1967: Raiders Outlast Chiefs in AFL Western Division Showdown

The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, two rivals in the Western Division of the American Football League, met in Oakland on October 1, 1967 in a key early-season matchup of teams that had both started off at 2-0.

The Raiders were coming off of an 8-5-1 record in 1966 and had taken steps in the offseason to try and move up. Acquired was QB Daryle Lamonica (pictured at right), a strong-armed backup in Buffalo who had shown great promise in limited action, plus star CB Willie Brown from Denver. 39-year-old QB/PK George Blanda had also been added, having been discarded by the Oilers, providing a veteran backup quarterback and dependable placekicker, and there was an outstanding rookie in guard Gene Upshaw. Added to the talent already on hand, Oakland, under the guidance of managing partner Al Davis and Head Coach John Rauch, had come out of the gate in impressive fashion by defeating the Broncos and Patriots by a combined score of 86-7.

Kansas City, coached by Hank Stram, was the team that Oakland was seeking to displace. The Chiefs were the defending AFL Champions, losing to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in the first Super Bowl. They had an excellent and experienced quarterback in Len Dawson, a dangerous receiver in flanker Otis Taylor, a productive running game led by HB Mike Garrett, and a good defense.   

There were 50,268 fans in attendance at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. It was raining as the game started, although it eventually cleared. The first quarter was scoreless, but a clip on a punt return had the Chiefs starting inside their ten yard line late in the period and a pass by Len Dawson that was deflected was intercepted by SS Rodger Bird to give Oakland possession at the Kansas City 16. On the first play of the second quarter, Daryle Lamonica tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to HB Clem Daniels. George Blanda added the extra point and the Raiders were ahead by 7-0.

The Chiefs had to punt following their next series and the Raiders, starting from their 37, drove to another score. Lamonica completed passes to split end Bill Miller for 12 yards, FB Hewritt Dixon for five, and TE Billy Cannon for 12 yards to the KC 23, but the next three tosses were incomplete and Blanda kicked a 31-yard field goal.

Oakland got the ball right back when flanker Noland Smith fumbled at the end of a 35-yard kickoff return and the Raiders recovered at the Kansas City 34. A swing pass to Dixon picked up 17 yards but the home team came up empty when the drive stalled at the nine and Blanda’s 16-yard field goal attempt hit the goal post.

Given a reprieve from falling deeper into a hole, the Chiefs advanced 80 yards in six plays. Mike Garrett (pictured at left) ran three straight times for 12 yards and Dawson then threw long to Otis Taylor for a pickup of 46 yards to the Oakland 22. Following another short run by Garrett, Dawson passed to HB Gene Thomas for a 20-yard TD. Rookie Jan Stenerud converted to narrow Oakland’s lead to 10-7, and that remained the score at halftime.

The Chiefs had the first possession in the third quarter, again starting deep in their own territory, and Dawson was hit by DE Ike Lassiter as he was throwing and LB Gus Otto intercepted to give the Raiders the ball at the Kansas City 23. That led to a Blanda field goal from 33 yards and a 13-7 advantage for the home team.

Kansas City had to punt following a short series, once again from deep in Chiefs territory, and the resulting return by Bird for 11 yards plus a 15-yard face mask penalty put Oakland on the KC 35. The Raiders again couldn’t move on offense and this time Blanda was wide on a 42-yard field goal try.

The teams exchanged punts once again, with the Raiders gaining the advantage in the battle for field position. Early in the fourth quarter Blanda was successful on a 42-yard field goal and Oakland opened up a 16-7 lead.

Noland Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the KC 46 and the Chiefs came alive on offense. Garrett again ran effectively and finished the series off with an option pass to Taylor that resulted in a 17-yard touchdown. Stenerud’s extra point narrowed the margin to two points at 16-14.

The Raiders responded with an 80-yard drive in ten plays. Lamonica threw to split end Warren Wells for 11 yards and HB Clem Daniels had a 12-yard run, but a penalty and sack backed them up and they were facing a third-and-44 situation. The Chiefs were flagged for a personal foul that gave the home team a first down and two plays later Lamonica connected with Cannon for a 29-yard TD. Blanda added the point after and it was a 23-14 score with a little over eight minutes to play.

The Chiefs were far from finished and the diminutive Smith came through with another long kickoff return, this time going 54 yards to the Oakland 48. A short pass was followed by Garrett losing ground on a pitchout, but facing third-and-14, Dawson (pictured at right) completed a pass to split end Chris Burford for a 45-yard gain and Garrett ran for a six-yard touchdown on the next play. Stenerud converted to once again make it a two-point contest.

