1977 Oakland Raiders season


The 1977 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 18th season overall, and 8th season since joining the NFL. The Raiders entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champions. The team could not match its 13–1 record from 1976 and finished 11–3, which was only good enough for second place in the AFC West next to the Denver Broncos, who won 12 games.
The Raiders reached the AFC Championship Game for the fifth consecutive season, and their sixth in eight years. They lost the AFC Championship, however, to the division rival Denver Broncos. This marked the seventh time in ten seasons that the Raiders' season ended one game short of the Super Bowl. They did not return to the AFC Championship for the next two seasons.
The 1977 Raiders set a professional football record with 681 rushing attempts. Fullback Mark van Eeghen 324 times for 1273 yards, and running back Clarence Davis ran 194 times for 787 yards.

Offseason

NFL draft

RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
235Mike DavisDBColorado
256Ted McKnightRBMinnesota-Duluth
4112Mickey MarvinOGTennessee
5126Lester HayesDBTexas A&M
5139Jeff BarnesLBCalifornia
7190Rich MartiniWRCalifornia-Davis
8223Terry RobiskieRBLouisiana State
12317Rod MartinLBSouthern California
12334Rolf BenirschkePKCalifornia-Davis

Regular season

Results

Week 13

Oakland capitalizing on Minnesota mistakes, scored three times in the first 8 minutes and kept their hopes for a playoff berth alive. "We Got Stomped", Vikings coach Bud Grant said after his team had lost a total of five fumbles and had three passes intercepted. Ken Stabler threw three touchdown passes one to Carl Garrett for 2 yards, and two others to Cliff Branch from 32 and 10 yards. Mark Van Eeghan who rushed for 112 yards on 28 yards got the Raiders day going with a 2-yard touchdown run. While Willie Hall of Super Bowl XI fame scored a fumble recovery touchdown off a Tommy Kramer blunder.

Playoffs

Oakland made the playoffs as a wild card and won its divisional round game against the Baltimore Colts when Errol Mann tied the game with a late field goal, set up by a pass to tight end Dave Casper, a play known as the Ghost to the Post. In the second overtime, Casper caught another touchdown pass for the victory. The following week on New Year's Day, they lost the AFC Championship Game 20–17 in Denver.
RoundDateOpponentResultAttendance
DivisionalDecember 24at Baltimore ColtsW 37–312OT60,763
AFC ChampionshipJanuary 1at Denver BroncosL 17–2074,982

Statistics

Passing

PlayerCompAttYardsTDINT
Ken Stabler16929421762020

Receiving

PlayerRecYardsTD
Dave Casper485846
Cliff Branch335406
Fred Biletnikoff334465