1989: Oilers Outlast Lions in Back-and-Forth Battle

The Houston Oilers had a 4-4 record as they hosted the Detroit Lions on November 5, 1989. The Oilers were a talented team, most notably on offense where QB Warren Moon (pictured above) was a formidable passer in the team’s version of the run-and-shoot. However, under Head Coach Jerry Glanville, they were also prone to undisciplined play and inconsistency. 

Detroit also operated a run-and-shoot offense, but Head Coach Wayne Fontes’ club was struggling at 1-7. Rookie RB Barry Sanders was having an impact but the passing game had yet to click. The Lions were also leading the league in turnovers with 30 thus far.

There were 48,056 fans in attendance at the Astrodome. The Lions had the first possession and drove 83 yards in nine plays as rookie QB Rodney Peete started off with a completion to WR Robert Clark for 47 yards to the Houston 36. From there it was Barry Sanders carrying on almost every play until diving into the end zone from a yard out for a touchdown. Ed Murray added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

Houston responded with a 10-play, 75-yard series. Facing third-and-four, Warren Moon threw to WR Ernest Givins on a crossing pattern to pick up 32 yards to the Detroit 37 and, three plays later, RB Mike Rozier converted a fourth-and-one situation with a run for the necessary yard. A pass interference penalty in the end zone set up RB Lorenzo White’s one-yard carry for a TD and Tony Zendejas added the game-tying point after.

As the game headed into the second quarter, the Oilers again had the ball in Detroit territory. But after reaching the 32, Moon fumbled when hit by SS Bennie Blades and LB Chris Spielman recovered for the Lions, with his 19-yard return giving them possession at the Houston 49. Eight plays later, a scrambling Peete passed to Clark for a 16-yard touchdown, Murray converted, and the visitors were back in front by 14-7.

The Oilers came back with a long drive of 89 yards in 15 plays. Moon completed six passes along the way, with tosses to WR Haywood Jeffires for 25 yards and WR Drew Hill (pictured at right) for 18. Another throw to Hill for six yards converted a fourth-and-one situation and a personal foul on the Oilers on a third down play gave the home team first-and-goal at the Detroit six. Rozier ran the last yard for a TD, Zendejas added the extra point, and the score was again knotted at 14-14.

With the time down to less than three minutes to go in the first half, the Lions put together an eight-play, 60-yard possession. Peete connected with WR Walter Stanley for 18 yards and Clark for 25 as Detroit advanced into scoring territory, and Murray kicked a 47-yard field goal to put the visitors ahead by 17-14 at halftime.

On the first play from scrimmage of the third quarter, Rozier fumbled and, after Detroit DE Kevin Brooks grabbed the ball in the air but also couldn’t maintain possession, FS William White picked it up and ran 20 yards for a touchdown. Murray’s point after put the Lions further ahead at 24-14. Now down by ten points and following a 28-yard kickoff return by DB Kenny Johnson to the Houston 43, the Oilers drove 57 yards in seven plays. Six of them were pass completions by Moon, the longest to Hill for 25 yards and the last to Givins in the back of the end zone for a six-yard TD. Zendejas converted to again make it a three-point contest.

After a punt by the Lions, Houston had another scoring drive, advancing 78 yards in ten plays. Detroit’s defense still couldn’t stop Moon’s passes, including the last one to Hill for a seven-yard touchdown. Zendejas added the extra point and the home team was in front, 28-24.

The Lions had the ball as the game entered the fourth quarter and punted, but immediately got the ball back when Moon’s throw down the middle was intercepted by LB Jimmy Williams. Two plays later Peete connected with Clark for a 22-yard gain to the Houston 18, but the receiver fumbled and LB Eric Fairs recovered for the Oilers. The home team proceeded to put together a long 18-play, 87-yard drive that ran more than ten minutes off the clock. Moon finished it off with a run this time, carrying for a two-yard TD, and Zendejas converted.

With 3:15 left to play, Detroit fought back with an eight-play, 69-yard possession that was kept going when a Peete completion to Clark gained 19 yards in a fourth-and-nine situation. The series concluded with Sanders running 14 yards for a TD on a draw play. Murray kicked the point after and it was a four-point contest, although with the time remaining down to 1:41. 

It appeared that the Oilers would be able to run out the clock, but the Lions got a break when, after catching a third down pass, Givins fumbled and CB Terry Taylor recovered and ran 35 yards to give Detroit the ball at midfield. But any chance of the visitors pulling out a dramatic win ended three plays later when a sideline pass by Peete was deflected and picked off by a leaping DB Tracey Eaton with 56 seconds to go. Houston won by a final score of 35-31.

The Oilers led in total yards (455 to 351), first downs (30 to 19), and time of possession (39:39 to 20:21). Houston never punted but turned the ball over four times, to two by the Lions, and was penalized 10 times at a cost of 85 yards, to seven flags for 50 yards thrown on Detroit.

