Super Bowl XV was anAmerican football game between theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championOakland Raiders and theNational Football Conference (NFC) championPhiladelphia Eagles to decide theNational Football League (NFL) champion for the1980 season. The Raiders defeated the Eagles by the score of 27–10, becoming the firstwild card playoff team to win aSuper Bowl.

Super Bowl XV

Oakland Raiders (4) (AFC) (11–5) Philadelphia Eagles (2) (NFC) (12–4) 27 10 Head coach: Tom Flores Head coach: Dick Vermeil
1 2 3 4 Total OAK 14 0 10 3 27 PHI 0 3 0 7 10
Date	January 25, 1981 (1981-01-25)
Kickoff time	5:16 p.m.CST (UTC-6)
Stadium	Louisiana Superdome,New Orleans, Louisiana
MVP	Jim Plunkett,quarterback
Favorite	Eagles by 3[1][2]
Referee	Ben Dreith
Attendance	76,135[3]
Ceremonies
National anthem	Helen O'Connell
Coin toss	Marie Lombardi, widow ofVince Lombardi
Halftime show	Jim Skinner Productions presents "Mardi Gras Festival"
TV in the United States
Network	NBC
Announcers	Dick Enberg,Merlin Olsen,John Brodie, andLen Dawson
Nielsen ratings	44.4 (68.29 million viewers)[4]
Market share	63
Cost of 30-second commercial	$324,000
Radio in the United States
Network	CBS Radio
Announcers	Jack Buck andHank Stram
← XIV Super Bowl XVI →

The game was played at theLouisiana Superdome inNew Orleans, Louisiana, on January 25, 1981, five days after theIran 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 atiebreaker to theAFC West division winnerSan Diego Chargers. Oakland then advanced to the Super Bowl withplayoff victories over theHouston 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 theMinnesota Vikings andDallas Cowboys.

Aided by two touchdown passes from quarterbackJim Plunkett, the Raiders jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter and the Eagles never recovered. Oakland linebackerRod Martin also intercepted Philadelphia quarterbackRon Jaworski three times for a Super Bowl record. Plunkett was named theSuper Bowl MVP after completing 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns; he was the secondHeisman Trophy winner to be named Super Bowl MVP, afterRoger Staubach inSuper Bowl VI.

The NFL awarded Super Bowl XV toNew Orleans on March 13, 1979, at the owners' meetings inHonolulu. For the first time, three Super Bowl host cities were deliberated and selected at the same meeting (XV,XVI, andXVII). A total of eight cities submitted bids: New Orleans,Detroit (Silverdome),Pasadena (Rose Bowl),Los Angeles (Coliseum),Miami,Seattle (Kingdome),Dallas (Cotton Bowl), andHouston (Rice Stadium). New Orleans was selected for their fifth Super Bowl overall, and second at theLouisiana 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 theOrange Bowl, and for a hotel room mix-up atSuper Bowl XIII two months earlier.^[7][8]Dolphins ownerJoe Robbie, locked in an ongoing feud with the city of Miami andDade 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 untilJoe Robbie Stadium was built, and it hostedXXIII.^[9][10]

Super Bowl XV was the climax ofJim Plunkett's revival as an NFL starting quarterback. The 1970Heisman Trophy winner was selected with the first pick of the 1971 NFL draft by theNew England Patriots and was later named the 1971NFL Rookie of the Year. But Plunkett suffered through five losing seasons with the Patriots and two uneven seasons with theSan Francisco 49ers before being released as a free agent before the 1978 season.

Plunkett was signed by Oakland to be their backup quarterback, and thus he did not see much playing time, throwing no passes in 1978 and just 15 passes in 1979. Meanwhile, Oakland traded long time starting quarterbackKen Stabler in the 1979 off-season to replace him withDan Pastorini, a former high school rival of Plunkett who had been selected two spots below him in the 1971 draft. After the Raiders started the 1980 season with a 2–3 record, Pastorini broke his leg and suddenly Plunkett was thrust into the starting role. The 33-year-old Plunkett got off to a bad start, throwing 5 interceptions in a 31–17 loss to theKansas City Chiefs after relieving Pastorini. However, he recovered and led the Raiders to victory in 9 of their last 11 games in the season, qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card team. Plunkett made 165 out of 320 pass completions for 2,299 yards, 18 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. He also contributed 141 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.

