9. 2016 NFC CHAMPION ATLANTA FALCONS at 8. 1974 OAKLAND RAIDERS
8. 1974 OAKLAND RAIDERS
Record: 12-2
Pythag: 10-4
Off: 1st
Def: 9th
1st AFC West
d. Dolphins Div Rnd 28-26
Lost AFC Title Steelers 24-13
HC: John Madden
Bill King
Oakland Alameda Co Coliseum: 55 degrees
Offense:
QB Kenny Stabler (29 Alabama) All Pro
RB Clarence Davis (25 USC)
RB Marv Hubbard (28 Colgate)
WR Fred Biletnikoff (31 Florida St)
WR Cliff Branch (26 Colorado) All Pro
TE Bob Moore (25 Stanford)
LT Art Shell (28 ME Shore) All Pro
LG Gene Upshaw (29 Tex A&M Kings) All Pro
C Jim Otto (36 Miami)
RG George Buehler (27 Stanford)
RT John Vella (24 USC)
Defense:
LDE Bubba Smith (29 Mich St)
LDT Otis Sistrunk (28 Mars)
RDT Art Thoms (28 Syracuse)
RDE Horace Jones (25 Louisville)
LLB Phil Villapiano (25 B Green)
MLB Dan Conners (33 Miami)
RLB Gerald Irons (27 ME Shore)
LCB Skip Thomas (24 USC)
SS George Atkinson (27 M Brown)
FS Jack Tatum (26 Ohio St)
K George Blanda (47 Kentucky)
P Ray Guy (25 So Miss)
KR/PR Ron Smith (31 Wisc)
The '67 Raiders have already advanced, move them forward 7 years and we've got Madden, we've got the Snake, and we've got the best offense from 1974. Stabler's 29, 27 scores, 12 picks, All Pro. 26 year old Cliff Branch is also an All Pro, 13 scores and over a thousand yards receiving. The left side of the OL is also manned by All Pros - Art Shell is 28, Gene Upshaw 29. The defense will get all it can handle against the ultramodern Falcons offense. 24 year old Skip Thomas had 6 picks. Definitely offense v. offense in this 8/9 matchup at the Oakland Coliseum.
9. 2016 NFC CHAMPION ATLANTA FALCONS
Record: 11-5
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 1st
Def: 27th
1st NFC South
d. Seahawks Div Rnd 36-20
d. Packers NFC Title 44-21
Lost Patriots Super Bowl 34-28
HC: Dan Quinn OC: Kyle Shanahan DC: Richard Smith
Offense
QB Matt Ryan (31 B College) All Pro
RB Patrick DiMarco (27 S Carolina)
RB Devonta Freeman (24 Florida St)
WR Julio Jones (27 Alabama) All Pro
WR Mohamed Sanu (27 Rutgers)
TE Levine Toilolo (25 Stanford)
LT Jake Matthews (24 Texas A&M)
LG Andy Levitre (30 Oregon St)
C Alex Mack (31 Cal)
RG Chris Chester (33 Oklahoma)
RT Ryan Schraeder (28 Valdosta St)
Defense
LDE Brooks Reed (29 Arizona)
NT Jonathan Babineaux (35 Iowa)
RDE Grady Jarrett (23 Clemson)
LOLB Tyson Jackson (30 LSU)
LILB Vic Beasley (24 Clemson) All Pro
RILB Deion Jones (22-R LSU)
ROLB De'Vondre Campbell (23 Minn)
LCB Robert Alford (28 SE Louisiana)
RCB Desmond Trufant (26 Wash)
SS Ricardo Allen (25 Purdue)
FS Keanu Neal (21-R Florida)
K Matt Bryant (41 Baylor)
P Matthew Bosher (29 Miami)
KR/PR Eric Weems (31 Beth-Cook)
Top offense from 2016 is going to bring some ultramodern firepower to Oakland, 31 year old Matty Ice is an All Pro, 38 TDs and 7 picks, ultra modern QB numbers a quantum leap from even the decade prior, much less 1974. 24 year old Devonta Freeman ran for over a thousand yards and scored 13 times, 27 year old Julio Jones was a First Team All Pro with over 1400 receiving yards. The defense is bad, and we'll see what they can do against the top offense from 1974. 24 year old Vic Beasley was an All Pro with 15.5 sacks.
Intriguing 8/9 matchup spanning multiple generations - we head to Oakland for the kick.
