Thoughts on 1969 Raiders-Chiefs title game

[Bryan]

*Chiefs had a run where they lost 7 of 8 to the Raiders. Comparing SB I Chiefs to the SB II Raiders, Willie Wood said the Chiefs were the most talented team the Packers ever faced. Willie Davis said the Packers were lucky to win SB I. Bart Starr said he was not concerned with the Raiders defense, because they didn't have any standout players like the Chiefs did the previous year in Buchanan, Bell, Holub & Johnny Robinson. So...did the Chiefs underachieve in the late 60's-early 70's with so much talent? Should they have at least broke even with the Raiders in head-to-head matchups?

*The regular season records of the 1967-69 Raiders were 13-1, 12-2, 12-1-1...4 losses in 3 years. Incredible achievement...did the Raiders underachieve in the postseason during that span?

*It was said that Bobby Bell could have played any position during his time. What other players would that be true of? Bronko Nagurski? I think the size disparity of the linemen to the other positions in the modern NFL eliminates most of those players.

*The Raiders have benefited by questionable calls in big games, but there were two terrible calls that lead to KC's second TD. The Otis Taylor catch had Otis with zero feet inbounds and bobbling the ball, but the ref kind of got turned around and wouldn't have been able to get a clear view of the play. There was a subsequent pass interference on Nemiah Wilson that was IMO an even worse call...the ref saw the play the whole way and threw a flag on Wilson when he was playing the ball and nudged shoulder pads with Otis Taylor. I'm not sure that KC would have scored a TD without that PI call.

*The end of the title game was one of the most bizarre. The Chiefs managed to turn the ball over 3 straight times deep in their own territory, and the Raiders 'capitalized' on this by throwing 2 INTs and having a 4th down sack. Very weird that the Raiders kept trying to throw into the end zone.

[JohnR]

The Raiders squandered so many opportunities in the 3rd qtr. Wells slips on a post route leading to an INT. I believe Blanda was 0-3 on FG attempts that day? It's easy to second guess decisions, but the outcome might have been better for Oakland if Blanda had finished the game. Daryle was just not Daryle after the hand injury.

[Brian wolf]

Raiders blew the game without a doubt. Needed to run Dixon, Banazak or Hubbard more but hindsight is 20/20. Aaron Brown and Jerry Mays had monster games. I still cant believe Marsalis, a rookie, shut down Biletnikoff ?
Lamonica's injuries in this game and the 70 AFC Championship, might have cost him the HOF. Is he in the HOVG ? I havent checked ...

[Brian wolf]

From 1967-1972 both the Raiders and Chiefs underachieved but great divisional games between both teams after this game ...

[JuggernautJ]

Lamonica's injuries in this game and the 70 AFC Championship, might have cost him the HOF. Is he in the HOVG ? I havent checked ...

Lamonica was inducted into the HoVG in 2013.
http://www.profootballresearchers.org/h ... -2013.html

[Brian wolf]

Thanks Juggernaut ...

[racepug]

*Chiefs had a run where they lost 7 of 8 to the Raiders. Comparing SB I Chiefs to the SB II Raiders, Willie Wood said the Chiefs were the most talented team the Packers ever faced. Willie Davis said the Packers were lucky to win SB I. Bart Starr said he was not concerned with the Raiders defense, because they didn't have any standout players like the Chiefs did the previous year in Buchanan, Bell, Holub & Johnny Robinson.

Interesting. I finished reading Jerry Kramer's "Instant Replay" earlier this year and in it he states (after the Packers beat the Cowboys for the N.F.L. title): "We watched some Oakland movies, the Raiders against the New York Jets. We didn't see anything funny about the Raiders - the previous year, before the Super Bowl, we actually laughed out loud at some of the antics of the Kansas City Chiefs. . ."

[Brian wolf]

What hurt the Raiders in 68-69 were the playoff games I believe because they scored what, 12 offensive TDs in those games but had nothing left the following weeks in the championship games with only two sustained TD drives combined. Their other offensive score against the Jets followed an interception and five yard run into the endzone.
The Raiders did more against the Colts in the 70 AFC championship but Blanda kept forcing the ball over the middle ...

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Chiefs defense was pretty tough at the goal line. They stopped the Jets on the goal line as well in the divisional playoff at Shea. KC won two games on the road to get to the SB. Then they blew out the Vikings.

[7DnBrnc53]

From 1967-1972 both the Raiders and Chiefs underachieved but great divisional games between both teams after this game ...

The Raiders overachieved in 1970. As for 72, the Raiders got beat by fate, and the Chiefs seemed to get old overnight (I heard that some people picked them to go to LA for Supe 7).