RB Clarence Davis makes the famous Sea of Hands catch in 1974.
Originally published August 2nd, 2010
The Oakland Raiders will close out the month of November with a meeting against the Miami Dolphins. The kickoff, set for 1:05 p.m. on November 28, will mark the 30th time the two teams have met in the regular season, with the Raiders leading the all-time series 16-12-1. The Raiders are 3-1 vs. Miami in postseason play. Two of the most storied teams in the NFL have battled it out in some memorable contests over the past four decades.
1960s
The Silver and Black traveled to South Florida to open the 1966 season, with an inaugural meeting against the AFL expansion Miami Dolphins on September 2. The Raiders took away a 23-14 victory that day, along with taking the next meeting later that season 21-10. The Raiders tore through the 1967 season, taking the third consecutive victory against the Dolphins on home turf, 31-17, en route to finishing the season on top of the AFL Western Division with a 13-1 record. The Silver and Black finished out their decade-long dominance against the Dolphins, taking the 1968 and 1969 meetings 47-21 and 20-17.
1970s
As the Raiders entered the decade of the 70s, they met the Dolphins for the first time in postseason on December 27, 1970 for the right to advance to the AFC Championship. The game, which took place among the Raider faithful, remained close until the third quarter when the Silver and Black pulled away with a game-long 82-yard touchdown pass from Daryle Lamonica to Rod Sherman giving the Raiders a 21-14 win and sending them to a date with the Baltimore Colts for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. In one of the most exciting games of the series, the 1974 matchup between the two teams, the reigning World Champion Dolphins marched into Alameda-County Coliseum. The game proved to be a back and forth fight, with the Dolphins leading most of the game until fourth quarter Silver and Black heroics proved the Raiders were the better team. An 8-yard pass from Ken Stabler to Clarence Davis in the final minutes of the game left the Raiders on top 28-26. The Raiders ended the Dolphins' hopes of reaching a fourth consecutive Super Bowl. The Silver and Black opened the 1975 regular season with a road trip to Miami, taking home a win 31-21 on the way to finishing the season on top of the AFC West and an AFC Championship game appearance. Finishing out a dominant decade of the 70s, the Raiders came away with a 13-3 win against the Dolphins in Week 6 of the regular season in 1979.
1980s
The Raiders once again showed their mastery of the match up in the 1980 season with a home victory by a score of 16-10 on the way to becoming the World Champions of Professional Football that season. The 1983 meeting between the Raiders and the Dolphins marked the first time the Dolphins had traveled to the Raiders' new home in Los Angeles. The Silver and Black closed out Week 3 under the lights of Monday Night Football, with a 27-14 victory, holding the Dolphins scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter. With the win, the Raiders raised their incredible Monday Night Football record to an astonishing 20-2-1.The Raiders went on to become Super Bowl Champions once again that season. The Silver and Black opened the month of December in the 1984 season with another win against the Dolphins, 45-34. The Raiders entered the 1986 season as the reigning AFC Western Division champs; however, Week 7 against the Dolphins provided a tough challenge. The Silver and Black led the entire duration of the game; as they headed into the fourth quarter, the Dolphins began to chip away at the 30-14 lead. However, the Raiders proved too resilient, coming away with a 30-28 victory.
1990s – 2000s
In 1996, the Dolphins paid their first visit to Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum since the Raiders had relocated back to Oakland. The first day of December proved disappointing for the Dolphins as the Silver and Black's defense held off any offensive attack Miami tried to muster, and the Raiders came out triumphant in the end, 17-7. The Raiders met the Dolphins on January 6, 2001 for the right to advance to the AFC Championship. On that day, the Raiders were just too much for the opposing Dolphins. The Raiders blanked the Dolphins 27-0 and were set to meet the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title game. The Raiders held off the Dolphins on the last day of September of the 2007 season in convincing fashion with a 35-17 victory.
The two long-time foes will renew their rivalry this Sunday in Oakland. The Raiders head into the game with a 5-5 record and are in second place in the AFC West, while Miami enters the contest at 5-5 and in third place in the AFC East.
