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 Buffalo Bills.
Offseason
NFL draft
[1]
Personnel
1988 Houston Oilers staff
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Front office
- Owner/Chairman of the Board/President – Bud Adams
- Executive Vice President/General Manager – Ladd Herzeg
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
- Quarterbacks – June Jones
- Running Backs – Ray Sherman
- Receivers – Milt Jackson
- Tight Ends – Richard Smith
- Offensive Line – Kim Helton
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Defensive coaches
- Defensive Line – Doug Shively
- Linebackers – Floyd Reese
- Secondary – Nick Saban
Special teams coaches
- Special Teams – Richard Smith
- Special Teams Intern- Dwight Point
Strength and conditioning
- Strength and Rehabilitation – Steve Watterson
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Roster
1988 Houston Oilers roster
| Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
- 80 Curtis Duncan
- 81 Ernest Givins
- 83 Leonard Harris
- 85 Drew Hill
- 84 Haywood Jeffires
Tight ends (TE)
- 88 Chris Verhulst
- 87 Jamie Williams
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Offensive linemen (OL)
- 77 Bruce Davis T
- 73 John Davis G
- 78 Don Maggs G/T
- 74 Bruce Matthews G
- 63 Mike Munchak G
- 52 Jay Pennison C
- 70 Dean Steinkuhler T
- 75 Vince Stroth G/T
Defensive linemen (DL)
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Linebackers (LB)
- 56 Toby Caston ILB
- 51 Eric Fairs OLB
- 59 John Grimsley ILB
- 57 Walter Johnson OLB
- 93 Robert Lyles OLB
- 91 Johnny Meads OLB
- 53 Eugene Seale ILB
- 54 Al Smith ILB
Defensive backs (DB)
- 29 Patrick Allen CB
- 25 Keith Bostic SS
- 24 Steve Brown CB
- 38 Domingo Bryant SS
- 28 Cris Dishman CB
- 31 Jeff Donaldson FS
- 21 Tracey Eaton FS
- 23 Richard Johnson CB
Special teams (ST)
- 9 Greg Montgomery P
- 7 Tony Zendejas K
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Reserve
- -- Kurt Crain LB
 (IR)
- 82 Willie Drewrey WR (IR)
- -- Mark Dusbabek LB (IR)
- 22 Kenny Johnson S (IR)
- 27 Quintin Jones S (IR)
- 26 Audray McMillian CB (IR)
- -- David Viaene C/G (IR)
- 35 Ray Wallace RB (IR)
- 69 Doug Williams G (IR)
- -- Almon Young G (IR)
47 active, 10 inactive
Rookies in italics
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Regular season
Schedule
| Week
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Date
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Opponent
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Result
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Record
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Venue
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Attendance
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| 1
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September 4
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at Indianapolis Colts
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W 17–14 (OT)
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1–0
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Hoosier Dome
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57,251
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| 2
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September 11
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Los Angeles Raiders
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W 38–35
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2–0
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Astrodome
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46,050
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| 3
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September 18
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at New York Jets
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L 3–45
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2–1
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Giants Stadium
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64,683
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| 4
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September 25
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New England Patriots
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W 31–6
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3–1
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Astrodome
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38,646
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| 5
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October 2
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at Philadelphia Eagles
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L 23–32
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3–2
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Veterans Stadium
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64,692
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| 6
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October 9
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Kansas City Chiefs
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W 7–6
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4–2
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Astrodome
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39,134
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| 7
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October 16
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at Pittsburgh Steelers
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W 34–14
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5–2
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Three Rivers Stadium
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52,229
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| 8
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October 23
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at Cincinnati Bengals
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L 21–44
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5–3
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Riverfront Stadium
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54,659
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| 9
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October 30
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Washington Redskins
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W 41–17
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6–3
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Astrodome
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48,781
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| 10
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November 7
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Cleveland Browns
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W 24–17
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7–3
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Astrodome
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51,467
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| 11
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November 13
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at Seattle Seahawks
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L 24–27
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7–4
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Kingdome
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60,446
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| 12
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November 20
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Phoenix Cardinals
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W 38–20
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8–4
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Astrodome
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43,843
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| 13
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November 24
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at Dallas Cowboys
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W 25–17
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9–4
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Texas Stadium
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50,845
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| 14
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December 4
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Pittsburgh Steelers
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L 34–37
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9–5
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Astrodome
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47,791
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| 15
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December 11
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Cincinnati Bengals
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W 41–6
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10–5
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Astrodome
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50,269
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| 16
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December 18
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at Cleveland Browns
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L 23–28
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10–6
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Cleveland Municipal Stadium
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74,610
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Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Season summary
Week 1
The game started at 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 4, 1988, in Hoosier Dome.
