by Mike Siani
The Raiders received possession and started to move the ball on the Colts, going 41 yards in nine plays and putting themselves in position to win the game on their first drive of overtime . . . but it was not to be. The field goal was blocked by defensive tackle Mike Barnes and the Colts took over on the Raiders’ 32.
Unfortunately for the Colts, their offense remained stagnant. Since taking the lead midway through the fourth quarter, they had run 17 plays for just 27 yards, while being held to just one completion and one first down.
Baltimore once again punted. Stabler chipped away the yardage, was sacked for a major loss, and then on 3rd and 19 at the Colts 45-yard line, Stabler hit Branch on the 26-yard line for a first down.
“That was the real backbreaker because without that 19-yard reception, they would have had to punt and it would have given us another possession,” said Don McCauley.
Oakland worked their way down to the 13-yard line when time ran out and the game would now go into double overtime.
“I knew that we could kick the field goal because we were in field goal range,” said Madden. “But if we kick the field goal then we have one chance to win the game. If we throw a pass, if it was a play pass, a pass to Dave Casper in the end zone in the corner, we have a chance there because if we complete that, then we win the game. If we don’t complete it, then we have another chance to kick the field goal. So it just made sense to me that before we settled on the field goal to try a shot at the end zone.”
At the start of the second overtime, Banaszak bulldozed his way for three yards. On the next play, Stabler dropped back and threw his forty-second pass of the day to Dave Casper—a 10-yard touchdown to give the Raiders a 37–31 double-overtime victory over the Baltimore Colts.
“We go into the locker room and in the locker room, we’re watching to see who we were going to have to play,” said Madden. “And Denver won. So we started thinking right away about Denver.”
Against the Broncos, Oakland’s reign as champions came to a close. But within three years the Raiders would reload and in Super Bowl XV, Oakland captured their second of what would be three world championships in an eight-year span.
As for the Colts, the decline was swift and devastating. Injuries and contract disputes decimated the ’78 season. Crowds began to dwindle, and on March 28, 1984, what once seemed unthinkable became real. The beloved Colts left Baltimore for Indianapolis.
For the men who played and the fans who watched it, the battle on Christmas Eve was the last great moment before everything changed.
New rules regarding pass blocking would alter the way the game was played, and franchise movement would affect where it was played. The how remains constant, though. And the desire brought forth through 76 minutes of football on that day is a tribute to a game sometimes forgotten, sometimes ignored, but forever remarkable.
HOLY ROLLER: SEPTEMBER 10, 1978
Week 2: Raiders @ Chargers
From 1968 to 1977, the Chargers went 18 straight games without beating the Raiders. Finally, in their second meeting of the ’77 season, San Diego broke the streak. And in ’78, when the breaks started going their way, it seemed certain that the Chargers were about to win their second in a row over the Raiders.
But if one were to review the stats of the game, there would be no doubt that Oakland was on the losing end. Generally, if your quarterback throws for three interceptions, you’re going to lose. Typically, if your opponent’s time of possession doubles your time of possession, you’re going to lose. And more often than not, if you fumble on the last play of the game, you’re going to lose.
This was not the case with the Raiders.
The Raiders’ opening drive showed promise until Mark van Eeghen fumbled and Chargers defensive tackle Louie Kelcher recovered the ball on the San Diego 10-yard line.
Even though Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts managed to march his team down the field, the 28-yard field goal attempt was blocked by the Raiders, who then took over at their own 20.
The Raiders went three and out and the game seemed as though it would turn into a punting contest, as neither team was having success in moving the ball down the field.
When the Raiders got the ball back late in the first quarter, Stabler was picked off and the interception was returned to the Oakland 35-yard line. A few plays later, six-four tight end Pat Curran caught a deflected pass from Dan Fouts for a 14-yard score. The extra point was good, and San Diego led 7–0 early in the second quarter.
Stabler hit Casper for a 6-yard touchdown and Mann’s PAT was good. The Raiders tied the game at 7–7 with a little over twelve minutes to go in the first half.
