Look at the starting defense! on the left. Great team.
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I know a lot will laugh about this one, but the 1981 Super Bowl winners Oakland Raiders.
They were the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl and beat some damn good teams in the playoffs to get to the Super Bowl.
In the Wild Card Round Houston with Earl Campbell had the lead on the Raiders after the first quarter 7-3 before the Raiders went on to win 27-7.
In the Divisional Round Oakland had to play at the Central Division winners Cleveland. It was 4 degrees outside and no one gave Oakland a chance travelling back East and playing in that weather. Once again the Raiders trailed 6-0 before coming back to win 14-12 with a TD in the 4th quarter. This was a game Oakland likely should've lost. Sipe was intercepted in the end zone with 41 seconds left and I bet the coach is still kicking himself for not trying the FG to win the game. The Cleveland kicker had missed a few including the blocked extra point on their only TD in the second quarter. Thing is the kicker made 2 FG's in the 3rd to put Cleveland up 12-7 headed to the 4th. This was likely Sipe's worst game ever in his career going 13 for 40 for 183 yards and 3 INT's
In the Conference Title, Oakland had to play at San Diego with Dan Fouts as their QB. Good thing for Oakland they scored 21 in the first and held on to win 34-27.
Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl over Philadelphia 27-10 and Philadelphia was the NFC East Champs. Oakland jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first and never looked back.
Oakland beat the 5 seed in the Wild Card then the 2 seed in Cleveland and the 1 seed in San Diego. Philadelphia was the 2 seed in the NFL and beat Dallas who beat the #1 seed Atlanta Falcons in probably one of the greatest playoff games of all time.
What also made this so special was it was right after the Iran hostage crisis. So there was a lot of celebration and emotion across the country.
Here's why I like this one so much.
Jim Plunkett was the QB, he started the season as the backup behind Dan Pastorini. Plunkett threw a total of 15 passed the prior two years and was the bench warmer the whole time. He came to Oakland as a free agent and was considered washed up and done for his career. The Raiders had no big name running back, sorry but Marc Van Eeghen and Kenny King doesn't cut it for me. Cliff Branch was their best wide receiver.
If it wasn't for their defense which had 3 future HOF in Shell, Upshaw and Hendricks. Lester Hayes as the ball hawk and get this a rookie by the name of Matt Millen. We won't even start to talk about the first minority coach in Tom Flores to win a Super Bowl.
While other teams that have been mentioned or will be mentioned had some kind of dominant offense or defense, Oakland did it the hard way with a lack of big names on offense, played on the road except the wild card and was the underdog in every game after the wild card. They did something for the first time that had never been done before.
They were the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl and beat some damn good teams in the playoffs to get to the Super Bowl.
In the Wild Card Round Houston with Earl Campbell had the lead on the Raiders after the first quarter 7-3 before the Raiders went on to win 27-7.
In the Divisional Round Oakland had to play at the Central Division winners Cleveland. It was 4 degrees outside and no one gave Oakland a chance travelling back East and playing in that weather. Once again the Raiders trailed 6-0 before coming back to win 14-12 with a TD in the 4th quarter. This was a game Oakland likely should've lost. Sipe was intercepted in the end zone with 41 seconds left and I bet the coach is still kicking himself for not trying the FG to win the game. The Cleveland kicker had missed a few including the blocked extra point on their only TD in the second quarter. Thing is the kicker made 2 FG's in the 3rd to put Cleveland up 12-7 headed to the 4th. This was likely Sipe's worst game ever in his career going 13 for 40 for 183 yards and 3 INT's
In the Conference Title, Oakland had to play at San Diego with Dan Fouts as their QB. Good thing for Oakland they scored 21 in the first and held on to win 34-27.
Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl over Philadelphia 27-10 and Philadelphia was the NFC East Champs. Oakland jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first and never looked back.
Oakland beat the 5 seed in the Wild Card then the 2 seed in Cleveland and the 1 seed in San Diego. Philadelphia was the 2 seed in the NFL and beat Dallas who beat the #1 seed Atlanta Falcons in probably one of the greatest playoff games of all time.
What also made this so special was it was right after the Iran hostage crisis. So there was a lot of celebration and emotion across the country.
Here's why I like this one so much.
Jim Plunkett was the QB, he started the season as the backup behind Dan Pastorini. Plunkett threw a total of 15 passed the prior two years and was the bench warmer the whole time. He came to Oakland as a free agent and was considered washed up and done for his career. The Raiders had no big name running back, sorry but Marc Van Eeghen and Kenny King doesn't cut it for me. Cliff Branch was their best wide receiver.
If it wasn't for their defense which had 3 future HOF in Shell, Upshaw and Hendricks. Lester Hayes as the ball hawk and get this a rookie by the name of Matt Millen. We won't even start to talk about the first minority coach in Tom Flores to win a Super Bowl.
While other teams that have been mentioned or will be mentioned had some kind of dominant offense or defense, Oakland did it the hard way with a lack of big names on offense, played on the road except the wild card and was the underdog in every game after the wild card. They did something for the first time that had never been done before.
First team that popped into my head was the 85 Bears. Their defense was a complete freak show. The Bears and Steeler teams with Bradshaw & Co would have been the meanest football game ever played if it could have ever happened. Football today is like a Miss Manners politeness class compared to what I am watching on Sunday's today.
85 Bears....that defense was nasty. Two shutouts in playoffs, allowed 7 yards rushing in super bowl, recorded 7 sacks, held Pats to -19 yards in 1st half. Remember seeing stat that Grogan was hit/knocked down on 27 of 30 pass attempts. They were ahead of their time, the 46 had QB's literally shitting their pants.