First Quarter:
Second Quarter:
Third Quarter:
No points scored.
Fourth Quarter:
No points scored.
Overtime:
The game ended in overtime at 17-14, with the Houston Oilers on top.
Week 2
The game started at 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 11, 1988. The game was played at the Houston Astrodome. In the first quarter, Marcus Allen of the Raiders rushed one yard for a touchdown. That same quarter, Allen Pinkett of the Oilers rushed three yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Willie Gault of the Raiders received a 42-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein for a touchdown. In that quarter, Tim Brown of the Raiders also received a 4-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein for another touchdown. Allen Pinkett of the Oilers rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the same quarter, Steve Smith of the Raiders received a 9-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein in the same quarter, Drew Hill received a 16-yard pass from Cody Carlson of the Oilers for the fifth touchdown in that quarter between both teams. In the third quarter, Tony Zendejas kicked a 19-yard field goal for the Oilers. In the fourth quarter, Ernest Givins of the Oilers received a 12-yard touchdown pass from Cody Carlson. Also in that quarter, Marcus Allen of the Raiders rushed one yard for a touchdown. Allen Pinkett of the Oilers brought back the lead on that quarter, rushing 6 yards for a touchdown. Eventually, the game ended 38-35 with the Oilers on top, resulting in a win.[2]
Week 3
The game started at 1:00 PM on Sunday, September 18, 1988. The game was played at Giants Stadium. In the first quarter, Tony Zendejas of the Oilers kicked a 30-yard field goal, scoring the only points of the game for the Oilers. Kurt Sohn of the New York Jets received a 8-yard pass from Ken O'Brien for a touchdown in the same quarter. Also in the first quarter, Freeman McNeil of the New York Jets rushed 8 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Wesley Walker of the New York Jets received two touchdown passes from . Ken O'Brien, with the distances being 4-yards and 50-yards. In the third quarter, Pat Leahy of the Jets kicked a 47-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Wesley Walker received a 23-yard pass from Pat Ryan, resulting in a touchdown. Also in that quarter, Mike Zordich of the Jets intercepted a pass, and ran 35 yards for a touchdown. The final score was 45-3, with the New York Jets on top. This game was a loss for the Oilers.
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
This would be Houston's last win on the road against the Cowboys until 2024.
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Standings
Playoffs
| Week
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Date
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Opponent
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Result
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Attendance
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| Wild Card
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December 24
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at Cleveland Browns
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W 24–23
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74,977
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| Divisional
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January 1, 1989
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at Buffalo Bills
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L 10–17
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79,532
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AFC Wild Card
This was the last time an NFL team from Houston won a playoff game on the road. The Oilers would lose their next four road playoff games in Houston, and the Houston Texans are 0-6 in road playoff games as of 2024.
AFC Divisional
Awards and records
- Warren Moon, Pro Bowl
- Warren Moon, All-Pro selection
Milestones
- Drew Hill, 3rd 1,000 Yard Receiving Season (1,141)
References
External links
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- Founded in 1960
- Formerly the Houston Oilers (1960–1996) and Tennessee Oilers (1997–1998)
- Based and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee
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| Franchise | |
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| Stadiums | |
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| Culture | |
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| Lore | |
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| Rivalries | |
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| Division championships (11) | |
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| Conference championships (1) | |
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| League championships (2) | |
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| Retired numbers | |
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| Media | |
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| Current league affiliations | |
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| Former league affiliation | |
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| Key personnel | |
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