SportingPost

Oakland Raiders

Frank Fleming
Author: 
Frank Fleming
76 mins
November 1st, 2023
Bet With Confidence
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  • First Game Played: September 11, 1960

  • Final Game Played December 29, 2019

  • Moved to Las Vegas in 2020

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1964-2019

HISTORICAL MOMENTS:

1960:

Originally slated to play in Minnesota, the AFL’s eighth original franchise was forced to look for another home after a deal with Minnesota fell through. After briefly flirting with Atlanta, it was decided to put the new team in the Bay Area. The Oakland Raiders, led by Coach Eddie Erdelatz played their first game ever at San Francisco’s Kezar Stadium on September 11th, where they lost to the Houston Oilers by a score of 37-22. Two weeks later, in a rematch at Houston, the Raiders got their first win by a score of 14-13. The Raiders would finish their first season in financial peril with a 6-8 record.

1961:

After losing their first two games by a combined score of 99-0, Eddie Erdelatz is fired and replaced by Marty Feldman. Under Feldman, the Raiders would not do much better winning just twice on the way to a woeful 2-12 season.

1962:

After playing their first two seasons in San Francisco stadiums (Kezar Stadium and Candlestick Park), the Raiders finally find a home in Oakland, as they agree to play in a converted high school stadium named after an undertaker Frank Youell Field. However, the change of address did not help as they lost their first five games before Coach Marty Feldman is fired. Under his replacement Red Conkright, the Raiders would continue to struggle, losing their next eight before beating the Boston Patriots 20-0 in Oakland in the season finale to finish with an awful 1-13 record.

1963:

The Raiders hire San Diego Chargers assistant Al Davis as their new Coach and General Manager. His first move is to give the team a new look, as they take the field in silver and black uniforms. The new-look would work wonders as the Raiders won their first game over the Oilers in Houston 24-13. The Raiders would also win their second game a week later, but a four-game losing streak would quickly have them crashing back to earth. However, the Raiders would recover and would win their last eight games to finish with a 10-4 record, as Clem Daniels rushed for 1,099 yards. The Raiders would have to settle for second place, despite sweeping the first-place San Diego Chargers.

1964:

The Raiders stumble out of the gate, losing their first five games. With all hopes of the playoffs gone, the Raiders would play solid football the rest of the way, only losing two of their remaining nine games to finish with a 5-7-2 record.

1965:

In their final season of football at Frank Youell Field, the Raiders play solid football most of the season and compile an 8-5-1 record, good enough for second place in the AFL West. Following the season coach, Al Davis would depart to take of the post of AFL Commissioner. John Rauch would replace Davis as the head coach.

1966:

Al Davis would have a short three-month tenure as AFL commissioner, but his actions helped cause earth-shattering changes to the landscape of pro-football. Taking office in April, Davis had gotten half of the NFL’s top Quarterbacks to agree to join the NFL. This forced the NFL to once and for all view the AFL as a legitimate league and led to a merger that would bring both leagues together with a common draft and a year-end championship game. Davis would resign in July and return to the front office of the Raiders, as the AFL had become part of the NFL. After splitting their first two games at home, the Raiders opened the new state of the art Oakland Alameda County Coliseum with a 32-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs before a crowd of 50,746. The Raiders would have another solid season but could not do better than second place with an 8-5-1 record.

1967:

Before the start of the season, the Raiders acquire Quarterback Daryle Lamonica from the Buffalo Bills for Tom Flores in a trade of single callers. Lamonica would prove to be the final piece of the puzzle, and he won the AFL Player of the Year while passing for 3,228 yards and 30 touchdown passes, as the Raiders dominated the AFL on the way to a 13-1 season in which they roiled over opponents by a score of 468-233. In the AFL Championship Game, the Raiders continued to roll, destroying the Houston Oilers 40-7 at Oakland to advance to the AFL-NFL Championship Game.

Super Bowl II:

In the second AFL-NFL Championship Game, the Raiders faced the mighty Green Bay Packers in Miami. The Packers came into the game knowing that Head Coach Vince Lombardi was about to step down and played their highest level of football. A level even at the top of their game, the Raiders could not touch; as they fell 33-14, in a game that was over almost from the start.

1968:

The Raiders get off to a fast start again, winning their first four games before back-to-back losses knocked them off their first-place perch. The Raiders would win their next three games at Oakland. Even NBC thought the game was over, so they switched it off in favor of the movie “Heidi.” However, Daryle Lamonica drove the Raiders 77 yards on two plays to take a 36-32 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Jets would fumble at the goalline allowing the Raiders to recover and win the game 43-32. However, thanks to NBC’s shortsighted decision, nobody at home saw it. An angry outcry would be heard from football fans all over the country, as the game was forever known as “The Heidi Game.” The Raiders would go on to finish with a 12-2 record, earning a first-place tie with Kansas City Chiefs. In the divisional playoff at Oakland, the Raiders would easily beat the Chiefs by a score 41-6 to win a trip to the AFL Championship. In the AFL Championship Game, the Raiders found themselves in a rematch with the Jets in New York. The Raiders would fall behind early, but once again mounted a comeback to take a 23-20 lead in the fourth quarter. However, Joe Namath would quickly lead the Jets back down the field to take a 27-23 lead on a pass to Don Maynard. The Raiders would have one last chance, but when Johnny Sample intercepted a Daryle Lamonica pass at midfield, the Raiders fate was sealed. Following the game coach John Rauch would retire, he would be replaced by a young 33-year old assistant named John Madden.

1969:

The Raiders would dominate the AFL again in the final season the two leagues were kept apart, winning their third straight division title with a record of 12-1-1. However, an extra tier of the playoff was added, with the second-place teams qualifying for the playoffs. In the first round, the Raiders quickly destroyed the Houston Oilers 56-7 at Oakland to advance to their third straight Championship Game. In the AFL Championship Game in Oakland, the Raiders were matched up against their fiercest rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, who they defeated twice on the way to capturing the Division Title. It would not be the Raiders’ day as the Chiefs exacted revenge in a 17-7 win in the final pure AFL game.

1970:

The Raiders did not start the season out on the right foot going winless through their first three games. They would quickly turn things around, going unbeaten in their next seven games. In the next to last game of the season, the Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 20-6 to sew up their fourth straight division title. The 8-4-2 Raiders faced the Miami Dolphins in Oakland, getting revenge for an early-season loss by beating the Dolphins 21-14. However, in the AFC Championship Game, the Raiders season is ended with a 27-17 loss to the Colts in Baltimore.

1971:

After dropping their first game to the Patriots in New England, the Raiders roll off a nine-game unbeaten streak and take over the top spot in the AFC West again. A three-game losing streak would not only cost the Raiders first place, but it also cost them a playoff spot as the Raiders season ended in disappointment at 8-4-2.

1972:

After playing mediocre football for most of the first half, the Raiders win their final six games to capture their 5th division Championship in six years with a solid 10-3-1 record. In the Divisional Playoffs at Pittsburgh, the Raiders and Steelers locked horns in a defensive struggle. With the Steelers leading 6-0 with less than a minute left quarterback Kenny Stabler subbing for Daryle Lamonica scored a Touchdown on a 30-yard bootleg to give the Raiders a 7-6 lead. The Raiders appeared to have the game won with the Steelers facing fourth down and ten; Jack Tatum deflected a pass away from John Fuqua. The ball would never hit the ground out of nowhere Franco Harris caught it and ran it in for a Touchdown that dealt the Raiders as stunning 13-7 loss.

1973:

After losing their season opener to the Vikings in Minnesota, the Raiders play their home opener in nearby Berkley against the Miami Dolphins. The latter entered the game on an 18-game winning streak. The Raiders defense was extra fierce that afternoon ending the Dolphins streak with a 12-7 win. Through ten games, the Raiders were still struggling at 5-4-1. The Raiders would finish the season strong winning their last four games, including a 21-17 win in the season finale over the Denver Broncos that won the AFC West with a 9-4-1 record. In the Divisional Playoff in Oakland, the Raiders would get revenge for the “Immaculate Reception” with a convincing 33-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Raiders season would end a week later with a 27-10 loss to the Dolphins in Miami in the AFC Championship Game.

