1993 Houston Oilers season

34th season in franchise history, filled with turmoil November 2013 March 2026 Houston Oilers 1993 12–4 1st AFC Central Jack Pardee Kevin Gilbride Buddy Ryan Mike Holovak Bud Adams Houston Astrodome Lost Divisional Playoffs(vs. Chiefs) 20–28 180px Oilers seasons QB Warren MoonWR Haywood JeffiresWR Webster SlaughterG Mike MunchakC Bruce MatthewsDE Sean JonesDT Ray ChildressP Greg Montgomery 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.BIG SALARY MAY END MOON’S OILERS DAYS https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/01/18/big-salary-may-end-moons-oilers-days/ Chicago Tribune Tribune Publishing 31 May 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240531173410/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/01/18/big-salary-may-end-moons-oilers-days/ May 31, 2024 January 18, 1994 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.Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M.; and Korch, Rich The Sports Encyclopedia: Pro Football, 12th Edition, p.680, Martin's Press, August 1994, 0-312-11073-1 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.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." 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,Pro Football Prospectus 2006 (0761142177), p. 73–75 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 top offense of the 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.Litsky Frank PRO FOOTBALL; Vikings Near On a Deal To Acquire Oilers' Moon https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/14/sports/pro-football-vikings-near-on-a-deal-to-acquire-oilers-moon.html New York Times 31 May 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20150526103729/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/14/sports/pro-football-vikings-near-on-a-deal-to-acquire-oilers-moon.html May 26, 2015 April 14, 1994 This would be their last winning season and playoff appearance under the Houston Oilers name,Tennessee Titans Franchise Encyclopedia https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/index.htm Pro Football Reference 31 May 2024 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.Houston '93 A Football Life A Football Life NFL Network December 10, 2013 3 15 Season Review "Babygate" 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.https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19931104/1729901/seahawk-notebook----babygate-one-of-many-troubles-for-93-oilers Seahawk Notebook -- 'Babygate' One of Many Troubles for '93 Oilers Buddy Ryan-Kevin Gilbride Conflict 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.YouTube video: Buddy Ryan punching Kevin Gilbride 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 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 rumors 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."Smith Brian T. Two members of 1993 Oilers were gay; teammates knew, didn't care December 26, 2013 Houston Chronicle http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2013/12/two-members-of-1993-oilers-were-gay-teammates-knew-didnt-care/ https://web.archive.org/web/20140127090552/http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2013/12/two-members-of-1993-oilers-were-gay-teammates-knew-didnt-care/ January 27, 2014 live mdy Lamar Lathon added that he had "never seen tougher guys than those guys." Jeff Alm's suicide Late in the season, the Oilers suffered the loss of reserve defensive tackle Jeff Alm, who had played two games earlier in the season and was due back soon after rehabilitating a broken leg.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlmxJe20.htm Jeff Alm Stats 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.https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/15/sports/pro-football-a-friend-dies-and-oiler-kills-himself.html PRO FOOTBALL; A Friend Dies, and Oiler Kills Himself The New York Times December 15, 1993 Verhovek Sam Howe 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 NFL draft 1993 NFL draft 1993 Houston Oilers 1 13 Brad Hopkins Offensive tackle Illinois yes yes 2 47 Micheal Barrow Linebacker Miami (FL) yes 4 102 Travis Hannah Wide receiver USC yes 5 131 John Henry Mills Linebacker Wake Forest yes yes 6 158 Chuck Bradley Offensive tackle Kentucky 7 187 Patrick Robinson Wide receiver Tennessee State 8 214 Blaine Bishop Safety Ball State yes yes no https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/1993_draft.htm 