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: Kelly Throws 5 TD Passes as Bills Defeat Oilers in Overtime Thriller

The Buffalo Bills were at 1-1 and struggling as they traveled to Houston to take on the Oilers, also 1-1, on September 24, 1989. Head Coach Marv Levy’s team was coming off of a 12-4 division-winning year in ’88 and much was expected. The offensive nucleus of QB Jim Kelly (pictured above), RB Thurman Thomas, and WR Andre Reed was back, but Buffalo had problems with turnovers the previous week in a loss at home to Denver. The defense likewise had outstanding performers in DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, and FS Mark Kelso.

Houston was coached by brash Jerry Glanville and went 10-6 in 1988. QB Warren Moon was a highly productive passer coming off of consecutive Pro Bowl years and he had a good group of receivers available. The defense had talent, too, and was very aggressive, but could also give up big plays. Still, they had been nearly impregnable at the Astrodome, which had come to be nicknamed “The House of Pain”.

There were 57,278 fans in attendance at the Astrodome. The Bills took the opening kickoff and advanced 55 yards in six plays. The big one was a pass from Jim Kelly to WR Flip Johnson for 36 yards to the Houston 30. The visitors picked up another five yards before Scott Norwood kicked a 43-yard field goal.

Houston responded with an eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive. Warren Moon completed two short passes before connecting with WR Drew Hill for a gain of 48 yards to the Buffalo one. Two plays later Moon went up the middle for the remaining yard and a touchdown. Tony Zendejas added the extra point and the Oilers were ahead by 7-3.

The Bills reached Houston territory on their next series but had to punt, although they got the ball back shortly thereafter when SS Leonard Smith intercepted a Moon pass and returned it 22 yards to the Oilers’ 23. It took four plays to reach the end zone as Thurman Thomas ran twice for 14 yards, Kelly passed to Andre Reed for three more, and then Thomas caught a pass for a six-yard TD. Norwood converted and Buffalo was ahead by 10-7, which remained the score at the end of the opening period.

Early in the second quarter, Moon had another pass picked off, this time by Mark Kelso (pictured at left), who ran it back 43 yards to the Houston 31. Thomas ran for 19 yards on the next play, but the drive stalled at the eight and Norwood kicked a field goal from 26 yards to extend the Buffalo lead to 13-7.

The Oilers came back with a long drive of 81 yards in 18 plays that ran 10:16 off the clock. Moon completed seven passes along the way, two of which converted third downs, each team was penalized twice, and Buffalo CB Derrick Burroughs had to be carried off the field on a stretcher (it would prove to be a career-ending neck injury).  Zendejas kicked a 26-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 13-10.

The Bills got the ball back with 57 seconds left and had to punt from deep in their own territory. Houston had called its three timeouts during that series and regained possession at the Buffalo 39 following a 14-yard punt return by safety Kenny Johnson with the clock now down to 27 seconds. Moon completed one of three passes to move the Oilers ten yards closer, but the field goal attempt by Zendejas was blocked by LB Darryl Talley and Kelso returned it 76 yards for a touchdown. The Bills took a 20-10 lead into halftime.

Houston had the first possession in the third quarter and punted. The Bills extended their lead when Kelly fired long for WR Don Beebe on a third-and-eight play and it covered 63 yards for a TD. Norwood again added the extra point and the visitors were now up by a formidable 27-10 tally.

The Oilers responded by going 75 yards in 11 plays. Moon completed two passes and had a 12-yard scramble, although he was also sacked for a loss of 12 yards. RB Alonzo Highsmith twice converted third downs with runs of 13 and six yards, and it was Highsmith running for a four-yard touchdown. Zendejas converted and it was a ten-point game of 27-17.

The Bills were forced to punt on their next series, and now it was Houston’s turn to make a big special teams play. Kidd’s kick was blocked by rookie SS Bubba McDowell and CB Cris Dishman recovered and ran seven yards for a TD. Zendejas added the extra point and it was suddenly a three-point game at 27-24 with 27 seconds remaining in the period.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Kelly extended Buffalo’s lead by throwing to Reed for a 78-yard touchdown. Norwood made good on the PAT and the score was 34-24. Houston came back with a 76-yard drive in eight plays. Moon completed passes to WR Haywood Jeffires for 14 yards and WR Ernest Givins for 15, and finished off the series with another pass to Givins that was good for a 26-yard TD. Zendejas added the point after and the Oilers were just three points behind at 34-31.

The momentum continued to remain with Houston as a Kelly pass was intercepted by CB Steve Brown on the next possession and returned 41 yards to the Buffalo seven. Four plays later, RB Lorenzo White ran for a one-yard touchdown and, with Zendejas adding the PAT, the home team was now ahead by 38-34.

The Bills started their next series with 4:40 left in regulation and Kelly immediately hit on passes of 15 yards apiece to Johnson and TE Pete Metzelaars. Following a penalty on the Oilers, Thomas (pictured at right) caught a pass for five yards and then ran for another nine before Kelly threw to Reed for 14 yards to the Houston 20. Following an incomplete pass, Kelly was sacked by DE William Fuller for a six-yard loss, but the Bills scored when Kelly connected with Thomas for a 26-yard TD. Norwood’s conversion put the visitors up by three at 41-38.

The Oilers got the ball back following the kickoff at their own 13 with 1:52 left on the clock. Moon was sacked on first down but, digging out of the hole with a pass to Jeffires that initially appeared to have been fumbled, converted a fourth-and-three situation with a throw to Duncan for nine yards. Four more passes got the ball to the Buffalo 29, but a false start moved Houston back five yards. Zendejas came through with a 52-yard field goal to tie the score at 41-41 and send the game into overtime.    