1974:

After losing their first game 21-20 to the Bills in Buffalo, the Raiders run off a dominating nine-game winning streak, on the way to cruising to their seventh Division Title in eight years with a 12-2 record as Quarterback Kenny Stabler won both the Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP. In the Divisional Playoffs, the Raiders and Miami Dolphins battled back and forth all day as the Dolphins took a 26-21 lead with two minutes left. However, Kenny Stabler would use his legs and arm to snake the Raiders up to the Dolphins eight-yard line with 30 seconds left. On first down and goal, Stabler appeared in trouble as he was flushed of the pocket, but instead of going down with a back-breaking sack, Stabler got rid of the ball. The ball seemed to float through a sea of Dolphins defenders before Clarence Davis made a juggling catch to give the Raiders a 28-26 lead. The Raiders would go on to seal the game on Phil Villapiano’s interception. However, a week later in the AFC Championship Game, the Raiders would be stunned by the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-13 at Oakland.

1975:

The Raiders get the season started on the right foot by beating the Dolphins 31-21 in a Monday Night showdown in Miami that ended the Dolphins 31-game home winning streak. The Raiders would go on to cruise to another division title with an 11-3 record. In the final game of the season kicker, George Blanda playing in his last game, scored his 2,000th point, becoming the first player in NFL history to score 2,000 points. A week later, the Raiders would avenge an early-season loss by beating the Cincinnati Bengals 31-28 in the Divisional Playoffs at Oakland. A week then the Raiders would lose a defensive war to the Steelers 16-10 on a snowy day in Pittsburgh with the AFC Championship on the line.

1976:

Before the start of the season, Al Davis gained sole control of the franchise when Wayne Valley sold all of his shares. In a season-opening showdown with Pittsburgh Steelers in Oakland Safety George Atkinson knock Steelers Wide Receiver Lynn Swann out for two weeks with a helmet-to-helmet hit, as the Raiders won 31-28. Following the game Steelers coach, Chuck Noll called Atkinson a criminal, leading to a lawsuit. That game would set the tone for the Raiders seemed even meaner and nastier then previous seasons, cruising to their 9th Division Title in 10 years with a 13-1 record. In the playoffs, the Raiders appeared to be in trouble trailing the New England Patriots 21-10 entering the 4th Quarter in Oakland. The Raiders would cut the deficit to 21-17 with a TD early in the fourth. They appeared on the ropes again when the Pats had the ball third down and inches on the Raiders 30. However, the Pats would jump offsides, and Phil Villapiano would make an essential drive stopping play, which was made even more significant when the Pats missed a field goal. The Raiders would drive down to the Pats 27 but appeared stalled before a critical pass interference penalty put the Raiders deep into Pats territory. The Raiders would go on to cash it in and won the game by a score of 24-21. In the AFC Championship Game, the Raiders would take advantage of an injury-depleted Steelers team beating them 24-7 in Oakland for a trip to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XI:

The Raiders were finally back in the Super Bowl facing the Minnesota Vikings in Pasadena before a crowd dominated by Raiders fans. The game would go scoreless through the 1st quarter as the Raiders survived a blocked punt by recovering a fumble at the goal line. The Raiders would dominate the second quarter taking a 16-0 lead as the Raiders defense continued to cause turnovers. The game would go into the fourth quarter with Raiders leading 19-7. The Raiders would extend their lead on Pete Banaszak’s second touchdown of the game. On the next series, they would seal the game when Willie Brown ran back an interception 75 yards to seal the game. The Vikings would add a cosmetic Touchdown for the 32-14 final as Wide Receiver Fred Biletnikoff was named the game’s MVP.

1977:

The Raiders would get off to another fast start winning their first four games on the way to an 11-3 season. However, they would have to settle for a Wild Card as they lose the division by a game to the Denver Broncos. In the Divisional Playoffs in Baltimore, the Raiders would battle the Colts in a back and forth game all day. The game would go through an entire overtime period tied 31-31 before Kenny Stabler hit tight end, Dave Casper, on a post pattern for the game-winning touchdown 43 seconds into the second overtime. The Raiders’ reign would end with a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to the Broncos in Denver for the AFC Championship.

1978:

The Raiders’ rough and tumble image suffered a black eye when Cornerback Jack Tatum hit New England Patriots Wide Receiver Darryl Stingley hard in the back during a preseason game at Oakland. The hit would shatter Stingley’s spinal cord leaving him in a wheelchair for life. When the season started, the Raiders maintained their dominant form despite a terrible interception plagued season from Quarterback Ken Stabler as they sat at 8-4 through 12 games. However, the struggles would catch up to them as they dropped three straight games to fall out of the playoff race. The Raiders needed a 27-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings in their final game to assure a winning record at 9-7. The season’s highlight was a stunning last-second win over the Chargers in San Diego, where the Raiders fumble kept rolling toward the endzone where Tight End Dave Casper fell on the ball. Following the season coach, John Madden would retire sighting concerns after posting a career record of 103-32-7. Madden would go on to become one of the voices of the NFL on Television and video games, achieving more fame and fanfare after retirement then he did while coaching.

1979:

Replacing John Madden as head coach was Tom Flores, a Raider Quarterback for the early days. Under Flores, the Raiders would play mediocre football for most of the season, sitting at 6-6 through 12 games. However, they would find themselves in playoff position entering the final week of the season after a three-game winning streak. However, a 29-24 loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks would cost the Raiders a playoff spot as their season ended with a 9-7 record.

1980:

Before the start of the season, Al Davis announced plans to move the Raiders for Oakland to Los Angels. However, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle blocked the move by filing a restring order. He would even try to get the Al Davis removed as the owner, as the case went to the courts. Still playing in Oakland, the Raiders entered the season with a new Quarterback after acquiring Dan Pastorini from the Houston Oilers for Kenny Stabler. Pastorini struggled, and the Raiders got off to a 2-3 when Pastorini was injured and replaced by Jim Plunkett. Plunkett proved to be the right fit for the Raiders offense as the team played solid football the rest of the season, compiling an 11-5 record and qualifying for the playoffs as a Wild Card. In the Wild Card Game, the Raiders would beat the Houston Oilers 27-7 at Oakland as the Raiders defense picked former teammate Kenny Stabler off twice. Playing in freezing weather with the temperature reading 30 degrees below zero, the Raiders stunned the Browns 14-12 in a defensive struggle in Cleveland. In the AFC Championship Game in San Diego, the game would be a shoot out as the Raiders stunned the Chargers 34-27 to become the first AFC Wild Card to make the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XV:

The Raiders who were involved in a lawsuit against the NFL were in the Super Bowl in New Orleans facing the Philadelphia Eagles as NFL officials were all but openly rooting for the Eagles. The Raiders would jump on the board first as Jim Plunkett hit Cliff Branch on a short touchdown pass midway through the first quarter. The Raiders would take a stranglehold on the game at the end of the quarter when Plunkett hit Kenny King on an 80-yard touchdown strike. The Eagles would score a Field Goal in the 2nd quarter, but the Raiders defense would take over the game as Rod Martin picked Eagles QB Ron Jaworski off three times. The Raiders would go on to win the game 27-10 as Jim Plunkett was named the game’s MVP with three Touchdown passes. The win led to one of the most uncomfortable moments in NFL history as Commissioner Pete Rozelle was forced to present Al Davis, the man he was involved in a legal wrestling match with the Lombardi Trophy.

1981:

With quarterback Marc Wilson taking over for an inured and ineffective Jim Plunkett, the Raiders struggled with mediocrity all season as their record 16-year streak of winning seasons ended with a 7-9 record as the lame-duck Raiders finally won the go-ahead to move to Los Angels following the season. In their final game at Oakland, the Raiders would fall 23-6 to the Chicago Bears.

Played in Los Angeles 1982-1994

1995:

On September 3rd, the Raiders made a triumph return to Oakland by beating the San Diego Chargers 17-7. The return to Oakland would provide an instant spark as the Raiders playing in front of genuine and passionate fans in Oakland got off to a fantastic start winning eight of their first ten games. A 34-21 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys would send the Raiders reeling back to earth as they closed the season in disappointing fashion losing their final six games to finish with an 8-8 record.

1996:

The Raiders stumble out of the gate, losing two tough road games before finally winning their first home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-3. The win would be the start of a stretch in which they won five out of six games. However, two separate three-game losing streaks in the second half would doom the Raiders to a 7-9 season. Following the season coach, Mike White is fired and replaced by Joe Bugel.

1997:

The Raiders stumble out of the gate, losing three of their first four games by a field goal or less. Frustrating losses was the hallmark of the season as the Raiders by uninspired football all season on the way to finishing with a woeful record of 4-12. Following the season coach Joe Bugel is fired and replaced by Jon Gruden.

