Baltimore Colts vs. Oakland Raiders, 1969

Oakland Raiders

Vs.

Baltimore Colts

August 9, 1969

Colts Outlast AFL Oakland

By Bill Soliday

The Argus, Fremont, CA

AUG. 9, 1969- The Oakland Raiders fell inches away from victory for the second week in a row last night, battling down to the wire before dropping a 34-30 heartbreaker to Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts before 51,246 at the Coliseum.

The defeat was a carbon copy of last week's 6 point loss to Kansas City as a George Blanda pass fell barely out of reach of Fred Biletnikoff on the one yard line on fourth down from the Colt 12.

Last week a similar fate befell Eldridge Dickey on fourth down from deep in Kansas City territory as the Raiders lost their first exhibition game. Last night's loss makes the Raiders 0-2 in non-league exhibition play, the Colts 2-0.

It was a night of class performances by the quarterbacks as expected, but it was Johnny Unitas who provided the Colts with their four point differential in a wild second quarter that saw the two teams score 30 points- the Colts 17 of them. In that quarter, Unitas passed for 12 completions in 18 attempts for 150 yards and led the Colts to a score each time they got their hands on the ball. That gave them a 27-20 halftime edge that they never lost.

The Raiders battled back in the second half, however, Blanda throwing for one touchdown and kicking a field goal from 37 yards out. However, his dying gasp toss to Biletnikoff after the Raiders had driven 45 yards to Baltimore's 12 in the last three minutes, fell just short of catching the Colts.

The first half saw Unitas failing to demoralize the Raiders despite his near perfect pitching. The Colts took a 10-0 lead early in the game but the Raiders kept coming back behind Daryle Lamonica who completed eight of 13 passes in his two quarters of action for two touchdowns and 147 yards.

The Colts appeared to have things sewed up with 8:27 left in the game following a scoreless third period in which rookies Eldridge Dickey of Oakland and and Jeff Beaver of Baltimore couldn't put across a score.

The Raiders controlled the ball on their own 30 in the fourth quarter when Blanda attempted a pass to Drew Buie at the 50, but Buie bobbled it and veteran Colt defensive back Lenny Lyles picked it off, racing all the way for a score. That made it 34-23 for the Colts and the Raider situation appeared dire. However, the 41 year old, 20 year veteran, Blanda, like his ageless peers, Unitas, Lyles and Lou Michaels, who kicked the two game winning field goals, had more to do with the outcome.

He directed the Raiders 69 yards in 7 plays, starting off the drive with a 33 yard pass to Rod Sherman and a follow-up 15 yarder to Buie. From the Colt 20, Larry Todd burst over center 13 yards to the seven. Then on third down, Blanda zeroed in on Buie on the post pattern for a seven yard TD to make it 34-30.

The Colts tried to grind out the remaining six minutes, but when Earl Morrall, who played the entire fourth quarter for Baltimore, finally went to the air to John Mackey, rookie defensive back Don Ford of the Raiders intercepted on the Oakland 43 with two minutes to go. Blanda completed three consecutive passes over the middle of near length to Todd, rookie tight end Lloyd Edwards and Pete Banazak, getting the ball to the 22 of the Colts with one minute to go. An eight yarder to Sherman advanced it to the 14 but there the drive sputtered out and Blanda's pass to Biletnikoff was low and ruled a trap with 30 seconds to go.