Top Ten Best Years for the Oakland Raiders
The United States celebrated its bicentennial in 1976, marking 200 years since the Declaration of Independence. The Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Canada, featuring memorable moments like Nadia Comăneci's perfect gymnastics score. The Viking 1 spacecraft successfully landed on Mars, providing... read more Here's your answer, EpicJake. The Raiders weren't good. They were SUPER! Their 13-1 regular season record was the best in the NFL. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on opening day 31-28 in overtime after trailing 28-14 in a game now called in Raider lore the Comeback Classic of 1976.
The Raiders' Ken Stabler was named the Bert Bell Award winner for NFL MVP. The postseason saw the Raiders beat the Patriots and the Raiders to avenge their earlier defeats against those teams.
The Raiders then beat the Minnesota Vikings to finally become World Champions!
Its Joeysworld
1983 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1983rd year of the Common Era and Anno Domini designations. When the Raiders began their second season in Los Angeles, there were high expectations to pick up where they left off in '82 when they were eliminated early in the playoffs. They ended up winning 12 games and easily capturing the AFC West Championship.
In the postseason, they were red hot. First, they eliminated the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks to an excellent defense and Marcus Allen. Then the clock struck midnight as the Seattle Seahawks fell into the black hole known as the Raiders, with even Frank Hawkins helping out in the win.
Then it was Black Sunday as Marcus Allen capped a fantastic postseason for him, and the Silver and Black beat the Washington Redskins to become Super Bowl XVIII Champions.
Its Joeysworld
Jim Plunkett was once a promising quarterback when he was a Patriot. However, after 1971, his career was riddled with bad teams, poor protection, bad coaching decisions, and many brutal hits. By 1980, he was a member of the Oakland Raiders, but he was just a backup quarterback with very little chance to recapture his 1971 rookie year form.
Then fate intervened. Dan Pastorini got injured in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Plunkett took over as quarterback, and the Raiders began to win repeatedly. For Plunkett, it was an unexpected magical ride that led his team to the playoffs.
Then came something no NFL team had done: a wild card team winning pro football's biggest event, the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XV, the Raiders beat the Eagles, and Plunkett became the Super Bowl MVP. It was truly a magical year in Raiders history.
Its Joeysworld
In 1982, the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina highlighted geopolitical tensions. The debut of the Commodore 64 computer marked a significant milestone in home computing. The Michael Jackson album "Thriller" achieved unprecedented success, becoming one of the best-selling albums... read more
The year 2000 (MM) was a century leap year that started on a Saturday according to the Gregorian calendar. It marked the 2000th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations. It was the last year of the 2nd millennium and the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 2000s decade. The beginning of the 21st century saw the Raiders, professional football's winningest team since 1963, return to the playoffs. The offense was led by quarterback Rich Gannon, who passed for 3,430 yards and was one of four Raiders that year who played in the Pro Bowl. The others were Lincoln Kennedy, Steve Wisniewski, and Charles Woodson.
Tyrone Wheatley rushed for 1,046 yards, and Shane Lechler was an All-Pro punter in his rookie season. The Raiders then shut out the Miami Dolphins 27-0 in the playoffs, adding another win for the fabled silver and black.
Its Joeysworld
2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2001st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 1st year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 2nd year of the 2000s decade.
2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2002nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 2nd year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 3rd year of the 2000s decade.
2010 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2010th year based on Anno Domini/Common Era designations. It is the 10th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 1st year of the 2010s decade.
In 1990, the reunification of East and West Germany marked a historic moment in the aftermath of the Cold War. Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, introduced the concept of the World Wide Web, revolutionizing the way people access and share information. Nelson Mandela's release from prison... read more
2011 (MMXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2011th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations.
It was sad to see that despite making the AFC Championship for the third straight year, they fell to the underdog Pittsburgh Steelers and missed a chance to go to the Super Bowl. But rewind back to a great regular season when once again the Raiders were the top dogs in the AFC West for the fourth straight year.
Their passing defense was incredible, with a 37.2 passer rating against opposing quarterbacks. The Raiders' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Playoffs was great, with Ken Stabler passing for three touchdowns.
1975 was also the final year for Raider legend George Blanda, and he contributed greatly to the silver and black that year.