1998:

Despite playing only mediocre football on the way to an 8-8 season new coach Jon Gruden, who at 34 is the youngest in the NFL, becomes an immediate fan favorite with his intensity on the sideline earning the nickname Chucky form his players.

1999:

The Raiders alternate wins and losses all season on the way to another 8-8 season. However, in their season finale, the Raiders would get extra satisfaction by knocking the Chiefs out of the playoffs with a come from behind 41-38 win in overtime in Kansas City.

2000:

Quarterback Rich Gannon has a career season passing for 3,430 yards as the Raiders grabbed control of the AFC West early by winning ten of their first 12 games. The Raiders would split their last four games, but their 12-4 record was good enough to earn their first division title in ten years and a first-round bye. In the Divisional Playoffs, the Raiders defense dominated the Miami Dolphins all day on the way to an easy 27-0 victory in the first playoff game in Oakland in 20 years. A week later, in the AFC Championship Game, Rich Gannon suffers a rib injury on the first series of the game in a stunning 16-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

2001:

To add another weapon to their offense, the Raiders sign Wide Receiver Jerry Rice who holds every major career receiving record. Rice would join long-time Raider Tim Brown in the 1,000-yard club as the Raiders got off to a terrific start winning eight of their first ten games. The Raiders would quickly overcome a stunning home loss to the Arizona Cardinals to clinch the division early with a 10-3 record. With home-field advantage up in the air, the Raiders coasted through their last three games losing each and were forced to play in the Wild Card round after a 10-6 season. In the Wild Card Game, Jerry Rice showed he was not done yet collecting almost 200 receiving yards in an exciting 38-24 win over the New York Jets in Oakland. A week later, the Raiders appeared to be heading for the AFC Championship Game with a 13-10 win over the Patriots in the snow at New England as they scooped up a Tom Brady fumble with less than two minutes left. However, the play was reversed by instant replay thanks to the obscure and controversial tuck rule. The Pats would go on to tie the game and take the opening drive in overtime deep into Raiders territory where they nailed a game-winning field goal to pull out a controversial 16-13 win. Following the season coach, Jon Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for draft picks after the team was unable to sign him to a contract extension. The reason no contract extension was reached is that Al Davis, who felt Gruden was stealing his spotlight, wanted to reclaim some of the control Gruden had taken away from him in recent years. The Raiders would go on to name Bill Callahan to replace him.

2002:

Under new Coach Bill Callahan the Raiders would come flying out of the gate winning their first four games behind a high powered offense that scored 162 points in their first four games. However, the Raiders would suddenly go into a tailspin losing four straight games, including four in overtime as they sat at the midway point with a mediocre 4-4 record. However, just as suddenly the Raiders would rebound as Jerry Rice collected his 200th career touchdown in a 34-10 win on the road over the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. The Monday Night win would be the start of a five-game winning streak which included another Raiders receiver having a Monday Night Milestone as Tim Brown became just the third Wide Reciever in NFL history to collect 1,000 career receptions joining Rice, and Cris Carter, as the Raiders beat the New York Jets at home 26-20. After a loss to the Miami Dolphins on the road, the Raiders would go on to win the AFC West with a solid 11-5 record as Rich Gannon was named NFL MVP for passing for 4,689 yards, while throwing 26 Touchdown passes to just ten interceptions. The Raiders, who had earned Home Field advantage in the AFC faced the Jets again in the Division Round of the playoffs after going into halftime tied 10-10 the Raiders would pull away in the fourth quarter, as Wide Receiver Jerry Porter outshined his two Hall of Fame teammates with 123 receiving yards including a 50-yard reception that set up the game-breaking touchdown. Hosting the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game, the veteran Raiders would find themselves behind 17-14 entering the final minutes of the first half. Suddenly the Raiders would catch a break as they recovered a fumbled punt on the Titans 16 to set an up a Rich Gannon Touchdown pass. On the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders would catch another break recovering a fumble to set up a Sebastian Janikowski Field Goal to give the Riders a 24-17 halftime lead. In the second half, the Raiders would dominate the Titans on the way to a 41-24 win that sent them to their first Super Bowl in 19 years.

Super Bowl XXXVII:

Super Bowl week would turn into the “Chucky Circus” as the Raiders faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coached by Jon Gruden. Gruden, who coached ten Raiders from 1998-2001, had rebuilt the team into a scoring machine that his replacement Bill Callahan helped form into the top offense in the NFL who was matched up against Gruden’s Buccaneers who had the top defense in the NFL. The circus atmosphere would overwhelm Raiders center Barret Robbins who went AWOL the day before the big game in San Diego. Robbins would reappear the morning of the game after a night of drinking in Tijuana, but he would be suspended from the team. At the start of the game, it appeared as if the Robbins’ distraction would not hurt as the Raiders, who took advantage of an interception on the first possession of the game to take an early 3-0 lead. The Bucs defense seemed to know what was coming as they red Rich Gannon perfectly intercepting two passes and shutting down the Raiders offense completely to take a 20-3 lead into halftime. Things would not get better for the Raiders in the second half as the Bucs extended their lead to 27-3 on a long drive that ate up time in the third quarter. Now in desperation mode, Gannon trying desperately to get the Raiders back into the game would be picked off by Dwight Smith, who returned it all the way to extend their lead to 34-3. The Raiders would make a furious attempt at comeback scoring three consecutive Touchdowns, to cut the lead to 34-21. However, in the final two minutes, Gannon would have another two interceptions ran back for touchdowns as the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl 48-21.

2003:

Coming off their disappointing performance in the Super Bowl, the Raiders appeared to be suffering from a hangover as they struggled in their first four games, winning twice at home and losing twice on the road, but even in their wins, they did not play well. Things would take a turn for the worse as the Raiders lost their next five games, while MVP Rich Gannon struggled before being shelved by a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 8. Meanwhile, a public feud developed between the players and coach Bill Callahan who was seen at fault for the Raiders’ poor Super Bowl showing. The Raiders losing streak would end with a 28-18 win over the Minnesota Vikings at home. Still, it would be a mere moment of relief in a lost season as the Raiders finished with a terrible 4-12 record, the worst season ever for any team coming off a Super Bowl Appearance, as the old veterans who looked like they were still in their prime a season earlier looked like they were ready for the old folks home in 2003. Among the vets with disappointing seasons were Jerry Rice and Tim Brown, who each only scored two touchdowns. Following the disastrous season which saw the Raiders finish tied for the worst record in the NFL Coach Bill Callahan is fired and replaced by Norv Turner as the Raiders began to make wholesale changes among them releasing veteran Tim Brown the holder of most Raiders receiving records while strengthening their defense by signing free agent Warren Sapp.

2004:

The Norv Turner era would get off to a good start as the Raiders won two of their first three games. In a Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which the Raiders got a measure of revenge for their Super Bowl loss with a 30-20, Quarterback Rich Gannon suffers a career-ending neck injury. The rest of the season, the Raiders would turn to Kerry Collins, who would be slow to adapt to the Raiders offense losing his first five starts. Along the way, the Raiders would deal legendary Wide Receiver Jerry Rice whose consecutive games with a reception streak ended in a Week 2 win over the Buffalo Bills at 274, to the Seattle Seahawks. Collins would play better as the season wore on, but the Raiders would still struggle to finish in last place with a 5-11 record. Following the season, the Raiders would acquire All-Pro Wide Receiver Randy Moss in a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

2005:

The Raiders with newly acquired Wide Reciever Randy Moss started the season in the spotlight as they faced the two-time defending champion New England Patriots in a Thursday Night Primetime Special to start the NFL season. Moss would collect 130 receiving yards and touchdown, but the Pats would get the win 30-20. After losing their next two, the Raiders finally broke through against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, winning at home 19-13. Following a loss to the San Diego Chargers, the Raiders won back to back games for the only time during the season to climb 3-4. However, the Raiders would win just one more game the rest of their season as their defense was among the worst in the NFL, while Moss, who dealt with a tight hamstring all season, had a disappointing first season in silver and black as the losses and frustration mounted in Oakland. The Raiders would go on to finish in last place again with an awful record of 4-12, as Coach Norv Turner was fired following the season. Following an extensive coaching search, the Raiders decided to go back to the past to select their coach as they hired Art Shell, who had previously led the Raiders from 1988-1994, before being dismissed as the team moved back to Oakland.