Warren Moon completed 30 of 38 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. He also ran the ball 8 times for 22 yards and a TD. Drew Hill topped the Houston receivers with 9 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Ernest Givins and WR Curtis Duncan had six pass receptions apiece, for 77 and 66 yards, respectively, and Givins had a score. RB Allen Pinkett led the runners with 40 yards on 8 attempts.

For the Lions, Rodney Peete (pictured at left) was successful on 18 of 29 throws for 273 yards and a TD while being intercepted once. Robert Clark grabbed 6 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown and WR Richard Johnson contributed 6 receptions for 77 yards. Barry Sanders rushed for 91 yards on 19 carries that included two TDs.

“We felt our offense could score every time we went out on the field,” said Warren Moon. “When we did get stopped it was because we stopped ourselves with fumbles and penalties.”

The Oilers surged to four wins in their next five games, but tailed off badly at the end and finished with a 9-7 record that placed second in the AFC Central and qualified for a Wild Card playoff slot. They lost to Pittsburgh in the first round. Detroit caught fire following the close loss to Houston, winning six of their last seven and ending up with a respectable 7-9 tally that ranked third in the NFC Central.

1989: Defense Keys Buffalo Win Over Oilers

The AFC Divisional Playoff game on January 1, 1989 featured the conference’s best defensive team, the Buffalo Bills, against a club with the second-ranked offense in the NFL, the Houston Oilers. While the Bills had a bye the previous week, Houston had narrowly defeated the Cleveland Browns by a 24-23 score to advance.

The resurgent Bills, coached by Marv Levy, were in the postseason for the first time since 1981 in topping the AFC East with a 12-4 record. The aggressive defense, in particular the front seven that included ends Bruce Smith (pictured above) and Art Still, NT Fred Smerlas, and linebackers Cornelius Bennett and Shane Conlan was a big part of that success (although Conlan was out with a foot injury against the Oilers). The offense was conservative and led by capable QB Jim Kelly, who was joined as a Pro Bowl selection by WR Andre Reed. Rookie RB Thurman Thomas brought immediate improvement to the ground game.

Houston reached the postseason for the second straight season under Head Coach Jerry Glanville. The exciting run-and-shoot offense featured Warren Moon at quarterback, who missed five games due to a shoulder injury but still was chosen for the Pro Bowl, and a fine group of wide receivers led by Drew Hill, Haywood Jeffires, and Ernest Givins. The Oilers could run the ball effectively with running backs Mike Rozier and Allen Pinkett plus FB Alonzo Highsmith. The defense was aggressive – and prone to late hits and penalties – but also tended to give up points.   

There were 79,532 fans at Rich Stadium on an unusually mild winter’s day in upstate New York. Following a short possession and punt by the Oilers, Buffalo drove to the Houston 18. A bad snap on a third-and-10 play set the Bills back to the 32 and Scott Norwood was short on a 50-yard field goal attempt.

Houston was again unable to move on offense and the Bills, taking over at their 26, drove all the way to the Houston three yard line, with the big play a 40-yard run by Thurman Thomas (pictured at left). But the attempt to convert a fourth-and-one situation failed when Kelly’s pass was incomplete.

The Oilers responded with a series that carried into the second quarter and reached the Buffalo 34. However, Moon was sacked for a 13-yard loss by Bruce Smith on a third down play and the ensuing punt was blocked by safety Leonard Smith, thus giving the Bills the ball at the Houston 46. Buffalo finally capitalized as Kelly threw to WR Trumaine Johnson for 18 yards and again for another nine yards before Thomas carried to the three. Two plays later RB Robb Riddick dove into the end zone from a yard out and, with the successful PAT, the Bills were ahead by 7-0.

The Oilers came back with an 11-play, 71-yard drive. Moon threw to Drew Hill for 21 yards and Alonzo Highsmith ran for 31 yards on a draw play. The possession stalled at the Buffalo 18 and Tony Zendejas kicked a 35-yard field goal.

Following a short series by the Bills, Houston again drove into Buffalo territory. Moon connected with Haywood Jeffires for 27 yards and then threw to Ernest Givins to reach the Buffalo 25. But the Oilers came up empty when Bruce Smith blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt by Zendejas. The score remained 7-3 at the half.

Early in the third quarter DB Tracey Eaton intercepted a Kelly pass to give the Oilers possession at the Buffalo 47. With Highsmith and Mike Rozier running the ball and an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Bills helping the series along, Houston again missed an opportunity when an errant pitchout inside the five yard line lost 12 yards and then Zendejas was wide to the left on a 31-yard field goal try.

