OAKLAND RAIDERS RAP
FLASH RECAP:
Led by its stifling defense, Baltimore dissects Oakland in the AFC Championship Game before an announced crowd of 62,784 at Network Associates Coliseum on Jan. 14, 2001. The Raiders (13-5) gain only 24 yards rushing and 191 total yards, both season lows. Oakland averaged a league-high 154.4 yards rushing in the regular season.
The wild-card Ravens (15-4) force five turnovers, get four sacks and stop the Raiders on 12 of 14 third-down plays. The game turns on two consecutive scrimmage plays early in the second quarter. Baltimore takes a 6-0 lead on Trent Dilfer's 96-yard touchdown pass to tight end Shannon Sharpe on third-and-18. Following the kickoff, Oakland QB Rich Gannon suffers a third degree (the worst) AC joint separation of his left shoulder when he is slammed to the turf by Baltimore DT Tony Siragusa after an incomplete pass. Bobby Hoying, who replaces Gannon, sets up a Baltimore field goal when he throws an interception on his first pass attempt.
Gannon returns to start the second half, but his passing accuracy is affected by the injury. Before being replaced midway in the fourth quarter, Gannon completes 11 of 21 passes for 80 yards and two interceptions. He also loses a fumble. Hoying hits on eight of 16 attempts for 107 yards and two interceptions. "Had I been healthy I don't know if it would have made a difference today," Gannon tells reporters afterward. "They're a good football team. They pretty much shut us down." Matt Stover kicks field goals of 31, 28 and 21 yards to help the Ravens win their 10th straight game and advance to Super Bowl XXXV. Sebastian Janikowski has a 24-yard field goal for Oakland.
PRIME-TIME PLAYERS:
CB Duane Starks -- Intercepts two passes and breaks up two others. His first interception sets up Matt Stover's 31-yard field goal for a 10-0 Baltimore lead. Starks also has five solo tackles.
RLB Jamie Sharper -- His goal-line interception of a Bobby Hoying pass seals victory. He also has nine tackles (seven solo) and two sacks.
TE Shannon Sharpe -- Turns a 6-yard pass on a crossing pattern into a 96-yard catch and run for the longest touchdown reception in league playoff history. After Sharpe catches Trent Dilfer's third-down pass in front of Oakland strong safety Marquez Pope and then eludes free saftey Anthony Dorsett, the trash-talking Baltimore tight end has a clear path to the end zone. Said Sharpe after the Ravens' upset straight victory: "I got sick of hearing about the Black Hole. So when I scored that touchdown, I picked up a shovel and covered that hole."
MLB Ray Lewis -- Has five solo tackles, breaks up two passes and recovers a Rich Gannon fumble.
QB Trent Dilfer -- Modest numbers (9-of-18 passing for 190 yards), but he throws only one interception. The Buccaneers reject returns to Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV with a gaudy 10-1 record as a Ravens starter.
DT Darrell Russell -- Contributes six solo tackles and a sack.
S Johnnie Harris -- Interception sets up an Oakland field goal.
P Shane Lechler -- Averages 45.0 yards on seven punts. Hits a 64-yarder in the first period, his sixth punt of 60 yards or longer this season.
MLB Greg Biekert -- Has 14 total tackles (10 solo).
GOATS OF THE GAME:
TURNING POINT:
KEY DRIVE:
BY THE NUMBERS:
THEY SAID IT:
Raiders CB Charles Woodson
"The great lesson that I've learned is that you have to appreciate the lessons in life that are hard. It makes you better. I don't know how good I am. I know the defense carried me. But I am the right quarterback for this team."
Ravens QB Trent Difler
"It's hard to look on the season as a success when you just got slapped in the face on your home court. It was a pretty humbling experience."
Raiders QB Rich Gannon
DID YOU KNOW?:
Oakland SS Marquez Pope blows coverage and misses a tackle on Shannon Sharpe's 96-yard run-and-catch for a touchdown. Pope also is the beaten defender on a 24-yard pass from Trent Dilfer to TE Ben Coates, which sets up a Baltimore field goal.
With 4:25 remaining, Bobby Hoying's 5-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison is nullified because Rison is called for offensive pass interference. Three plays earlier, Rison drops a pass from Hoying at the Baltimore one.
TE Shannon Sharpe scores on a 96-yard pass from QB Trent Dilfer 3:52 into the second quarter for the game's only touchdown.
Trailing 10-0, Oakland settles for a 24-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski after getting a first-and-goal at the Baltimore 2 early in the third quarter. Rich Gannon's third-down pass is dropped by Randy Jordan in the end zone.
1: Oakland first downs in the first half.
4: Sacks allowed by Oakland.
5: Baltimore takeaways (four pass interceptions, one fumble recovery).
24: Oakland rushing yards.
340: Listed weight of Ravens DT Tony Siragusa, who lands on Raiders QB Rich Gannon in the second quarter.
"This the lowest I've ever felt as an athlete. To come this far and stop like this ... it's the finality of the whole situation. Lose and there ain't no tomorrow, ain't no next week, ain't no game preparation for the Super Bowl. We're going home."
The Raiders have scored three points each in their past two AFC championship games. They lost 51-3 at Buffalo in the 1990 AFC title game.
Oakland's Steve Wisniewski (76) checks on Rich Gannon (12).
By The Associated Press
