The recent Keenum pickup and the debate v Yates brought to mind the Houston Oilers draft of Dan Pastorini (1st round) and Lynn Dickey (3rd round) in 1971. It was tough times for the Oilers back then (1and 13); though Pastorini as the 1st round pick and conscience tough guy (1st to wear a flack jacket) was ultimately chosen over Dickey who was later traded to the Packers. I always thought Dickey was the better of the two. There was no forum like this then to suss it out (better or worse). Pastorini had a solid career and was later traded by Bum to the Raiders for Kenny (The Snake Stabler) where he pretty much got hurt and crashed and burned as Jim Plunkett picked up the pieces of "excellence". Turns out that Dickey is a member of the GB Hall of Fame and still the NFL season record holder of 9.21 yds per passing attempt. I was just remembering...
I enjoyed reading that. I didn't know the story of Pastorini and Dickey being drafted together. I was a young Oilers fan around the time they got Earl Campbell... got swept into the Luv Ya Blue madness. Pastorini was already established as the QB then.
Glad you liked Clutch - I remember following those teams as a youngster on the AM radio (too munch info, LOL)
Do you remember the year the Oilers went 10-4 and only lost to TWO teams in the entire league? They lost to the Bengals and Steelers twice. And both of them qualified for the playoffs. 1-13...Bill Peterson as coach right? YUCK ! And to answer your question, Pastarini.... DD
I'm sure I do DD... Did Kenny Anderson set a consecutive completion record against the Oilers that year? Here is a nice Bill Peterson notice for ya - "Coach "Pete", as he was known, is also remembered for his reshaping of the English language. One of his more novel expressions was to have his team "pair off in groups of threes"
Some questions from the Fowler book, and just general Oilers stuff: Did Pastorini ask Bum to trade him? Did Bum trade away "the future" ie draft picks to win now? Was Nielsen any good or just a "decent" person with BYU QB pedigree (or did that even exist yet)? Was Bum stabbed in the back by his DC, Ed Biles, who reported "team violations" to Adams? Was Herzeg widely considered a bad GM throughout the league, or just an unlikable guy by local sports media? Did the Oilers spend too much time looking for another Campbell in the mid-late '80s: Rozier, Highsmith, Pinkett, then finally White? Did Glanville deserve credit for turning the Oilers around? Did he still need to be fired? Was there a better potential replacement than Pardee?
Appreciate the thread, as I wasn't born yet for most of the Oilers history. As for Keenum vs. Yates, I'd go Yates all day.
Never heard that thow may be true - remember his throw down with (Post?) Newspaper columnist Dale Robertson in a locker room encounter? Yeah. Bum even traded for a washed up Earl Cambell when he was coaching the Saints. It did exist! Nielson and backup running back Rob Carpenter led the depleted Oilers over the Charges in a playoff game. Still Nielson was probably no better than Cody Carlson. Never heard that, but where Adams and the highly suspicious 'Biles' is concerned.... Am getting Biles and Herzeg (he of an unfortunate hotel incident?) a little mixed - it will come back to me - unfortunately. No, it had to be done done; but boy was Highsmith a bust! Glanville is/was an ass but a winner and made the Falcons wear cool uniforms . You might be forgetting the unfortunate Hugh Cambell
Nielsen was ok, and that playoff game AT San Diego where Carpenter was crawling on the ground with broken ribs and still playing, incredible...17-14 final IIRC. Not sure about that, but Bum was fired because he refused to hire an offensive coordinator after getting blown out by Oakland and their players basically saying Houston ran a high school offense. If Bum would have hired an OC, he would have stayed. Herzeg did an OK job, but was an ass, and he did moon that group in the hotel.... I guess, but Rozier had a 1000 yard season, and I think Pinkett and White did too, so they were not terrible...now Highsmith...well.... He was ok, sort of an early version of the Jets current coach. DD
Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers used to say during those late 70's years that they played the second best team in football three times a year: the Oilers, twice in the division and once in the playoffs. Franco Harris said that's why they were so good. Never forget the Monday night Dolphins game and the San Diego playoff game. Fouts and the Chargers were prohibitive favorites. Cambell, Burrough and Pastorini all out. Rob Carpenter on crutches (ankle) getting off the bus before the game. Vernon Perry's four picks of Fouts. Defense made Air Coryell their b****. Fouts has hated this city ever since. They let their walking do their talking. Loved those guys.
Had no idea there was a Yates vs Keenum debate going on in Houston. If so, that is just the media in Houston trying to move the needle in Houston.
. Yates v Keenum the new Montana v Yound. Forget that we have a qb that was headed for a third straight 4,000 yard season missing his favorite target due to a leg casualty and will have another 4,000 yards this season. you don't throw for that many yard and have a top five qb rating by accident. Hold your horses on the younger kids. They will get their turn, but right now it's all about keeping schaubie away from the fatman. I was even wanting the texans to sign said fatman so he won't end up being picked up by a team we play three hours befor kickoff. =/
Yes, Pastorini did ask to be traded. If I remember correctly, Highsmith was injured very early into his rookie year. We never got to see what he could do at the pro level.