The Raiders punted on their next series and Kansas City regained possession with the clock down to 2:08. Dawson threw to a wide-open Taylor on first down who dropped the ball, and after another incompletion and a sack, the Chiefs had to punt. They had one last shot in the final 33 seconds of the game, but time ran out for them on their own end of the field and Oakland held on for a 23-21 win.

The Raiders had the edge in total yards (306 to 243) and first downs (16 to 12). The Chiefs recorded five sacks, to three for Oakland, but also turned the ball over three times while the Raiders suffered two turnovers.

Daryle Lamonica completed 23 of 38 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Clem Daniels rushed for 72 yards on 16 carries and also caught three passes for another 23 yards and a TD. Hewritt Dixon gained 28 yards on 13 rushing attempts but led the Raiders with 8 catches for 60 yards.

For the Chiefs, Len Dawson was successful on 12 of 25 throws for 160 yards and a TD with one picked off. Mike Garrett gained 50 yards on 19 rushes that included a touchdown and also tossed a scoring pass. Otis Taylor had 5 catches for 79 yards and a TD.

“It was a tremendous win for us,” said Coach Rauch of the Raiders. “It gives us the opportunity to get up on top. I’m glad we did it before the Eastern trip which has always been tough.”

The win put the Raiders in a tie for first in the Western Division with San Diego, and while they lost the first game of the Eastern trip to the Jets, they didn’t lose again on the way to a 13-1 record. Oakland easily defeated Houston for the AFL Championship but came up short in the Super Bowl against the Packers. Kansas City lost the rematch between the teams and finished second in the division at 9-5.

Daryle Lamonica had a MVP year for the Raiders as he topped the AFL in touchdown passes with 30 while throwing for 3228 yards. George Blanda led the league in scoring with 116 points and 57 extra points while placing second (behind Kansas City’s Jan Stenerud) with 20 field goals. Just as he did against the Chiefs, Hewritt Dixon (pictured above) led the Raiders in pass receiving with 59. The converted tight end gained 563 yards as a receiver and 559 on the ground for a total of 1122 yards from scrimmage, which ranked seventh in the circuit.

1970: Colts Defeat Bills to Win AFC East Title

The Baltimore Colts were looking to wrap up a division title as they took on the Buffalo Bills on December 13, 1970. In the newly-realigned league due to the merger between the AFL and NFL, the Colts found themselves in the American Football Conference, consisting primarily of ex-AFL franchises, and were ahead in the AFC East with a 9-2-1 record. Under first-year Head Coach Don McCafferty, the Colts had hardly been dominating in compiling their record. The running game was mediocre and 37-year-old QB Johnny Unitas was past his prime, although still effective with outstanding wide receivers in Roy Jefferson and Eddie Hinton. The defense was strong, however, especially with linebackers Mike Curtis and Ted Hendricks, and at safety with Jerry Logan and Rick Volk.

The Bills, coached by John Rauch, were struggling at 3-8-1 but had tied the Colts in their previous meeting. HB O.J. Simpson, the team’s rising star, went out for the year with a knee injury four weeks earlier, but rookie QB Dennis Shaw was playing well after having taken over the starting job in Week 3 and WR Marlin Briscoe was leading the conference in pass receiving. The defense was effective against the pass, but overall the team was chronically prone to penalties and turnovers.

There were 34,346 fans in attendance at Buffalo’s War Memorial Stadium and the field was slippery and covered with snow. The Colts scored first, at 5:46 into the first quarter, when Jim O’Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal. Buffalo got a boost when HB Roland Moss returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to the Baltimore 40. Dennis Shaw completed four passes, HB Lloyd Pate scored a one-yard touchdown, and Grant Guthrie added the extra point to give the Bills a 7-3 lead.

Baltimore came back with a 14-play series that was helped along by a 30-yard pass interference penalty on the defense after running eight straight times. FB Tom Nowatzke gained the last yard for a TD with seconds remaining in the opening period and O’Brien converted.

In the second quarter, Buffalo put together a seven-play, 78-yard possession that led to Shaw throwing to WR Marlin Briscoe for a 10-yard touchdown. Guthrie’s successful point after provided the home team with a 14-10 lead at halftime.

A key sequence in the third quarter allowed the visitors to regain the lead. The Bills were at their 23, but a holding penalty backed them up to the 11, from where they had to punt.  Another penalty, this time for interfering with the fair catch, gave the Colts excellent field position at the Buffalo 33. From there, Johnny Unitas threw to Roy Jefferson for a 30-yard gain. FB Norm Bulaich powered over from three yards out for a touchdown and a fight also broke out, leading to CB Robert James of the Bills being ejected. O’Brien added the PAT to make it a three-point lead for Baltimore.