The Oilers had the first possession in OT and a third-and-ten pass from Moon to RB Alonzo Highsmith gained 32 yards to the Buffalo 49. A 17-yard run by Moon and a completion to Highsmith for 11 got the ball to the Buffalo 19, but a loss on a running play and a penalty backed the home team up. Still, it looked good for Houston when Zendejas came in to try for a 43-yard field goal, but his kick was blocked by LB Ray Bentley. The Oilers got a break when the Bills were called for being offside and Zendejas tried again, this time from 37 yards. The kick wasn’t blocked, but it wasn’t good either, missing wide to the left.

Now it was Buffalo’s turn. Kelly threw to Reed for 13 yards, Metzelaars for 21, and TE Keith McKeller for six yards to reach the Houston 40. Kelly ran for 13 yards and, two plays later, his pass to Reed, who spun a way from a defender, went 28 yards for the game-winning touchdown. With 6:18 left in overtime, the Bills came out on top by a final score of 47-41.

The teams combined for 888 yards, with Buffalo holding a 449 to 439 edge. The Oilers led in first downs (33 to 22) and time of possession (43:11 to 25:31). Houston also turned the ball over twice, to one by the Bills, who were penalized 13 times at a cost of 84 yards to 11 flags for 64 yards thrown on the Oilers.

Jim Kelly completed 17 of 29 passes for 363 yards and five touchdowns while giving up one interception. He also ran for 43 yards on three carries. Andre Reed had five catches for 135 yards and two TDs and Flip Johnson also had five receptions, for 86 yards. Thurman Thomas topped the Bills with 58 rushing yards on 12 attempts and also contributed three catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Oilers, Warren Moon (pictured below) was successful on 28 of 42 throws for 338 yards and a TD with two interceptions, and ran five times for 36 yards and a score. Alonzo Highsmith ran for 55 yards on 14 attempts that included a touchdown and added 47 yards on four catches. Curtis Duncan and Haywood Jeffires had six pass receptions apiece, for 69 and 57 yards, respectively.

“Long after my career is over, I’m sure this is one that will come to my mind when I think of a handful of special games,” said Coach Levy of the Bills. “It was thrilling. It was tremendous.”

“It was a game of big plays and they made more than we did,” said Warren Moon. “I thought we had it won in overtime, but we didn’t get the field goal.”

The Bills won six of their next nine games before losing three straight and finishing up at 9-7, which was still good enough to again finish first in the AFC East. They lost to the Browns in the Divisional playoff round. Houston also ended up with a 9-7 record to place second in the AFC Central and secure a Wild Card postseason slot. The Oilers lost to Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round.

Jim Kelly missed three games with a shoulder injury and ended up passing for 3130 yards and 25 touchdowns. Thurman Thomas rushed for 1244 yards and picked up another 669 yards on 60 catches to lead the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1913. He was selected to the Pro Bowl, as was Andre Reed with his 88 pass receptions for 1312 yards (14.9 avg.) and nine TDs.

1991: Eagles Dominate on Defense to Stifle Oilers in “House of Pain Game”

The NFL Monday night game on December 2, 1991 featured the team with the best defense in the league, the Philadelphia Eagles, visiting the club with the second-most-productive offense, the Houston Oilers.

Philadelphia was coached by Rich Kotite, who had replaced Buddy Ryan, the architect of the defense, the previous offseason, and the unit was now under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Bud Carson. The line, anchored by DE Reggie White and including DE Clyde Simmons and DT Jerome Brown, was the key to the defense’s success, but there was plenty of talent at linebacker and in the defensive backfield as well. The offense was far less impressive, however, in particular after losing star QB Randall Cunningham to a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the season. Backup QB Jim McMahon was talented but brittle, and when he was forced to the sidelines, the team floundered with the likes of Brad Goebel and Pat Ryan in his place. But after dropping to 3-5, the Eagles caught fire and won four straight games to come into the contest in Houston with a 7-5 record and a shot at the playoffs.

The high-flying Oilers, coached by Jack Pardee, were 9-3 and adept at rolling up offensive yards, especially at home in the Astrodome, which was thus dubbed “the House of Pain”. QB Warren Moon was a prolific passer in the team’s run-and-shoot attack and had a capable receiving corps. Philadelphia’s approach to stopping the offense was to use a 4-2-5 defense, dropping a linebacker and adding an extra defensive back on most downs.

There were 62,141 fans in attendance for the nationally televised game at the Astrodome. The Oilers had the first possession and, on the second play, turned the ball over when Warren Moon fumbled and LB Byron Evans recovered at the Houston 33. However, the Eagles were unable to capitalize as Jim McMahon threw two incomplete passes and, in between, was sacked by DE William Fuller for a loss of 11 yards. Forced to punt, they buried the Oilers deep in their own territory.

The teams exchanged punts before Houston, starting from its 20, drove into Philadelphia territory, helped along by a pass from Moon to WR Ernest Givins that gained 20 yards. However, WR Haywood Jeffires fumbled when hit hard by SS Andre Waters following a catch for a short gain. LB Seth Joyner (pictured at top) recovered and returned it to the Philadelphia 48.

The teams again traded punts, with neither offense able to move effectively. As the scoreless game headed into the second quarter, McMahon completed three passes, the longest to WR Roy Green for a pickup of 22 yards, to reach the Houston 31. But FS Bo Orlando intercepted the next throw to end the threat. Philadelphia’s aggressive defense continued to thwart Houston’s passing attack, forcing a punt and, when the Oilers, benefiting from improved field position on the exchange of kicks, reached the Philadelphia 36, the Eagles forced another turnover. Joyner jarred the ball loose from RB Allen Pinkett and DE Clyde Simmons recovered.

The exchange of punts continued until the Oilers, taking possession with 57 seconds remaining in the first half, advanced 33 yards in seven plays. Moon completed passes to Pinkett for 13 yards and Givins for 15 to set up a 42-yard field goal by Al Del Greco on the last play before halftime. Houston led by 3-0 at the intermission.