The Raiders' main offensive deep threat was wide receiverCliff Branch (44 receptions, 858 yards, 7 touchdowns), while wide receiverBob Chandler contributed 49 receptions for 786 yards and 10 touchdowns. Running backMark van Eeghen was the team's top rusher with 838 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also catching 29 passes for 259 yards. Six games into the season, the Raiders made a surprise trade, sending future Hall of Fame tight endDave Casper to theHouston Oilers for one first round and two second round draft picks. Veteran tight endRaymond Chester proved to be a capable starter for the rest of the year, catching 28 passes for 366 yards and 4 touchdowns. HalfbackKenny King rushed for 761 yards and catching 22 passes for 145 yards. The Raiders also had an outstanding offensive line led by two future Hall of Famers, tackleArt Shell and guardGene Upshaw. Upshaw became the first player to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades. He also played in Super BowlsII (1967) andXI (1976).

Oakland's defense, anchored by defensive linemenJohn Matuszak (8 sacks),Cedrick Hardman (9.5 sacks), andDave Browning (6.5 sacks), led the league in forced turnovers (52) and interceptions (35). Defensive backLester Hayes led the league in interceptions (13) and interception return yards (273), and was the league'sDefensive Player of the Year. SafetyBurgess Owens added three interceptions, returning them for 59 yards and a touchdown. The Raiders also had a trio of great linebackers: futureHall of FamerTed Hendricks (3 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, 8.5 sacks)Pro BowlerRod Martin (3 Interceptions), and standout rookieMatt Millen.

The Raiders were led by head coachTom Flores, the first Hispanic coach to win a Super Bowl.

In 1980, under head coachDick Vermeil, the Philadelphia Eagles, who had not played in a league championship since their 1960 NFL championship, advanced to their first Super Bowl. Philadelphia's offense ranked 6th in the league in scoring (384 points) and 8th in yards gained (5,519). The Eagles were led by quarterbackRon Jaworski, who completed 257 out of 451 passes for 3,529 yards during the regular season, including 27 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. Another key player on the Eagles offense was halfbackWilbert Montgomery, who was widely considered one of the top running backs in the NFL after rushing for more than 1,200 yards in each of the previous two seasons. Injuries during the 1980 regular season had limited him to just 778 yards, but he proved he was fully recovered in the postseason by rushing for 194 yards in the NFC title game. Montgomery was also a superb receiver out of the backfield, recording 50 receptions for 407 yards. The other main deep threats on offense, wide receiversHarold Carmichael andCharlie Smith, along with tight endKeith Krepfle, combined for 125 receptions, 2,090 yards, and 16 touchdowns.

The Eagles' defense allowed the fewest points in the league during the regular season (222) while ranking second in fewest yards (4,443). Nose tackleCharlie Johnson anchored the line, and even managed to record 3 interceptions. Defensive endClaude Humphrey led the team in sacks with 14.5, while fellow defensive endCarl Hairston added 9 sacks and defensive tackleKen Clarke had 7. LinebackersJerry Robinson (4 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions) andBill Bergey excelled at both stopping the run and pass coverage. Philadelphia also had a fine secondary, led by veteran defensive backsHerman Edwards (3 interceptions) andBrenard Wilson (6 interceptions), along with rookieRoynell Young (4 interceptions). The Eagles' defense was a major factor in their hard-fought 10–7 victory over the Raiders in the regular season; they sacked Plunkett 8 times.^[11]

The Eagles advanced through the playoffs, defeating theMinnesota Vikings, 31–16, and theDallas Cowboys, 20–7.^[12][13]

Meanwhile, Plunkett and the Raiders defeated theHouston Oilers 27–7, theCleveland Browns 14–12 (on a play known asRed Right 88), and theSan Diego Chargers 34–27.^[14][15][16] In doing so, Oakland became the secondwild card team to advance to the Super Bowl since the 1970 merger, the first from the AFC, and the first wild card team to win three postseason rounds since the NFL expanded to a 10-team playoff format in1978. Hayes had a spectacular performance in the playoffs, adding 5 more interceptions to give him a total of 18 picks in 19 games.

