A Day in Oakland Raiders History: The Tribute Game

My reaction to the news of Al Davis’ death on Saturday wasn’t the reaction I always expected it to be. As an Oakland Raiders fan born in the 1990s, not much of what I saw from Davis was what you would call “admirable.” There have been some memorable teams and one Super Bowl appearance, but virtually everything about the Raiders in the last decade has been awful and embarrassing. Al Davis wasn’t exactly a popular figure within the Raider Nation amid the humiliation. Although his rich history with the franchise and the NFL was known, the fact that he was the one making each and every decision – everything from drafting players, signing players, assigning and firing head coaches, and doing it all from an ominously powerful position – during these putrid times made it easy to find someone to blame. There was actually a point in time when Raiders fans (sometimes jokingly and sometimes in moments of vehemence) were anticipating the man’s death as much as the release of JaMarcus Russell.

When I saw the news of Al Davis’ death, I actually couldn’t believe it. How could this man of ominous power die? He was such an inherent entity of the Raiders that it went unnoticed until his death that he was the Raiders. For a fan my age that has only read about and watched highlights and DVDs on Raiders history, it took a while for it to sink in. And it wasn’t until the day after his death that I realized it would sink in for the Oakland Raiders as well.

It started during the waning moments of the first half of Sunday's game. The Raiders were doing absolutely nothing offensively until then, gaining a total of 11 yards on eight possessions. Jason Campbell threw one head-scratching interception, which directly led to a Houston touchdown on the very next play. Things were looking grim, and momentum seemed to be solidified as it always does in these situations for the Raiders. Sebastian Janikowski (an Al Davis first-rounder) was the only player keeping Oakland in striking distance with his two field goals of more than 50 yards, and Shane Lechler (another Al Davis pick) was giving the defense nice field position to work with. The field position battle was the only thing the Raiders could count on. Then, with 1:18 remaining in the half, Campbell zipped a pass on second and two to Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was sitting at the end of his curl route on the left side of the field. DHB caught the pass, turned to his left while Jason Allen dove at his ankles, muscled his way out of Allen’s grasp and burst down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown.
Heyward-Bey was fired up all game, vehemently beating his hands over his helmet and trash-talking opposing defenders multiple times throughout the first half. He ran crisp routes, caught the ball seven of the twelve times he was targeted (“Heyward-Bey is catching the ball!” was a popular text on Sunday), and he was a legitimate game-changer. Al Davis’ decision to take him with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft was one of the most criticized of his Oakland tenure. Heyward-Bey set out to prove on Sunday that Davis was right in drafting him with that pick.

The defense played stellar from that point on, giving up nothing close to what was allowed on the first Texans drive or the long touchdown pass subsequent Campbell’s interception. Arian Foster was having a tough time gaining significant yardage on the ground, and the Texans ultimately scored only six points in the entire second half. The Raiders executed a dazzlingly successful fake punt at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which aided in padding the Oakland lead at 25-17. However, drama ensued with less than three minutes left in the game, and the emotional roller coaster began.

Houston had no timeouts, and instead of electing to run the ball on second-and-nine with 2:56 remaining, the Raiders went pass as Jason Campbell dropped back and slung a deep ball down the right side of the field intended for Denarius Moore. The ball hit the turf incomplete and stopped the clock. Head coach Hue Jackson looked furious after the play, entailing that Campbell chose to audible out of a run play and attempt to drive a dagger into the Texans. It didn’t work out, but most of all, it gave the Texans 1:50 to work with down only five, 25-20.

A 26-yard pass to Kevin Walter got Houston's drive going, and a roughing-the-passer call (which was impossible for defensive captain Richard Seymour to avoid), catapulted the Texans to Oakland’s 26-yard line. Matt Schaub fumbled the snap on the next play, and two plays later Houston faced third and 23. They would need a near miracle to convert, but they did. And every Raiders fan was thinking: “Oh, no. Here we go again.”

