AFC Wild Card at the Astrodome on Sat December 24, 1988. The Cleveland Browns (10-6) travel to face the Houston Oilers (10-6) in the AFC Central rematch.
Jerry Glanville year four as head coach. Warren Moon at quarterback. Mike Rozier at running back. Drew Hill at receiver. The Browns start Don Strock (Bernie Kosar injured). Earnest Byner at running back. Webster Slaughter at receiver. Marty Schottenheimer in year fifth as head coach.
Jerry Glanville's Oilers come into the wild-card matchup at 10-6 after the W17 home win over the Steelers clinched the wild-card berth. Warren Moon has thrown for 2,327 yards across 11 starts (he missed five with knee surgery). Mike Rozier has 251 carries for 1,002. The Browns come in 10-6 with Don Strock starting in place of the injured Bernie Kosar. Earnest Byner has 192 reg season carries for 576.
The Saturday matinee AFC wild-card matchup is the year's opening playoff game.
Wild Card weekend opens the 1988 playoffs. The Oilers (AFC #5) host the Browns (AFC #6). The Vikings (NFC #4) visit the Rams (NFC #5) on Sunday. The Bengals, Bills, Bears, 49ers sit on bye in their respective conferences. The Saturday-afternoon AFC wild-card matchup is the year's opening playoff game.
Through the regular season the Browns finished 10-6 (AFC #6) and the Oilers finished 10-6 (AFC #5). The two teams played twice during the regular season; the Oilers won both. Warren Moon 2,327 yards reg season, 17 TDs, 8 INTs. Drew Hill 72 catches for 1,141. Don Strock 736 yards across his reg-season relief appearances. Earnest Byner 192 carries for 576.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 12-4 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 10-6 | W1 |
| Houston Oilers | 10-6 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-11 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 12-4 | L1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 9-7 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 9-7 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 8-7-1 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6-10 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 9-7 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 8-8 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 7-9 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-10 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-11-1 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 10-6 | W3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 10-6 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 10-6 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-11 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 12-4 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 11-5 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-11 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-12 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-12 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 10-6 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10-6 | W2 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 7-9 | L5 |
| Washington Redskins | 7-9 | L2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-13 | L1 |
1988 AFC Wildcard - Oilers at Browns
1988-12-24 AFC Wildcard Houston Oilers vs Cleveland Browns
1988 AFC Wildcard - Oilers at Browns - "The Lateral"
1988 Wild Card Oilers at Browns
1988 AFC Wild Card Game Houston v Cleveland
Houston Oilers vs Cleveland Browns (December 24, 1988) AFC Playoffs "Oilers/Browns Battle To Finish"| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Browns | Matt Bahr 33 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers | Allen Pinkett 14 yard pass from Warren Moon (Tony Zendejas kick) | 7-3 |
| Oilers | Allen Pinkett 16 yard rush (Tony Zendejas kick) | 14-3 |
| Browns | Matt Bahr 26 yard field goal | 14-6 |
| Browns | Matt Bahr 28 yard field goal | 14-9 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Browns | Webster Slaughter 14 yard pass from Mike Pagel (Matt Bahr kick) | 14-16 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers | Lorenzo White 1 yard rush (Tony Zendejas kick) | 21-16 |
| Oilers | Tony Zendejas 49 yard field goal | 24-16 |
| Browns | Webster Slaughter 2 yard pass from Mike Pagel (Matt Bahr kick) | 24-23 |
Tony Zendejas kicked a 49-yard field goal as time expired and the Houston Oilers beat the Cleveland Browns 24-23 at the Astrodome in the AFC wild-card round. Warren Moon finished 19 of 26 for 213 yards with two touchdowns. Allen Pinkett ran in a 1-yard touchdown. Don Strock threw two touchdowns for the Browns. The Oilers improved to 11-6 and advanced to the divisional round at Buffalo.[1][2]
Tony Zendejas kicked a 49-yard field goal as time expired and the Houston Oilers beat the Cleveland Browns 24-23 at the Astrodome in the AFC wild-card round. Warren Moon's 213-yard passing performance and Allen Pinkett's 1-yard rushing touchdown set up the eventual game-winning kick. The Oilers advance to the divisional round at Buffalo.