McMahon was knocked out of the game with an elbow injury during the first series of the third quarter and Jeff Kemp (pictured at left), who was claimed off waivers from Seattle in mid-October, came on at quarterback for the Eagles. Philadelphia had to punt but got the ball back on the next play when Joyner recovered a Moon fumble at the Houston eight. The visitors couldn’t reach the end zone in three plays, but they did tie the score when Roger Ruzek kicked a 23-yard field goal.

The Oilers went three-and-out on their next series, unable to gain any ground at all from their 12 yard line. The resulting punt gave Philadelphia possession at the Houston 48. RB James Joseph ran for 24 yards on first down and, after a short running play, Kemp connected with TE Keith Jackson for a 21-yard touchdown. Ruzek added the extra point and the Eagles were ahead by 10-3.

In response, the Oilers advanced 41 yards in seven plays as Moon ran for six yards and completed two passes, to WR Leonard Harris for eight yards and Jeffires for 22. The drive stalled at the Philadelphia 29 and Del Greco connected for another field goal, this time from 47 yards.

The teams traded punts once more as the game entered the fourth quarter. The Eagles then put together a long possession of 50 yards in 16 plays, converting four third downs along the way and eating up over ten minutes. Kemp completed five short passes and Ruzek finished off the series with a 29-yard field goal that extended Philadelphia’s lead to seven points.

With the clock down to 3:52 in regulation, Moon went to the air on every play but WR Drew Hill fumbled when hit by CB Otis Smith, who recovered at the Philadelphia 41. Another punt was followed by one last shot for the Oilers. Starting from his 23, Moon threw to Harris for 24 yards and had back-to-back 15-yard completions to Givins and Jeffires. But the game ended for Houston at the Philadelphia 23, where three straight passes fell incomplete. The Eagles won the hard-fought contest by a final score of 13-6.

The Oilers, who failed to score a touchdown for the first time in nearly two years, had the edge in total yards (247 to 240), which was well below their season average thus far of 392.9 yards, and in first downs (15 to 14). But Houston also turned the ball over five times, all on fumbles, to one suffered by the Eagles. Philadelphia recorded four sacks, to three for the Oilers. Further emphasizing the defensive nature of the contest, the Eagles punted nine times while Houston kicked it away on six occasions.

Seth Joyner, who had been battling the flu prior to the game, was the biggest star on defense. He recovered two fumbles, forced two more, and recorded two sacks in addition to eight solo tackles. Jim McMahon completed 12 of 20 passes for 84 yards with one interception and, in relief, Jeff Kemp also threw for 84 yards, completing 10 of 17 throws with a touchdown and none picked off. James Joseph rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries and Keith Byars, in addition to contributing 29 yards on 9 rushing attempts, led the Eagles with 7 pass receptions, although for just 19 yards. Calvin Williams had 5 receptions for 32 yards and Roy Green gained 44 yards on his three catches.

For the Oilers, Warren Moon was successful on 24 of 46 throws for 262 yards with no interceptions but also no TDs. Haywood Jeffires caught 8 passes for 82 yards and Ernest Givins gained 89 yards on 6 receptions. The team accumulated just 21 yards on the ground, and Allen Pinkett led with 10 yards on 6 carries.

The contest came to be called “the House of Pain Game” for Philadelphia’s hard-hitting defensive dominance, thus turning around the original meaning of the phrase, which was further accented by Ernest Givins suffering a broken nose and Drew Hill leaving with a concussion. As Jerome Brown said afterward, “They brought the house and we brought the pain.”

“We felt they would complete balls, and when they did complete them we wanted to hit them hard and make them pay,” said Coach Kotite of his team’s approach to dealing with Houston’s passing offense. “We played hard NFL football tonight.”

“They did a great job, no question,” summed up Warren Moon in reference to Philadelphia’s defense. “They put a lot of pressure on me and forced me to do things too fast. They punished our little guys. They are everything they’re written up to be.”

The Eagles made it six consecutive wins the following week against the Giants, but a loss to Dallas in the next contest effectively eliminated them from the postseason. They ended up with a 10-6 record, placing third in the NFC East. Houston cruised to the AFC Central title at 11-5, marking their fifth straight year of making it to the playoffs, but after defeating the Jets in the Wild Card round, they lost to Denver at the Divisional level.

While Philadelphia fell short due to the lack of offense, the defense achieved the rare feat of ranking number one not only overall, but against both the pass and the run individually. The unit also led the NFL in turnovers forced (48, tied with New Orleans), fumble recoveries (22), and sacks (55). Seth Joyner, who performed so well against Houston, was named to the Pro Bowl, as was CB Eric Allen. Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, and Jerome Brown were consensus first-team All-NFL selections in addition to being selected for the Pro Bowl. (Pictured below, L to R, are Simmons, Allen, Brown, Joyner, and White)

1992: Steelers Score 2 TDs in 4th Quarter to Rally Past Oilers

The Pittsburgh Steelers were off to a good 5-2 start under new head coach Bill Cowher as they hosted the Houston Oilers on November 1, 1992. QB Neil O’Donnell was a good fit in the conservative offense and RB Barry Foster (pictured at right) had five hundred-yard rushing games thus far. The defense blitzed heavily and was strongest at linebacker and in the backfield, which featured CB Rod Woodson and SS Carnell Lake. The overachieving Steelers had beaten Houston in their opening game and were looking to sweep the season series.

Much was expected of the Oilers, who had been to the playoffs following each of the previous five seasons and breezed to the AFC Central title in ’91. Houston, coached by Jack Pardee, was also 5-2 and featured a pass-heavy run-and-shoot offense directed by QB Warren Moon, who had a fine group of receivers available. The defense was anchored by DT Ray Childress, LB Al Smith, and SS Bubba McDowell.

