11. 1975 MIAMI DOLPHINS at 3. 1967 AFL CHAMPION OAKLAND RAIDERS
3. 1967 AFL CHAMPION OAKLAND RAIDERS
Record: 13-1
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 1st
Def: 2nd
d. Oilers AFC Title 40-7
Lost Super Bowl Packers 33-14
d. '15 Patriots 31-17 (PotG: Pete Banaszak)
HC: John Rauch
Oakland Alameda County Coliseum 60 degrees
Bill King/Van Amburg
Offense
QB Daryle Lamonica (26 N Dame) All Pro 30 TD/20 INT 230.6 yds 7.6 y/a 51.8% 80.8% 4td rush
RB Clem Daniels (30 Prairie View) 575 yds rush 4.4 y/c 16 catch 222 yds 13.9 y/c 6 TD
FB Hewritt Dixon (27 Florida A&M) 559 yds 3.7 y/c 59 catch 563 yds 9.5 y/c 7 TD
WR Fred Biletnikoff (24 Florida St) 40 catch 876 yds 21.9 y/c 5 TD
WR Bill Miller (27 Miami) 38 catch 537 yds 14.1 y/c 6 TD
TE Billy Cannon (30 LSU) All Pro 32 catch 629 yds 19.7 y/c 10 TD
LT Bob Svihus (24 USC)
LG Gene Upshaw (22-R Tex A&M Kingsville)
C Jim Otto (29 Miami) All Pro
RG Wayne Hawkins (29 Pacific)
RT Harry Schuh (25 Memphis)
Defense
LDE Ike Lassiter (27 St Augustine) 17 sacks
LDT Dan Birdwell (27 Houston) 14.5 sacks
RDT Tom Keating (25 Michigan) All Pro 9 sacks
RDE Ben Davidson (27 Washington) All Pro 9 sacks
LLB Bill Laskey (24 Michigan) 1 sack
MLB Dan Conners (26 Miami) 3 int 4 sacks 2 TD
RLB Gus Otto (24 Missouri) 8.5 sacks
LCB Kent McCloughan (27 Nebraska) All Pro 2 int
RCB Willie Brown (27 Grambling) 12 int
SS Rodger Bird (24 Kentucky) 1 int
FS Howie Williams (31 Howard) 4 int
K George Blanda (40 Kentucky)
P Mike Eischeid (27 Upper Iowa)
KR Dave Grayson (28 Oregon)
PR Rodger Bird (24 Kentucky)
Oakland was 1st in offense, 2nd in defense in the AFL in 1967 (only 9 teams in the AFL) the only game they lost all year (before the Super Bowl) was the Heidi Game to the Jets.
30 scores for the Mad Bomber (and 20 picks, it was a different time) he's one of 6 All Pros on the roster. On defense, Willie Brown had 7 picks. John Madden's a LB coach for this group. Oakland beat Brady's '15 Pats in round one despite giving up over 350 passing yds.
11. 1975 MIAMI DOLPHINS
Record: 10-4
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 6th
Def: 4th
Did not make playoffs
d. '15 Cards 30-23 (Don Nottingham - PotG)
HC: Don Shula, OC: Howard Schnellenberger
Offense:
QB Bob Griese (30 Purdue) 14 TD/13 INT 61.8% 8.9 y/a 86.6 1 rush TD
RB Mercury Morris (28 W Tex AM) 875 yds 4.0 2 rec 15 yds 4 TD
FB Don Nottingham (26 Kent St) 718 yds 4.3 9 rec 66 yds 12 TD
WR Nat Moore (24 Florida) 40 rec 705 yds 17.6 y/c 4 TD
WR Howard Twilley (32 Tulsa) 24 rec 366 yds 15.3 y/c 4 TD
TE Jim Mandich (27 Mich) 21 rec 217 yds 10.3 y/c 4 TD
LT Wayne Moore (30 Lamar)
LG Bob Kuechenberg (28 NDame)
C Jim Langer (27 SDakota) All Pro
RG Larry Little (30 Beth-Cook) All Pro
RT Norm Evans (33 TCU)
Defense:
LDE Vern Den Herder (27 CCollege) 11 sacks
LDT Randy Crowder (23 Penn St) 7.5 sacks
RDT Don Reese (24 Jack St) 7.5 sacks
RDE Bill Stanfill (28 UGA) 6.5 sack
LLB Doug Swift (27 Amherst) sack
MLB Mike Kolen (27 Auburn) int sack
RLB Bob Matheson (31 Duke) 3 int 2 sack
LCB Tim Foley (27 Purdue)
RCB Curtis Johnson (27 Toledo) 4 int sack
SS Charlie Babb (25 Memphis) 4 int
FS Jake Scott (30 UGA) 6 INT
K Garo Yepremian (31 None)
P Larry Seiple (30 Kentucky)
KR/PR Freddie Solomon (22-R Tampa) TD
This squad that missed the playoffs despite going 10-4 and being top 6 in offense and defense. The strength is in the middle of the OL, where 30 year old Jim Langer and 30 year old Larry Little are both All Pros. The trigger man is Bob Griese, now 30 years old, 14 scores and 13 picks. 26 year old Don Nottingham ran for double digit scores. 6 picks for Jake Scott on defense. Miami beat the '15 Cards in round one by rushing for over 250 yards
The bottom half of region 1 is about to get is kicked off - the Raiders are an 11 point favorite; winner will move to the second regional semi final- the winner in the upper half of the region, of course, the 2002 Bucs. Let's head to Oakland.