Buffalo was unable to put any more points on the board in the second half as the Colts stepped up on defense. In two instances, CB Charlie Stukes (pictured below) intercepted passes by Shaw to stop drives. The Colts scored once more when O’Brien kicked a 38-yard field goal and held on to win the sloppy game by a final score of 20-14.

The Bills had the edge in total yards (333 to 275) and first downs (18 to 15), with Baltimore managing just 49 rushing yards on 29 attempts. However, Buffalo turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Colts, and were hurt by seven penalties, totaling 103 yards, as against just one flag thrown on Baltimore. The teams combined for 15 punts (8 by the Bills, 7 for the Colts).

Johnny Unitas completed 13 of 31 passes for 236 yards and no touchdowns, but also had none intercepted. WR Roy Jefferson had 5 catches for 125 yards and WR Jimmy Orr added 70 yards on his three receptions. Tom Nowatzke led what there was of a rushing attack with 20 yards on 9 carries that included a TD. Norm Bulaich was held to 18 yards on 15 attempts that also included a score.

For the Bills, Dennis Shaw (pictured at left) was successful on 23 of 43 throws for 252 yards and a TD, although he gave up two interceptions. Marlin Briscoe caught 7 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and WR Haven Moses gained 100 yards on his 6 receptions. Lloyd Pate rushed for 49 yards on 15 carries that included a TD and also had 6 catches for 29 yards.

Despite clinching the division title, there was much dissatisfaction with Baltimore’s performance, especially from Coach McCafferty, who didn’t give out any game balls. Starting WR Eddie Hinton was benched in the first quarter after blowing an assignment and DB Ron Gardin saw no further action after he fumbled a punt that the Bills recovered.

“The field was sloppy,” explained Johnny Unitas. “The cold didn’t bother us, it was the field. Nobody could cut. All had to be careful and round their turns.”

The mood may not have been particularly celebratory, but the Colts clinched first place in the AFC East and finished with an 11-2-1 record. Baltimore went on to win the first AFC Championship and defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Buffalo made it five straight losses to close out the season at 3-10-1 for fourth place in the division.

Johnny Unitas, in what proved to be his last effective season (he played for three more), threw for 2213 yards and 14 touchdowns, although with 18 interceptions. Roy Jefferson, in what was his only season in Baltimore (he was dealt to Washington the following year), caught 44 passes for a team-leading 749 yards (17.0 avg.) and seven touchdowns.

Dennis Shaw received Rookie of the Year plaudits as he placed second in the AFC in pass completions (178), yards (2507), and yards per attempt (7.8), although also in interceptions (20). Marlin Briscoe topped the AFC with 57 catches for 1036 yards.

1968: Alworth Stars as Chargers Defeat Error-Prone Raiders

The Oakland Raiders were riding a 14-game regular season winning streak, one short of the American Football League record, as they hosted the San Diego Chargers on October 13, 1968. Head Coach John Rauch’s team had won the AFL Championship in ’67 (and lost the second Super Bowl to Green Bay) and was 4-0 thus far in 1968. The offense was guided by “The Mad Bomber”, QB Daryle Lamonica, and deep-threat split end Warren Wells had moved into the starting lineup to pair with steady flanker Fred Biletnikoff. The defense was missing some injured veterans, most notably DT Tom Keating, but had picked up talented rookies in LB Chip Oliver and George Atkinson, a prospective cornerback who could return kicks well.

The Chargers, coached for the ninth year by Sid Gillman, were also off to a good start at 3-1, having lost to the Jets the previous week. They had a potent offense guided by QB John Hadl that moved well both in the air – especially when throwing to star flanker Lance Alworth (pictured above) – and on the ground behind an excellent line. The defense was young and less impressive, but had performed well thus far.

There were 53,257 fans in attendance at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with a light rain falling. The Chargers got the first break when FB Hewritt Dixon fumbled after catching a pass from Daryle Lamonica and DT Scott Appleton recovered at the Oakland 35. John Hadl completed a pass to TE Jacque MacKinnon for 15 yards but, after reaching the 17 yard line, two passes were incomplete including a throw into the end zone that was broken up by FS Dave Grayson and San Diego came away with a 24-yard Dennis Partee field goal.

On the ensuing kickoff, George Atkinson fumbled on the return and the Chargers again recovered, this time taking possession at the Oakland 34. After picking up ten yards, Hadl was intercepted by SS Rodger Bird, but San Diego got the ball back four plays later – and after Lamonica had connected with WR Bill Miller for 36 yards – when FS Joe Beauchamp picked off a pass at his three yard line and returned it 22 yards.

