by Mike Siani
In 1970, the Oakland Raiders thrilled our country as no other team in professional football history has ever done. They won victory upon dramatic victory and always with poise. Poise above all. What kind of a season was it? Here’s what Bill King had to say:
“If a television scriptwriter tried to write the kind of finishes that the Oakland Raiders have produced this year, they would send him to the Looney bin before he ever got passed the first proof reader!”
In 1963, Al Davis made the total Commitment to Excellence for the Raiders’ organization. But the only real test of any great organization is how long its success can endure. The Oakland Raiders had met this test. People said it couldn’t be done. They said that it couldn’t continue. But this was the challenge, and the Oakland Raiders stood ready to meet the challenge of the ’70s.
1971 SEASON (8–4–2)
In 1971, for the first time in five years, the Oakland Raiders did not play in the Conference Championship game.
Disaster stalked the Raiders from the get-go. Running back Hewritt Dixon was gone for the year with an injury as was receiver Warren Wells. Running back Charlie Smith was out for six games. What would have happened if the Dallas Cowboys had lost Duane Thomas, Calvin Hill, and Bob Hayes? Or if Miami had lost Csonka, Kiick, and Warfield? They would have dropped from contention as the Raiders did. Yet in 1971, despite losing players responsible for 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns, the silver and black remained feared championship contenders because of a dedicated organization and sterling field leadership from gifted head coach John Madden; talented veteran assistants Oliver Spencer, Tom Dahms, Ray Malavasi, and Bob Zeman; skillful trainer George Anderson; and capable equipment director Dick Romanski.
There is no substitute for victory now, so the true greatness of the Raiders must remain in their future and their glorious past. But if battling insurmountable odds is still a virtue, then in 1971 the silver and black may well have had their finest hour.
Week 1 @ New England
The season opener was held in New England’s new Schaefer Stadium against the Patriots’ new quarterback, Jim Plunkett. The Raiders unveiled three rookie starters of their own. Safety Jack Tatum was one and recovered two fumbles. Despite several personnel losses, Raiders running behind Gene Upshaw showed promise with another newcomer, Clarence Davis, gliding for 39 yards.
Pete Banaszak had the lone Oakland score as he slashed into the end zone. But inches spelled the Raiders’ doom and, in the end, Plunkett passed his Patriots to a 20–6 upset victory.
It was the last time the Oakland Raiders would lose for nine weeks.
Week 2 @ San Diego
In San Diego, Oakland faced the second of four demanding consecutive road games. The Raiders’ defense dominated as All-Pro Willie Brown challenged John Hadl’s air attack. Rookie ends Horace Jones and Harold Rice blasted in on Hadl and forced the Chargers into desperate gambles made even more desperate when the determined silver and black dug in and refused to yield. Then the Raiders’ famed precision passing flashed into action. Lamonica to Biletnikoff accounted for two scores. Clarence Davis, behind blocking by Shell, Upshaw, Buehler, Otto, and Bob Brown, raced into another.
Middle linebacker Dan Conners picked off two interceptions. Lamonica and Stabler finished the Chargers with a lopsided 34–0 triumph, which was Oakland’s first shutout ever over San Diego.
Week 3 @ Cleveland
Oakland was in Cleveland next in a Monday night national TV game. Lamonica’s throwing hand was giving him trouble. Early in the contest the offensive missed by inches, but the undefeated Browns weren’t missing and led 14–0. Then the Raiders’ rookie wreckers went to work. Linebacker Villapiano shut down the corner and Horace Jones shut down passes while Jack Tatum made a great interception and return. Daryle arched a bomb to tight end Raymond Chester and utilized the diverse design of the Raiders attack, then threw a screen to Marv Hubbard who powered for 31 yards.
The relentless Raiders rolled for 24 fourth-quarter points. Clarence Davis put Oakland ahead 24–20, and Banaszak finished Cleveland off as the nation learned that though the Raiders had lost key players (including vet Tom Keating with a broken leg in this game), they had lost none of their class or courage. Final score: Raiders 34, Cleveland 20.
Week 4 @ Denver
In Denver, a punishing Oakland defense set the tone. Phil Villapiano was everywhere at once, making the inches count. And suddenly inches meant points as Jimmy Warren intercepted and streaked 55 yards for a touchdown.
