Counting the Days...

With eight days to go for NaNoWriMo, I have a good idea what story wants to be told. It lost the battle for July's Camp NaNoWriMo, but the story that wants to be told is one I started over three years ago, Return To Origin. The story is inspired by one of my favorite History Channel shows, Ancient Aliens.

I started writing this story soon after finishing the first draft of The Curse. Then I made the worst mistake involving Return To Origin. I stopped less than halfway through to begin editing The Curse. Since then, the writing process has sputtered at best. There were other issues, but they're mostly resolved now. However, that's no excuse to stop writing a novel in favor of editing another one.

In December, I have another decision to make. With four novels somewhere in the editing pipeline, should I participate in the April and July Camp NaNoWriMo? If I had to decide now, the answer would be no. However, it depends on how much time the upcoming edits and revamps take.

Speaking of, I'm currently revamping my novella, Rickshaw, New Mexico. So far, there are some minor rephrases and clarifications that were needed. The challenge will be my novel, The Curse, which is getting an overhaul. The story will remain intact. However, as my two-star reviewer said, it needed another edit. He was right and that's what's happening. After Rickshaw, The Hunted is next, followed by The Acts of 1.


Now for some sports trivia...

• Congrats to the Kansas City Royals for winning Game 1 of the World Series. This is their first World Series game they won in 10,587 days.
  
• Since we're counting days, here's another one. It has been 38,725 days since the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series (1908). The days continue.
  
• There are quite a few for football. Here are the teams who never made it to the Super Bowl, with the number of days since their last championship: Detroit Lions - 20,752 days (1957) and the Cleveland Browns - 18,197 (1964). The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars were born in the Super Bowl era, but never played in one.
  
• For one of the Super Bowl contenders, it has been 19,659 days since the Philadelphia Eagles won an NFL championship (1960).
  
• It's also been a long drought for three former AFL champions. The Buffalo Bills last won the AFL title 17,833 days ago (1965). It's been 18,554 days for the 1963 AFL Champion San Diego Chargers. Finally, the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) won their last AFL title 19,296 days ago (1961).
  
• One of the most famous Super Bowl games, Super Bowl III, it has been 16,720 days since the New York Jets won their only championship.

Counting all these days makes one thirsty. So who's drinking the beer in the cellar in the NFL? Why that would be this week's Kings of the Cellar, the 0-6 Oakland Raiders, who are on a 12 game losing streak and haven't won one since November 17 against the Houston Texans. This week's honorable mention goes to my 2-4 New Orleans Saints. This is a talent laden team who has performed like the New Orleans Saints teams of the 1970's. By no means is the season over nor have the Saints collapsed as past teams have. Unless they get their act together, they will be mentioned here again.

Here are historic scores for teams playing each other this week, October 23,

1955  Chicago Cardinals 24 - Philadelphia 24
1983 - Denver 14 - San Diego 6
1988  Minnesota 49 - Tampa Bay 20
1994  Denver 20 - San Diego 15
2011  Atlanta 23 - Detroit 16
2011  Houston 41 - Tennessee 7


Have a great day!!!

Almost That Time of Year & A Pair of Kings

It's almost that time of year again. No, it's not Halloween, Thanksgiving, or even Christmas. In a few weeks, NaNoWriMo begins. For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, which occurs each November. Last year, I wrote Second Chance, which is in (I hope) the final editing stages. April and July are Camp NaNoWriMo months and I participated in each, writng Justice in April and Timewatch in July. Both novels are only completed first drafts.

Back in June, I struggled with what I wanted to write versus what wanted to be written. However, this time is much easier. Although I do have a couple of story ideas, such as the sequel to Justice and a story I've been mulling over for some time, there are short stories and two unfinished novels I could complete or transcribe. If I had to decide now, the choice would be to finish and transcribe handwritten stories. I have enough short stories for another book, plus a couple of others I'm thinking about writing. This was the other choice for July's Camp NaNoWriMo.

