NFL team season
The Raiders playing the Broncos in the 1977-78 AFC Championship Game . The 1977 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 18th season overall, and 8th season since joining the NFL . The Raiders entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champions . The team could not improve on their 13-1 record from last year and finished 11-3, which was only good enough for second place in the AFC West next to the Denver Broncos , who won twelve games (the two split victories over each other in the regular season).
The Raiders reached the AFC Championship Game for the fifth consecutive season, and their sixth in eight years. They lost the AFC Championship, however, to the division rival Denver Broncos .[ 1] This marked the seventh time in ten seasons that the Raiders' season ended one game short of the Super Bowl . They did not return to the AFC Championship for the next two seasons.
The 1977 Raiders set a professional football record with 681 rushing attempts.[ 2] Fullback Mark van Eeghen 324 times for 1273 yards, and running back Clarence Davis ran 194 times for 787 yards.[ 3]
1977 Oakland Raiders roster Quarterbacks Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen Defensive linemen
Linebackers Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists Practice squad
Rookies in italics
Source: Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 18 San Diego Chargers W 24–0 1–0 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 51,022 2 September 25 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 16–7 2–0 Three Rivers Stadium 50,398 3 at Kansas City Chiefs W 37–28 3–0 Arrowhead Stadium 60,684 4 October 9 at Cleveland Browns W 26–10 4–0 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 80,236 5 October 16 Denver Broncos L 7–30 4–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,616 6 October 23 at New York Jets W 28–27 5–1 Shea Stadium 56,734 7 October 30 at Denver Broncos W 24–14 6–1 Mile High Stadium 75,007 8 November 6 Seattle Seahawks W 44–7 7–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 50,929 9 November 13 Houston Oilers W 34–29 8–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,667 10 November 20 at San Diego Chargers L 7–12 8–2 San Diego Stadium 50,887 11 Buffalo Bills W 34–13 9–2 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 51,558 12 December 4 at Los Angeles Rams L 14–20 9–3 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 67,075 13 December 11 Minnesota Vikings W 35–13 10–3 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 52,771 14 December 18 Kansas City Chiefs W 21–20 11–3 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 50,304 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Chargers Raiders 1 Raiders Cliff Branch 7-yard touchdown reception from Ken Stabler, Errol Mann kick good 0 7 2 Raiders 20-yard field goal by Errol Mann 0 10 2 Raiders Dave Casper 1-yard touchdown reception from Ken Stabler, Errol Mann kick good 0 17 3 Raiders Pete Banaszak 2-yard touchdown run, Errol Mann kick good 0 24 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 0 24
1 2 3 4 Total • Raiders 0 9 0 7 16 Steelers 0 0 0 7 7
[ 4]
1 2 3 4 Total • Raiders 7 6 21 3 37 Chiefs 0 21 0 7 28
Scoring summary 1 OAK Fred Biletnikoff 21 yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann ) kickRaiders 7–0 2 OAK Errol Mann 42 yard field goal Raiders 10–0 2 KC Walter White 48 yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick)Raiders 10–7 2 KC Walter White 1 yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick) Chiefs 14–10 2 KC Henry Marshall 41 yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick)Chiefs 21–10 2 OAK Errol Mann 34 yard field goal Chiefs 21–13 3 OAK Pete Banaszak 1 yard run (Errol Mann kick)Chiefs 21–20 3 OAK Clarence Davis 37 yard run (Errol Mann kick)Raiders 27–21 3 OAK Clarence Davis 2 yard run (Errol Mann kick) Raiders 34–21 4 KC Lawrence Williams 13 yard run (Jan Stenerud kick)Raiders 34–28 4 OAK Errol Mann 22 yard field goal Raiders 37–28
[ 5]
1 2 3 4 Total • Raiders 14 0 0 14 28 Jets 13 14 0 0 27
[ 6]
1 2 3 4 Total Bills 3 7 3 0 13 • Raiders 13 7 14 0 34
Scoring summary 1 OAK Cliff Branch 28 yard pass from Ken Stabler (kick failed)Raiders 6–0 1 BUF Carson Long 33 yard field goal Raiders 6–3 1 OAK Fred Biletnikoff 44 yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick)Raiders 13–3 2 BUF John Kimbrough 29 yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Carson Long kick)Raiders 13–10 2 OAK Pete Banaszak 1 yard run (Errol Mann kick)Raiders 20–10 3 BUF Carson Long 40 yard field goal Raiders 20–13 3 OAK Cliff Branch 12 yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick) Raiders 27–13 3 OAK Pete Banaszak 1 yard run (Errol Mann kick) Raiders 34–13
[ 7]
Oakland capitalizing on Minnesota mistakes, scored three times in the first 8 minutes and kept their hopes for a playoff berth alive. "We Got Stomped", Vikings coach Bud Grant said after his team had lost a total of five fumbles and had three passes intercepted. Ken Stabler threw three touchdown passes one to Carl Garrett for 2 yards, and two others to Cliff Branch from 32 and 10 yards. Mark Van Eeghan who rushed for 112 yards on 28 yards got the Raiders day going with a 2-yard touchdown run. While Willie Hall of Super Bowl XI fame scored a fumble recovery touchdown off a Tommy Kramer blunder.
Oakland made the playoffs as a wild card and won its divisional round game against the Baltimore Colts when Errol Mann tied the game with a late field goal , set up by a pass to tight end Dave Casper , a play known as the Ghost to the Post . In the second overtime, Casper caught another touchdown pass for the victory.[ 8] [ 9] [ 10] The following week on New Year's Day , they lost the AFC Championship Game 20–17 in Denver.[ 1] [ 11] [ 12] [ 13]
Round Date Opponent Result Attendance Divisional December 24 at Baltimore Colts W 37–312OT 60,763
AFC Championship January 1 at Denver Broncos L 17–20 74,982
Player Comp Att Yards TD INT Ken Stabler 169 294 2176 20 20
[ 14]
Player Att Yards TD Ken Stabler 3 −3 –
[ 14]
Player Rec Yards TD Dave Casper 48 584 6 Cliff Branch 33 540 6 Fred Biletnikoff 33 446 5
[ 14]
^ a b Jenkins, Dan (January 9, 1978). "Wholly Moses for Denver" . Sports Illustrated . p. 14. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1978 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by descending Rushing Att ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1977 Oakland Raiders ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Mar-10. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com ^ Reid, Ron (January 2, 1978). "The Ghost to the Post" . Sports Illustrated . p. 12. ^ Livingston, Pat (December 25, 1977). "Oakland stops Baltimore, 37-31" . Pittsburgh Press . p. D1. ^ "Suddenly, the Raiders win a 37-31 decision" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). wire service reports. December 25, 1977. p. 3C. ^ "Broncos turn a dream into Super reality" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). wire service reports. January 2, 1978. p. 1B. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com ^ Howitt, Bruce (January 2, 1978). "Denver and Dallas in Super shoot-out" . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho). Associated Press. p. 1B. ^ a b c Pro-Football-Reference.com
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