1988 Houston Oilers season

1988 Houston Oilers season
Owner	Bud Adams
General manager	Ladd Herzeg
Head coach	Jerry Glanville
Home field	Houston Astrodome
Local radio	KODA–FM 99.1
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	3rd AFC Central
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Browns) 24–23 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Bills) 10–17
Pro Bowlers	DT Ray Childress LB John Grimsley WR Drew Hill G Bruce Matthews QB Warren Moon G Mike Munchak RB Mike Rozier
Uniform
←  1987 Oilers seasons 1989  →

The 1988 Houston Oilers season was the franchise's 19th season in the National Football League and the 29th overall. The franchise scored 424 points, which was second in the AFC and second overall in the NFL. The defense gave up 365 points. Their record of 10 wins and 6 losses resulted in a third-place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared once on Monday Night Football and appeared in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Warren Moon would be selected for the Pro Bowl. In the playoffs, they defeated the Cleveland Browns 24–23 in the Wild Card game. However, in the divisional playoffs they lost 17–10 to the Buffalo Bills.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1988 NFL draft

1988 Houston Oilers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	22	Lorenzo White  *	Running back	Michigan State
2	48	Quintin Jones	Safety	Pittsburgh
3	72	Greg Montgomery  *	Punter	Michigan State
5	125	Cris Dishman  *	Cornerback	Purdue
5	130	Chris Verhulst	Tight end	Chico State
6	157	Kurt Crain	Linebacker	Auburn
7	187	Tracey Eaton	Safety	Portland State
8	214	David Viaene	Offensive tackle	Minnesota–Duluth
9	241	David Spradlin	Linebacker	TCU
10	271	Mario Johnson	Wide receiver	Hawaii
11	298	Jethro Franklin	Defensive line	Fresno State
12	325	John Brantley	Linebacker	Georgia
Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^[1]

Personnel

Staff

1988 Houston Oilers staff

Front office Owner/Chairman of the Board/President – Bud Adams Executive Vice President/General Manager – Ladd Herzeg Head coaches Head Coach – Jerry Glanville Offensive coaches Quarterbacks – June Jones Running Backs – Ray Sherman Receivers – Milt Jackson Tight Ends – Richard Smith Offensive Line – Kim Helton

Defensive coaches Defensive Line – Doug Shively Linebackers – Floyd Reese Secondary – Nick Saban Special teams coaches Special Teams – Richard Smith Special Teams Intern- Dwight Point Strength and conditioning Strength and Rehabilitation – Steve Watterson

Roster

1988 Houston Oilers roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 14 Cody Carlson  1 Warren Moon 10 Brent Pease Running backs (RB) 32 Alonzo Highsmith FB 20 Allen Pinkett 30 Mike Rozier 33 Spencer Tillman 44 Lorenzo White Wide receivers (WR) 80 Curtis Duncan 81 Ernest Givins 83 Leonard Harris 85 Drew Hill 84 Haywood Jeffires Tight ends (TE) 88 Chris Verhulst 87 Jamie Williams

Offensive linemen (OL) 77 Bruce Davis T 73 John Davis G 78 Don Maggs G/T 74 Bruce Matthews G 63 Mike Munchak G 52 Jay Pennison C 70 Dean Steinkuhler T 75 Vince Stroth G/T Defensive linemen (DL) 97 Robert Banks DE 71 Richard Byrd NT 79 Ray Childress DE 95 William Fuller DE 96 Sean Jones DE 99 Doug Smith NT

Linebackers (LB) 56 Toby Caston ILB 51 Eric Fairs OLB 59 John Grimsley ILB 57 Walter Johnson OLB 93 Robert Lyles OLB 91 Johnny Meads OLB 53 Eugene Seale ILB 54 Al Smith ILB Defensive backs (DB) 29 Patrick Allen CB 25 Keith Bostic SS 24 Steve Brown CB 38 Domingo Bryant SS 28 Cris Dishman CB 31 Jeff Donaldson FS 21 Tracey Eaton FS 23 Richard Johnson CB Special teams 9 Greg Montgomery P 7 Tony Zendejas K

Reserve -- Kurt Crain LB (IR) 82 Willie Drewrey WR (IR) -- Mark Dusbabek LB (IR) 22 Kenny Johnson S (IR) 27 Quintin Jones S (IR) 26 Audray McMillian CB (IR) -- David Viaene C/G (IR) 35 Ray Wallace RB (IR) 69 Doug Williams G (IR) -- Almon Young G (IR) 47 active, 10 inactive Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 4	at Indianapolis Colts	W 17–14 (OT)	1–0	Hoosier Dome	57,251
2	September 11	Los Angeles Raiders	W 38–35	2–0	Astrodome	46,050
3	September 18	at New York Jets	L 3–45	2–1	Giants Stadium	64,683
4	September 25	New England Patriots	W 31–6	3–1	Astrodome	38,646
5	October 2	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 23–32	3–2	Veterans Stadium	64,692
6	October 9	Kansas City Chiefs	W 7–6	4–2	Astrodome	39,134
7	October 16	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 34–14	5–2	Three Rivers Stadium	52,229
8	October 23	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 21–44	5–3	Riverfront Stadium	54,659
9	October 30	Washington Redskins	W 41–17	6–3	Astrodome	48,781
10	November 7	Cleveland Browns	W 24–17	7–3	Astrodome	51,467
11	November 13	at Seattle Seahawks	L 24–27	7–4	Kingdome	60,446
12	November 20	Phoenix Cardinals	W 38–20	8–4	Astrodome	43,843
13	November 24	at Dallas Cowboys	W 25–17	9–4	Texas Stadium	50,845
14	December 4	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 34–37	9–5	Astrodome	47,791
15	December 11	Cincinnati Bengals	W 41–6	10–5	Astrodome	50,269
16	December 18	at Cleveland Browns	L 23–28	10–6	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	74,610

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 1

Week 1: Houston Oilers at Indianapolis Colts

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Oilers	7	7	0	0	3	17
Colts	7	7	0	0	0	14

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: September 4, 1988
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game attendance: 57,251
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Jon Morris (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Colts

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU IND "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 14

The game started at 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 4, 1988, in Hoosier Dome.

First Quarter:

• Touchdown, Gary Hogeboom to Matt Bouza, 23 yard pass (Indianapolis Colts).
• Touchdown, Steve Brown, 44 yard interception return (Houston Oilers).

Second Quarter:

• Touchdown, Albert Bentley, 1 yard rush (Indianapolis Colts).
• Touchdown, Mike Rozier, 1 yard rush (Houston Oilers).

Third Quarter: No points scored.

Fourth Quarter: No points scored.

Overtime:

• Field Goal, Tony Zendejas, 35 yard kick (Houston Oilers).

The game ended in overtime at 17-14, with the Houston Oilers on top.

Week 2

Week 2: Los Angeles Raiders at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	7	21	0	7	35
Oilers	7	14	3	14	38

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: September 11, 1988
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game attendance: 46,050
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers (NBC): Ray Scott (play-by-play) and Joe Namath (color commentator) (blacked out locally)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Raiders Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LAR HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 35 38

The game started at 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 11, 1988. The game was played at the Houston Astrodome. In the first quarter, Marcus Allen of the Raiders rushed one yard for a touchdown. That same quarter, Allen Pinkett of the Oilers rushed three yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Willie Gault of the Raiders received a 42-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein for a touchdown. In that quarter, Tim Brown of the Raiders also received a 4-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein for another touchdown. Allen Pinkett of the Oilers rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the same quarter, Steve Smith of the Raiders received a 9-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein in the same quarter, Drew Hill received a 16-yard pass from Cody Carlson of the Oilers for the fifth touchdown in that quarter between both teams. In the third quarter, Tony Zendejas kicked a 19-yard field goal for the Oilers. In the fourth quarter, Ernest Givins of the Oilers received a 12-yard touchdown pass from Cody Carlson. Also in that quarter, Marcus Allen of the Raiders rushed one yard for a touchdown. Allen Pinkett of the Oilers brought back the lead on that quarter, rushing 6 yards for a touchdown. Eventually, the game ended 38-35 with the Oilers on top, resulting in a win. ^[2]

Week 3

Week 3: Houston Oilers at New York Jets

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	3	0	0	0	3
Jets	14	14	3	14	45

at Giants Stadium • East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 18, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CDT
• Game attendance: 64,683
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play) and Al DeRogatis (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Jets

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU NYJ "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 3 45

The game started at 1:00 PM on Sunday, September 18, 1988. The game was played at Giants Stadium. In the first quarter, Tony Zendejas of the Oilers kicked a 30-yard field goal, scoring the only points of the game for the Oilers. Kurt Sohn of the New York Jets received a 8-yard pass from Ken O'Brien for a touchdown in the same quarter. Also in the first quarter, Freeman McNeil of the New York Jets rushed 8 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Wesley Walker of the New York Jets received two touchdown passes from . Ken O'Brien, with the distances being 4-yards and 50-yards. In the third quarter, Pat Leahy of the Jets kicked a 47-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Wesley Walker received a 23-yard pass from Pat Ryan, resulting in a touchdown. Also in that quarter, Mike Zordich of the Jets intercepted a pass, and ran 35 yards for a touchdown. The final score was 45-3, with the New York Jets on top. This game was a loss for the Oilers.

Week 4

Week 4: New England Patriots at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	6	0	0	0	6
Oilers	7	7	7	10	31

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: September 25, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CDT
• Game attendance: 38,646
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (NBC): Mel Proctor (play-by-play) and Jerry Kramer (color commentator) (blacked out locally)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Patriots Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NE HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 6 31

Week 5

Week 5: Houston Oilers at Philadelphia Eagles

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	16	0	0	7	23
Eagles	0	20	9	3	32

at Veterans Stadium • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 2, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CDT
• Game attendance: 64,692
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (NBC): Mel Proctor (play-by-play) and Larry Csonka (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Eagles

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU PHI "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 23 32

Week 6

Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	3	0	0	6
Oilers	0	0	7	0	7

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: October 9, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CDT
• Game attendance: 39,134
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph (play-by-play) and Reggie Rucker (color commentator) (blacked out locally)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Chiefs Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP KC HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 6 7

Week 7

Week 7: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	6	12	7	9	34
Steelers	0	7	0	7	14

at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 16, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CDT
• Game attendance: 52,229
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph (play-by-play) and Reggie Rucker (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Steelers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU PIT "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 34 14

Week 8

Week 8: Houston Oilers at Cincinnati Bengals

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	7	14	0	21
Bengals	28	0	7	9	44

at Riverfront Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: October 23, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CDT
• Game attendance: 54,659
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play) and Jimmy Cefalo (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Eagles

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU CIN "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 21 44

Week 9

Week 9: Washington Redskins at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	3	7	7	17
Oilers	7	17	7	10	41

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: October 30, 1988
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
• Game attendance: 48,781
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Joe Theismann (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Redskins Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP WSH HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 41

Week 10

Week 10: Cleveland Browns at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	7	7	17
Oilers	0	7	14	3	24

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: November 7, 1988
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. CST
• Game attendance: 51,467
• Referee: Tom Dooley
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator) and Frank Gifford (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Browns Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP CLE HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 24

Week 11

Week 11: Houston Oilers at Seattle Seahawks

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	7	3	7	7	24
Seahawks	7	3	7	10	27

at Kingdome • Seattle, Washington

• Date: November 13, 1988
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
• Game attendance: 60,446
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play) and Jimmy Cefalo (sportscaster)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Seahawks

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU SEA "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 27

Week 12

Week 12: Phoenix Cardinals at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	7	6	20
Oilers	7	17	7	7	38

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: November 20, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CST
• Game attendance: 43,843
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play-by-play) and Terry Bradshaw (color commentator) (blacked out locally)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Cardinals Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP PHO HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 20 38

Week 13

Week 13: Houston Oilers at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	10	3	12	25
Cowboys	7	3	7	0	17

at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas

• Date: November 24, 1988
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
• Game attendance: 50,845
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg (play-by-play) and Merlin Olsen (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Cowboys

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU DAL "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 25 17

This would be Houston's last win on the road against the Cowboys until 2024.

Week 14

Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	14	7	13	37
Oilers	0	13	14	7	34

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: December 4, 1988
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
• Game attendance: 47,791
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Joe Theismann (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Steelers Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP PIT HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 37 34

Week 15

Week 15: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Oilers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	0	3	3	0	6
Oilers	7	17	7	10	41

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: December 11, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CST
• Game attendance: 50,269
• Referee: Tom Dooley
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play) and Jimmy Cefalo (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Bengals Oilers

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP CIN HOU "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 6 41

Week 16

Week 16: Houston Oilers at Cleveland Browns

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	10	6	7	0	23
Browns	0	7	7	14	28

at Cleveland Stadium • Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: December 18, 1988
• Game time: 12 Noon CST
• Game attendance: 74,610
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play) and Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Browns

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU CLE "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 23 28

Standings

AFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Cincinnati Bengals (1)	12	4	0	.750	4–2	8–4	448	329	W1
Cleveland Browns (4)	10	6	0	.625	4–2	6–6	304	288	W1
Houston Oilers (5)	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	424	365	L1
Pittsburgh Steelers	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	336	421	W1

Playoffs

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
Wild Card	December 24, 1988	at Cleveland Browns	W 24–23	74,977
Divisional	January 1, 1989	at Buffalo Bills	L 10–17	79,532

AFC Wild Card

AFC Wild Card Playoff: Houston Oilers at Cleveland Browns

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	14	0	10	24
Browns	3	6	7	7	23

at Cleveland Stadium • Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: December 24, 1988
• Game time: 12:30 p.m. CST
• Game attendance: 74,977
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play) and Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Browns

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU CLE "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 23

AFC Divisional

AFC Divisional Playoff: Houston Oilers at Buffalo Bills

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	3	0	7	10
Bills	0	7	7	3	17

at Rich Stadium • Orchard Park, New York

• Date: January 1, 1989
• Game time: 11:30 a.m. CST
• Game attendance: 79,532
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Paul Maguire (color commentator)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Oilers Bills

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU BUF "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 17

Awards and records

• Warren Moon, Pro Bowl
• Warren Moon, All-Pro selection

Milestones

• Drew Hill, 3rd 1,000 Yard Receiving Season (1,141)

References

1. "1988 Houston Oilers draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
2. "Los Angeles Raiders at Houston Oilers - September 11th, 1988". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 21, 2021.

External links

• 1988 Houston Oilers at Pro-Football-Reference.com