The Chargers went three-and-out on the ensuing series but once again Atkinson fumbled the ball away, this time on the punt return, and San Diego had new life at the Oakland 31. Hadl immediately threw down the center of the field to Lance Alworth for 20 yards and FB Gene Foster followed up with a nine-yard run to the two yard line. Three plays later, Foster dove into the end zone from a yard out and, with Partee’s successful conversion, the visitors were ahead by 10-0.

The Raiders moved the ball effectively on their next series – and more importantly, didn’t turn it over. But the drive stalled at the San Diego 46 and they were forced to punt. As the game moved into the second quarter, the Chargers had to punt the ball back and Atkinson (pictured at left), who had twice fumbled the ball away, gathered in Partee’s 60-yard kick and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown to gain some level of redemption. George Blanda added the PAT and, in sudden fashion, the Raiders were again only three points down.

The teams traded punts until the Chargers, getting the ball in good field position, scored in two plays as Hadl connected with Alworth for a 38-yard touchdown. Partee’s extra point made it a ten-point contest once more.

With just over two minutes remaining in the half, the Raiders came back with a big play of their own as Lamonica threw to Fred Biletnikoff, who made a one-handed catch on the way to a 58-yard gain to the San Diego 22. But two plays later, SS Ken Graham intercepted a Lamonica pass at his five and ran it back 42 yards. The Chargers were unable to capitalize when Partee’s 39-yard field goal attempt missed to the left.

Now with a minute to work with, “The Mad Bomber” again passed the Raiders down the field. Lamonica hit on four straight passes, the longest to Dixon for 17 yards, to get to the San Diego 28 and then, after another throw was broken up, he connected with HB Pete Banaszak for 21 yards and a first down at the seven. Two plays later, Lamonica tossed a scoring pass to Warren Wells from that distance and, with Blanda’s extra point, the score was 17-14 going into halftime.

The Chargers started off the third quarter by driving to the Oakland 40 with Foster taking off on carries of 16 and 10 yards, but Partee was short on a 47-yard field goal try. The Raiders went three-and-out and this time, following the punt, San Diego put together a 9-play, 65-yard series. Hadl was nearly picked off on his first pass but then hit Alworth for 25 yards. The drive stalled at the Oakland 20 and this time Partee was successful with a 27-yard field goal that made it a six-point game.

Following another punt by the Raiders, the Chargers were driving as the period ended, with the big play a Hadl pass to Alworth for 33 yards. They kept the ball on the ground and ended up with another Partee field goal, once more from 27 yards. San Diego’s lead was up to nine points.

Once again the Raiders had to punt and the Chargers moved the ball well on the ground, with Foster and HB Russ Smith leading the charge. They ultimately had to punt, but from the Oakland 45 and Partee pinned the Raiders down at their 10. Lamonica threw two incomplete passes and was sacked once, and the ensuing punt gave San Diego the ball at midfield as the Chargers were winning the battle for field position and utterly shutting down Oakland’s offense in the second half. The Raiders were never able to get out of their side of the field again and San Diego held on for a 23-14 upset victory.

The Chargers outgained Oakland (384 to 260), with 170 yards of that total coming on the ground, and also lead in first downs (20 to 11). The Raiders turned the ball over five times, to one suffered by San Diego.

John Hadl completed 14 of 32 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Lance Alworth had a big performance as he accounted for 9 of those completions for 182 yards and a score. Gene Foster (pictured at right) led the productive ground game by rushing for 104 yards on 27 carries that included a TD.

For the Raiders, Daryle Lamonica was successful on 13 of 32 throws (with only three of those completions coming in the second half) for 229 yards with a TD and two interceptions. Hewritt Dixon led the club with just 21 rushing yards on 10 carries and also caught 5 passes for 44 yards. Fred Biletnikoff topped the club in pass receiving yards with 58 on his lone reception. Bill Miller contributed 44 yards on two catches.

The Raiders lost again the next week at Kansas City, but recovered to win all of their remaining games to finish at 12-2. That wasn’t enough to win the Western Division outright as the Chiefs matched that record, but Oakland convincingly defeated them in the playoff before losing the AFL Championship game to the Jets. San Diego, meanwhile, was in the hunt until losing three of four games (the last was to the Raiders at home) to finish out the season at 9-5, placing third in the division.

Lance Alworth had another big year, leading the AFL in pass receptions (68) and yards (1312) to garner consensus first-team All-league honors for the sixth straight season. John Hadl was an AFL All-Star as he passed for a league-leading 3473 yards and 27 touchdowns, but also led the circuit with 32 interceptions.

