Defense Stymies Oilers, Texans win 24-0

The Texans-Chiefs franchise is celebrating its 50th season of play in 2009. This is another look at the founding team of the American Football League and its first season of play.

It’s a record that still sits there in the franchise record book, unlikely to be broken any time soon. It hasn’t been close for the last 49 seasons.

On a rainy Sunday in Dallas on December 4, 1960, the Dallas Texans held the Houston Oilers to minus-27 rushing yards in grabbing a soggy 24-0 victory.

In the 12th game in franchise history the Texans established a record that has not been broken. The closest a defense came to the number was the n ext season, when they allowed the San Diego Chargers just three yards rushing.

Mother Nature provided the Texans defense with help, as steady rains had turned the Cotton Bowl playing field into a mud pit. What also apparently helped was a threat from Hank Stram. After some sloppy play the week before, the Texans head coach threatened $500 fines to any player who did not show he was mentally and physically into the game. There were also words from GM Jack Steadman, who said that performance in the game against Houston would affect how the Texans went about selected players in the 1961 AFL Draft, scheduled for the next day.

Said Steadman, as quoted by the Dallas Times-Herald: “Our players have been together long enough and are experienced enough to give a great show. If they don’t … well, you guess.”

Did the threat of fines work?

“I don’t think the threat of the fine had a thing to do with the way we played,” said DE Paul Miller. “I’ll say this though, it woke up three or four guys who needed to be woke up.”

While the Texans may have been playing to keep their wallets closed, the Oilers had plenty on the line as well. They needed just one victory to sew up the AFL Eastern Division title. Houston owner Bud Adams brought 20 cases of champagne to the game, but had to haul the bubbly back home after the Texans defense controlled the game.

Dallas had three sacks and intercepted three passes. The Oilers leading rusher was RB Dave Smith with five yards.

Offensively, starting QB Cotton Davidson was injured so backup Hunter Enis started, despite the fact he showed up Sunday morning with flu-like symptoms. Stram didn’t tell Enis he was the starter until just before kickoff. “I didn’t want him to get nervous,” Stram said.

He obviously wasn’t as the Texans jumped out to a 14-0 lead nine minutes into the game. Enis threw for 48 yards in the first drive and scored and then he scored a second touchdown, running it in from the one-yard line.

“That was the best rush we’ve ever had against us,” said Oilers QB Jacky Lee. “You never get used to handling a wet ball, but that hard rush was the main thing.”

The Texans defensive performance was based on going back to fundamentals.

“We just played a basic 4-man rush; we never did blitz,” DE Paul Miller said after the game. “We had been doing a lot of that other stuff and it’s been getting us in trouble.”

DBs Don Flynn and David Webster had the interceptions.

The Oilers longest drive of the day covered 72 yards, but it died at the Dallas 12 and a FG try by George Blanda from the 18-yard line was wide left.

Texans RB Jack Spikes had the best day of his pro career, carrying 18 times for 83 yards. Spikes also kicked a 22-yard field goal and three extra points. Spikes had a 30-yard run near the end of the first quarter.

The victory left the Texans at 6-6 for the season.

GAME #12 RECAP/1960

• Opponent: Houston Oilers.
• Site: Cotton Bowl, crowd estimated at 20,000.
• Score: 24-0 Texans.
• Texans Leading Rusher: Jack Spikes, 18 carries for 83 yards.
• Texans Leading Receiver: Max Boydston, four catches for 24 yards.
• Texans Leading Passer: Hunter Enis, 8 of 15 for 74 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT.
• Texans Punter: Davidson five punts, 183 yards, 36.6-yard average.

SCORING SUMMARY

• 1Q – Dallas – H. Enis 1-yard TD run. J. Spikes PAT kick.
• 1Q – Dallas – Enis 1-yard TD run. Spikes PAT kick.
• 3Q – Dallas – A. Haynes 12-yard run. Spikes PAT kick.
• 3Q – Dallas – Spikes 22-yard FG.