And then there's the third choice: Don't participate. As previously stated, I have two novels in first draft form that need editing. I'm also revamping or overhauling the books I already published. There's a LOT of editing to do and it may be a better idea to focus on that. There's still time to think about it and I may write one story and edit another.

Let's get to some sports.

Alas, there will be no three-peat. Congratulations to the 64-98 Arizona Diamondbacks. They are the 2014 Kings of the Cellar and all the beer goes to them. The 66-96 Colorado Rockies lost by two games. The 2012 and 2013 champion Houston Astros won enough games to end the season at 70-92.

And now for some football. The 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars are this week's Kings of the Cellar. They are searching for their first win since December 5. The 0-4 Oakland Raiders are on Jacksonville's tail, going after their first win since November 17. Neither team is expected to win on Sunday. This week's honorable mention goes to the 1-4 Tennessee Titans, who the Jaguars play this week. This should be a fun game to watch. After winning the first game of the season, Tennessee hasn't won since.

The 3-2 Green Bay Packers travel to Miami to take on the 2-2 Dolphins. Miami leads the series 10-3. They last met in 2010, when the Dolphins won in the only overtime game in the series, 23-20. Green Bay last played in Miami in 2006, when Brett Favre led the Packers to its last victory over Joey Harrington and the Dolphins, 34-24. They first met in 1971, when the Dolphins trounced the Packers 27-6. Neither team has ever shut out the other nor have they met in the postseason.

The 2-2 Cleveland Browns, fresh off their record setting comeback win, host the 3-2 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers lead the series 68-57 and barely survived last month's game in Pittsburgh, 30-27. The Browns last beat Pittsburgh in 2012, 20-14. They first met in 1950, when Cleveland won 30-17. They also faced each other in the playoffs twice. The Steelers won the 1995 AFC Divisional Round game 29-9 and the 2003 Wild Card round 36-33. Pittsburgh is 4-1 against the Browns in overtime. They first went to OT in 1978, when the Steelers won 15-9. Their last overtime game was in 2002, when the Steelers won 16-13. Cleveland's only OT victory was in 1986, 37-31. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Cleveland was 31-0 in 2008. The last time Cleveland shut out Pittsburgh was 51-0 in 1989.

If you haven't done so already, please visit my Facebook author page and my Amazon author page, and put a like on each. Thank you for reading my post and thank you for your support.

Until next time...have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - Week 16

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Hope you all had a great Christmas. Even though they all lost last week, the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, and Detroit Lions are officially eliminated from cellar contention. Now it's down to one game, so let's get started.

   The 2-13 Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars share this week's title as Kings of the Cellar. However, a Chiefs loss on Sunday will seal the first pick in the 2013 draft and make them the 2012 NFL Kings of the Cellar. The Jags can win the title with a loss and a Kansas City win. The Chiefs lost their third straight to the Indianapolis Colts by a respectable 20-13 score. The Jaguars lost their fourth consecutive game and remained winless in the regular season against the New England Patriots, also by a respectable score of 23-16.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 6-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After winning four straight games, they went on to lose five in a row, including a 41- 0 spanking by the New Orleans Saints and a 28-13 loss last week to the St. Louis Rams. The Bucs go to Atlanta and will probably win, because they'll face the Falcons' second and third team players and...oh, never mind. If they play with the same imploding precision they have over the past few weeks, Tampa Bay would even lose to the 1976 Buccaneers.

Next Loss...

   Kansas City travels to Denver to face the Broncos. Upset Special? It could be an upset special only if Denver had already locked up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The former Colts quarterback will give the Chiefs' secondary a clinic that the current Colts quarterback couldn't. This will be an easy, if not dominating, loss and Kansas City will clinch the first pick in the 2013 Draft.

   Jacksonville goes to Tennessee to take on the Titans. Upset Special? This is a tough call, but the answer is no. Tennessee was surprised in Jacksonville and they won't be surprised this time. The Jags will make a game of it, but this will be a solid Jacksonville loss and they'll clinch the second pick in the 2013 Draft.

