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1993 Houston Oilers season
OwnerBud Adams
General managerMike Holovak
Head coachJack Pardee
Home fieldHouston Astrodome
Results
Record12–4
Division place1st AFC Central
Playoff finishLost Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Chiefs) 20–28
Pro BowlersQB 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, they can expect to see a massive overhaul next year due to the impending salary cap.[1] 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.[2]

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.[3]

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,[4] 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." This would be the last season Warren Moon played for the Oilers, as he was traded to Minnesota in the 1994 offseason.[5] This would be their last winning season and playoff appearance under the Houston Oilers name,[6] or as the Oilers. Their next winning season and playoff appearance would be in their first year as the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The 1993 season was later covered in the "Houston '93" episode of the NFL Films documentary series A Football Life.[7]

Season Review

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"Babygate"

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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.[8]

Buddy Ryan, Kevin Gilbride Conflict

[edit]

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.[9] 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.

Gay teammates

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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."[10] Lamar Lathon added that he had "never seen tougher guys than those guys."[10]

Jeff Alm's suicide

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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.[11] At approximately 2:30 am on December 14, 1993, Alm and his best friend, Sean P. Lynch, were in an accident that consisted of Alm losing control of his Cadillac Eldorado near the 610 and Highway 59 interchange, ejecting Lynch out through the windshield of the car where he fell several stories to the asphalt below, killing him instantly. 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 vehicle. 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.[12] 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.

Offseason

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NFL Draft

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Main article: 1993 NFL Draft
1993 Houston Oilers draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
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

[13]

Personnel

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Staff

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1993 Houston Oilers staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and Rehabilitation – Steve Watterson


Roster

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1993 Houston Oilers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad


51 active, 5 inactive, 4 practice squad Reserve


Rookies in italics

[14]

Regular season

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Schedule

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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.

Game summaries

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Week 1: at New Orleans Saints

[edit]
Week 1: Houston Oilers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 7 0 01421
Saints 3 10 61433

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

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.

Week 2: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

[edit]
Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 0 000
Oilers 0 7 61730

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: September 12
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 59,780
  • Referee: Howard Roe
  • TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
  • Box score
Game information

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.

Week 3: at San Diego Chargers

[edit]
Week 3: Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 0 14 0317
Chargers 3 6 3618

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

Game information

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.

Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Rams

[edit]
Week 4: Los Angeles Rams at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Rams 7 7 7728
Oilers 0 3 10013

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: September 26
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (played indoors)
  • Game attendance: 53,072
  • TV: CBS
  • Box score
Game information

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.

Week 6: at Buffalo Bills

[edit]
Week 6: Houston Oilers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 7 0 007
Bills 7 21 0735

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

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.

Week 7: at New England Patriots

[edit]
Week 7: Houston Oilers at New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 0 14 7728
Patriots 0 0 7714

at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: October 17
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 51,037
  • Box score
Game information

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.

Week 8: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

[edit]
Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bengals 0 9 3012
Oilers 7 0 71428

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: October 24
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 50,039
  • Box score
Game information

Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks

[edit]
Week 10: Seattle Seahawks at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Seahawks 7 0 0714
Oilers 13 9 2024

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 50,447
  • Referee: Howard Roe
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks and Joe Gibbs
  • Box score

Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals

[edit]
Week 11: Houston Oilers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 7 21 10038
Bengals 0 0 303

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 42,347
  • Box score

Week 12: at Cleveland Browns

[edit]
Week 12: Houston Oilers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 0 14 31027
Browns 3 7 01020

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: November 21
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 71,668
  • Box score

Week 13: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

[edit]
Week 13: Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 3 003
Oilers 0 10 10323

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 28
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 61,238
  • Referee: Gerald Austin
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann
  • Box score

Week 14: vs. Atlanta Falcons

[edit]
Week 14: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 7 7317
Oilers 3 3 141333

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 5
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 58,186
  • Box score

Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns

[edit]
Week 15: Cleveland Browns at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 10 0 7017
Oilers 3 13 0319

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 58,720
  • Box score

Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers

[edit]
Week 16: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 14 6 3326
Steelers 0 3 7717

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Week 17: at San Francisco 49ers

[edit]
Week 17: Houston Oilers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 0 10 0010
49ers 0 0 077

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

  • Date: December 25
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. CST/2:30 p.m. PST
  • Game attendance: 61,744
  • Box score

Week 18: vs. New York Jets

[edit]
Week 18: New York Jets at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 0 0 000
Oilers 7 7 3724

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: January 2, 1994
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 61,040
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann
  • Box score
Game information

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.

Standings

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AFC Central
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

Playoffs

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AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Kansas City Chiefs

[edit]
AFC Divisional Playoffs: (3) Kansas City Chiefs at (2) Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 0 72128
Oilers 10 0 01020

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Game information

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).


Awards and records

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Milestones

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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.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "BIG SALARY MAY END MOON'S OILERS DAYS". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. January 18, 1994. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  2. ^ Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M.; and Korch, Rich The Sports Encyclopedia: Pro Football, 12th Edition, p.680, Martin's Press, August 1994, ISBN 0-312-11073-1
  3. ^ Football Outsiders, 1993, 34.4% "weighted" DVOA, "adjusted so that earlier games in the season become gradually less important. It better reflects how the team was playing at the end of the season."
  4. ^ Pro Football Prospectus 2006 (ISBN 0761142177), p.73-75
  5. ^ Litsky, Frank (April 14, 1994). "PRO FOOTBALL; Vikings Near On a Deal To Acquire Oilers' Moon". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  6. ^ "Tennessee Titans Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  7. ^ "Houston '93". A Football Life. Season 3. Episode 15. December 10, 2013. NFL Network.
  8. ^ "Seahawk Notebook -- 'Babygate' One of Many Troubles for '93 Oilers".
  9. ^ YouTube video: Buddy Ryan punching Kevin Gilbride
  10. ^ a b Smith, Brian T. (December 26, 2013). "Two members of 1993 Oilers were gay; teammates knew, didn't care". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014.
  11. ^ "Jeff Alm Stats".
  12. ^ Verhovek, Sam Howe (December 15, 1993). "PRO FOOTBALL; A Friend Dies, and Oiler Kills Himself". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "1993 Houston Oilers Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  14. ^ "1993 Houston Oilers starters, roster, and players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "1993 NFL Pro Bowlers".
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