There were 58,074 fans in attendance on an overcast day with light rain at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers had the first possession and Barry Foster ran the ball on each of the first six plays, picking up 27 yards. The drive stalled at the Houston 48 and resulted in a punt, and the Oilers punted in turn following a short series.

After the Steelers kicked the ball away again, Houston advanced 57 yards in nine plays. Warren Moon completed three passes along the way but two throws from the Pittsburgh 12 fell incomplete and Al Del Greco kicked a 29-yard field goal.

Neil O’Donnell completed passes to WR Dwight Stone for 20 yards and Foster for 16 but gave up an interception to Al Smith on a throw that was tipped. However, Smith fumbled on the return and O’Donnell recovered to regain possession for the Steelers. As the game entered the second quarter, WR Ernie Mills fumbled after gaining 18 yards on a reception and Bubba McDowell recovered for the Oilers at the Pittsburgh 44.

Houston drove 43 yards in eight plays that included a third-and-nine throw by Moon to WR Ernest Givins for 17 yards to the Pittsburgh six. Three running plays got the ball down to the one and Del Greco kicked another field goal, this time of 19 yards to stake the visitors to a 6-0 lead.

The Steelers responded with a long possession of 14 plays that covered 82 yards. O’Donnell had completions to TE Eric Green for 23 yards, Mills for 15, and RB Leroy Thompson for 20 yards in a third-and-10 situation, and Foster ran eight times, the last for a one-yard touchdown. Gary Anderson added the extra point and Pittsburgh went ahead by 7-6, which remained the score at halftime.

On the first series of the third quarter, Moon suffered a concussion when he was hit hard by blitzing CB Rod Woodson and was replaced by backup QB Cody Carlson (pictured below). Carlson, who had led the Oilers to a win in Pittsburgh two years earlier when Moon went down, completed four passes during the nine-play, 76-yard drive, including the last to WR Webster Slaughter for an 11-yard TD. Del Greco converted and Houston was back in front at 13-7.

On the second play following the ensuing kickoff, O’Donnell fumbled while being sacked by DT Jeff Alm and Ray Childress grabbed the loose ball and returned it eight yards for a touchdown. Del Greco added the point after and the Oilers’ lead was extended to 20-7, the visitors having scored two TDs in the span of just over a minute.

The teams traded punts, but as the period was winding down, the Steelers were at the Houston 13 yard line. O’Donnell completed three straight passes to start the drive, hitting FB Merrill Hoge for 20 yards, WR Jeff Graham for another 11 yards, and then Mills for 20. Foster ran on the next three plays and picked up 11 yards and O’Donnell followed up with a completion to Mills for eight yards. Four plays into the fourth quarter, O’Donnell tossed a pass to TE Adrian Cooper for a two-yard TD to complete the 11-play, 75-yard series. Anderson’s PAT narrowed the gap to six points.

The Oilers backed themselves up with penalties on the next series before Carlson completed two passes to get a first down, but he fumbled on a third-down play and LB Greg Lloyd recovered for the Steelers at the Houston 38. Following a run by Foster, DE Sean Jones sacked O’Donnell for a loss of 10 yards to put Pittsburgh in a third-and-16 hole, but O’Donnell completed a pass to Green for 24 yards to climb out of it and reach the Houston 20. Foster ran three times to get inside the ten and then O’Donnell again threw to Green, this time for a five-yard touchdown. Anderson kicked the extra point and the home team was ahead by a point.

The teams exchanged punts and the Oilers found themselves with the ball at their 14 with 3:53 left to play. Carlson completed six passes to get to the Pittsburgh 27 and, after two short carries by RB Lorenzo White, Del Greco came in to attempt a 39-yard field goal with the clock down to six seconds. The kick was wide to the left and the Steelers held on to win by a final score of 21-20.

Pittsburgh had the edge in total yards (302 to 283) while the Oilers had more first downs (21 to 20). The Steelers turned the ball over three times, to two by Houston, and were also penalized nine times at a cost of 101 yards, to five flags thrown on the Oilers.

Neil O’Donnell (pictured below) completed 14 of 22 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Barry Foster rushed for 118 yards on 31 carries that included a TD. Ernie Mills caught four passes for 61 yards and Eric Green contributed 52 yards and a score on his three receptions.

For the Oilers, Warren Moon was successful on 13 of 19 throws for 104 yards with no TDs or interceptions before leaving the game and Cody Carlson went 15-of-23 for 137 yards and a touchdown while also giving up no interceptions, although he did fumble the ball away once. Lorenzo White ran for 44 yards on 12 carries and added 32 yards on six catches. Haywood Jeffires had 9 receptions for 68 yards and Webster Slaughter gained 71 yards on his five catches that included a touchdown.

“We were down 20-7, but we’ve been there before,” said Pittsburgh’s Coach Cowher. “That was a great game, a classic, and it was decided by inches.”

The win put the Steelers in first place in the AFC Central at 6-2 and they went on to finish on top with an 11-5 record, their best since 1979. The sweep of the Oilers was critical in the division race as Houston placed second at 10-6 and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. Both teams lost to Buffalo in the playoffs, the Oilers in epic fashion in the Wild Card round and Pittsburgh at the Divisional level.

Barry Foster went over a hundred yards 12 times as he led the AFC in rushing with 1690 yards on 390 carries (4.3 avg.). He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection as well as Pro Bowl choice. Neil O’Donnell finished third in passing in the AFC (83.6 rating) and was named to the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career.

Warren Moon came back from the concussion suffered against the Steelers but was lost for five games with a broken arm. He still led the AFC with a passer rating of 89.3. Cody Carlson remained effective in relief, completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 1710 yards and 9 touchdowns, as opposed to 11 interceptions.

