Super Bowl XXII: Doug Williams And The Quarter
Super Bowl XXII was a game of firsts, records, and unforgettable moments. On January 31, 1988, in front of over 73,000 fans at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, the Washington Redskins shocked the football world with a historic second quarter blitz against the Denver Broncos. They were led by quarterback Doug Williams—who became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl. Washington scored 35 unanswered points in a single quarter, setting a record that still stands today. Williams’ epic performance, along with a record-breaking rushing day by Timmy Smith, delivered Washington its second Lombardi Trophy in dominant fashion.
Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California | January 31st, 1988
Attendance: 73,302
Super Bowl XXII Scoring Summary
First Quarter:
Denver – Nattiel, 56 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick)
Denver- Karlis, 24 yard field goal
Second Quarter:
Washington – Sanders, 80 yard pass from Williams (Haji-Shiekh kick)
Washington – Clark, 27 yard pass from Williams (Haji-Shiekh kick)
Washington – Smith, 58 yard run (Haji-Shiekh kick)
Washington – Sanders, 50 yard pass from Williams (Haji-Shiekh kick)
Washington – Didier, 8 yard pass from Williams (Haji-Shiekh kick)
Third Quarter:
No Scoring
Fourth Quarter:
Washington – Smith, 4 yard run (Haji-Shiekh kick)
Super Bowl XXII Player Statistics
PASSING
Washington – Williams 18/29 340 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Buffalo – Elway 14/38 257 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
RUSHING
Washington – Smith 22/204* 2 TDs, Bryant 8/38, Clark 1/25, Rogers 5/17, Griffin 1/2, Williams 2/ -2, Sanders 1/-4
Buffalo – Lang 5/38, Elway 3/32, Winder 8/30, Sewell 1/-3
RECEIVING
Washington – Sanders 9/193, Clark 3/55 1TD, Warren 2/15, Monk 1/40, Bryant 1/25, Smith 1/9, Didier 1/8 1 TD
Buffalo – Jackson 4/76, Sewell 4/41, Nattiel 2/69 1 TD, Kay 2/38, Winder 1/26, Elway 1/23, Lang 1/7
INTERCEPTIONS
Washington – Wilburn 2 / 11 yards, Davis 1 / 0 yards
Buffalo – Castille 1 / 0 yards
FUMBLES
Washington – Sanders 1 / WAS recovered (Caldwell)
Buffalo – 0
Setting The Stage For Super Bowl XXII
It was nauseating the hype coming into this game. So many ‘pundits’ happy to see Reeves and Elway “finally get their shot” at a Super Bowl ring.
I couldn’t stand either guy, and was personally just wondering how they were going to stop an out-of-control steam roller. Obviously they didn’t.
Redskin legend has it that the decision to start a relatively unproven, unheard of Timmy Smith, may not have been a gut instinct from Joe Gibbs.
Timmy Smith?
Rumor is, that a certain veteran or veterans, went to Gibbs and said that they thought Timmy Smith should play. The reason? Smith had stuck with the Players Union during the strike that season, and not considered crossing picket lines. Word was, that wasn’t true of all the running backs. Is that verifiable? Not likely.
Holy Molars!
Doug Williams was named the starter, but it very nearly didn’t happen.
Williams had to have emergency root canal surgery in the middle of the night. Then went out and put on an MVP performance in Super Bowl XXII. Talk about Warrior Spirit!
Williams And Washington Destroy Denver In One Quarter – The Quarter
For fans of both the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins, watching Super Bowl XXII was like watching two separate contests.
The Redskins won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, however a quick three and out resulted in a punt.
On Denver’s first play from scrimmage, wide receiver Ricky Nattiel started the scoring, taking a John Elway pass 56-yards to pay dirt. Early dagger. The Broncos held a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the first quarter.
Broncos Add More
Washington’s next possession did not fare much better. Gary Clark dropped his second drive-ending pass of the game. Elway drove the team 61 yards in just over two minutes, including a 32-yard pass to Mark Jackson and a 23-yard pass to running back Steve Sewell. The drive stalled on the Washington 7 yard line though, and Denver kicker Rich Karlis pushed a 24-yard kick through the uprights.
Williams Gets Hurt
Washington quarterback Doug Williams was sacked and twisted his knee late in the first quarter. This forced Coach Joe Gibbs to replace Williams with Jay Schroeder.
Schroeder was unable to move the ball and the team was once again forced to punt.
