, widow of Vince Lombardi
Jim Skinner Productions presents "Mardi Gras Festival"
44.4
(68.29 million viewers)[4]
63
$324,000
Jack 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[edit]
Host selection process[edit]
The NFL awarded Super Bowl XV to New Orleans on March 13, 1979, at the owners' meetings in Honolulu. For the first time, three Super Bowl host cities were deliberated and selected at the same meeting (XV, XVI, and XVII). A total of eight cities submitted bids: New Orleans, Detroit (Silverdome), Pasadena (Rose Bowl), Los Angeles (Coliseum), Miami, Seattle (Kingdome), Dallas (Cotton Bowl), and Houston (Rice Stadium). New Orleans was selected for their fifth Super Bowl overall, and second at the Louisiana Superdome, cementing their status in the regular host rotation. Detroit (XVI) and Pasadena (XVII) were other cities chosen at the meeting.[5][6]
After hosting five previous Super Bowls, Miami was noticeably left out, largely due the aging condition of the Orange Bowl, and for a hotel room mix-up at Super Bowl XIII two months earlier.[7][8] Dolphins owner Joe Robbie, locked in an ongoing feud with the city of Miami and Dade County over stadium improvements or construction of a new stadium, actually lobbied against Miami hosting the game. Robbie convinced the other owners to vote down Miami, in an effort to gain leverage towards building a new stadium. South Florida would not be selected to host another Super Bowl until Joe Robbie Stadium was built, and it hosted XXIII.[9][10]
Broadcasting[edit]
The game was broadcast in the United States by NBC, with Dick Enberg in his first Super Bowl as a play-by-play announcer. There were three color commentators: Merlin Olsen sat next to Enberg, while John Brodie, and Len Dawson worked in a separate broadcast booth. Bryant Gumbel and Mike Adamle of NFL '80 anchored the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage. Bob Trumpy served as a studio analyst. Pete Axthelm reported on the issue of gambling addiction, via interviews with members of Gamblers Anonymous, in addition to his usual role making picks as to who he felt would win a particular game. NBC News correspondent John Dancy also had a report on the issue of ticket scalping. Also included were video performances from the Broadway production "Ain't Misbehavin'", with the cast performing Fats Waller's "The Joint is Jumpin'" and NBC following members of the New Orleans Police Department's vice squad as they sought to combat prostitution in the city.
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 deaf and hard of hearing. 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.
A repeat episode of CHiPs, "11-99: Officer Needs Help", served as NBC's Super Bowl lead-out program.
Entertainment[edit]
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 and every player wore a yellow stripe on the back of their helmets. (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[edit]
First quarter[edit]
Raiders linebacker Rod Martin intercepted Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski's first pass of the game and returned it 17 yards to the Philadelphia 30-yard line, setting up quarterback Jim Plunkett's 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cliff Branch eight plays later, giving Oakland an early 7–0 lead. After the teams exchanged punts, Jaworski appeared to complete a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rodney Parker on 3rd-and-10 that would have tied the game, but the score was nullified by an illegal motion penalty on wide receiver Harold Carmichael, and the Eagles ended up being forced to punt. On the Raiders' next possession, on third down from their own 20, 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 cornerback Herman Edwards and took off to the end zone for a Super Bowl record 80-yard touchdown reception, giving the Raiders a 14–0 lead and tying 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[edit]
The Eagles got on the board on their next drive, with Jaworski completing passes to tight end John Spagnola and running back Wilbert Montgomery for gains of 22 and 25 yards, respectively, on a 61-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by kicker Tony Franklin, cutting their deficit to 14–3 five minutes into the second quarter. After another exchange of punts, with just over four minutes left in the half, the Raiders reached the Eagles 27-yard line, which included an 18-yard reception by Branch, only to have kicker Chris Bahr miss a 45-yard field goal. The Eagles then drove 62 yards to Oakland's 11-yard line, aided by two receptions by Carmichael for a total of 43 yards and a 16-yard reception by Montgomery. On third down, Parker got ahead of safety 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, maintaining Oakland's 14–3 lead at halftime.
Third quarter[edit]
The Raiders then took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored in six plays. Despite a holding penalty on offensive tackle Henry Lawrence, Plunkett completed a 13-yard pass to King and a 32-yard completion to wide receiver Bob Chandler to move the ball to the Eagles 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, aided by two receptions by Carmichael for a total of 37 yards, but on 3rd-and-3, Jaworski threw his second interception of the game to Martin. The Raiders subsequently drove 40 yards on Plunkett's passes to tight end Raymond Chester and Chandler for gains of 16 and 17 yards, respectively. The drive stalled at the Philadelphia 28, forcing Oakland to settle for Bahr's 46-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 24–3.
Fourth quarter[edit]
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 wide receiver Charlie Smith and a 19-yard catch by Parker sparked an 88-yard, 14-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 12 plays, the longest a 23-yard completion from Plunkett to Chandler. The Eagles kept the Raiders out of the end zone, but Bahr kicked a 35-yard field goal, increasing Oakland's lead to 27–10 and capping off the scoring.
The Raiders' defense then dominated the rest the game, forcing two turnovers on the Eagles' last two possessions of the game to prevent any chance of a comeback. On the Eagles' next drive, Jaworski fumbled a snap and defensive end Willie Jones recovered it. Following a Raiders punt, Martin recorded a Super Bowl record third interception, and the Raiders reached the Eagles 19 to run out the clock and win the game.
Cliff Branch's two touchdowns tied a Super Bowl record. Only Max McGee in Super Bowl I and John Stallworth in Super Bowl XIII caught two touchdowns prior to Branch. 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.
Following the March 11, 2023 death of Bud Grant, this is the earliest Super Bowl where both teams' head coaches are still living.
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.