{"id":2499,"date":"2016-09-23T13:06:59","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T17:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=2499"},"modified":"2016-09-23T13:06:59","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T17:06:59","slug":"this-weeks-oakland-raiders-game-harkens-back-to-the-1976-oakland-raiders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/09\/23\/this-weeks-oakland-raiders-game-harkens-back-to-the-1976-oakland-raiders\/","title":{"rendered":"Oakland Raiders Week Three Game Harkens Back to the 1976 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Living in Western North Carolina<\/strong> certainly has it’s perks.\u00a0Supporting the football needs of a die hard Oakland<\/strong> Raiders<\/strong> fan is not one of them. Imagine my excitement back in April<\/strong>, when the 2016 Raiders\u00a0schedule came out. It had games\u00a0against the\u00a0Carolina Panthers<\/strong> and the Atlanta Falcons<\/strong>, with both cities only\u00a0two hours away.\u00a0 Sadly, that excitement was over almost before it began. Both of them were listed as home games, and not realistic travel options.<\/p>\n

You see, this is the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Oakland Raiders season, and I wanted to be at as many games as my schedule would allow. Then my eyes focused in on the Week Three contest\u00a0at\u00a0Tennessee<\/strong> on the schedule.<\/p>\n

Oakland Raiders Week Three Game Harkens Back to the 1976 Season<\/h2>\n

I was at Nissan Stadium<\/strong>, home of the Titans<\/strong>, last year when the Raiders came to town on\u00a0Thanksgiving<\/strong> weekend. Derek Carr<\/a><\/strong> led the Raiders to victory with an exciting and controversial fourth quarter comeback win, in monsoon like conditions. It took a week for my wallet to dry out. I simply had to get tickets to the 2016 rematch so I went to NFL Ticket Exchange<\/a><\/strong>, which I highly recommend, and got them;\u00a0four tickets on the goal line,\u00a0thirteen rows up. Better than last year.\u00a0Yes!<\/p>\n

Fast forward to the present. I am now a fledgling writer here at Last Word On Pro Football<\/a><\/strong>, which means I am not going to the game just as\u00a0a fan; I have a job to do as well. So I asked around some of my sources and one of them got me in contact with Cliff Branch<\/a><\/strong>. Unfortunately for me, he is attending a Raiders Booster Club<\/strong> event in Houston<\/strong>, Texas<\/strong>, hosted by the Space City Raider Nation\u00a0Houston Texas<\/strong><\/a> group. By the way, if you are a Raiders fan\u00a0in the vicinity of\u00a0this event, you might want to check that out. Ironically, Cliff Branch was in Houston\u00a0forty years ago, during Week Three. More on that down below.<\/p>\n

The text conversation I had with Branch, who should\u00a0be in the Pro Football\u00a0Hall of Fame<\/strong> by the way, was a trip down memory lane. During the texting, the 1976 Oakland Raiders season was brought up;\u00a0a\u00a0campaign that featured what\u00a0many consider the greatest single season team in professional football history.\u00a0Before people start yelling about the 1985 Chicago\u00a0Bears<\/strong>, ESPN<\/strong> did a show called Dream Season<\/em><\/strong> in 1989, and the 1976 Oakland Raiders Beat them.<\/p>\n

In 2012, NFL.com<\/a><\/strong> Crowned the 1976 Oakland Raiders as the “Greatest Team Ever”<\/h3>\n

“16-1”\u00a0Branch texted me.<\/p>\n

He then texted me a team photo that was in the Raiders program from last Sunday’s<\/strong> game against the Falcons. Then it hit me. In Week Three of the 1976 Oakland Raiders schedule, the Raiders played the\u00a0Houston Oilers<\/strong>. For those who do not know, the Houston Oilers are now called the Tennessee Titans.<\/p>\n

On September 28th, 1976, the Raiders rolled into\u00a0the Houston Astrodome<\/strong> on\u00a0“the Autumn wind…swaggering boisterously”. The Raiders had beaten the 500 pound gorilla, the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/strong>, in an amazing come from behind victory in Week One. They had also held off their division rivals, the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs<\/strong>, in Week Two. Even though Kenny Stabler would miss the game with a knee sprain, confidence was high.<\/p>\n

After three grueling hours of punishing football, the 1976 Oakland Raiders escaped with a win. Ironically, it was Cliff Branch who scored the only points for the Raiders that day with two touchdown receptions. Unknown to them though, deep down inside that confidence suffered a hairline crack that would fracture the following week in Boston<\/strong> with a humiliating 48-17 loss to the New England Patriots<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That was the first and last time the 1976 Oakland Raiders would lose for the rest of the season.<\/h3>\n

The 1976 Oakland Raiders had the second-ranked offense in the league. What many do not know however, is the defense was a make-shift 3-4 due to a preseason, season ending, injury to\u00a0defensive tackle\u00a0Dave Rowe<\/a><\/strong>. Surprisingly, that defense was only ranked 18th overall, and headed into Week Three as one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Does this sound familiar?<\/p>\n

This is\u00a0the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Oakland Raiders, winners of Superbowl XI<\/strong>. Kenny Stabler was inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame class, and just\u00a0had\u00a0a ceremony honoring him at halftime in Oakland Last week.\u00a0Cliff Branch should have been wearing a gold jacket last week along with Tom Flores<\/a><\/strong>. At least this season there is hope for Flores, who is a nominee this year.<\/p>\n

These things will keep the 1976 Oakland\u00a0Raiders in my thoughts as I embark on the\u00a0four hour drive to Nashville, Tennessee. There I will watch the 2016 Raiders,\u00a0“and the trees will all shake, and quiver and quake, as they\u00a0rob the Titans\u00a0of their gold”.<\/p>\n

By the way, Houston is hosting Superbowl LI<\/strong>.\u00a0The first day of Autumn was yesterday, so I leave you with this.<\/p>\n

The Autumn Wind is a Raider,<\/em><\/strong>
\nPillaging just for fun.<\/em><\/strong>
\nHe’ll knock you ’round and upside down,<\/em><\/strong>
\nAnd laugh when he’s conquered and won.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n