(Yes, I know it's been a while, but I've been re-energized watching the playoffs, and I want to get this thing going once again.)
AFC Divisional Playoffs
Oakland Raiders (13-1) vs.
New England Patriots (11-3)
Oakland-Alameda Stadium, Oakland, CA
After two straight defeats at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship, the Oakland Raiders came out in 1976 and put together one of the most dominating seasons in recent memory. With a record of 13-1 and a win over the Steelers in the regular season, the Raiders felt like they could not be beaten. However, when it came to the playoffs, they had to face the one team that defeated them in the regular season, as Steve Grogan, Sam Cunningham and the New England Patriots made their way to Oakland with an upset on their minds.
While the Raiders had the edge in postseason experience, New England was making its first appearance in the Super Bowl era, and the nervousness showed on their first possession. After a 24 yard run and catch by Cunningham, Grogan completely misread the Oakland defense, and fired an interception into Ted Hendricks' waiting arms. However, the Raiders could not avoid the turnover bug, and on their second play, Mark Van Eeghen fumbled the ball back to New England. This time, the Patriots would hold onto the ball, and John Smith put the first three points on the board with a 31 yard field goal.
Oakland ended the first quarter driving downfield, and on the second play of the second quarter, Ken Stabler finished the drive off with a touchdown pass to Cliff Branch. However, Fred Steinfort slipped on the extra point and the kick sailed wide, leaving the score just 6-3 early in the second quarter. From there, the Oakland defense began to clamp down on the Patriots. Steve Grogan could find very few open receivers, and Cunningham and secondary running back Andy Johnson could not find holes in the defensive front to get through. Only Fred Biletnikoff's fumble on the Patriot two yard line kept the score close in the second quarter, as Oakland marched down the field on their next possession and scored on a 28 yard run from Clarence Davis. Even when New England was able to move the ball, they could not capitalize, as John Smith missed a 42 yard field goal at the end of the first half to keep the score 13-3 at the break.
When the second half started, it was clear that New England was not ready to roll over and die quite yet. After forcing the Raiders to punt on their first possession, the Patriots returned the kick to the Oakland twelve yard line. Sam Cunningham put the ball in the end zone on the first play, and the score was now 13-10. After another Oakland punt on their next possession, the Patriots came out on fire once more. Grogan was now hitting the passes he missed in the first half, and when Cunningham broke off a 28 yard run to put New England at the Oakland 30, you could hear a pin drop in the crowd. Smith added his second field goal of the game, and all of a sudden, it was a 13-13 score heading into the fourth quarter.
The final quarter started with a New England punt, and it appeared as if Oakland had finally regained the edge they had in the first 30 minutes of football. The running game was finally working again, and both Clarence Davis and Mark Van Eeghen were once again bursting through the line and taking time off the clock. Oakland used the first five minutes of the quarter to get into field goal range, and Steinfort's 36 yard kick put them back on top 16-13. The Patriots once again punted on their next drive, and Davis then broke off a 62 yard run for the Raiders, putting them in range for another Steinfort kick. This time, a 46 yard kick sailed through the uprights, putting Oakland up by six, but there was still enough time for one more Patriot drive.
With the clock now firmly against them, and in hostile territory, the Patriots needed to put together one final touchdown drive. They continued to stay faithful on the ground though, and it worked for a couple of plays, as Cunningham and Johnson were once again able to find holes in the Oakland defense. When Grogan had to pass, his receivers were open enough to gain positive yards, and with just one minute to go, the Patriots were at the Oakland 22 yard line. However, two straight incompletions after a nine yard reception left New England staring at a fourth and one. Oakland brought pressure, and Grogan was stopped inches short of a first down, giving the Raiders the win and a third straight trip to the AFC Championship game.
Final Score: Oakland-19 New England-13
Real Life Score: Oakland-24 New England-21
Baltimore Colts (11-3) vs.
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD
The 1976 season was not an especially kind one to the two time defending Super Bowl champion Steelers. Not only was quarterback Terry Bradshaw quite inconsistant, but they got off to a 1-4 start before winning nine straight games to close out the year, and win the AFC Central division via a tiebreaker against the Cincinnati Bengals. They did have two 1,000 yard rushers in Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, and their defense was superb, allowing just 9.9 points per game. Of course, the Baltimore Colts would be a tough task for Pittsburgh. Not only did they have Bert Jones at quarterback, but they also had Lydell Mitchell running the ball, and Roger Carr receiving it to give the Colts the highest scoring offense in all of football.
On the first drive of the game, it appeared as if Baltimore's offense would have the edge over Pittsburgh's defense. The Colts marched down the field on an eight and a half minute drive to start the game, but it was for nothing, as Toni Linhart pushed a 47 yard field goal to the right, keeping the Colts off the board. It did not take long for Pittsburgh to respond, as Bradshaw found Bleier twice out of the backfield for gains of 17 and 28 yards to get the Steelers to the Baltimore eight yard line. From there, Lynn Swann did the rest, catching Bradshaw's pass in the end zone to give Pittsburgh the early 7-0 lead. Baltimore's next drive ended in a 26 yard field goal, and from that point on in the first half, the defenses took over the game. Neither team would score again in the half, with Pittsburgh coming the closest before Fred Cook intercepted Bradshawn in the end zone with a minute and a half to go in the half.