While Daryle Lamonica was criticized for not matching his MVP success of the previous year, he still threw for 3245 yards and 25 TDs, ranking second only to Hadl in those categories, with 15 interceptions. George Atkinson had an overall fine season returning kicks, topping the AFL in combined returns (68) and yards (1292) as well as kickoff return average (25.1) while ranking second in punt return average (13.6). He also saw more play in the defensive backfield as the season progressed and would become a stalwart at strong safety over the course of ten years.

1968: Jets Defeat Raiders for AFL Championship

The two teams that met for the championship of the American Football League on December 29, 1968 had already met several weeks earlier with memorable results. In the so-called “Heidi Game”, in which television viewers on the East Coast had the last few minutes of the contest pre-empted by a showing of the children’s classic “Heidi”, the Oakland Raiders had scored twice in short order to defeat the New York Jets. Now they were matched up again at New York’s home venue.

The Jets, built into a winning team by Head Coach Weeb Ewbank, had topped the Eastern Division with an 11-3 record. The explosive offense was directed by QB Joe Namath (pictured above), who had outstanding targets in wide receivers Don Maynard and George Sauer as well as TE Pete Lammons. The ground game was sound with FB Matt Snell and HB Emerson Boozer. The overlooked defense was especially tough against the run and contained AFL All-Stars in ends Gerry Philbin and Verlon Biggs, DT John Elliott, and MLB Al Atkinson. PK Jim Turner, who kicked a record 34 field goals, added a further scoring dimension.

The Raiders, under Head Coach John Rauch, were the defending AFL Champions. Despite a spate of injuries, they had gone 12-2 but still had to defeat the Chiefs in a playoff to again win the Western Division. QB Daryle Lamonica was still highly effective with his passing and, in addition to WR Fred Biletnikoff, had a new and speedy deep threat in WR Warren Wells. Rookie HB Charlie Smith entered the starting lineup at midseason with good result. With CB Kent McCloughan out due to knee surgery, rookie CB George Atkinson showed potential but had been burned badly by Maynard in the previous encounter.

Weather conditions were windy and cold at Shea Stadium, where 62,627 fans were present. The Raiders had constructed a small makeshift shelter for their players, but AFL President Milt Woodard ordered it taken down because it was obstructing the view for several rows of fans.

Oakland had the first possession and was forced to punt, with Mike Eischeid’s poor 28-yard kick giving the Jets good initial field position. With Pete Lammons and Emerson Boozer spread wide, New York moved 44 yards in four plays. Namath hit Don Maynard twice for 14-yard completions, the second good for a touchdown. In between, a pass interference call on Atkinson helped the drive along.

The Raiders missed a scoring opportunity when George Blanda attempted a 45-yard field goal into the wind that hit the crossbar and bounced away. Late in the first quarter, Jim Turner added a 33-yard field goal to make it 10-0 in favor of the Jets.

Daryle Lamonica (pictured at left) got off to a poor start, completing just one of his first 13 passes. But the Raiders began to move offensively late in the opening period as Lamonica started to find the range. He completed a screen pass to HB Pete Banaszak for 11 yards and followed up with throws to Fred Biletnikoff for 15 yards and to FB Hewritt Dixon for 23 yards on the first play of the second quarter. A pass to Biletnikoff, running a post pattern, was good for a 29-yard touchdown as he outmaneuvered CB Johnny Sample (Sample was subsequently replaced by Cornell Gordon).

Turner missed a 44-yard field goal attempt but connected from 36 yards late in the second quarter. Blanda booted a 25-yard field goal just before halftime to narrow the tally to 13-10 at the intermission.

In the third quarter, Warren Wells caught a pass for a 40-yard gain before being brought down by SS Jim Hudson at the New York six. The aroused Jets defense held on the next three plays as Charlie Smith was downed at the three and again after another gain of a yard, and Dixon was stopped on the third down play at the one. Oakland was forced to settle for a Blanda field goal and a tie score of 13-13.

With just under a minute remaining in the period, the Jets culminated a 14-play, 80-yard drive with Namath tossing a 20-yard touchdown pass to TE Pete Lammons to re-take the lead. The Raiders surged back as Lamonica completed a pass to Biletnikoff for a 57-yard gain and Blanda kicked a 20-yard field goal.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Atkinson intercepted a Namath pass and returned it 32 yards to the New York five. Banaszak scored a five-yard TD that put Oakland in the lead by 23-20. The Jets struck back swiftly. Following a 10-yard completion to Sauer, Namath fired to Maynard for a 52-yard gain and again to Maynard for a six-yard TD with 7:47 remaining in the game.

