Former Raiders coach Tom Flores makes a good point when asked if the late Ken Stabler deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.



“On game day, he was right up there with anyone,” Flores said Thursday night, the day after Stabler died at 69 due to complications from colon cancer. “With all due respect to Bob Griese, who was a better quarterback?”

Griese was enshrined in 1990, the winner of two Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins. He was a heady caretaker of a ground-and-pound running attack under Don Shula.

In 14 seasons, Griese never completed more than 63 percent of his passes or threw more than 22 touchdown passes. The most yards Griese ever passed for in a single season was 2,479.

Griese won a lot (92-63-2), but if the NFL Network were to spend a day showing his greatest games, as it is doing for Stabler, which games would it show?

Certainly not Griese’s second Super Bowl, when he completed 6 of 7 passes for 73 yards in a 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

When Stabler beat the Vikings two seasons later, legendary Raiders announcer was so moved he said “Jasicha Heifetz never played a violin with more dexterity than Kenny Stabler is playing the Minnesota Vikings at Rose Bowl Stadium this afternoon in Pasadena.”

Stabler was 12 of 19 for 180 yards that day and a touchdown. He probably could have thrown for 300, but as the play-caller, was content to set up Fred Biletnikoff for an MVP day as well as allow the Raiders formidable offensive line to wear down the Vikings.

After Griese had won two consecutive Super Bowls, he brought the Dolphins to Oakland to face the Raiders. All anyone remembers is Stabler’s “Sea of Hands” touchdown pass to Clarence Davis to win the game.

But Stabler was brilliant throughout, with one of the greatest postseason performances ever. He finished 20 of 30 for 293 yards and four touchdowns, including a 72-yard touchdown pass to Cliff Branch on the kind of deep strike Stabler supposedly didn’t throw all that well.

Griese was 7 of 14 for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Stabler’s overall win percentage was better, 65.8 to 60.9. He had the signature moments that also included his “Ghost to the Post” heave to Dave Casper and the “Holy Roller” against the San Diego Chargers.

All this is a prelude not to suggest that Griese doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame, but that perhaps Stabler ought to get a serious look from the veteran’s committee.

“You can’t go on statistics alone, and sometimes guys have forgotten the old-timers and only pay attention to what is recent,” Flores said. “What they see now is who they vote for and it’s not fair.”

Former Raiders fullback Mark van Eeghen said when he was with ex-teammates at the induction of punter Ray Guy, the talk turned to Stabler.

“It came up several times when we were in Canton as to why he isn’t here,” vanEeghen said. “He was comparable to Terry Bradshaw, if not better. I remember thinking that maybe I’d be back one day for Kenny’s induction, and it saddens me to think he’s passed.”

Bradshaw, of course, had four Super Bowl rings that validate his place in Canton beyond dispute. He had 27,989 yards passing to 27,938 for Stabler, and 212 touchdown passes and 210 interceptions to 194 and 222 for Stabler.

Both enjoyed star-studded supporting casts, although Stabler had less time with the top-tier Raiders teams than Bradshaw had with Pittsburgh.

Stabler conceded he didn’t take always take the best care of himself or have at top-flight work ethic. He was able to author some remarkable comebacks with Houston and New Orleans but wasn’t the same quarterback he was in Oakland.

Al Davis, to his credit, dealt Stabler at the right time, even if Dan Pastorini had zero chance of supplanting the franchise icon and would eventually give way to Jim Plunkett and two more Super Bowl championships.

“Nothing against Dan, but after Kenny, he just didn’t have the personality to make it work, and it was unfair to think he would,” former Raiders right tackle John Vella said.

Whether Stabler is inducted posthumously is a matter for the veteran’s committee, but there is little debate among his fellow Raiders.

“I played with him for nine years, was a fan before then and a fan ever since, and I can’t imagine anyone being better,” Vella said.

“Kenny was the best clutch player I’ve ever seen and he made us believe we could do it,” former halfback Pete Banaszak said.