1976 Oakland Raiders
Oakland’s Long-Awaited First Super Bowl Championship
Finishing 16-1, the 1976 Oakland Raiders are often called the best Raider team in history.
Before the days of salary caps and mainstream free agency, the Oakland Raiders were the NFL’s most feared franchise.
On Sunday mornings in the 70’s and early 80’s, thousands of fans of that week’s Raider opponent would quiver thinking about Oakland’s black uniforms and swashbuckling pirate image. These people would pray in church, thinking “please don’t let the Raiders hurt our guys today.”
More often than not, such wishes weren’t granted in those years. But, given the way the brute Raider secondary would hammer opposing offenses, these fears were widely validated.
“Other teams’ wide receivers would be afraid to catch the ball,” recalls lifelong Raider fan Randy Fontes. “Dr. Death (safety George Atkinson) and The Assassin (safety Jack Tatum) would destroy people.”
The Road To The Super Bowl
The 1976 edition of this destructive force began with an emotionally intense meeting against the Raiders’ most despised postseason adversary of the times, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh had faced Oakland in the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons and won three of the meetings, including the last two AFC Championships.
In that home opener, Oakland trailed 28-14 with just over five minutes to play, yet orchestrated what many to this day refer to as their comeback classic of 1976. They won 31-28 on a 21-yard Fred Steinfort field goal with 18 seconds left.
What followed was a mammoth 5-game road trip, featuring wins over each of the Raiders' three divisional foes. It also included Oakland's lone loss on the year, a 48-17 shocker in New England. However, this would just be a preview of things to come between the Raiders and Patriots.
Oakland became virtually unbeatable after the defeat. Upon returning home, the Raiders cruised to big victories, like a 49-16 stomping of the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They closed out the season with a 24-0 shutout of the San Diego Chargers in Oakland.
The Raiders entered the 1976 postseason having won nine AFC (AFL) Western Divisional crowns in the previous ten years. In '76's divisional round, Oakland landed a rematch with New England, this time in the Bay Area. Trailing 21-17 late in the fourth quarter, Raider quarterback Ken Stabler was hit by Patriot nose tackle Ray Hamilton. Referee Ben Dreith assessed a roughing the passer call, which the Patriots vehemently argued. Nevertheless, Stabler, five plays later, trotted one yard into the end zone for the winning score. Final: Raiders 24, Pats 21.
One week later came another game against Pittsburgh. The Steelers flew back to Oakland for a fifth straight postseason meeting with the Pride And Poise. A brutal Raider defensive, offensive, and special teams formula secured them the AFC Championship, with a 24-7 win.
Super Bowl XI
Ahead of time, fans knew that someone was going to get a long-awaited first win in the big dance. The Raiders were close at times in their 33-14 Super Bowl II loss to Green Bay, but the Minnesota Vikings (NFC Champions) never were in their three previous trips to the Super Bowl.
In the opening minutes of the game, Raider punter Ray Guy suffered his first blocked punt in a four year professional career. Despite taking over at Oakland's 2-yard line, Minnesota's Brent McClahahan fumbled a ball that was recovered by Raider Willie Hall. That play got things rolling for the Raiders.
They scored first, 3-0. Quarterback Ken Stabler completed sensational passes to both tight end Dave Casper, and wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, who was chosen the game's Most Valuable Player. Casper scored the Raiders' first touchdown. Soon after, a Pete Banaszak 1-yard TD run put the Silver and Black ahead 16-0 at the half.
The Vikings' first touchdown, a rainbow pass from quarterback Fran Tarkenton to receiver Sammy White cut Oakland's lead to 19-7 in the third period. Later though, as White was catching a lengthy pass at midfield, he was drilled by Raider safety Jack Tatum. The hit sent White's chinstrap flying one way, helmet the other, and he then left the game.
The Raiders made it a drubbing in the fourth quarter. Banaszack scored again, and Oakland cornerback Willie Brown intercepted a Tarkenton pass that he took three-fourths the length of the field to score. The final tally in Super Bowl XI: Oakland Raiders 32, Minnesota Vikings 14.
NFL Films President Steve Sabol to this day remembers Raiders' owner Al Davis' requests for the team's posh super bowl rings.
"We wanted a ring so elegant," Sabol recalls of Davis in the NFL Films presentation of the game, "that if one of our people were appointed ambassador to the court of St. James, he would not have to remove it when he was introduced to the queen."
The Raiders got those white gold, diamond-embossed rings, as well as their first Super Bowl title.