Oakland drove to the New York 24, but chose to try and convert a fourth-and-ten and Lamonica was sacked by Verlon Biggs. With two minutes to go, the Raiders were again threatening to move back in front. Lamonica passes to Biletnikoff for 24 yards and Wells for 37 advanced the ball to the New York 12. But a lateral intended for Smith went awry and LB Ralph Baker recovered it for the Jets to extinguish the threat.

The Raiders had one last chance with 42 seconds remaining as they took over at their 22 yard line but fell short after advancing to near midfield. The Jets were AFL Champions by a score of 27-23.

Oakland had the edge in total yards (443 to 400) although the Jets had more first downs (25 to 18). New York was effective against the running game as the Raiders gained just 50 yards on the ground. The teams punted a combined 17 times, with the Jets accounting for 10.

Joe Namath completed 19 of 49 passes for 266 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. George Sauer (pictured below) caught 7 of those passes for 70 yards while Don Maynard gained 118 yards and scored two TDs on his 6 receptions. Matt Snell rushed for 71 yards on 19 carries and Emerson Boozer contributed 51 yards on 11 attempts.

For the Raiders, Daryle Lamonica went to the air 47 times and had 20 completions for 401 yards and a touchdown. Fred Biletnikoff had 7 catches for 190 yards and a TD and Warren Wells added 83 yards on his three receptions. Hewritt Dixon ran for 42 yards on 8 carries and added another 48 yards on 5 catches. Charlie Smith was held to just a yard on five rushing attempts.

The Jets went on to pull off a huge Super Bowl upset of the NFL Champion Baltimore Colts and repeated as Eastern Division champs in 1969. Oakland again placed first in the Western Division in ’69 but, due to a revised playoff format for the AFL’s last pre-merger season that allowed second place teams to qualify, ended up losing again in the league title game, this time to the Chiefs, who had finished behind them in the standings. 

1966: Dolphins Score Quick TD, But Lose Debut to Raiders

September 2, 1966 marked the regular season debut of the American Football League’s first expansion team, the Miami Dolphins. Coached by George Wilson, who once led the NFL Lions to a championship, the Dolphins, like all first-year teams, were made up of a combination of veteran castoffs and inexperienced young talent.

The quarterback position included examples of both, with strong-armed but immobile Dick Wood, a fifth-year veteran most recently with the Raiders and, for two years before that, the Jets, slated to start and rookie Rick Norton, the club’s first draft choice out of Kentucky, who was the primary backup. Miami had been successful in signing 11 of its draft choices, which in addition to Norton notably included another Kentucky star, LB Frank Emanuel, and split end Howard Twilley out of Tulsa.

There were 26,776 in attendance at the Orange Bowl on a Friday night to welcome the new club as it hosted the Oakland Raiders. Oakland, with a new head coach in John Rauch, was coming off of an 8-5-1 season in 1965 and was a 17-point favorite against the newcomers.

It didn’t take long for the Dolphins to excite the home crowd. HB Joe Auer, a 25-year-old Miami-area resident who had been a reserve with the Buffalo Bills, started things off with a bang by returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown (pictured above). Only Oakland’s DB Rodger Bird came close to stopping him, missing a tackle at the 10 before Auer dove into the end zone and was greeted by entertainer Danny Thomas, one of the team’s co-owners.

Things went quickly downhill from there. While the Raiders offense sputtered, especially when a first quarter bomb from QB Cotton Davidson was dropped by a wide-open (and normally reliable) split end Art Powell at the Miami 35 yard line, the Dolphins proved adept at beating themselves. Wood was intercepted four times in the first half, twice each by safety Howie Williams and CB Dave Grayson.

The interceptions proved critical, cutting off two promising drives and leading to 10 points for the Raiders in the second quarter. Twice Oakland took possession on the Miami 16, leading to a 16-yard field goal by Mike Mercer and a two-yard TD run by FB Hewritt Dixon. The Raiders led narrowly by 10-7 at halftime.


The rookie Norton took over at quarterback for the Dolphins in the second half. Early in the third quarter, Miami got a break when CB Jim Warren intercepted a Davidson pass. The Dolphins established their ground game in the ensuing drive as Auer and FB Billy Joe ran the ball effectively. However, seventh-year veteran Gene Mingo missed a 19-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game.

Tom Flores replaced Davidson at quarterback and led the Raiders on an 11-play, 81-yard drive that included passes of 17 yards to Powell, 19 yards to FB Roger Hagberg, and 12 yards to TE Tom Mitchell. The possession resulted in a 15-yard TD pass to Powell with 3:27 remaining in the period, extending Oakland’s lead to 17-7.

