Post by TheShadow on Nov 27, 2003 18:45:38 GMT -5
www.raiders.com
By Whitney Webster
Why is it that there are certain teams that cause more of a stir than
others? Why do some games bring in more fans? And why is it that after
various coaches and coaching staffs, differing starting lineups and new
waves of fans, there is still such commotion surrounding certain games? More
often than not, the importance riding on such games is meaningful because it
determines home field advantage for the playoffs, or the difference between
first and second place in their conference. There are times however, when
the significance of the outcome of the game is for plain and simple bragging
rights.
Whatever the reason may be, there are a few teams in the NFL that have
always stood out in Raiders history as the ones who guarantee great games
with superb competition and undeniable rivalry. The Miami Dolphins are one
of those teams. The top professional football records reported in 2001 that
the Raiders were the number one team in winning percentages with a
percentage of .628 based on wins from 1963-2001. The Miami Dolphins are
number two. With a .611 winning percentage, it is easy to see why the stakes
are so high every time these two teams meet. Throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s,
90s and 2000s, the Raiders and the Dolphins have battled each other and
worked hard to achieve these exceptional percentages. It is no wonder that
regardless of the reasons behind each game, any victory is reason for
definite bragging rights.
1960s and 1970s
The Raiders began play in the American Football League in 1960. After two
years, the team had only won nine out of 42 league games and was on the path
to failure. Al Davis came to the rescue in 1963 when he pledged to build the
finest organization in sports.
The Raiders first game against the Miami Dolphins was in 1966 at Miami. The
Raiders beat the Dolphins 23-14 and defeated them again at home 21-10 later
that season. In 1967, the Raiders swept again, defeating the Dolphins 31-17
at home and 47-21 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. In 1968, the two teams met
again and the Raiders repeated the victorious score of 47-21 that year. In
1969, the Raiders beat the Dolphins at home, 20-17, but tied them for the
first time 20-20 in their second meeting.
The 1970s brought a time of change in professional football. Not only did
Miami complete their first victory over the Raiders in 1970 with a score of
20-13, but also the AFL merged with the National Football League. From 1970
on, the Raiders would not meet the Dolphins as often, but that could not
change the already established rivalry between the two teams. The Raiders
went on to beat the Dolphins in the postseason that year 21-14 in an AFC
playoff game. The Raiders did not meet the Dolphins in 1971 or 1972 (the
Dolphins perfect season 17-0). In 1973 the Dolphins came to Berkeley,
California to play the Silver and Black again and 74,121 fans gathered
making the record for the most fans at a regular season game that year. The
Raiders won 12-7, and ended the Miami winning streak. That season's high
attendance total was surpassed, however, in the postseason game against
Miami for the AFC Championship. More than 75,000 people were at the game in
Miami when the Dolphins defeated the Raiders 27-10.
In 1974, the legendary sports broadcaster Curt Gowdy of NBC Sports called
the AFC playoff game between the Dolphins and the Raiders "the greatest game
I have ever seen." Once again, the stakes were high. The Dolphins had been
to the last three Super Bowls and were ready to go again, with an AFC East
title already under their belt. On the first kickoff, Miami's wide receiver
Nat Moore ran the first 89 yards of the game into the end zone. At first
glance, the Dolphins were well on their way to achieving their goal with a
touchdown within the first fifteen seconds of the game.
The score did not change until the second quarter when the legendary
offensive line of Art Shell, Gene Upshaw and Jim Otto -three future Pro
Football Hall of Famers - started playing on the level Raiders fans were
accustomed to. Quarterback Ken Stabler threw the ball 31yards down the field
for a touchdown to Charlie Smith. Miami scored a field goal making the score
10-7 before half time.
The close score increased the intensity and amplified each team's desire to
win. With 11:43 to go in the third quarter, Stabler threw a lob pass to Fred
Biletnikoff, who fought off Miami's clinging corner Tim Foley, and made it
through to the end zone. Miami replied with a quick touchdown, but missed
the point after. The score was Dolphins 16, Raiders 14 going into the fourth
and final quarter.
Miami made a 46-yard field goal to begin the quarter increasing their lead
to five, at 19-14. With a little under five minutes left in the game,
Stabler completed a pass to Cliff Branch who sprang up from the ground after
slipping to catch and run into the end zone for a 72-yard scoring play. With
4:37 left to go, the score was Raiders 21, Dolphins 19. A mere two minutes
later, Miami had responded with a touchdown that gave them the lead again by
five. As the two-minute warning sounded, it did not look good for the Silver
and Black. With a minute to go, however, Stabler had already driven the ball
to the middle of the field. With the fans going wild, and the defense
closing in, Stabler pitched the ball toward the left side of the end zone
where running back Clarence Davis was trying to break free of the Dolphins
defense. In a "sea of hands" Davis leapt above the white jerseys and grabbed
onto the ball with 24 seconds left on the clock. This 28-26 victory, with
two touchdowns in the final 4:37, made this Raiders comeback one of the most
unforgettable in Dolphins-Raiders history.
