NBC Sports: NFL 1980-Super Bowl-Oakland Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports-

Source:The New Democrat

Super Bowl 15, was a very interesting matchup between two very good football teams. The 1980 Raiders, perhaps one of the most talented teams on both sides of the ball to ever play in the Super Bowl. The 1980 Eagles, were very good, perhaps not deep in great talent, but with a lot of good players. The 1980 Raiders, might be the best 11-5 team that has ever played. They were 2-3 at one point that season and at around 500 at the half point of the season. Jim Plunkett, wasn’t their starting quarterback going into the season. Dan Pastorini, was their quarterback going into the season and got off to a bad start, as did the Raiders. And was replaced by Plunkett and the Raiders started to put it together and almost won the AFC West.

The Eagles, were already good in 78 and 79, making the NFC Playoffs both seasons. And saw 1980 as their season to step up and make a run at the Super Bowl. Especially with the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams both slipping and the Minnesota Vikings no longer a Super Bowl contender. The Redskins, struggling in the NFC East and hadn’t made the playoffs since 1976. 1980, was seen as the year for the Eagles, if they got past the Cowboys and won the NFC East. Which was a big goal of there’s. Win the East so they don’t have to play in the NFC Wildcard and win the NFC Divisional to get to the NFC Final. And Head Coach Dick Vermeil, put together a very tough physical blue-collar team. That played great defense and ran the ball real well and could throw the ball to keep defenses balanced.

I think this was a matchup of two of the toughest teams to ever play in the Super Bowl. That had great coaching and character and didn’t expect anyone to give them anything and worked very hard for everything that they accomplished. And they met in the Super Bowl, but I think there were several differences in this game that all favored the Raiders. Not just Super Bowl experience, but experience winning the Super Bowl. Twelve Raiders, were on the 1976 Raiders Super Bowl team. The Raiders also had more weapons on offense and could kill you with the pass and run. And the Raiders defense could take away the Eagles strength which was their power running and make them throw more than they wanted to. And throw when they didn’t want to and you see these differences in this game.

NBC Sports: NFL 1980-AFC Divisional- Oakland Raiders @ Cleveland Browns: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports- the Browns & Raiders in this 1980 AFC Divisional Playoff.

Source:The New Democrat

“1980 WK 18 AFC Division Playoff Oakland Raiders (12-5) @ Cleveland Browns (11-5) Red Right 88”

From J Philly

I think this is the play where the Browns miss a key extra point, that had an affect on the outcome of the game. The weather was horrible (even for Cleveland) in this game, so you can't completely blame the kicker for this miss.

Source:NBC Sports- The Oakland Raiders, meeting the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in January, 1981, for their AFC Divisional Playoff.

Especially if you consider the playing conditions of this playoff game between the Raiders and Browns, this is one of the best playoff games of all-time in NFL history.

Cleveland, Ohio just from Lake Erie in January with snow on the ground, even though it didn’t snow in this game, frigid conditions, Cleveland Municipal Stadium that wasn’t just an outdoor stadium, but an open air stadium as well, where the lake was just off of the stadium and the end zone by the lake only had one deck of seats, so there wasn’t any protection from that part of the field from the cold air and wind, so you literally felt the frigid wind coming off of the lake in that stadium from that end zone.

Because of the weather this game was a defensive oriented ball control power run short throwing football game. And even though the Raiders were the road team and from Oakland and Northern California and the Browns we’re the home team from Cleveland, the style of football for this game favored the Raiders.

The Raiders were a big, strong, physical, team on both sides of the ball. That ran the ball and stuffed the run. Attacked the quarterback and protected the quarterback. The Browns were a finesse pass first team that was questionable on defense and prone to getting beat by big physical teams that ran the ball very well.

The Browns of the late 1970s were called the Cardiac Kids for a very good reason: even though they were a good football team back then and had pretty if not very good players on both sides of the ball, they weren’t great back then. And didn’t overwhelm good teams because of how good they were.

The Browns didn’t blow good teams out because they gave up a lot of yards and sometimes points as well. And we’re also behind a lot late in games and having to come back. The Raiders on the other hand when they were in the playoffs, they tended to win and hammer their opponents and put them away convincingly.

NBC Sports: NFL 1977-AFC Final-Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

With all due respect to the 1977 Denver Broncos, even though this game was played in Denver, this is one of the biggest upsets in NFC conference final history. If you look at the two teams and the two squads, the Raiders clearly had a better team man for man and as far as talent. The Broncos might not even had a single Pro Bowler on offense. The Raiders had four Hall of Famers on offense alone. OT Art Shell, OG Gene Upshaw, WR Fred Biletnikoff and TE Dave Casper. Arguably and I believe the best all around TE of all-time. The Raiders should have at least two other Hall of Famers on offense. QB Ken Stabler and WR Cliff Branch.

What the Broncos had in 1977 and really all the way even perhaps through the Dan Reeves era in the 1980s, but defensively not as good, was a great defense. Especially their linebackers, in Randy Gradishar, who should be in the Hall of Fame. Tom Jackson, Bob Swenson and Joe Rizzo. And Pro Bowler DL Paul Smith, Barney Chavous, Pro Bowler Lyle Alzado, who should probably get consideration for the Hall of Fame. NT Rubin Carter, who was a stud in the middle. Which you must have in order to play a 3-4. Louis Wright and Steve Foley in the secondary. They didn’t need a lot of talent on offense, because they didn’t need to score a lot of points. They only gave up ten points a game.

Going into this game, you would have to think the Raiders simply because they had a very good if not great all around team and the defending Super Bowl champions, would be the clear favorite in this game. Great quarterback, the best offensive line in football, great running game with Mark Van Egan and Clarence Davis. Great receivers and one of the best defenses in the NFL. That this would be the year we finally got to see the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Which would’ve been a classic in 1977, but the Broncos defense could shut anyone down. And then score enough points to win the game. And you can see it for yourself.