NFL team season
The 1974 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 15th season in Oakland and fifth in the National Football League. The team posted a superb 12–2 record; the campaign's two losses were by a total of four points. The Raiders' record (the team's best since 1969) ensured their fourth AFC West title in five years.
For the second straight campaign, the Raiders exacted revenge upon the team that had eliminated them in the prior year's playoffs. This time, Oakland toppled the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins, by a score of 28–26, in the playoffs' Divisional round. Quarterback Ken Stabler (in his first full season as a starter) threw a last-minute winning touchdown pass to running back Clarence Davis in what has come to be known as the "Sea of Hands" game.
For the second straight season, however, the Raiders lost in the AFC Championship Game. They were upset, 24–13, by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Raiders led 10–3 at the end of the third quarter, a defensive meltdown allowed the Steelers to score 21 points in the final frame.
The 2006 edition of Pro Football Prospectus[1] listed the 1974 Raiders as one of their "Heartbreak Seasons", in which teams "dominated the entire regular season only to falter in the playoffs, unable to close the deal." Pro Football Prospectus states, The John Madden Raiders were a consistently good regular season team, but the playoffs were a different story. The 1972 season came to an end with the painful Immaculate Reception game. The 1973 Raiders ended Miami's 18-game winning streak during the regular season but lost to the Dolphins in the AFC Championship game. In 1974, the Raiders seemed to finally have all the pieces."
Despite the disappointment at the end of the 1974 season, Pro Football Prospectus continues, "[t]he Raiders persevered, keeping the team's core together the next several seasons. In 1975, they again fell to the Steelers in the AFC title game, but caught a break in the 1976 AFC Championship, when they cruised to a 24–7 victory over Pittsburgh, who were without running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier. Finally, in the Super Bowl, they did not waste their opportunity, crushing the Vikings 32–14 behind Ken Stabler and Clarence Davis."
"The Autumn Wind", a poem written by former NFL Films President and co-founder Steve Sabol, became the unofficial team anthem of the Raiders,[2][3][4][5] and was first used for the team's official team yearbook film in 1974. It was narrated by John Facenda,[6] and dubbed "The Battle Hymn of the Raider Nation".[7]
1974 marked the end of an era, as the last remaining original Raider, longtime offensive lineman Jim Otto, retired after all 10 seasons in the AFL, 5 seasons in the NFL, and 15 seasons with the Raiders. Counting playoff games, he showed up for every one of the first 223 games in Oakland Raiders history.
Offseason
Draft
[8]
Roster
1974 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 |
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
1 | September 16 | at Buffalo Bills | L 20–21 | 0–1 | Rich Stadium | 80,020 | Recap |
2 | September 22 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 27–7 | 1–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 48,108 | Recap |
3 | September 29 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 17–0 | 2–1 | Three Rivers Stadium | 48,304 | Recap |
4 | October 6 | at Cleveland Browns | W 40–24 | 3–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 65,247 | Recap |
5 | October 13 | at San Diego Chargers | W 14–10 | 4–1 | San Diego Stadium | 40,539 | Recap |
6 | October 20 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–27 | 5–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,020 | Recap |
7 | October 27 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 35–24 | 6–1 | Candlestick Park | 58,284 | Recap |
8 | November 3 | at Denver Broncos | W 28–17 | 7–1 | Mile High Stadium | 45,946 | Recap |
9 | November 10 | Detroit Lions | W 35–13 | 8–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 51,973 | Recap |
10 | November 17 | San Diego Chargers | W 17–10 | 9–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 50,178 | Recap |
11 | November 24 | Denver Broncos | L 17–20 | 9–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 51,224 | Recap |
12 | December 1 | New England Patriots | W 41–26 | 10–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 50,120 | Recap |
13 | December 8 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 7–6 | 11–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 60,577 | Recap |
14 | December 14 | Dallas Cowboys | W 27–23 | 12–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 45,840 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Game summaries
Week 1
Scoring summary |
