Las Vegas Raiders: Drew Pearson induction should help Cliff Branch
By Brad Weiss
On Saturday night, two legendary members of the Las Vegas Raiders franchise got the word that they had been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For one, it was a short wait, as he got in on the first ballot, but for the other, it was a long time coming.
Charles Woodson, a first-round pick of the Raiders who lived up to his draft status, was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and really a no-brainer for the Hall. Woodson has the accolades, won a ring, and was a dominant player for both the Raiders and Green Bay Packers.
For Tom Flores, he had to wait a long time to get the call, and luckily, he was inducted before it was too late. We have seen Raiders legends get into the Hall of Fame after they had passed away, so for Flores, it was definitely better late than never.
Looking at the history of the Raiders franchise, one man who should have gotten in before he passed on is Cliff Branch. A blazing runner with soft hands, Branch was arguably the best wide receiver in football during the mid-1970s, as he was named to the Pro Bowl in every season from 1974 through 1977, and All-Pro every year from 1974 through 1976.
Saturday, fellow 1970s wideout Drew Pearson got into the Hall, which only can benefit Mr. Branch.
Raiders WR Cliff Branch has the rings and numbers
When you compare the two wide receivers, it is not even close, as Branch has better numbers and more rings. In total, Branch has more catches, yards, and touchdowns, while also winning two more Super Bowls. In terms of yards and touchdowns, it is pretty much a no-contest, as Branch has over 800 more yards and nearly 20 more touchdowns than Pearson.
This is not to say Pearson was not a great player and most certainly deserved to be in the Hall of Fame, but Branch was just better. He was a legendary player for the Silver and Black and should take his rightful place among the immortals of Pro Football.
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Unfortunately, if Branch does get it in, he will be put in posthumously, as he passed away in August of 2019. He and teammate Fred Biletnikoff were one of the better wide receiver duos in the history of the league, and you cannot write the history of the NFL without those Raiders teams.
Hopefully, Branch gets in next year, because it is way overdue.