The teams traded punts as neither offense was able to sustain a drive until late in the third quarter when the Bills went 59 yards in six plays. Kelly threw to WR Chris Burkett for 26 yards and, three plays later, he scrambled for ten yards on a third down play that had a facemask penalty tacked on to advance the ball to the Houston 11. From there, Thomas ran for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

Before the third quarter was over, Kelly passed to Andre Reed for a 55-yard gain to the Houston two. However, the Bills couldn’t punch the ball in from there and on the first play of the final period Riddick was stopped for no gain on fourth down.

The Oilers gained no benefit from the goal line stand as a Moon pass was intercepted by FS Mark Kelso two plays later. Norwood booted a 27-yard field goal to extend Buffalo’s lead to two touchdowns.

The Oilers turned the ball over again on their next series as Jeffires fumbled after catching a pass and CB Derrick Burroughs recovered at the Houston 23. The Bills failed to expand their margin when Norwood’s 36-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and was no good.

Desperately needing to get points on the board, the Oilers went 80 yards in nine plays. Moon completed four passes, including one to WR Leonard Harris that gained 29 yards, and a pass interference penalty on Burroughs put the ball on the Buffalo one from where Rozier carried for a touchdown. The successful extra point pulled the Oilers to seven points behind with just over five minutes to play.

The Oilers never got another chance on offense, however. The Bills managed to run over three minutes off the clock in their ensuing possession and, when they punted from the Houston 45, special teams star WR Steve Tasker caused Curtis Duncan to fumble and LB Ray Bentley recovered. The Bills were able to run out the clock to win by a score of 17-10.

In a game in which both teams squandered numerous scoring opportunities, Buffalo led in total yards (372 to 351) while the Oilers accumulated the most first downs (20 to 18). Houston turned the ball over three times as the Bills, who turned it over once, made the bigger plays on defense.

Jim Kelly went to the air more than usual, completing 19 of 33 passes for 244 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Thurman Thomas only carried 7 times but gained 75 yards and scored a TD. Andre Reed topped the receivers with 6 catches for 91 yards.

For the Oilers, Warren Moon was successful on 17 of 33 throws for 240 yards, also with no TDs and one picked off. Haywood Jeffires had 5 pass receptions for 78 yards and Drew Hill contributed four catches for 62 yards. Alonzo Highsmith gained 57 yards on just 5 carries while Mike Rozier had 44 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts.

Regarding the game-clinching forced fumble on the punt return at the end, Steve Tasker (pictured at right) explained “He (Curtis Duncan) had a little trouble keeping his feet. I snuck up behind him and was able to strip the ball.”

“They’re a fine defensive football team,” summed up Jerry Glanville. “Rather than us doing something wrong, give them credit for doing something well.”

Buffalo’s run ended the following week against Cincinnati in the AFC Championship game. They again won the AFC East in 1989, albeit with a lesser (9-7) record and with more difficulties along the way. Houston also went 9-7 in ’89 to once more qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card team and again fell short in the playoffs by losing in the first round.

1991: Moon Passes for 423 Yards to Rally Oilers Past Jets

The Houston Oilers were well established by 1991 as the NFL’s most prolific passing team. Under second-year Head Coach Jack Pardee, they operated a run-and-shoot offense that had 34-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured at right) throwing early and often to a talented stable of wide receivers that included Drew Hill, Haywood Jeffires, Ernest Givins, and Curtis Duncan. They were off to a 4-1 start as they took on the New York Jets on October 13.

The Jets, coached by Bruce Coslet, were 3-3 after having won their previous two games following three straight losses. QB Ken O’Brien, in his eighth season, was a steady if not spectacular performer and he had two good targets in wide receivers Al Toon and Rob Moore. RB Brad Baxter had outperformed the team’s 1990 first round draft choice, Blair Thomas.

There were 70,758 fans in attendance on a cloudy day at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. They saw the Jets take the opening kickoff and roll 80 yards in 10 plays. O’Brien completed four passes, including one for a 34-yard gain to Baxter to the Houston three yard line. From there, Baxter ran up the middle for the final three yards and a touchdown.

The Oilers went three-and-out on their initial possession and the Jets came back to score again. O’Brien started the drive off with an 18-yard completion to Toon and later threw to WR Chris Burkett for 23 yards to the Houston seven. New York wasn’t able to punch in for another TD, but the 59-yard possession ended with Pat Leahy kicking a 21-yard field goal to make it 10-0.

In the second quarter, Houston finally got something going on offense. The Oilers converted a fourth-and-one play at the New York 31 with a Moon pass to Haywood Jeffires (pictured below) for nine yards. Throwing on every play, Moon finished off the 10-play, 54-yard series with a three-yard TD pass to a diving Curtis Duncan in the end zone. Ian Howfield missed the extra point attempt, however, and the score remained 10-6 in favor of the Jets.

