This time, Oakland toppled the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins, by a score of 28–26, in the playoffs' Divisional round.
Quarterback Ken Stabler (in his first full season as a starter) threw a last-minute winning touchdown pass to running back Clarence Davis in what has come to be known as the "Sea of Hands" game.
While the Raiders led 10–3 at the end of the third quarter, a defensive meltdown allowed the Steelers to score 21 points in the final frame.
Pro Football Prospectus states, The John Madden Raiders were a consistently good regular season team, but the playoffs were a different story.
The 1973 Raiders ended Miami's 18-game winning streak during the regular season but lost to the Dolphins in the AFC Championship game.