1978 Oakland Raiders season
The 1978 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 19th season. During a pre-season game, Jack Tatum paralyzed New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley from the chest down while making a hit.
| 1978 Oakland Raiders season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Al Davis |
| Head coach | John Madden |
| General manager | Al Davis |
| Home field | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
1978 would prove to be an up and down year for the silver and black. The Raiders were plagued by one of quarterback Kenny Stabler's worst seasons, tossing 16 TD's, while throwing 30 interceptions. The running game also fell off from seasons past. Even the great wide receiver Cliff Branch, only caught one touchdown. The season started off with a 14–6 loss in Denver. The Raiders would rally to a 5–3 start, then climbed to 8–4. After a last-minute loss to the Seattle Seahawks 17–16, a team beat the Raiders twice in the same season for the first time since 1965. Then the Broncos completed their sweep of the Raiders with a 21–6 victory in Oakland, followed by a 23–6 defeat in Miami. A meaningless 27–20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings kept the Raiders consecutive seasons with a winning record streak alive. This was head coach John Madden's tenth and final season as head coach of the team. He was replaced by his wide receivers coach, Tom Flores.
Offseason
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
{{{reserve_lists}}}
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Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3, 1978 | at Denver Broncos | L 14–6 | |
| 2 | September 10, 1978 | at San Diego Chargers | W 21–20 | |
| 3 | September 17, 1978 | at Green Bay Packers | W 28–3 | |
| 4 | September 24, 1978 | New England Patriots | L 21–14 | |
| 5 | October 1, 1978 | at Chicago Bears | W 25–19 | |
| 6 | October 8, 1978 | Houston Oilers | W 21–17 | |
| 7 | October 15, 1978 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 28–6 | |
| 8 | October 22, 1978 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 27–7 | |
| 9 | October 29, 1978 | San Diego Chargers | L 27–23 | |
| 10 | November 5, 1978 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–10 | |
| 11 | November 13, 1978 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 34–21 | |
| 12 | November 19, 1978 | Detroit Lions | W 29–17 | |
| 13 | November 26, 1978 | Seattle Seahawks | L 17–16 | |
| 14 | December 3, 1978 | Denver Broncos | L 21–6 | |
| 15 | December 10, 1978 | at Miami Dolphins | L 23–6 | |
| 16 | December 17, 1978 | Minnesota Vikings | W 27–20 |
Game summaries
Week 2
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The Holy Roller
During this game, one of the most famous plays known as the Holy Roller occurred. Kenny Stabler fumbled the ball and Pete Banaszak moved it forward allowing Dave Casper to finish the job for a touchdown. It is one of the most controversial plays in the history of the NFL.
Week 3
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Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Denver Broncos(3) | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 7–1 | 8–4 | 282 | 198 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 311 | 283 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 345 | 358 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 355 | 309 | W3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 4–10 | 243 | 327 | L2 |