NFL team season
The 1970 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 11th season in Oakland. It was also their first season as members of the NFL. The Raiders would ultimately win their fourth consecutive division title (as well as their first AFC West title). They advanced to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Baltimore Colts.
The Raiders' 1970 season is best remembered for a series of clutch performances by veteran placekicker/quarterback George Blanda. Blanda, despite being cut during the 1970 preseason, eventually re-joined the Raiders' roster. His ensuing season (the twenty-first of his professional career) ranked as one of the more dramatic comebacks in sports history. Over a span of five consecutive games, Blanda came off the bench to spark a series of dramatic rallies. The Raiders went an impressive 4–0–1 over this span.
Blanda's five-game "streak" began on October 25, 1970. In a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Blanda threw for two touchdowns in relief of an injured Daryle Lamonica. One week later, his 48-yard field goal (with three seconds remaining on the clock) salvaged a 17–17 tie with the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. One week later, on November 8, Blanda came off the bench against the Cleveland Browns. His late touchdown pass (with 1:34 remaining in the game) tied the game at 20–20. He ultimately kicked a 53-yard field goal, as time expired, to give the Raiders a stunning 23–20 victory. The following week, against the Denver Broncos, Blanda again replaced Lamonica in the fourth quarter. His touchdown pass to Fred Biletnikoff, with 2:28 left in the game, gave the Raiders an unlikely 24–19 win. The incredible streak concluded one week later against the San Diego Chargers. The Raiders managed to drive deep into Chargers territory in the game's final seconds. Blanda's last-minute 16-yard field goal sealed a dramatic 20–17 triumph.
Blanda's streak played a huge role in the Raiders' 1970 division title, as the team went a mediocre 4–4–1 in "non-streak" games. Indeed, their final record of 8–4–2 (itself a four-win drop from a 12–1–1 finish in 1969) placed them only one game ahead of the Chiefs at season's end.
The Raiders ultimately advanced to the 1970 AFC Championship Game, where they met the heavily favored 11–2–1 Baltimore Colts. During this game, Blanda again came off the bench in relief of an injured Lamonica. Blanda's solid play (17 of 32 passes for 217 yards, two touchdowns, and a 48-yard field goal) kept the Raiders in the game until the final quarter, when he was intercepted twice. At age 43, Blanda became the oldest quarterback to ever play in a championship game.
Blanda's eye-opening achievements resulted in his winning the Bert Bell Award. Chiefs' owner Lamar Hunt quipped that "...this George Blanda is as good as his father, who used to play for Houston." While he never again played a major role at quarterback, Blanda served as the Raiders' kicker for five more seasons.
Offseason
Draft
[1]
Roster
1970 Oakland Raiders roster |
| Quarterbacks Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends | | Offensive linemen Defensive linemen | | Linebackers Defensive backs Special teams | | Reserve lists
Practice squad Rookies in italics |
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
1 | September 20 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 21–31 | 0–1 | Riverfront Stadium | 56,616 | Recap |
2 | September 27 | at San Diego Chargers | T 27–27 | 0–1–1 | San Diego Stadium | 42,109 | Recap |
3 | October 3 | at Miami Dolphins | L 13–20 | 0–2–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 57,140 | Recap |
4 | October 11 | Denver Broncos | W 35–23 | 1–2–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,436 | Recap |
5 | October 19 | Washington Redskins | W 34–20 | 2–2–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,471 | Recap |
6 | October 25 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 31–14 | 3–2–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,423 | Recap |
7 | November 1 | at Kansas City Chiefs | T 17–17 | 3–2–2 | Municipal Stadium | 51,334 | Recap |
8 | November 8 | Cleveland Browns | W 23–20 | 4–2–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,463 | Recap |
9 | November 15 | at Denver Broncos | W 24–19 | 5–2–2 | Mile High Stadium | 50,959 | Recap |
10 | November 22 | San Diego Chargers | W 20–17 | 6–2–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,594 | Recap |
11 | November 26 | at Detroit Lions | L 14–28 | 6–3–2 | Tiger Stadium | 56,597 | Recap |
12 | December 6 | at New York Jets | W 14–13 | 7–3–2 | Shea Stadium | 62,905 | Recap |
13 | December 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–6 | 8–3–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,596 | Recap |
14 | December 20 | San Francisco 49ers | L 7–38 | 8–4–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,535 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Game summaries
Week 1 at Bengals
Week One: Oakland Raiders (0–0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0–0)
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: September 20, 1970
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 56,616
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information |
First quarter Second quarter - CIN – Essex Johnson 51-yard pass from Sam Wyche (Horst Muhlmann kick). Bengals 14–7. Drive:
Third quarter - CIN – Paul Robinson 3-yard run (Horst Muhlmann kick). Bengals 21–7. Drive:
- OAK – Fred Biletnikoff 18-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick). Bengals 21–14. Drive:
- OAK – Alvin Wyatt 63-yard punt return (George Blanda kick). Tie 21–21.