The Dolphins resorted to trickery as the head coach’s son, George Wilson Jr., who was also the punter and a backup quarterback, took off on a fake punt and ran 37 yards to the Raiders’ 11. But Mingo missed another short field goal attempt, this time from 15 yards. Still, Miami got on the board again and made the game close when Norton tossed a two-yard scoring pass to aging ex-Bears FB Rick Casares for a TD that cut Oakland’s lead to 17-14.

Near the end, the Raiders finally clinched the win when Flores threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell to cap a 72-yard drive with just over two minutes left to play. The extra point attempt failed and the final score was 23-14.

“Except for the alertness of Williams and Grayson, we would have been in real trouble,” said a relieved John Rauch afterward.

The Raiders outgained Miami (257 yards to 182), especially dominating in net passing yards (241 to 88). However, they ran the ball poorly, gaining just 16 yards on 22 attempts to 94 yards by the Dolphins, and for as much as Miami was damaged by five turnovers, Oakland hurt itself with six.


Cotton Davidson completed only 7 of 19 passes for 80 yards with no TDs and three interceptions. Tom Flores was more effective, going to the air 20 times and completing 11 for 161 yards with two touchdowns against one that was picked off. Art Powell made up for his early drop with 8 catches for 104 yards and a TD. Roger Hagberg led the anemic rushing attack with 23 yards on six carries.

For the newcomers, Dick Wood completed just 4 of 13 passes for 49 yards and, of course, had the four interceptions. Rick Norton was successful on 7 of 19 throws for 52 yards with a TD as well as an interception. George Wilson Jr., with his one carry on the fake punt, led the Dolphins in rushing with 37 yards. Billy Joe gained 31 yards on 9 attempts and Joe Auer, who started things off in spectacular fashion with the kickoff return touchdown, ran for 25 yards on 10 carries and caught two passes for 30 more to lead the team in pass receiving yardage. The old pro, 35-year-old Rick Casares, caught the most passes, with three for 21 yards and a score.

It took until the sixth week of the season for the Dolphins to finally win their first game, and they ended up at 3-11 and tied for last in the AFL’s Eastern Division with the Houston Oilers. The Raiders once again went 8-5-1 to place second in the Western Division.

The quarterback position remained unsettled for Miami all through the inaugural season, with four different players starting. Joe Auer ended up being the club’s leading rusher (416 yards) and scorer (nine touchdowns for 54 points), but the fullback position was held down by several players along the way. Only the defensive backfield truly came together, as Jim Warren and safety Willie West were AFL All-Stars.

1968: Packers Beat Raiders in Super Bowl II

Head Coach Vince Lombardi had guided the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships in nine seasons, including three straight from 1965-67. Having beaten the Dallas Cowboys in a dramatic NFL Championship game on a frigid day at Lambeau Field, he now looked to cap his tenure with a second Super Bowl win over the AFL champions, the Oakland Raiders.

The Packers were a solid and seasoned club, having overcome a slow start in '67 by QB Bart Starr (pictured above) due to injuries at the beginning of the season, and the loss of HB Elijah Pitts and FB Jim Grabowski along the way. But Lombardi filled in with players like fullbacks Ben Wilson and Chuck Mercein, and there were familiar names throughout the roster, including Pro Bowlers in split end Boyd Dowler, G Jerry Kramer, OT Forrest Gregg, DE Willie Davis, LB Dave Robinson, FS Willie Wood, and cornerbacks Herb Adderley and Bob Jeter.

The team they would be facing on January 14, 1968 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, the Raiders, was in the postseason for the first time. Coached by John Rauch and operated by managing general partner Al Davis, Oakland profited from an offseason trade with Buffalo that brought QB Daryle Lamonica to the team. Lamonica, a highly-regarded backup with the Bills for four years, was outstanding as he led the league in passing and touchdown passes (30) while throwing for 3228 yards, and was named AFL Player of the Year by the Associated Press and UPI. He was not the only newcomer who made good – CB Willie Brown was obtained from the Broncos and had an All-AFL season, and 40-year-old George Blanda provided depth at quarterback and reliable placekicking. Rookie G Gene Upshaw joined young veterans having breakout years like flanker Fred Biletnikoff and FB Hewritt Dixon, and stalwarts such as center Jim Otto and G Wayne Hawkins.

The Raiders won the Western Division with a 13-1 record and decimated the Oilers in the league title game. The Packers were nevertheless 14-point favorites.

