Here at the Raider Ramble, we’re publishing a special string of articles to help many of the new fans in Las Vegas familiarize themselves with the Raiders and their history.
In this installment, we take a look back at the Raiders’ first Super Bowl win. After years of struggle, they finally got over the hump in 1976 when they beat the Vikings. At the time, one of the greatest coaches of all time, John Madden, led the team. Tom Flores, another future championship-winning coach was on that staff and oversaw the wide receiver corps.
Related: HOF says no to Tom Flores again
While already considered a good team during the 1970s, finally winning the big one cemented the Raiders place as a legendary squad. They took their place in the Mt. Rushmore of NFL teams of that decade alongside the Steelers, Cowboys, and Dolphins.
Kicking off our 32 day countdown to the #NFLDraft w/ this film from the @RAIDERS 1976 champion season. OAK won its first SB 32-14#32Days pic.twitter.com/Tact5kIQPz
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) March 26, 2017
This was truly the “Golden Age” of the Raiders with a team that had a plethora of future legends such as Fred Biletnikoff, Gene Upshaw, Ted Hendricks, and of course, Madden.
The Big One
As for the game itself, Biletnikoff’s efforts led the team to victory. He caught four passes from quarterback Ken Stabler for 79 yards while running back Clarence Davis rushed for 137 yards on 16 carries. Defensively, future Hall of Famer Willie Brown had one of his greatest games individually as he set several records, including most interception yards in a game with 75 yards and longest interception return with the identical number mentioned.
Being the sole Super Bowl victory on Madden’s resume and the moment that team finally “got over the hump” in the NFL, it will forever remain a key moment in the Silver and Black’s lore.
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*Top Photo: Robert Riger/Getty Images