1994: Marino & Dolphins Rally but Moon & Vikings Prevail

The Miami Dolphins were off to a 3-0 start as they traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings on September 25, 1994. Under the guidance of Head Coach Don Shula for the 25^th year, the Dolphins had a potent passing attack directed by 33-year-old QB Dan Marino, who was coming off an Achilles tendon injury that had sidelined him for most of ’93. However, the ground game was a different story and while the defense was effective against the run, injuries in the defensive backfield made the Dolphins vulnerable.

Minnesota, coached by Dennis Green, was 2-1 and also had a prolific veteran passer in QB Warren Moon (pictured above), who had been obtained from the Houston Oilers the previous offseason. Wide receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed made for a good tandem and RB Terry Allen was back after missing all of ’93 due to a knee injury that required surgery. The tough defense had not given up more than 16 points in any of the first three games.

There were 64,035 fans in attendance at the Metrodome. Both teams went three-and-out to start the game. The Vikings then put together an 84-yard drive in eight plays. Terry Allen (pictured below) started it off with a 45-yard run to the Miami 39, and Warren Moon completed three passes, the last to Cris Carter for a two-yard touchdown. Fuad Reveiz added the extra point.

Another short Miami series ended with a punt and this time Minnesota advanced 66 yards in 10 plays. Moon completed five passes, three of them to Jake Reed for 13, 17, and 15 yards, and Allen capped the series with an eight-yard run for a TD. Reveiz converted to stake the Vikings to a 14-0 lead that they carried into the second quarter.

The Dolphins, who had been quiet on offense thus far, finally began to move the ball and Dan Marino threw to WR Irving Fryar for a 43-yard gain to the Minnesota 23. However, the drive bogged down at that point and the visitors came up empty when Pete Stoyanovich was wide to the left on a 40-yard field goal attempt.

The Vikings punted but got the ball back when LB Jack Del Rio intercepted a Marino pass to give them possession at their own 47. Minnesota made the most of the turnover, going 53 yards in five plays. The biggest was a pass from Moon to Carter that covered 44 yards for a touchdown. Reveiz again added the extra point.

Now down 21-0 midway through the second quarter, Marino filled the air with passes. A third-and-13 throw to WR Mike Williams picked up 15 yards and another third down toss was complete to Fryar for 17 yards to the Minnesota 45. But after getting down to the 28, the Dolphins again came up empty when Marino was picked off by DB Lamar McGriggs.

Now it was Minnesota’s turn to go to the air, and Moon hit on five passes, the longest to RB David Palmer for 39 yards to the Miami eight and, from there, the last was to Carter for a TD. It was 28-0 with less than a minute remaining in the half, but the Dolphins responded by taking advantage of a short kickoff and going 49 yards in three plays. Marino finally got Miami on the board with a throw to WR O.J. McDuffie for a 26-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed (and starting RB Terry Kirby suffered a season-ending injury on the play), and the Vikings took a 28-6 lead into halftime.

The Dolphins had the first possession in the third quarter and Marino (pictured at right) completed six passes in an 11-play, 74-yard series that included a fourth-and-ten throw to Williams for 19 yards and concluded with a three-yard TD toss to TE Greg Baty. Marino then connected with Fryar for a two-point conversion that made the score 28-14.

On Minnesota’s next possession, Moon completed a pass to WR Qadray Ismail for 34 yards, but the Vikings came up empty when Reveiz was short on a 52-yard field goal attempt. They got the ball back when Del Rio again intercepted a Marino pass at his own 27. This time the Vikings went three-and-out and had to punt, and the Dolphins weren’t stopped this time. Marino started off with a pass to Fryar for 19 yards to get into Minnesota territory and, facing third-and-14 after being sacked by DE James Harris, he connected with FB Keith Byars for six yards and converted the resulting fourth down with a 15-yard completion to Fryar. Two plays later, Marino hit TE Keith Jackson for a 25-yard touchdown and, with Stoyanovich booting the extra point, the Dolphins were down by only 28-21 heading into the final period.

The Vikings reached midfield on their next series before having to punt, and Miami came surging back with a 76-yard drive in six plays. Marino had a 25-yard completion to Jackson, converted a third-and-ten play with a throw to Byars for the necessary 10 yards, and a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the Minnesota ten, from where RB Bernie Parmalee ran for a TD. Stoyanovich kicked the game-tying PAT to make the tally 28-28, capping a franchise-record rally.

There were still over ten minutes remaining in regulation as the Vikings regained possession, and Moon moved them quickly down the field with throws to Reed for 13 and 21 yards. From the Miami 36, Allen ran 30 yards up the middle and, two plays later, RB Scottie Graham rushed for a three-yard touchdown. Reveiz converted and the home team was back in front by 35-28.

Reveiz then squibbed the kickoff which was fumbled and LB Dave Garnett recovered for the Vikings at the Minnesota 49. With Graham running the ball, the Vikings reached the Miami 42 before a series of three penalties – the first on Miami, the last two on Minnesota – had them facing first-and-27 at the Miami 41. Moon threw two completions that covered 18 yards, Graham ran for three, and Reveiz kicked a 38-yard field goal to extend the lead to ten points.

The Dolphins appeared anything but done when McDuffie returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the Minnesota 49 with 3:37 to play. Marino passed to Byars for 11 yards and then Fryar for a big gain of 35 yards that, with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty added on, placed the ball on the two yard line. Parmalee was held to no gain on a running play, and then it was three straight passes, the last falling incomplete on fourth down to give the ball back to the Vikings.

A short series had Minnesota punting the ball back to the Dolphins, who started off at the 50 with the clock now down to 1:47. Once again Marino passed them down the field, and again it was a toss to Fryar that was good for a big gain of 31 yards to the Minnesota eight. This time Miami didn’t come up empty as Byars finished off the five-play, 50-yard drive with a one-yard scoring carry. Stoyanovich added the extra point to make it a three-point contest.

