10 defining moments from Chucky 1.0
1 New Kid in Town
Jan. 22, 1998: Gruden, an offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, is introduced as the Raiders’ 12th head coach at the auditorium at the club facility on Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda. He replaces Joe Bugel, who was 4-12 in his lone season as head coach and ended with a five-game losing streak. Gruden interviewed with Davis as a prospective coordinator in 1996 and as a potential head coach in 1997. “My job is to give our players direction, give ’em leadership and inspire ’em,” Gruden says. Said owner Al Davis: “Something has to be done here to change the environment, and I would say we have a ways to go.”
2 The First Game
Sept. 6, 1998: The Raiders lose 28-8 at Arrowhead Stadium. They fall behind quickly as rookie cornerback Charles Woodson is burned for three completions including a touchdown by Andre Rison. Quarterback Jeff George is sacked 10 times, including six by Derek Thomas. The Raiders are penalized 15 times for 134 yards. “There’s some guys that finished this game hard. That’s what we’re going to build this team on,” Gruden says.
3 The First Win
Sept. 13, 1998: Greg Davis kicks a 26-yard field goal with 2:35 remaining to give the Raiders a 20-17 win over the Giants before a crowd of 40,545 at the Coliseum. Jeff George passes for 303 yards and Napoleon Kaufman rushes for 139 yards to lead the Raiders. The Raiders prevail despite 16 penalties for 113 yards and four fumbles. “It’s like having your first kid. It’s a great feeling. I’m proud of the team. They had a lot of adversity and fought for four quarters,” Gruden says.
4 The Birth of Chucky
Nov. 15, 1998: Harvey Williams rushes for 79 yards on 12 carries and has a 25-yard touchdown run in a 2017 win over Seattle at the Coliseum. At one point, however, Williams goes the wrong way on an audible and incurs the wrath of Gruden on the sideline. The arched eye. The wicked smile. Crazy eyes. Profanity in torrents. Williams tells reporters Gruden looked like “Chucky,” the murderous doll from the movie “Child’s Play.” Home fans begin bringing “Chucky” dolls adorned in Raiders gear, complete with headset. The nickname sticks.
5 Magic at Arrowhead
Jan. 2, 2000: The Raiders are 7-8 going into the regular-season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. Al Davis later says he was considering firing Gruden, who was 15-16 as a head coach. The Raiders fall behind 17-0 at Arrowhead Stadium but rally for a 41-38 overtime win. The Chiefs are knocked out of the postseason. Gruden celebrates wildly in a silent stadium. The win propels the Raiders into the offseason and a division title the following year. “Once you see a team that never quits, you know you’ve got a chance,” Gruden says in his 2003 autobiography.
6 Corralling the Colts
Sept. 10, 2000: Peyton Manning is slicing the Raiders to ribbons and has the Colts up 21-0 early in the second quarter and 24-7 at halftime. The Raiders rally for a 38-31 win. Quarterback Rich Gannon rushes for three touchdowns. Linebacker Greg Biekert deciphers Manning’s audibles and flummoxes the quarterback. “There were no big speeches. We knew we would get the ball to start the second half. If we could march it down the field, we were back in the game,” Gruden says. The Raiders come home feeling they can beat anybody.
7 Winning the Division
Dec. 24, 2000: The Raiders bounce back from a loss to Seattle with a 52-9 win over the Carolina Panthers to secure the AFC West and home-field advantage in the playoffs. It is their first division title since 1990 when the team was in Los Angeles. Rich Gannon throws a career-high five touchdown passes. Afterward, Gruden walks along the railing, exchanging high-fives from an adoring fan base. “It came down to Christmas Eve at our place. What a feeling,” Gruden says.
8 The First Playoff
Jan. 6, 2001: The playoffs are back at the Coliseum for the first time since the Raiders and Jim Plunkett beat Houston and Ken Stabler in December 1980 en route to a Super Bowl championship. Tory James ignites a 27-0 win over the Miami Dolphins with a 90-yard interception return on Miami’s first series. The roar of the crowd is deafening. Gruden again takes a victory tour along the stands and to the Black Hole. “After going three-and-out in the first series, I sagged. Next thing you know, (James) is running down the sidelines,” Gruden says. The Raiders lose 16-3 to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game after Rich Gannon is lost to a shoulder injury, courtesy of a belly-flop tackle by Tony Siragusa.
9 The Tuck Rule
Jan. 19, 2002: The Raiders, following a resounding 38-24 playoff win over the New York Jets, visit the New England Patriots in a divisional round game. They appear poised for a 13-10 win after Charles Woodson knocks the ball loose from Tom Brady on a blitz, with Greg Biekert recovering the fumble. On replay, referee Walt Coleman invokes the obscure “Tuck Rule.” Incomplete pass. Adam Vinatieri ties the score with a 45-yard field goal, a low line drive, in a driving snow. The Raiders lose 16-13 in overtime. “How an official could consider it and rule it conclusive is shocking to me,” Gruden says. The Raiders’ season is over, and although no one knew it at the time, it also is Gruden’s last game as Raiders head coach.
10Traded to Bucs
Feb. 18, 2002: Owner Al Davis calls Gruden at 1 a.m. to inform him he has received an offer of two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and $8 million to trade the coach to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Contract negotiations with Gruden for an extension with the Raiders had been suspended after a three-game losing streak to end the regular season. The Bucs had botched offers to Bill Parcells and Steve Spurrier and were desperate. Neither senior assistant Bruce Allen nor CEO Amy Trask are consulted before Davis makes the deal. Davis asks Gruden if he wants to go. “When your boss asks you if you’d like to leave, there’s really only one answer,” Gruden says. Gruden leads the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl XXXVII against Bill Callahan and the Raiders, where he prevails 48-21 over his former team.