Here are some historical scores for teams facing each other this week, December 26:

1987  Cleveland 19 - Pittsburgh 13
1993  Detroit 20 - Chicago 14
1993  Buffalo 16 - New York Jets 14
1993  Dallas 38 - Washington 3
1999  Tennessee 41 - Jacksonville 14
1999  San Diego 23 - Oakland 20
1999  Baltimore 22 - Cincinnati 0
2004  Detroit 19 - Chicago 13
2004  Dallas 13 - Washington 10

Last Place Update - Week 15

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. We again begin on a somber note. Thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre.

   Now to the update...

   We again have a tie for this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 2-12 Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars are in a dead heat to see who gets the first pick in the 2013 draft. If either team loses this week, they will eliminate 4-10 Oakland, Detroit, and Philadelphia from contention. Both of Kansas City's wins are against NFC South teams and all they have left are AFC teams, including a divisional game at Denver. Jacksonville's two wins are against divisional opponents, including Tennessee, who they play in Nashville next week.

   This week's honorable mention goes to...what do you mean, not Arizona? That's right, no broken record this week. The Cardinals finally broke their nine game losing streak against the team that is this week's honorable mention, the 4-10 Detroit Lions. Detroit has a six game losing streak, now the longest active losing streak and have been beaten by a touchdown or more in their last three games. The Lions host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. This could be an upset special if Detroit can catch the Falcons after a big win, like Atlanta caught the New York Giants after a big win.

Next Loss...

   Jacksonville hosts the New England Patriots, who are coming off a tough loss against the 49ers. Upset Special? Yeah, right. Although two of New England's four losses came on the road, they were also to winning teams. Jacksonville is 0-3 against the AFC East, losing all three games by at least a touchdown. The Jaguars will get spanked in this game and eliminate the Raiders, Lions, and Eagles from Kings of the Cellar contention.

   Kansas City hosts the defending Kings of the Cellar champion Indianapolis Colts. The Colts were eliminated from a repeat weeks ago, so does this mean this is an Upset Special? Maybe. The Chiefs won their last home game against the Carolina Panthers, but Indy is a much better team. The Colts are 3-4 on the road, but all three of those wins came against losing teams. Again, is this an Upset Special? Maybe, but probably not. Kansas City hasn't shown they can score a lot of points, so unless their offense shows up, this will be an easy Chiefs loss.

Here are some scores for teams playing each other this week, December 18:

1921  Chicago Cardinals 0 - Chicago Staleys 0
1960  Philadelphia 38 - Washington 28
1960  Los Angeles Chargers 50 - New York Titans 43
1966  Philadelphia 37 - Washington 28
1994  San Diego 21 - New York Jets 6
2000  Tampa Bay 38 - St. Louis 35
2011  Miami 30 - Buffalo 23

Last Place Update - Week 14

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Once again, we begin on a somber note, this time with the death of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown, who died in a car accident. His close friend and teammate, nose tackle and former University of Illinois teammate, Josh Brent, was driving. Thoughts and prayers go out to Brown, his friends, family, and the Dallas Cowboys organization. Now to the update.

  The 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs share this week's title as Kings of the Cellar. Both teams had recent wins and gallant performances, but both lost this week. Although it's easy to name KC as this week's Kings, the tie will stand. At least they're performing better in recent weeks than honorable mention runners up, the third place 3-10 Oakland Raiders and 4-9 Detroit Lions.

  Speaking of, the broken record of honorable mentions is kind of fixed. The Philadelphia Eagles won, getting them off the radar for now. Congrats Philly, on a well earned win. However, the "kind of" part is that this week's honorable mention, once again, goes to the 4-9 Arizona Cardinals, for two reasons. First, that they lost their ninth consecutive game, which is the most in the NFL right now, and second, that they got spanked by the Seattle Seahawks 58-0. This is the worst loss of the season and in Cardinals history. Even though they have the same season record as other teams. this earns them the title as the NFC's worst team this week. The Cards host the also struggling Lions. A win here would get Arizona off the radar and Detroit on it. This one's up in the air.

Next Loss...

