A Look at the 1960 & 1961 Houston Oilers

The National Football League's 41st season began with the introduction of a new pro football league that was set to serve as competition for the league that had existed for four decades. The brainchild of Lamar Hunt, the American Football League was founded on August 14, 1959, and eight teams were placed all across the country. Two divisions were created. The AFL's East Division consisted of the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Oilers, the Titans of New York, and the Boston Patriots. The AFL's West Division consisted of the Denver Broncos, the Dallas Texans, the Oakland Raiders, and the Los Angeles Chargers.

The AFL's first game was played on September 9, 1960; the Broncos defeating the Patriots, 13-10. The Broncos were in control of the West, until they weren't. Going 0-6-1 in your final seven games will do that. They end up surpassed by the Chargers, who won seven of their final eight games to finish the season, and clinched the West on December 10, 1960. As for the East, it was between the Oilers and the Titans, but only for a month. The Oilers never looked back after Week 5, and went on to clinch the East on December 11, 1960.

Similar to the NFL's format at the time, the AFL's two division winners faced each other in the Championship Game, and in the inaugural game, it was the East Champion Houston Oilers against the West Champion Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams finished with identical 10-4 records, but originally, the game was set to be played in LA. However, due to a small attendance record for the Chargers that year, the first-ever AFL Championship Game ended up being played at Houston's Jeppsen Stadium, with 32,183 people in attendance.

Chargers scored first on a field goal in the first quarter, and after adding a second FG in frame, the Bolts led 6-0 after one quarter. In the second quarter, George Blanda connected with fullback Dave Smith in the end zone, and made the PAT to give Houston a 7-6 lead. Ben Agajanian nailed his third FG for the Chargers, but Blanda made one of his own to make it 10-9 at the half. The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, resulting in a 17-16 lead for the Oilers entering the final frame. In the fourth quarter, Billy Cannon caught Blanda's short pass and ran it all the way, increasing Houston's lead to eight points (24-16). However, while the NFL didn't have the two-point conversion yet, the AFL did, so it was a one score game still. The Bolts' final drive ended up stalling, stopped at Houston's 22-yard line.

The Houston Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 24-16, on New Year's Day 1961, to become the first-ever champions of the American Football League. George Blanda threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns in the contest, and Billy Cannon finished with three receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. This was the first pro sports championship for Texas' largest city; they were Houston's only pro team until MLB's Colt .45s (later renamed as the Astros) debuted in 1962.

The Oilers were not done, though.

The 1961 AFL season, the league's sophomore season, brought one change already. The Chargers moved out of Los Angeles and down to San Diego, where they would play for 56 straight seasons. What didn't change for the Chargers was how they dominated the West Division. The Bolts won their first 11 games and ended up winning the West by six games over the Texans. The defending champion Oilers were in a bit of a dogfight in the East with the Patriots and Titans, and were off to a shaky start at 1-3-1. Houston ended the season winning nine straight games, resulting in a 10-3-1 season and winning the East by a single game over the Patriots.

So regarding the 1961 AFL Championship, it was "second verse, same as first," with the Oilers and Chargers going at it again. This go-around was much more defensive. No score after the first, and the only score of the first half was George Blanda's field goal in the second quarter. Oilers led 3-0 at halftime, and in the third quarter, Blanda connected with Billy Cannon for what would be the game's only touchdown. Chargers got on the board early in the fourth quarter with a field goal, but that was it for San Diego.

The Houston Oilers defeated the San Diego Chargers, 10-3, on Christmas Eve 1961, to repeat as AFL Champions. The quarterbacks caught hell in this one, especially Blanda. 160 yards, a touchdown, and five INTs. Blanda became the first and only QB to actually throw for five INTs in a playoff game (let alone the AFL Championship) and win. Billy Cannon was the MVP in both games; he had a touchdown in each game.

Amazing, isn't it? Once upon a time, the Houston Oilers were a force in the AFL. Won the East Division four times, and won the first two AFL Championship games--and nearly three-peated! Since the merger? Oh boy. In 27 seasons in the NFL, 10 playoff appearances, only won the AFC Central twice (1991 and 1993), never reached the Super Bowl; only reaching the AFC Championship Game twice (1978 and 1979). The Oilers moved to Nashville in 1997, playing as the Tennessee Oilers for two seasons before becoming the Tennessee Titans in 1999--the very year that saw them reach Super Bowl XXXIV. So yeah, the Oilers went on to have a lot of hard luck for decades, but for the first two years of the American Football League's existence, they were kings.