The Raiders went on to beat the Dolphins in 1975 31-21 and again in 1979
13-3. The Dolphins won in 1978 at home 23-6.
The 1980s
The Raiders began the decade by sweeping the Dolphins in almost every match
they played. In 1980 and 1983 they defeated the Dolphins at home 16-10 and
27-14. In 1982 they won 33-17 on Miami's home turf. In late 1984, the two
teams found each other battling at the Orange Bowl. Marino completed 35 of
57 pass attempts for 470 yards; the most yards the Raiders had ever
permitted through the air at that time. This match up was dubbed as TVs best
game that year with a total of 48 first downs, 919 yards of offense, 711
yards on pass receptions, four scoring plays of over 50 yards each and much
more. Marino set a new NFL record that game too, in only his second pro
season, by throwing his 37th touchdown pass in one season. Despite the Miami
quarterback, the Raiders succeeded in capturing the game by winning 45-34
and prevailed once again over the Dolphins. The two teams met only two more
times this decade and they split the meetings. The Raiders won in 1986 30-28
and Miami triumphed in 1988 24-14.
The 1990s and 2000s
The Dolphins and the Raiders met seven times in the 1990s - the most
meetings between the two teams in a 10-year span. The Dolphins earned 5 wins
in the next seven meetings.
The Raiders surprised the Dolphins with a shutout win in the post-season of
2000. This was the first shutout game by the Raiders ever in their playoff
history. Battling the Dolphins in the AFC Divisional Playoff, Miami went
home with no points for the first time in their 25-year series with the
Raiders. Miami came close to scoring in the first quarter, but Raiders
cornerback Tory James intercepted the ball and ran 90 yards down the field
to score the first points of the game. After that extraordinary run, the
Raiders never looked back. With this 27-0 victory, it is clear why these two
teams are unpredictable, but always ready to compete. The Dolphins have won
the last two meetings.
Without a doubt, these two teams share an Epic Rivalry for this very reason.
Regardless of past games and records, the Dolphins and the Raiders always
have an intense contest. The Raiders currently lead the all time series
between these two teams 15-9-1, but anything can happen when these two teams
step on the field. And whether it is a playoff game, or regular season
competition, the fans, the players, and the coaches always bring their game
faces.
By Whitney Webster
Why is it that there are certain teams that cause more of a stir than
others? Why do some games bring in more fans? And why is it that after
various coaches and coaching staffs, differing starting lineups and new
waves of fans, there is still such commotion surrounding certain games? More
often than not, the importance riding on such games is meaningful because it
determines home field advantage for the playoffs, or the difference between
first and second place in their conference. There are times however, when
the significance of the outcome of the game is for plain and simple bragging
rights.
Whatever the reason may be, there are a few teams in the NFL that have
always stood out in Raiders history as the ones who guarantee great games
with superb competition and undeniable rivalry. The Miami Dolphins are one
of those teams. The top professional football records reported in 2001 that
the Raiders were the number one team in winning percentages with a
percentage of .628 based on wins from 1963-2001. The Miami Dolphins are
number two. With a .611 winning percentage, it is easy to see why the stakes
are so high every time these two teams meet. Throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s,
90s and 2000s, the Raiders and the Dolphins have battled each other and
worked hard to achieve these exceptional percentages. It is no wonder that
regardless of the reasons behind each game, any victory is reason for
definite bragging rights.
1960s and 1970s
The Raiders began play in the American Football League in 1960. After two
years, the team had only won nine out of 42 league games and was on the path
to failure. Al Davis came to the rescue in 1963 when he pledged to build the
finest organization in sports.
The Raiders first game against the Miami Dolphins was in 1966 at Miami. The
Raiders beat the Dolphins 23-14 and defeated them again at home 21-10 later
that season. In 1967, the Raiders swept again, defeating the Dolphins 31-17
at home and 47-21 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. In 1968, the two teams met
again and the Raiders repeated the victorious score of 47-21 that year. In
1969, the Raiders beat the Dolphins at home, 20-17, but tied them for the
first time 20-20 in their second meeting.
The 1970s brought a time of change in professional football. Not only did
Miami complete their first victory over the Raiders in 1970 with a score of
20-13, but also the AFL merged with the National Football League. From 1970
on, the Raiders would not meet the Dolphins as often, but that could not
change the already established rivalry between the two teams. The Raiders
went on to beat the Dolphins in the postseason that year 21-14 in an AFC
playoff game. The Raiders did not meet the Dolphins in 1971 or 1972 (the
Dolphins perfect season 17-0). In 1973 the Dolphins came to Berkeley,
California to play the Silver and Black again and 74,121 fans gathered
making the record for the most fans at a regular season game that year. The
Raiders won 12-7, and ended the Miami winning streak. That season's high
attendance total was surpassed, however, in the postseason game against
Miami for the AFC Championship. More than 75,000 people were at the game in
Miami when the Dolphins defeated the Raiders 27-10.
