Exploring the Years of Ultimate Futility (1970s NFL)

The 1972 and 1973 Houston Oilers were anything but strong, however.  They just had what could rightly be considered as two of the most miserable consecutive seasons in modern NFL history.  Houston could muster just one victory in each of those two years.  The Oilers had a few pretty good players on their roster during those years, however. 

They had Dan Pastorini at quarterback, Ken Burrough at wide receiver, and future Hall of Famer defensive lineman Elvin Bethea.  Unfortunately, those three players, and indeed most of Houston’s players, were young and mostly inexperienced.  The 1972 and 1973 seasons would deliver that experience for everyone on the Oilers’ lineup. 

The 1972 Houston offense managed to score just 164 points, which ranked as the lowest mark in the AFC.  Their defense surrendered 380 points, which stood out as the most points surrendered in the entire NFL.  In six of their games, the Oilers defense permitted at least 30 points, and in their final game of the season, they were routed by the Cincinnati Bengals, 61-17.  In five of their games, Houston’s 1972 offense scored just seven or fewer points.

Things did not really get any better for Houston in 1973, particularly in the won-loss column, as they repeated their 1-13 record from 1972.  True, the 1973 Oilers offense did score 35 more points than they did in the previous year.  But their defense gave up a whopping 447 points, which easily ranked as the worst mark in all of pro football. 

The gave up 67 more points in 1973 than they did in 1972! That’s the equivalent of an extra two to three games! As a result, Houston’s defense in 1973 ranked as the worst in the NFL.  But a silver lining was nevertheless visible in the form of head coach Sid Gillman, who would improve this team in 1974 to finish with a 7-7 record that year.