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1961 Houston Oilers

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Record: 10-3-1, Finished 1st in AFL East Division
AFL Season Summary

1961 AFL Champions

Scored 513 points (36.6/g), 1st of 8 in the AFL.
 Allowed 242 points (17.3/g), 2nd.
 Differential of 271 points (19.4/g), 1st.
 Expected W-L: 12.0-2.0.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +9 (0.6/g), 3rd.

Coached by Lou Rymkus (1-3-1) and Wally Lemm (9-0-0)

1961 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees

Team Games & Schedule

Glossary · CSV · PRE
Score Offense Defense
Week Date Rec Opp Tm Opp 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO
1 Sat September 9 box W 1-0 Oakland Raiders 55 0 25 482 279 203 1 7 99 34 65 5
2 Sun September 24 box L 1-1 @ San Diego Chargers 24 34 19 372 300 72 7 7 158 108 50 1
3 Sun October 1 box L 1-2 @ Dallas Texans 21 26 15 353 249 104 5 27 528 130 398
4 Sun October 8 box L 1-3 Buffalo Bills 12 22 8 194 146 48 3 18 382 176 206 5
5 Fri October 13 box T 1-3-1 @ Boston Patriots 31 31 25 540 448 92 2 20 383 254 129 2
6 Sun October 22 box W 2-3-1 Dallas Texans 38 7 23 475 315 160 13 296 170 126 2
7 Sun October 29 box W 3-3-1 @ Buffalo Bills 28 16 17 510 464 46 4 22 351 252 99 4
8 Sun November 5 box W 4-3-1 @ Denver Broncos 55 14 24 582 348 234 2 19 204 130 74 6
9 Sun November 12 box W 5-3-1 Boston Patriots 27 15 19 346 177 169 2 16 252 208 44 3
10 Sun November 19 box W 6-3-1 New York Titans 49 13 24 555 407 148 1 25 347 240 107 4
11 Sun November 26 box W 7-3-1 Denver Broncos 45 14 21 311 251 60 6 11 159 115 44 8
12 Sun December 3 box W 8-3-1 San Diego Chargers 33 13 22 473 351 122 3 14 306 271 35 4
13 Sun December 10 box W 9-3-1 @ New York Titans 48 21 26 573 307 266 1 17 304 152 152 3
14 Sun December 17 box W 10-3-1 @ Oakland Raiders 47 16 25 522 350 172 2 19 256 151 105 1
Playoffs
Championship December 24 box W 11-3-1 @ San Diego Chargers 10 3

Team Stats and Rankings

Glossary · CSV · PRE
Passing Rushing
Pts Yds Ply Y/P 1stD Cmp Att Yds TD Int NY/A 1stD Att Yds TD Y/A 1stD TO FL 1stPy
Team Offense 513 6288 964 6.5 293 254 498 4392 48 29 8.6 182 452 1896 15 4.2 97 39 10 14
Team Defense 242 4025 899 4.5 383 212 493 2391 13 33 4.5 126 365 1634 17 4.5 235 48 15 22
Lg Rank Offense 1 1 1 2 1 1 6 1 1 2 5 3 2 2
Lg Rank Defense 2 2 3 8 2 1 2 2 3 6 4 6 2 5

Passing

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk%
George Blanda*+ 34 QB 14 11 187 362 51.7 3330 36 9.9 22 6.1 80 9.2 7.5 17.8 237.9 91.3
Jacky Lee 22 14 3 66 127 52.0 1205 12 9.4 6 4.7 80 9.5 8.3 18.3 86.1 96.7
Billy Cannon*+ 24 HB 14 0 0 5 0.0 0 0 0.0 1 20.0 0 0.0 -9.0 0.0 0.0
Dave Smith 24 14 0 1 2 50.0 33 0 0.0 0 0.0 33 16.5 16.5 33.0 2.4 95.8
Bill Groman+ 25 WR 14 0 0 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 39.6
Charley Tolar* 24 FB 14 0 0 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 39.6
Team Total 25.3 14 254 498 51.0 4568 48 9.6 29 5.8 80 9.2 7.5 18.0 326.3 90.7
Opp Total 14 212 493 43.0 2391 13 2.6 33 6.7 4.8 2.1 11.3 170.8 39.0 41 359 4.5 1.3

