(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
In the age of the Super Bowl, most NFL fans discount the importance and history of the game in terms of winning prior to the merger and Super Bowl 1.
The effect of the AFL on the game as well as the great players who did not play in the era of the Super Bowl have in fact been marginalized by the size and scope of what the NFL has become.
Hall of Famers like Gale Sayers and Jim Brown did not play in a Super Bowl. Great AFL players like Daryle Lamonica had most of there success in the pre-Super Bowl era although Lamonica did play in Super Bowl 2.
The NFL championships won by the Browns, Eagles and Giants of the 1960's are almost forgotten in time in the same way the dominance of the Bills, Chargers and Raiders are looked upon as high scoring tendencies of an inferior league.
In terms of winning, Daryle Lamonica posted an impressive 66-16-6 record as a starter with both the Raiders (62-16-6) and the Buffalo Bills (4-0). Lamonica's .750 winning percentage as a starter is only eclipsed by Tom Brady (.781)!
Lamonica's Raiders went 13-1, 11-2 and 12-1-1 during three-year stretch between 1967 and 1969. While Lamonica was virtually unbeatable in the regular season, he was a very mediocre 4-5 in the playoffs and post season.
One has to wonder just how good these Raiders would have been if they were playing an NFL schedule that included the Green Bay Packers. No team in either league won as many regular season games as Oakland (36-4-3, .840 winning percentage).
While Lamonca did lose Super Bowl 2 in a dual with Green Bay Packer Bart Starr, Lamonica's stats were comparable in a losing effort. While Starr was 13 of 24 for 202 yards and one TD, Lamonica threw 15 of 34 for 208 yards and two TD's. The Raiders simply turned the ball over three times (2 fumbles, 1 INT) and the back breaker was a 60-yard interception by Herb Adderley which sealed the title for the Packers at 33-7 with 11:03 to play in the fourth quarter.
In fact, you can make the case Lamonica outplayed Starr statistically until the Adderley interception. In terms of net passing yards, Lamonica had 186 to Starr's 162.
The time has come to recognize the winning ways of the Mad Bomber, Daryle Lamonica. His tenure at Oakland represents the most successful winning percentage in the history of this storied franchise.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Oakland Raiders articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
2 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete