Editing Las Vegas Raiders (section)

=== First Oakland era (1960–1981) ===
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The Oakland Raiders were originally going to be called the "Oakland Señors"<ref>"Grid Team Named-- They're Senors", ''Oakland Tribune'', April 5, 1960, p37. Soda said, "My own personal choice would have been Mavericks, but I believe we came up with a real fine name." The selection committee narrowed the choices down to Admirals, Lakers, Diablos, Seawolves, Gauchos, Nuggets, Señors, Dons, Costers, Grandees, Sequoias, Missiles, Knights, Redwoods, Clippers, Jets and Dolphins.</ref> after a name-the-team contest had that name finish first, but after being the target of local jokes, the name was changed to the Raiders before the 1960 season began.<ref name="o552">{{cite web | last=Becker | first=Jon | title=On this date, April 14: Why Oakland team changed from Señors to Raiders | website=The Mercury News | date=2020-04-14 | url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/14/on-this-date-april-14-when-oakland-had-to-change-it-was-adios-senors-hello-raiders/ | access-date=2024-08-10}}</ref> Having enjoyed a successful collegiate coaching career at [[United States Naval Academy|Navy]] during the 1950s, San Francisco native [[Eddie Erdelatz]] was hired as the Raiders' first head coach. On February 9, 1960, after rejecting offers from the NFL's [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] and the AFL's [[Los Angeles Chargers]], Erdelatz accepted the Raiders' head coaching position. In January 1960, the Raiders were established in Oakland, and, because of NFL interference with the original eighth franchise owner, were the last team of eight in the new [[American Football League]] to select players, thus relegated to the remaining talent available (see below).

The [[1960 Oakland Raiders season|1960 Raiders]] 42-man roster included 28 rookies and only 14 veterans. Among the Raiders rookies were future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee center [[Jim Otto]] and future Raiders head coach, quarterback [[Tom Flores]]. In their debut year under Erdelatz, the [[1960 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] finished with a 6–8 record and a 3rd-place finish in the AFL West Division.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1960 Oakland Raiders Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rai/1960.htm |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

On September 18, 1961, Erdelatz was dismissed after the Raiders were outscored 77–46 in the first two games of the season. On September 24, 1961, after the dismissal of Erdelatz, management named Los Angeles native and offensive line coach [[Marty Feldman (American football coach)|Marty Feldman]] as the Raiders head coach.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1961-09-19 |title=Raiders Drop Erdelatz as Coach; Feldman Takes Over American League Eleven on Coast Action Follows 55-0 and 44-0 Losses in First 2 Games |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/09/19/archives/raiders-drop-erdelatz-as-coach-feldman-takes-over-american-league.html |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The team finished the 1961 season with a 2–12 record.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1961 Oakland Raiders Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rai/1961.htm |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Feldman began the [[1962 Oakland Raiders season|1962 season]] as Raiders head coach but was fired on October 16, 1962, after an 0–5 start. From October 16 through December, the Raiders were coached by Oklahoma native and former assistant coach [[Red Conkright]]. Under Conkright, the Raiders went 1–8, finishing the season with 1–13 record.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1962 Oakland Raiders Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rai/1962.htm |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Following the 1962 season the Raiders appointed Conkright to an interim mentor position as they looked for a new head coach.

After the 1962 season, Raiders managing general partner [[F. Wayne Valley]] hired Al Davis as Raiders head coach and general manager. At 33, he was the youngest person in professional football history to hold the positions.<ref name="youngest">{{cite web |url=http://www.raiders.com/history/gm11.jsp |title=Raiders Stun Chargers with 33-Point 4th Quarter Outburst |access-date=February 4, 2007 |work=Raiders.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230172729/http://www.raiders.com/history/gm11.jsp |archive-date=December 30, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Davis immediately began to implement what he termed the "vertical game", an aggressive offensive strategy inspired by the offense developed by Chargers head coach [[Sid Gillman]].<ref name="gillman">{{cite web |url=http://www.chargers.com/news/headlines/news-104158080019831.htm |title=Memories of Sid Gillman |access-date=February 1, 2007 |work=Chargers.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929090813/http://www.chargers.com/news/headlines/news-104158080019831.htm |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Under Davis the [[1963 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] improved to 10–4 and he was named the AFL's Coach of the Year in 1963. Though the team slipped to 5–7–2 in [[1964 Oakland Raiders season|1964]], they rebounded to an 8–5–1 record in [[1965 Oakland Raiders season|1965]]. The famous silver and black Raider uniform debuted at the regular season-opening game on September 7, 1963. Prior to this, the team wore a combination of black and white with gold trim on the pants and oversized numerals.