Attendance at the first Super Bowl in Los Angeles had been disappointing, but there were 75,546 fans filling the Orange Bowl for the second contest (still not officially called the Super Bowl). Oakland received the opening kickoff and proceeded to go three-and-out. The Packers responded by driving 34 yards in 11 plays on their first possession, capped by a 39-yard field goal by Don Chandler.

The Raiders nearly made it to midfield on their next possession, and Mike Eischeid’s punt traveled 45 yards before going out of bounds at the Green Bay three yard line. The Packers proceeded to methodically drive 84 yards in 16 plays, running 8:40 off the clock and highlighted by Starr’s 16-yard pass completion to flanker Carroll Dale and 14-yard run on a broken play. The long possession was capped in the second quarter by another Chandler field goal, this time from 20 yards, for a 6-0 lead.

Following another short Oakland possession, Starr fired a pass to Dowler who blew past CB Kent McCloughan and ran unencumbered the rest of the way for a 62-yard touchdown (pictured below). With the score now 13-0, Lamonica directed the Raiders on a nine-play drive that covered 78 yards and ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass to split end Bill Miller.


Green Bay took over at its own 15 yard line following the ensuing kickoff and DT Tom Keating’s sack of Starr drove the Packers backward. Donny Anderson’s 45-yard punt was returned 12 yards by safety Rodger Bird to give Oakland good field position at the Green Bay 40. However, the Raiders offense went three-and-out and George Blanda’s 47-yard field goal attempt was short.

Following another short Green Bay possession, Anderson punted again but this time Bird fumbled after signaling a fair catch and TE/LB Dick Capp recovered for the Packers at the Oakland 45. Chandler kicked a 43-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half and the Packers took a 16-7 lead into the intermission.

The Packers pulled away in the third quarter, much as they had done against the Chiefs in the first Super Bowl. Following a trade of punts to start the half, Green Bay drove 82 yards in 11 plays, highlighted by Ben Wilson’s 13-yard opening run on a draw play, a pass from Starr to split end Max McGee that covered 35 yards, an 11-yard Starr completion to Dale on a third-and-nine play, and a 12-yard pass completion to HB Donny Anderson. Anderson capped it all with a two-yard touchdown run and the Packers held a 23-7 lead.

Following another three-and-out possession by the Raiders, Green Bay put together another long drive that ended in Chandler’s fourth field goal, from 31 yards, with two seconds remaining in the period. The Packers now had a commanding lead of 26-7 with just a quarter to play.

The fourth quarter began with HB Pete Banaszak fumbling after catching a pass from Lamonica and Dave Robinson recovering for Green Bay. After a short possession by the Packers, the Raiders got the ball back and this time another turnover added the final nail to Oakland’s coffin as Lamonica was intercepted by Adderley (pictured below), who returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.


The Raiders came back to score on the next possession, again on a Lamonica pass to Miller that covered 23 yards, but it was too little, too late. Starr had to leave the game due to a jammed thumb, with veteran backup QB Zeke Bratkowski taking over to mop up, but the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Green Bay won its second Super Bowl by a score of 33-14.

The Packers outgained Oakland (322 yards to 293), including 160 yards on the ground, and led in first downs by 19 to 16. The efficient NFL champions didn’t beat themselves, suffering no turnovers and being penalized just once. The Raiders turned the ball over three times.

Bart Starr completed 13 of 24 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown and was again named MVP of the game. Ben Wilson ran for 62 yards on 17 carries, followed by Donny Anderson with 48 yards on 14 attempts and HB Travis Williams, who contributed 36 yards on 8 runs. Carroll Dale caught four passes for 43 yards and TE Marv Fleming also caught four, for 35 yards, while Boyd Dowler led the Packers in receiving yards, thanks to his long touchdown reception, with 71 on two catches.

For the Raiders, Daryle Lamonica completed 15 of 34 passes for 208 yards with two TDs and one picked off. Bill Miller (pictured below) caught 5 passes for 84 yards and scored both of the club’s touchdowns. Hewritt Dixon was the leading ground gainer with 54 yards on 12 carries.


“We're a young team,” John Rauch said. “I was happy with the fact that at no point in the game did we give up. It's characteristic of our team. We hope to continue with our program and get better.”

The game was the last for Max McGee, hero of the first Super Bowl and 12-year veteran who caught one 35-yard pass against the Raiders, and Don Chandler, who booted the four field goals to end his 12-season career as a placekicker/punter (with the Giants as well as Green Bay) on a high note. But another departure for the Packers was the most significant of all.

A few days after the game, Vince Lombardi confirmed what was widely rumored and stepped down as head coach, although he remained the general manager for another year. It marked the end of a remarkable coaching tenure for the man whose name became attached to the trophy presented each season to the Super Bowl-winning team.