10 biggest snubs from the Pro Football Hall of Fame

1. Hall of Fame snubs: Cliff Branch

The Raiders of both Oakland and Los Angeles (and now of Las Vegas) won three Super Bowl titles in and eight-year span from 1976-83. The first achieved that feat with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Ken Stabler at the helm and the final two championships (XV and XVIII in 1980 and ’83, respectively) were with the assistance of veteran signal-caller Jim Plunkett. And wide receiver Cliff Branch was a pivotal part of those offenses.

One of the great deep threats in league history, the fourth-round pick from the University of Colorado in 1972 started slow (no pun intended) but exploded in 1974 in what would be the first of three straight All-Pro campaigns. There were 157 receptions, good for 3,096 yards and 34 scores in 42 outings. Branch averaged nearly 20 yards per catch over that three-year stretch.

One of the things that stands out the most about Branch is that imposing 17.3 yards per reception. He hauled in 501 passes and reach the end zone 67 times in 183 regular-season games. That and the fact that in 22 postseason contests, he totaled 73 receptions for 1,289 yards and five scores.