In April 1966 Davis left the Raiders after being named AFL Commissioner, promoting assistant coach [[John Rauch]] to head coach. Two months later, the league announced its [[AFL–NFL merger|merger with the NFL]].

The leagues would retain separate regular seasons until [[1970 NFL season|1970]]. With the merger, the position of commissioner was no longer needed, and Al Davis entered into discussions with Valley about returning to the Raiders. On July 25, 1966, Davis returned as part-owner of the team. He purchased a 10% interest in the team for $18,000 ({{Inflation|US|18000|1966|fmt=eq}}), and became the team's third general partner. He also became head of football operations.<ref name="burke">{{cite magazine |last=Burke |first=Monte |title=A New Test For an Old Raider |magazine=Forbes Magazine |date=September 18, 2006 |url=https://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2006/0918/112.html |access-date=January 25, 2007 |archive-date=October 18, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018050103/http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2006/0918/112.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Dickey, Just Win, Baby, p. 41">Dickey, ''Just Win, Baby'', p. 41.</ref>

Under Rauch, the Raiders matched their 1965 season's 8–5–1 record in [[1966 Oakland Raiders season|1966]] but missed the playoffs, finishing second in the AFL West Division.

==== AFL champions (1967) ====
On the field, the team Davis had assembled steadily improved. Led by quarterback [[Daryle Lamonica]],<ref name="b621">{{cite web | last=Shrake | first=Edwin | title=A big raid that really paid off | website=Sports Illustrated Vault | date=1967-11-13 | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/11/13/a-big-raid-that-really-paid-off | access-date=2024-08-10}}</ref> acquired in a trade with the [[Buffalo Bills]], the Raiders finished the [[1967 Oakland Raiders season|1967 season]] with a 13–1 record and won the [[1967 American Football League Championship Game|1967 AFL Championship]], defeating the [[1967 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]] 40–7. The win earned the team a trip to the [[Miami Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]] in Miami, Florida to participate in [[Super Bowl II]]. On January 14, 1968, the Raiders were defeated in the second-ever Super Bowl, losing 33–14 to [[Vince Lombardi]]'s [[1967 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]].<ref name="o942">{{Cite news |last=Brady |first=Dave |date=1968-01-14 |title=Super Bowl II: Packers Dominate Super Bowl, 33-14 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/nfl/longterm/superbowl/stories/sb2.htm |access-date=2024-08-10 |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref>

The following year, the [[1968 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] ended the [[1968 AFL season|1968 season]] with a 12–2 record and again winning the AFL West Division title. They lost 27–23 to the [[1968 New York Jets season|New York Jets]] in the [[1968 American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship Game]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - Oakland Raiders at New York Jets - December 29th, 1968 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196812290nyj.htm |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Citing management conflicts with day-to-day coaching decisions, Rauch resigned as Raiders head coach on January 16, 1969, accepting the head coaching job of the Buffalo Bills.<ref name="b558">{{cite magazine | last=LaMarre | first=Tom | title=Coach Rauch Led Raiders to Super Bowl II | magazine=Sports Illustrated| date=2022-07-15 | url=https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/the-black-hole-plus/coach-john-rauch-super-bowl-ii-al-davis | access-date=2024-08-10}}</ref><ref name="d599">{{cite web | title=Rauch reflects on a life of football | website=Tampa Bay Times | date=2005-10-08 | url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1993/01/03/rauch-reflects-on-a-life-of-football/ | access-date=2024-08-10}}</ref>

During the early 1960s, [[John Madden]] was a defensive assistant coach at [[San Diego State University]] under SDSU head coach [[Don Coryell]]. Madden credited Coryell as being an influence on his coaching. In 1967, Madden was hired by Al Davis as the Raiders linebacker coach. On February 4, 1969, after the departure of John Rauch, Madden was named the Raiders sixth head coach. Under Madden, the [[1969 Oakland Raiders season|1969 Raiders]] won the AFL West Division title for the third consecutive year with a 12–1–1 record. On December 20, 1969, the Raiders defeated the [[1969 Houston Oilers season|Oilers]] 56–7 in the AFL Division playoff game. In the [[1969 American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship game]] on January 4, 1970, the Raiders were defeated by [[Hank Stram]]'s [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] 17–7.

