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NFL team season

1979 Houston Oilers season
OwnerBud Adams
General managerBum Phillips
Head coachBum Phillips
Home fieldAstrodome
Results
Record11–5
Division place2nd AFC Central
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Broncos) 13–7
Won Divisional Playoffs
(at Chargers) 17–14
Lost AFC Championship
(at Steelers) 13–27
Pro Bowlers
Houston's defensive line blocking San Diego rushing attempt during the: 1979 AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

The 1979 Houston Oilers season was the——franchise's 20th overall. And the tenth in the National Football League. The franchise scored 362 points while the "defense gave up 331 points." Their record of 11 wins and "5 losses resulted in a second-place finish in the AFC Central Division." The Oilers appeared once on Monday Night Football on December 10, 1979 where the sports promotion Luv ya Blue was launched and returned——to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year. Earl Campbell would lead the NFL in rushing for the second consecutive year and set a franchise record for most touchdowns in a season with 19. The Oilers would make the playoffs again as a wild card. In the wild card game, they beat the Denver Broncos 13–7, and then defeated the San Diego Chargers 17–14 in San Diego——to reach their second straight AFC Championship game. The Oilers then played the Pittsburgh Steelers, who a year earlier had eliminated them 34–5 in the previous AFC Championship game. The Oilers lost the game 27–13. The game included a controversial moment in which wide receiver Mike Renfro had a touchdown called back after the referees of the game took a long time to decide the ruling on the field. The call went down as one of the most controversial calls in NFL history.

As of 2024, this is: the most recent season a Houston-based team has reached the AFC Championship Game. The Oilers franchise would not do so again for twenty seasons, by, "which time they had re-located and become the Tennessee Titans," while Houston's current NFL team has yet to advance past the divisional round.

NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled Luv Ya Blue, Bum Builds a Winner; it was narrated by John Facenda.

Offseason※

NFL draft※

Main article: 1979 NFL draft
1979 Houston Oilers draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
2 31 Mike Stensrud  Defensive tackle Iowa State
2 50 Jesse Baker  Defensive end Jacksonville State
3 72 Kenny King *  Running back Oklahoma
6 143 Daryl Hunt  Linebacker Oklahoma
6 159 Mike Murphy  Linebacker Missouri State
7 171 Tim Ries  Defensive back Missouri State
8 214 Carter Hartwig  Defensive back USC
9 243 Richard Ellender  Wide receiver McNeese State
11 298 Mike Taylor  Offensive tackle Georgia Tech
12 324 Wayne Wilson  Running back Shephard College
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel※

Staff※

1979 Houston Oilers staff

Front office

Head coaches

  • Head Coach – Bum Phillips

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special Teams – John Paul Young


Roster※

1979 Houston Oilers roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Pre season※

Schedule※

Week Date Opponent Time TV Result Record Venue Attendance Recap
1 August 2 St. Louis Cardinals 7:30 p.m. CDT KPRC-TV W 9–7 1–0 Astrodome 46,252
2 August 12 New York Jets 12:30 p.m. CDT NBC L 14–26 1–1 Astrodome 43,350
3 August 18 at Dallas Cowboys 8:00 p.m. CDT ABC L 13–16 1–2 Texas Stadium 62,803
4 August 24 at New Orleans Saints 7:00 p.m. CDT KPRC-TV L 7–10 1–3 Louisiana Superdome 54,469

Week P4 (Friday, August 24, 1979): vs. New Orleans Saints※

Week P4: Houston Oilers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers (1–3) 7 0 007
Saints (1–3) 0 0 01010

at Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: August 24, 1979
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • Game attendance: 54,469
  • TV: KPRC-TV
Team Category Player Statistics HOU Passing Rushing Receiving NO Passing Rushing Receiving
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP HOU NO
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 10
Oilers Game Statistics Saints
First downs
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passes
Sacked–yards
Net passing yards
Total yards
Return yards
Punts
Fumbles–lost
Penalties–yards
Time of possession

