1996_Houston_Oilers_season
1996 Houston Oilers season
37th season in franchise history, final one in Houston
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,[1] 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.
| 1996 Houston Oilers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Bud Adams |
| General manager | Floyd Reese |
| Head coach | Jeff Fisher |
| Home field | Houston Astrodome |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 4th AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | OLB John Henry Mills SS Blaine Bishop |
| Uniform | |
The Oilers had already established itself as a lame duck franchise; the league had approved the team's relocation to Nashville, Tennessee a year ahead of schedule, although it was not originally scheduled to take place until 1998.[2] With the team having given up on Houston, the city responded in kind: fan support and attendance dropped to negligible levels for the 1996 season, the team's radio network was all but disbanded, and the local broadcasts were being cut off in favor of preseason NBA basketball.[3] The Oilers, unwilling to continue in Houston after such a debacle, quickly moved to Memphis, Tennessee's Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 1997, becoming the Tennessee Oilers (Memphis, too, would reject the "temporary" housing of the Oilers, forcing the team to move to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville until the new Nashville stadium was finished in 1999).
NFL Draft
| 1996 Houston Oilers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Eddie George * | Running back | Ohio State | |
| 2 | 38 | Bryant Mix | Defensive end | Alcorn State | |
| 2 | 48 | Jason Layman | Offensive tackle | Tennessee | |
| 3 | 74 | Terry Killens | Linebacker | Penn State | |
| 4 | 107 | Kendrick Burton | Defensive end | Alabama | |
| 4 | 109 | Jon Runyan * | Offensive tackle | Michigan | |
| 5 | 143 | Rayna Stewart | Safety | Northern Arizona | |
| 6 | 177 | Anthony Dorsett | Cornerback | Pittsburgh | |
| 7 | 218 | Mike Archie | Running back | Penn State | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 19–20 | 0–1 | Astrodome | 27,725 | |
| 2 | September 8 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 34–27 | 1–1 | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium | 66,468 | |
| 3 | September 15 | Baltimore Ravens | W 29–13 | 2–1 | Astrodome | 20,082 | |
| 4 | Bye | ||||||
| 5 | September 29 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–30 | 2–2 | Three Rivers Stadium | 58,608 | |
| 6 | October 6 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–27 (OT) | 3–2 | Cinergy Field | 44,680 | |
| 7 | October 13 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 23–13 | 4–2 | Georgia Dome | 35,401 | |
| 8 | October 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 23–13 | 5–2 | Astrodome | 50,337 | |
| 9 | October 27 | San Francisco 49ers | L 9–10 | 5–3 | Astrodome | 53,664 | |
| 10 | November 3 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 16–23 | 5–4 | Kingdome | 36,320 | |
| 11 | November 10 | at New Orleans Saints | W 31–14 | 6–4 | Louisiana Superdome | 34,121 | |
| 12 | November 17 | Miami Dolphins | L 20–23 | 6–5 | Astrodome | 47,358 | |
| 13 | November 24 | Carolina Panthers | L 6–31 | 6–6 | Astrodome | 20,107 | |
| 14 | December 1 | at New York Jets | W 35–10 | 7–6 | Giants Stadium | 21,731 | |
| 15 | December 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 17–23 | 7–7 | Astrodome | 20,196 | |
| 16 | December 15 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 13–21 | 7–8 | Astrodome | 15,131 | |
| 17 | December 22 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 24–21 | 8–8 | Memorial Stadium | 52,704 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Standings
| AFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Pittsburgh Steelers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 344 | 257 | L2 |
| (5) Jacksonville Jaguars | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 325 | 335 | W5 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 372 | 369 | W3 |
| Houston Oilers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 345 | 319 | W1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 371 | 441 | L3 |
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Oilers | 10 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
- Date: September 1
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 27,725
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Beasley Reece (blacked out locally)
- Box score
Week 2: at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 10 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| Jaguars | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: September 8
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 66,468
- TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks and Bart Oates
- Box score
Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Oilers | 14 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 29 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 15
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 20,082
- TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks and Bart Oates (blacked out locally)
- Box score
Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 16 |
| Steelers | 17 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
| Bengals | 0 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Cinergy Field, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: October 6
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT/8:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear, 59 °F (15 °C)
- Game attendance: 44,680
- TV announcers (TNT): Verne Lundquist and Pat Haden
- Box score
Week 7: at Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 13
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 35,401
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Beasley Reece
- Box score
Week 8: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Oilers | 3 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 20
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 50,337
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Beasley Reece (blacked out locally)
- Box score
This would be the second-highest attended game of the season at the Astrodome, with a recorded of attendance of 50,337; however, many of these fans were Steelers' fans. Despite their home stadium being invaded by fans of the opposing team, the Oilers would win the game 23–13. This would be the last game the Oilers would win at the Astrodome.
