Raiders defensive coach, Sumner, remembered that play during regular season when the two teams met, and instructed Squirek to blanket Joe Washington...
That single play took Theismann down a couple of notches in terms of his NFL legacy. Game on the verge of being over after that. Devasting way to go in to halftime. Gibbs never lost Superbowls-except this one.
My favorite Raider play of all time!! Jack should have been Superbowl MVP! This was the most back breaking, momentum changing play of that game. Marcus Allens td run was awesome, but just icing on the cake.
Marcus had two TD runs though. The one that sealed the game after Washington threatened to get back in it, then the “icing on the cake” in the form of the greatest SB run in history.
i was pretty young when this game was on, and i still remember it well. i was watching with my grandpa at his friends place. and as the redskins broke the huddle i said to everyone in the room "i hope theisman throws that screen pass and lester hayes picks it and walks into the endzone" after the play my grandpas buddy yells 'HE CALLED IT HE CALLED IT HE CALLED IT' but i didnt call it cos it wasnt lester hayes lol (the redskins ran this screen play religiously)
Just read a story on Sports Illustrated that a guy that worked with computers for the Raiders told Defensive Coordinator Sumner that they were going to run that play, and to his credit he listened to him.
i was watching this with my gramps at his friends and called the play kinda...i predicted lester hayes...redskins ran this play ALL the time that yr especially on that end of the field
I remember watching this game in a dorm room when I was in college. Most people had "tuned out" the game because it was almost halftime, and the Redskins were backed up. I kept watching it. I started screaming "The Raiders scored again! They picked it off and ran it in!" Half of the people in the room didn't believe me.
That was basically the nail in the coffin, which ended the game and made the second half uninteresting. It was a disappointing game, and the last reminder of the AFC's dominance through the 70s and early 80s-the Raiders just outmuscled them, plain n simple.
That was in my opinion a WORSE call than the Seahawks pass attempt. At least that had a chance of crossing up the defense. This play even the pass was complete was not going to accomplish anything.
There was 12 seconds left in the half and they were backed up towards their own endzone. So why would Washington call a screen pass? Never made any sense to my why they would call that because it's not like the play was going to give them enough yardage to put any points on the board. That was the dumbest call in Super Bowl history until Seattle threw at the one yard line in Super Bowl XLIX.
When the teams met in the regular season, Washingon ran the same play for a 67-yd gain. The Raiders initially had a blitz called which would have played straight into a big game for a screen play. Very easy to criticise with hindsight. A different era of football when screen and draw plays weren't the norm at end of 1st half that they are now.
@@mrbbshorts yes I understand that the play had worked before but there were 12 seconds left in the half. Even if he had a big gain they wouldn't have had time to run another play.
@@scottfarmer8758 I generally agree. Different era of football though and with The Hogs lumbering downfield on a screen pass against a prevent defense of small defensive backs, maybe it goes for a touchdown. Or they get into field goal range and there's a defensive penalty that gives them an untimed down. High unlikely though as you say.
Rocket Screen, Seattle not running the ball in Super Bowl XLIX, and the Colts' flea-flicker in Super Bowl III are the three worst Super Bowl plays ever, period.
When the teams met in the regular season, Washingon ran the same play for a 67-yd gain. The Raiders initially had a blitz called which would have played straight into a big gain for a screen play. Very easy to criticise with hindsight. A different era of football when screen and draw plays weren't the norm at end of 1st half that they are now. It was from seeing that play before that Defensive Co-ordinator Charlie Sumner sent Jack Squirek in with instructions to expect the play.