1993 Houston Oilers Draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com January 11, 2014 Undrafted free agents + 1993 undrafted free agents of note Player Position College Lee Williamson Quarterback Presbyterian Personnel Staff 1993 Houston Oilers Owner/Chairman of the Board/President – Bud Adams Executive Vice President/General Manager – Mike Holovak Assistant General Manager – Floyd Reese Head Coach – Jack Pardee Offensive Coordinator – Kevin Gilbride Running Backs – Frank Novak Receivers – Charlie Baggett Offensive Line – Bob Young Defensive Coordinator – Buddy Ryan Defensive Line – Jim Stanley Linebackers – Ronnie Jones Defensive Backs – Tom Bettis Quality Control – Frank Bush Special Teams – Gregg Williams Strength and Rehabilitation – Steve Watterson Roster 1993 Houston Oilers 14 Cody Carlson  1 Warren Moon  7 Bucky Richardson 33 Gary Brown running back 47 Le'Shai Maston y 32 Spencer Tillman 44 Lorenzo White 89 Reggie Brown wide receiver, born 1970 87 Pat Coleman 85 Willie Drewrey 80 Curtis Duncan 81 Ernest Givins 82 Travis Hannah y 84 Haywood Jeffires 82 Tony Jones wide receiver 86 Damon Mays 88 Gary Wellman 48 John Henry Mills y 66 Doug Dawson G 77 Kevin Donnalley T 72 Brad Hopkins y T 74 Bruce Matthews C 63 Mike Munchak G 64 Erik Norgard C 70 Stan Thomas American football T 73 David Williams offensive lineman T 79 Ray Childress DT 95 William Fuller American football DE 96 Sean Jones defensive end DE 78 Keith McCants DE 94 Glenn Montgomery DT 68 Tim Roberts American football DT 71 Mike Teeter DE 97 Lee Williams American football DE 56 Micheal Barrow y MLB 59 Joe Bowden OLB 56 Scott Kozak OLB 57 Lamar Lathon OLB 58 Wilber Marshall OLB 50 Eddie Robinson Jr. OLB 54 Al Smith American football MLB 36 Melvin Aldridge y FS 23 Blaine Bishop y SS 22 Tony Brown defensive back, b. 1970 CB 28 Cris Dishman CB 27 Terry Hoage FS 24 Steve Jackson defensive back CB 25 Bubba McDowell SS 26 Bo Orlando FS  3 Al Del Greco K  9 Greg Montgomery P 38 Mike Dumas S IR 55 John Flannery American football C IR 29 Darryll Lewis CB IR 31 Marcus Robertson S IR 89 Webster Slaughter WR IR 51 active, 5 inactive, 4 practice squad 20 Manny Martin CB 60 Jeff Neal y offensive lineman G 75 LeRoy Truitt OT 10 Lee Williamson American football QB https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/1993_roster.htm 1993 Houston Oilers starters, roster, and players Pro-Football-Reference.com October 28, 2014 Regular season Schedule 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, 1993 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 Week 1: at New Orleans Saints Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Houston Oilers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary September 5 7:00 p.m. CDT Oilers 7 0 0 14 Saints 3 10 6 14 Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 69,029 None (indoor stadium) TNT Gary Bender and Pat Haden Box score First quarter HOU – Haywood Jeffires 6-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 7–0. NO – Morten Andersen 28-yard field goal. Oilers 7–3. Second quarter NO – Dalton Hilliard 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick). Saints 10–7. NO – Morten Andersen 37-yard field goal. Saints 13–7. Third quarter NO – Morten Andersen 18-yard field goal. Saints 16–7. NO – Morten Andersen 47-yard field goal. Saints 19–7. Fourth quarter NO – Frank Warren 47-yard fumble return (Morten Andersen kick). Saints 26–7. NO – Derek Brown 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick). Saints 33–7. HOU – Cody Carlson 1-yard run (Al Del Greco kick). Saints 33–14. HOU – Marcus Robertson 80-yard fumble return (Al Del Greco kick). Saints 33–21. Top passers HOU – Warren Moon – 21/32, 241 yards, TD, INT NO – Wade Wilson – 16/25, 206 yards Top rushers HOU – Lorenzo White – 15 rushes, 59 yards NO – Lorenzo Neal – 13 rushes, 89 yards Top receivers HOU – Curtis Duncan – 4 receptions, 90 yards NO – Eric Martin – 7 receptions, 111 yards 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 Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Oilers – Game summary September 12 12:00 p.m. CDT Chiefs 0 0 0 0 Oilers 0 7 6 17 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 59,780 None (indoor stadium) Howard Roe NBC Marv Albert and Paul Maguire Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HOU – Curtis Duncan 2-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 7–0. Third quarter HOU – Al Del Greco 25-yard field