Dec. 16, 1963 - What should have been an easy walk-through for the Oakland Raiders turned out to be a dizzy scramble yesterday at Frank Youell Field. The Raiders held on in the fourth quarter and outlasted Denver’s Broncos, 35-31, after building a comfortable 14-0 margin in the first period. Quarterback Tom Flores had to throw five touchdown passes to bail the Raiders out and keep them active in the Western Division of the AFL. Twenty-two-year-old Micky Slaughter, aptly named, who pestered the Raiders for 20 completions for 288 yards — two for TDs — had the crowd of 15,223 in fits in the second half. In the third period, he brough the Broncos up to 24-28, and the Raiders were in severe trouble. But Flores, who went the entire afternoon without help from Cotton Davidson, pulled them out in the fourth with pitches to Bo Roberson, Clem Daniels, and Art Powell, the last a three-yarder in the end zone corner for the 35th point. Now, the Raiders need today’s adversaries to beat the San Diego Chargers next week to remain in the championship hunt, and Oakland must also beat Houston for things to work out. As Raider coach Al Davis summed it up: “All we got going for us now is a prayer and the fact that [Denver coach Jack] Faulkner has never lost to San Diego. I can only say I wish him continued luck.”
