1993 Houston Oilers season | |
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Owner | Bud Adams |
General manager | Mike Holovak |
Head coach | Jack Pardee |
Home field | Houston Astrodome |
Results | |
Record | 12–4 |
Division place | 1st AFC Central |
Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Chiefs) 20–28 |
Pro Bowlers | QB Warren Moon WR Haywood Jeffires WR Webster Slaughter G Mike Munchak C Bruce Matthews DE Sean Jones DT Ray Childress P Greg Montgomery |
Uniform | |
The 1993 Houston Oilers season was the team's 34th, and their 24th in the National Football League (NFL).
The 1993 Oilers season is widely regarded as one of the most notorious and turbulent seasons in NFL history, both on and off the field. Before the season began, owner Bud Adams told the team that unless the Oilers made the Super Bowl, he would break up the team. Despite their poor start (four losses in their first five games), the Oilers went on a remarkable 11–0 run to finish the 1993 season, ending up tied for the best record in the NFL, and the best record in franchise history, at 12–4. Houston earned the #2 seed in the playoffs, and a first-round bye that meant they would host their first ever Divisional Round playoff game. The 11-game winning streak was the longest in the NFL since 1972. [1]
Statistics site Football Outsiders calculates that the Oilers were the hottest team in the NFL heading into the playoffs at the end of the 1993 season. [2]
Despite the winning streak, first-round bye and playing in front of a home crowd, the Oilers were upset by Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Astrodome during the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The 2006 edition of Pro Football Prospectus , [3] listed the 1993 Oilers as one of their "Heartbreak Seasons", in which teams "dominated the entire regular season only to falter in the playoffs, unable to close the deal." Said Pro Football Prospectus, "Early in 1993, the Oilers seemed unable to put "The Comeback" behind them, dropping four of their first five games. But Houston righted the ship and ran the table, winning its final 11 contests. ... The Oilers allowed 20 points only once during the streak, and in one game held the league-leading 49ers offense to 7 points.
"In their first playoff game", Pro Football Prospectus continued, "they faced Joe Montana's Kansas City Chiefs, a team Houston had beaten 30–0 during the regular season. The Oilers jumped out to an early 10–0 lead, but stalled; leading 13–7 in the fourth quarter, they collapsed, losing 28–20. The team that had played eleven straight games while holding opponents to 20 points or less gave up 21 in the fourth quarter of a playoff game." True to his word, Bud Adams dismantled the team that off-season. Quarterback Warren Moon was shipped to Minnesota, and the Oilers fell to 2–14 the following year. By 1995, there was talk of the team leaving Houston for Nashville. The 1993 season was later covered in the "Houston '93" episode of the NFL Films documentary series A Football Life . [4]
One bizarre sidelight to the season for Houston came just before the October 17 game vs. the New England Patriots. The day before, Oilers offensive tackle David Williams' wife Debi went into labor that Saturday but the baby was not born yet and Williams was unable to catch a flight, causing him to miss the game. Williams was fined $111,111 by the Oilers for missing the game and criticized by owner Bud Adams for "misplaced priorities", a move that led to intense criticism of the Oilers from fans, players such as defensive end Sean Jones, and news media and talk shows across the United States. [5]
New defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride did not get along at all; Ryan's autonomy with the defense as promised by team owner Bud Adams (granted in the aftermath of Houston's historic collapse in the previous season playoff loss in Buffalo) and loyalty amongst his players and coaches led to clashes with Gilbride, who was angered by cheap shots the defense regularly inflicted on the offense during practices. Ryan had been criticizing Gilbride's "run and shoot" offense, referring to it as the "chuck and duck." Ryan's own rage grew when two of his players were hurt after going back into games when the offense could have simply just run the ball and killed the clock, but were not able to because of problems the Oilers had using conventional running plays.
At the end of the first half in the final game of the season, a national broadcast against the New York Jets, Gilbride called a pass play, and when Cody Carlson was sacked and fumbled, Ryan started yelling at Gilbride, who started walking towards Ryan, yelling back. When they were in arms length, Ryan threw a glancing punch at Gilbride, who was ready to hit Ryan in return but slightly lost his balance and was then blocked from doing so as two players quickly separated them. [6] Gilbride wanted to physically pay Buddy back for the cheap shot but several players on both offense and defense begged him to not do so because they were winning a key game. Gilbride reluctantly agreed, and ignored Buddy for the rest of the season and reportedly never spoke to him again. Buddy Ryan would become the Arizona Cardinals head coach after the season.