First Qtr
Raiders start at their own 26.
3 and out. Falcons at their own 37.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/9 - Devonte Freeman for 1.
3/9 - Matt Ryan finds his TE Levine Toilolo in space, he rumbles for a 34 yard gain.
1/10 - Freeman for 1.
2/9 - Coleman for 2.
3/7 - Coleman draw play picks up 9, first down at the Oakland 16.
1/10 - Ryan looking to the end zone -- Julio Jones -- TOUCHDOWN FALCONS - that's gotta be the fear for the 1974 Raiders - that the best offense from 2016 is going to open it up on them - in particular, how to stop Julio Jones? 7-0
Oakland at the 36.
1/10 - The give to Marv Hubbard, running behind Upshaw and Shell - Hubbard steamrolls his way 56 yards - huge, huge get back play for the Raiders.
1/goal - Pete Banaszak just goes right up the middle, easy money - TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS - and thats gotta be the fear for that bad Falcons defense, that Oakland will control this game on the ground. 7-7 in less than a minute.
Really good Eric Weems runback. Falcons at their own 40. A couple of Freeman runs net 13 yards and a first down but an Otis Sistrunk sack keeps the drive from advancing further and it's Oakland ball after the punt, at their own 16.
3 and out.
Falcons regain at their own 43, 4:25 left in the quarter.
3 and out. Second Raider sack, this time by Phil Villapiano.
Raiders at their own 31.
1/10 - Hubbard gets 4.
2/6 - Hubbard getd 13, Stabler hasn't completed a pass yet, Raiders moving the ball on the ground.
1/10 - Clarence Davis for 7.
2/3 - Banaszak gets 1.
3/2 - Hubbard gets....right to the sticks...he's inches short, the Raiders will have 4th and inches at the Falcon 43 yard line when the second quarter starts.
2nd Quarter
We saw the best of these two offenses in the first quarter, Ryan throwing the ball downfield and the Raiders running behind the All Pro OLine. Raiders have 4th and inches at the Falcon 43.
But it's 1974, Madden's got Ray Guy on his side - and he kicks.
Falcons take over at the 3 after a penalty, so it's 1st and 13.
1/10 - Freeman for 7.
2/3 - Tevin Coleman gets a carry, 4 and the first.
1/10 - Ryan to Freeman for 12, Falcons with breathing room at the 26.
1/10 - Freeman breaks one - 28 yards and Atlanta is near midfield.
1/10 - Ryan to Coleman in space - 18 yards and this is what we thought might happen - the Raiders just with no answers for this ultramodern attack.
1/10 - Freeman for 2.
2/8 - Ryan to Freeman for 8 - it's a first down at the Raider 18.
1/10 - Give to Coleman - Coleman with all sorts of room to run -- TOUCHDOWN FALCONS - that Kyle Shanahan offense just opening up huge holes in the Raider defense and that's a 97 yard TD drive in less than 6 minutes. This is the worst case scenario for this Oakland defense.
Raiders at the 32.
3 and out - Vic Beasley picking up a sack. Falcons up 14-7 and regaining possession at their own 31, 7:16 left in the half.
1/10 - Ryan finds Austin Hooper for 9.
2/1 - Ryan to Julio Jones for 11 - the ultramodern attack just too much for Oakland.
1/10 - A gadget play, Shanahan dials up a reverse, Mohamed Sanu carries for 26 yards and the Falcons are at the Oakland 23.
1/10 - Freeman stopped at the line.
2/10 - Ryan to Julio Jones - 16 yards and a first and goal.
1/goal - Incomplete
2/goal - Coleman gets 4 yards. Falcons at the 3.
3/goal - Ryan rolling out - corner of the endzone -- Mohamed Sanu --- TOUCHDOWN FALCONS - this Shanahan offense is unstoppable today - it's 21-7 Atlanta.
Raiders at the 28. 2:36. 21-7.
1/10 - The Snake finds Cliff Branch for 17. 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Hubbard stopped at the line.
2/10 - Fred Biletnikoff's first reception, 7 yards.
3/3 - Hubbard goes for a dozen, Oakland's at the Atlanta 36, 1:13 left.
The next 3 plays net 3 yards and then George Blanda misses a 50 yard kick.
That gives the Falcons the ball at their own 40 yard line, 42 seonds to go.
A 9 yard sack by Bubba Smith, Oakland's third of the day, moves Atlanta back. Ryan then needs to run for his life on the next play, getting out of bounds at the line of scrimmage, so it's 3rd down and 19 at the 31 yard line, 29 seconds left in the half.