2006:

Art Shell’s second tenure as coach of the Raiders began in an inauspicious fashion as the Raiders were blanked 27-0 at home by the San Diego Chargers. Things did not get better the following week as the Raiders dropped to 0-2 with a 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Following an early bye week, the Raiders continued to play terrible football as they dropped their next three games to start the season 0-5. The Raiders would finally earn their first win against the Arizona Cardinals, who were just six days removed from a stunning fourth-quarter comeback, and still in a hangover. A week later the Raiders would make it two straight taken advantage of Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger playing through a concussion, as the Raiders defense returned two interceptions for Touchdowns highlighted by a 100-yard return from Chris Carr as they beat the defending Super Bowl Champions 20-13, despite a paltry 98 yards total offense. A week later, against the Super Bowl losers from the previous year, the Raiders were not as fortunate as they were blanked 16-0. In the waning moments of their loss to the Seahawks, a television camera caught Wide Receiver Randy Moss sulking on the bench, leading to an interview when he declared it was hard to care if nobody else on the team cared. Unfortunately for the once-proud Raiders, it looked as if nobody cared as they lost their remaining games to finish the season at 2-14. Despite the terrible record, the Raiders defense played well most of the season. Still, the offensive stats were simply offensive, as they totaled just 168 points for the season, getting shutout three times, scoring 20 or more points only four times, with their highest-scoring game being their 22-9 win over the Cardinals. Along the way, the Raiders became the laughing stock of the NFL with their offensive coordinator Tom Walsh getting a bulk of the attention after returning to the NFL after 11 years of running a bread and breakfast in Swan Valley, Idaho where he also served as mayor. Walsh would lose his job in the middle of the season as the return of Art Shell lasted just one season, with the Raiders hiring the youthful Lane Kiffin following the season. Randy Moss would also be shown the door, as the Raiders traded him to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick.

2007:

As the Raiders have done successfully in the past with the hiring of Al Davis, John Madden, and Jon Gruden, all when they were in their 30s, the Raiders looked for youth when finding a new coach and hired 32-year-old Lane Kiffin. Things did not start well for the Raiders under Kiffin, when quarterback JaMarcus Russell the number one overall pick, held out all of training camp. The hold out would be a set back for the young quarterback and the team itself as they had Josh McCown under center when the season began with a 36-21 loss to the Detroit Lions. A week later on the road the Raiders played much better but ended up on the shortened again losing to the Denver Broncos in overtime 23-20, in a game that was highlighted by Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan calling a timeout just as Sebastian Janikowski was kicking a potential game-winning field goal, the officials ruled he called timeout just before the snap. Though Janikowski made the kick, the field goal would not count. In Week 3, the Raiders figured turn about was fair play as they beat the Cleveland Browns 26-24 to win their first game, with Kiffin calling timeout just as Phil Dawson was attempting a game-winning kick for the Browns. The Raiders would turn to Daunte Culpepper in Week 4 as he faced his former team, who had released him for a bad knee. Culpepper would burn his former teammates by rushing in for three touchdowns, as the Raiders improved to 2-2 with an impressive 35-17 win on the road. However, Culpepper would struggle badly over the next few weeks as the Raiders lost their next six games. In Week 12, the Raiders would end several losing streaks in one fell swoop as they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium 20-17, behind the reliable running of Justin Fargas. It ended their six-game losing streak, ended a 17-game losing streak to AFC Western Division rivals, and ended a nine-game losing streak in Kansas City. A week later, with Josh McNown under center, the Raiders made it two in a row against the AFC West as they stunned the Broncos 34-20. However, it would be the last win of the season for the Raiders as they lost their previous four games matched up against playoff teams, with JaMarcus Russell getting a chance to start in the final two games of the season, with the Raiders finishing 4-12.

2008:

As the season started, the clouds had already surrounded the Raiders, as Coach Lane Kiffen and Owner Al Davis were arguing, with rumors of another coaching change in Oakland being an almost certainty. The coaching change would come four games into the season as the Raiders lost three of their first four games. Replacement Tom Cable would not do much better, as the Raiders dropped four of their next five games under their new coach, as JaMarcus Russell struggled in his first full season as the Raiders starting quarterback. In Week 12, the Raiders would play their best game of the season as they stunned the Denver Broncos on the road 31-10, avenging a season-opening loss 41-14 loss in Oakland. However, the struggles continued after their win in Denver as the Raiders dropped three straight games. The Raiders would end the season on a strong note, beating the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final two games of the season. The season-closing win in Tampa, was particularly satisfying as the Raiders overcame a 24-14 deficit in the fourth quarter to win 31-24, eliminating the Buccaneers from the postseason. The raiders themselves were a non-factor again in the playoff chase as they finished 5-11.

2009:

Tom Cable, who was entering his first full season as coach of the Raiders, began the season embroiled in controversy as he was accused of assaulting Assistant Coach Randy Hanson during training camp in Napa. Hanson suffered a broken jaw and cracked teeth, but the Napa district attorney announced that no charges would be filed against Cable. At the same time, a report linking Cable to domestic violence against two ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend put his future in doubt. On the field, the Raiders continued to struggle as Quarterback JaMarcus Russell continued to play underwhelming football. In nine starts, he had just three touchdown passes while throwing 11 interceptions as he had the lowest quarterback rating, lowest completion percentage, fewest passing touchdowns, and fewest passing yards among qualifying quarterbacks in the NFL. The Raiders would only win two of their first nine games before Russell was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. In his first start, Gradkowski led the Raiders to comeback win over the first-place Cincinnati Bengals, as Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 33-yard field goal to win the game 20-17. Following a 24-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the Raiders had more fourth-quarter magic from Bruce Gradkowski as they rallied to stun the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road 27-24. In the game, Gradkowski passed for 308 yards with three fourth-quarter TD passes. One of the passes went 75 yards to Louis Murphy, who he found again in the endzone with nine seconds left to stun the defending champions. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Gradkowski would go down with a knee injury a week later in a loss to the Washington Redskins. JaMarcus Russell would only see the field again as a backup, as Charlie Frye started the final three games of the season. However, he came off the bench and led the Raiders to a 20-19 win over the Denver Broncos. Russell would sit and watch the final two games of the season, as his teammates lost faith him because of his poor work ethic as he ballooned to nearly 300 lbs. The Raiders would finish the season with a record of 5-11. Despite the poor record, Tom Cable would not be fired, but the same could not be said for QB JaMarcus Russell, who was released after three disappointing seasons, becoming of the biggest busts in the history of the NFL Draft.

2010:

With the newly acquired Jason Campbell starting at quarterback, the Raiders season got off to a rough start, as they suffered an ugly 38-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The Raiders would rebound in the home opener as Bruce Gradkowski came off the bench and came off the bench to lead the Raiders to a 16-14 win over the St. Louis Rams. Gradkowski would get the start the next two weeks and would play well as the Raider lost close games to the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. After Gradkowski was injured, it was back to Jason Campbell, who passed for 159 yards with a touchdown as the Raiders ended a 13 game losing streak against the San Diego Chargers with a 35-27 win at home, that saw the Raiders get strong play from all units highlighted by two blocked punts, and a 64-yard fumble return for a Touchdown by Tyvon Branch to seal the victory. After a disappointing 17-9 to the San Francisco 49ers in Candlestick Park, the Raiders came out smoking against the Denver Broncos, with Darren McFadden collecting 198 all-purpose yards with four touchdowns as the Raiders slammed the Broncos on the road 59-14. A week later, the Raiders would reach .500, with a 33-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks, as Jason Campbell passed for 310 yards with two touchdowns. Thanks to Sebastian Janikowski, the Raiders would continue to roll as they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime 23-20, with Janikowski hitting the game-tying 41-yard field goal and a game-winning field goal in overtime from 33 yards out. At 5-4, the Raiders were over .500 at the bye week with their first three-game winning streak in eight years. Coming out of the bye, the Raiders suffered a setback, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins to fall to 5-6. They would rebound again in their division, beating the Chargers for the second time in the season 28-13, capitalizing on several Charger mistakes, sweeping the Chargers for the first time since 2001. A week later, the Raiders would lose a shootout to the Jacksonville Jaguars 38-31, wasting great games by QB Jason Campbell and RB Darren McFadden. Against the Broncos, the Raiders would improve to 5-0 against the AFC West with a 39-23 win to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. The Raiders would be eliminated a week later as they lost to the Indianapolis Colts 31-26, despite another solid game by Jason Campbell. The Raiders would go on to beat the Chiefs 31-10 on the road in a meaningless game to end the season. The win allowed the Raiders to finish the season with an 8-8 record that included a perfect 6-0 record against their three division rivals. However, it would not be enough to save Coach Tom Cable’s job as he clashed with Al Davis. Cable would be replaced by Hue Jackson, who had served as the Raiders Offensive Coordinator in 2010.

