Super Bowl XI

Super Bowl XI was the championship game of the National Football League (NFL) for the 1976 NFL season, played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Minnesota Vikings. The game was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and was attended by Pete Rozelle, the Commissioner of the NFL, as well as notable figures such as Vince Lombardi and George Halas. The Oakland Raiders were led by coach John Madden, while the Minnesota Vikings were led by coach Bud Grant, who had previously coached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and had played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team at the University of Minnesota.

● Game Summary

The game was played on January 9, 1977, with the Oakland Raiders ultimately emerging victorious, defeating the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 32-14. The Oakland Raiders were led by quarterback Ken Stabler, who had played college football at the University of Alabama under coach Bear Bryant, and had been drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1968 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings were led by quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who had played college football at the University of Georgia and had been drafted by the New York Giants in the 1971 NFL Draft. The game was marked by strong performances from Oakland Raiders players such as Cliff Branch, who had played college football at the University of Colorado, and Fred Biletnikoff, who had played college football at Florida State University and had been drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1965 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings had notable players such as Carl Eller, who had played college football at the University of Minnesota and had been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1964 NFL Draft, and Alan Page, who had played college football at the University of Notre Dame and had been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1967 NFL Draft.

● Background

The Oakland Raiders had finished the 1976 NFL season with a record of 13-1, winning the AFC West division title and earning a spot in the AFC Championship Game, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were led by coach Chuck Noll and had players such as Terry Bradshaw and Joe Greene. The Minnesota Vikings had finished the season with a record of 11-2-1, winning the NFC Central division title and earning a spot in the NFC Championship Game, where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams, who were led by coach Chuck Knox and had players such as Roman Gabriel and Jack Youngblood. The Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings had met previously in Super Bowl IV, which was played on January 11, 1970, at the Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was won by the Kansas City Chiefs, who were led by coach Hank Stram and had players such as Len Dawson and Otis Taylor.

● Box Score

The box score for the game is as follows: Oakland Raiders - 32 Minnesota Vikings - 14 The Oakland Raiders were led in scoring by kicker George Blanda, who had played college football at the University of Kentucky and had been drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1949 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings were led in scoring by kicker Fred Cox, who had played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and had been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL Draft. The game was marked by strong performances from Oakland Raiders players such as Gene Upshaw, who had played college football at Texas A&M University-Commerce and had been drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1967 NFL Draft, and Jack Tatum, who had played college football at Ohio State University and had been drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1971 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings had notable players such as Paul Krause, who had played college football at the University of Iowa and had been drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 1964 NFL Draft, and Bobby Bryant, who had played college football at the University of South Carolina and had been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1967 NFL Draft.

● Aftermath

The victory by the Oakland Raiders marked their first Super Bowl championship, and was a culmination of the team's successful season under coach John Madden. The Minnesota Vikings' loss marked their third Super Bowl defeat, following losses in Super Bowl IV and Super Bowl VIII. The game was watched by a large television audience, with an estimated 102 million viewers tuning in to watch the game on CBS, which was broadcast by Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier. The Oakland Raiders' victory parade was held in Oakland, California, and was attended by notable figures such as California Governor Jerry Brown and Oakland Mayor Lionel Wilson. The Minnesota Vikings' loss was marked by a sense of disappointment, but the team would go on to have successful seasons in the future, including a NFC Championship appearance in 1987 under coach Jerry Burns.

● Game Statistics

The game statistics for Super Bowl XI are as follows: Oakland Raiders - 288 total yards Minnesota Vikings - 224 total yards The Oakland Raiders were led in rushing by running back Clarence Davis, who had played college football at the University of Southern California and had been drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1971 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings were led in rushing by running back Chuck Foreman, who had played college football at the University of Miami and had been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1973 NFL Draft. The game was marked by strong performances from Oakland Raiders players such as Ted Hendricks, who had played college football at the University of Miami and had been drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 NFL Draft, and Willie Brown, who had played college football at Grambling State University and had been drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 1963 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings had notable players such as Jim Marshall, who had played college football at the Ohio State University and had been drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 1960 NFL Draft, and Carl Eller, who had played college football at the University of Minnesota and had been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1964 NFL Draft. Category:American football