However, there was only a little over a minute remaining and, when the onside kick attempt was recovered by Minnesota WR Chris Walsh, the Vikings finally clinched a 38-35 win.

Miami, playing from behind for almost the entire game, led in total yards (473 to 458) and first downs (27 to 24). However, the Dolphins also turned the ball over four times, to none suffered by Minnesota, while the Vikings were penalized 10 times to just two flags thrown on Miami. Failing to come out on top after erasing the 28-point deficit cost the Dolphins a share of the NFL record for most points overcome to win a game.

Warren Moon completed 26 of 37 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Terry Allen ran for 113 yards and a TD on 15 carries. Jake Reed topped the Minnesota receivers with 9 catches for 127 yards and Cris Carter contributed 7 receptions for 81 yards and three scores. On defense, Jack Del Rio accounted for two interceptions.

For the Dolphins, Dan Marino was successful on 29 of 54 throws for 431 yards and three TDs as well as three interceptions. Keith Byars caught 10 of those passes for 79 yards and Irving Fryar (pictured below) gained 160 yards on 6 receptions. Bernie Parmalee topped the miniscule ground attack with 22 yards on six carries. Terry Kirby gained 13 yards on 9 attempts before being lost with torn knee ligaments.  

Minnesota lost the next week but then went on to win four straight on the way to topping the NFC Central with a 10-6 record. The Vikings lost to the division-rival Bears in the Wild Card playoff round. The Dolphins won the AFC East, also with a 10-6 tally, and reached the Divisional round of the postseason before being edged by San Diego.

Warren Moon led the NFC in pass attempts (601), completions (371), and yards (4264), although his interceptions (19) outnumbered his touchdown passes (18). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh straight year. Dan Marino came in ahead of Moon with 615 attempts, 385 completions, and 4453 yards, which all ranked second in the NFL to New England’s Drew Bledsoe. Marino led the AFC with 30 TD passes while giving up 17 interceptions. He received second-team All-NFL honors from the Associated Press as well as All-AFC and Pro Bowl recognition for the eighth time.

Cris Carter set a short-lived NFL record by catching 122 passes (Detroit’s Herman Moore broke it the following year). He gained 1256 yards (10.3 avg.), scored seven TDs, and was a consensus first-team All-NFL honoree as well as being chosen to the Pro Bowl for a second year in a row (of an eventual string of eight). Jake Reed ended up with a career-high 85 receptions for 1175 yards (13.8 avg.) and four scores. Terry Allen, successfully coming back from his severe injury, rushed for 1031 yards on 255 carries (4.0 avg.) and accumulated eight touchdowns.

Irving Fryar gained Pro Bowl recognition for the second consecutive year by catching 73 passes for 1270 yards (17.4 avg.) and seven TDs. Keith Byars went down with an injury nine weeks into the season, having caught 49 passes for 418 yards (8.5 avg.) and five touchdowns.

1991: Patriots Upset Oilers with Late Scoring Drive

The New England Patriots were coming off of a dismal 1-15 record in 1990 and were 1-2 as they faced the powerful Houston Oilers on September 22, 1991. New Head Coach Dick MacPherson, a former college coach at Syracuse, infused a new enthusiasm into the revamped club. They also had talented rookie RB Leonard Russell and a rising star in TE Marv Cook. However, the Patriots had scored only six points in their last two games and Hugh Millen (pictured at right) was getting his first start of the season at quarterback in place of the ineffective Tom Hodson.

The Oilers, coached by Jack Pardee, were coming off four straight playoff seasons and were 3-0 coming into the game at Foxboro. 36-year-old QB Warren Moon was highly productive operating in the run-and-shoot offense. The defense was tough and talented across the board.

There were 30,702 fans in attendance at Foxboro Stadium. The Patriots drove to their 40 on the game’s first possession but had to punt. However, New England got a break when WR Pat Coleman muffed the catch and G Danny Villa recovered at the Houston 24. Four plays later, Jason Staurovsky kicked a 33-yard field goal and the Patriots had the early lead.

The teams traded punts, but the Oilers had good starting field position at the New England 42 following Shawn McCarthy’s short kick. They made the most of it as Warren Moon completed three straight passes and Ian Howfield finished the seven-play series off with a 28-yard field goal to tie the score.

Following a punt by the Patriots, the Oilers had the ball heading into the second quarter but a Moon pass was intercepted by CB Mickey Washington at the New England 45. Leonard Russell ran for 12 yards and, after converting a third down, Hugh Millen passed to WR Greg McMurtry for 20 yards. Another pass, this time an option throw by RB Jon Vaughn to Marv Cook, was good for a 13-yard touchdown and, with Staurovsky’s extra point, a 10-3 lead.

Houston had to punt again and the Patriots gained 32 yards on a Millen-to-Cook pass. However, the Oilers got the ball back three plays later when safety Mike Dumas intercepted a Millen toss and returned it 19 yards to the New England 39. Houston drove to the 11, was set back ten yards by a holding penalty, and ended up with another field goal by Howfield, this time from 38 yards.

The Patriots came right back with a 10-play, 60-yard drive that included a fourth down conversion. Millen completed three passes, two of them to Cook, and Russell finished it off with a two-yard touchdown carry. The PAT was good and New England took a 17-6 lead into halftime.

Moon had struggled in the first half, completing just 9 of his 21 passes, as he dealt with a variety of pass defense coverages on the part of the Patriots. He started the third quarter off with three straight incompletions. The teams traded punts until, with just under four minutes remaining in the period, SS Bubba McDowell picked off a Millen pass to give the Oilers excellent field position at the New England 38. They drove to the eight yard line, but a Moon toss into the end zone was intercepted by CB Jerome Henderson to extinguish the threat.