Rushing & Receiving

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Rushing Receiving
Age Pos G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G YScm RRTD Fmb
Billy Cannon*+ 24 HB 14 0 200 948 6 61 4.7 67.7 14.3 43 586 13.6 9 78 3.1 41.9 1534 15 5
Charley Tolar* 24 FB 14 0 157 577 4 28 3.7 41.2 11.2 24 219 9.1 1 32 1.7 15.6 796 5 3
Dave Smith 24 14 0 60 258 2 21 4.3 18.4 4.3 10 131 13.1 1 37 0.7 9.4 389 3 3
Claude King 23 11 0 12 50 2 17 4.2 4.5 1.1 3 83 27.7 1 44 0.3 7.5 133 3 2
Jacky Lee 22 14 3 8 36 0 9 4.5 2.6 0.6 36 0 3
George Blanda*+ 34 QB 14 11 7 12 0 7 1.7 0.9 0.5 1 -16 -16.0 0 -16 0.1 -1.1 -4 0 3
Ken Hall 26 3 0 7 13 0 9 1.9 4.3 2.3 1 20 20.0 1 20 0.3 6.7 33 1 0
Bill Groman+ 25 WR 14 0 1 2 1 2 2.0 0.1 0.1 50 1175 23.5 17 80 3.6 83.9 1177 18 0
Charley Hennigan*+ 26 WR 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 82 1746 21.3 12 80 5.9 124.7 1746 12 0
Bob McLeod* 23 te 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 14 172 12.3 2 18 1.0 12.3 172 2 0
John White 26 TE 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 13 238 18.3 1 49 0.9 17.0 238 1 0
Willard Dewveall 25 7 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 12 200 16.7 3 66 1.7 28.6 200 3 0
Julian Spence 32 10 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 14 14.0 0 14 0.1 1.4 14 0 0
Team Total 25.3 14 452 1896 15 61 4.2 135.4 32.3 254 4568 18.0 48 80 18.1 326.3 6464 63 19
Opp Total 14 365 1634 17 4.5 116.7 26.1 212 2391 11.3 13 15.1 170.8 4025 30 31

Kick & Punt Returns

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Punt Returns Kick Returns
Age Pos G GS Ret Yds TD Lng Y/R Rt Yds TD Lng Y/Rt APYd
Billy Cannon*+ 24 HB 14 0 9 70 0 20 7.8 18 439 0 47 24.4 2043
Claude King 23 11 0 7 32 0 10 4.6 8 190 0 41 23.8 355
Ken Hall 26 3 0 2 1 0 1 0.5 6 140 0 33 23.3 174
Mike Dukes 25 RLB 14 0 4 57 0 23 14.3 57
Dave Smith 24 14 0 1 15 0 15 15.0 1 5 0 5 5.0 409
Charley Tolar* 24 FB 14 0 2 42 0 22 21.0 838
Doug Cline 23 LLB 14 0 1 24 0 24 24.0 24
Jack Laraway 26 10 0 1 22 0 22 22.0 22
Bob McLeod* 23 te 14 0 1 13 0 13 13.0 185
Hogan Wharton 26 RG 14 0 1 8 0 8 8.0 8
Team Total 25.3 14 19 118 0 20 6.2 43 940 0 47 21.9 7522
Opp Total 14 20 0 66 1481 1 22.4

Kicking & Punting

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
0--19 20--29 30--39 40--49 50+ Tot PAT Punting
Age Pos G GS FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FG% XPA XPM XP% Pnt Yds Lng Blck Y/P
George Blanda*+ 34 QB 14 11 7 6 7 6 2 1 4 1 6 2 26 16 61.5% 65 64 98.5%
Jim Norton 23 LS 14 0 48 1952 63 0 40.7
Ken Hall 26 3 0 8 238 50 0 29.8
Charlie Milstead 24 8 0 1 1 100.0%
Team Total 25.3 14 7 6 7 6 2 1 4 1 6 2 26 16 61.5% 66 65 98.5% 56 2190 63 0 39.1
Opp Total 14 24 6 25.0% 26 22 84.6% 81 3297 40.7

Defense & Fumbles

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles
Age Pos G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty
Tony Banfield*+ 24 LCB 14 14 8 136 0 58
George Blanda*+ 34 QB 14 11 3 0 0 0
Billy Cannon*+ 24 HB 14 0 5 0 0 0
Doug Cline 23 LLB 14 0 1 24 0 24 1
Mike Dukes 25 RLB 14 0 1 5 0 5
Fred Glick 24 RS 12 0 4 28 0 11
Mark Johnston* 23 RCB 14 0 4 59 0 27
Claude King 23 11 0 2 0 0 0
Jack Laraway 26 10 0 1 30 0 30
Jacky Lee 22 14 3 3 0 0 0
Charlie Milstead 24 8 0 2 25 0 22
Dennit Morris* 25 MLB 14 0 1 31 0 31
Jim Norton 23 LS 14 0 9 150 0 36
Dave Smith 24 14 0 3 0 0 0
Julian Spence 32 10 0 1 23 0 23
Charley Tolar* 24 FB 14 0 3 0 0 0
Orville Trask 27 LDT 14 0 1 17 0 17
Team Total 25.3 14 33 528 0 58 19 0 0 2 1
Opp Total 14 14 31 16

Scoring Summary

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS RshTD RecTD PR TD KR TD FblTD IntTD OthTD 2PM XPM FGM Sfty Pts
George Blanda*+ 34 QB 14 11 64 16 112
Bill Groman+ 25 WR 14 0 1 17 108
Billy Cannon*+ 24 HB 14 0 6 9 90
Charley Hennigan*+ 26 WR 14 0 12 72
Charley Tolar* 24 FB 14 0 4 1 30
Willard Dewveall 25 7 0 3 18
Claude King 23 11 0 2 1 18
Dave Smith 24 14 0 2 1 18
Doug Cline 23 LLB 14 0 2 1 14
Bob McLeod* 23 te 14 0 2 12
Ken Hall 26 3 0 1 6
Mark Johnston* 23 RCB 14 0 1 6
John White 26 TE 14 0 1 6
Charlie Milstead 24 8 0 1 1
Team Total 25.3 14 15 48 2 1 65 16 1 511
Opp Total 14 17 13 1 22 6 242