The Broncos ended the first quarter and started the second with an extended three and out. Broncos punter Mike Horan sent a 36-yard punt into the end zone. This marked the beginning of what is known in Redskins history as, “The Quarter”.
Super Bowl XXII – “The Quarter”
Doug Williams returned to the field, and stealing a page from the Broncos’ first quarter antics, lined up on the 20 and fired a pass to streaking Ricky Sanders. Sanders caught the ball on the Washington 48-yard line and took it to the end zone, for a 1 play, 80-yard touchdown. It lasted all of 10 seconds.
Williams and the Redskins added four more touchdowns on consecutive drives for a total of 35 points in the second quarter.
Williams hit Gary Clark for a 27-yard strike, followed by a 58-yard touchdown run by Timmy Smith.
Sanders then added a 50-yard touchdown reception and Clint Didier finished off the historic quarter with an 8-yard pass.
No team, before or since, has played a better quarter of football on this stage.
Over At The Half
The score coming into the second half was 35-10. Denver having coasted to a 10-0 lead in the first six minutes of the game, never reached the end zone again.
That had everything to do with Barry Wilburn’s two interceptions and the 5 sacks turned in by a smothering Washington defense.
Smith Gets Touchdown and Super Bowl Record
Timmy Smith finished off the scoring with a 4-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter, and finished the game with a Super Bowl record 204-yards.
Super Bowl XXII Most Valuable Player
To nobody’s surprise, Williams was named the game’s MVP after finishing 18 of 29 for 340 yards with four touchdowns. He found seven different receivers, including favorite target Ricky Sanders nine times for 193 yards and two of the touchdowns.
Super Bowl XXII Closing Thoughts
Super Bowl XXII wasn’t just a championship win—it was a statement. Washington had won its second Lombardi Trophy in 5 years. Doug Williams shattered narratives, Timmy Smith exploded onto the scene with a performance for the ages, and Washington’s offense delivered one of the most explosive quarters in football history.
With Joe Gibbs at the helm, the Redskins proved their resilience, depth, and dominance on the biggest stage. Gibbs had won his second Super Bowl with a second quarterback.
It was a day of records, redemption, and relentless execution that etched this game into NFL lore forever—and gave Washington fans one of the proudest moments in franchise history.
Fan Reactions To Super Bowl XXII
Frank Hastings – “Ricky Sanders had a huge day thanks to Doug Williams. Oh, and superb offensive line protection. That had been with the team throughout the season. Timmy Smith was another beneficiary of an offensive line that not only provided superior pass protection, but also could flat out run block. 204 yards rushing in the Super Bowl, are you kidding me? I remember thinking to myself, ‘who the heck is Timmy Smith?’ And ‘how dominant is he going to be next season?’. Just goes to show you, one huge, even record setting game in the Super Bowl, does not promise or guarantee future success. “
Danny Carmical – “I remember being 10, living in Germany where my dad was stationed, and the Super Bowl didn’t start until midnight. I was amazed at the total domination the Redskins had over Denver in that game. That’s when the first drops of Burgundy & Gold flowed through my veins.”
Scott Peek – “I remember telling my friend during the first quarter, “Don’t worry, it’s only 10 points”, and then the Skins erupted. That may have been the most joyous quarter of football I have ever experienced.”
Did You Know?
Timmy Smith broke records with 204 rushing yards on just 22 carries and easily could have earned the game’s MVP honors. Smith powered the Redskins’ record-setting 35-point second quarter with 122 rushing yards, including a 58-yard touchdown run. Amazingly, Smith only managed 126 yards during the entire 1987 season. He would play just 15 more games in the NFL after his record setting performance.
The numbers from the Redskins’ 2nd quarter alone would match a lot of complete NFL games. Five scores for 35 points, 356 total yards, including 228 passing by Williams (9 of 11), 122 yards on five carries by Smith, and 168 yards on 5 receptions by Sanders. The five touchdowns came in 18 plays covering just 5 minutes and 47 seconds of possession time. Explosive!
The 1987 NFL season featured games played by replacement players as the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) players were on strike from weeks four to six. The strike started after the second game of the season, and the schedule was reduced to fifteen games. Washington had a very tense Monday Night matchup with the Cowboys in Week 5, when many Cowboys regulars crossed the picket line to play the replacement Redskins. The replacement players did eventualy get Super Bowl rings, but not until 2018!
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