The Oilers got the ball back on another interception a few plays later in the fourth quarter, with CB Chris Dishman giving them possession at their own 31. This time they didn’t fail to score, going 69 yards in seven plays. RB Lorenzo White picked up 20 yards on three straight runs and then Moon connected with WR Ernest Givins for 19 yards to the New England 30. Four plays later – and after a penalty backed them up – Moon hit WR Curtis Duncan for a 35-yard touchdown. Howfield added the extra point and the New England lead was cut to 17-13.

The Patriots punted and Houston again put points on the board. The Oilers went 69 yards in eight plays highlighted by Moon’s completion to WR Drew Hill for 33 yards to the New England 18. With just under two minutes left on the clock, Moon tossed a five-yard TD pass to Duncan and, with Howfield’s PAT, Houston held the lead for the first time at 20-17 and appeared to have the game in hand.

Starting at their own 17 after the ensuing kickoff, the Patriots advanced down the field with Millen completing his first four passes, three of them to Cook (pictured below), to move into Houston territory. A penalty and two incompletions had them facing a third-and-15 situation at midfield, but Millen connected with WR Michael Timpson for 16 yards and followed up with a 34-yard touchdown pass to McMurtry. There were just six seconds remaining as the Patriots completed their 83-yard drive, and they came away with a 24-20 upset win.

The Oilers had a small lead in total yards (353 to 343) while New England led in first downs (23 to 18). Houston’s defense recorded five sacks as opposed to none by the Patriots. Each team turned the ball over three times apiece. The Oilers were hurt by being penalized 11 times, at a cost of 111 yards, to four flags thrown on New England.

Hugh Millen completed 22 of 33 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times. Marv Cook had 10 catches for 99 yards and a TD. Leonard Russell ran for 85 yards on 19 carries that included one for a score.

For the Oilers, Warren Moon was successful on just 20 of 44 throws for 268 yards and two TDs along with two interceptions. Haywood Jeffires had 7 pass receptions for 98 yards. Lorenzo White paced the ground game with 53 yards on 8 attempts.

“It was critical for the morale of our offense to know that we can come back and win a game like this in the final minute,” said Greg McMurtry, whose game-winning TD was the first of his career.

New England was able to win only sporadically the rest of the way, but ended up with a 6-10 record for fourth place in the AFC East. Houston recovered to win four straight games and six of their next seven on the way to topping the AFC Central at 11-5. However, they again fell short at the Divisional round of the playoffs.

Hugh Millen continued to start at quarterback and completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 3073 yards and nine touchdowns, but also 18 interceptions. Marv Cook received consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors as he caught 82 passes for 808 yards and three TDs. Greg McMurtry (pictured at left) was less consistent, finishing with 41 catches for 614 yards (15.0) average and one other scoring catch following the game-winner against the Oilers. Leonard Russell rushed for 959 yards and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

1997: Warren Moon Signs with Seahawks

On March 7, 1997 QB Warren Moon agreed to a two-year, $1.65 million contract to join the Seattle Seahawks. The 40-year-old had also been considering the San Diego Chargers, which would have reunited him with Kevin Gilbride, the offensive coordinator for four seasons in Houston who had been hired as the new head coach of the Chargers. A return to the Oilers had also been a possibility, but the choice ultimately came down to Seattle and San Diego.

“This is where I want to retire and make my home,” explained Moon. “When it came right down to it, Seattle just had too many positives.”

1997 was to be Moon’s 20^th season in pro football, and signing with Seattle brought him back to the city where he had starred in college. He was MVP of the 1978 Rose Bowl while playing for the Huskies but, with pro teams still leery of black quarterbacks, went undrafted by the NFL and signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Moon had a spectacular career in the CFL, gradually taking over as starting quarterback from Tom Wilkinson and leading the team to five Grey Cup titles in six years. Along the way, he also had back-to-back 5000-yard passing seasons in 1982 and ’83 and received the Schenley Award as CFL Player of the Year and Jeff Nicklin Trophy as Western Player of the Year after the latter year.

With no NFL team holding his draft rights, Moon had his choice of clubs to play for when he decided to return to the US in 1984 and signed with the Houston Oilers (after considering an offer from the Seahawks). In ten years with the Oilers, the last few spent in a pass-friendly run-and-shoot offense, Moon threw for 33,685 yards and 196 touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl six straight times. Tough and a good leader with a strong arm and good mobility, he overcame a slow start in transitioning to the NFL to lead the Oilers to the playoffs for seven straight years. Still, his regular season success failed to translate into postseason glory as it had in the CFL. Houston never made it as far as the conference title game during any of Moon’s years there.

Moving on to Minnesota in 1994, Moon passed for over 4000 yards in two straight seasons and added another 10,102 for his career over the course of three years, although injuries that included a severely sprained ankle limited him to eight games in ’96 and made him appear to finally be in decline.

Moon, who turned 41 prior to the ’97 season, was all part of a transition of the Seahawks under new owner Paul Allen, who brought a commitment to spend more for talent that included LB Chad Allen, CB Willie Williams, and SS Bennie Blades as free agents along with Moon.

He was to replace the disappointing Rick Mirer as backup to 30-year-old veteran John Friesz, who was entering his third year in Seattle. While tough and a good passer, Friesz was immobile and subject to injury, and it didn’t take long for him to suffer a season-ending injury when he went down with a broken right thumb in the season-opening game. Moon stepped in and proved to be a capable fit in Head Coach Dennis Erickson’s spread offense and set a new club record with 3678 passing yards while completing 59.3 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Along the way, Moon had a five-touchdown, 409-yard passing performance in a win over the Raiders. He was named to his ninth Pro Bowl, while the club as a whole went 8-8.

Moon came back for a second year with the Seahawks in 1998 that was far less successful, despite a 3-0 start. A rib injury caused the 21-year veteran quarterback’s performance to suffer and Jon Kitna, a veteran of the World League of American Football, took over on the way to another 8-8 finish. Moon threw for just 1632 yards with 11 TDs and 8 interceptions and, when Erickson was sent packing and replaced by Mike Holmgren, he was released. His stated desire to finish his career in Seattle failed to materialize as he moved on to a backup role with the Kansas City Chiefs for the final two seasons of his long and productive stint as a pro quarterback.

With Seattle, he completed 458 of 786 passes (58.3 %) for 5310 yards with 36 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. These were just a small portion of his overall NFL totals of 3988 completions out of 6823 attempts for 49,325 yards, which all ranked third in league history at the time – especially impressive since he spent his first six years playing in Canada. His 291 TD passes ranked fourth. When his CFL numbers were added in, he had 5357 completions in 9205 attempts for 70,553 yards with 435 touchdowns against 310 interceptions. Warren Moon, whose accomplishments helped to break down barriers for African-American quarterbacks, was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 – the only player to be enshrined in both.

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.

1993: Defenses Dominate as Oilers Edge 49ers

The Christmas encounter on December 25, 1993 featured two high-scoring teams that were on their way to the postseason. The San Francisco 49ers were perennial contenders and, in their fifth year under Head Coach George Seifert, were 10-4 and already had sewn up a spot in the playoffs. The mobile lefthanded QB Steve Young was admirably succeeding the departed Joe Montana, WR Jerry Rice was the best at his position, and RB Ricky Watters a temperamental but talented presence in the backfield. The 49ers scored 55 points in their previous contest.

The Houston Oilers, coached by Jack Pardee, overcame a slow start to win nine straight games and were also at 10-4 and playing for home field advantage in the playoffs. QB Warren Moon was highly productive in the club’s run-and-shoot offense and the defense was responding to the coaching of coordinator Buddy Ryan.

There were 61,744 fans present for the Saturday afternoon game at Candlestick Park. San Francisco’s first series of the game ended with a failed 47-yard field goal attempt by Mike Cofer. Both teams had difficulty moving the ball during the remainder of the opening period but it ended with Moon completing a pass to RB Gary Brown (pictured above) for a 20-yard gain and the second quarter started off with another Moon throw to WR Gary Wellman that picked up 44 yards to the San Francisco 6. That was as far as the Oilers could get and they settled for a 24-yard field goal by Al Del Greco to take a 3-0 lead.

On the next series, a fumble by Young, who lost the ball when sacked by blitzing rookie safety Blaine Bishop, led to Houston scoring a touchdown three plays later on a seven-yard pass from Moon to WR Ernest Givins.

Down by 10-0, the Niners put together a long drive from their 22 yard line that was helped along by two Houston penalties. However, after reaching the Oilers’ 19 Young’s pass into the end zone was intercepted by CB Cris Dishman to extinguish the threat.

In the third quarter, Houston was driving and seemed about to take control of the game when Moon was intercepted for the second time by CB Michael McGruder, who returned it 15 yards to his own 30. The 49ers responded by putting together a promising series. Following a five-yard scramble by Young, he threw to RB Amp Lee for a 22-yard gain and then to Jerry Rice for 32 yards to the Houston 11. The drive stalled at the six, however, and a 24-yard field goal attempt by Cofer was blocked by LB Eddie Robinson.

After a short series by the Oilers that ended with a punt, Young was relieved by backup QB Steve Bono with 3:33 remaining in the third quarter. The 49ers then methodically advanced 73 yards in 12 plays for their only score. Bono completed eight passes and Lee finished the drive off with an eight-yard carry around end for a touchdown. Cofer’s successful extra point attempt made it a three-point game with over twelve minutes remaining on the clock.

Warren Moon had to leave the game due to bruised ribs with a little under seven minutes to play and was replaced by Cody Carlson. The 49ers reached Houston territory on their next series but were forced to punt. With Carlson under center, the Oilers then put together a long, time-consuming drive to keep the ball away from the Niners and clinch the 10-7 win.

In a game that was remarkably low-scoring for teams with such potent offenses, the 49ers led in both total yards (337 to 311) and first downs (20 to 16). Each club turned the ball over three times. The Oilers were penalized six times while San Francisco was only flagged once.

Gary Brown played a big role in helping the Oilers to maintain ball control as he rushed for 114 yards on 19 carries. Warren Moon had a less-than-stellar performance as he completed 11 of 26 passes for 158 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Cody Carlson completed all three of his passes in relief for 46 yards. Gary Wellman caught four passes for 82 yards and Ernest Givins also had four receptions, for 35 yards and a TD.

It was also a rough day for Steve Young, who was successful on just 15 of 29 throws for 178 yards and was intercepted twice and lost a fumble. Steve Bono completed 11 of 13 passes for 79 yards. Jerry Rice caught 10 passes for 83 yards. Amp Lee (pictured below) rushed for 65 yards and a TD on 16 attempts and added 45 yards on 5 pass receptions.

Coach Seifert had told Young he would be coming out early at halftime as he didn’t want to risk his quarterback’s health. Still, it did not sit well with the star quarterback. “To be pulled out of the game like that, I had to bite my tongue a little bit,” he said afterward.

“We saw them score 55 points on the road last week, so this was a huge lift for us,” exulted Houston’s Eddie Robinson, who blocked the potential game-tying kick. “We almost had the shutout.”

Houston made it 11 consecutive wins to finish out the regular season – with Cody Carlson at quarterback for the injured Moon – to end up at the top of the AFC Central with a 12-4 record, although they failed to secure the top seed in the postseason. Once again they fell short in the playoffs, losing in the Divisional round to Kansas City.

The loss to the Oilers broke a string of 13 straight home wins for the 49ers, who lost their finale the following week but still finished first in the NFC West at 10-6. They annihilated the Giants by a 44-3 score in their Divisional playoff game and lost to the Cowboys in the NFC title game for the second straight year.

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.