Its Joeysworld
1968 saw the continued success of the Oakland Raiders. Their 12 wins included one game forever etched in Raiders lore. The November 17 game against the New York Jets would later be best described by NFL Films' John Facenda: "While Charlie Smith gained 20 yards, the network televising the game made a classic blunder that seeded a new expression into the American language. NBC turned off the uncompleted game in favor of a kiddie special called Heidi."
It caused mayhem all across America (except those on the West Coast). While Heidi invaded TV screens, no one saw the Raiders come back from a 32-29 deficit to an amazing 43-32 victory, and thus, The Heidi Game was born.
Afterwards, the Raiders beat the Chiefs in a tiebreaking game to become the toast of the AFL West again.
The End
Its Joeysworld
When it all began. It started when F. Wayne Valley hired Al Davis, a former assistant coach of the San Diego Chargers, as head coach and general manager. At 33, he was the youngest in pro football.
Davis immediately changed the team colors to silver and black and began to implement what he termed "The Vertical Game," an aggressive offensive strategy based on the West Coast Offense developed by legendary Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman.
Davis' Raiders shocked the pro football world by finishing 10-4, and Davis was named the AFL Coach of the Year. It was the start of a 40-year run as pro football's winningest team.
Its Joeysworld
1970 saw the first celebration of Earth Day, raising awareness about environmental conservation and sustainability. The Beatles officially disbanded, marking the end of an era in music history. The Apollo 13 mission faced a crisis but ultimately returned safely to Earth, demonstrating NASA's expertise... read more 1970 can be best described in two words: George Blanda. In one five-week stretch, with 43-year-old Blanda, the Raiders went 4-0-1, making a significant difference in the wild AFC West race with the defending World Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Raiders' amazing stretch drive to their AFC West Title was highlighted by a spectacular 53-yard field goal by Blanda against the Cleveland Browns and a 17-17 tie with the Chiefs, courtesy of Blanda's amazing 48-yard tying field goal. The Raiders then beat the Jets at Shea Stadium with a 14-13 win, reminiscent of the infamous 1968 Heidi Game.
George Blanda would later win the Bert Bell Award, and the Raiders went on to the AFC Championship Game for the fourth year in a row.
Its Joeysworld
1967 was Al Davis' fifth year as a member of the Raiders franchise. It turned out to be the Raiders' best year yet, going 13-1 and running away as the AFL West Champs. The Raiders welcomed Daryle Lamonica as quarterback, who greatly energized the Raiders' vertical passing game.
Three future Hall of Famers joined the team: Willie Brown, Art Shell, and Gene Upshaw. Two victories stand out this season. In Week 13, the Raiders avenged their only regular season loss by beating the New York Jets at home.
In the AFL Championship Game, the famed silver and black dominated the game, beating the Houston Oilers 40-7 and advancing to Super Bowl II. It was the beginning of a 19-year run of Raiders' titles and world championships.
Its Joeysworld
1977 was a year of cultural significance with the release of the groundbreaking film "Star Wars," which sparked a global phenomenon and reshaped the science fiction genre. New York City's iconic Studio 54 nightclub became synonymous with disco culture and celebrity glamour. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were... read more
2021 (MMXXI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 21st year of the third millennium, the 21st year of the 21st century, and the 2nd year of the 2020s. 2021 was scheduled to host many major events that were originally scheduled for 2020... read more
2015 (MMXV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2015th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 15th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 6th year of the 2010s decade.
In 1969, humanity achieved a monumental milestone as NASA's Apollo 11 mission successfully landed the first humans, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, on the Moon. The Woodstock Festival, a symbol of the counterculture movement, brought together hundreds of thousands of people for a celebration... read more 1969 saw the dawn of a new era in Raiders football as John Madden became the new head coach of the team. He preached three important rules: 1) Arrive on time 2) Listen to what he says 3) Play like hell.
The Raiders listened, resulting in an easy AFL Western Division Title with a 12-2-1 record. Quarterback Daryle Lamonica was named the co-AFL Most Valuable Player. Even NFL Films began to notice the winning tradition that the Raiders were building.
In the first AFL Divisional Playoffs, the Raiders blew away the Houston Oilers 56-7 and made it to the Conference Championship game for the third year in a row.
Its Joeysworld
The year 1973 was marked by significant global and cultural events. In the United States, the Watergate scandal reached a critical point, leading to investigations that would eventually culminate in President Richard Nixon's resignation the following year. The Vietnam War officially ended for the U.S... read more