1960 Houston Oilers season
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (May 2013) |
| 1960 Houston Oilers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Bud Adams |
| Head coach | Lou Rymkus |
| Home field | Jeppesen Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10-4 |
| Division place | 1st AFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Won AFL Championship (Los Angeles Chargers, 24–16) |
The 1960 Houston Oilers season was the team's inaugural season. Head Coach Lou Rymkus led the Oilers to the AFL Eastern Division title, with a 10–4 record.[1] It was also the first American Football League season. It ended with a 24–16 victory in the AFL championship game at home over the Los Angeles Chargers (10–4).[2]
Offseason
AFL draft
In the 1960 AFL draft, the Houston Oilers selected the following players.
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Regular season
- The Oilers scored an important victory over the NFL when they signed the Heisman Trophy winner, All-America running back Billy Cannon of LSU. Cannon joined other Oiler offensive stars such as veteran quarterback George Blanda.
Standings
| AFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Houston Oilers | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 5–1 | 379 | 285 | W2 | |
| New York Titans | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 382 | 399 | L1 | |
| Buffalo Bills | 5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | 3–3 | 296 | 303 | L2 | |
| Boston Patriots | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 2–4 | 286 | 349 | L4 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings in the AFL.
Season schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Record | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11, 1960 | at Oakland Raiders | W 37–22 | 1–0 | Kezar Stadium | ||
| 2 | September 18, 1960 | Los Angeles Chargers | W 38–28 | 2–0 | Jeppesen Stadium | ||
| 3 | September 25, 1960 | Oakland Raiders | L 13–14 | 2–1 | Jeppesen Stadium | ||
| 4 | Bye | ||||||
| 5 | October 9, 1960 | New York Titans | W 27–21 | 3–1 | Jeppesen Stadium | ||
| 6 | October 16, 1960 | Dallas Texans | W 20–10 | 4–1 | Jeppesen Stadium | ||
| 7 | October 23, 1960 | at New York Titans | W 42–28 | 5–1 | Polo Grounds | ||
| 8 | October 30, 1960 | at Buffalo Bills | L 24–25 | 5–2 | War Memorial Stadium | ||
| 9 | November 6, 1960 | at Denver Broncos | W 45–25 | 6–2 | Bears Stadium | ||
| 10 | November 13, 1960 | at Los Angeles Chargers | L 21–24 | 6–3 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | ||
| 11 | November 20, 1960 | Denver Broncos | W 20–10 | 7–3 | Jeppesen Stadium | ||
| 12 | November 25, 1960 | at Boston Patriots | W 24–10 | 8–3 | Nickerson Field | ||
| 13 | December 4, 1960 | at Dallas Texans | L 0–24 | 8–4 | Cotton Bowl | ||
| 14 | December 11, 1960 | Buffalo Bills | W 31–23 | 9–4 | Jeppesen Stadium | ||
| 15 | December 18, 1960 | Boston Patriots | W 37–21 | 10–4 | Jeppesen Stadium | ||
Week 1: at Oakland Raiders
| 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 7 | 0 | 13 | 17 | 37 |
| Oakland | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
Week 2: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
| 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 14 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 38 |
| Los Angeles | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders
| 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Oakland | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Notable Stats
| Player | Comp. | Att. | Comp% | Yards | TD's | INT's |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Blanda (HOU) | 169 | 363 | 46.6 | 2413 | 24 | 22 |
Roster
| Quarterbacks 16 George Blanda Wide Receivers Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen
65 Gary Greaves T Defensive Linemen |
Linebackers
Defensive Backs CB Special Teams |
Reserve Lists
Practice Squad Rookies in italics | |||
Postseason
AFL Championship Game
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 6 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| Oilers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
Houston Oilers 24, Los Angeles Chargers 16
- January 1, 1961 at Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 32,183
Scoring
- LA – Field goal Ben Agajanian 38 LA 3–0
- LA – Field goal Agajanian 22 LA 6–0
- HOU – Smith 17 pass from George Blanda (Blanda kick) HOU 7–6
- HOU – Field goal Blanda 18 HOU 10–6
- LA – Field goal Agajanian 27 HOU 10–9
- HOU – Bill Groman 7 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) HOU 17–9
- LA – Paul Lowe 2 run (Agajanian kick) HOU 17–16
- HOU – Billy Cannon 88 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) HOU 24–16
Awards
Sporting News American Football League All-League Team – 1960
The American Football League did not have an All-Star game after its first season in 1960, but an All-League team, selected by vote of the AFL players themselves, was published by the Sporting News. In later years, the All-League players were augmented by
References
- ^ "Houston, Los Angeles play for AFL title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 1, 1961. p. 2, section 2.
- ^ "Blanda paces Oilers to AFL title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 2, 1961. p. 44.