After Chances Pass By, Oilers Run Past Steelers : AFC: Houston wraps up first division title since 1967 with 31-6 victory. Pinkett gains 98 yards.

After 24 years, even two more weeks was too long for the Houston Oilers.

The Oilers, who failed in their last two games to wrap up their first division title since 1967, got two touchdowns from Allen Pinkett to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-6, Sunday and clinch the AFC Central crown.

“It’s great to finally get the division title and get this monkey off our backs,” Coach Jack Pardee said. “If we’re going very far in the playoffs, it’s going to be a team effort.”

The Oilers (10-4) tied for the best record in the AFC Central Division in 1980 and 1990, but lost out in the tie-breaking process. The Oilers won division titles in the American Football League in 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1967.

“Our offensive line and running backs won it, it wasn’t the receivers this time,” Oiler wide receiver Haywood Jeffires said. “Our key is the running game. If it works, the offense works.”

Houston linebacker Al Smith returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown with 4:31 left. Linebacker Lamar Lathon forced quarterback Neil O’Donnell’s fumble, setting up the return.

Houston took a 10-3 halftime lead on a seven-yard scoring run by Pinkett with 2:18 left in the first quarter and Al Del Greco’s 24-yard field goal with 51 seconds left in the half.

Pinkett gained 98 yards in 16 carries.

“I could see in the pregame how the guys were determined,” Pinkett said. “The phrase was ‘Just win.’ I don’t think it mattered if we ran six or 16 times, we were going to get it done.”

Pinkett’s first-quarter touchdown marked the first time the Oilers have scored in the first period since they beat Cincinnati, 35-3, on Oct. 27.

After Del Greco’s kick, the Steelers (5-9) drove through Houston’s prevent defense for 41 yards to the Houston 36 and Gary Anderson kicked a 54-yard field goal as the half ended.

Bo Orlando’s third interception in as many games started a 96-yard Houston drive during the third quarter. Pinkett got the drive started with a 32-yard run, leading to a 16-yard touchdown pass from Warren Moon to Jeffires.

Anderson’s 36-yard field goal with two minutes left in the third quarter gave the Steeler kicker 1,000 career points, the 19th player in NFL history to reach that figure.

Houston’s defense forced Pittsburgh to settle for Anderson’s field goal when Ray Childress sacked O’Donnell for a nine-yard loss on third down.

Childress had three sacks during the second half and O’Donnell was sacked seven times by the Oilers.

“They came ready to play,” O’Donnell said. “They brought some pressure, no doubt about that. They gave us most of the same look they gave the first time. They just did a better job today.”

After a slow start, Moon finished strong, completing 23 of 36 passes for 254 yards. Jeffires, the NFL’s leading receiver, caught six passes for 77 yards.