1972 Houston Oilers season
Encyclopedia
The 1972
Houston Oilers season was the 13th season the team was with the league
. The team failed to improve on their previous season
's output of 4–9–1, winning only one game. They missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
The low point of the season came in week four, a 34–0 loss on Monday Night Football
to the Oakland Raiders
. With the game out of hand, ABC cameras panned the stands at the Astrodome
and found a man who appeared to be sleeping. When he realized the camera was on him, he shot the finger
at the camera. When the camera discovered the sleeping fan, Howard Cosell
intoned, "Right there, is a vivid pictureization of the excitement...". Don Meredith
shot back when the fan flipped the bird, "They're number one in the nation!"
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
Houston Oilers season was the 13th season the team was with the league
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The team failed to improve on their previous season
1971 Houston Oilers season
The 1971 Houston Oilers season was the 12th season the team was with the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 3–10–1, winning four games. They missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
's output of 4–9–1, winning only one game. They missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
The low point of the season came in week four, a 34–0 loss on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. With the game out of hand, ABC cameras panned the stands at the Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
and found a man who appeared to be sleeping. When he realized the camera was on him, he shot the finger
Finger (gesture)
In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
at the camera. When the camera discovered the sleeping fan, Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
intoned, "Right there, is a vivid pictureization of the excitement...". Don Meredith
Don Meredith
Joseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
shot back when the fan flipped the bird, "They're number one in the nation!"
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17, 1972 | at Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 30–17 | |
| 2 | September 24, 1972 | at Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 34–13 | |
| 3 | October 1, 1972 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 26–20 | |
| 4 | October 9, 1972 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 34–0 | |
| 5 | October 15, 1972 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 24–7 | |
| 6 | October 22, 1972 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 23–17 | |
| 7 | October 29, 1972 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 30–7 | |
| 8 | November 5, 1972 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20–0 | |
| 9 | November 12, 1972 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 18–17 | |
| 10 | November 19, 1972 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 23–10 | |
| 11 | November 26, 1972 | at San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 34–20 | |
| 12 | December 3, 1972 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20–10 | |
| 13 | December 10, 1972 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 9–3 | |
| 14 | December 17, 1972 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 61–17 | |
Standings
| AFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the 40th in franchise history. The team went 11–3 that season, and won their first-ever AFC Central Division title.-Depth chart:-Schedule:- Week 1 : Oakland Raiders :... |
11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 343 | 175 | W-4 |
| Cleveland Browns 1972 Cleveland Browns season The 1972 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 23rd season with the National Football League.-Exhibition schedule:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:... |
10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 268 | 249 | W-2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals 1972 Cincinnati Bengals season The 1972 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's fifth year in professional football and its 3rd with the National Football League. Starting off the 1972 season winning 5 of 7 games, this looked to be the Bengals break out year, that was until the away game at Pittsburgh, the Bengals suffered a... |
8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 299 | 229 | W-1 |
| Houston Oilers | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 | 164 | 380 | L-11 |