Sept. 10, 1978
In the most shameful fumble in pro football history, the Oakland Raiders deliberately dropped the ball, then batted and kicked it into the end zone for a last-ditch, game-saving touchdown.
"The play is in our playbook," bragged Oakland guard Gene Upshaw after the contest. "It's called 'Win At Any Cost.' "
Trailing the San Diego Chargers 20-14 with only 10 seconds left in the game, the Raiders desperately needed to score a touchdown. Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler took the center snap at the San Diego 14-yard line and looked for a receiver. Just as he realized nobody was open, Stabler was hit from his blind side for what looked like a game-ending sack.
But, with a flick of his wrist, the crafty veteran fumbled the ball forward. It bounded to the 8-yard line, where Oakland's Pete Banaszak in an Oscar-worthy portrayal of a klutz—batted and booted the ball to the goal line. There, teammate Dave Casper kicked it into the end zone and then fell on it for the tying touchdown. The point-after, which came after time had expired, gave the Raiders a victory they did not deserve.
After the game, the three Oakland players admitted it had been a phony fumble. "I tried to fumble," said Stabler. "If I get sacked, the game is over." Said Banaszak, "Sure I batted it. I could see a San Diego guy right alongside me. If I picked it up, he would have tackled me and the game would have been over." Added Casper, "Sure, I helped the ball along into the end zone."
What the Raiders did was illegal, but the NFL said it was impossible for the officials to judge "intent" since Stabler, Banaszak, and Casper conveniently waited until after the game was over to confess.
To make sure the fake fumble didn't appear in any team's playbook the following year, the league added a new rule that states "Any fumble that Occurs during a down after the two-minute warning may not be advanced by any member of the fumbling team except the player who fumbled the ball"
That did little to soothe the outrage of San Diego fans. They showed their feelings by wearing T-shirts that displayed a blindfolded referee Signaling a touchdown With the words, "IMMACULATE DECEPTION."