Quarter | Time | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Plays | Yards | TOP | Raiders | Bills | 2 | | | | | Bills | J. D. Hill 4-yard touchdown reception from Joe Ferguson, John Leypoldt kick good | 0 | 7 | 2 | | | | | Raiders | 34-yard field goal by George Blanda | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | | Raiders | Clarence Davis 15-yard touchdown run, George Blanda kick good | 10 | 7 | 4 | | | | | Raiders | 41-yard field goal by George Blanda | 13 | 7 | 4 | | | | | Bills | Ahmad Rashad 8-yard touchdown reception from Joe Ferguson, John Leypoldt kick good | 13 | 14 | 4 | | | | | Raiders | Fumble recovery returned 29 yards for touchdown by Art Thoms, George Blanda kick good | 20 | 14 | 4 | | | | | Bills | Ahmad Rashad 13-yard touchdown reception from Joe Ferguson, John Leypoldt kick good | 20 | 21 | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 20 | 21 | |
Week 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | • Raiders | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | OAK | Dave Casper 5 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 7–0 | | 2 | | OAK | Mike Siani 9 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 14–0 | | 2 | | OAK | Pete Banaszak 20 yard run (kick failed) | Raiders 20–0 | | 3 | | KC | Wilbur Young 50 yard interception return (Jan Stenerud kick) | Raiders 20–7 | | 4 | | OAK | Dave Casper 2 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 27–7 | |
[9]
Week 3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Raiders | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 | Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | OAK | Ken Stabler 1 yard run (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 7–0 | | 2 | | OAK | Cliff Branch 19 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 14–0 | | 2 | | OAK | George Blanda 35 yard field goal | Raiders 17–0 | |
[10]
Week 14
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Cowboys | 9 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 23 | • Raiders | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | DAL | Drew Pearson recovers fumble in end zone (Efren Herrera kick) | Cowboys 7–0 | | 1 | | OAK | George Blanda 31 yard field goal | Cowboys 7–3 | | 1 | | DAL | Safety, center snap fumbled out of end zone | Cowboys 9–3 | | 2 | | OAK | Fred Biletnikoff 9 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 10–9 | | 2 | | OAK | Charlie Smith 14 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 17–9 | | 3 | | OAK | Cliff Branch 28 yard pass from George Blanda (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 24–9 | | 3 | | DAL | Doug Dennison 1 yard run (Efren Herrera kick) | Raiders 24–16 | | 4 | | OAK | George Blanda 34 yard field goal | Raiders 27–16 | | 4 | | DAL | Doug Dennison 2 yard run (Efren Herrera kick) | Raiders 27–23 | |
[11]
Standings
Playoffs
Game summaries
Divisional: vs. Miami Dolphins
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 26 | • Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 | - Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | Dolphins | Nat Moore 89 yard kickoff return (Garo Yepremian kick) | Dolphins 7–0 | | 2 | | Raiders | Charlie Smith 31 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Tie 7–7 | | 2 | | Dolphins | Garo Yepremian 33 yard field goal | Dolphins 10–7 | | 3 | | Raiders | Fred Biletnikoff 13 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 14–10 | | 3 | | Dolphins | Paul Warfield 16 yard pass from Bob Griese (kick failed) | Dolphins 16–14 | | 4 | | Dolphins | Garo Yepremian 46 yard field goal | Dolphins 19–14 | | 4 | | Raiders | Cliff Branch 72 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 21–19 | | 4 | | Dolphins | Benny Malone 23 yard run (Garo Yepremian kick) | Dolphins 26–21 | | 4 | | Raiders | Clarence Davis 8 yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 28–26 | |
References
- ^ Pro Football Prospectus 2006 (ISBN 0761142177), p.73-75
- ^ Warnock to sell luxury suites at stadium, ESPN, May 7, 2004, retrieved January 27, 2008
- ^ "The Recap", The Washington Post, October 30, 2006, retrieved January 27, 2008
- ^ Steele, David (October 23, 2000), Coliseum Turns Into Wind Tunnel for a Day, San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved January 27, 2008
- ^ Carr, Bob (November 1, 2005), What do the Tennessee Titans and the San Diego Chargers have in Common?, San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved January 27, 2008
- ^ Peterseim, Peter (December 29, 2001), Cool Hand Luke, Wilt the Stilt, and the nine-headed monster, ESPN, retrieved January 27, 2008
- ^ Lynch, Kevin (November 1, 2002), Foreboding song blows through practice, San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved January 27, 2008
- ^ "1974 Oakland Raiders Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
Sources
- Raiders on Pro Football Reference
- Raiders on Database Football
Las Vegas Raiders |
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- Founded in 1960
- Played in Oakland, California (1960–1981, 1995–2019) and Los Angeles (1982–1994)
- Based in Paradise, Nevada
- Headquartered in Henderson, Nevada
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Wild card berths (6) | |
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Division championships (15) | |
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Conference championships (4) | |
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Las Vegas Raiders seasons |
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Played in Oakland (1960–1981, 1995–2019) and Los Angeles (1982–1994) |
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