Oakland Raiders: 30 Iconic Moments In Franchise History

Jan 31, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders former wide receiver Marcus Allen on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors award ceremony at Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2. January 22, 1984 – Marcus Allen Runs Wild

By winning the AFC that year, the Raiders earned the right to square off against defending Super Bowl champion Washington, who’d compiled a league best record of 14-2 that season. Suffice it to say, Washington was the heavy favorite heading into Super Bowl XVIII.

Despite how dominant Washington had been that season – and the season before that, actually – the Raiders came out firing early and often. The Raiders were up 7-0 after the first quarter, and 21-3 at halftime. The Raiders added to that lead with another touchdown in the third quarter, stretching their lead to 28-3.

And then one of the most iconic plays in NFL history took place. On the final play of the third quarter, Raiders running back Marcus Allen took a handoff and started left as the play was designed. Seeing a wall of defenders in front of him, Allen spun back and headed the other way, eventually turning and cutting down the middle and outrunning all of Washington’s defenders en route to a 74 yard touchdown.

Allen’s run gave the Raiders a 35-3 lead and eliminated any doubt about the outcome of the game. The Raiders dominated a game many didn’t think they could win.

Next: October 8, 2011