When coach John Madden’s Oakland Raiders arrived on the Rose Bowl for the Astronomical Bowl in 1977, the toughest phase of the job used to be already done.
After years of falling looking out the title sport with crushing playoff losses to opponents like Miami and Pittsburgh, the Raiders made straightforward work of the Minnesota Vikings in a 32-14 victory Jan. 9, 1977, that made all of owner Al Davis’ boasts about a hit and excellence point to factual.
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“They may be able to never utilize it a long way from you,” Madden said later about that Astronomical Bowl bewitch that used to be the defining 2nd of his instructing occupation. “Perchance the reality that we chased it so long made it better to us. It used to be the ideal feeling on the planet. There’s nothing that can presumably beat it.”
For Davis’ Raiders, the drag to the title used to be a protracted one. Oakland had lost Astronomical Bowl 2 to Vince Lombardi’s Packers with John Rauch as coach sooner than failing six times in the next eight seasons with a berth in a single more Astronomical Bowl on the line.
There used to be a blown fourth-quarter end result in Joe Namath’s Jets in 1968; a house loss to the Chiefs after a authorized season sweep of Kansas Metropolis in 1969; losses to Baltimore (1970), Miami (1973) and , in motivate-to-motivate seasons to the hated Steelers in (1974-75). No longer to point out the “Immaculate Deception” loss, as Raider Nation has known because it, in the divisional spherical in 1972.
So after they got past the Steelers 24-7 in the AFC title sport two weeks earlier in 1977, there used to be no manner the NFC’s perennial heartbreak group might presumably plunge them.
“We had more challenging games in the AFC than we had as of late,” Madden said after the Astronomical Bowl. “We had loads of opportunities to search others coast to the Astronomical Bowl and we did no longer need the ambiance to upset our concentration. We had a correct week, we enjoyed it and a hit this sport is a ideal pause to a ideal season.”
That version of the Raiders can had been the best ever for a franchise that had decades of success till its recent struggles. They went 16-1, shedding easiest a Week 4 sport to Fresh England, and gained seven of their final eight games by double digits.
Put collectively by Hall of Famer Davis, these Raiders featured a Hall of Reputation coach in Madden and eight avid gamers inducted in Canton: Ken Stabler, Gene U.s., Art Shell, Willie Brown, Fred Biletnikoff, Dave Casper, Ted Hendricks and Ray Guy.
PASADENA, CA- JANUARY 9: Head Coach John Madden of the Oakland Raiders gets carried off the discipline by his avid gamers Ted Hendricks #83 and John Matuszak #72 after they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Astronomical Bowl XI on January 9, 1977 on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Raiders gained the Astronomical Bowl 32 -14.
(Portray by Focal point on Sport/Getty Photos)
Hall of Reputation coach Tom Flores used to be also an assistant on that group and receiver Cliff Department might presumably join these getting the appreciate later this twelve months.
With expertise like that, the Vikings were no match in the first NFL sport played on the faded Rose Bowl.
“We knew by Wednesday we were going to bewitch,” linebacker Phil Villapiano said after the sport. “The most effective laborious phase from then on used to be awaiting the sport.”
After surviving an early blocked punt, the Raiders dominated the sport. They characteristic a Astronomical Bowl file on the time with 429 yards of offense, Clarence Davis running for 137 yards in the motivate of Shell and U.s.; Pete Banaszak speeding for 2 rankings; Stabler throwing a TD pass; and MVP Biletnikoff establishing two TDs with four catches for 79 yards.
Brown, phase of the shedding group in the Raiders’ first Astronomical Bowl look, iced it with a 75-yard interception return for a receive.
“A hit this sport develop up for the many Raiders who came sooner than and didn’t delight in a probability to participate on a a hit Astronomical Bowl group,” he said later. “This victory supposed no longer easiest loads to me, it supposed loads to the whole Raider group.”
The victory allowed Madden to retire two years later as a champion. Flores took over and led the Raiders to 2 extra titles in the 1980s, cementing the Raiders’ legacy.
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While the victory ended years of heartbreak for the Raiders, it used to be correct one more missed different for the Vikings. Minnesota had lost three Astronomical Bowls sooner than this sport, shedding in 1970 to the Chiefs, 1974 to the Dolphins and 1975 to the Steelers.
“Most of us never bag right here,” running motivate Chuck Foreman said after the sport. “I make no longer know if we are going to bag one more likelihood. Whenever you bag right here as again and again as we’ve and also that you just can no longer bewitch, what are you able to say?”
The title that eluded the Vikings that day clean hasn’t advance to Minnesota. The franchise hasn’t even made it motivate to that stage, shedding six NFC title games since then, at the side of two in excruciating vogue to Atlanta following the 1998 season and Fresh Orleans following the 2009 season.