In the days before the game, most sports writers were speculating over whether, if the Raiders won, NFL CommissionerPete Rozelle would present theVince Lombardi Trophy to the team's ownerAl Davis. Prior to the season, the league declined to approve the Raiders' proposal to move from theOakland–Alameda County Coliseum inOakland, California to theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum inLos Angeles. In response, Davis sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws. The conflict caused much friction between Rozelle and Davis. (The Raiders would eventually win the lawsuit, allowing the team to move to Los Angeles before the1982 season.)

Oakland became the first team to avenge a regular-season loss in the Super Bowl. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 10–7 on November 23 atVeterans Stadium.

This game marked the first Super Bowl where both teams used the 3–4defensive formation as their base defense. The Raiders were the first team to use the 3–4 in the Super Bowl inSuper Bowl XI against theMinnesota Vikings, although theMiami Dolphins used a version of the 3–4 ("53 defense") inSuper Bowl VI,Super Bowl VII andSuper Bowl VIII. The 3–4 would be used by at least one team in every Super Bowl between Super Bowl XV andgame XXVIII.

The Raiders became the first team to appear in a Super Bowl in three different decades (1960s, 1970s and 1980s), having previously played in Super BowlsII andXI.

As ofSuper Bowl LVIII, this is the earliest Super Bowl from which both coaches are still living, and the earliest from whicheither coach is still living following the death ofBud Grant in March 2023.

The game was broadcast in theUnited States byNBC, withDick Enberg in his first Super Bowl as aplay-by-play announcer. There were threecolor commentators:Merlin Olsen sat next to Enberg, whileJohn Brodie andLen Dawson worked in a separate broadcast booth.Bryant Gumbel andMike Adamle ofNFL '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 ofGamblers 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 performingFats Waller's "The Joint is Jumpin'" and NBC following members of theNew 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 withclosed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing. Toward the end of NBC's coverage, a montage of the game, the arrival ofthe hostages following their release, and theinauguration ofRonald Reagan as the 40thPresident of the United States aired to the tune of "Celebration" byKool & the Gang.

A repeat episode ofCHiPs, "11-99: Officer Needs Help", served as NBC'sSuper Bowl lead-out program.

The pregame festivities honored the end of theIran hostage crisis (which was announced 5 days before the game), and featured a performance by theSouthern 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 dancerHelen O'Connell later sang the national anthem. Thecoin toss ceremony featured Marie Lombardi, the widow ofPro Football Hall of FameGreen Bay Packers head coachVince Lombardi.

The halftime show, featuring singers and dancers, was a "Mardi Gras Festival", with a performance from "Up With People".

Raiders linebackerRod Martin intercepted Eagles quarterbackRon Jaworski's first pass of the game and returned it 17 yards to the Philadelphia 30-yard line, setting up quarterbackJim Plunkett's 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverCliff 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 receiverRodney Parker on 3rd-and-10 that would have tied the game, but the score was nullified by an illegal motion penalty on wide receiverHarold 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 backKenny King at the 39-yard line as he wasscrambling around in the backfield to avoid being sacked.^[17] CornerbackHerm Edwards appeared poised to intercept the ball,^[17] but it brushed off his fingertips and was deflected to King,^[18][19] who caught the pass and took off to the end zone for a Super Bowl-record 80-yard touchdown reception,^[17] giving the Raiders a 14–0 lead and tying theMiami Dolphins' record (which still stands) for the largest Super Bowl lead (14 points) at the end of the first quarter, set inSuper Bowl VIII.

