5 times the Raiders got absolutely hosed by the officials

5 times the Raiders got absolutely hosed by the officials

Immaculate Reception

December 23, 1972 is the date of the most famous play in NFL history, and the theme here is that the Raiders were once again on the wrong side of history. The Raiders were taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional Round on the road inside Three Rivers Stadium, and looked to have the game in hand.

Up 7-6 after a touchdown run by Hall of Fame quarterback Ken Stabler, the Raiders were the victim of one of the more controversial calls in NFL history. With under 0:30 seconds left in the game, Terry Bradshaw fired a pass to fullback John Fuqua, who was absolutely lit up by Jack Tatum.

The ball ricocheted off what appeared to be Fuqua, which should have been an incomplete pass, but instead, Franco Harris came out of nowhere to catch the ball close to the ground and ran for a touchdown. The ref ruled that the ball hit off Tatum, and that the catch was good, giving the Steelers a 13-7 lead, and a trip to the AFC title game.

The play has been scrutinized many times over the years, and the consensus was that it was a good catch by Harris, and that the right call was made. However, there is also the theory that Phil Villapiano was illegally blocked trying to chase after Harris, and that the play should have been brought back, but unfortunately, it was just another example of the refs putting their stamp on a Raiders loss.