2011:

With new Coach Hue Jackson, the Raiders began the season with hopes of being a factor in the playoffs again following an 8-8 season. Things would start well for the Raiders as they beat the Denver Broncos on the road 23-20 on Monday Night Football. Running Back Darren McFadden carried the load, with 150 yards rushing, while Sebastien Janikowski had three Field Goals, including a record-tying 63-yard kick just before the half. A week later, the Raiders again got off to a good start as they held a 21-3 over the Buffalo Bills at halftime. However, the Raiders defense would suffer a second-half letdown, allowing five touchdowns as the Bills charged back to win the game 38-35. The Raiders would make their home debut against the New York Jets in Week 3 and turned to Darren McFadden again. With the Jets leading 17-7 in the second quarter McFadden had a 70-yard touchdown run that awoke the Black Hole. The Raiders would go on to win the game 34-24, with Run DMC caring the ball 19 times for 171 yards and two Touchdowns. Following a 31-19 loss to the New England Patriots at the Coliseum, the Raiders lost their patriarch, as Al Davis died at the age of 82 on October 8th. His only son Mark Davis would assume the duties of running the Raiders. A day after Davis’ passing, the Raiders had one of their most emotional wins in years beating the Houston Texans on the road 25-20, as Michael Huff preserved the win with an interception in the endzone in the game’s final seconds. A week later, the Raiders would return home and improve to 4-2 with a 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, as Darren McFadden had another strong game, while Jacoby Ford rocked the house with a 101-yard kickoff return. However, the Raiders suffered a significant blow as QB Jason Campbell suffered a broken collarbone and was lost for the rest of the season. With the loss of Jason Campbell, the Raiders were desperate. They made a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals to get holdout Quarterback, Carson Palmer, for the 2012 first-round pick and a conditional 2013 pick that would be either in the first or second round. Palmer would start right away and was rusty in his first start as the Raiders were blanked at home by the Kansas City Chiefs 28-0. In the game, Palmer completed just eight passes for 116 yards and had three interceptions. Making matters worse, RB Darren McFadden suffered lisanc fracture in his foot and would miss the rest of the season. Before the injury, McFadden was on his way to a big season rushing for 614 yards in six games plus. The Raiders would have to adjust as they had a bye week after their loss to the Chiefs. However, coming out of the bye, Carson Palmer continued to struggle as he was picked off three times in a 38-24 loss at home to the Broncos in Week 9. With Michael Bush, picking up where Darren McFadden left off the Raiders would get back on track the following week as they beat the San Diego Chargers 24-17 in a Thursday Night game on the road, Bush rushed for 157 yards, while Carson Palmer passed for 299 yards with two touchdowns and just one interception. With Bush and Palmer lead the way the Raiders earned a 27-21 win at home against the Minnesota Vikings, as they picked off Christian Ponder three times. The Raiders would get a third straight win the next week as their defense picked off Caleb Hannie three times in a 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears at home, as Sebastien Janikowski had a career-high six Field Goals. Following back to back losses on the road, the Raiders came home to face the Detroit Lions. They suffered their most frustrating loss of the season 28-27, as Matthew Stafford had four touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Calvin Johnson with 43 seconds left. The Raiders would have one last chance to win the game, but Ndamukong Suh blocked Janikowski’s attempt at a 65 yard Field Goal. At 7-7, the Raiders who only a month earlier appeared to be heading for the postseason had stumbled back into mediocrity. Playing an ugly defensive battle on the road, the Raider would get back on track with a 16-13 win over the Chiefs in overtime. However, with a chance to win the division in their final game of the season at home, the Raiders again suffered a letdown, losing to the Chargers 38-26, as they had their backs broken on a 105-yard kickoff return from Richard Goodman. Finishing at 8-8, the Raiders would fire Hue Jackson after just one season, replacing him with Dennis Allen.

2012:

For the first time in 40 years, the Raiders had a full-time General Manager as Mark Davis hired Reggie McKenzie to fill the role left behind by his father. McKenzie made a coaching change right away as Dennis Allen was named the Raiders’ new head man on the sidelines. Allen faced an immediate challenge as the Raiders’ long line of bad contracts had placed them in Salary Cap Hell. The Dennis Allen era would begin on Monday Night Football, with the Raiders suffering a 22-14 home loss against the San Diego Chargers. Following a 35-13 loss on the road against the Miami Dolphins, the Raiders were a big underdog going into a game at O.co Coliseum against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Raiders would get their first win of the season 34-31 with 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a game-winning 43 yard Field Goal by Sebastien Janikowski. Following a 37-6 blowout loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos, the Raiders nearly got their second big upset of the season as they jumped out a 13-7 lead over the Atlanta Falcons. However, a costly interception by Carson Palmer and a 55 yard Field Goal by Matt Bryant combined to drop the Raiders to 1-4, as they lost the game 23-20. Returning home, the Raiders would use a fourth-quarter rally to get their second win of the season, as Carson Palmer tied the game on a one-yard sneak. At the same time, Sebastien Janikowski nailed the game-winner in overtime from 40 yards out as the Raiders beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-23. A week later, the Raiders would get the first road win of the season, as Jankowski had four field goals to lead the way in a 26-16 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The next six weeks would bring nothing for the Raiders as they struggled on both sides of the ball and clinched their tenth straight season out of the playoffs. The Raiders would need to see the Chiefs again to get another win as Sebastien Jankowski supplied all the offense with five Field Goals in a 15-0 win at home. It marked the first time since 2003 that the Raiders defense earned a shutout. It would also be the final win of the season, as the Raiders dropped their last two games to finish the season with an underwhelming record of 4-12. Three of the Raiders’ four wins came against teams that had awful 2-14 records. Following the season, the Raiders would cut ties with Carson Palmer, as they managed just an 8-15 record with him as their starting quarterback.

2013:

Terrelle Pryor won the right to start the season at quarterback after outplaying Matt Flynn in the preseason. Seeking to end a decade long drought of losing seasons, the Raiders opened the season on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. Pryor played strong in the opener rushing for 126 yards while tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore to give the Raiders a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. However, the Colts would answer back as Pryor was intercepted deep in Colts territory with 31 seconds left to win the game 21-17. In their home opener, the Raiders would get 129 yards from Darren McFadden and four field goals by Sebastian Jankiwoski to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-9. A week later, the Raiders would provide no match for the Denver Broncos losing 37-21 on Monday Night Football. Matt Flynn would get the start in Week 4 and helped the Raiders build an early 14-0 lead over the Washington Redskins. The Raiders offense would stall the rest of the way as the Redskins rallied to win the game 24-14. Flynn, who got the start due to a concussion suffered by Terrelle Pryor, would be demoted to the third-string quarterback and eventually released. Pryor would return in Week 5 as the Raiders got an impromptu Monday Night game against the San Diego Chargers. The game was moved to Monday due to an Oakland Athletics playoff game. As the last NFL stadium that also housed a baseball team, O.co Coliseum was the only stadium to face such a dilemma. Terrelle Pryor played well in his return, as he passed for 227 yards with two touchdowns as the Raiders beat the Chargers 27-17. However, games like that would be a rarity for Pryor, who more often than not struggled, as he threw three interceptions in a 27-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. Following their bye week, Pryor showed what he could do with his legs, as he set a record for a 93-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Coliseum. It was the longest run in NFL history by a quarterback. Pryor would only mage 88 passing yards in the game, but his tone-setting run was enough for the Raiders to win their third game of the season 21-18. A week later, the Raiders would suffer a humiliating 49-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Following a 24-20 loss to the New York Giants, the Raiders would start Rookie Matt McGloin against the Houston Texans; the undrafted rookie played well in his NFL debut passing for 197 yards with three touchdown passes as the Raiders beat the Texans 28-23. It would be the final win the Raiders would enjoy during the season, as they dropped their last six games and finished with a record of 4-12. There were very few positives for the Silver and Black over the final six weeks, as they were ranked among the worst offensive and defensive teams in the league.

