Dec. 19, 2003, 1:17AM
Lions will soon own familiar record for road losses
By JOHN McCLAIN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THE WRITER: John McClain covers the NFL for the Chronicle.
McClain's Super Bowl picks:
AFC NFC
1. Patriots 1. Eagles
2. Colts 2. Rams
3. Chiefs 3. Vikings
4. Titans 4. Cowboys
5. Broncos 5. Panthers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
McClain's Picks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Rather interesting that Houston's former NFL team returns to our city to play on the same day that one of its records of dubious distinction is about to be deleted from our football memory bank.
If Detroit loses at Carolina, as expected, the Lions will own sole possession of a record they have shared with the Oilers for the last week.
Barring an upset by the last-place Lions over the first-place Panthers, Detroit will enter the record book with its 24th consecutive loss on the road -- a streak that began early in the 2001 season and can't end before 2004.
As a witness to the Oilers' 23 consecutive road losses between the 1981 and 1984 seasons, I can sympathize with the Detroit organization. To lose that many road games in succession, a team has to be bad and unlucky -- a difficult combination to overcome.
Truthfully, the Oilers of coaches Ed Biles, Chuck Studley and Hugh Campbell were bad at home and dreadful on the road -- lovable losers during that period of incompetence that was born out of the rubble of the Luv Ya Blue era.
Their circle of ineptness included such future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as running back Earl Campbell, defensive end Elvin Bethea, guard Mike Munchak and tight end Dave Casper as well as two more who are on the highway to Canton, Ohio -- guard Bruce Matthews and quarterback Warren Moon.
Also wearing Columbia blue during those Sundays of infamy were quarterbacks Kenny Stabler and Archie Manning -- two of the best in NFL history not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
You might wonder how a team with Stabler, Manning and Moon at quarterback could lose 23 consecutive road games. Well, for one thing, they also had Gifford Nielsen and Oliver Luck at quarterback.
The reason a team with so much star power could become such a pushover away from the Astrodome is because the players crossed paths at different stages of their careers. Bethea and Campbell were going down. Munchak and Matthews were going up. Casper was going in circles.
By the time Moon arrived from Canada, Manning had been deported to Minnesota, Stabler had been shipped to New Orleans, Nielsen was starting a career as a sportscaster at Channel 11 and Rhodes Scholar candidate Luck was on his way to earning a degree in international law.
Looking back, it's difficult to believe the 1981 Oilers began the season with consecutive road victories over the Rams and Browns. That 9-3 Monday Night Football victory at Cleveland on Sept. 13 would be their last road win until Nov. 11, 1984.
During the historic dark period they suffered 20 of the 23 consecutive road losses by more than seven points. Eighteen of 23 were double-digit defeats. Their closest loss was by three points at the Giants in 1982, and their most decisive defeat was by 32 at Atlanta in 1984.
The Oilers, who lost those 23 games by an average of 15.8 points, had some interesting experiences along the way.
They began the 1983 season with eight consecutive losses, extending their losing streak to 15 games dating to the second game of the nine-game 1982 season that was abbreviated because of a players strike.
After losing a 13-10 overtime game at Kansas City, they traveled to Cleveland. Desperate times required desperate measures. Guadalupe Flores, a 40-year-old "born healer" offered help in the form of "spiritual guidance" after hearing the fans were booing Nielsen.
Flores thought she had lifted the hex on the Oilers against the Chiefs, but she didn't account for overtime. She wasn't going to make the same mistake against the Browns. She made a "protection doll" and put the names and pictures of all the Oilers on the doll. The doll protected them and kept them safe.
"The Oilers have to be believers," Flores said. "Then, they have to repent their sins. And they also have to bathe in the unjinx soap."
Flores claimed that if her solution didn't work against the Browns, she would have to attend the next game -- at home against the Bengals.
"If I go to a game, and I say fumble, they fumble," she claimed.
When they played the Browns, the Oilers almost made Flores a star who would have been pursued by Johnny Carson, but owner Bud Adams must not have sprung for the unjinx soap. They took the Browns into overtime but lost 25-19, saddling them with an 0-9 record and a 16-game losing streak -- not to mention 15 consecutive losses on the road.
Studley, the defensive coordinator who was interim coach in place of Biles during the 1983 season, wasn't invited back. General manager Ladd Herzeg hired Campbell, who had coached Moon in the Canadian Football League. Campbell helped Herzeg convince Moon to sign what was the most lucrative contract in NFL history -- $5.5 million over five years.
In typical fashion, the Oilers began the Moon era with 10 consecutive losses. Their 0-10 record extended their road losing streak to 23 games when they lost 35-7 at Pittsburgh on Nov. 4.
One week later, before a crowd of 44,464 at Arrowhead Stadium, first-year defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville called so many blitzes the league's worst defense registered five sacks to help the Oilers shock the Chiefs 17-16. It was their first road win since Stabler and Casper were trying to work in Houston the "Ghost to the Post" magic they made famous with the Raiders.
