PRO FOOTBALL : Pinkett Finishes Off New England : Houston Reserve Scores 3 Touchdowns in Oilers’ 31-6 Victory

HOUSTON — Allen Pinkett can’t break into the starting lineup, so he doesn’t waste any time when he gets his chance.

Pinkett, who backs up Mike Rozier at running back, caught 2 touchdown passes and rushed for another score Sunday as the Houston Oilers trounced the New England Patriots, 31-6.

“I don’t speculate on how they use me,” said Pinkett, whose scores came on screen passes of 51 and 22 yards and a 1-yard run. “I just try to do the best I can when called upon. I’m very relaxed out there.”

Pinkett rushed for 70 yards in 14 carries and caught 2 passes for 73 yards. He is the Oilers’ leading rusher with 252 yards and has scored 6 touchdowns--the other 3 coming against the Raiders.

“(Pinkett) made big plays and this league is made of big plays,” Oiler Coach Jerry Glanville said.

“He’s a big-time player. He can play any down in this game but we like to wear the other team down, then put our quickest back in there.”

Rozier added a 1-yard touchdown run and Tony Zendejas kicked a 49-yard field goal for the Oilers (3-1), who bounced back from an embarrassing 45-3 defeat to the New York Jets last week.

New England (1-3) lost its third straight game.

Steve Grogan completed 16 of 34 passes for 136 yards with 4 interceptions and scored the Patriots’ only touchdown on a 1-yard run.

“We’re not moving the ball, we’re making mistakes and we don’t seem to be together on offense,” Grogan said. “I don’t seem to be getting the ball to the receivers and I don’t know why. We’re not making the plays we should and a lot of that has to fall on my shoulders.”

The Oilers’s Cody Carlson, starting his third game for the injured Warren Moon, completed 8 of 17 passes for 166 yards with 2 interceptions.

“I had a shaky start and I made a lot of mistakes,” Carlson said. “We were very fortunate that good things happened. I’ve been good, bad and mediocre but I’m gaining confidence each week.”