2014:

After 11 years of losing football, the Oakland Raiders crumbling stadium began to symbolize the state of the franchise. Three years are the passing of Al Davis, the Raiders who once had a commitment to excellence had looked directionless as their roster was composed of unproven rookies and veteran castoffs. The only names the average fans could identify were players who were past their prime. This included Charles Woodson, an eight-time Pro Bowler who returned to Oakland after seven successful years with the Green Bay Packers. The Raiders began the season in the Meadowlands, facing the New York Jets. Derek Carr selected second round with the 36th overall pick from Fresno State would start the season as the Raiders quarterback after beating out Matt Flynn in the preseason. Carr would lead the Raiders to an early scoring drive connecting with Rod Streeter on a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Oakland an early 7-3 lead. However, it would not last as the Jets took over ad won the game 19-14, with Carr passing for 151 yards with two touchdowns. Things would not go as well in the Raiders home opener, as they were slammed by the Houston Texans 30-14. Heading back East, the Raiders played solid defense, limiting the New England Patriots to 16 points. Still, it was not enough as the Raiders offense only managed three Sebastien Janikowski Field Goals. The Raiders went from New England to Old England in Week 4 as they hosted the Miami Dolphins, at London’s Wembley Stadium. The Raiders led early, but were soon behind and blown off the field again, allowing 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to lose the game 38-14. Before the Raiders even got back to the states, Coach Dennis Allen was given the ax. In parts of three seasons as Raiders coach, Allen compiled a record of 8-28, including losses in his final ten games. Tony Sparano would be the Raider interim coach the remainder of the season. Returning home, the Raiders came out strong in Sparano’s first game as coach, taking a 28-21 lead early in the fourth quarter as Derek Carr had four touchdown passes. However, the San Diego Chargers scored the game’s final ten points and won the game 31-28, dropping the Raiders to 0-5. The losses continued to mount in Oakland, as Carson Palmer led the Arizona Cardinals to a 24-13 win in Week 7. The Raiders would eventually reach 0-10, with most losses being by double digits. Occasionally the Raiders would give good teams a hard time, like a 30-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on the road, but most weeks they were simply overmatched, such as a 41-17 loss to the Denver Broncos, in which Peyton Manning had five touchdown passes. The Raiders would finally end their 16-game losing streak dating back one full calendar year on November 20th as they beat the Kansas City Chiefs at O.co Coliseum 24-20. Helping the Raiders get control of the game early was Latavius Murray, who scored the first two touchdowns of his career to give them a 14-0 lead, highlighted by a 90-yard run before exiting the game with a concussion. After the Chiefs rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter, the Raiders answered with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to James Jones with 1:42 left. The Raiders nearly blew the game, celebrating a third-down sack of Alex Smith, but Justin Tuck alertly called timeout, saving the Raiders from being offsides and only having nine active players on defense at the same time. The joy of the win would be short-lived as they suffered a 52-0 beat down at the hands of the St. Louis Rams. Despite the loss, the Raiders would play better over the last month winning two of their previous four games, including a 24-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers that ended a 13 game losing streak to NFC teams, and marked the first time they won the battle of the bay since 2000. The Raiders also spoiled the Buffalo Bills playoff hopes with a 26-24 upset win at home in Week 16 as they finished with a poor record of 3-13.

2015:

It was another new beginning for the Oakland Raiders as Jack Del Rio took over the coaching reigns. Meanwhile, talks of a return to Los Angeles picked up steam as they formulated a plan to build a stadium with the San Diego Chargers in Carson as the O.Co Coliseum continued to crumble with no workable plan to build a new stadium in Oakland insight. The Raiders season did not get off to the best of starts as they suffered a 33-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. A week late, the Raiders would bounce back to beat the Baltimore Ravens 37-33 Derek Carr passed for 351 yards with three touchdowns, including a game-winning pass to Seth Roberts with 30 seconds left in regulation. Carr was strong again in Week 3, passing for 314 yards with two scores as the Raiders ended a 16-game losing streak in the Eastern Time Zone by beating the Cleveland Browns 27-20. The Raiders nearly made it two straight wins in the East, as they raced out to an early 14-6 lead over the Chicago Bears. However, the Bears would rally and win the game 22-20 on a 49-yard Field Goal by Robbie Gould with two seconds left in the game. Returning home, Charles Woodson picked off Peyton Manning twice, Derek Carr’s fourth-quarter interception returned 74 yards by Chris Harris is more costly, allowing the Denver Broncos to beat the Raiders 16-10. Following the bye week, the Raiders looked refreshed as they scored on their first seven possessions, with Sebastien Janikowski hitting three Field Goals and Derek Carr throwing three touchdown passes jumped out to a 37-6 lead against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers would make things interesting in the end as they scored 23 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders lead was big enough to stand at 37-29. Derek Carr continued to impress in Week 8, passing for 333 yards with four touchdowns, while Latavius Murray gained 113 yards on the ground to lead the Raiders to a 34-20 win over the New York Jets at the Coliseum. Carr was on the right track again a week later, passing for 301 yards with another four scores, but it would not be enough as Ben Roethlisberger was just a little better lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 38-35 win at Heinz Field. Returning home, it was too much Adrian Peterson, as the league’s leading rushed gained 203 yards to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 30-14 win as they suffered a break breaking three-game losing streak. The Raiders got back on the winning track, with another late score as Derek Carr connected with Seth Roberts to beat the Tennessee Titans 24-21 on a rainy afternoon in Nashville. The Raiders would alternate wins and losses for the rest of the season, finishing with a record of 7-9, among the highlights a 15-12 win over the Broncos in Week 14 that ended their eight-game losing streak at Mile High. The Raiders win in Denver saw them rally in the second half with 15 unanswered points as Khalil Mack tied a franchise record by sacking Brock Osweiler five times, which included a safety. After beating the Chargers in overtime 23-20 in the final home game of the season, Charles Woodson addressed the crowd, saying his heart will always be in Oakland, as he ended an 18-year Hall of Fame career that began and ended in Silver and Black. Among the positives for the Raiders were a pair of second-year players who had breakout seasons as Latavius Murray rushed for 1,066 yards, while Derek Carr passed for 3,987 yards with 32 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. Both players would appear in the Pro Bowl along with receiver Amari Cooper who the Raiders selected with the fourth overall pick and was good as advertised, with 1,070 yards with six touchdowns.

2016:

The Oakland Raiders faced a tough task in Week 1 as they opened the season on the road in the Superdome against the New Orleans Saints. The Raiders defense had trouble all day containing Drew Brees, who passed for 423 with four touchdowns, including a 98-yard pass play to Brandin Crooks to build a 24-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Raiders scratched and clawed back to tie the game 27-27 on a 75-yard run by Jalen Richard. The Saints quickly regained the lead on the next possession, giving the Raiders one more chance to tie the game late. With 47 seconds left Derek Carr connected with Seth Roberts on a ten-yard touchdown pass, rather than tie the game, the Raiders rolled the dice and went for two with Carr completing a pass to Michael Crabtree to take a 35-34 lead, which would be the final score as Coach Jack Del Rio’s gamble paid off when Will Lutz’s 61-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Derek Carr was strong again in the home opener, passing for 299 with three touchdowns, but it was not enough as the Raiders lost to the Atlanta Falcons 35-28. A week later, the Raiders defense finally arrived, forcing three turnovers as they stunned the Tennessee Titans on the road 17-10. In Week 4, the Raiders showed, even more, magic on the road, rallying to beat the Baltimore Ravens 28-27 as Derek Carr connected with Michael Crabtree for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner with 2:12 left. The Raiders finally broke through at home with a 34-31 win over the San Diego Chargers in Week 5, as Carr continued to drive the Raiders offense with 317 yards and two touchdowns. With a chance to take over first place, the Raiders stumbled in Week 6, suffering a 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at the Coliseum. While the Raiders struggled at home, they continued to excel on the road, winning the fourth game in the Eastern time zone by beating up the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-16. Staying in Florida, the Raiders overcame a record 23 penalties to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime. Leading the way in Tampa was Derek Carr, who set a franchise record with 513 passing yards with four touchdowns, including the game-winning 41-yard pass to Seth Roberts. A week later, the Raiders continued to prove they were for real with a 30-20 Sunday Night win over the Denver Broncos to head into the bye week in first place with a record of 7-2. Coming out of the bye week, the Raiders went south of the border to beat the Houston Texans 27-20. The big play was the Raiders weapon in Mexico City, as Derek Carr tied the game with a 75-yard pass to Jamize Olawale and won it on the next possession with a 35-yard pass to Amari Cooper. All season long, the Raiders’ ability to come back in the second half was a key to their resurgence. Against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, the Raiders clinched their first winning season in 14 years with a 35-32 win after trailing 32-24 early in the fourth quarter as Derek Carr passed for 315 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Following a 38-24 win over the Buffalo Bills, the Raiders faced another big test as the AFC West was on the line at Arrowhead Stadium in a Thursday Night showdown with the Chiefs. Once again, the Raiders had no answer for Kansas City as they lost for the first time on the road all season 21-13. The Raiders would quickly regain first place as the Chiefs lost a week later to the Titans, while the Raiders beat the Chargers on the road 19-16, with Sebastian Janikowski hitting four big field goals to clinch a playoff spot. In Week 16, the Raiders championship hopes to a big hit, as Derek Carr suffered a broken leg during a 33-25 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Without Carr, the Raiders would end the regular season with a 24-6 loss to the Broncos, as their 12-4 record saw them settle for the wild card, as their two losses to the Chiefs were the difference between a first-round bye and a road playoff game in on Wild Card weekend. Derek Carr would get serious MVP consideration, finishing the season with 3,937 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Amari Cooper also had a big season, with 1,153 yards on 83 catches and five touchdowns. On Defense, Khalil Mack led the way with 11 sacks on the way to being named Defensive Player of the Year.