Ryan hits Julio Jones. 19 yards. Falcons stop the clock at midfield. 23 seconds.
Ryan hits Sanu. 12 yards. Falcons stop the clock at the 38. 12 seconds.
Ryan hits Hooper - 12 more yards - Atlanta stops the clock for the last time - Matt Bryant kicks a 43 yard FG and we head to the locker room in a full blow out - Falcons 24-7.
Third Quarter
There's no answer for the Atlanta offense, there weren't too many answers the NFL had in 2016, take an average 1974 defense against them and this just isn't a surprise.
Falcons to start at the 26.
3 and out. Oakland at the 35.
3 and out. Falcons at the 18.
1/10 - Ryan to Tevin Coleman in space, 23 yards - another big gainer.
1/10 - Freeman gets 4.
2/6 - Freeman gets 6. Falcons across midfield.
1/10 - Coleman for 9.
2/1 - Coleman for 2 - Atlanta at the Oakland 38.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Ryan finds Julio Jones again - just an incredible weapon - Jones 28 yards and a first and goal.
Devonte Freeman scores on the next play. 10 yards into the end zone. TOUCHDOWN FALCONS It is 31-7 and this game is over. Super impressive performance by the Falcons.
Raider ball at the 31. 6:13 in the third.
1/10 - Davis stopped at the line.
2/10 - The Snake goes deep - 64 yards to Cliff Branch - a full home run - that puts Oakland at the 5 yard line -- two run plays get nothing - but on third and goal - Stabler goes to Branch again - TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS - and it's 31-14.
Falcons at the 28.
1/10 - Freeman gets 4.
2/6 - Coleman 6 and the first down.
1/10 - Ryan 2 yards to Freeman, add 5 more for a Raider offsides on the next play.
2/3 - Coleman stopped at the line.
3/3 - Coleman gets 5 - Falcons at midfield - Freeman gets 5 on the next play as the quarter ends. Falcons up 31-14, at the Oakland 45.
4th Quarter
Atlanta rolling without impediment today, 17 point lead and the ball.
2/5 - Matty Ice finds Mohamed Sanu downfield, 40 yards - the Falcons at the 5 and first and goal. Two plays get the Falcons on the doorstep and DeVonte Freeman pounds his way into the endzone TOUCHDOWN FALCONS it's a 38-14 rout.
Raiders get the ball at the 37. 3 and out.
Falcons at the 26. On the first play, Ryan gets Freeman in space - Shanahan is not taking his foot off the gas - Freeman busts out for a 53 yard gain at the way to the Oakland 21 and now the fans start making their way to the exits.
A couple plays later, Ryan to Julio Jones goes for 20, he's out of bounds just before the end zone and the next play Ryan finds Sanu in the corner -- TOUCHDOWN FALCONS and it's 45-14, Atlanta with one of the more impressive performances in the tournament. Ultramodern offensive firepower wins this one.
Oakland starts at the 28, 2 plays in, Stabler hits Banaszak for 13, then Branch for 22 - a couple of plays after that- it's a 20 yard TD pass to Biletnikoff - TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS and it's 45-21 as we make our way to the end of the game.
Atlanta starts at the 31, all running plays now, they get a first down but punt from around midfield at the 2 minute warning.
Stabler moves down the field in garbage time, 22 to Biletnikoff, a dozen to Siani - 24 to Davis - the drive culminates on the last play of the game with Stabler hitting Bob Moore in the end zone, a 2 point conversion to Moore ends the scoring and the game.
Final: Falcons 45 Raiders 29
Not as close as the score suggests, Oakland with a couple scores after the game was long decided, Atlanta goes into Oakland and whips the Raiders - that sets up a second round Shanahan v Shanahan battle, as the Falcons will play the top seed in the region, the '91 Redskins.
30 first downs for Atlanta, a tournament high. Almost 40 minutes of possession.
Ryan: 22 of 29, 342 yds, 3 TDs
Stabler: 16 of 23, 250 yds, 3 TDs
Freeman: 21 carries, 105 yds, 4 catches, 75 yds, 2 TD
Hubbard: 14 carries, 91 yds
Jones: 7 catches, 109 yds, 1 TD
Branch: 5 catches, 119 yds, 1 TD
Wheeler: 11 tackles
Player of the Game: Matt Ryan