In 2013, former teammates on the 1993 team said that at least two key players on their roster were generally known by the team to be gay, and were accepted by the team. It confirmed a rumor that had been hinted since that season, but had never been confirmed; had the rumours been proven in 1993, during an era of heightened stigma in the United States towards the HIV/AIDS epidemic compared to today and a mere two years after NBA superstar Magic Johnson's high-profile retirement upon being diagnosed with the disease, it would have almost certainly been the most controversial story of an already turbulent season for the Oilers. Teammate Bubba McDowell said showering with the gay teammates was "no big deal." [7] Lamar Lathon added that he had "never seen tougher guys than those guys." [7]
Late in the season, the Oilers suffered the loss of reserve defensive lineman Jeff Alm, who had played two games earlier in the season and was due back soon after rehabilitating a broken leg. [8] On December 13, 1993, Alm and his best friend, Sean P. Lynch, were in an accident that consisted of Alm losing control of his Cadillac Eldorado, sending Lynch flying out of the car and killing him near the 610 and Highway 59 interchange. Both Alm and Lynch were intoxicated at the time of the crash after spending a night on the town, and the latter was not wearing a seatbelt while in the car. After seeing his friend was dead, Alm called 9-1-1 and then committed suicide with a shotgun he kept in the trunk of his car. [9] In memory of Alm, his number was worn as a decal on his teammates' helmets and his locker remained untouched for the rest of the season.
1993 Houston Oilers draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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1 | 13 | Brad Hopkins * | Offensive tackle | Illinois | |
2 | 47 | Micheal Barrow | Linebacker | Miami (FL) | |
4 | 102 | Travis Hannah | Wide receiver | USC | |
5 | 131 | John Henry Mills * | Linebacker | Wake Forest | |
6 | 158 | Chuck Bradley | Offensive tackle | Kentucky | |
7 | 187 | Patrick Robinson | Wide receiver | Tennessee State | |
8 | 214 | Blaine Bishop * | Safety | Ball State | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 5 | at New Orleans Saints | L 21–33 | 0–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 69,029 | |
2 | September 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 30–0 | 1–1 | Astrodome | 59,780 | |
3 | September 19 | at San Diego Chargers | L 17–18 | 1–2 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 58,519 | |
4 | September 26 | Los Angeles Rams | L 13–28 | 1–3 | Astrodome | 53,072 | |
5 | Bye | ||||||
6 | October 11 | at Buffalo Bills | L 7–35 | 1–4 | Rich Stadium | 79,613 | |
7 | October 17 | at New England Patriots | W 28–14 | 2–4 | Foxboro Stadium | 51,037 | |
8 | October 24 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 28–12 | 3–4 | Astrodome | 50,039 | |
9 | Bye | ||||||
10 | November 7 | Seattle Seahawks | W 24–14 | 4–4 | Astrodome | 50,447 | |
11 | November 14 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 38–3 | 5–4 | Riverfront Stadium | 42,347 | |
12 | November 21 | at Cleveland Browns | W 27–20 | 6–4 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 71,668 | |
13 | November 28 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 23–3 | 7–4 | Astrodome | 61,238 | |
14 | December 5 | Atlanta Falcons | W 33–17 | 8–4 | Astrodome | 58,186 | |
15 | December 12 | Cleveland Browns | W 19–17 | 9–4 | Astrodome | 58,720 | |
16 | December 19 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 26–17 | 10–4 | Three Rivers Stadium | 57,592 | |
17 | December 25 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 10–7 | 11–4 | Candlestick Park | 61,744 | |
18 | January 2, 1994 | New York Jets | W 24–0 | 12–4 | Astrodome | 61,040 | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
Saints | 3 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 33 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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Coming into the game, the Oilers were under a lot of pressure to perform as owner Bud Adams threatened to break apart the team if they did not reach the Super Bowl. Houston's run and shoot offense and 46 defense were inconsistent throughout the game. The Oilers scored first to take a 7–0 lead in the first, but the Saints would respond by scoring 33 unanswered points to go up 33–7 in the fourth. Starting quarterback Warren Moon would eventually be benched in favor of Cody Carlson, with the latter breaking Houston's scoring drought with a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oilers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 30 |
Game information | ||
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The Oilers blanked the Chiefs 30–0, who were without star quarterback Joe Montana. The Houston defense forced five turnovers, picking off Kansas City quarterback Dave Krieg twice, and cornerback Cris Dishman returning a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
Chargers | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
Game information | ||
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Both offenses struggled in the game with both teams benching their respective starting quarterbacks. Houston quarterback Warren Moon threw four interceptions before being benched for backup quarterback Cody Carlson. Stan Humphries started at quarterback for San Diego, but was benched after completing just 27% of his passes for 73 yards and an interception in favor of John Friesz. The Chargers failed to score a single touchdown, but kicker John Carney made six field goals to give San Diego the one-point victory.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rams | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Oilers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Game information | ||