Stabler to Chester gave an indication as to why the Raiders would finish second in scoring in the entire NFL in 1971. Stabler then provided the insurance himself, and the Raiders had won their third in a row. At last they were ready to come home. Final score: Oakland 27, Denver 16.
Week 5 vs. Philadelphia
Finally, five weeks into the season, the silver and black returned to the Oakland Coliseum—and the stadium responded to their monumental rise to a football power. They had come home to meet the surging Philadelphia Eagles, who quickly took a 10–0 halftime lead. But even though shorthanded, the Raiders would not shortchange the total sellout colloquium crowd.
A wide-open Fred Biletnikoff fooled everyone as he scored six, and Raiders runners led by powerful Marv Hubbard were end zone bound regardless of obstacles. Lamonica hit Eldridge Dickey for a 27-yard score, followed by the Eagles fumbling the kickoff which Atkinson returned for a touchdown. It was Oakland’s second touchdown in fifteen seconds. It destroyed the Eagles and gave the silver and black their fourth win in a row. Final score: Oakland 34, Philadelphia 10.
Week 6 vs. Cincinnati
For the Bengals, the inches went against them as Raiders’ Chester just managed to score. Marv Hubbard continued to shred opponents’ defenses and Hubbard showed his versatility by taking a perfect George Blanda pass in for six points. However, Paul Brown’s Bengals were always tough for Oakland, and Cincinnati led 27–24 with time running out.
But Art Thoms smothered the Bengals offense. Then Clarence Davis put the Raiders in close. Marv Hubbard rushed in and gave Oakland another great come-from-behind victory. Final score: Oakland 31, Cincinnati 27.
Week 7 vs. Kansas City
Archrival Kansas City came next and, as always in the tough AFC Western Division, it was an all-out war. Ben Davidson dropped in on Lenny Dawson often, as did Tony Cline and Dan Conners to sabotage the Chiefs’ attack. But football remains a game of inches, as rookie linebacker Terry Mendenhall found out when, with the Raiders trailing, his fumble recovery was allowed but his touchdown run wasn’t.
With the Chiefs ahead 20–10, the Raiders’ defense shut down the Chiefs passing game. Then the Raiders’ air attack burst to life. Twenty-two-year pro veteran George Blanda connected with Raymond Chester and then hit Fred Biletnikoff to make it 20–17.
George Blanda’s last-minute field goal not only earned a 20–20 comeback tie to keep the Raiders’ six-game unbeaten streak alive, but also made Blanda pro football’s all-time leading scorer.
Week 8 @ New Orleans
Meanwhile, in New Orleans, the Oakland secondary played the game of inches just right. While the defense made the inches count, the offense grabbed up enough yards to take a 14–0 lead. But the Saints benefited from a puzzling roughing call and went on to score. The Raiders countered and the lead looked safe, but misfortune struck a season-ending injury to linebacker Gus Otto, followed by a game-ending fumble recovery, which was disallowed. And finally there was the untimely penalty that gave the Saints a second chance and a 21–21 tie.
Week 9 vs. Houston
The Oilers came to Oakland and paid dearly for the Raiders’ frustration at two consecutive ties. Nemiah Wilson’s interception paved the way as Lamonica, behind protection from veteran Ron Mix, lifted a 63-yard strike to Drew Buie. Two more interceptions proved the Raiders would settle for no tie this day. Buie’s second score ballooned the Oakland lead to 21–0. Silver and black might and muscle ruled this day. Once again Jimmy Warren slashed in, stole th
e ball, and weaved to pay dirt. It was the Raiders’ eighth game without a defeat. Final score: Oakland 41, Houston 21.
Week 10 vs. San Diego
When the Chargers arrived in Oakland, they set out to avenge the earlier shutout and leaped to a substantial 24–10 lead. But unlike many teams, the Raiders are traditionally most dangerous when behind. And soon they stuck back for yardage that blew away the Chargers’ lead. Rod Sherman’s great catch made it 34–24 Oakland, but the Chargers rallied, making the score 34–31.
With time fleeting, they were driving again when an intense rush set up Dan Conners’s clutch interception. Then Coach John Madden instructed punter Jerry DePoyster to take a safety when running out the clock, preserving a nine-game undefeated string that experts had labeled impossible for injury-wracked Oakland. Final score: Oakland 34, San Diego 33.