   Jacksonville goes to Miami to take on the AFC in-state rival Dolphins. Miami is 2-5 since their bye week and is primed for an upset. So is this an Upset Special? Maybe. If the Dolphins show up or if Jacksonville shows signs of Jets lag, then Miami will hand the Jags an easy loss. The bottom line is it's a toss-up, which means the tie goes to a Jacksonville loss.

   Kansas City goes to Oakland to take on the Raiders in the AFC West Cellar Bowl. A KC loss would keep them at the bottom of the heap, but a win will at least, get them out and bring the Raiders in. Upset Special? This is one of the great rivalries, so it's possible. However, Oakland beat the Chiefs in Kansas City, so chances are, this is yet again, another easy Chiefs loss.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 11:

1932  Chicago 9 - Green Bay 0
1977  Chicago 21 - Green Bay 10
1977  Tampa Bay 33 - New Orleans 14   (Tampa Bay's first ever win)
1994  Green Bay 41 - Chicago 3
2005  Minnesota 27 - St. Louis 13
2005  Denver 12 - Baltimore 10

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Once again, there is a new King of the Cellar. This week, for getting their first win of the season, the 1-5 Cleveland Browns got knocked off the throne by the 1-5 Kansas City Chiefs. Ever since Jamaal Charles put up Walter Payton type numbers against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, that second victory has been as elusive as Charles is in the open field. The last time the Chiefs started off 1-5 was in 2009, when they finished with a 4-12 record. The last time the Browns started off 1-5 was in 2010, when they finished the season 5-11.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the San Diego Chargers. After blowing certain victories against the Saints and Denver Broncos, they turned a good 5-1 record into a mediocre 3-3 record. The last time San Diego started the season at 3-3 was in 2009, when they finished with a 13-3 record. Will they get into gear or compete for Kings of the Cellar?

Next Loss...

   Here's a bold prediction. The Chiefs will not lose this week. Okay, it's no prediction at all. Kansas City has a bye this week. They will host the Oakland  Raiders next week.

   Cleveland will visit the Indianapolis Colts, the defending Kings of the Cellar champions. Indy is doing better at 2-3, but the Browns could pull an upset here, too. Cleveland won two in a row once last season and it started at Indy. However, although both teams are better at quarterback, Indy is third against the pass, so the Browns should get the loss.

Let's look at the other 1 win teams...

   The New Orleans Saints will visit sunny Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fresh off their win over the Chiefs. As with the Browns and Colts, this is a toss-up. The Saints are 31st against the run and the Bucs are 31st against the pass. The is a game the Bucs should win, but the Saints have won their first game after the bye week the last three seasons. The team whose running game and defense shows up will win.

   The Carolina Panthers will host the Dallas Cowboys. This is the best defense the Panthers will face so far this season. After a heartbreak in Baltimore, the Cowboys should keep a struggling Cam Newton in check and get the win. If Newton plays like he did last season, this could be an upset.

   In a battle of 1-4 teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars will invade the Raider Nation to play the Oakland Raiders. This is Oakland's game to lose. Both teams have only been in contention for two games, including their lone victories. However, the Raiders have the better offense and should keep the Jags at one win.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week on October 16:

1955  Green Bay 30 - Los Angeles Rams 28
1960  Washington 24 - New York Giants 24
1966  New York Giants 13 - Washington 10
1983  Detroit 31 - Chicago 17
1994  New York Jets 24 - New England 17
1994  Pittsburgh 14 - Cincinnati 10
2011  Tampa Bay 26 - New Orleans 20
2011  Baltimore 29 - Houston 14
2011  Green Bay 24 - St. Louis 3

Some NFL Divisional Playoff Series Trivia

January 14, 2012 - This year's divisional playoff games feature teams who are all division champions.  The last time all division champions played in the divisional round was in 2006.

