Daryle Lamonica has reportedly passed away, age 80. Nicknamed "The Mad Bomber," Lamonica backed up Jack Kemp as the quarterback on the 1964-65 Buffalo Bills teams, which won back-to-back AFL titles in those days prior to the Super Bowl.
Traded to the Oakland Raiders prior to the 1967 season, he quarterbacked Oakland to a 13-1 regular season record, leading the AFL with 30 TD passes and being named AFL MVP. The Raiders defeated the Oilers 40-7 in the AFL title game, before losing to Green Bay in Super Bowl II, 33-14. Lamonica had another good season in 1968, tossing 25 TDs, as the Raiders tied the Chiefs for the AFL West title, 12-2; Oakland then destroyed KC in a playoff game 41-6, before losing to Joe Namath's Jets 27-23 in the swirling winds of New York. In 1969 Lamonica lead the AFL with 34 TD passes and again was named AFL MVP, as the Raiders went 12-1-1. They then clobbered the Oilers 56-7 before again losing the AFL title game, this time to KC, 17-7.
Lamonica was still good in 1970, the first year of the merger, with 22 TD passes. Oakland again won their division and then their playoff opener, beating Miami 21-14, but lost to the Colts in the AFC title game, 27-17. After that Lamonica declined as he was unable to consistently hit long bombs against more complex zone defenses. He finally was replaced as the Raiders starting QB during the 1973 season by Ken Stabler.
He was still a fun guy to watch in his heyday.
R.I.P.