Week 11 vs. Baltimore
The defending world champion Baltimore Colts came next, and the battle-worn Raiders had problems—problems that turned opportunities into mistakes by inches. Even Blanda’s two touchdown passes to Biletnikoff could not stop the Colts, who rolled on and put an end to the hard-earned Oakland unbeaten streak. Final score: Baltimore 37, Oakland 14.
Week 12 @ Atlanta
In Atlanta the following week the weather was rainy, the field muddy, and the ball slippery. Slippery enough to contribute to a pair of crucial fumbles which were the key to a Falcon win and Oakland’s second straight loss. The two field goals by Blanda and the Lamonica-to-Biletnikoff touchdown were too little too late. Final score: Atlanta 14, Oakland 13.
Week 13 @ Kansas City
And so it came down to the big one. The Raiders and the Chiefs battling for the title in pro football’s toughest division. It had been that way for years, and was always a hitting, bruising, punishing conflict. Kansas City took an early lead on a Dawson-to-Otis Taylor touchdown and a Stenerud field goal. The Raiders struck back when Nemiah Wilson intercepted. Then Marv Hubbard blasted in for the score and almost drove the ball underground. It’s that kind of rivalry.
As time was running out in the first half, the Chiefs made a big first down. And with just one second left their lead jumped to 13–7. Inches, seconds, and penalties proved decisive. An obvious interference led to Hubbard’s second TD, and the silver and black battled back to a 14–13 fourth-quarter lead. Safety George Atkinson’s interception halted a KC rally. Then George Blanda’s field goal was blocked. As the Chiefs struggled to survive, Nemiah Wilson dove for the game-clinching interception, but it was not to be. The officials called it a trap. Given another chance, Dawson hit Taylor in heavy traffic. A no-harm interference was called on an overthrown desperation pass, and then Stenerud kicked and denied Oakland their fifth consecutive division championship. The season had come down to one game, one play, one inch, one penalty, one second, and heartbreak for the Raiders. Final score: Kansas City 16, Oakland 14.
Week 14 vs. Denver
In a game that was played for pride alone, the Raiders struck first with a 67-yard pass from Lamonica to Raymond Chester. Charlie Smith rushed for a one-yard score while Pete Banaszak rushed for a two-yard score. The Raiders finished out the season by beating the Broncos, 21 to 13.
But in 1971, the valued Raiders had challenged overwhelming odds and blasted them head on.
As the season closed, twelve-year All-Pro center Jim Otto was voted the Gorman Award by his teammates as Oakland’s most inspirational player; and against Denver, every Raider deserved awards. They had lost the title but never their pride. Against Denver, Pete Banaszak got his eighth rushing score—a Raider season record. Lamonica playing with a hand that would require off-season surgery found Raymond Chester for another score. A now-healthy Charlie Smith made big plays. His return added a missing dimension to Oakland’s potent offense. The defense with Tatum, Duane Benson, and the rest stood tall on a goal-line stand that gave meaning to the motto “Pride and Poise.” The Denver victory gave Oakland an 8–4–2 record—better than teams winning division championships and playing for conference titles.
In Oakland, 1971 was a year when newcomers Moore, Slough, Seiler, Maxwell, and Gipson had fought and won beside vets Jim Harvey, Gerald Irons, and other unsung heroes. One league championship and four consecutive division championships are Raiders history.
The total commitment to excellence made by Al Davis in 1963 continues, and the greatness of the Raiders is in their future. But when this grueling 1971 season is examined against all the great glory years, the silver and black may well have had their finest hour.
1972 SEASON (10–3–1)
In 1969, under young head coach John Madden, the Raiders molded explosive, precision offense with quick strike defense. Their 12–1–1 record led all of pro football and what was emerging in Oakland was an unrivaled level of excellence.
In 1970, it was a fourth consecutive championship and a season of last-second victories that rocked the sports world and showcased Oakland Raiders pride and poise. Winning against all odds had become a Raiders tradition and it seemed that this wave of glory might roll on forever.
But in 1971, the wave broke and, despite an amiable 8–4–2 record, the Raiders lost the championship to Kansas City by inches and seconds. Consecutive championships had finally ended, but never the total commitment that made them possible. From narrow defeat rose a solemn promise: that in 1972 the Oakland Raiders would once again return to glory.
Week 1 @ Pittsburgh
The cross-country opener in Pittsburgh was played without the injured Ben Davidson. Kenny Stabler started at quarterback, but the Raiders ran into bad breaks and the rugged Steelers forged a big lead.
