It’s Theme Week again here at SBNation, and the theme this time is “What If...”, examining what sort of alternate histories NFL fanbases might live in if one thing or another had gone the other way. Today I’ll look at one of the darkest days in Raiders history, a moment which has become far, far more important than it seemed at the time.
January 19, 2002 is one of the most pivotal dates in NFL history. It was the date of what has become known as the “Tuck Rule Game”, which not only was one of the most controversial games of all time, but also led to one of the most dominant dynasties and long-term runs of success football has ever seen.