Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Cailifornia
Date: January 9, 1977
Attendance: 103,438
MVP: Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Oakland
The Raiders won their first NFL championship before a record Super Bowl crown plus 81 million television viewers, the larges audience ever to watch a sporting event. For all their frustration, the Raiders had won their division title seven of eight times, but not since 1967, when they were defeated by Green Bay, have they appeared in the big game.
By the end of the game the Minnesota Vikings proved hardly an opposition for the devastating Raiders as they rang up 266 yards on the ground and 163 yards through the air. The Raiders gained a record-breaking 429 yards including running back Clarence Davis's 137 yards rushing.
After a scoreless first quarter that saw the Raiders miss a field goal attempt, the Raiders were on top 16-0 at the half behind a field goal, a Dave Casper touchdown catch, and a one yard TD run by reserve running back Pete Banaszak. Oakland's second quarter points came on three successive possessions and it allowed the Raiders to put the Vikings behind the eight ball early.
Kicker Errol Mann's 24-yard field goal opened the scoring, then the AFC champions put together drives of 64 and 35 yards. Both drives culminated in the before mentioned Casper and Banaszak touchdowns. In the third quarter the Vikings fell further behind as another Raider field goal made it 19-0.
The Vikings closed the gap late in the third period with a 12-play drive in which quarterback Fran Tarkenton hit receiver Sammy White with a 8 yard touchdown toss. The Raiders defense came up big in the fourth quarter with two clutch interceptions which would end the Vikings chances. The first set up Pete Banaszaks second touchdown and the other was a 75 -yard interception return for a TD by future Hall-of-Famer cornerback Willie Brown.
