Raiders Brought Back Memories of the 1960s
The Las Vegas Raiders gave the Los Angeles Chargers a jolt from the past on Thursday Night Football.
Rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell did his best Daryle Lamonica impression by throwing four touchdown passes in the first half as the Raiders scored the first 49 points in a 63-21 victory at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
For many longtime members of Raider Nation, it brought back memories of the wide-open offenses they watched virtually every week of the American Football League’s 10 seasons during the 1960s.
The eventual result of fans flocking to AFL games helped lead to the merger with the staid, established National Football League, which became official with the AFL teams joining the NFL in 1970.
After the humiliation of the lopsided loss to the Raiders (6-8), the Chargers (5-9) fired Coach Brandon Staley and General Manager Tom Telesco on Friday. Still, for owner Dean Spanos it was simply the final straw.
The Raiders had many high-scoring games like this during the 1960s.
Las Vegas Raiders' historic blowout win brought back memories of the 1960s
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Lamonica threw a franchise record six touchdown passes in the first half, ran 12 yards for another score, and threw for 313 yards as the Silver and Black built a 42-0 halftime lead over the Buffalo Bills en route to a 50-21 rout at the Oakland Coliseum.
In another memorable game in Al Davis’ first season as their coach, the Raiders scored the last 27 points in the fourth quarter to stun the eventual AFL champion Chargers, 41-27, at Frank Youell Field in Oakland.
In 1966, fullback Hewritt Dixon rushed for 38 yards, and a touchdown in addition to catching five passes for 129 yards and touchdowns of 76 and 10 yards from quarterback Tom Flores in another game to be remembered as Raiders trounced the arch-rival Kansas City Chiefs, 34-13, at Kansas City Municipal Stadium.
Dixon also starred in the 1967 American Football League Championship Game, when he ran 69 yards for the first touchdown and finished with 144 yards on 21 carries in a 40-7 trouncing of the Houston Oilers. He also led the Raiders with 54 yards on 12 carries as they lost, 33-14, to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II.
In what has been called the best AFL game in that 1967 season, Lamonica passed for 349 yards and four touchdowns, including a 64-yarder and a one-yarder to tight end Billy Cannon as the Raiders downed the then-San Diego Chargers, 41-21, at San Diego Stadium.
The Raiders played another memorable game against the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day in 1967, when cornerback Willie Brown and safety Warren Powers intercepted passes by quarterback Lenny Dawson and returned them 25 and 33 yards for touchdowns in a 44-22 victory at Kansas City Municipal Stadium.
In a 1969 AFL Divisional Playoff game, Lamonica passed for 276 yards and another six touchdowns, including two each to wide receivers Fred Biletnikoff and Rod Sherman, as the Raiders rolled past the Houston Oilers, 56-7, at the Oakland Coliseum.
Lamonica had another great game with 347 yards and five touchdowns, including three to Biletnikoff for 24, 44, and 54 yards and two to Warren Wells for 23 and 35 yards, in a resounding 41-6 victory over the Chiefs at the Oakland Coliseum.
Even though the Raiders went 1-13 in 1962, they won the last game of the season when running back Clem Daniels ran for a seven-yard touchdown and caught a 74-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cotton Davidson to beat the Boston Patriots, 20-0, at Frank Youell Field.
There were more games like this for the Raiders in the 1960s, but you get the idea. Hopefully, the Silver and Black can keep this mentality for the rest of this season.
The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.
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