   The New Orleans Saints visit Candlestick Park to play their former NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.  This is their first ever meeting in the playoffs.  San Francisco leads the series 45-24-2.  New Orleans is 9-2 against the Niners since 1999 and has won the last six games.  This is the longest win streak New Orleans ever had over San Francisco.  They went to overtime twice, in 1977 and 1980, both won by San Francisco.  The last time the Niners beat the Saints at home was 28-27 in 2001.  The last time San Francisco shut out New Orleans was 38-0 in 2001.  The Saints have never shut out the Niners.  Their two ties ended with the same score 20-20, in 1970 and 1972.  New Orleans should win, but it will probably not be a blowout.

   The New England Patriots host the Denver Broncos in their third ever playoff meeting.  Denver won the previous two playoff meetings in 1987 and 2005.  The Broncos lead the series 27-17 and is 18-6 against the Patriots since 1979.  They only went to overtime once, in 2009, when Denver won 20-17.  Neither team has ever shut out the other.  History should repeat itself, with New England easily beating Denver, but if Tebow makes good passing decisions and accurate passes, the Broncos could pull off its second consecutive upset.

   Tomorrow starts off with the Houston Texans invading M&T Bank Stadium to take on the Baltimore Ravens.  Since this is Houston's first ever playoff run, this is also obviously their first ever playoff meeting.  Baltimore is undefeated in the series 5-0.  Baltimore beat Houston earlier this season 29-14.  They went to overtime once, in 2010, and the Ravens won 34-28.  There has never been a shutout in the series.  Baltimore should win, but if the Texans get their run game in gear early, they could pull off the upset.

   The New York Giants go to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.  They have met in three pre-Super Bowl NFL Championships and once in the playoffs.  Green Bay leads the playoff series 4-2, with all four wins earning them NFL Championships in 1939, 1944, 1961, and 1962.  The Giants won one NFL Championship against the Packers in 1938 and their latest playoff meeting in 2008 23-20 in overtime.  Green Bay leads the series 31-23-2, but Green Bay is 6-2 against New York since 1995.  Their lone overtime game was the previously mentioned playoff game.  The last time Green Bay shut out New York was 37-0, their NFL Championship win in 1961.  The last time the Giants shut out the Packers was 24-0 in 1944.  Their last tie was 24-24 in 1947.  Green Bay should dominate the Giants, but if New York can keep Green Bay's offense off the field, they could win instead.  This is a long shot Upset Special.

On This Day

   In 1968, the Packers played the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II.  Green Bay dominated the  Raiders 33-14.  Bart Starr won his second consecutive Super Bowl MVP honor.  Both teams' destinies changed after that game.  Green Bay only had four winning seasons from 1968-88 and won their next playoff game in the strike shortened season of 1982.  Oakland became one of the dominant teams of the 1970's and 1980's, including three Super Bowl wins during that two decade span.

    In 1973, the Miami Dolphins capped its undefeated season by winning Super Bowl VII over the Washington Redskins 14-7.  Washington got its only score on the infamous Mike Bass pick six interception of a Garo Yepremian pass.  Miami quarterback Bob Griese started for the first time since Week 5 against San Diego, when Deacon Jones and Ron East sacked him and broke his ankle.  Earl Morrall started the rest of the season and the playoffs.  Strong safety Jake Scott was named the Super Bowl MVP.  Scott was the first Dolphin great to wear the number 13.   Of course, the other was Dan Marino.  In fact, Scott and Marino are the only players to ever wear the number 13 for the Miami Dolphins.

And we have another historical score, today in:

2005 - Denver 27 - New England 13

Today in 1975 - Kansas City Chief vs Oakland Raiders

Today in 1975, the Oakland Raiders hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional contest and the last game of the regular season.

The Raiders got on the board first on a 5 yard touchdown run by Pete Banaszak.  The Chiefs answered with a Jan Stenerud 35 yard field goal.

Stenerud closed the gap with a 29 yard field goal in the second quarter.  Kansas City took the lead on a 5 yard touchdown pass from Tony Adams to Barry Pearson.  Oakland took the lead again on a Banaszak 3 yard touchdown run and increased the lead when Ken Stabler threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Morris Bradshaw.  The Raiders led at halftime 21-13.