1st Qtr:
Oakland will start at the 17.
3 and out, Randy Crowder with a 3rd down sack. Miami in good field position at the Oakland 46.
3 and out. Ike Lassiter had 17.5 sacks on the season and adds one here.
Oakland at the 25. 3 and out.
Miami at the 33. 2 plays net one yard - on 3rd down Big Ben Davidson crunches Bob Griese -- FUMBLE -- and Oakland recovers at the Miami 27!
Oakland can't advance the ball - George Blanda FG makes it 3-0.
Miami at the 31.
1/10 - Mercury Morris for 2.
2/8 - Nothing for Don Nottingham.
3/8 - Griese gets the game's first first down, 9 yards to Jim Mandich.
1/10 - 3 for Morris.
2/7 - Nottingham was Player of the Game in round one and he busts one here -- 42 yards -- all the way to the Oakland 13 yard line!
That's a far as the drive goes, Yepremian ties the game w/ the short kick.
Raiders at the 25.
On the last play of the quarter - Daryle Lamonica is PICKED OFF by Jake Scott - Scott returns to the Raider 31 --- Miami in business as the quarter comes to an end.
2nd Qtr: Raiders 3 Dolphins 3
Couple of turnovers so far; Miami is set up with a first down at Oakland's 31.
They don't advance the ball - and Yepremian - Misses - the FG and Oakland takes over at the 34.
1/10 - Nothing for Daniels.
2/10 - Dixon busts a 25 yarder, Dixon to the Miami 41.
1/10 - 5 yards for Daniels.
2/5 - Dixon -- Dixon up the middle - huge hole created by Otto and the rookie Upshaw -- and Dixon's Gonna Go -- Hewritt Dixon Is Going to Romp 36 yards...Into the End Zone....TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS -- Two big Dixon runs net over 60 yards and a score. Oakland 10-3.
Miami at the 29.
On second down, Dan Birdwell gets the 3rd Raider sack.
On third down - Griese is PICKED OFF -- by Willie Brown -- and Willie Brown has an open sideline! Young Man Willie Running down the Sideline --- TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS -- Willie Brown takes the Griese pick back 40 yards for the score -- Oakland with 2 quick TDs, Bang - Bang -- and it is 17-3.
Miami suddenly down 2 scores, little more than 9 to go in the half, at the 33. A holding call makes it 1st and 20.
1/20 - Morris for 3.
2/17 - Griese finds young Freddie Solomon - it's a 28 yard pick up, first down for Miami at their own 48.
1/10 - Notthingham busts a 12 yarder - Miami is at the Oakland 40.
That's it - Tom Keating with Oakland's 4th sack, Griese has been sacked 4 times, fumbled, and thrown a pick six.
5 minutes left in the half, Oakland ball at the 28.
3 and out.
3 minutes left in the half, Miami at the 25.
On third down - Griese throws ANOTHER INTERCEPTION -- it's Kent McCloughan - McCloughan knocked out of bounds at the Miami 19! The Raider defense just throttling Miami today. 4 sacks, a fumble, 2 picks.
Oakland can't advance the ball, a little more than a minute left and Blanda makes it 20-3.
Great Solomon return, Miami starts at their own 45.
3 and out. There's still 46 seconds left, Oakland at their own 35.
1/10 - Lamonica finds Billy Cannon, 9 yards and he's out of bounds.
2/1 - Dixon on the draw - Dixon rumbling for 15 to the Miami 41, Oakland stops the clock at 29 seconds left.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Lamonica in trouble, has to run, gets a few yards and is out of bounds, 17 seconds left, Raiders at the 38.
