Oilers Seek Consistency With Run-and-Shoot

The first voyage of the Houston Oilers’ run-and-shoot offense in 1990 either soared with the effortless glide of an eagle or bounced along the ground like a crippled mud hen trying to fly.

Its peaks were magnificent, allowing the Oilers to lead the NFL in with 388.9 yards per game, 300.3 passing yards per game, 23.5 first downs per game, 51.9 percent third down efficiency and 6.2 average gain per play. They were second with an average of 25.3 points per game.

Its valleys were pitifully deep, sending coach Jack Pardee back to his sanctum, impatiently seeking consistency.

The Oilers never lost or won more than two games in a row and finished with a 9-7 record, disappointing despite their fourth straight playoff berth.

The goals for run-and-shoot II are to achieve consistency and to take the spotlight off the formation and place it on the players.

The run-and-shoot is like any other offense -- it runs on sweat and not magic.

“It’s a well-balanced system,” Pardee said. “This system doesn’t make plays. If we execute, it’s as good as any system but there’s no magic to it.”

Tell that to Houston opponents, who were baffled last season by quarterback Warren Moon’s aerials that found their targets and receivers who made inventive catches in traffic.

Moon passed for 527 yards, the second highest total in NFL history, and a 27-10 victory over a hot Kansas City Chiefs team. Houston out-gained Super Bowl finalist Buffalo 411-289 in a 27-24 Oilers victory.

Whatever spirit moved the run-and-shoot, it wasn’t there at the start of the season as the Oilers lost to Atlanta and Pittsburgh. They also sputtered late in the season, losing to Cincinnati 40-20 in Game 15, which ended Moon’s season with a dislocated thumb.

Run-and-shoot II should be a better product, Pardee says.

“We were pretty effective last year and we had our bad moments at times too,” Pardee said. “We hope we can avoid those and move to consistency.”

Oilers offensive coordinate Kevin Gilbride expects more from the run-and-shoot this season. He also expects more sophisticated defenses against the Oilers.

“One of the problems when you have the success we did last year is that the opposing players and the coaches dig down deeper to show you they can shut you down,” Gilbride said.

“There have been all kinds of gatherings and groupings to share ideas. A bunch of teams we we’re playing flew in run-and-shoot coaches to try and get a better handle on it. We’ll be tested,” he said.

Gilbride wants to stamp out the offensive inconsistency and to eliminate some of the errors that caused the offense to bog down inside the 20-yard line until late in the season.

“We had some really ridiculous fumbles on the 1-yard line,” Gilbride said. “We got to stop those and we’ll be all right.”

Houston’s four starting wide receivers, Drew Hill and Haywood Jeffires (74 receptions each), Ernest Givins (72) and Curtis Duncan (66), combined for a total of 286 catches, 14 short of the NFL record by four players set by Washington with 299 in 1989.

“I have a bitter taste in my mouth about last year because I felt we should have gone all the way to the Super Bowl, so I’m glad to get this year started,” Givins said. “It (offense) can be a lot more effective. We’ve got Warren Moon and we’ve got all these receivers over here.

“We put up some great numbers last year and I see no reason we can’t again this year,” he said.

The Oilers had problems scoring inside the 20-yard line last season, but Pardee resisted suggestions that he junk the run-and-shoot near the goal line. Pardee argued such a move would lead to more inconsistency.

“It’s hard to learn one system let alone two or three when you’re talking about pass protection,” Pardee said. “The biggest thing is not the offense, it’s the protection scheme, whether you use a tight end or not.”

The run-and-shoot does not employ a tight end.

Givins is among several players who believe the Oilers must make it to the Super Bowl this year -- with inspiration from the NBA champion Chicago Bulls.

“It’s a must win year for us because a lot of guys on this team are getting old, including myself,” Givins said. “If we’re going to do it, we have to do it now, there’s no looking back.”