goal. Oilers 10–0. HOU – Al Del Greco 22-yard field goal. Oilers 13–0. Fourth quarter HOU – Al Del Greco 50-yard field goal. Oilers 16–0. HOU – Cris Dishman 58-yard fumble return (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 23–0. HOU – Lorenzo White 1-yard run (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 30–0. Top passers KC – Dave Krieg – 15/27, 175 yards, 2 INT HOU – Warren Moon – 22/35, 204 yards, TD, INT Top rushers KC – Marcus Allen – 6 receptions, 17 yards HOU – Lorenzo White – 24 rushes, 48 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Willie Davis – 3 receptions, 67 yards HOU – Webster Slaughter – 6 receptions, 74 yards 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 Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 19 3:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT Oilers 0 14 0 3 Chargers 3 6 3 6 Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California 58,519 66 F C Ed Hochuli NBC Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen Box score First quarter SD – John Carney 34-yard field goal. Chargers 3–0. Second quarter SD – John Carney 34-yard field goal. Chargers 6–0. SD – John Carney 27-yard field goal. Chargers 9–0. HOU – Webster Slaughter 2-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Chargers 9–7. HOU – Darryll Lewis 47-yard interception return (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 14–9. Third quarter SD – John Carney 27-yard field goal. Oilers 14–12. Fourth quarter SD – John Carney 36-yard field goal. Chargers 15–14. HOU – Al Del Greco 27-yard field goal. Oilers 17–15. SD – John Carney 27-yard field goal. Chargers 18–17. Top passers HOU – Warren Moon – 19/37, 199 yards, TD, 4 INT SD – John Friesz – 8/15, 110 yards Top rushers HOU – Lorenzo White – 13 rushes, 47 yards SD – Marion Butts – 16 rushes, 66 yards Top receivers HOU – Webster Slaughter – 7 receptions, 60 yards, TD SD – Nate Lewis – 2 receptions, 57 yards 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 Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Los Angeles Rams at Houston Oilers – Game summary September 26 12:00 p.m. CDT Rams 7 7 7 7 Oilers 0 3 10 0 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 53,072 None (played indoors) CBS Box score First quarter RAM – Flipper Anderson 4-yard pass from Jim Everett (Tony Zendejas kick). Rams 7–0. Second quarter RAM – Jerome Bettis 1-yard run (Tony Zendejas kick). Rams 14–0. HOU – Al Del Greco 52-yard field goal. Rams 14–3. Third quarter HOU – Al Del Greco 25-yard field goal. Rams 14–6. HOU – Ernest Givins 80-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Rams 14–13. RAM – Travis McNeal 22-yard pass from Jim Everett (Tony Zendejas kick). Rams 21–13. Fourth quarter RAM – Henry Ellard 48-yard pass from Jim Everett (Tony Zendejas kick). Rams 28–13. Top passers RAM – Jim Everett – 19/28, 316 yards, 3 TD HOU – Warren Moon – 19/42, 310 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers RAM – Jerome Bettis – 11 rushes, 25 yards, TD HOU – Lorenzo White – 19 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers RAM – Henry Ellard – 6 receptions, 132 yards, TD HOU – Ernest Givins – 3 receptions, 107 yards, TD 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 Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Houston Oilers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary October 11, 1993 7:00 p.m. CDT/9:00 p.m. EDT Oilers 7 0 0 0 Bills 7 21 0 7 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 79,613 41 F C Tom White ABC Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, and Dan Dierdorf Box score First quarter BUF – Don Beebe 34-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick). Bills 7–0. HOU – Leonard Harris 17-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Tied 7–7. Second quarter BUF – Andre Reed 24-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick). Bills 14–7. BUF – Andre Reed 39-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick). Bills 21–7. BUF – Thurman Thomas 7-yard run (Steve Christie kick). Bills 28–7. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter BUF – Kenneth Davis 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick). Bills 35–7. Top passers HOU – Warren Moon – 16/25, 177 yards, TD, 3 INT BUF – Jim Kelly – 15/25, 247 yards, 3 TD Top rushers HOU – Lorenzo White – 12 rushes, 38 yards BUF – Thurman Thomas – 24 rushes, 92 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Lorenzo White – 8 receptions, 65 yards BUF – Andre Reed – 4 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD 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 an eleven game win streak. Week 7: at New England Patriots Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Houston Oilers at New England Patriots – Game summary October 17 12:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. EDT Oilers 0 14 7 7 Patriots 0 0 7 7 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 51,037 53 F C Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HOU – Cody Carlson 10-yard run (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 7–0. HOU – Webster Slaughter 7-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 14–0. Third quarter NE – Kevin Turner 7-yard pass from Scott Secules (Scott Sisson kick). Oilers 14–7. HOU – Webster Slaughter 2-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 21–7. Fourth quarter HOU – Steve Jackson 22-yard interception return (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 28–7. NE – Leonard Russell 1-yard run (Scott Sisson kick). Oilers 28–14. Top passers HOU – Warren Moon – 16/21, 102 yards, 2 TD NE – Scott Secules – 23/40, 280 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers HOU – Lorenzo White – 20 rushes, 94 yards NE – Leonard Russell – 15 rushes, 42 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Webster Slaughter – 9 receptions, 57 yards, 2 TD NE – Ben Coates – 3 receptions, 68 yards 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. This would be their last road win against New England until 2019. Week 8: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Oilers – Game summary October 24 12:00 p.m. CDT Bengals 0 9 3 0 Oilers 7 0 7 14 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 50,039 None (indoor stadium) Box score First quarter HOU – Gary Wellman 9-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 7–0. Second quarter CIN – Jeff Query 8-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (kick failed). Oilers 7–6. CIN – Doug Pelfrey 53-yard field goal. Bengals 9–7. Third quarter CIN – Doug Pelfrey 50-yard field goal. Bengals 12–7. HOU – Lorenzo White 4-yard run (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 14–12. Fourth quarter HOU – Haywood Jeffires 11-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 21–12. HOU – Gary Brown 25-yard run (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 28–12. Top passers CIN – Jay Schroeder – 17/31, 213 yards, TD HOU – Warren Moon – 24/34, 253 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CIN – Harold Green – 13 rushes, 47 yards HOU – Lorenzo White – 17 rushes, 63 yards, TD Top receivers CIN – Carl Pickens – 7 receptions, 127 yards HOU – Haywood Jeffires – 7 receptions, 68 yards, TD Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Seattle Seahawks at Houston Oilers – Game summary November 7 12:00 p.m. CST Seahawks 7 0 0 7 Oilers 13 9 2 0 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 50,447 None (indoor stadium) Howard Roe NBC Dan Hicks and Joe Gibbs Box score Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Houston Oilers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary November 14 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST Oilers 7 21 10 0 Bengals 0 0 3 0 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 42,347 Box score Week 12: at Cleveland Browns Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Houston Oilers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 21 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST Oilers 0 14 3 10 Browns 3 7 0 10 Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 71,668 Box score Week 13: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – Game summary November 28 7:00 p.m. CST Steelers 0 3 0 0 Oilers 0 10 10 3 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 61,238 None (indoor stadium) Gerald Austin ESPN Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann Box score Week 14: vs. Atlanta Falcons Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Oilers – Game summary December 5 12:00 p.m. CST Falcons 0 7 7 3 Oilers 3 3 14 13 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 58,186 None (indoor stadium) Box score Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: Cleveland Browns at Houston Oilers – Game summary December 12 12:00 p.m. CST Browns 10 0 7 0 Oilers 3 13 0 3 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 