Schaub’s pass hung in the air for what felt like an eternity, and fell into the arms of tight end Joel Dreessen. The Texans were now at the 5-yard line with seven seconds left after the ensuing spike, and tension was at an all-time high. If you’ve ever been in a bad car accident when it was totally your fault, then you know what it feels like when Raiders fans get epically let down. It’s happened constantly in the last eight years, and usually always happens due to secondary breakdowns. In years past, the defense would inevitably give up a touchdown on the last play. The momentum would just be too much in favor of the opposition. Bad Raiders teams deflate at horrific times.

But when the pocket broke down on the Texans’ final play and Matt Schaub rolled to his left, something different happened this time. Safety Tyvon Branch, who was firmly settled in the endzone on an island, bolted towards Schaub when it appeared as though the Texans quarterback had ample room to run the ball in for the score. When Branch cut that option off, it forced Schaub to throw an errant lob into the hands of Raiders’ defensive back Michael Huff (another Al Davis first-rounder), who corralled the ball for the game-sealing interception. The Raiders won. The Raiders won the kind of game they never seem to win.
The players celebrated in sheer jubilation. Hue Jackson fell to a knee on the field as tears fell from his eyes. Al Davis’ son Mark wept as he looked down from the luxury box. Raiders fans everywhere rejoiced. The players played their hearts out all game for Al Davis and Oakland Raider lore, and it manifested in this game’s culmination. It wasn't anywhere near perfect, but it was a win.

The Raiders franchise is comprised of an endless history and a collection of illustrious games, such as the infamous “Heidi” game, the “Sea of Hands” game, “Ghost to the Post,” “The Holy Roller,” countless rivalry games within the AFC West, memorable rivalry games against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventies, one AFL title and three Super Bowl titles. History lies even in games in which the Raiders got the short end of the stick, such as “The Immaculate Reception” and the “Tuck Rule” game.

Al Davis was the driving force behind every piece of Oakland Raiders history, something no one else can match in terms of impact on a sports franchise. He's the one who anointed John Madden as head coach in 1969, the youngest in the league at the age of 32. He's the one who hired Art Shell in 1990, the first African American head coach in NFL history. He's the one who constructed the Raider Way and Raider Image in the 60s and 70s, constructing teams of misfits from a plethora of backgrounds who ultimately just loved the game of football and loved to win. He's the one who strove to build a unique organization with historical context similar to the New York Yankees. He's the one who constituted the eventually traditional Raiders approach: "Whether we score or not, we are not playing for 10 yards; we're playing for the ballgame." He died carrying those philosophies; he died as the owner of the Oakland Raiders. He's the one who set the foundation and built nearly every single piece of one of the most historic franchises in the history of sports.

Sunday’s game found a place in that history as “The Tribute Game.” It will now be included in the aforementioned class of memorable Raiders games, but will not be the last game of the Al Davis Era. This is still his team – a team built in his image – and the Raiders are totally cognizant of it.

The “Badasses” of the seventies were the first renowned Oakland Raiders squad – the first to notoriously carry the aura of the Silver & Black. The 2011 Raiders are not comparable to the Badasses, but their attributes, style they impose, and character of their head coach all resemble a true Raiders team. The Raiders haven’t portrayed the emotion, resilience, and ability to close out a game the way they did on Sunday in a long time.

Once the players headed back to the locker room, more poignant moments transpired. Safety Mike Mitchell depicted his awareness of a true Raider identity when he ran down the tunnel, overwhelmed with emotion as he shouted, “AHHHHH!!!! JUST WIN BABY!!!” Hue Jackson gave a captivating speech to his team in the locker room, one that every Raiders fan would admit to getting choked up to every time he or she sees it. The players believe in their coach, team, franchise and organization. They also believe that someone is now watching over them, giving them some help along the way.

But most of all, the Raiders have now gained belief in the Raider Way. It's a culture and approach that can only be described in three simple, yet resonating words:

Just win, baby.