In a 1976 playoff game the Raiders benefited by thee worst call in NFL history when Sugar Bear Hamilton tipped a pass that went incomplete on 4th down but was called for a blow to the head while grazing Kenny Stablers helmet in the process of tipping a pass....Haven't ever seen a call since.
That was the famous referee Ben Dreith call: During the 1976 playoff game between the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots, Dreith called a roughing-the-passer penalty on Patriots tackle Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton, nullifying a 4th down incompletion and giving the Raiders an automatic first down deep in New England territory, which led to Oakland's game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left. Replays showed there was no illegal contact. Partially because of the controversy, the league never assigned Dreith to officiate Patriots games again. Plus Dreith was demoted from Referee to a back judge after that game.
The Raiders went on to a 15-1 Super Bowl winning season. Their only loss during the 1976 season came in early October at Foxboro at the then called Schaefer Stadium (I was at the game) by a score of 48-17. The Pats embarrassed the Raiders that day in sunny Foxboro.
The Patriots were the better team that year and would have won the super bowl IMHO but Ben Dreith's yellow hankie took that away from them.
The "Tuck Rule" call did have a certain karma attached to it - at least for long time Patriot fans. The curse of Ben Dreith was finally destroyed..
wil.