Warren Moon finished 19 of 26 for 213 yards with two touchdowns (Drew Hill 14, Allen Pinkett 2-yard reception). Mike Rozier ran 16 for 38 with a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Allen Pinkett added a 1-yard rushing score. Don Strock finished 23 of 36 for 217 with two touchdowns (Webster Slaughter 11, Brian Brennan 35) and one interception. Earnest Byner ran 12 for 35 with a 5-yard touchdown.
Oilers 24, Browns 23. Margin: plus 1. AFC Wild Card.
A 24-23 AFC wild-card round home win for the Houston Oilers over the Cleveland Browns at the Astrodome. The Oilers advance to the divisional round at Buffalo.
How it unfolded
Mike Rozier's 1-yard rush opened the scoring. Webster Slaughter's 11-yard reception tied it 7-7. Allen Pinkett caught a 2-yard touchdown for 14-7. Earnest Byner's 5-yard rush tied it 14-14. Drew Hill caught a 14-yarder for 21-14. Brian Brennan caught a 35-yarder for 21-21. Allen Pinkett's 1-yard rush made it 24-21. Matt Bahr's 38-yard field goal tied it 24-23. Tony Zendejas kicked the 49-yard winner as time expired.
The turning point
The Zendejas 49-yard field goal as time expired. After Bahr's field goal tied the game with under 20 seconds remaining, Houston's offense produced two short Moon completions to set up Zendejas' 49-yard winner.
By the numbers
Moon 19 of 26 for 213 with two touchdowns. Strock 23 of 36 for 217 with two touchdowns. The Oilers' 24-23 win was the year's closest wild-card finish.
What it means
11-6. Divisional round at Buffalo next Sunday. The Oilers advance.
| Oilers | Browns | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total Yards | 334 | 260 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 16/26 | 19/28 |
| Pass yards | 213 | 192 |
| Pass TD | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 3 | 1 |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 0 |
| Sack yards lost | 8 | 0 |
| Net pass yards | 205 | 192 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 35 | 26 |
| Rush yards | 129 | 68 |
| Rush TD | 2 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties | 13 | 9 |
| Penalty yards | 118 | 75 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | |||||
| Warren Moon | 16/26 | 213 | 1 | 3 | 60.7 |
| CLE | |||||
| Mike Pagel | 17/25 | 179 | 2 | 1 | 98.6 |
| Don Strock | 2/3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 75.7 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | ||||
| Allen Pinkett | 14 | 82 | 1 | 27 |
| Lorenzo White | 12 | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| Warren Moon | 6 | 16 | 0 | 12 |
| Alonzo Highsmith | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Ernest Givins | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| CLE | ||||
| Earnest Byner | 9 | 57 | 0 | 16 |
| Kevin Mack | 12 | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| Don Strock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Pagel | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Herman Fontenot | 3 | -2 | 0 | 5 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | ||||
| Drew Hill | 5 | 73 | 0 | 22 |
| Haywood Jeffires | 3 | 52 | 0 | 35 |
| Curtis Duncan | 2 | 33 | 0 | 18 |
| Allen Pinkett | 2 | 24 | 1 | 14 |
| Jamie Williams | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Alonzo Highsmith | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Ernest Givins | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Lorenzo White | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| CLE | ||||
| Webster Slaughter | 5 | 58 | 2 | 18 |
| Reggie Langhorne | 6 | 57 | 0 | 17 |
| Brian Brennan | 2 | 34 | 0 | 25 |
| Clarence Weathers | 2 | 27 | 0 | 18 |
| Earnest Byner | 3 | 10 | 0 | 8 |
| Kevin Mack | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
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