When the second half started, Pittsburgh took the momentum they had from that late second quarter drive and ran with it. Using their two headed running attack of Harris and Bleier, the Steelers marched down the field. Bradshaw threw just one pass on the entire drive, and though it didn't result in a touchdown, Roy Gerela did add a 33 yard field goal to give the Steelers a 10-3 lead. While Pittsburgh was able to move the ball on the ground, the Colts were having no such luck, as Lydell Mitchell was being stopped on every carry he got. Bert Jones was having very little luck as well, as the Steelers' defense was burying the Colts quarterback in a sea of black and gold. The Colts punted the only time they had the ball in the third quarter, and Pittsburgh then set out on a backbreaking drive. In 14 plays, they marched down the field. Harris and Bleier did most of the damage, and Bradshaw needed just three passes on the entire drive. One was to Bleier for two yards, another was to John Stallworth for 18 yards and the third was a four yard touchdown to Swann on the first play of the fourth quarter that put the Steelers up 17-3. After that, there was no doubt who would win on this day.
Baltimore tried to make a comeback, but against the Steelers and their defense it was impossible. Pittsburgh would have one more long drive, and this one would end with a Bleier 16 yard touchdown run against an exhausted Colts defense. The Colts would get into Pittsburgh territory just once in the entire fourth quarter, and nothing would come of it. Once again, the Steelers were set to face the Oakland Raiders for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Final Score: Pittsburgh-24 Baltimore-3
Real Life Score: Pittsburgh-40 Baltimore-14
AFC Championship Game
Oakland-Alameda Stadium, Oakland, CA
Oakland Raiders (13-1) vs.
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
For the third straight season, the Oakland Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers were meeting in the AFC Championship. The last two years, Pittsburgh had gotten the better of Oakland, but most people believed this year would be different. Oakland had the better record, the home field advantage, and Ken Stabler at quarterback. Pittsburgh did have Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, as well as the most dominant defense in the NFL, but Oakland still believed that on this day, they would finally stand victorious over the Steelers.
As the game started, it appeared as if those beliefs were justified. On the first play of the game, Mark Van Eeghen rushed for 50 yards into the very heart of Pittsburgh's defense. Three plays later, Stabler found Clarence Davis in the corner of the end zone, and Oakland had an early 7-0 lead. The lead would not last long, as Rocky Bleier found a seam in the Oakland defense, and countered their touchdown with a 52 yard score of his own. The extra point made it 7-7, and it appeared as if the crowd in Oakland was in for a fight today. Oakland was forced to punt on their next possession, and Pittsburgh started marching right down the field again. Harris and Bleier led the way, and Bradshaw found Lynn Swann twice on the drive for 30 total yards. Roy Gerela added a 23 yard field goal to cap the 11 play, six and a half minute drive, and the Steelers had the lead heading into the second quarter.
As the second quarter got underway, both teams began to settle into a defensive rhythm. Neither team could move the ball well at all, and both Bradshaw and Stabler were struggling under the constant pressure both teams were bringing. It stayed that way until late in the quarter, when Dave Casper coughed up the football after a reception. Jack Ham fell on the ball at the Oakland 32, giving the Steelers a chance for more points right before halftime. The Steelers got the ball inside the ten, but appeared to be stopped before a roughing the passer penalty on third and goal gave them new life. On the very next play, Franco Harris found the end zone, and Pittsburgh took a 17-7 lead. However, Oakland was not done on the half, as the Steeler defense seemingly quit on a Van Eeghen draw, allowing him to gain 49 yards and putting the Raiders into Fred Steinfort's range. Sure enough, his 43 yard attempt sailed through the uprights as time expired, and the Pittsburgh lead was now 17-10.
The momentum that Oakland had going into the locker room carried over as the third quarter started. On the very first play of the half, Bradshaw was intercepted by Monte Johnson, giving the Raiders a chance to tie the game early in the half. However, they had to settle for a second Fred Steinfort field goal that cut the score to 17-13. They would not see the ball on offense again for a long time, as Bradshaw made ammends for his interception by passing the Steelers down the field on a 14 play, eight minute drive. Oakland had decided to stop the Pittsburgh running attack by lining up eight men near the line of scrimmage. Bradshaw saw this, and began having his receivers run routes across the now open middle of the field. By the time Oakland reacted, Pittsburgh was back in their running game, and Bleier capped the drive with an 8 yard touchdown run to make the score 24-13.
From that point on, the Steelers dominated the Raiders in every aspect of the game. Oakland would cross the fifty yard line just once more the entire game, and Pittsburgh would use their running attack to its fullest as they used up precious time on each drive. A 9 play, six minute drive would end with another Gerela field goal, and when Oakland got the ball on offense, Stabler could not find anyone to throw to. He finished the game 13 of 27 passing, and the Raiders were booed off their own field as the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to their third straight Super Bowl, leaving the Raiders as bridesmaids once again.
Final Score: Pittsburgh-27 Oakland-13
Real Life Score: Oakland-24 Pittsburgh-7