Week 9: vs. San Francisco 49ers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Oilers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 27
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 53,664
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen (blacked out locally)
- Box score
With a recorded attendance of 53,664, this would be the highest attended game of the season at the Astrodome. Like the previous game, many of the fans in attendance were rooting for the opposing team. The Oilers led for most of the game, but Jeff Brohm would lead the 49ers on what would be the game-winning drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Terrell Owens early in the fourth quarter. The Oilers would have two more chances to take the lead back, but turned the ball over on downs on one drive and quarterback Steve McNair (who had replaced an ineffective Chris Chandler) threw an interception on the Oilers' final drive.
Week 10: at Seattle Seahawks
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 16 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 23 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
- Date: November 3
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 36,320
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks and Bob Golic
- Box score
Week 11: at New Orleans Saints
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Saints | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: November 10
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 34,121
- TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks and Bart Oates
- Box score
Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
| Oilers | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 17
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 47,358
- TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Bob Trumpy (blacked out locally)
- Box score
Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Oilers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Astrodom, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 24
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 20,107
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Harlan and Jerry Glanville (blacked out locally)
- Box score
Week 14: at New York Jets
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Jets | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: December 1
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 21,731
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones, Randy Cross and Len Berman
- Box score
Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| Oilers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 8
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 20,196
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Beasley Reece (blacked out locally)
- Box score
Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| Oilers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 15
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 15,131
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Lampley and Bob Golic (blacked out locally)
- Box score
The Oilers would keep the Bengals scoreless in the first half, but were outscored 21–7 in the second half. This was the last game the Oilers would play in Houston. With the loss, the Oilers dropped to 7–8 and finished with a home record of 2–6.
During the 1995 season, owner Bud Adams announced that the team would be relocating to Tennessee. As a result, fan attendance had been abysmal for the 1996 season, with this game reaching a new low with a recorded attendance of only 15,131. The team's move to Tennessee was not scheduled to take place until 1998, but after a season of fan apathy that resulted in attendance woes, the NFL allowed Adams to move the team a year ahead of schedule. The Oilers would have stadium issues for the next two seasons, playing each season in a different temporary home. The team would play the next season at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee before moving to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee for 1998. The team would find a new permanent home stadium in 1999 at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, with the team being renamed to the Tennessee Titans.
An NFL game would not be played in Houston again until September 8, 2002, with Houston's new NFL franchise, the Houston Texans, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 19–10. The Oilers, then known as the Tennessee Titans, would return to Houston later that year on December 29 to play the Texans. Tennessee would win the game 13–3.
Week 17: at Baltimore Ravens
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Ravens | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 22
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 27 °F (−3 °C)
- Game attendance: 52,704
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Bart Oates
- Box score
The Oilers traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the season finale. The Ravens' comeback attempt fell short, with the Oilers winning the game 24–21, finishing the franchise's last season as the Houston Oilers with an 8–8 record.
- PRO FOOTBALL;N.F.L. Owners Approve Move To Nashville By the Oilers. The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- Oilers hope to prove lame ducks can soar. The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- "1996 Houston Oilers draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- "1996 Houston Oilers starters, roster, and players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 28, 2014.