Oakland Raiders: 10 Best Quarterbacks In Franchise History
By Kevin Saito
Oct 25, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders fans cheer from the stands during the second quarter of the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Oakland won 37-29. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Lamonica, the Mad Bomber, spent the first four seasons of his career in Buffalo but never got the chance to be a starter. He made just four total starts over that span. But once he got to the Raiders via trade for Art Powell and Tom Flores, and was given the chance to start, Lamonica flourished in a big, big way.
Lamonica was a pass happy machine. He loved to throw the ball. And though he wasn’t necessarily always the most accurate – the high point of his career was a 53 percent completion percentage in 1972 – he threw for a lot of yards and a lot of touchdowns. In his first year with the team, Lamonica threw for 3,200 yards and 30 touchdowns. He would continue to be an efficient and deadly passer for the Raiders, throwing for 3,000 yards or more three times and 2,500 yards once during his career in Oakland.
Lamonica still holds an NFL record that has stood for more than 30 years – facing the Bills, Lamonica threw six touchdown passes in the first half of the game. Though Aaron Rodgers tied the record in 2014, nobody has ever broken it.
The Mad Bomber played eight years in Oakland and racked up all kinds of awards and honors. He also threw for 16,655 yards and 148 touchdowns for the Raiders in compiling a very impressive 62-16-6 record as the starter.
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