The victory made the Oilers so confident they defeated the Jets in the Astrodome the next week, but they wouldn't win another road game until Oct. 27, 1985, at St. Louis.
With two games left in that 1985 season, Campbell was fired and replaced by Glanville. It wasn't until 1987 that the Oilers got rid of their tag as lovable losers and showed Houston what it was like to win NFL games again.
Unlike the 1972 Dolphins who went 17-0 and toast champagne each season when the last undefeated team suffers a loss, there won't be any celebrations among former Oilers on Sunday when the Lions replace them as the worst road franchise in NFL history.
Unless Nielsen hoists a glass of milk with Luck, chief executive officer of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.
Someday, though, at a time when few, if any, in Tennessee will understand the significance, Houston football fans with long memories will pop the corks on every bottle of champagne within the city limits if another record is broken -- that blown 32-point lead that was written in the record book Jan. 3, 1993.
John McClain covers the NFL for the Chronicle. His column appears Fridays.
America's Line McClain's pick
Tennessee (10-4) minus-10 at Houston (5-9): Titans 20-13
Atlanta (3-11) plus-7 at Tampa Bay (7-7): Bucs 20-10
Kansas City (12-2) minus-3 at Minnesota (8-6): Chiefs 30-20
Patriots (12-2) minus-3 at NY Jets (6-8): Patriots 21-20
Miami (8-6) plus-1 at Buffalo (6-8): Dolphins 20-16
Baltimore (8-6) minus-3 at Cleveland (4-10): Ravens 23-17
Washington (5-9) plus-4 at Chicago (6-8): Bears 24-16
Cincinnati (8-6) plus-7 at St. Louis (11-3): Rams 30-27
Detroit (4-10) plus-10 at Carolina (9-5): Panthers 21-17
New Orleans (7-7) minus-1 at Jacksonville (4-10): Jaguars 23-20
NY Giants (4-10) plus-10 1/2 at Dallas (9-5): Cowboys 23-16
San Diego (3-11) plus-6 at Pittsburgh (5-9): Steelers 24-17
San Francisco (6-8) plus-7 1/2 at Philadelphia (11-3): Eagles 27-16
Arizona (3-11) plus-13 at Seattle (8-6): Seahawks 34-13
Denver (9-5) plus-7 at Indianapolis (11-3): Colts 27-24
Green Bay (8-6) minus-5 at Oakland (4-10): Packers 20-17
·Last week: 13-3 straight up, 9-7 against spread.
·Season: 147-77 straight up, 1113-101-10 against spread.
Lions will soon own familiar record for road losses
By JOHN McCLAIN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THE WRITER: John McClain covers the NFL for the Chronicle.
McClain's Super Bowl picks:
AFC NFC
1. Patriots 1. Eagles
2. Colts 2. Rams
3. Chiefs 3. Vikings
4. Titans 4. Cowboys
5. Broncos 5. Panthers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
McClain's Picks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Rather interesting that Houston's former NFL team returns to our city to play on the same day that one of its records of dubious distinction is about to be deleted from our football memory bank.
If Detroit loses at Carolina, as expected, the Lions will own sole possession of a record they have shared with the Oilers for the last week.
Barring an upset by the last-place Lions over the first-place Panthers, Detroit will enter the record book with its 24th consecutive loss on the road -- a streak that began early in the 2001 season and can't end before 2004.
As a witness to the Oilers' 23 consecutive road losses between the 1981 and 1984 seasons, I can sympathize with the Detroit organization. To lose that many road games in succession, a team has to be bad and unlucky -- a difficult combination to overcome.
Truthfully, the Oilers of coaches Ed Biles, Chuck Studley and Hugh Campbell were bad at home and dreadful on the road -- lovable losers during that period of incompetence that was born out of the rubble of the Luv Ya Blue era.
Their circle of ineptness included such future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as running back Earl Campbell, defensive end Elvin Bethea, guard Mike Munchak and tight end Dave Casper as well as two more who are on the highway to Canton, Ohio -- guard Bruce Matthews and quarterback Warren Moon.
Also wearing Columbia blue during those Sundays of infamy were quarterbacks Kenny Stabler and Archie Manning -- two of the best in NFL history not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
You might wonder how a team with Stabler, Manning and Moon at quarterback could lose 23 consecutive road games. Well, for one thing, they also had Gifford Nielsen and Oliver Luck at quarterback.
The reason a team with so much star power could become such a pushover away from the Astrodome is because the players crossed paths at different stages of their careers. Bethea and Campbell were going down. Munchak and Matthews were going up. Casper was going in circles.
By the time Moon arrived from Canada, Manning had been deported to Minnesota, Stabler had been shipped to New Orleans, Nielsen was starting a career as a sportscaster at Channel 11 and Rhodes Scholar candidate Luck was on his way to earning a degree in international law.
Looking back, it's difficult to believe the 1981 Oilers began the season with consecutive road victories over the Rams and Browns. That 9-3 Monday Night Football victory at Cleveland on Sept. 13 would be their last road win until Nov. 11, 1984.
