The
1982 NFL season was the 63rd
regular season of the
National Football League. A 57-day-long
players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to
an abbreviated nine game schedule. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament; division standings were ignored (although each division except the NFC West sent at least two teams to the playoffs, and the NFC Central sent four of five). Eight teams from each conference were seeded 1–8 based on their regular season records. Two teams qualified for the playoffs despite losing records. The season ended with
Super Bowl XVII when the
Washington Redskins defeated the
Miami Dolphins.