3/7 - Lamonica -- Looking to the End Zone -- Fred Biletnikoff -- HE'S GOT IT IN THE CORNER OF THE END ZONE -- TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS -- Oakland just pouring it on now -- 24 2nd quarter points -- a 38 yard scoring strike from Lamonica to Biletnikoff -- that's going to end the half - Raiders blistering 2nd qtr.
3rd Qtr: Raiders 27 Dolphins 3
This is probably done, the Oakland defense just all over Griese, you wonder if Shula will turn to the bench.
Miami at the 29. 41 year old Earl Morrall coming off the bench
1/10 - Morris 2 yards.
2/8 - Morrall finds Howard Twilley, 16 yards.
1/10 - Nottingham 3.
2/7 - Morris 2.
3/5 - Morrall finds Nat Moore - 17 yards and Miami is at the Oakland 31.
1/10 - 4 for Nottingham
2/6 - Morrall is PICKED OFF - by Willie Brown -- Brown with his second interception of the day, Morrall picked off - that's 4 turnovers - Brown down at the Raider 25.
1/10 - Dixon nothing.
2/10 - a defensive holding gives Oakland a first down
1/10 - 3 for Daniels
2/7 - Pete Banaszak's first carry, he goes for 3 and an offsides on the next play makes it a first down at the 41.
1/10 - 16 for Dixon. Big Hewritt Dixon game.
1/10 - 8 for Daniels, Raiders at the Miami 35.
2/2 - Dixon -- Dixon -- an enormous hole - Dixon is Gonna Rumble -- Dixon is Gonna Rumble 35 yards for the score -- TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS -- Oakland just blasting away at an outmatched Miami team. It is 34-3.
Miami at the 24. Griese comes back to the field. This is just a matter of the final score now.
1/10 - Nottingham loses a yard.
2/11 - It's the fifth Raider sack, Gus Otto gets that one.
3/16 - Griese goes over the top - finding a streaking Freddie Solomon -- it's a 56 yard bomb from Griese, Solomon all the way to the Raider 27 yard line. A false start on the next play makes it 1st and 15.
1/15 - 2 for Morris.
2/13 - Morris gets 13, it's a first down at the 17.
1/10 - Griese finds Norm Bulaich - 15 yards and Miami is at the 2.
1/goal - Morris is into the endzone -- TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS- Miami's attempt at a 2 pt conversion fails and it is 34-9.
Raiders at the 31.
Quick 3 and out - and then Freddie Solomon takes the punt back all the way to the Raider 24. Big punt return for young Solomon, right after his big catch.
1/10 - Bulaich gets 2.
2/8 - Mercury Morris bursts through the line -- and Morris is going to gallup Into the End Zone --- TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS --Bang, Bang - Miami with two quick late third quarter scores, and it is 34-16.
Raiders at the 14, Dixon 4 yard run and the qtr ends.
4th Qtr: Raiders 34 Dolphins 16
A tiny glimmer of hope, Miami with 2 quick Mercury Morris scores, they still trail by 18.
2/6 - Banaszak picks it up.
1/10 - 2 for Dixon
2/8 - Lamonica finds Daniels out of the backfield, 34 yards and Oakland is at the Miami 40 yard line.
It ends, Vern Den Herder with a sack and the Raiders punt - Miami takes over at the 31, after a shanked punt, a little more than 11 to go.
4 downs and out. Oakland gets the ball back at the Dolphin 39, 10 minutes left.
1/10 - Lamonica flips to Dixon, 11 yards.
1/10 - 2 for Daniels.
2/8 - Doug Swift sacks Lamonica.
3/13 - Lamonnica downfield -- big strike to Biletnikoff -- all the way to the Miami 21
That's it - 6 and a half minutes left, Blanda FG makes it 37-16.
Miami starts at the 19 - they pick up 3 first downs over the next 3 minutes but turn it over on downs.
The Raiders never give the ball up again and it's a final.
Final: Raiders 37 Dolphins 16
Those 24 second quarter points was all Oakland needed - 5 sacks, 3 picks, a fumble recovery and Oakland rolls.
Lamonica: 8 for 14, 113 yds, TD/INT
Griese: 7 for 26, 168 yds 2 INT
Dixon: 16 carries, 143 yds, 2 TD
Morris: 17 carries, 68 yds 2 TD
Biletnikoff: 3 ctches, 48 yds TD
Solomon: 3 catches, 88 yds
Brown: 2 int, TD
Player of the Game: Willie Brown
