The Raiders franchise has been plagued with being the victims of some terrible calls, and we dive into the top-5 in team history.
Throughout the history of the now-Las Vegas Raiders franchise, the team has been on the wrong side of their fair share of bad calls. In fact, some of the games are the most legendary in NFL history, adding to the point that the organization has a reputation of being snake-bitten.
Here are the five times the Raiders got absolutely hosed by the officials.
The worst calls to ever go against the Raiders
The Final Game in Oakland
You do not have to reach back that far in your memory to remind yourself of the first game on our list, as it just happened to be the Raiders final game in the Bay Area. Playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with their playoff hopes still alive, the Silver and Black appeared to lock up a victory.
On a second-and-9 with a little over two minutes left in the game, Derek Carr ran for 12 yards and got the first down. Once he had the first down secure, Carr slid inbounds, which should have kept the clock moving right up until the two minute warning.
Instead, the refs blew the call, said Carr was out of bounds, and stopped the clock. Oakland had to run another play before the two minute warning, giving the Jaguars more time, which they used to go down the field for the game-winning touchdown with 31 seconds left.
When all was said and done, the Raiders blew a 13-point halftime lead, allowed the Jags to score 17 unanswered in the second half, and lost their final game inside the Coliseum.
5 times the Raiders got absolutely hosed by the officials
The “Index Card” Game
In Week 15 of the 2017 NFL season, the Raiders were sitting at 6-7, and had a legitimate shot at the playoffs, which would be their second appearance in as many years. In a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys inside the Coliseum, the Raiders would be absolutely hosed by a call from referee Gene Steratore, who smirked as he crushed the hopes of Raider Nation.
On a fourth-and-1 with under five minutes left in the game, and the Raiders tied with the Cowboys at 17, quarterback Dak Prescott appeared to be stuff short of the first down. Had he not gotten the first, the Raiders would have had the ball at the Cowboys’ 39-yard line, with a real opportunity to score.
Instead, Steratore pulled out an index card, a folded index card I might add, and placed it between the ball and the first down marker. The space between should have been enough to be a turnover on downs, but Steratore smirked as he gave the first down signal for the Cowboys, and the rest is history.
The loss eliminated the Raiders from contention in the AFC West, and killed any chance they had of making it to the playoffs for only the third time since 2003. When it comes to the index card, and the Carr fumble at the pylon, this was definitely one of the more disturbing, and controversial losses in recent memory.
5 times the Raiders got absolutely hosed by the officials
Rob Lytle Non-Fumble in 1977 AFC Championship Game
During the 1977 NFL season, the AFC West had two of the best teams in football. The 12-2 Denver Broncos won the West, and the 11-3 Raiders finished in second, and when both teams won in their respective Divisional Round games, the stage was set for the two rivals to meet up for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.
For the Raiders, it was their fifth straight trip to the AFC Championship Game, and as the returning Super Bowl champs, the expectation was that they would take care of business. It was a close game until the second half, when fate would once again turn against the Raiders on one of the biggest stages in football.
With the score sitting at 7-3 in favor of the Broncos, Raiders star Jack Tatum looked to have made a play that would have turned the game on its head. Tatum forced a fumble on Denver running back Rob Lytle, and Mike McCoy scooped it up and was halfway down the field before the ball was blown dead.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, the refs never saw the fumble, and gave the ball back to the Broncos at the one-yard line. After the Broncos scored on the next play to go up 14-3, the Raiders were unable to mount a comeback, and the Silver and Black fell to their division rival by the score of 20-17.
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.
5 times the Raiders got absolutely hosed by the officials
The “Tuck Rule” Game
Since becoming the youngest head coach in NFL history, Jon Gruden set out to turn the Raiders franchise back into winners. After back-to-back 8-8 seasons to kick off his career as a head coach, Gruden and his Raiders became one of the best teams in football, winning 12 games in both 2000 and 2001, securing trips to the postseason.
After the 2000 season, the Raiders shutout Miami in the Divisional Round, before losing 16-3 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title game. During the 2001 season playoffs, the Raiders beat the New York Jets in the Wildcard Round, before meeting up with the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
On a snowy night in New England, the Raiders appeared to win the game, as Charles Woodson forced a fumble on Tom Brady, a ball which Greg Biekert fell on. However, the refs ruled Brady’s arm was going forward, calling it an incomplete pass, which gave the ball back to the Pats with a chance to tie the game.
You all know how this story ends, right? The Patriots go on to become a dynasty for 20 years, while the Raiders trade away their head coach, and make it back to the playoffs only two times since. Brady has since admitted he fumbled, but it is too late, and to make matters worse, Gruden beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl the following season with Tampa Bay.