Super Bowl III:
Oakland vs. Cleveland
January 12, 1969
Location: Miami Orange Bowl
Weather: 74 and slight rain
The third Super Bowl, as it would be officially called
that season, would pit the AFL's Oakland Raiders
against the NFL's Cleveland Browns. Despite Oakland
dominance that season, Cleveland being considered the
weakest team to represent the NFL since the start of
this championship, and the AFL's Oilers playing an
impressive game against Dallas the season prior, the
Raiders were 6 1/2 point underdogs entering the game
due to analysts considering the NFL as far superior.
The Raiders would advance to their first super bowl on
a 30-27 victory over the New York Jets in the AFL
Championship on a game winning touchdown from QB Daryle
Lamonica to WR Fred Biletnikoff. Perhaps the play that
was most significant was before that when Lamonica
threw a pass to Charlie Smith that was declared
incomplete due to wind interference*.
Cleveland would go to the Super Bowl on the strength of an upset over the Baltimore Colts in the NFC Championship.
The Colts were considered the NFL's best team but Cleveland would gut out a 20-17 OT victory at home.
QB Bill Nelsen would lead the OT game winning drive ending with a 47 yard field goal by Don Cockroft**.
The game would start with both teams missing
opportunities with Cleveland's Don Cockroft missing a
39 yard field goal and Oakland's Charlie Smith fumbling
inside Cleveland's red zone. The Raiders' Willie Brown
would intercept and take it to the Cleveland 31 but
Oakland penalties would prevent even a field goal try.
Cleveland would punt as well and the 1st would end in a
0-0 tie. In the 2nd, the Raiders would draw first
blood with a Hewritt Dixon 32 yard TD run giving the
Raiders a 7-0 lead. Later in the 2nd, Cleveland would
tie on a TD pass to Paul Warfield for 51 yards making
it 7-7 going into halftime. Oakland would break it
open in the 3rd quarter with 2 Daryle Lamonica
touchdown tosses to Fred Biletnikoff from 13 and 2
yards making it 21-7 Raiders. The Browns would set up
a touchdown on an 85 yard reverse play by Barney
leading to a 2 yard TD run by Leroy Kelly making it 21
-14 Raiders. Late in the 4th quarter, the Browns would
make a controversial decision going for it on 4th down
deep in their own territory which failed. This would
immediately lead to Lamonica scrambling for an 8 yard
TD giving the Raiders the game clinching 28-14 lead and
victory. For his 2 TD passes and 1 TD run, Daryle
Lamonica was named the Super Bowl MVP.
After the game, Raiders coach John Rauch stated "Overall,
the key to us winning today was our offensive line giving
Daryle time and allowing Pete and Hewritt to get those big
running lanes" adding "I can understand coach Collier taking
that risk in the 4th quarter considering how our guys up front,
especially Jim and Gene, were really pushing them around".
General partner and former acting AFL Commissioner Al Davis
would comment that "This game was a long time coming,
not just for the Oakland Raiders, but also for the AFL has a whole"
adding, "I look to continue this commitment to excellence like what we had demonstrated out there on
the field today."
Cleveland Browns coach Blanton Collier stated that "We didn't
take advantage of opportunities when they came our way, pure
and simple." Adding a surprisingly fortuitous statement, When
asked about how the Raiders played, Collier stated that "I guess
I have a better idea what we're going to be going up against next year".
Collier did not elaborate on the statement.
Little did anyone know it would become known as "Collier's Prophecy".
*This play was ruled a fumble in OTL and the Jets would
recover leading to a NYJ victory. No fumble recovery
means butterflies.
**I don't know how I would justify this one.