After a scoreless third quarter, Kansas City closed the gap to one on a 1 yard touchdown run by Jeff Kinney.  But Oakland put the game out of reach when Banaszak scored yet another touchdown on a 1 yard run.  The Oakland Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs 28-20.

For the Chiefs, Tony Adams passed 18-31 for 245 yards, with a touchdown and 2 interceptions.  He also had 3 rushing attempts for 26 yards.  Barry Pearson had 6 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.  Willie Lanier had an interception.

For the Raiders, Ken Stabler passed 11-12 for 134 yards and a touchdown.  The elder statesman of the NFL, George Blanda, passed 1-3 for 11 yards and an interception.  Pete Banaszak had 17 rushes for 72 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He also had 2 receptions for 22 yards.  Jess Phillips ran 7 times for 84 yards.  Charlie Phillips, Jack Tatum, and Skip Thomas each had an interception.

The Chiefs finished the season at 5-9, third in the AFC West.  The Raiders finished at 11-3 and were AFC West Champions.  Oakland lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers 16-10 in the AFC Championship game.

Trivia

• There were 13 Hall of Famers present: Len Dawson, Buck Buchanan, Willie Lanier, Jan Stenerud, and Emmitt Thomas for the Chiefs, and Fred Biletnikoff, George Blanda, Willie Brown, Dave Casper, Ted Hendricks, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, and head coach John Madden for the Raiders.
• The Raiders rushed for 246 yards in the game, 199 of them by Banaszak (72), Jess Phillips (84), and Mark Van Eeghen (43).
• This was Paul Wiggin’s first season as head coach of the Chiefs.  He coached the team from 1975-77.
• This was John Madden’s seventh season as head coach of the Raiders.  He coached the team from 1969-78.
• Wiggin played defensive end for the Cleveland Browns from 1957-67.
• Oakland offensive guard Art Shell was the head coach of the Raiders from 1989-94 and 2006.
• This was kicker George Blanda's last appearance ever as quarterback and his last season as a player.  He played from 1949-75 for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers, and Oakland Raiders.
• Emmitt Thomas was the interim head coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.

Here are some historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week, on December 21,

1980 – Dallas 35 – Philadelphia 27

1997 – Seattle 38 – San Francisco 9

2003 – Baltimore 35 – Cleveland 0

2003 – Philadelphia 27 – Dallas 3

2008 – Buffalo 30 – Denver 23

Game stats can be found on Pro-Football-Reference.com at Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders - December 21, 1975.

Today in 1996 - Minnesota Vikings vs Oakland Raiders

Today in 1996, the Oakland Raiders hosted the Minnesota Vikings at Oakland-Alameda Stadium in a Week 12 game.

Minnesota got on the board in the first quarter on a 22 yard field goal by Scott Sisson.  The Vikings increased their lead on a big play, an 82 yard touchdown pass from Brad Johnson to Jake Reed. 

Oakland scored in the second quarter when Terry McDaniel picked off a Johnson pass and ran it 52 yards for a touchdown.  Minnesota led at halftime 10-7.

The Raiders tied the game in the third quarter on a 24 yard field goal by Cole Ford.  In the fourth quarter, Sisson kicked a 24 yard field goal to give the Vikings the lead, but Ford sent the game into overtime with a 41 yard field goal.

In the overtime period, Sisson kicked a 31 yard field goal and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Oakland Raiders 16-13.

For the Vikings, Brad Johnson passed 20-33 for 275 yards, with a touchdown and 2 interceptions.  Leroy Hoard had 20 rushes for 108 yards.  Jake Reed had 4 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown, and Cris Carter had 6 catches for 56 yards.  John Randle had 2 sacks and Jason Fisk had a sack.  Jeff Brady and Martin Harrison each had half a sack.  Orlando Thomas had an interception.

For the Raiders, Jeff Hostetler passed 14-27 for 139 yards and an interception.  Napoleon Kaufman had 20 rushes for 63 yards.  Pat Swilling had a sack.  Lorenzo Lynch had an interception and Terry McDaniel had a Pick 6.