58,720 None (indoor stadium) Box score Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary December 19 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST Oilers 14 6 3 3 Steelers 0 3 7 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 57,592 Cloudy, 37 F C Bernie Kukar NBC Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth Box score 5 days after Jeff Alm's tragic death, the Oilers secured their 9th consecutive win in a row by sweeping the Steelers to improve to 10-4 and clinched the AFC Central. Week 17: at San Francisco 49ers Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: Houston Oilers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary December 25, 1993 4:30 p.m. CST/2:30 p.m. PST Oilers 0 10 0 0 49ers 0 0 0 7 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 61,744 Box score Despite being held to 10 points, the Oilers won their 10th straight game to improve to 11-4. A Chiefs loss to Minnesota the next day would result in Houston clinching the #2 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. Week 18: vs. New York Jets Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 18: New York Jets at Houston Oilers – Game summary January 2, 1994 7:00 p.m. CST Jets 0 0 0 0 Oilers 7 7 3 7 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 61,040 None (indoor stadium) ESPN Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann Box score First quarter HOU – Ernest Givins 22-yard pass from Cody Carlson (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 7–0. Second quarter HOU – Gary Brown 8-yard pass from Cody Carlson (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 14–0. Third quarter HOU – Al Del Greco 38-yard field goal. Oilers 17–0. Fourth quarter HOU – Gary Brown 16-yard run (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 24–0. Top passers NYJ – Boomer Esiason – 11/26, 119 yards, INT HOU – Cody Carlson – 23/38, 247 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers NYJ – Johnny Johnson – 12 rushes, 42 yards HOU – Gary Brown – 22 rushes, 85 yards, TD Top receivers NYJ – Johnny Mitchell – 1 reception, 43 yards HOU – Gary Wellman – 8 receptions, 106 yards 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 Playoffs AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Kansas City Chiefs Houston Oilers 1993 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Divisional Playoffs: (3) Kansas City Chiefs at (2) Houston Oilers – Game summary January 16, 1994 3:00 p.m. CST Chiefs 0 0 7 21 Oilers 10 0 0 10 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 64,011 None (indoor stadium) Gerald Austin NBC Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy Box score First quarter HOU – Al Del Greco 49-yard field goal. Oilers 3–0. HOU – Gary Brown 2-yard run (Al Del Greco kick). Oilers 10–0. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter KC – Keith Cash 7-yard pass from Joe Montana (Nick Lowery kick). Oilers 10–7. Fourth quarter HOU – Al Del Greco 43-yard field goal. Oilers 13–7. KC – J. J. Birden 11-yard pass from Joe Montana (Nick Lowery kick). Chiefs 14–13. KC – Willie Davis 18-yard pass from Joe Montana (Nick Lowery kick). Chiefs 21–13. HOU – Ernest Givens 7-yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick). Chiefs 21–20. KC – Marcus Allen 21-yard run (Nick Lowery kick). Chiefs 28–20. Top passers KC – Joe Montana – 22/38, 299 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT HOU – Warren Moon – 32/43, 306 yards, TD, INT Top rushers KC – Marcus Allen – 14 rushes, 74 yards, TD HOU – Gary Brown – 11 rushes, 17 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Willie Davis – 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD HOU – Haywood Jeffires – 9 receptions, 88 yards 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 Haywood Jeffires, Pro Bowl Selection Warren Moon, Pro Bowl Selection Bruce Mathews, Pro Bowl Selectionhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1993/probowl.htm 1993 NFL Pro Bowlers Greg Montgomery, Pro Bowl Selection Ray Childress, Pro Bowl Selection Mike Munchak, Pro Bowl Selection Sean Jones, Pro Bowl Selection Webster Slaughter, Pro Bowl Selection Milestones 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 List of NFL teams affected by internal conflict References 30em External links 1993 Houston Oilers at Pro-Football-Reference.com Houston Oilers Category:Houston Oilers seasons Category:AFC Central championship seasons Houston