And now we run into one of the limitations of the Getting Dynastic series, as we consider a team that I had not considered when I was contemplating this series, and whose championships were spread over two cities, two head coaches, and two starting quarterbacks
Categories
Rings
The Raiders won Super Bowls in 1977, 1981, and 1985, barely keeping alive qualifying for this column. Sill, 3 > 2 (10/20)
Non-Championship Years
The Raiders didn’t qualify for any other Super Bowls during this time frame. Their last two victories were the only exceptions to a period of NFC dominance that began after the Steelers 1970s dynasty. They had lost the second Super Bowl as a member of the AFL, and were victimized in by the Immaculate Reception that launched the Steelers dynasty. They were consistent contenders throughout this time. (8/10)
Peak Performance
The 1976 team went 13-1 and won the Super Bowl 32-14 over the Vikings. Until researching, I did not know this was a 1 loss team.
The 1981 victory marked the first Super Bowl win by a Wild Card team. (8/10)
Star Power
As mentioned, the Raiders had two different quarterbacks during this run, Ken Stabler, who is now in the Hall of Fame, and Jim Plunkett, who salvaged what had been a disappointing career after being a #1 overall pick. Other notable players on some of these teams were Cliff Branch, Fred Biletnikoff, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, John Matuzak, Jack Tatum, Lester Hayes, Lyle Alzado, Mike Haynes, Marcus Allen, Todd Christensen, Howie Long, and punter Ray Guy.
But the real star was probably the Raiders general brand as a rule-pushing band of “Just Win Baby” misfits. (6/10)
Coaching / Innovation
The Raiders were led by John Madden, who is a legend in large part for his announcing career, and Tom Flores, who was considered a solid coach.
As mentioned, the Raiders weren’t really responsible for any great tactical innovations, but more their culture of pushing the rules, for which owner Al Davis more more responsible than anyone. (3/5)
Legacy
Even after a subsequent move back to Oakland, and then to Las Vegas, the term “Raiders” still brings about a certain vision of doing whatever it take to win. Madden went on to be the most beloved NFL announcer, and while the team faded from contention, they did maintain this aura. (4/5)
The Competition
The opponents for the Raiders Super Bowl victories, were the Vikings losing the last of their four Super Bowls, and Eagles team in their one Super Bowl of the era, and the Redskins* attempting to defend their title. They also contended with the Steelers dynasty, and a consistently strong Dolphins team. (4/5)
Achilles Heel
These teams were in general pretty balanced. They were not terribly consistent, but seemed capable of putting it together when an opportunity arose. (3/5)
Bias Check
I don’t remember much about these teams as their first championship was when I was two years old. Their second Super Bowl victory was against my hometown Eagles, but I barely remember that game (+2)
Summary
48 points. Lowest score so far, which should not be surprising, given that I don’t think anyone considered them a dynasty at the time or since. Probably more of a “default champion,” a concept I’ll expand on later. The legend of the “Raiders” was forged before they started winning championships, and were held back by the Dolphins and Steelers.
* I’m glad the Washington NFL franchise changed its name to the Commanders, as the Redskins name was pretty much a slur. But I think referring to them from this era in any other way would be more awkward and confusing than anything else.
I used Gemeni to assist with the research, which in its current state produced some factual errors.