Week 13 around-league at the Houston Astrodome. The Atlanta Falcons (7-4) travel to face the Houston Oilers (5-7) on Sun November 29, 1981. Cross-conference matchup.
Steve Bartkowski at quarterback for Atlanta. Alfred Jenkins, Alfred Jackson, and William Andrews at the offensive headliners. Ken Stabler at quarterback for Houston. Earl Campbell at running back. Dave Casper at tight end.
The Oilers' last home game before two straight road trips.[1]
Steve Bartkowski and the Falcons are 7-4 in the NFC West chase. Alfred Jenkins and Alfred Jackson combine for 1,500 receiving yards. William Andrews ran for 91 yards in the previous game. Ken Stabler took over Houston's QB1 spot from Gifford Nielsen earlier this year; Earl Campbell continues at running back.
The Sunday cross-conference matchup is the kind of November game where two teams in the conferences' middle tiers can extend their playoff chances.
Week 13 begins the late-November sort. The 49ers (9-3) lead the NFC West. The Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, and Rams compete in the NFC East and West. The Bengals, Chargers, Bills, and Dolphins lead the AFC. The Sunday cross-conference game is the kind of November Sunday the schedule produces The Sunday game is the kind of cross-divisional matchup the schedule produces.
Through 12 games the Falcons are 7-4 with a plus 39 differential. The Oilers are 5-6 with a minus 35. Steve Bartkowski 154 of 273, 2,049, 16 TDs and 10 INTs. Alfred Jenkins 700 receiving. William Andrews 870 rushing. Ken Stabler 100 of 178, 1,278 yards, six TDs. Earl Campbell 273 carries for 1,002. Dave Casper 35 catches for 530.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9-3 | W4 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-5 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-7 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 5-7 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 7-4-1 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 7-4-1 | W4 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-5 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2-10 | L5 |
| Baltimore Colts | 1-11 | L11 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 8-4 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8-4 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 7-5 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-7 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-8 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 9-3 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-6 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5-7 | L3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-8 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-5 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 6-6 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6-6 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-7 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-9 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 9-3 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9-3 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 6-6 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-7 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-7 | L1 |
Atlanta Falcons 10, Houston Oilers 0Atlanta Falcons 24, Houston Oilers 13Atlanta Falcons 31, Houston Oilers 13Atlanta Falcons 31, Houston Oilers 27Atlanta Falcons 31, Houston Oilers 27[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 1024313131 |
| Houston Oilers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 013132727 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | William Andrews 3 yard rush ( Mick Luckhurst kick) | 7-0 |
| Falcons | Mick Luckhurst 36 yard field goal | 10-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers | Mike Holston 15 yard pass from Ken Stabler | 10-6 |
| Falcons | Alfred Jackson 43 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski ( Mick Luckhurst kick) | 17-6 |
| Falcons | Alfred Jenkins 42 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski ( Mick Luckhurst kick) | 24-6 |
| Oilers | Dave Casper 15 yard pass from Ken Stabler ( Toni Fritsch kick) | 24-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Alfred Jackson offensive fumble recovery in end zone ( Mick Luckhurst kick) | 31-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers | Earl Campbell 18 yard rush ( Toni Fritsch kick) | 31-20 |
| Oilers | Adger Armstrong 3 yard pass from Gifford Nielsen ( Toni Fritsch kick) | 31-27 |
Earl Campbell ran for one touchdown and Dave Casper caught a 15-yard touchdown from Ken Stabler, and the Houston Oilers beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-27 at the Houston Astrodome. Steve Bartkowski threw three touchdowns (Alfred Jackson 43, Alfred Jenkins 42, plus a fumble recovery TD by Jackson). Mike Holston caught a 15-yard touchdown from Stabler. The Oilers improved to 6-6.[1]
Earl Campbell ran in an 18-yard touchdown and the Houston Oilers beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-27 at the Astrodome. Ken Stabler threw two touchdowns to Mike Holston and Dave Casper. Adger Armstrong added a 3-yard touchdown reception from Gifford Nielsen in relief.
