50 Years Ago, The 'Sea of Hands'
When the wobbliest, clumsiest toss clinched an AFC Divisional
The game had everything - great teams, players, coaches, passionate fans, spectacular touchdowns, five lead changes, and a thrilling conclusion!
It would be dubbed ‘The Sea of Hands’ and rank No. 17 in the 'NFL 100 Greatest’ plays of all time. Sports Illustrated called it Super Bowl VIII ½.
The date was December 21, 1974, and the showdown pitted the NFL’s No. 1 team, Oakland Raiders (12-2), against No. 2, Miami Dolphins (11-3), in a titanic clash for a spot at the AFC Championship.
Many thought this header would pre-determine the victor of Super Bowl IX.
Miami, as 2-time defending champs, were gunning for a 4th consecutive SB berth. Oakland had their sights on ‘the big one’ after qualifying for the post season 5 times since they fell to Green Bay in SB II.
Combined, both teams packed a stellar lineup of 17 future Hall of Famers, including both coaches- Miami’s Don Shula and Oakland’s John Madden.
The Dolphins were led by quarterback Bob Gries, running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, and wide receivers Paul Warfield and Nat Moore.
Football insiders believed this would be the Dolphins’ last hurrah since Csonka, Kiick, and Warfield were on their way to join the World Football League the following year.
The Raiders unleashed quarterback Ken Stabler, running backs Marv Hubbard and Clarence Davis, and wide receivers Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff.
There was no shortage of talent in the rest of their squad- George Blanda, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Jim Otto, Willie Brown, Dave Casper, and Ray Guy.
The setting was The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, known as ‘The Black Hole’ because of the home team’s uniform color.
At the time, Raiders fans were the noisiest and most demonstrative in the NFL.
Al LoCasale, Raiders executive: “I have never heard any louder cheering in the Coliseum than when we came out to be introduced.
Jim Mindich, Dolphins tight end: “That stadium was always a crazy cauldron to play in. It just brought out the kooks.”
Phil Villapiano, Raiders linebacker: “I remember the press that week telling everybody to wear black underwear…girls bring your black bras, your black panties, guys bring black towels.”
“We got introduced, and I looked up in the stands, and I saw the bras, I saw the underwear, I swear, the place was black!”
But nobody imagined that the drama would start with the opening kickoff itself.
Incredibly, the Dolphins took a 7-0 lead when Moore, a rookie, returned George Jakowenko’s opening kick with an 89-yard touchdown run.
Madden: “People were still standing up from the national anthem, and the score was 7-0. I was, ‘Holy moly!’”
Stabler: “John kind of looked at me and I kind of looked at John, and John said, ‘It’s gonna be a long day.’”
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It would turn out to be a game of big plays.
There was Charlie Smith’s 31-yard dash in the second quarter that tied the score at 7. There was Branch’s remarkable 72-yard touchdown catch from Stabler with less than 5:00 minutes remaining in regulation, giving Oakland a 21-19 lead.
And then there was Benny Malone’s 23-yard scramble in which he powered his way into the end zone after shedding 4 would-be tacklers, putting Miami back on top 26-21 with 2:08 minutes to go.
Then came a drive for the ages led by Stabler, one of the most composed hurlers under pressure that the NFL had ever produced.
Flinging passes all over the field, the ‘Snake’ led his team all the way to the Miami 8-yard line with just 35 seconds remaining on the clock.
The next play, on first down, was designed for Biletnikoff on the right or Branch on the left. Both would be covered, though.
Stabler dropped back, felt the pressure and ran to his left. Just as he was being brought down from behind by defensive end Vern Den Herder, he flung an imperfect spiral in the direction of Davis, who was in the end zone.
Davis, with two Dolphins defenders blanketing him and three more lurking, was the only black jersey amongst a sea of white jerseys.
Somehow, and in some way, he emerged with the ball for a wild and frenzied finish that saw the Raiders come off the field with a 28-26 victory.
Ironically, in a game of big plays, it was a sloppy 8-yarder that proved to be the clincher.
Nick Buoniconti, Dolphins linebacker: “That ball looked like it was going end over end, and there was no way in hell that anybody was going to catch that thing.”
Stabler: “Clarence made the play because he wanted the ball more than anybody else, and it was a throw that probably should’ve been intercepted.”
Madden: “When you drew up that play, the last receiver that you would throw it to would’ve been Clarence Davis.”
Manny Fernandez, Dolphins defensive tackle: “I mean, this guy couldn’t catch a cold. It was probably the only pass he caught in his career. It was a lousy pass, a lucky reception. I’ve never forgotten it.”
Mike Kolen, Dolphins linebacker: “I had room to put my hands around the ball, and obviously it was at the same time Clarence put his grip on the ball. He was coming toward the ball and had the leverage and obviously a better grip than I had.”
It was a bitter defeat for Miami.
Bob Kuechenberg, Dolphins guard: “I cried like a baby after that game. That game was the most disappointing game of my life because it did stop the dream, and we also knew that our team as we knew it wouldn’t be the same anymore.”
Shula: “It’s the toughest defeat I’ve ever suffered as a coach. A lot of dreams went down the drain, but I’m proud of my football team.”
The Dolphins would not return to the postseason until 1978.
The Raiders, meanwhile, lost to the eventual SB winners, Steelers, in the AFC Championship and again at the next season’s conference title.
Oakland finally took down Pittsburgh at the 1976 AFC Championship en route to their long-awaited first title at SB XI.
The greatness of the ‘Sea of Hands’ match has stood the test of time and is still considered one of the most memorable NFL games.
Stabler: “Thinking back, if the ball had been intercepted, I’d be kicking myself right now for not throwing it away. I had three more shots. There were a lot of people around him, but he broke clear for an instant. It wasn’t a very smart throw, but ….”
Roger Gordon is a sports journalist and author of 12 sports history books. He is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association.
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