Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site tekchips.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!tektronix!tekcrl!tekchips!stevev From: stevev@tekchips.UUCP (Steve Vegdahl) Newsgroups: net.sport.football Subject: Re: The Oakland Raiders must have lucky charms in their shorts Message-ID: <422@tekchips.UUCP> Date: Tue, 10-Dec-85 17:59:35 EST Article-I.D.: tekchips.422 Posted: Tue Dec 10 17:59:35 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 12-Dec-85 00:36:13 EST References: <709@drutx.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 86 >The >Oakland (Yes, I know they play in LA) Raiders are lucky and do not desire >to be in first place. The fact that the Broncos overcame the lack of playing >time in the 3rd quarter to almost win. I do admit that Hester should have >caught the TD pass from Marc Wilson, but ..... The fact that the referee >got in front of the only man who could have stop Marcus Allen from scoring, if >that's not luck what is. How 'bout a blocked field goal in overtime against San Diego that bounces into a Bronco defender's hands and is run in for a touchdown? How 'bout TWO fumbles in the Bronco-Raider game last year, the lack of either which would have given the Raiders the game? The Broncos defense got themselves into a position where they depended on a single man to stop a touchdown, and he was blocked by an official. Had the official not been there, Marcus may have broken the tackle anyway. The Broncos missed plenty of tackles in the brief overtime period to allow the Raiders to set up the winning FG. The way I saw that game, the Broncos were lucky that the Raiders didn't put the game away with an "easy" last-second field goal. The Bronco defense did an incredibly poor job in allowing the Raiders to get into field goal position AND out of bounds (they were out of time outs) with a tick left on the clock. Then in overtime they did an even poorer job, missing numerous tackles. >I pitty the fools in Silver and Black >on Dec 8, 1985. The Raiders will think that Pearl Habor was a day and >44 years later, the Broncos ARE a better team this year than the Raiders. No comment necessary. >Super Bowl winner - Denver Broncos ( we will have just sign Hulk Hogan ) I do not believe that the Broncos will win the Super Bowl. Let me repeat myself from last year to tell you why. Teams that have depended on turnovers to win games have done poorly in the playoffs. What seems to happen is that such a team does well during the season, and through one or two playoff games, and then runs up against a team that is "hot", and is not turning the ball over, who beats them. Let me cite the Vikings of the early '70s (I think that there was one year that Eller and Page and crew scored more points than the Vikings offense), who always got blown away in the Super Bowl; the '83 Redskins whom the Raiders demolished in the Super Bowl; the Seahawks and Broncos of recent years. Denver couldn't even beat Pittsburgh last year in the playoffs. Give me a REAL defense, like the Bears or the Raiders, or the Cowboys or Steelers of a decade ago. <> >I was watching my Denver Broncos rake havoc on the one Oakland Raiders. The >score at half-time reflicted a Raiders team, as beat and done. Rich Karlis >missed a field goal, but that's okay. The Broncos Offense came on the field, >but a different Bronco Offense, must have been a college bottom 10 team. I >have not seen such an offensive turnaround, in all my days as a Bronco fan >(some 18 years now). No, it's the same old Bronco offense as always: occasionally brilliant, but generally inconsistent. (Much like the Raider offense in that respect.) They ran up against a solid Raider defense that shut them down. Wasn't that three Bronco possesions in overtime without a first down? <> This Raider-Bronco rivalry is getting to be pretty interesting. If my memory serves me correctly, in the last two years, all four games have been decided by three points, with three of the games going into overtime; each team won twice, once at home and once on the road. As far as which team is better, I'd say that the Raiders are one turnover better than the Broncos. That is to say, if the Raiders turn the ball over once more than the Broncos do, the game will probably be close. I believe that the Raiders are -9 in turnovers on the season, and the Broncos +9 (out of 14 games). Last Sunday, the Raiders turned the ball over once more, I believe. Both of these facts would be consistent with the above analysis. Playoff picture. I find it hard to believe that the Raiders will lose to both Seattle and the Rams; hence they will likely be the AFC west champs. The Raiders, however, have not looked good offensively. Wilson has been much too inconsistent. I look for the AFC Super Bowl rep to come from the east. (As a Raider fan, I hope I'm wrong.) Steve Vegdahl Computer Research Lab. Tektronix, Inc. Beaverton, Oregon