All NFL game summaries for 12/24/1977:

In the third-longest game in NFL history, Ken Stabler's three touchdown passes to Dave Casper, the third after 15:43 of overtime, put the Oakland Raiders in the AFC championship game for the fifth consecutive year. Trailing 31-28 with three minutes to play, the defending Super Bowl champions drove 65 yards in seven plays -- the key play a 42-yard pass from Stabler to Casper -- and tied the score on Errol Mann's 22-yard field goal with 26 seconds left. The AFC wild card Raiders dominated the scoreless first period of overtime and a 10-play, 55-yard drive took the ball to the Baltimore 13 as the second sudden death period began. On second down, Stabler passed 10 yards to Casper for the winning touchdown. Each team scored three touchdowns in the second half of regulation play. The Colts' production included an 87-yard kickoff return by Marshall Johnson and two scoring runs by Ron Lee. It was the Colts' third straight loss in the opening round of the AFC playoffs.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Raiders by 3

                     OAK             BAL
First Downs:         28              22
Rushes-yards:        47-167          50-187
Yards/rush:          3.6             3.7
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     21-40-345-2     12-26-164-0
Sacked-yards:        2-21            6-50
Net pass yards:      324             114
Net yards/pass:      7.7             3.6
Total net yards:     491             301
Total plays:         89 (52% run)    82 (60% run)  
Yards/play:          5.5             3.7
Fumbles-lost:        4-2             1-0
Turnovers:           4               0
Penalties-yards:     7-65            8-82

Attendance: 60,763

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After ties at 7, 14 and 21, veteran Jim Turner kicked a 44-yard field goal to put Denver ahead to stay as the Broncos -- in their first playoff game ever -- beat the perennial AFC Central champion Steelers. Leading 24-21, the Broncos capped their victory with two fourth-quarter interceptions by linebacker Tom Jackson, the last of which set up Craig Morton's 34-yard game-clinching touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin. Denver capitalized on a blocked punt and a fumble recovery for two scores in the first half, which ended 14-14. Morton and Steeler quarterback Terry Bradshaw traded touchdown passes in the second half before Turner's kick, Jackson's interceptions and Morton's arm kept Pittsburgh from the AFC title game for the first time in four years. The Denver victory set up a third game between the AFC Western champion Broncos and the AFC wild card Raiders, who split two regular season games.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Broncos by 2

                     PIT             DEN
First Downs:         18              15
Rushes-yards:        39-127          37-103
Yards/rush:          3.3             2.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     19-37-177-3     11-23-164-0
Sacked-yards:        0-0             1-9
Net pass yards:      177             155
Net yards/pass:      4.8             6.5
Total net yards:     304             258
Total plays:         76 (51% run)    61 (60% run)  
Yards/play:          4.0             4.2
Fumbles-lost:        2-1             3-1
Turnovers:           4               1
Penalties-yards:     10-67           3-20

Attendance: 75,011

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