The ball continued to change hands several times before Chargers running back Hank Bauer ran the ball up the middle from the one for a score. The extra point, however, was missed, which would prove to be a critical mistake. Score: San Diego 13, Raiders 7.
The third quarter proved uneventful for both parties. A holding penalty shattered the Chargers’ first possession of the second half and Stabler’s second interception of the game ended a Raiders drive.
Stabler was picked off once more in the third quarter but thanks to a strong defense, the Chargers were forced to punt.
In the fourth quarter, Hank Bauer rushed for two yards into the end zone to give San Diego a 20–7 lead with just over twelve minutes left in the game.
A few possessions later, Stabler hit wide receiver Morris Bradshaw for a 44-yard score, shortening the Chargers’ lead to 6 with a little over eight minutes left in the game.
The teams traded punts until Stabler started hitting his targets. Marching down the field, Bradshaw, Banaszak, Chester, and Biletnikoff all did their part. Finally, an incomplete pass from Stabler to Chester stopped the clock with 10 seconds left to play.
What happened next was best described by Raiders announcer Bill King. His call would become legendary.
Stabler back, here comes the rush, he sidesteps, can he throw? He can’t! The ball, flipped forward, is loose, a wild scramble, two seconds on the clock, Casper grabbing the ball, it is ruled a fumble, Casper has recovered in the end zone, the Oakland Raiders have scored on the most zany, unbelievable, absolutely impossible dream of a play!
After linebacker Woodrow Lowe hit Stabler and the ball flew forward, and Banaszak flipped it ahead, Casper fell on the ball in the end zone after bending over and kicking it while trying to pick it up. As the referees signaled “touchdown,” Casper stood up with the ball in his arm, practically devoid of emotion, stunned.
Madden is on the field, he wants to know if it’s real, they said “yes, get your big butt out of here,” he does.
There is nothing real in the world any more, this one will be relived . . . forever.
Despite a protest from the Chargers sideline, referee Jerry Markbreit ruled it a legal play.
But the game was not over. It was tied and the extra point still had to be kicked.
Mann’s kick was good, and the Raiders were victorious by a score of 21–20.
“We played lousy,” said Madden. “We should have never been in that position. I was mad at the team. I just thought we were terrible. We stunk out the joint that day.”
“We had beaten the Raiders up and down the field all day,” said Chargers linebacker Jim Laslavic.
“They get down to the final seconds and in typical Raiders fashion they’re still in it. There was a feeling on the sidelines to get these final ten seconds out of the way and begin celebrating. But it didn’t happen that way.”
Banaszak’s responsibility was to block the linebacker.
“On that particular play I do remember that my responsibility was to block the linebacker if he blitzed.”
“Linebacker Woody Lowe beat whoever was supposed to block him,” said Stabler. “He came pretty clean and he got to me just as I began to set up. And that’s when everything took place.”
“I was able to get my hand on Kenny,” said Lowe. “Kenny was backing away. I thought he tried to flip o
r throw the ball underhanded. I thought it was an incomplete pass. I thought I was the hero of the game to be honest, but it was just the opposite.”
“I remember looking back at Kenny and Woody Lowe had him around the arms,” said Banaszak. “Kenny couldn’t raise his arm up to throw the football and I hollered, ‘Snake! Snake!’ So he kind of flicked it. I couldn’t get to it but it was rolling end over end in front of me.”
“Pete goes to pick it up, but if he picks it up and gets tackled, the game is over,” said Madden. “So he can’t get tackled with the ball.”
Ted Hendricks watched the whole thing.
“Banaszak picked up the ball and started to get tackled, so he just launched the ball up in the air.”
“At the time, I thought it was a smart thing to do to just get my hands on the ball and push it forward and keep it alive,” said Banaszak. “If I would have jumped on it, the Chargers would have jumped on me and that would have been the game.”
“Now Dave Casper comes in the front,” said Madden. “The ball is now on the two-yard line. Dave knows if he recovers the ball on the two-yard line and is tackled the game is over!”
But Casper was just trying to pick up the ball.