The Raiders went to 4-7 with the loss.  They finished the season at 7-9, fourth in the AFC West.  The Vikings went to 6-5 and finished the season at 9-7, second in the NFC Central.  They made the playoffs, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round.

Trivia

• There were 3 Hall of Famers present, all with Minnesota: Warren Moon, Randall McDaniel and John Randle.
  
• This was Mike White’s last season coaching the Raiders.  He only coached the team for two seasons.
  
• The offensive coordinator for the Raiders was Joe Bugel, who was the head coach of the Pheonix Cardinals from 1990-93.  He replaced White as head coach of the Raiders in 1997, but that was his only season.
  
• This was Dennis Green’s fifth season coaching the Vikings.  He coached the team from 1992-2001.  He was also the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2004-06.
  
• Minnesota’s offensive coordinator was Brian Billick, who was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2007.
  
• Vikings tight ends coach Mike Tice became the head coach of the team from 2002-05.  He played for the Seattle Seahawks from 1981-91 and the Vikings from 1992-95.

Here are some historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week, on November 17,

1957 – New York Giants 13 – Philadelphia 0

1963 – New York Jets 14 – Denver 9

1963 – Kansas City 24 – Boston Patriots 24

1968 – New York Giants 7 – Philadelphia 6

1968 – Kansas City 31 - Boston Patriots 17

1968 – Dallas 44 – Washington 24

1974 – Miami 35 – Buffalo 28

1974 – Washington 28 – Dallas 21

1991 – San Francisco 14 – Phoenix Cardinals 10

1997 – Miami 30 – Buffalo 13

Game stats can be found on Pro-Football-Reference.com at Minnesota Vikings vs Oakland Raiders - November 17, 1996

Today in 1985 - Los Angeles Raiders vs San Diego Chargers

Today in 1985, the San Diego Chargers hosted the Los Angeles Raiders at Jack Murphy Stadium in a Week 10 contest.

The Chargers scored first on a 10 yard pass from Dan Fouts to Wes Chandler.  The Raiders answered with a 35 yard touchdown run by Jessie Hester.  The score was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter started with a 34 yard field goal by Bob Thomas and San Diego took the lead.  Frank Hawkins scored for Los Angeles on 1 yard touchdown run, but the extra point attempt failed.  At halftime, the Raiders led 13-10.

In the third quarter, Thomas kicked a 23 yard field goal to tie the game, but the Raiders took the lead again on 1 yard Marcus Allen touchdown run.  San Diego tied the game again when Fouts threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to Lionel James.  In true Raider fashion, Marc Wilson threw a 54 yard touchdown pass to Jessie Hester.  Los Angeles led at the end of the third quarter 27-20.

The scoring wasn’t done yet.  Fouts threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to Gary Anderson to tie the game, but Wilson threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Todd Christensen to give the Raiders the lead once again.  But San Diego would not be denied.  Fouts threw his fourth touchdown pass to Charlie Joiner to send the game to overtime tied 34-34.

In the overtime period, San Diego had the ball and James ran 17 yards for the winning touchdown.  The San Diego Chargers defeated the Los Angeles Raiders 40-34.

For the Raiders, Marc Wilson passed 18-32 for 297 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  Marcus Allen had 28 rushes for 119 yards and a touchdown.  He also had 5 receptions for 30 yards.  Todd Christensen had 7 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown.  Jessie Hester had 2 catches for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Bill Pickel had a sack and Brad Van Pelt had an interception.

For the Chargers, Dan Fouts passed 26-41 for 436 yards with 4 touchdowns and an interception.  Lionel James had 7 rushes for 57 yards and a touchdown.  He also had 11 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown.  Gary Anderson had 4 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.  Wes Chandler had 4 receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.  Lee Williams had a sack.  Carlos Bradley and Danny Walters each had an interception.

San Diego went to 5-5 and finished the season at 8-8, third in the AFC West.  Los Angeles went to 6-4 and didn’t lose again for the rest of the regular season. They finished at 12-4, AFC West Champions.  They lost to the New England Patriots 27-20 in a divisional playoff game.