During the historic dark period they suffered 20 of the 23 consecutive road losses by more than seven points. Eighteen of 23 were double-digit defeats. Their closest loss was by three points at the Giants in 1982, and their most decisive defeat was by 32 at Atlanta in 1984.
The Oilers, who lost those 23 games by an average of 15.8 points, had some interesting experiences along the way.
They began the 1983 season with eight consecutive losses, extending their losing streak to 15 games dating to the second game of the nine-game 1982 season that was abbreviated because of a players strike.
After losing a 13-10 overtime game at Kansas City, they traveled to Cleveland. Desperate times required desperate measures. Guadalupe Flores, a 40-year-old "born healer" offered help in the form of "spiritual guidance" after hearing the fans were booing Nielsen.
Flores thought she had lifted the hex on the Oilers against the Chiefs, but she didn't account for overtime. She wasn't going to make the same mistake against the Browns. She made a "protection doll" and put the names and pictures of all the Oilers on the doll. The doll protected them and kept them safe.
"The Oilers have to be believers," Flores said. "Then, they have to repent their sins. And they also have to bathe in the unjinx soap."
Flores claimed that if her solution didn't work against the Browns, she would have to attend the next game -- at home against the Bengals.
"If I go to a game, and I say fumble, they fumble," she claimed.
When they played the Browns, the Oilers almost made Flores a star who would have been pursued by Johnny Carson, but owner Bud Adams must not have sprung for the unjinx soap. They took the Browns into overtime but lost 25-19, saddling them with an 0-9 record and a 16-game losing streak -- not to mention 15 consecutive losses on the road.
Studley, the defensive coordinator who was interim coach in place of Biles during the 1983 season, wasn't invited back. General manager Ladd Herzeg hired Campbell, who had coached Moon in the Canadian Football League. Campbell helped Herzeg convince Moon to sign what was the most lucrative contract in NFL history -- $5.5 million over five years.
In typical fashion, the Oilers began the Moon era with 10 consecutive losses. Their 0-10 record extended their road losing streak to 23 games when they lost 35-7 at Pittsburgh on Nov. 4.
One week later, before a crowd of 44,464 at Arrowhead Stadium, first-year defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville called so many blitzes the league's worst defense registered five sacks to help the Oilers shock the Chiefs 17-16. It was their first road win since Stabler and Casper were trying to work in Houston the "Ghost to the Post" magic they made famous with the Raiders.
The victory made the Oilers so confident they defeated the Jets in the Astrodome the next week, but they wouldn't win another road game until Oct. 27, 1985, at St. Louis.
With two games left in that 1985 season, Campbell was fired and replaced by Glanville. It wasn't until 1987 that the Oilers got rid of their tag as lovable losers and showed Houston what it was like to win NFL games again.
Unlike the 1972 Dolphins who went 17-0 and toast champagne each season when the last undefeated team suffers a loss, there won't be any celebrations among former Oilers on Sunday when the Lions replace them as the worst road franchise in NFL history.
Unless Nielsen hoists a glass of milk with Luck, chief executive officer of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.
Someday, though, at a time when few, if any, in Tennessee will understand the significance, Houston football fans with long memories will pop the corks on every bottle of champagne within the city limits if another record is broken -- that blown 32-point lead that was written in the record book Jan. 3, 1993.
John McClain covers the NFL for the Chronicle. His column appears Fridays.
America's Line McClain's pick
Tennessee (10-4) minus-10 at Houston (5-9): Titans 20-13
Atlanta (3-11) plus-7 at Tampa Bay (7-7): Bucs 20-10
Kansas City (12-2) minus-3 at Minnesota (8-6): Chiefs 30-20
Patriots (12-2) minus-3 at NY Jets (6-8): Patriots 21-20
Miami (8-6) plus-1 at Buffalo (6-8): Dolphins 20-16
Baltimore (8-6) minus-3 at Cleveland (4-10): Ravens 23-17
Washington (5-9) plus-4 at Chicago (6-8): Bears 24-16
Cincinnati (8-6) plus-7 at St. Louis (11-3): Rams 30-27
Detroit (4-10) plus-10 at Carolina (9-5): Panthers 21-17
New Orleans (7-7) minus-1 at Jacksonville (4-10): Jaguars 23-20
NY Giants (4-10) plus-10 1/2 at Dallas (9-5): Cowboys 23-16
San Diego (3-11) plus-6 at Pittsburgh (5-9): Steelers 24-17
San Francisco (6-8) plus-7 1/2 at Philadelphia (11-3): Eagles 27-16
Arizona (3-11) plus-13 at Seattle (8-6): Seahawks 34-13
Denver (9-5) plus-7 at Indianapolis (11-3): Colts 27-24
Green Bay (8-6) minus-5 at Oakland (4-10): Packers 20-17
·Last week: 13-3 straight up, 9-7 against spread.
·Season: 147-77 straight up, 1113-101-10 against spread.