In 1974, the legendary sports broadcaster Curt Gowdy of NBC Sports called
the AFC playoff game between the Dolphins and the Raiders "the greatest game
I have ever seen." Once again, the stakes were high. The Dolphins had been
to the last three Super Bowls and were ready to go again, with an AFC East
title already under their belt. On the first kickoff, Miami's wide receiver
Nat Moore ran the first 89 yards of the game into the end zone. At first
glance, the Dolphins were well on their way to achieving their goal with a
touchdown within the first fifteen seconds of the game.
The score did not change until the second quarter when the legendary
offensive line of Art Shell, Gene Upshaw and Jim Otto -three future Pro
Football Hall of Famers - started playing on the level Raiders fans were
accustomed to. Quarterback Ken Stabler threw the ball 31yards down the field
for a touchdown to Charlie Smith. Miami scored a field goal making the score
10-7 before half time.
The close score increased the intensity and amplified each team's desire to
win. With 11:43 to go in the third quarter, Stabler threw a lob pass to Fred
Biletnikoff, who fought off Miami's clinging corner Tim Foley, and made it
through to the end zone. Miami replied with a quick touchdown, but missed
the point after. The score was Dolphins 16, Raiders 14 going into the fourth
and final quarter.
Miami made a 46-yard field goal to begin the quarter increasing their lead
to five, at 19-14. With a little under five minutes left in the game,
Stabler completed a pass to Cliff Branch who sprang up from the ground after
slipping to catch and run into the end zone for a 72-yard scoring play. With
4:37 left to go, the score was Raiders 21, Dolphins 19. A mere two minutes
later, Miami had responded with a touchdown that gave them the lead again by
five. As the two-minute warning sounded, it did not look good for the Silver
and Black. With a minute to go, however, Stabler had already driven the ball
to the middle of the field. With the fans going wild, and the defense
closing in, Stabler pitched the ball toward the left side of the end zone
where running back Clarence Davis was trying to break free of the Dolphins
defense. In a "sea of hands" Davis leapt above the white jerseys and grabbed
onto the ball with 24 seconds left on the clock. This 28-26 victory, with
two touchdowns in the final 4:37, made this Raiders comeback one of the most
unforgettable in Dolphins-Raiders history.
The Raiders went on to beat the Dolphins in 1975 31-21 and again in 1979
13-3. The Dolphins won in 1978 at home 23-6.
The 1980s
The Raiders began the decade by sweeping the Dolphins in almost every match
they played. In 1980 and 1983 they defeated the Dolphins at home 16-10 and
27-14. In 1982 they won 33-17 on Miami's home turf. In late 1984, the two
teams found each other battling at the Orange Bowl. Marino completed 35 of
57 pass attempts for 470 yards; the most yards the Raiders had ever
permitted through the air at that time. This match up was dubbed as TVs best
game that year with a total of 48 first downs, 919 yards of offense, 711
yards on pass receptions, four scoring plays of over 50 yards each and much
more. Marino set a new NFL record that game too, in only his second pro
season, by throwing his 37th touchdown pass in one season. Despite the Miami
quarterback, the Raiders succeeded in capturing the game by winning 45-34
and prevailed once again over the Dolphins. The two teams met only two more
times this decade and they split the meetings. The Raiders won in 1986 30-28
and Miami triumphed in 1988 24-14.
The 1990s and 2000s
The Dolphins and the Raiders met seven times in the 1990s - the most
meetings between the two teams in a 10-year span. The Dolphins earned 5 wins
in the next seven meetings.
The Raiders surprised the Dolphins with a shutout win in the post-season of
2000. This was the first shutout game by the Raiders ever in their playoff
history. Battling the Dolphins in the AFC Divisional Playoff, Miami went
home with no points for the first time in their 25-year series with the
Raiders. Miami came close to scoring in the first quarter, but Raiders
cornerback Tory James intercepted the ball and ran 90 yards down the field
to score the first points of the game. After that extraordinary run, the
Raiders never looked back. With this 27-0 victory, it is clear why these two
teams are unpredictable, but always ready to compete. The Dolphins have won
the last two meetings.
Without a doubt, these two teams share an Epic Rivalry for this very reason.
Regardless of past games and records, the Dolphins and the Raiders always
have an intense contest. The Raiders currently lead the all time series
between these two teams 15-9-1, but anything can happen when these two teams
step on the field. And whether it is a playoff game, or regular season
competition, the fans, the players, and the coaches always bring their game
faces.