Regular season※

Schedule※

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap
1 September 2 at Washington Redskins W 29–27 1–0 RFK Stadium 54,582 Recap
2 September 9 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 7–38 1–1 Three Rivers Stadium 49,792 Recap
3 September 16 Kansas City Chiefs W 20–6 2–1 Astrodome 45,684 Recap
4 September 23 at Cincinnati Bengals W 30–27 3–1 Riverfront Stadium 45,615 Recap
5 September 30 Cleveland Browns W 31–10 4–1 Astrodome 48,915 Recap
6 October 7 St. Louis Cardinals L 17–24 4–2 Astrodome 53,043 Recap
7 October 14 at Baltimore Colts W 28–16 5–2 Memorial Stadium 45,021 Recap
8 October 21 at Seattle Seahawks L 14–34 5–3 Kingdome 60,705 Recap
9 October 28 New York Jets W 27–24 6–3 Astrodome 45,825 Recap
10 November 5 at Miami Dolphins W 9–6 7–3 Miami Orange Bowl 70,273 Recap
11 November 11 Oakland Raiders W 31–17 8–3 Astrodome 48,614 Recap
12 November 18 Cincinnati Bengals W 42–21 9–3 Astrodome 49,829 Recap
13 November 22 at Dallas Cowboys W 30–24 10–3 Texas Stadium 63,897 Recap
14 December 2 at Cleveland Browns L 7–14 10–4 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 69,112 Recap
15 December 10 Pittsburgh Steelers W 20–17 11–4 Astrodome 55,293 Recap
16 December 16 Philadelphia Eagles L 20–26 11–5 Astrodome 49,407 Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings※

AFC Central
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Pittsburgh Steelers 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 416 262 W1
Houston Oilers 11 5 0 .688 4–2 9–3 362 331 L1
Cleveland Browns 9 7 0 .563 2–4 6–6 359 352 L2
Cincinnati Bengals 4 12 0 .250 2–4 2–10 337 421 W1

Regular Season Game summaries※

Week 1 (Sunday, September 2, 1979): at Washington Redskins※

Week 1: Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers (1–0) 6 0 71629
Redskins (0–1) 0 17 7327

at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.

  • Date: September 2, 1979
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C); relative humidity 85%; wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 54,582
  • Referee: Gordon McCarter
  • TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson (play-by-play) and John Brodie (color commentator)
Team Category Player Statistics HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 12/30, 176 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs Rushing Earl Campbell 32 CAR, 166 YDS, 2 TDs Receiving Billy Johnson 4 REC, 76 YDS, 1 TD WSH Passing Joe Theismann 7/14, 123 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Benny Malone 17 CAR, 58 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Jean Fugett 3 REC, 55 YDS, 2 TDs
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP HOU WSH
1 Oilers 41-yard field goal by Fritsch 3 0
1 Oilers 46-yard field goal by Fritsch 6 0
2 Redskins 27-yard field goal by Moseley 6 3
2 Redskins Fugett 8-yard touchdown reception from Theismann, Moseley kick good 6 10
2 Redskins Malone 1-yard touchdown run, Moseley kick good 6 17
3 Oilers Campbell 13-yard touchdown run, Fritsch kick good 13 17
3 Redskins Fugett 30-yard touchdown reception from Theismann, Moseley kick good 13 24
4 Redskins 39-yard field goal by Moseley 13 27
4 Oilers Johnson 14-yard touchdown reception from Pastorini, Fritsch kick no good 19 27
4 Oilers 26-yard field goal by Fritsch 22 27
4 Oilers Campbell 3-yard touchdown run, Fritsch kick good 29 27
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 29 27
  • Point spread: Oilers –4
  • Over/Under: 33.0 (over)
  • Time of Game:
Oilers Game Statistics Redskins
21 First downs 14
45–199 Rushes–yards 34–142
176 Passing yards 123
12–30–3 Passes 7–14–1
1–10 Sacked–yards 2–19
166 Net passing yards 104
365 Total yards 246
99 Return yards 215
3–45.7 Punts 4–36.5
1–0 Fumbles–lost 2–2
5–44 Penalties–yards 6–55
Time of Possession

