1977 Oakland Raiders season
The 1977 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 18th season overall, and 8th season since joining the NFL. The Raiders entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champions. The team could not improve on their 13-1 record from last year and finished 11-3, which was only good enough for second place in the AFC West next to the Denver Broncos, who won twelve games (the two split victories over each other in the regular season).
| 1977 Oakland Raiders season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Al Davis |
| General manager | Al Davis |
| Head coach | John Madden |
| Home field | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–3 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (at Colts) 37–31 (2OT) Lost AFC Championship (at Broncos) 17–20 |
The Raiders reached the AFC Championship Game for the fifth consecutive season, and their sixth in eight years. They lost the AFC Championship, however, to the division rival Denver Broncos. This marked the seventh time in ten seasons that the Raiders' season ended one game short of the Super Bowl. They did not return to the AFC Championship for the next two seasons.
The 1977 Raiders set a professional football record with 681 rushing attempts. Fullback Mark van Eeghen 324 times for 1273 yards, and running back Clarence Davis ran 194 times for 787 yards.