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Oakland Coach John Madden is a bear of a man (250 Ibs.) and, on the sidelines, a volatile one. He has patched up a 1976 team weakened by injuries, switching to a three linemen-four linebackers defense to compensate, and ably led his troops through an emotionally trying barrage of accusations: Oakland spent much of the fall under a cloud of charges of dirty play. It began in the season's opening game, when Safetyman George Atkinson decked Pittsburgh Receiver Lynn Swann, leaving Swann with a concussion. Steeler Coach Chuck Noll charged Atkinson with foul play, speaking darkly of a "criminal element in the N.F.L." Hoping to cool things off, Commissioner Pete Rozelle fined Atkinson $1,500 and Noll $1,000. For his part, Atkinson slapped Rozelle and Noll with lawsuits charging defamation of character.
The Raiders sailed through the remainder of the season on a tide of law-suits,— late hits and—in a play-off game against the New England Patriots—disputed calls by officials. They left in their wake, in addition to Swann's concussion, Patriots Tight End Russ Francis' broken nose and a host of battered, angry opponents. The Raiders' explanation: football is a game of aggression. Playing hard is not necessarily illegal.
Such controversies have served to obscure the merits of the team, which among other things has pro football's longest winning streak: twelve straight. In Kenny Stabler, the Raiders have a quarterback of stunning accuracy (a 66.7% pass-completion record), seven years of experience and sound football sense. Stabler stands behind an almost impregnable wall of protection led by Tackle Art Shell and Guard Gene Upshaw, his left arm ever cocked, "the Snake" ready to strike. Few quarterbacks have had a covey of receivers to rival Stabler's. Wide Receiver Fred Biletnikoff, 33, works the sideline like a 190-lb. Wallenda. His hands are liberally coated with Hold-Tite, but all the sticky goo in the world will not replace the 30 min. per day he spends tossing a football against a wall and snatching up the unpredictable rebounds. Cliff Branch, the other wide receiver, runs 100 yds. in 9.3 sec., which seems to be 9.3 sec. faster than Biletnikoff can cover the distance. But during his rookie year, Branch studied his teammate's hands as if they were the Rosetta Stone, and the result is the surest-catching fast man in football. Balancing the act is Tight End Dave Casper, a big (225 Ibs.) all-pro who can block and run as well as catch. Oakland is basically a passing team, but has adequate running led by former Colgate Star Mark van Eeghen and six-year Veteran Clarence Davis.
The Raider defense has undergone serious adjustments this season—three injured starters on the defensive line had to be replaced—but now appears at its best. A marauding secondary, led by Atkinson, plays