In 1970, the AFL–NFL merger was completed after four years and the Raiders joined the Western Division of the [[American Football Conference]] (actually the AFL West with the same teams as in 1969, except for the [[Cincinnati Bengals]]) in the newly merged NFL. The first [[1970 Oakland Raiders season|post-merger season]] saw the Raiders win the AFC West with an 8–4–2 record and advance to the [[1970 AFC Championship Game|conference championship]], where they lost to the [[1970 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]]. Despite another 8–4–2 season in [[1971 NFL season|1971]], it was only good for second place in the AFC West, and the team failed to make the playoffs. When backup offensive lineman [[Ron Mix]] played, the 1971 Raiders had an eventual all-Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive line with tackle [[Art Shell]], guard [[Gene Upshaw]], center Jim Otto, and tackle [[Bob Brown (offensive lineman)|Bob Brown]].

[[File:John Madden in 2007.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[John Madden]] was the head coach of the Raiders for 10 seasons. Madden's overall winning percentage including playoff games ranks second in league history. He won a Super Bowl and never had a losing season as a head coach.]]
The teams of the 1970s were thoroughly dominant teams, with eight Hall of Fame inductees on the roster and a Hall of Fame coach in John Madden. The 1970s Raiders created the team's identity and persona as a team that was hard-hitting. Dominant on defense, with the crushing hits of safeties [[Jack Tatum]] and [[George Atkinson (safety)|George Atkinson]] and cornerback [[Skip Thomas]], the Raiders regularly held first place in the AFC West, entering the playoffs nearly every season. From 1973 through 1977, the Raiders reached the conference championship every year.

This was also the era of a bitter rivalry between the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] and Raiders. In the 1970s, the Steelers and Raiders were frequently the two best teams in the AFC and, arguably, the NFL. The teams would meet on five occasions in the playoffs, and the winner of the Steelers-Raiders game went on to win the Super Bowl in three of those instances, from 1974 to 1976. The rivalry garnered attention in the sports media, with controversial plays, late hits, accusations and public statements.

The rivalry began with and was fueled by a controversial last-second play in their first playoff game in [[1972 NFL season|1972]]. That season the [[1972 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] achieved a 10–3–1 record and an AFC West title. In the divisional round, the Raiders would lose to the [[1972 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]] 13–7 on the controversial play that has become known as the "[[Immaculate Reception]]".

The [[1973 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] and [[1973 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]] would meet again the [[1973 NFL season|following season]] as the Raiders won the AFC West again with a 9–4–1 record. Lamonica was replaced as starting quarterback early in the season by [[Ken Stabler]]. The Raiders defeated Pittsburgh 33–14 in the divisional round of the playoffs to reach the AFC Championship, but lost 27–10 to the [[1973 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]].

In [[1974 NFL season|1974]] [[1974 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland]] had a 12–2 regular season, which included a nine-game winning streak. They beat the [[1974 Miami Dolphins season|Dolphins]] 28–26 in the divisional round of the playoffs in a see-saw battle remembered as the "Sea of Hands" game.<ref>National Football League lore</ref> They then lost the AFC Championship to the [[1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]], who went on to win the Super Bowl. The Raiders were held to only 29 yards rushing by the Pittsburgh defense, and late mistakes turned a 10–3 lead at the start of the fourth quarter into a disappointing 24–13 loss.

In the [[1975 NFL season|1975 season]] opener, the [[1975 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] beat [[1975 Miami Dolphins season|Miami]] and ended their 31-game home winning streak. With an 11–3 record, they defeated [[1975 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati]] 31–28 in the divisional playoff round. Again, the Raiders faced the [[1975 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]] in the conference championship, eager for revenge. According to Madden and Davis, the Raiders relied on quick movement by their wide receivers on the outside sidelines – the deep threat, or 'long ball' – more so than the Steelers of that year, whose offense was far more run-oriented than it would become later in the 1970s. Forced to adapt to the frozen field of Three Rivers Stadium, with receivers slipping and unable to make quick moves to beat coverage, the Raiders lost, 16–10. The rivalry had now grown to hatred, and became the stereotype of the 'grudge match.' Again, the Raiders came up short, as the Steelers won the AFC Championship and then went on to another Super Bowl title.