Steve Bartkowski threw three touchdowns. Alfred Jackson caught two (43-yard reception and a fumble recovery in the end zone). Alfred Jenkins caught a 42-yard touchdown. William Andrews ran in a 3-yard score.
The Oilers' four-quarter scoring (7-3-7-14) produced the kind of road-team-comeback that the Astrodome crowd had not seen from Stabler's offense for several weeks. The Falcons' Sunday afternoon road game ends with the kind of cross-conference loss that pushes Atlanta's NFC West chances toward the bubble.
Oilers 31, Falcons 27. Week 13.
A 31-27 home win for the Houston Oilers over the Atlanta Falcons at the Houston Astrodome. The Oilers improve to 6-6 in the AFC Central's middle tier.
How it unfolded
William Andrews ran in a 3-yard touchdown to give the Falcons an early 7-0 lead. Mick Luckhurst made a 36-yard field goal. Mike Holston caught a 15-yard touchdown from Ken Stabler to make it 10-7 Atlanta. Alfred Jackson caught a 43-yard touchdown from Bartkowski. Alfred Jenkins caught a 42-yard touchdown to push the Falcons ahead 24-7. Dave Casper caught a 15-yard touchdown from Stabler. Alfred Jackson's fumble recovery for a touchdown in the end zone extended the Falcons to 27-14. Earl Campbell ran in an 18-yard touchdown. Adger Armstrong caught a 3-yard touchdown from Gifford Nielsen (in relief) to give the Oilers the lead at 28-27. Toni Fritsch's late-game field goal sealed it 31-27.
The turning point
Earl Campbell's 18-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. With the Oilers down 27-14 and the home crowd looking for the kind of late-game push that Stabler's offense has produced sporadically all year, Campbell's burst through the line opened the scoring sequence that produced the comeback.
By the numbers
Bartkowski 11 of 22 for 159 with three touchdowns. Alfred Jackson two catches for 65 with the 43-yard touchdown plus the fumble recovery for a touchdown. Alfred Jenkins two catches for 42 with a touchdown. Stabler 13 of 23 for 168 with two touchdowns. Gifford Nielsen 4 of 9 for 41 wi...
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 18 | 23 |
| Total Yards | 459 | 318 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 18/25 | 25/48 |
| Pass yards | 371 | 245 |
| Pass TD | 2 | 3 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 3 |
| Sacks taken | 3 | 1 |
| Sack yards lost | 23 | 10 |
| Net pass yards | 348 | 235 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 33 | 20 |
| Rush yards | 111 | 83 |
| Rush TD | 1 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 5 | 1 |
| Penalty yards | 35 | 10 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | |||||
| Steve Bartkowski | 18/25 | 371 | 2 | 1 | |
| HOU | |||||
| Ken Stabler | 17/33 | 139 | 2 | 2 | |
| Gifford Nielsen | 8/15 | 106 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | ||||
| William Andrews | 25 | 101 | 1 | 16 |
| Lynn Cain | 7 | 12 | 0 | 8 |
| Steve Bartkowski | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| HOU | ||||
| Earl Campbell | 19 | 81 | 1 | 18 |
| Ronnie Coleman | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | ||||
| Alfred Jenkins | 6 | 122 | 1 | 42 |
| Junior Miller | 3 | 69 | 0 | 37 |
| Alfred Jackson | 2 | 54 | 1 | 43 |
| William Andrews | 3 | 47 | 0 | 22 |
| Wallace Francis | 2 | 44 | 0 | 36 |
| Lynn Cain | 2 | 35 | 0 | 28 |
| HOU | ||||
| Mike Holston | 8 | 101 | 1 | 21 |
| Dave Casper | 4 | 39 | 1 | 15 |
| Tim Smith | 2 | 37 | 0 | 25 |
| Mike Barber | 2 | 32 | 0 | 31 |
| Earl Campbell | 6 | 25 | 0 | 7 |
| Adger Armstrong | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Ken Burrough | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1981 Classic - Atlanta Falcons at Houston Oilers - Game Thread