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The Oilers' offensive woes continued against the Rams. Warren Moon threw for 310 yards and a touchdown, but also threw two interceptions and completed just 45% of his passes on 42 attempts.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Bills | 7 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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Coming out of their first bye, the Oilers' offense continued to struggle with Warren Moon throwing three interceptions before being benched for backup Cody Carlson for the third time of the season. With the loss, the Oilers dropped to 1–4. This would be Houston's last loss of the regular season as the team would then go on a eleven game win streak.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Patriots | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Game information | ||
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After weeks of poor offensive performances, the Oilers would score 21 points on offense. Quarterback Warren Moon, who had been benched three times and was listed second on the depth chart entering the game, came off the bench, throwing for two touchdowns and no interceptions. With the win, Houston improved to 2–4.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengals | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
Oilers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Game information | ||
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Oilers | 13 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 24 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 7 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 38 |
Bengals | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 0 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 27 |
Browns | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Oilers | 0 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Oilers | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 33 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Browns | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Oilers | 3 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 14 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
Steelers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oilers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Game information | ||
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With the AFC Central and a first-round bye locked up, the Oilers rested many of their starters against the Jets. The game became notorious for an incident that occurred near the end of the first half. Fourth-year offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and first-year defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan had budded heads since Ryan's arrival in the offseason. Things boiled over in the second quarter when Gilbride called a pass play that resulted in a sack and fumble by quarterback Cody Carlson. Ryan walked over to Gilbride while yelling at him, with Gilbride yelling at Ryan in return. Ryan then threw a punch at Gilbride before the two were separated by players. After the incident, Gilbride reportedly never spoke to Ryan again.
Despite the incident, the Oilers would shutout the Jets 24–0. Houston finished the season 12–4 for the best record in franchise history up to the point. The Oilers also finished the season with an eleven game win streak after having started the season 1–4.
AFC Central | |||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
(2) Houston Oilers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 368 | 238 | W11 |
(6) Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 308 | 281 | W1 |
Cleveland Browns | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 304 | 307 | L1 |
Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 187 | 319 | L1 |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
Oilers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
Game information | ||
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Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana threw three touchdown passes in the second half to give his team a 28–20 win. The Oilers jumped to a 10–0 lead in the first quarter with kicker Al Del Greco's 49-yard field goal and running back Gary Brown's 2-yard touchdown. Then after a scoreless second period, Montana threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keith Cash in the third quarter. In the fourth period, Del Greco kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Houston a 13–7 lead. But aided by a 38-yard pass interference penalty, the Chiefs advanced 71 yards to score on wide receiver J. J. Birden's 11-yard touchdown reception from Montana. On the Oilers' next possession, Kansas City defensive lineman Dan Saleaumua recovered a fumble by Houston quarterback Warren Moon, setting up Montana's 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Willie Davis. The Oilers then drove 80 yards to score on wide receiver Ernest Givins' 7-yard touchdown catch, but the Chiefs responded with running back Marcus Allen's game-clinching 21-yard touchdown that capped off a 79-yard drive to go up two scores (the NFL would not introduce the two-point conversion until the following season).
Owner Bud Adams would make good on his threat to dismantle the team and traded away several key players in the ensuing offseason.
The January 16th game marked the last time the Oilers would play a playoff game while playing in Houston. It was not until their third year in Tennessee, which by that time saw the team renamed the Titans, that the team would return to the playoffs; in that season the franchise advanced all the way to the Super Bowl.
Houston itself would not see another NFL playoff game until the Houston Texans, the successors to the Oilers who entered the league in 2002, hosted a Wild Card playoff game at Reliant Stadium in early 2012.
