Oilers-Steelers Historic Series

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Lore & Background

The rivalry reached its peak intensity when Earl Campbell took over the running back position in 1978. Selected with the first overall pick, Campbell dominated the league, leading the NFL in rushing yards and winning Offensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons from 1978 to 1980. Despite this individual brilliance, the Houston Oilers faced a recurring barrier: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Oilers made it to the AFC championships in both 1978 and 1979, only to be defeated both times by Pittsburgh. Although the franchise struggled with winning records between 1981 and 1986, the memory of these championship game losses defined the era before the team eventually moved to Tennessee.

In Their Own Story

In 1978, Earl Campbell arrived in Houston as the first overall pick, immediately transforming the offense. He carried the ball with such force that he led the NFL in rushing and earned Offensive Player of the Year honors for three consecutive seasons. The Oilers rode this momentum to the playoffs every year from 1978 to 1980. Yet, each playoff run hit a specific wall: Pittsburgh. In 1978 and again in 1979, the Oilers reached the AFC Championship Game, only to fall short against the Steelers. These losses were not just game results; they were the ceiling of that era's potential. The physical toll was evident, with Campbell facing the league's toughest defenses week after week. Even as the team entered a slump in the early 1980s, those two championship defeats remained the benchmark for what the franchise could achieve and what it had yet to conquer.

Reader's Guide

To understand this rivalry, one must focus on the window between 1978 and 1980. This was the height of Earl Campbell's career, a period where he led the NFL in rushing and won Offensive Player of the Year three times in a row. During these years, the Houston Oilers qualified for the playoffs consecutively. The central narrative arc involves the AFC Championship Games of 1978 and 1979. In both instances, the Oilers advanced to the conference title game but were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers. This pattern established a hierarchy within the division that lasted until the franchise relocated. For fans tracking the team's history from Houston to Tennessee, these two losses represent the most significant missed opportunities of the Campbell era, occurring right before the team entered a six-year period without a winning record.

Did You Know?

• The Houston Oilers were the first professional football team to move into an indoor stadium when they played at the Astrodome.
• Earl Campbell won the Offensive Player of the Year Award for three consecutive seasons from 1978 to 1980.
• The Oilers lost both AFC Championship Games in 1978 and 1979 to the Pittsburgh Steelers during Earl Campbell's prime years.
• In the 1992–93 playoffs, the Oilers surrendered a 32-point third-quarter lead against the Buffalo Bills, which remains the largest blown lead in NFL playoff history.

Founding and Early AFL Dominance

Established in 1959 by Bud Adams, the franchise began as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). They played at Jeppesen Stadium before moving to Rice Stadium in 1965. Under quarterback George Blanda, they reached the first three AFL championship games, winning the first two against the San Diego Chargers but losing the 1962 title in double overtime to the Dallas Texans. In 1967, they returned to the championship game only to lose 40–7 to the Oakland Raiders. After moving into the Astrodome following that season, they became the first professional football team to play indoors. They qualified for the playoffs in 1969 but were eliminated by the Raiders.

The Campbell and Moon Eras

After failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs from 1970 to 1977, the Oilers found success in 1978 by drafting Earl Campbell first overall. Campbell led three consecutive playoff appearances (1978–1980), winning Offensive Player of the Year each year. However, the team lost both the 1978 and 1979 AFC Championship Games to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A drought followed until quarterback Warren Moon arrived in 1987. With Moon and linemen Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews, the Oilers made seven straight playoff appearances from 1987 to 1993. This era included a historic collapse in the 1992–93 playoffs against the Buffalo Bills, where a 32-point lead turned into a 41–38 overtime loss.

The Relocation to Tennessee

Following the 1995 season, Bud Adams announced the move to Nashville. The team played one season at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, drawing historically low crowds, with some games under 18,000 fans. In 1998, they moved to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville and were known as the Tennessee Oilers, finishing 8–8. For the 1999 season, the team rebranded as the Titans and moved into Adelphia Coliseum (now Nissan Stadium).

The Titans Identity and Modern Legacy

The Titans reached Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, losing to the St. Louis Rams. Led by Steve McNair and Eddie George, they made the playoffs in all but one season from 1999 to 2003. From 2016 to 2021, they recorded six consecutive winning seasons. The franchise holds a unique record as the only NFL team with two different players rushing for over 2,000 yards in a single season: Chris Johnson (2009) and Derrick Henry (2020). In 2027, the team will move to an indoor stadium also named Nissan Stadium.