# 1983 Houston Oilers season

The 1983 Houston Oilers season was the 24th season overall and 14th with the National Football League (NFL). After a strike-shorted 1–8 season, the Oilers traded their second draft choice to the Los Angeles Rams, probably fearing that Eric Dickerson, the player they desired to pick with that second choice, would join the Los Angeles Express of the USFL. Dickerson was cool about playing for the Oilers, while his family was firmly opposed.
The Oilers ultimately made a marginal improvement, winning two games, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The 460 points allowed by the team are the most given up by the team in franchise history.
The week 13 game against Tampa Bay, before which both teams had 1–11 records, was nicknamed the "Repus Bowl". Steve Wulf wrote of the game, "Yes, this was the Small One, the battle of the beatens, the movable object meeting the resistible force. There were only tomorrows. When these two teams get together, nothing can happen. This game was for a marble." Tampa Bay won the game 33–24.
The last remaining active member of the 1983 Houston Oilers was offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, who retired after the 2001 season.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1983 Houston Oilers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 9 | Bruce Matthews * $^†$ | Guard | USC |
| 2 | 30 | Harvey Salem | Tackle | California |
| 2 | 42 | Keith Bostic * | Defensive back | Michigan |
| 3 | 58 | Tim Joiner | Linebacker | LSU |
| 3 | 69 | Chris Dressel | Tight end | Stanford |
| 3 | 83 | Steve Brown | Defensive back | Oregon |
| 4 | 86 | Greg Hill | Defensive back | Oklahoma State |
| 4 | 88 | Mike McCloskey | Tight end | Penn State |
| 5 | 114 | Larry Moriarty | Running back | Notre Dame |
| 5 | 139 | Jerome Foster | Defensive end | Ohio State |
| 6 | 142 | Steve Haworth | Defensive back | Oklahoma |
| 7 | 170 | Herkie Walls | Wide receiver | Texas |
| 8 | 198 | Robert Thompson | Linebacker | Michigan |
| 9 | 226 | Kevin Potter | Defensive back | Missouri |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 4 | Green Bay Packers | L 38–41 (OT) | 0–1 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 2 | September 11 | at Los Angeles Raiders | L 6–20 | 0–2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 3 | September 18 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 28–40 | 0–3 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 4 | September 25 | at Buffalo Bills | L 13–30 | 0–4 | Rich Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 2 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 10–17 | 0–5 | Three Rivers Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 9 | Denver Broncos | L 14–26 | 0–6 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 7 | October 16 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 14–34 | 0–7 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Recap |
| 8 | October 23 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 10–13 (OT) | 0–8 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 9 | October 30 | at Cleveland Browns | L 19–25 (OT) | 0–9 | Cleveland Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 14–55 | 0–10 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 11 | November 13 | Detroit Lions | W 27–17 | 1–10 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 12 | November 20 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 10–38 | 1–11 | Riverfront Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 27 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 24–33 | 1–12 | Tampa Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 4 | Miami Dolphins | L 17–24 | 1–13 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 15 | December 11 | Cleveland Browns | W 34–27 | 2–13 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 16 | December 18 | at Baltimore Colts | L 10–20 | 2–14 | Memorial Stadium | Recap |

### Season summary
#### Week 1 vs Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 41 |
| Oilers | 10 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 38 |
at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Indoors (dome)
* Game attendance: 44,073
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Dick Vermeil
* Box Score, Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Paul Coffman 25-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 10:31. Packers 7–0. Drive:
HOU – Florian Kempf 49-yard field goal, 6:30. Packers 7–3. Drive:
HOU – Tim Smith 47-yard pass from Archie Manning (Florian Kempf kick), 2:40. Oilers 10–7. Drive:
Second quarter
GB – John Jefferson 5-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:55. Packers 14–10. Drive:
GB – John Jefferson 13-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:51. Packers 21–10. Drive:
GB – Gerry Ellis 11-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:30. Packers 28–10. Drive:
Third quarter
HOU – Earl Campbell 7-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 9:08. Packers 28–17. Drive:
GB – Jan Stenerud 46-yard field goal, 4:36. Packers 31–17. Drive:
Fourth quarter
HOU – Earl Campbell 8-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 11:05. Packers 31–24. Drive:
HOU – Earl Campbell 1-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 4:23. Tie 31–31. Drive:
GB – James Lofton 74-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:13. Packers 38–31. Drive:
HOU – Larry Moriarty 2-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 0:48. Tie 38–38. Drive:
Overtime
GB – Jan Stenerud 42-yard field goal, 9:05. Packers 41–38. Drive:
Top passers
GB – Lynn Dickey – 27/31, 333 yards, 5 TD, INT
HOU – Archie Manning – 22/34, 348 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
GB – Eddie Lee Ivery – 12 rushes, 71 yards
HOU – Earl Campbell – 27 rushes, 123 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
GB – James Lofton – 8 receptions, 154 yards, TD
HOU – Tim Smith – 8 receptions, 197 yards, TD :

#### Week 11 vs Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Oilers | 3 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 13, 1983
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Indoors (dome)
* Game attendance: 40,660
* Referee: Bob Frederic
* Box Score, Box Score
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Lions | Passing | Eric Hipple | 17/29, 213 Yds, 3 INT |
| Lions | Rushing | Billy Sims | 20 Rush, 105 Yds, TD |
| Lions | Receiving | Billy Sims | 9 Rec, 90 Yds |
| Oilers | Passing | Oliver Luck | 18/26, 189 Yds, 2 TD, INT |
| Oilers | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 28 Rush, 107 Yds |
| Oilers | Receiving | Mike Renfro | 7 Rec, 75 Yds |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | DET | HOU |
| 1 | 8:02 | | | | Oilers | 47-yard field goal by Florian Kempf | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 12:48 | | | | Lions | Billy Sims 1-yard touchdown run, Eddie Murray kick good | 7 | 3 |
| 2 | 3:48 | | | | Lions | 35-yard field goal by Eddie Murray | 10 | 3 |
| 2 | 0:50 | | | | Oilers | Mike McCloskey 13-yard touchdown reception from Oliver Luck, Florian Kempf kick good | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | 10:25 | | | | Lions | James Jones 3-yard touchdown reception from Gary Danielson, Eddie Murray kick good | 17 | 10 |
| 3 | 9:12 | | | | Oilers | Chris Dressel 13-yard touchdown reception from Oliver Luck, Florian Kempf kick good | 17 | 17 |
| 3 | 1:01 | | | | Oilers | Larry Moriarty 4-yard touchdown run, Florian Kempf kick good | 17 | 24 |
| 4 | 13:08 | | | | Oilers | 21-yard field goal by Florian Kempf | 17 | 27 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 27 |

### Standings

AFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Pittsburgh Steelers$^{(3)}$ | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 355 | 303 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 356 | 342 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 4–8 | 346 | 302 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 1–5 | 1–11 | 288 | 460 | L1 |