AFL Championship Game
Oakland-Alameda Stadium, Oakland, CA
Oakland Raiders (13-1) vs.
Houston Oilers (9-4-1)
The path to the second AFL/NFL World Championship Game went through Oakland in 1967, as John Rauch's Raiders unleashed a powerful offensive attack that no AFL team could stop. Led on the field by Daryle Lamonica, the Raiders were the picture of team brilliance, losing just once the entire season.
Opposing them would be the Houston Oilers, who had finished in last place in the AFL's Eastern Division just a year before. The team had gone over an almost complete overhaul in the offseason, and with new quarterback Pete Beathard and halfback Hoyle Granger pacing the offense, Houston quickly found themselves in first place. However, it was their highly touted defense that would get the attention from Oakland in the championship, and it was soon obvious that the Oilers were not ready for the spotlight.
Houston would strike first, however, on a Beathard pass to Charley Fraizer to make the score 7-0. It would be the last time the Oilers would visit the end zone all day though, and marked the beginning of the end for Beathard, who finished the game with four costly interceptions. The Raiders were able to strike back quickly, first with a George Blanda field goal to cut the Houston lead to 7-3, then with a Daryle Lamonica pass to Ken Herock that put Oakland on top for good.
The Raiders would again strike, and this time it would be on special teams. Following a Houston punt, Oakland's return unit was able to form a lane wide enough to return the ball 76 yards for another touchdown, making the score 17-7. The Oilers would add a John Wittenborn field goal right before the half to make it a touchdown deficit, but the Raiders would let them get no closer. They controlled the ball for much of the second half, and when Hewritt Dixon plunged in from 2 yards out to start the fourth quarter, Houston's fate was sealed.
The teams traded field goals in the closing minutes, but it was too little, too late for the upstart Oilers, and they watched as the Raiders made their way to the second World Championship of professional football.
Final Score: Oakland-27 Houston-13
Real Life Score: Oakland-40 Houston-7