As of the end of the 2021 season, the Oilers/Titans franchise has only seen five division titles since 1993 (2000 in the AFC Central, 2002, 2008, 2020, and 2021 in the AFC South). In all five of those seasons, the franchise failed to advance to the Super Bowl, and in three of those years the team was defeated as the AFC's #1 seed. The Titans, however, have made ten playoff appearances since the team moved to Tennessee in 1997 and have won eight playoff games, the most recent in 2019 when they defeated the Ravens in a Divisional matchup. Incidentally, the Tennessee Titans victory against the Patriots in the Wild Card playoff game was the first victory the organization achieved in Foxboro since October 17, 1993, when the organization was still based out of Houston as the Oilers.
The 1993 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League and the 34th overall. They improved on their 10–6 record from 1992 and won the AFC West and with an 11–5 record. Kansas City advanced all the way to the AFC Championship before losing to the Buffalo Bills 30–13, which started the Chiefs' 8-game playoff losing streak. It would be 22 years before the Chiefs would win another playoff game, and 25 years until they won another playoff game at Arrowhead.
The 2003 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 34th in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th overall and their third under head coach Dick Vermeil.
The 1974 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 14th in the National Football League (NFL). They won the NFC Central with a 10–4 record, before defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 30–14 in the NFC divisional playoff game, followed by a 14–10 win over the Los Angeles Rams to claim their second consecutive NFC championship. The Vikings then lost 16–6 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, becoming the first team to lose consecutive Super Bowls.
The 1991 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 22nd season in the National Football League and 32nd overall. They failed to improve on their 11–5 record from 1990 and finished with a 10–6 record. Compared to the Chiefs' 1990 campaign, Steve DeBerg’s consistency had dropped. The running game made up for lost time as Christian Okoye ran for 1,031 yards for the season, Barry Word was productive, and rookie Harvey Williams was outstanding in limited playing time. The Chiefs defeated their division rival, the Los Angeles Raiders in the Wild Card round, resulting in the franchise's first playoff victory since Super Bowl IV in 1970. The next week, the Chiefs lost to the Buffalo Bills in the divisional playoffs.
The 1990 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 21st season in the National Football League, the 28th as the Kansas City Chiefs and the 31st overall. The team improved from an 8–7–1 record to an 11–5 record and Wild Card spot in the 1991 playoffs. In Marty Schottenheimer's first playoff appearance with the Chiefs, they lost to the Miami Dolphins 17–16 in the wild-card round. Starting with the home opener, the Chiefs began an NFL-record 19 consecutive seasons with every home game sold out. The streak was finally broken in the final home game of the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season versus Cleveland.
The 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League (NFL), ninth as the Kansas City Chiefs, and twelfth overall. They improved from a 7–5–2 campaign in 1970 to record a 10–3–1 mark and win the AFC West division championship, the Chiefs' first division title since 1966 and last until 1993. The Chiefs tied with the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the AFC and were tied for the third-best record overall in the NFL, trailing only the 11–3 marks of the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.
The 1971 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 12th overall. The team improved on their 5–6–3 record in 1970. It was Harland Svare's first season as the team's head coach. After a 1–4 start, the Chargers would slightly improve, winning 3 of their next 4 games. However, they would lose 3 of their final 5 games en route to a 6-8 finish. The only bright spot was quarterback John Hadl who completed 233 passes out of 431 attempts for 3,075 yards and 21 touchdowns and won the NFL Man of the Year award as well as leading the league in both passing yards and touchdown passes.
The 2002 season was the Houston Texans' debut season in the National Football League and the first NFL season for the city of Houston since the Oilers moved to Tennessee to become the Titans in 1997. Their coaching staff was headed by Dom Capers, who previously coached the expansion Carolina Panthers when they debuted in 1995. The divisional realignment also placed the Texans and Titans in the same division.
The 2004 season was the Houston Texans' third in the National Football League, all of which they had spent under head coach Dom Capers. The team finished 7–9, two games better than the previous season, and came third in the AFC South, the first time they had not finished bottom. The Texans also earned their first victory over the Tennessee Titans, the franchise previously known as the Oilers, who had left Houston after the 1996 season.
The 1978 Houston Oilers season was the franchise's 19th overall and the ninth in the National Football League (NFL). Led by Rookie RB Earl Campbell, who won both the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Player of the Year, who rushed for 1,450 yards, the Oilers made the playoffs with a 10–6 record, qualifying in the newly created fifth Wild Card spot. The franchise scored 283 points while the defense gave up 298 points. Their record of 10 wins and 6 losses resulted in a second-place finish in the AFC Central Division. In the playoffs, the Oilers would stun the Miami Dolphins, 17–9, in the two teams first playoff meeting, then defeated the New England Patriots 31–14 in New England to advance to their first ever AFC Championship game, but in that game, they would score a mere 5 points in a 34–5 blowout loss to the eventual champion Steelers.