Following a New York punt, the Oilers took over at their 17 and Moon immediately threw to Jeffires for 35 yards. The drive went 83 yards in 10 plays with Moon converting two third downs with a 21-yard completion to Jeffires on third-and-five at the New York 43 and a 14-yard pass to Drew Hill in a third-and-six situation that made it first-and-goal at the four. RB Lorenzo White finished off the possession by taking a pitchout for a one-yard touchdown. This time the point after was successful and Houston was in front at 13-10.

New York had to punt again following its next series but Moon was intercepted by DB Lonnie Young to give the Jets a last shot with 21 seconds before the half and the ball at the Houston 47. Two O’Brien completions got the ball to the 34, but Leahy’s 52-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the right and the Oilers maintained the three-point lead at the intermission.

Starting at their own six yard line after a short kickoff return to start the second half, the Oilers moved the ball effectively with Moon hitting on passes of 16 yards to Hill, 13 yards to Jeffires, and 9 more to Jeffires again to start the drive. But after reaching the New York 44, Moon was intercepted by CB Mike Brim, who returned it 13 yards to not only stop Houston’s drive but also give the Jets good field position. New York made the most of it, moving methodically down the field in 14 plays that ended with Leahy booting a 31-yard field goal to tie the score.

Moon had the Oilers driving again as the third quarter came to an end, but the drive stalled at the New York 32 and the attempt to convert a fourth-and-seven situation ended with an incomplete pass intended for WR Ernest Givins that was broken up by Lonnie Young.

The Jets went three-and-out on their next possession and Houston again came out throwing with Moon going to Jeffires for gains of 14 and 35 yards to the New York 27. An apparent touchdown run by White was nullified by a holding penalty, but the Oilers scored on Howfield field goal of 23 yards to move back in front at 16-13.

New York was unable to move the ball on its next series, even after retaining possession when a punt hit Houston DB Marcus Robertson on the arm and was recovered by Burkett for the Jets. Still, a second Louie Aguiar punt went out of bounds at the Houston six, and with just under six minutes remaining there was still time for the Jets – if they could get the ball back.

White ran for a two-yard loss on Houston’s first play, but then Moon threw to Duncan for nine yards and, in a big third-and-three situation, hit Duncan again for 23 more yards. White ran for 11 yards and then Moon passed for eight before handing off to White three more times for short gains while the Jets used their first two timeouts. But on third-and-four, Moon threw to Hill on a crossing pattern and the wide receiver went all the way for a 37-yard touchdown.

It was the clincher for Houston – the Jets drove to a last-play touchdown as O’Brien passed to Burkett from 18 yards out, but time ran out on New York. The Oilers came away with a 23-20 win.

Houston significantly outgained the Jets (436 yards to 279) and had the edge in first downs (25 to 21). Neither team ran the ball effectively, with New York gaining 43 yards on 21 attempts and the Oilers compiling just 27 on 15 carries. The Oilers sacked O’Brien four times while Moon was sacked once by the Jets. Houston also turned the ball over three times while New York suffered just one turnover.

Warren Moon went to the air 50 times and had 35 completions for 423 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Haywood Jeffires led the receivers with 13 catches for 186 yards while Curtis Duncan added 8 receptions for 67 yards and a TD and Drew Hill (pictured below) pulled in 6 passes for 80 yards and a score. Lorenzo White led what there was of a running attack with 24 yards on 11 attempts that included a TD.

For the Jets, Ken O’Brien completed 24 of 42 passes for 269 yards with a TD and one intercepted. Chris Burkett caught 6 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown and Al Toon also had 6 receptions, for 51 yards. Brad Baxter had 31 yards and a touchdown on 10 rushing attempts.

“This should show people we are for real,” say Haywood Jeffires. “Now we can go to Miami and come up with back-to-back wins on the road. I think we will and people will consider us a Super Bowl contender.”

Houston did indeed win the next week against the Dolphins and made it to 7-1 before losing again. The Oilers did lose three of their last five games, but after having been a Wild Card team the previous four years, they won the AFC Central with an 11-5 record. In the postseason, they once again beat the Jets to get through the Wild Card round but lost a close contest at Denver in the Divisional round to once again come up short of a trip to the Super Bowl. New York was 8-8 on the year but still managed to finish second in the AFC East and qualify for a Wild Card spot.

Filling the air with passes on a regular basis, Warren Moon led the NFL in attempts (655), completions (404), yards (4690), but also interceptions (21). Still, his passer rating of 81.7 ranked only tenth and he was fifth in touchdown passes with 23. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year.

Haywood Jeffires led the league with 100 pass receptions and ranked fourth with 1181 yards. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro and also was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the first of an eventual three consecutive times. Drew Hill ranked third by catching 90 passes and seventh in yards with 1109.