MVPS
NFL MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS
1974 | KEN STABLER 1985 | MARCUS ALLEN 2002 | RICH GANNON Stabler became the first Raider to be honored as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1974 after directing the most potent offensive attack in the league and leading the team to its third consecutive AFC Western Division championship. Behind his accurate passing, the Raiders led the league with 355 total points and 46 touchdowns. Stabler completed 178-of-310 passes for 2,469 yards and a league-best 26 touchdowns, finishing the season with the second-highest quarterback rating in the NFL at 94.9. He was the league’s most efficient passer, averaging a touchdown once in every 12 pass attempts. He was remarkably consistent throughout the season, throwing a touchdown in 11-of-13 games and passing for 200-or-more yards seven times. At one point, he went nearly six full games without throwing an interception, a span of 143 passes. Under Stabler’s leadership, the Raiders won nine consecutive games and clinched the division title in 10 weeks, the earliest in team history. In addition to being named MVP, he was the unanimous AFC Player of the Year, was a consensus All-Pro and was named the starter in the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season. He also won the Gorman Award for the “Player Who Best Exemplifies the Pride and Spirit of the Oakland Raiders.” Two seasons after winning the MVP award in Super Bowl XVIII, Marcus Allen recorded the greatest season by a running back in Raiders history and was named the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player. Allen became the first Raider to lead the NFL in rushing with 1,759 yards and carried the Raiders to their third AFC Western Division championship in four seasons. His 1,759 yards remain the highest single-season total in Raider history. He rushed for 100 yards or more in 11 of the final 12 games of the season and tied a then-NFL record by topping the century mark in nine consecutive games to close the year. Allen rushed for 11 touchdowns and scored three through the air. He was second on the team in receiving with 67 catches for 555 yards. His 2,314 total yards from scrimmage set an NFL record that stood for 14 seasons. In addition to winning the league MVP award, Allen was named Player of the Year by The Sporting News and Football News, was United Press International’s Offensive Player of the Year and played in his third Pro Bowl. In 2002, Rich Gannon led the Oakland Raiders back to the Super Bowl and had one of the greatest seasons in the history of the National Football League, earning his NFL’s Most Valuable Player award for his performance. Gannon completed an NFL-record 418-of-618 passes for 4,689 yards and 26 touchdowns against only 10 interceptions. He threw for 300-or-more yards in 10 games, tying an NFL record, and set a new league record for most consecutive 300-yard passing games with six. His 4,689 passing yards are the most in Raider history and are tied for 24th-best in league history, while his 618 pass attempts set a new team record. Gannon was an outstanding distributor, completing 30-or-more passes to five different players. He set an NFL record for most consecutive completions in a game with 21 in a November win at Denver that turned the team’s season around. He also remains tied for second in league history in single-game completions after converting on 43 attempts in a 30-17 win at Pittsburgh in the second game of the season. Behind Gannon’s brilliant play, the Raiders captured their third consecutive AFC Western Division title and earned home field advantage in the AFC Playoffs. The Raider offense was the most potent in the league, ranking first in total offense (6,237 yards), passing offense (4,475 yards), total yards per game (389.8), net passing yards per game (279.7), total first downs (366) and first downs per game (22.9). Gannon started all 16 games and attempted every pass for the Raiders in 2002. He also became the only player in NFL history to complete passes to the first three players to reach 1,000 career receptions (Jerry Rice, Tim Brown and Cris Carter).
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