Chiefs Build 27-0 Lead, Hold On to Defeat Oilers, 27-13

Two years after Houston cut him adrift, Greg Hill has his revenge.

Intercepting a wobbly Warren Moon pass Sunday, Hill ran 26 yards for a touchdown that helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain a 27-13 victory over the Oilers.

“Once I had the ball in my hands I knew I was going to score because it was clear sailing,” said Hill, part of a defensive charge that harried Moon all day. “This was a sweet, sweet victory. It was vengeance for me. There’s not a team I’d rather beat.”

After grabbing an early lead, the Chiefs’ defense, led by linemen Bill Maas and Art Still, spent the day charging in on Moon, who threw 2 interceptions and was only 18 for 40 for 229 yards.

“They didn’t show us anything we hadn’t seen before,” Houston tackle Bruce Matthews said. “The only problem was their personnel. You can’t very well grind the ball out when you need four touchdowns. We had some pretty good pass rushers to block--Still and Maas.”

Said Maas: “You saw the game. You know what happened. When a team is forced to pass and the defense knows it’s forced to pass, then you’re going to see some sacks. If they had gone ahead early in the game, we might not have had a sack all day.”

Hill’s touchdown return put the Chiefs on top, 27-0, after which the momentum shifted to the Oilers.

After scoring two quick touchdowns, Houston drove to a first and goal at the one-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. But Scott Radecic threw Chuck Banks for a three-yard loss on second down, then Moon missed on two straight passes.

Moon, who was not sacked in Houston’s two previous games, was sacked seven times.

The Chiefs (2-1) dominated from the start, building a 13-0 halftime lead on Todd Blackledge’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Carson and two Nick Lowery field goals.

After Herman Heard’s 11-yard touchdown run following a Houston turnover, the Chiefs led 20-0 in the third. Hill stepped in front of Allen Pinkett to steal Moon’s poorly thrown pass less than a minute later and ran 26 yards to put Kansas City on top, 27-0.

Houston scored with 2:33 left in the third quarter when Jeff Donaldson picked up Blackledge’s fumble at the one-yard line and fell into the end zone.

A 31-yard punt by Lewis Colbert a few minutes later gave the Oilers the ball on the Chiefs’ 46, and Moon hit Ernest Givins for a 34-yard gain. Banks ran 17 yards to the one-yard line, setting up Moon’s scoring plunge. Pete Koch blocked the extra point.

The Oilers (1-2) drove to a first and goal from the 10-yard line with 3:25 left, but a sixth sack of Moon resulted in a third and 21 situation and the Oilers failed again.