The Eagles got on the board on their next drive, with Jaworski completing passes to tight endJohn Spagnola and running backWilbert Montgomery for gains of 22 and 25 yards, respectively, on a 61-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by kickerTony 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 kickerChris 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 safetyOdis 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 linebackerTed Hendricks extended his 6'7" frame at the line and blocked the kick, maintaining Oakland's 14–3 lead at halftime.

The Raiders then took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored in six plays. Despite a holding penalty on offensive tackleHenry Lawrence, Plunkett completed a 13-yard pass to King and a 32-yard completion to wide receiverBob Chandler to move the ball to the Eagles 33-yard line. Then after a 4-yard run by running backMark van Eeghen, Plunkett threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Branch, increasing Oakland's lead to 21–3. On the play, the ball was briefly intercepted by Eagles rookie cornerbackRoynell Young but Branch immediately ripped the ball out of Young's grasp and held on as the cornerback made a feeble attempt to tackle the wide receiver. 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 endRaymond 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.

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 receiverCharlie 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 endKeith 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 endWillie 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. OnlyMax McGee inSuper Bowl I andJohn Stallworth inSuper 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 backWilbert 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 coachJoe 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 coachTom 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. TheSuper Bowl IV championKansas City Chiefs are often thought of as a "wild-card team," but they were not; during 1969, the season before the 1970AFL-NFL Merger, the second-place finishers in both divisions of theAmerican 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 ofBud Grant, this is the earliest Super Bowl where both teams' head coaches are still living.

Sources:NFL.com Super Bowl XV,Super Bowl XV Play Finder Oak,Super Bowl XV Play Finder Phi,Super Bowl XV Play by Play

¹Completions/attempts²Carries³Long gain⁴Receptions⁵Times targeted

The following records were set in Super Bowl XV, according to the official NFL.com boxscore^[21] and the Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary.^[22]

• ‡ Sacks have been an official statistic since Super Bowl XVII by the NFL. Sacks are listed as "Tackled Attempting to Pass" in the official NFL box score for Super Bowl XV.^[21]

Source:^[23]

Hall of Fame‡

• Referee:Ben Dreith #12 second Super Bowl (VIII)
• Umpire:Frank Sinkovitz #20 first Super Bowl on field
• Head Linesman: Tony Veteri #8 fourth Super Bowl (II, VII, X)
• Line Judge:Tom Dooley #10 first Super Bowl
• Back Judge:Tom Kelleher #7 fourth Super Bowl (IV, VII, XI)
• Side Judge:Dean Look #9 second Super Bowl (XIII)
• Field Judge: Fritz Graf #17 third Super Bowl (V, VIII)
• Alternate Referee:Dick Jorgensen #6 worked Super Bowl XXIV
• Alternate Umpire: John Keck #4 worked Super Bowl XXX

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 andStan Javie.

The Raiders became the first team since the1968 Green Bay Packers to post a losing record the year after winning the Super Bowl, going 7–9 in1981. Davis won a lawsuit against the NFL in May 1982 and immediately moved the team to Los Angeles, where they remained for 13 seasons before returning to Oakland in 1995. The Raiders left Oakland again in 2020, relocating toLas Vegas.

The Eagles returned to the playoffs in1981, but lost 27–21 to the archrivalNew York Giants in the NFC wild card game. Philadelphia fell to 3-6 during the strike-shortened1982 season, and Vermeil resigned eight days later, citing burnout. Vermeil returned to coaching in1997 with theSt. Louis Rams and led the club to victory inSuper Bowl XXXIV.

The Eagles won the next three meetings with the Raiders, prevailing in1986 in overtime at Los Angeles, and1989 and1992 at Philadelphia. The Raiders ended their drought in the series in1995 at Oakland.

Specific

General

• Super Bowl official website
• Super Bowl XV Box Score atPro Football Reference