Trivia

• There were 7 Hall of Famers present: Marcus Allen, Howie Long, Mike Haynes, and owner Al Davis for the Raiders, and Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow for the Chargers.
• This was Tom Flores’ seventh season coaching the Raiders.  He coached the team form 1979-87.
• This was Don Coryell’s eighth season coaching the Chargers.  He coached the team from 1978-86.  He was also the head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973-77.
• Flores was a quarterback for the Raiders from 1960-66.
• The Raiders had two more overtime games that season.  Both were wins against the Denver Broncos.
• Future Atlanta Falcons head coach Jim Mora was San Diego’s defensive quality control coach in 1985.
• San Diego also had an overtime game against the Denver Broncos.  The Chargers lost.

Here are some historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week, on November 10,

1940 – Detroit 17 – Chicago 14

1963 – Green Bay 28 – Minnesota 7

1968 – Minnesota 14 – Green Bay 10

1974 – Cincinnati 17 – Pittsburgh 10

1985 – Green Bay 27 – Minnesota 17

1985 – Chicago 24 – Detroit 3

1991 – Pittsburgh 33 – Cincinnati 27 OT

1996 – New England 31 – New York Jets 27

1996 – Cincinnati 34 – Pittsburgh 24

Game stats can be found on Pro-Football-Reference.com at Los Angeles Raiders vs San Diego Chargers - November 10, 1985.

Today in 1974 - Oakland Raiders vs Buffalo Bills

September 16, 1974 – Today in 1974, the Oakland Raiders invaded Rich Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills in a Week 1 matchup.

After a scoreless first quarter, Joe Ferguson threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to J.D. Hill to give Buffalo a 7-0 lead.  George Blanda kicked a 34 yard field goal for Oakland and the score was 7-3 at halftime.

The Raiders took the lead on a 15 yard touchdown run by Clarence Davis.  Oakland led at the end of the third quarter 10-7.

Oakland increased its lead to 13-7 with a 41 yard Blanda field goal.  Buffalo answered and took the lead when Ferguson threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Rashad.  Art Thoms recovered a Bills fumble and ran it in for a touchdown and the Raiders led 20-14.  Buffalo answered and took the lead for good on a 13 yard touchdown pass from Ferguson to Rashad. The Buffalo Bills edged the Oakland Raiders 21-20.

The Bills went to 1-0 and the Raiders went to 0-1.  Joe Ferguson passed 10-20 122 yards 3TDs and he rushed 5 times for 16 yards.  Ken Stabler passed 9-22 122 yards 1 INT. O.J. Simpson was held to under 100 yards, rushing 12-78 yards.  Clarence Davis rushed 10-61 yards 1 TD.

Notables

• There were 10 Hall of Famers playing or coaching in this game: O.J. Simpson and Joe DeLamielleure for the Bills, and Fred Biletnikoff, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Jim Otto, Willie Brown, George Blanda, Dave Casper, and head coach John Madden for the Raiders.
• This was the third year of Lou Saban’s second stint coaching the Bills.  He first coached the team from 1962-65 and led Buffalo to 2 AFL Championships.  In his second stint, he coached the team from 1972-76.
• This was John Madden’s sixth season coaching the Raiders.  He coached the team from 1969-78 and led the team to a Super Bowl title.  Madden never had a losing season and was 11-1-1 on Monday Night Football.
• Joe Ferguson wore number 12 for the Bills.  He wasn’t the only player there that day to have worn that number for Buffalo.  Raider backup quarterback Daryle Lamonica wore number 12 for the Bills from 1963-66.
• After this game, the Raiders went on a 9 game winning streak.  They finished the season at 12-2.
• The Bills went on a 6-1 run after this game and finished the season 9-5.
• Both teams made the playoffs and lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, though Oakland beat the Steelers earlier in the season.

Game stats and other data can be found on Pro-Football-Reference.com at Oakland Raiders vs Buffalo Bills - September 16, 1974.