“I’m on the two- or three-yard line and the ball comes, so I just ran out there and try and pick it up, and I flub that. Now I’m scrambling on the ground watching the ball underneath me and I see a white stripe go by and I actually just fell on top of it. I didn’t dive on it. Actually my greatest contribution was standing in the middle of the field.”
Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts can’t believe that the referees didn’t see what really happened.
“It still blows my mind how the referees could not see what it was or see exactly what happened. But Woody Lowe clearly got a sack on Stabler and he shoved the ball forward. It wasn’t a fumble; he threw the ball. If you ask Banaszak what he was doing, he was advancing the ball illegally. If you ask Casper, he had to push it across the line and fall on it for the touchdown.”
“I would assume, with Banaszak, Kenny, and Casper that they wouldn’t pass a lie detector test!” said Biletnikoff.
“I fumbled it on purpose,” Stabler admitted honestly after the game. “Yes, I was trying to fumble.”
In the locker room, San Diego’s Jim Laslavic had this to say about the Raiders.
“In typical Oakland Raiders fashion, if you can’t beat somebody the right way, you cheat!”
Note: During the off-season, the league added a provision to the rulebook about fumbles after the two-minute warning that allows only the player who fumbled the ball to advance it. As such, the rule change will forever prevent the Holy Roller from happening again.
And according to George Atkinson . . .
“That play was well within the rules.”
But Madden said it all.
“And it was one of those things that maybe you can’t do that. But the rules say that you can do that, so you can do that, and if you don’t want to do that, then go change the rule, and that’s what they did, they changed the rule. Now you can’t do that anymore.”
Markbreit’s decision to uphold the play was absolutely correct by the rules in place at the time. However, that would soon change.
OAKLAND RAIDERS HIGHLIGHTS
1975–1979
1975 SEASON (11–3–0)
On January 4, 1976, the Steelers and Raiders met once again for the American Football Conference Championship. This title game matched the two best teams in professional football, and would be the toughest playoff test under the worst possible conditions.
Two feared and respected football giants hunted and hit for sixty furious minutes. Two champions entered the frozen confines of Three Rivers Stadium. Two champions would leave the dark and frozen battlefield three long hours later. But only one was destined for the Super Bowl and World Championship.
Safety Jack Tatum and linebacker Monte Johnson made key plays, but the Raiders trailed in the fourth quarter. Defying the elements, the odds, and the tough Steelers defense, Oakland stormed goalward.
After Mike Siani scored, Pittsburgh came back and the icy carpet again spelled trouble. Trailing 16–7 with time almost gone, Coach John Madden electrified players and fans alike with innovative strategy. Needing ten to win, he had George Blanda quickly go for three. And with only seven seconds left, the Raiders continued their heroic efforts . . . but it was not to be. The final words on this fiercest football battle in years were indelibly etched on the scoreboard. Suddenly another memorable year of glory ended in a single day of defeat.
But despite pain and heartbreak, these 1975 Oakland Raiders had added much to the organization’s already unrivaled record of accomplishment with another year of triumph and tragedy.
Week 1 @ Miami
The new season opened on a Monday night in Miami, with a classic cross-country challenge—a renewal of the unforgettable 1974 playoffs.
But this was 1975—the Orange Bowl—with the mighty Raiders determined to again establish mastery by snapping Miami’s 31-game home win streak. With Mark van Eeghen and Pete Banaszak leading the charge, the silver and black crashed the end zone with 31 points.
Tony Cline added a sack to Bob Griese’s four interceptions. Then Harold Hart ran a punt back 102 yards to seal the 31–21 win.
Week 2 @ Baltimore
In Baltimore, the Raiders faced the playoff-bound Colts.
Art Thoms led the defensive line with six sacks. And behind explosive blocking by offensive captain Gene Upshaw, the Raiders scored on the ground.
Showcasing three proven wide receivers—Mike Siani, Fred Biletnikoff, and Cliff Branch—the Raiders’ precision passing overpowered Baltimore. A touchdown by tight end Dave Casper helped Oakland rack up 31 points. Meanwhile, the Colts’ hopes were shattered with great plays by rookie cornerback Neal Colzie, another product of great Raider drafting.
