| 1967 Oakland Raiders season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | F. Wayne Valley |
| General manager | Scotty Stirling |
| Head coach | John Rauch |
| Home field | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 13–1 |
| Division place | 1st AFL Western |
| Playoff finish | Won AFL Championship (vs. Oilers) 40–7 Lost Super Bowl II (vs. Packers) 14–33 |
The 1967 Oakland Raiders season was the team's eighth in Oakland. Under the command of second-year head coach John Rauch, the Raiders went 13–1 (.929), an American Football League (AFL) record, and captured their first Western Division title, four games ahead of runner-up Kansas City, the defending league champion.
The addition of strong-armed quarterback Daryle Lamonica greatly energized the Raiders' vertical passing game. Additionally, the Raiders added Gene Upshaw, Willie Brown, and George Blanda to their roster as well as linebackers coach (and future head coach) John Madden prior to the 1967 season. All four were later elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Raiders routed the visiting Houston Oilers in the AFL championship game on New Year's Eve. They advanced to Super Bowl II in Miami two weeks later, but were defeated by the NFL champion Green Bay Packers, and finished at 14–2 (.875).
Offseason
1967 AFL draft
Roster
| Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams |
Reserve lists
Practice squad
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Team leaders
- Passing
Daryle Lamonica – 3,228 yds., 30 TD, 20 INT, 80.8 rating
- Rushing
Clem Daniels – 130 att., 575 yds., 4 TD
- Receiving
Fred Biletnikoff – 40 rec., 876 yds., 5 TD
Regular season
Over the course of a fourteen-game regular season schedule, the Raiders faced six of the other eight AFL teams twice, with one game against the Eastern Division's Houston Oilers and Miami Dolphins. The AFL's only scheduled playoff was the championship game between the two division winners. A playoff round was added two years later, in its final season.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bye | ||||||
| 2 | September 10 | Denver Broncos | W 51–0 | 1–0 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 25,423 | Recap |
| 3 | September 17 | Boston Patriots | W 35–7 | 2–0 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 26,289 | Recap |
| 4 | Bye | ||||||
| 5 | October 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 23–21 | 3–0 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 50,268 | Recap |
| 6 | October 7 | at New York Jets | L 14–27 | 3–1 | Shea Stadium | 63,106 | Recap |
| 7 | October 15 | at Buffalo Bills | W 24–20 | 4–1 | War Memorial Stadium | 45,758 | Recap |
| 8 | October 22 | at Boston Patriots | W 48–14 | 5–1 | Fenway Park | 25,057 | Recap |
| 9 | October 29 | San Diego Chargers | W 51–10 | 6–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 53,474 | Recap |
| 10 | November 5 | at Denver Broncos | W 21–17 | 7–1 | Bears Stadium | 29,043 | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | ||||||
| 12 | November 19 | Miami Dolphins | W 31–17 | 8–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 37,295 | Recap |
| 13 | November 23 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 44–22 | 9–1 | Municipal Stadium | 44,020 | Recap |
| 14 | December 3 | at San Diego Chargers | W 41–21 | 10–1 | San Diego Stadium | 53,474 | Recap |
| 15 | December 10 | at Houston Oilers | W 19–7 | 11–1 | Rice Stadium | 36,375 | Recap |
| 16 | December 17 | New York Jets | W 38–29 | 12–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 53,011 | Recap |
| 17 | December 24 | Buffalo Bills | W 28–21 | 13–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 30,738 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Postseason
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | Game recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFL Championship | December 31 | Houston Oilers | W 40–7 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 53,330 | Recap |
| Super Bowl II | January 14, 1968 | Green Bay Packers | L 14–33 | Miami Orange Bowl | 75,546 | Recap |
Standings
| AFL Western Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Oakland Raiders | 13 | 1 | 0 | .929 | 6–0 | 468 | 233 | W10 | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 2–4 | 408 | 254 | W3 | |
| San Diego Chargers | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 4–2 | 360 | 352 | L4 | |
| Denver Broncos | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 0–6 | 256 | 409 | L1 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings in the AFL.
Game summaries
Week 1 vs Broncos
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Raiders | 7 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 51 |
at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum • Oakland, California
- Date: September 10
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) • Wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
- Game attendance: 25,423
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Game information | ||
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With only one game played during the AFL's opening week, the Raiders' season began on September 10, 1967, with a 51–0 wipeout of the Denver Broncos in front of a home crowd of just more than 25,000. Running back Hewritt Dixon caught one touchdown pass and ran for another. Warren Powers capped the scoring with a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown.
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Week 2
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Newly acquired quarterback Daryle Lamonica threw three touchdowns and ran for another as Oakland's high-powered offense easily handled the Boston Patriots. Former Raiders quarterback Babe Parilli connected with Art Graham on a 19-yard touchdown pass for Boston's only score.
Week 3
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The Raiders stayed undefeated on the young season on the strength of two Daryle Lamonica touchdown passes and three field goals from 40-year-old George Blanda. A late touchdown run by Mike Garrett was not enough for Kansas City, who lost their first game of the season.
Week 4
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In front of a crowd of more than 63,000 at Shea Stadium, the New York Jets spoiled Oakland's perfect season. New York's running game provided three touchdowns—two by Emerson Boozer and one by Bill Mathis. Daryle Lamonica connected with Bill Miller and Warren Wells for two second-half touchdowns.
Week 5
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Oakland rebounded from the previous week's defeat by edging the Buffalo Bills in War Memorial Stadium. The Raiders built a 17–7 halftime lead on a George Blanda field goal, a Fred Biletnikoff touchdown catch, and a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Dan Conners. Daryle Lamonica found Billy Cannon for a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, which provided the margin of victory.
Week 6
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In a week 3 rematch at Fenway Park the Raiders once again easily defeated the Patriots. Daryle Lamonica threw for four touchdowns, while George Blanda accounted for one touchdown pass and two field goals. Roger Hagberg caught one touchdown and ran for another for Oakland.
Week 7
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Oakland broke the 50-point mark for the second time in 1967, as the Raiders crushed the San Diego Chargers in their first meeting of the season. Daryle Lamonica and George Blanda combined for three touchdown passes, while Lamonica ran for two more scores. Lance Alworth caught a 71-yard touchdown for the Chargers.
Week 8
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Oakland held off a late comeback by the Broncos to preserve a narrow victory at Bears Stadium. The Raiders built an 18–7 halftime lead on the strength of two touchdown receptions by Bill Miller, but could only manage one field goal in the second half. Jim LeClair ran for a 1-yard Denver touchdown in the final period.
Week 9
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The Raiders scored 17 points in the final period to pull away from the expansion Miami Dolphins. Daryle Lamonica connected with Billy Cannon for three scores, while Clem Daniels ran for another. Bob Griese threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Doug Moreau in the second quarter to give the Dolphins a three-point lead at halftime.
Week 10
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Oakland improved to 9–1 by doubling up on the Chiefs in front of more than 44,000 in Municipal Stadium. Five different Raiders (Fred Biletnikoff, Willie Brown, Pete Banaszak, Warren Powers, and Larry Todd) scored touchdowns, while the Chiefs got touchdown receptions from Frank Pitts and Otis Taylor.
Week 11
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The Raiders' offense continued to pile up points on the season, as Daryle Lamonica threw for four more touchdowns. Billy Cannon caught two, while Bill Miller and Fred Biletnikoff caught one each. Charger quarterback John Hadl passed for two scores and ran for another.
Week 12
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Four George Blanda field goals and a 27-yard touchdown run by Hewritt Dixon lifted Oakland to its eleventh win of the season, while the Raiders defense held the Houston Oilers to just one touchdown. The game was played at Rice Stadium.
Week 13
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The Raiders avenged their only loss of the season in front of a home crowd of 53,011. The Jets scored first on a 28-yard pass from Joe Namath to Don Maynard. Daryle Lamonica threw for three touchdowns, while Roger Hagberg and Hewritt Dixon ran for one touchdown each.
Week 14
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A 6-yard touchdown run by Hewritt Dixon broke a 21–21 tie in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders edged the Bills to end their regular season with a 13–1 mark, the best in franchise history. The Oakland defense capitalized on Buffalo turnovers, converting two fumble recoveries into touchdowns in the second and third quarters. Daryle Lamonica found Billy Cannon for a 23-yard touchdown pass in the first period.
Regular season team statistics
In the 1967 regular season, the defense led the league with 67 sacks and 665 yards lost, the latter still an all-time record, the Raiders leading the league in sacks from 1966 to 1968, also an all-time record.
Postseason
With a 13–1 record, the Raiders captured their first AFL Western Division title and advanced to the 1967 AFL Championship against the Eastern Division champion Houston Oilers. Oakland edged Houston in a week 15 matchup on December 10. By virtue of the game's annual rotation, the game was played in Oakland.
AFL championship game
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Super Bowl II
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Scoring summary
- GB – FG Chandler 39
- GB – FG Chandler 20
- GB – Dowler 62 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
- OAK – Miller 23 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
- GB – FG Chandler 43
- GB – Anderson 2 run (Chandler kick)
- GB – FG Chandler 31
- GB – Adderley 60 interception return (Chandler kick)
- OAK – Miller 23 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
Sources
- 1967 Oakland Raiders at databaseFootball.com
- SI Vault
- NFL team records