2016 Playoffs:

The Oakland Raiders would face the Houston Texans in the playoffs without their driving force Derek Carr. Making matters worse back up, Matt McGloin suffered a concussion in the finale against the Broncos, forcing the team to start Rookie Connor Cook in the playoffs. It was clear early that Cook was in over his head, as the Raiders’ third-string quarterback had three interceptions as the Raiders season came to an end with a 27-14 loss to the Texans. After the season ended, fans in Oakland received bad news when the Raiders announced plans to build a stadium in Las Vegas that would open in 2020. The Raiders plans likely will have remain in Oakland through the 2018 season, when their lease expires as questions of a 2019 home remain in the air, with Raiders heading into the final years in Oakland as a lame-duck franchise.

2017:

Heading into the season, the Oakland Raiders looked poised to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West again after ending their long playoff drought. The Raiders started the season well, beating the Tennessee Titans 26-16 on the road, in the season opener as Derek Carr passed for 262 yards with two touchdowns. In the home opener, the Raiders were impressive again, beating the New York Jets 45-17 as Michael Crabtree led the way with three touchdown catches. In Week 3, the Raiders sputtered on Sunday Night, putting up an uninspiring effort while losing to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field as they were outgained 427-128 by the Redskins. Things went from bad to worse in Week 4, as Derek Carr fractured his back in a loss in16-10 loss to the Broncos in Denver. Carr would only miss one week, as EJ Manuel started as the Raiders were beaten at home by the Baltimore Ravens 30-17, but the offense was never the same. In Week 7, Derek Carr tossed two interceptions, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers 17-16, on a last-second field goal by Nick Novak. Oakland entered a home Thursday night contest against division-leading Kansas City Chiefs on a four-game losing streak. Oakland won the game 31-30, after multiple reviews and penalties by both teams with less than 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter after Michael Crabtree hauled in a game-winning touchdown pass. They did lose Running Back Marshawn Lynch for another week after he was ejected for making contact with an official after running onto the field to defend Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, an Oakland native. The Raiders then traveled to the East Coast and suffered another letdown losing to the Buffalo Bills 34-14. The Raiders spent all week out East and beat the Miami Dolphins 27-24 on Sunday Night Football to hit the bye week with a record of 4-5. After the bye week, the Raiders went to Mexico City to face the New England Patriots. The Raiders looked like they were suffering through Montezuma’s revenge in an ugly 33-8 loss, which cost Defensive Coordinator Ken Norton Jr. his job. Assistant Head Coach John Pagano took over the Coordinator duties for the rest of the year. The move appeared to have its desired effect as the Raiders won the next two games to get back to .500, beating the Broncos 21-14 and the New York Giants 24-17. Meanwhile, the Chiefs began to cool off after a hot start; they opened the door for the Raiders and the Chargers, who started to catch fire after a 0-4 start. With a chance to seriously get back into the division, the Raiders traveled to Kansas City in Week 14, Oakland, and came out flat, as they were blanked for the first three quarters. Oakland made a late charge but ultimately were in too deep of a hole, losing 26-15. That would be the Raiders’ final stand, as they would lose their last three games, losing to the Dallas Cowboys 20-17, the Philadelphia Eagles 19-10 on Christmas and 30-10 against Chargers in the finale. Heading into the final week when the Raiders went to Los Angeles to face the Chargers, rumors swirled about a possible return of Jon Gruden. After the loss, which resulted in a 6-10 season, Owner Mark Davis notified Jack Del Rio he was fired after signing him to a four-year extension the season before. Six days after the season ended, the team officially announced Jon Gruden signed a ten-year deal worth $100 million, with an eye towards Las Vegas as they began construction on the new $1.8 billion stadium, near the Vegas strip that will open in 2020.

2018:

The season was one with a lot of turmoil for the Oakland Raiders. Jon Gruden has returned to the pirate ship under a ten-year deal worth $100 million as a coach and essentially holding all other powers in the front office. With this move, GM Reggie McKenzie was as good as gone. Gruden’s second tenure with the team started shakily with trading away Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for two first-round picks (2019 and 2020 draft), a third-round pick (2020), and a sixth-round pick in 2019. Mack was beloved by the fanbase and best friends with quarterback Derek Carr. While this didn’t sit well with anyone involved, it made a statement that Gruden wants to rebuild in his vision. With a new coaching staff, Derek Carr will be learning a new offense all over again. Playcalling and scheming have been a revolving door for Carr since he has been drafted, but for the first time, he is working with a familiar face. Greg Olson, the new offensive coordinator, worked previously for the Raiders from 2013-2014. This gave Carr a year working with him already, and some comfort going into his relationship with Gruden. Losing Mack, the Oakland Raiders still had some star-power on their team with the young receiver, Amari Cooper. Cooper has had multiple thousand-yard seasons at this point and is primed to be a focal point of Gruden’s offense. But, when the season started, Cooper disappeared on the field and, when thrown to, dropped almost everything. The lack of production and drops convinced Gruden to trade Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2019 first-round pick. Not a bad return for a young receiver who is hugely talented but does have his downsides and coming up on a big contract. Jon Gruden focused on bringing in veteran players his first year to fill the roster and teach the young guys, and the lack of speed and skill showed on the field. The Raiders finished 4-12 on the season, as questions loomed surrounding Derek Carr and Jon Gruden’s relationship. Carr looked nervous whenever he dropped back to pass and feared scrambling. Most people blame this on the injuries he has had in the past, and others blame it on a new system that is hugely complex with Gruden. A lot of fans blamed it on Carr himself, seeing him as a shell of his 2016 MVP Caliber season self. The defense looked like the same defense of years before, getting ripped apart and turning bad QBs into Superstars. The Raiders struggled to find sacks, and Gruden acknowledged this, generating plenty of memes of trading Mack away who was wreaking havoc in Chicago. 2018 was a wash for the Oakland Raiders. A season where people learned the system and learned how one of the more polarizing coaches in the league operates. With three first-round picks acquired from the Mack and Cooper trades for the 2019 and 2020 NFL Drafts, Gruden will look to build his team his way. Written by Matt Myers

2019:

The season opened with a lot of promise for the Oakland Raiders as they played their final season before moving to Las Vegas. Jon Gruden hired Mike Mayock away from the NFL Network, and the tandem signed Tyrell Williams on the offense and Lamarcus Joyner on the defense. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther brought in Vontaze Burfict from Cincinnati, and the Raiders were looking great. Oh yeah, they traded for Antonio Brown, arguably the top WR in the league at the time, but one who comes with baggage. Brown is one who is known as a drama queen, and someone who does things his way. This was made clear early in the relationship when Brown sabotaged his time in Oakland and got himself released before the season started. But, by far, the brightest spot of the 2019 season are the rookies that Mayock and Gruden drafted. Josh Jacobs was in line to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushing for 1150 yards with seven touchdowns. Maxx Crosby was among the best rookies on defense, with ten sacks. Clelin Ferrell, the fourth overall pick out of Clemson, had his struggles as he was often pushed around but seemed to improve late in the season. The secondary continued to struggle with newcomer Joyner appearing somewhat vulnerable most of the time. The Raiders played well early in the season, winning their Monday Night opener over the Denver Broncos 24-16, a week later they would lose to the Kansas City Chiefs 28-10 at home. It would be nearly two months before the Raiders returned to Oakland as they had four road games, a bye week, and a “home game” in London. The Raiders survived this trying part of the scheduled, winning twice, including a 24-21 win over the Chicago Bears in London. Once they got back to the Black Hole, the Raiders showed signs of life by winning three straight games at Ring Central Coliseum to play themselves into playoff contention at 6-4. The most thrilling of these was a 26-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10, as Josh Jacobs scored the game-winning touchdown with 62 seconds left. However, a cold slap of reality hit two weeks later, when the Raiders were embarrassed in the Meadowlands by the New York Jets 34-3. A week later, the Raiders suffered a 40-9 loss to the Chiefs, as their playoff dreams began to wilt in a four-game losing streak. This included a gut-wrenching 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 15th in the final game in Oakland. The Raiders led throughout only to see Jacksonville score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter the last coming with 31 seconds left. The Raiders would end their losing streak with a 24-17 win over the Chargers in Los Angeles but lost their final game to the Broncos 16-15. In that finale on December 29th, the Raiders trailed 16-3 entering the fourth quarter. Oakland rallied and scored with seven seconds left as Derek Carr connected with Hunter Renfroe. Jon and chose to go for two, as Derek Carr’s pass fell incomplete, leading to defeat as the Raiders finished 7-9 in their Oakland swan song. Despite the disappointing finish, there is an excellent foundation for the future. Derek Carr took some strides in his second season with Gruden, as the Raiders look forward to contending when they get to Sin City. Written by Matt Myers

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

Super Bowl XI Champions (1976)

Oakland Raiders

Super Bowl XV Champions (1980)

Oakland Raiders

RAIDERS STADIUMS

Frank Youell Field

1962-1965

Oakland Alameda County Coliesum

1966-1981

Oakland Alameda County Coliesum

1995-2019

Raiders Excellence

Al Davis

Owner 1963-1981, 1995-2011

Fred Williamson

1961-1964

Alan Miller

1961-1965

Archie Matsos

1963-1965

Tom Flores

1960-1966

Art Powell

1963-1966

Clem Daniels

1961-1967

Wayne Hawkins

1960-1969

Cotton Davidson

1962-1969

Billy Cannon

1964-1969

Ike Lassiter

1965-1969

Dave Grayson

1965-1970

Harry Schuh

1965-1970

Hewritt Dixon

1966-1970

Warren Wells

1967-1970

Ben Davidson

1964-1971

Gus Otto

1965-1972

Tom Keating

1966-1972

Jim Otto

1960-1974

Dan Conners

1964-1974

Daryle Lamonica

1967-1974

1967 & 1969 AFL Player

Charlie Smith

1968-1974

George Blanda

1967-1975

Marv Hubbard

1969-1975

George Atkinson

1968-1977

Skip Thomas

1972-1977

Fred Biletnikoff

1965-1978

Super Bowl XI MVP

Pete Banaszak

1966-1978

Willie Brown

1967-1978

John Madden

Coach 1969-1978

George Buehler

1969-1978

Clarence Davis

1971-1978

Ken Stabler

1970-1979

1974 Off. Player & MVP

Jack Tatum

1971-1979

Phil Villapiano

1971-1979

Otis Sistrunk

1972-1979

Monte Johnson

1973-1979

Dave Casper

1974-1980

Gene Upshaw

1967-1981

Art Shell

1968-1981

Raymond Chester

1970-1972, 1978-1981

Cliff Branch

1972-1981

Dave Dalby

1972-1981

Ray Guy

1973-1981

Henry Lawrence

1974-1981

Mark van Eeghen

1974-1981

Ted Hendricks

1975-1981

Jeff Barnes

1975-1981

John Matuszak

1976-1981

Lester Hayes

1977-1981

1980 Defensive Player

Rod Martin

1977-1981

Jim Plunkett

1978-1981

Super Bowl XV MVP

Mickey Marvin

1978-1981

Tom Flores

Coach 1979-1981

Bruce Davis

1979-1981

Todd Christensen

1979-1981

Chris Bahr

1980-1981

Kenny King

1980-1981

Matt Millen

1980-1981

Jeff Hostetler

1995-1996

Chester McGlockton

1995-1997

Charles Woodson

1998 Defensive Rookie

Eric Turner

1997-1999

Napoleon Kaufman

1995-2000

Greg Biekert

1995-2001

Steve Wisniewski

1995-2001

Darrell Russell

1997-2001

Eric Allen

1998-2001

James Jett

1995-2002

Tim Brown

1995-2003

Barret Robbins

1995-2003

Lincoln Kennedy

1996-2003

Eric Barton

1999-2003

Rod Coleman

1999-2003

Charlie Garner

2001-2003

Rod Woodson

2002-2003

Rich Gannon

1999-2004

2002 NFL MVP

Tyrone Wheatley

1999-2004

Frank Middleton

2001-2004

Jerry Rice

2001-2004

Napoleon Harris

2002-2004

Teyo Johnson

2001-2005

Kerry Collins

2004-2005

Doug Gabriel

2003-2006

Randy Moss

2005-2006

Barry Sims

1999-2007

Jerry Porter

2000-2007

Warren Sapp

2004-2007

LaMont Jordan

2005-2007

Fabian Washington

2005-2007

Ronald Curry

2003-2008

Derrick Burgess

2005-2008

Andrew Walter

2005-2008

Justin Fargas

2003-2009

Kirk Morrison

2005-2009

JaMarcus Russell

2007-2009

Nnamdi Asomugha

2003-2010

Robert Gallery

2004-2010

Thomas Howard

2006-2010

Zach Miller

2007-2010

Trevor Scott

2008-2010

Stanford Routt

2005-2011

Michael Bush

2008-2011

Louis Murphy

2009-2011

Jason Campbell

2010-2011

Kamerion Wimbley

2010-2011

Shane Lechler

2000-2012

Tommy Kelly

2004-2012

Michael Huff

2006-Present

Cooper Carlisle

2007-2012

Darrius Heyward-Bey

2009-2012

Richard Seymour

2009-2012

Matt Shaughnessy

2009-2012

Rolando McClain

2010-2012

Matt Giordano

2011-2012

Carson Palmer

2011-2012

Jacoby Ford

2010-2013

Lamarr Houston

2010-2013

Jared Veldheer

2010-2013

Terrelle Pryor

2011-2013

Tyvon Branch

2008-2014

Darren McFadden

2008-2014

Denarius Moore

2011-2014

Stefen Wisniewski

2011-2014

Sio Moore

2013-2014

Nick Roach

2013-2014

Charles Woodson

1998-2005, 2013-2015

Khalif Barnes

2009-2015

Marcel Reece

2009-2015

Rod Streater

2012-2015

Benson Mayowa

2014-2015, 2019

Justin Tuck

2014-2015

D.J. Hayden

2013-2016

Andre Holmes

2013-2016

Matt McGloin

2013-2016

Latavius Murray

2013-2016

Mychal Rivera

2013-2016

Malcolm Smith

2015-2016

Sebastian Janikowski

2000-2017

Jon Condo

2006-2017

Marquette King

2012-2017

Denico Autry

2014-2017

Khalil Mack

2014-2017

2016 Defensive Player

Michael Crabtree

2015-2017

Donald Penn

2014-2018

Amari Cooper

2015-2018

Seth Roberts

2015-2018

Bruce Irvin

2016-2018

Reggie Nelson

2016-2018

Kelechci Osemele

2016-2018

Jared Cook

2017-2018

Marshawn Lynch

2017-2018

Jon Gruden

Coach 1998-2001, 2018-2019

Derek Carr

2014-2019

Gabe Jackson

2014-2019

Rodney Hudson

2015-2019

Erik Harris

2017-2019

Trent Brown

2018-2019

Daniel Carlson

2018-2019

Maurice Hurst Jr.

2018-2019

Tahir Whitehead

2018-2019

Maxx Crosby

2019

Clelin Ferrell

2019

Josh Jacobs

2019

Hunter Renfrow

2019

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Author

Frank Fleming
Frank Fleming founded the Sports Ecyclopedia in 2001 & is a passionate Devils fan.