Post by TheShadow on Feb 18, 2006 21:26:51 GMT -5
www.raiders.com
By Daniel Zamora
With league season results of a combined 27 wins and 22 loses overall, The
Oakland Raiders have been able to take a statistical advantage when
competing against the Seattle Seahawks. When it comes to these two teams,
you can see that they both raise their level of play. This record not only
pushes Oakland to keep its advantage in wins, but it also makes for great
football and a continuing rivalry that has been present since the very first
Raiders-Seahawks game back in 1977. Since then, these two teams have been in
a boxing match, with each team consistently throwing haymakers.
The Oakland Raiders have competed with the Seahawks throughout the 1970s,
80s, 90s, and 2000s. The Raiders have battled with the Seahawks for AFC
Championships games, AFC wild card playoff berths, and games that registered
for pure bragging rights alone. With such close records between the two, the
Raiders wanting to keep the edge and the Seahawks wanting to get the edge,
any game is sure to bring on excitement and pure hatred making for a long
lasting rivalry.
1970s and 1980s
With the Seattle Seahawks coming off a horrible first season in the NFL and
the Raiders coming off a triumphant Super Bowl win, the 1977 meeting of the
first Raiders-Seattle game went off without a hitch, at least for The
Oakland Raiders. The Raiders easily picked apart the Seahawks with a win of
44-7 in Oakland. A year later (1978) the Seahawks would get their revenge as
they took the next two games, 27-7 at Seattle and 17-16 in Oakland. In 1979
they again swept the Raiders during the regular season with a win in Seattle
(27-10) and then another in Oakland (29-24).
Having been swept by the Seahawks the two previous seasons, the Raiders had
something to prove and in 1980 the Raiders turned around and took control of
both games during the regular season. The Raiders won in Oakland with a
score of 33-14 in the first meeting. The second match-up highlighted the
first ever Monday Night Football game with the Seattle Seahawks, and Oakland
went on to win with a closer score of 19-17. The Raiders ended the year once
again becoming Super Bowl champs.
As both teams now had accomplished season sweeps of each other, the rivalry
had begun to grow faster, as the two teams began to dislike each other even
more. 1981 brought about one of The Oakland Raiders greatest moments.
Oakland took the first game with a 20-10 victory in Oakland. But it's the
second game in Seattle that has been considered one of the greatest
comebacks in Raiders history.
On November 29, with many of the Raiders key defensive players injured, the
Seahawks were able to control the start of the game. Seattle took an early
lead of 3-0. Then they came back with a touchdown after a Raiders field goal
putting them back in the lead 10-3. The Hawks stretched their lead by going
80 yards on just six plays making the score 17-3, and then returning a
fumble for a touchdown, 24-3. With a nine- yard touchdown pass after a
safety but an unfortunately blocked field goal, the Raiders cut the lead to
13 (24-11). Following a defensive stand that forced a fumble, the depleted
Raiders cut the lead again with a touchdown to wide receiver Bob Chandler.
Seahawks 24, Raiders 18. After another defensive stand the Raiders scored
again on a pass to running back Arthur Whittington, and took the lead for
the first time, 25-24. With another touchdown by Derrick Jensen, the Raiders
jumped to an eight- point lead, 32-24. Seattle didn't give up and had a late
score in the fourth, but with no time remaining the Raiders stood victorious
with a 32-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
In 1982, the Raiders once again hosted the Seattle Seahawks but this time at
their new home in Los Angeles. The Raiders took the game with a win of
28-23. In 1983 the Seahawks swept the Raiders (at Seattle 38-26, at Los
Angeles 34-21), but failed to capture the AFC Championship game as the
Raiders won 30-14. The Raiders went on to win their third Super Bowl title.
In 1984, the Raiders split the two regular season games. The Raiders had a
win in Los Angeles (28-14), but a MNF loss at Seattle (17-14). Once again
the Raiders and Seahawks found themselves competing in the AFC Wild Card
Playoff. This time Seattle defeated the Raiders 13-7.
From 1985 to 1987 The Raiders and Hawks split the three seasons both winning
three games each with three games being televised on Monday Night Football.
The Seahawks beat the Raiders 33-3 in Seattle. In the second 1985 game, the
Raiders delivered a blow right back, defeating the Seahawks 13-3 in Los
Angeles. In 1986, the Raiders won in a close game at home, 14-10. But again
the Seahawks battled back in the second half of the season, with a MNF
victory in Seattle. The next season (1987), The Seattle Seahawks made it two
games straight with another win over the Raiders, 35-13. The following
meeting once again fell on a Monday night and the Raiders took advantage of
the opportunity by dismantling the Seahawks at Seattle 37-14.
From 1988-1989 the Seahawks got the best of the Raiders by taking all four
regular season games. 1988 marked the fifth time the Raiders and Seahawks
would do battle on a Monday night. Seattle defeated the Raiders in Seattle
35-27, and again in the following three contests.
The 1990s and 2000s
The 1990s brought about change for the Raiders. Not only did the Raiders
sweep the antagonizing Seahawks in eight straight games but another one of
the Raiders greatest moments happened in the 90s, and once again it was
against the Seahawks. In the mid 90s the Raiders also returned to the Bay
Area. In 1990, the Raiders defeated the Seahawks in both regular season
games (17-13 and 24-17). 1991 marked another one of the Raiders greatest
moments as the game winning field goal by kicker Jeff Jaeger clinched the
game for the Raiders at Seattle in overtime 23-20. This was an important
game because the Raiders were 3-3-0 after six games and couldn't afford
another loss. After the game veteran Ronnie Lott called it "one of the best
all-time regular season wins I've been a part of," then added, "It was a
great comeback-one of the best ever, Everyone really pulled together." The
second game in 1991 was won by the Raiders 31-7. In 1992, the Raiders shut
out Seattle 19-0 at Seattle and won 20-3 in Los Angeles. In 1993, the
Raiders defeated Seattle 17-13 and then one more time in Los Angeles 27-23.
In 1994 the raiders split the two games losing the first in Los Angeles
38-9, and winning the second in Seattle 17-16.
1995 marked the year that the Raiders returned to Oakland. They again split
the two regular season games with a win in Oakland 34-10, and a loss in
Seattle. In 1996 the Raiders defeated Seattle at their home 27-21, but
Seattle came back to beat the Raiders in Oakland 28-21. Seattle took the
1997 season series as they defeated the Raiders in both games, 45-34 and
22-21. In 1998 Oakland came back to do what Seattle had done to them the
season before, taking both regular season games (31-18 in Seattle and 20-17
in Oakland). In 1999, both teams split the season one-a -piece. Seattle took
the first at home 22-21, and the Raiders took the second 30-21
In 2000, the Raiders seemed to be getting it all done, but still had some
trouble with Seattle. They once again split the 2000 season with one win
each. Oakland blew Seattle away at home 31-3, but at a wet Husky Stadium,
the Seahawks defeated Oakland 27-24. The Raiders went on to win an AFC
Divisional Playoff game. In 2001, Oakland again blew away the Seahawks at
home 38-14, but again had to go into Husky Stadium where they lost 34-27.
The Raiders again went on to win an AFC Wild Card Playoff game.
In the only Raiders-Seattle game of 2002 the Raiders were able to keep their
bragging rights as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks 31-17 (27-22 overall
vs. Seattle) and went on to compete in their fifth Super Bowl. Throughout
the years these two teams have battled for AFC Championships, AFC Playoff
berths, and plain and simple bragging rights. Because these two teams have
such history you can be sure that this rivalry is far from over.