The Ghost to the Post
The Raiders, who were based in Oakland at the time, faced the Baltimore Colts in an AFC Divisional Playoff game on Christmas Eve 1977. The game swung back and forth in the second half, with Oakland trailing the Colts by three points late in the fourth quarter. They received the ball on their own 30-yard line with just under three minutes remaining. To force overtime, Raider quarterback Ken Stabler needed to get the club into field goal range.
He got them there with a 42-yard completion to tight end Dave Casper (nicknamed "the Ghost" by teammates after Casper the Friendly Ghost) on a play called "Ghost to the Post" by the Raiders. Casper changed his route and made an over-the-head catch of the high-arching pass, putting the Raiders in field goal range. A few plays later, the Raiders knotted the score, forcing overtime. Casper grabbed a 10-yard throw from Stabler in the second overtime to win the game, but it would not have been possible without the athletic reception he made late in the fourth quarter.
Date: December 24, 1977
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