==== Super Bowl XI champions (1976) ====
In [[1976 NFL season|1976]], the [[1976 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] came from behind dramatically to beat [[1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh]] 31–28 in the season opener and continued to cement its reputation for dirty play by knocking WR [[Lynn Swann]] out for two weeks with a clothesline to the helmet. Al Davis later tried to sue Steelers coach [[Chuck Noll]] for libel after the latter called safety [[George Atkinson (safety)|George Atkinson]] a criminal for the hit. The Raiders won 13 regular-season games and a close controversial 21–17 victory over [[1976 New England Patriots season|New England]] in the divisional playoffs. With the Patriots up by three points in the final two minutes, referee Ben Dreith called roughing the passer on New England's [[Ray Hamilton (defensive tackle)|Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton]] after he hit Oakland QB Ken Stabler. The Raiders went on to score a touchdown in the final minute to win. They then defeated the Steelers 24–7 in the AFC Championship to advance to their second Super Bowl. In [[Super Bowl XI]], Oakland's opponent was the [[1976 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]], a team that had lost three previous Super Bowls. The Raiders jumped out to an early lead and led 16–0 at halftime. By the end, having forced Minnesota into multiple turnovers, the Raiders won 32–14 for their first Super Bowl and post-merger championship.

The [[1977 NFL season|following season]] saw the [[1977 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] finish 11–3, but they lost the division title to the [[1977 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]. They settled for a wild card, beating the [[1977 Baltimore Colts season|Colts]] in the second-longest overtime game in NFL history and which featured the [[Ghost to the Post]]. The Raiders then fell to the Broncos in the AFC Championship.

During a 1978 preseason game, Patriots WR [[Darryl Stingley]] was injured by a hit from Raiders FS Jack Tatum and paralyzed for life. Although the [[1978 Oakland Raiders season|1978 Raiders]] achieved a winning record at 9–7, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1971, losing critical games down the stretch to miss the playoffs.

After 10 consecutive winning seasons and one Super Bowl championship, John Madden left coaching in 1979 to pursue a career as a television football commentator. His replacement was former Raiders quarterback [[Tom Flores]], the first Hispanic head coach in NFL history.<ref name="hispanic">{{cite web |url=http://www.nfl.com/insider/2001/raidersnewhouse_091801.html |title=1980 Raiders were outcasts, champions |access-date=January 25, 2007 |last=Newhouse |first=Dave |website=[[NFL.com]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123200328/http://www.nfl.com/insider/2001/raidersnewhouse_091801.html |archive-date=January 23, 2007}}</ref> Flores led the [[1979 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] to another 9–7 [[1979 NFL season|season]], but the team missed the playoffs.

==== Super Bowl XV champions (1980) ====
In the midst of the turmoil of Al Davis' attempts to move the team to Los Angeles in [[1980 NFL season|1980]], Flores looked to lead the [[1980 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]] to their third Super Bowl by finishing the season 11–5 and earning a wild card berth. Quarterback [[Jim Plunkett]] revitalized his career, taking over in game five when starter [[Dan Pastorini]] was lost for the season to a broken leg after owner Al Davis had picked up Pastorini when he swapped quarterbacks with the [[1980 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]], sending the beloved [[Ken Stabler]] to the Oilers. The Raiders defeated Stabler and the Oilers in the Wild Card game and advanced to the AFC Championship by defeating the [[1980 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]] 14–12. The Raiders slipped by the AFC West champion San Diego Chargers to advance to their third Super Bowl. In [[Super Bowl XV]], the Raiders faced head coach [[Dick Vermeil]]'s [[Philadelphia Eagles]]. The Raiders dominated the Eagles, taking an early 14–0 lead in the first quarter behind two touchdown passes by Plunkett, including a then-Super Bowl record 80-yard pass and catch to running back [[Kenny King (running back)|Kenny King]]. A [[Cliff Branch]] third-quarter touchdown reception put the Raiders up 21–3 in the third quarter. They would go on to win 27–10, winning their second Super Bowl and becoming the first team to ever win the Super Bowl after getting into the playoffs as the wild card team.

The Raiders' final campaign of their first run in Oakland of [[1981 Oakland Raiders season|1981]] saw the team fall to a 7–9 record, failing to make the playoffs following their Super Bowl win.