The 1979 Houston Oilers season was the franchise's 20th overall and the tenth in the National Football League. The franchise scored 362 points while the defense gave up 331 points. Their record of 11 wins and 5 losses resulted in a second-place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared once on Monday Night Football on December 10, 1979 where the sports promotion Luv ya Blue was launched and returned to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year. Earl Campbell would lead the NFL in rushing for the second consecutive year and set a franchise record for most touchdowns in a season with 19. The Oilers would make the playoffs again as a wild card. In the wild card game, they beat the Denver Broncos 13–7, and then defeated the San Diego Chargers 17–14 in San Diego to reach their second straight AFC Championship game. The Oilers then played the Pittsburgh Steelers, who a year earlier had eliminated them 34–5 in the previous AFC Championship game. The Oilers lost the game 27–13. The game included a controversial moment in which wide receiver Mike Renfro had a touchdown called back after the referees of the game took a long time to decide the ruling on the field. The call went down as one of the most controversial calls in NFL history.
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 Bills.
The 1991 Houston Oilers season was the 32nd season and their 22nd in the National Football League (NFL). Haywood Jeffires would become the second Oiler to have 100 receptions in a season. The first Oiler to accomplish the feat was Charley Hennigan in 1964. Jeffires would be the fifth receiver in NFL history to have a 100 reception season. The Oilers scored 386 points and gave up 251 points. The franchise earned its first division title since the AFL-NFL merger, having last won a division title in the 1967 American Football League season. The franchise finished the season with 11 wins compared to 5 losses and appeared twice on Monday Night Football.
The 2003 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 44th season and their 34th in the National Football League. At 12–4 the Titans posted the 15th season with at least ten wins in the franchise's history dating to their Houston Oilers days. Quarterback Steve McNair threw for 3,215 yards and 24 touchdowns to just seven interceptions; he also rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns, all despite missing two games to injury, and was named the NFL's co-MVP with Peyton Manning of the Titans' division arch-rival Indianapolis Colts. Eddie George rushed for 1,031 yards and five touchdowns while Derrick Mason had 1,303 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Justin McCareins had 586 punt/kick return yards and a return touchdown.
The 1998 Tennessee Oilers season was the franchise's 39th season overall, 29th with the National Football League (NFL), and their final season as the Oilers; they would be renamed the Titans the following year.
The 1994 New York Giants season was the franchise's 70th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Dan Reeves. The Giants failed to improve on their 11–5 record from 1993 and finished 9–7 in 1994. They were second in the National Football Conference East Division, three games behind the Dallas Cowboys.
The 1996 Houston Oilers season was the 37th season overall and 27th with the National Football League (NFL) and their final season in Houston. The team bested their previous season's output of 7–9, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Oilers only won two out of their eight games at home. However, on the road they won six out of eight games as the Oilers finished with an 8-8 record. Houston running back Eddie George won the Offensive Rookie of the Year with 1,368 yards rushing. Despite finishing 8–8 record, the Oilers failed to sell out any of its home games at the Houston Astrodome for the second consecutive season.
The 2016 Houston Texans season was the franchise's 15th season in the National Football League and the third under head coach Bill O'Brien. The Texans' attempt to make history as the first team to play the Super Bowl on their home field, NRG Stadium, was thwarted in the second round of the 2016–17 NFL playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
The 2019 season was the Houston Texans' 18th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Bill O'Brien. It also marked the first full season without the ownership of Bob McNair, who died during the 2018 season. It was, however, the first season of full ownership of both Janice McNair and D. Cal McNair. For the first time in franchise history, the team played in London, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On June 7, 2019, the Texans fired general manager Brian Gaine after only one season.
The 2020 season was the Tennessee Titans' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 61st overall, their 24th in the state of Tennessee, and their third under head coach Mike Vrabel. After starting the season 5–0, their first since the 2008 season, the Titans improved upon their 9–7 season from the previous 4 years and earned their first double-digit winning season and division title since 2008. The Titans finished tied with the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South division title, but won the tiebreaker based on record vs. division opponents. In the Wild Card Round, the Titans blew a 10–0 lead and were upset by Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens, 20–13. As of 2024, they are the most recent AFC division champion to lose in the Wild Card round.