| 1980 Oakland Raiders season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Al Davis |
| General manager | Al Davis |
| Head coach | Tom Flores |
| Home field | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Oilers) 27–7 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Browns) 14–12 Won AFC Championship (at Chargers) 34–27 Won Super Bowl XV (vs. Eagles) 27–10 |
| Uniform | |
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The 1980 season was the Oakland Raiders' 21st since they were founded, their 11th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Tom Flores.
The team improved on their 9–7 record from 1979 to an 11–5 record, and ended with their second Super Bowl victory. In 1979, Raiders owner Al Davis announced his intention to move the Raiders to Los Angeles. Negotiations between Davis and the Oakland Coliseum regarding potential improvements to the facility came to an end in February 1980. At the NFL's annual meeting on March 10, 1980, team owners voted 22-0 against allowing the move, with the Raiders not participating and five teams abstaining. Davis announced he would ignore the vote and move the team anyway.[1]
The Raiders played the entire 1980 season in Oakland. At a Monday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos on December 1, 1980, Raiders fans protested by entering the Oakland Coliseum five minutes after the start of the game and holding up signs stating "Save Our Raiders" at each half's 2-minute warning. By some estimates, "almost two-thirds" of the Coliseum's seats had been empty at the game's kickoff.[1]
The announced move was involved in four lawsuits: the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission sued the NFL charging antitrust violations, the NFL sued the Raiders charging breach of contract, Raider season ticket holders filed a class-action lawsuit, and the City of Oakland filed for eminent domain of the team.[1] It wouldn’t be the only controversial event the team was involved in, as Lester Hayes’ use of stickum for competitive advantage reached its head during the season, leading to the substance’s banning the next season in what was dubbed the “Lester Hayes Rule”. Hayes, along with other NFL players such as Hall of Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, had used the substance in years past to assist in intercepting, catching and to disrupt opposing quarterbacks’ passing ability.[2]
Still playing in Oakland, the Raiders entered the season with a new quarterback after acquiring Dan Pastorini from the Houston Oilers for Kenny Stabler. However, Pastorini struggled and the Raiders got off to a 2–3 start when Pastorini was injured and replaced by Jim Plunkett. Plunkett proved right for the Raiders offense. The defense led the league in interceptions (35), turnovers (52) and yards per carry (3.4 YPA). Lester Hayes led the NFL with 13 interceptions. The team won 6 straight compiling an 11–5 record and qualifying for the playoffs as a Wild Card. In the Wild Card Game, the Raiders would beat the Houston Oilers 27–7 at Oakland as the Raiders defense picked off former teammate Kenny Stabler twice. Playing in freezing weather with the temperature reading 2 °F (−17 °C), the Raiders stunned the Browns 14–12 in a defensive struggle in Cleveland. In the AFC Championship Game in San Diego, the game would be a shoot out as the Raiders stunned the Chargers 34–27 to become the first AFC Wild Card to make the Super Bowl. Highlighted by Jim Plunkett's MVP performance and Rod Martin's 3 interceptions, the Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27–10 in Super Bowl XV, becoming the 5th NFL team to win two Super Bowls, joining the Packers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Cowboys.