thebluefood Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 The Immaculate Reception (or "deception" as George Atkinson, in the depths of his saltiness, likes to refer to it) is, indeed, one of the most iconic plays in the league's 97 year history. But what if Tatum had gone for the ball (or at least the tackle) instead of Frenchy Fuqua's head? It was hardly a perfectly thrown ball by Bradshaw and it seems to be Tatum was in perfectly position to get a jump on it and bat it away or even pick it off and run the clock down. Even if Fuqua makes the catch and moves the chains, Bradshaw killed a lot of time scrambling around and finding someone to throw to. Maybe the Steelers kick a field goal but a 40 yard field goal (more or less) would hardly be a sure thing unless the Steelers still had a time out up their sleeve (can't recall of they did or not). All that to say is the odds were not in Pittsburgh's favor. So, what happens if the game ends 7-6? How do the Raiders match up against the Dolphins that year - especially since Daryle Lamonica had been benched in the 4th quarter of the Divisional Playoff game? Do the Raiders and their roster of hard nosed veterans get another shot at the Super Bowl after getting a thrashing at the hands of the Packers 5 years earlier? If they do - would they have beaten Washington? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 Mind if I bump this up to see if anyone wants to weigh in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogs 1991 Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 I think if (and this a HUGE if) the Raiders get past the Dolphins, they win the Super Bowl. Refer to What If : Sonny Jurgeson Edition as to why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Hard to say. The Dolphins were pretty destined to make the Super Bowl that year. The Raiders were 10-3-1 that year. Would have been a close SB with us. I think we beat the Dolphins with Sonny. I think we beat the Raiders with Sonny or Billy. Would've been a 17-14 type game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 Yeah and Sonny is the X-Factor with that game (already made a "what if" thread about him) but let's presume we field the same Redskins team we actually field in Super Bowl VII - including Sonny's banishment to the press box. Man-for-man and coach-for-coach who has the better team going into that game? 39 minutes ago, pjfootballer said: Hard to say. The Dolphins were pretty destined to make the Super Bowl that year. The Raiders were 10-3-1 that year. Would have been a close SB with us. I think we beat the Dolphins with Sonny. I think we beat the Raiders with Sonny or Billy. Would've been a 17-14 type game. This is kind of where I stand, too. The Raiders weren't really stable at quarterback, either and it was either an aging Lamonica or a raw, inexperienced Stabler. Now having said that, they also had an effective running attack like we did that year. Their offensive line is also the stuff of legend (Jim Otto still anchored the line and they had Upshaw and Shell on the left side of the line) and if they keep their Lamonica or Stabler clean, you have to deal with Cliff Branch. Could Mike Bass or Pat Fischer go step for step with him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Fischer would have marked Branch. He'd have beat the crap out of him off the line. The Raiders secondary would have beat our receivers down also. I feel like we would have had the better running game. One thing I've noticed in the NFL films when they talk to Phil Villappiano and George Atkinson is, them cats are bitter. They act like the Raiders should have never been beat and the NFL was always out to get them. Quite frankly, while they were considered a great team then, they're kind of like the Atlanta Braves of the 90s. All that talent and only 1 title. You can say they underachieved or even choked. I read the book "Badasses" about the 70s Raiders. The Stories get taller and taller the more you read, but VERY entertaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 45 minutes ago, pjfootballer said: Fischer would have marked Branch. He'd have beat the crap out of him off the line. The Raiders secondary would have beat our receivers down also. I feel like we would have had the better running game. One thing I've noticed in the NFL films when they talk to Phil Villappiano and George Atkinson is, them cats are bitter. They act like the Raiders should have never been beat and the NFL was always out to get them. Quite frankly, while they were considered a great team then, they're kind of like the Atlanta Braves of the 90s. All that talent and only 1 title. You can say they underachieved or even choked. And Allen being the defensive guru that he was, he probably would have had a zone plan to contain Branch and keep him from going down the sideline and breaking loose for the home run ball. - - - Regarding the Raiders of that era: for sure a lot of underachievement and more concern with keeping up their reputation than winning ball games. The one that always gets me is the 1975 AFC Championship Game and the complaints about the icy fields. I know the Raiders prided themselves on the "vertical game" but they had the third most prolific running game in the league that year and icy conditions also meant Swann and Stallworth were at a disadvantage. I know Al Davis and the NFL didn't often see eye-to-eye but they ought to look at themselves in the mirror if they wanna know why they didn't leave the decade with more than one ring on their hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Swann also got knocked out in that 1975 game because of the icy turf. So they were working shorthanded to the Raiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 7 minutes ago, pjfootballer said: Swann also got knocked out in that 1975 game because of the icy turf. So they were working shorthanded to the Raiders. For them to whine and moan about that game is ridiculous. If they were as good as they said, they should've beaten Pittsburgh outright - even if they were the defending champions. But getting back to the '72 squad, I think it would have been an interesting game. As you mentioned, lots of running and hard hits. These were two teams with a lot of battle scars - some of whom had championship experience (Lamonica, Otto, Upshaw, George Blanda, and Willie Brown were on the Raiders' AFL Championship team that got drummed by the Packers in Super Bowl II). Both teams had 1,000 yard rushers and top 10 rushing defenses. Would have been interesting to see how they would have matched up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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