- CIN – Jess Phillips 76-yard run (Horst Muhlmann kick). Bengals 28–21. Drive:
Fourth quarter - CIN – Horst Muhlmann 38-yard field goal. Bengals 31–21. Drive:
| - Top passers
- Top rushers
- OAK – Charlie Smith – 8 rushes, 29 yards
- CIN – Jess Phillips – 15 rushes, 130 yards, TD
- Top receivers
| |
Week 2 at Chargers
Week 3 at Dolphins
Week 4 vs Broncos
Game information |
First quarter Second quarter - DEN – Mike Haffner 28 yard pass from Pete Liske (Bobby Howfield kick). Broncos 17–7. Drive:
- OAK – Warren Wells 32 yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick). Broncos 17–14. Drive:
- OAK – Warren Wells 60 yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick). Raiders 21–17. Drive:
Third quarter - DEN – Bobby Howfield 47 yard field goal. Raiders 21–20. Drive:
- DEN – Bobby Howfield 34 yard field goal. Broncos 23–21. Drive:
Fourth quarter - OAK – Warren Wells 20 yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick). Raiders 28–23. Drive:
- OAK – Charlie Smith 5 yard run (George Blanda kick). Raiders 35–23. Drive:
| - Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
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Week 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Redskins | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 | • Raiders | 14 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 34 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | OAK | Dixon 39 yard run (Blanda kick) | OAK 7–0 | | Q1 | | OAK | Wells 28 yard pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick) | OAK 14–0 | | Q1 | | WSH | Knight 14 yard field goal | OAK 14–3 | | Q2 | | OAK | Blanda 35 yard field goal | OAK 17–3 | | Q2 | | WSH | Knight 34 yard field goal | OAK 17–6 | | Q2 | | WSH | Taylor 39 yard pass from Jurgensen (Knight kick) | OAK 17–13 | | Q2 | | OAK | Blanda 21 yard field goal | OAK 20–13 | | Q3 | | OAK | Wells 24 yard pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick) | OAK 27–13 | | Q3 | | OAK | Smith 16 yard pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick) | OAK 34–13 | | Q4 | | WSH | Smith 23 yard pass from Jurgensen (Knight kick) | OAK 34–20 | |
[2]
Week 6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | • Raiders | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | OAK | Raymond Chester 37-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 7–0 | | 2 | | PIT | Preston Pearson 2-yard run (Gene Mingo kick) | Tie 7–7 | | 2 | | OAK | Warren Wells 44-yard pass from George Blanda (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 14–7 | | 2 | | OAK | George Blanda 27-yard field goal | Raiders 17–7 | | 2 | | OAK | Raymond Chester 19-yard pass from George Blanda (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 24–7 | | 3 | | PIT | Dennis Hughes 12-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gene Mingo kick) | Raiders 24–14 | | 3 | | OAK | Raymond Chester 34-yard pass from George Blanda (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 31–14 | |
[3]
Week 7 at Chiefs
Week Seven: Oakland Raiders (3–2–1) at Kansas City Chiefs (3–3)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 51,334
- Referee: Bob Finley
- Box Score
Game information |
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter - OAK – Raymond Chester 8-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick). Raiders 14–7. Drive:
- KC – Jan Stenerud 33-yard field goal. Raiders 14–10. Drive:
Fourth quarter - KC – Otis Taylor 13-yard pass from Len Dawson (Jan Stenerud kick). Chiefs 17–14. Drive:
- OAK – George Blanda 40-yard field goal. Tie 17–17. Drive:
| - Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
| |
Ben Davidson speared Len Dawson causing a massive brawl between the two teams.
Week 8
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Browns | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 | • Raiders | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 | |
|
Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | OAK | George Blanda 43-yard field goal | Raiders 3–0 | | 2 | | OAK | Charlie Smith 27-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick) | Raiders 10–0 | | 2 | | OAK | George Blanda 9-yard field goal | Raiders 13–0 | | 2 | | CLE | Leroy Kelly 10-yard pass from Bill Nelsen (Don Cockroft kick) | Raiders 13–7 | | 2 | | CLE | Don Cockroft 42-yard field goal | Raiders 13–10 | | 3 | | CLE | Bo Scott 63-yard run (Don Cockroft kick) | Browns 17–13 | | 4 | | CLE | Don Cockroft 32-yard field goal | Browns 20–13 | | 4 | | OAK | Warren Wells 14-yard pass from George Blanda (George Blanda kick) | Tie 20–20 | | 4 | | OAK | George Blanda 52-yard field goal | Raiders 23–20 | |
[4]
Standings
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Playoffs
AFC Divisional Playoffs
Game information |
Second quarter Third quarter - OAK – Willie Brown 50-yard interception return (George Blanda kick)
Fourth quarter | Passing Rushing Receiving | |
AFC Championship Game
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Raiders | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
Colts | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: January 3
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 34 F, wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
- Game attendance: 54,799
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Kyle Rote
- Box Score
Game information |
First quarter - BAL – Jim O'Brien 16-yard field goal
Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Passing Rushing Receiving - OAK – Warren Wells 5 rec, 108 yards, TD
- BAL – Eddie Hinton 5 rec, 115 yards
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Awards and honors
References
- ^ 1970 NFL Draft on databaseFootball.com Archived March 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine "1970 NFL Draft on databaseFootball.com". Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Jul-28.
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ Associated Press Athlete of the Year (male)
- ^ "Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- Raiders on Pro Football Reference
- Raiders on Database Football
Las Vegas Raiders |
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- Founded in 1960
- Played in Oakland, California (1960–1981, 1995–2019) and Los Angeles (1982–1994)
- Based in Paradise, Nevada
- Headquartered in Henderson, Nevada
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Key personnel | |
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Culture | |
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Lore | |
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Rivalries | |
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Media | - Television:
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- Radio network
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Wild card berths (6) | |
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Division championships (15) | |
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Conference championships (4) | |
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League championships (4) | |
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Former league affiliation | |
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Las Vegas Raiders seasons |
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Played in Oakland (1960–1981, 1995–2019) and Los Angeles (1982–1994) |
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