Ageless George Blanda celebrated his forty-fifth birthday by arching a bomb to tight end Raymond Chester. But the scoring gap was not narrowed until Daryle Lamonica connected with rookie wide receiver Mike Siani on a 24-yard pass, making the score 27–14. Lamonica hit Siani again in the fourth quarter on a 70-yard pass, but it was too little too late.
Despite nearly 400 yards total offense and Lamonica’s 8 for 10, Oakland’s furious finish fell short, 34–28.
Week 2 @ Green Bay
In Green Bay, the Raiders challenged their second eventual division champion in a row. Behind crushing blocking by George Buehler, Bob Brown, Jim Otto, Art Shell, and Gene Upshaw, Marv Hubbard bulldozed for 125 yards in search of victory and a 1,000-yard rushing goal. The Packers led early, but Coach John Madden’s young defense was maturing under fire and allowed Green Bay to succeed on only one third down situation.
Jack Tatum’s recovery and record 104-yard return exemplified the alert Raiders defense, which held the Packers scoreless for the last forty-three minutes of an inspired 20–14 victory, in which Oakland completely dominated play.
Week 3 vs. San Diego
Finally the Raiders returned home and, in their first game in the NFL’s toughest division, met the stubborn San Diego Chargers.
Behind beautiful protection from All-Pro pair Gene Upshaw and Art Shell, Lamonica hit running back Don Highsmith to drive Oakland goalward. But the Raiders trailed the fired-up Chargers 17–14 in the fourth quarter until an off-the-dirt 40-yard field goal tied the score and gave Oakland a 1–1–1 record.
Week 4 @ Houston
Then in the Houston Astrodome for a Monday night national TV game, the Raiders exploded. Sure-handed Fred Biletnikoff caught six passes as the mighty silver and black offense rolled up 34 points.
While Stabler hit Bob Moore for one score, the defense led by Art Thoms shut out the Oilers. Gus Otto and Phil Villapiano were instrumental in holding Houston to just 89 yards of total offense. Nemiah Wilson had one of five Raiders interceptions while Houston completed only four passes.
A 34–0 triumph was a total team effort that gave notice to the nation that the silver and black were once again bound for glory.
Week 5 vs. Buffalo
The Buffalo Bills visited Oakland and the man to get was O. J. Simpson, who gave the Bills a 16–7 fourth-quarter lead by rushing for 144 yards a
nd paying for every yard he got.
But in that fourth quarter, the Raiders came on relentlessly. Clarence Davis slashed in for one score then rode behind, pulling guard Gene Upshaw to add to the Raiders’ 21-point last-period explosion, as the silver and black won going away, 28–16.
Week 6 vs. Denver
With a 3–1–1 record, an offense, defense, and special teams steaming along, it looked like the Raiders’ return to glory was inevitable, but the AFC West is pro football’s toughest division and danger faced the Oakland glory caravan.
The tough, talented Denver Broncos had just come to town. Broncos quarterback Charlie Johnson had one of his best days ever, ringing up a 24–3 Denver lead, but the comeback-conscious Raiders fought back.
Charlie Smith set up one score and top draftee Mike Siani got another on great effort, but time ran out on the Raiders, who lost 30–23.
Week 7 vs. Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Rams walked into a cyclone as the Oakland Raiders faced a must-win situation in their championship drive.
Six and a half minutes into the game, the Raiders grabbed a 21–0 lead over the Rams. And the cyclone roared on as newcomer Otis Sistrunk, Gerald Irons, and Horace Jones closed down the Ram offense. The cyclone then continued as Marv Hubbard added to the eventual club record of 2,376 yards rushing and an NFL high of 297 first downs.
Lamonica hit Pete Banaszak to put the Raiders in a position for another score. Later, Lamonica hit Raymond Chester in the end zone. Interceptions by Willie Brown (who had three), Nemiah Wilson, Jack Tatum, and Phil Villapiano (who ran for a touchdown) gave the Raiders a 45–17 win. But there were greater challenges still to be met.
Week 8 @ Kansas City
In Kansas City’s fantastic new Arrowhead Stadium, the Raiders found themselves unloved before a record crowd of over 82,000.
Oakland was missing the big play by inches and the Chiefs raced to a 20–0 lead. The Raiders battled back with touchdowns by Marv Hubbard and Raymond Chester, but lost 27–14 and dropped to second in the division with a 4–3–1 record. Now any return to glory depended on two must-win games before facing the Chiefs again.