In the end, Baltimore was defeated. Final score: Raiders 31, Baltimore 20.
Week 3 @ San Diego
In San Diego, the Chargers were held to just five first downs by the likes of an aggressive Otis Sistrunk. Ray Guy, again the NFL’s leading punter, kept the Chargers down deep all afternoon. With quarterback Kenny Stabler hurt and Fred Biletnikoff sidelined, the offense relied on George Blanda’s field goals with a 6–0 victory.
Week 4 @ Kansas City
While the Raiders were flying high, they were brought down to earth with the Chiefs racking up 42 points against them. And with only one touchdown by Cliff Branch, the silver and black suffered their first loss of 1975. Final score: Kansas City 42, Oakland 10.
Week 5 @ Cincinnati
In rainy Cincinnati, the weary Raiders were on the road for the seventh consecutive weekend (including the preseason). Defense owned the day, and Raiders left linebacker Phil Villapiano owned one of four Raider interceptions, but the Bengals brought one of their own back all the way to squeak out a 14–10 victory.
Week 6 vs. San Diego
Finally the Raiders were back home. With San Diego in town, the Oakland defense raced out bound for glory. This would be the very first time that the Raiders registered two shutouts in one season.
It began when Mike Dennery and Ted Hendricks sacked the Chargers punter for a safety. Hendricks, Sistrunk, and Horace Jones also added a two-pointer, which would be the final points of the game. The spirited Raiders were on their way.
They even relied on dazzling deception, as Ray Guy found Louis Carter on a punt formation pass. Finally, behind blocking by John Vella, Upshaw, Shell, Buehler, and Dalby, Ken Stabler triggered the feared Raider bomb to Cliff Branch as the Raiders celebrated their homecoming, 25–0.
Week 7 @ Denver
In Denver, loyal Raiders boosters saw their conference-leading defense cut down the Broncos. With center Dave Dalby offering protection, Stabler hit Fred Biletnikoff for six of Oakland’s amazing 35 second-half points. Neal Colzie returned three punts for 127 yards en route to an all-time NFL record 655 yards in that category.
> Raider depth again overcame a wave of injuries when Marv Hubbard polished off a towering 42–17 conquest.
Week 8 vs. New Orleans
When the Saints came marching in, they ran into a poised Raiders offense primed for points. With Clarence Davis powering for tough yards, the silver and black poured over, around, and through the shocked Saints.
While the offense swiftly moved down field, the defense dealt out mayhem. Relentless pressure on Saints quarterback Archie Manning forced this breakdown.
Versatile special teams captain Warren Bankston scored his first Raider touchdown as one of nine different receivers who contributed to a spectacular 523 yards of total offense.
The afternoon’s two big strikes went to deep threat Morris Bradshaw, as a sellout home crowd cheered a club record 34 first downs and a devastating 48–10 Raiders triumph.
Week 9 vs. Cleveland
When the Cleveland Browns visited the majestic Oakland Coliseum, they found Clarence Davis on the run. He ran for 64 yards on the opening kickoff and added 120 yards rushing to help set up scores like this one broadcasted by Bill King:
“Branch slots left. Stabler back, looking, looking, going to Branch wide open. Touchdown Raiders! Branch committed highway robbery without a gun.”
When Stabler wasn’t hitting passes, Horace Jones was hitting runners. In the air, the Browns met disaster against defensive captain Willie Brown as the Raiders thundered to victory. With the score tied at 17 in the third quarter, Stabler hit Biletnikoff for the score, and then handed off to Davis for two more touchdowns. Final score: Oakland 38, Cleveland 17.
Week 10 @ Washington
Next on the schedule for the Raiders were the Washington Redskins. The huge national audience knew about the pride and poise, drama and excitement that are Oakland traditions. And they saw Oakland roar back like a mighty train with three rushing scores from Pete Banaszak.
With little time left, Oakland led 23–16. However, a last-ditch Washington effort tied the score at 23 and put the Raiders into the first overtime game in their remarkable 16-year history.