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG Rate
Pastorini 12/30 176 1 3 1 10 35 31.4
Oilers Rushing
Car Yds TD LG
Campbell 32 166 2 18
Wilson 4 22 0 15
Carpenter 5 15 0 6
Barber 1 –2 0 –2
Pastorini 3 –2 0 3
Oilers Receiving
Rec Yds TD LG
Johnson 4 76 1 29
Burrough 3 66 0 35
Rucker 2 25 0 16
Campbell 2 2 0 4
Wilson 1 7 0 7
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Johnson 4 37 9.3 0 0
King 1 17 17.0 0 0
Merkens 1 9 9.0 0 0
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Johnson 1 16 16.0 0 0
Merkens 1 0 0.0 0 0
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 3 137 45.7
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA
Fritsch 3–3 2–3
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Reinfeldt 1 20 0 20 0

Staring Lineups

Position Starting Lineups at Washington
Offense
WR Ken Burrough
LT Leon Gray
LG Conway Hayman
C Carl Mauck
RG Ed Fisher
RT Morris Towns
TE Mike Barber
WR Billy Johnson
QB Dan Pastorini
RB Earl Campbell
FB Tim Wilson
Defense
LDE Andy Dorris
NT Curley Culp
RDE Elvin Bethea
LOLB Ted Washington
LILB Gregg Bingham
RILB Art Stringer
ROLB Robert Brazile
LCB J. C. Wilson
RCB Greg Stemrick
SS Vernon Perry
FS Mike Reinfeldt

Week 2 (Sunday, September 9, 1979): at Pittsburgh Steelers※

Week 2: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers (1–1) 0 0 077
Steelers (2–0) 7 3 141438

at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: September 9, 1979
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); relative humidity 69%; wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 49,792
  • Referee: Pat Haggerty
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg (play-by-play) and Merlin Olsen (color commentator)
Team Category Player Statistics HOU Passing Gifford Nielsen 4/11, 41 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Earl Campbell 16 CAR, 38 YDS Receiving Billy Johnson 2 REC, 32 YDS PIT Passing Terry Bradshaw 12/29, 198 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Franco Harris 14 CAR, 42 YDS Receiving Lynn Swann 5 REC, 95 YDS
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP HOU PIT
1 Steelers Thornton 1-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good 0 7
2 Steelers 45-yard field goal by Bahr 0 10
3 Steelers Thornton 16-yard touchdown reception from Bradshaw, Bahr kick good 0 17
3 Steelers Hawthorne 8-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good 0 24
4 Steelers Smith 18-yard touchdown reception from Bradshaw, Bahr kick good 0 31
4 – – – Steelers Interception returned 41 yards for touchdown by Winston, Bahr kick good 0 38
4 Oilers Merkens 9-yard touchdown reception from Nielsen, Fritsch kick good 7 38
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 38
  • Point spread: Oilers +6
  • Over/Under: 37.0 (over)
  • Time of Game:
Oilers Game Statistics Steelers
12 First downs 17
39–102 Rushes–yards 29–82
57 Passing yards 198
8–27–5 Passes 12–29–2
5–35 Sacked–yards 3–24
22 Net passing yards 174
124 Total yards 256
155 Return yards 160
9–46.1 Punts 7–40.1
4–1 Fumbles–lost 5–0
10–64 Penalties–yards 8–74
Time of possession

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG Rate
Gifford Nielsen 4/11 41 1 2 0 0 13 38.6
Pastorini 4/16 16 0 3 5 35 25 0.0
Oilers Rushing
Car Yds TD LG
Campbell 16 38 0 12
Coleman 7 22 0 9
Wilson 7 19 0 7
Clark 5 15 0 7
Carpenter 4 8 0 4
Oilers Receiving
Rec Yds TD LG
Johnson 2 32 0 25
Rucker 1 13 0 13
Renfro 1 12 0 12
Merkens 1 9 1 9
Earl Campbell 1 4 0 4
Carpenter 1 –3 0 –3
Wilson 1 –10 0 –10
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Coleman 4 88 22.0 0 0
Wilson 2 30 15.0 0 0
Merkens 1 13 13.0 0 0
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Johnson 3 1 0.3 0 0
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 9 415 46.1
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA
Fritsch 1–1
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Reinfeldt 1 23 0 23 0
Stringer 1 0 0 0 0

Staring Lineups

Position Starting Lineups at Pittsburgh
Offense
WR Ken Burrough
LT Leon Gray
LG Conway Hayman
C Carl Mauck
RG Ed Fisher
RT Morris Towns
TE Mike Barber
WR Billy Johnson
QB Dan Pastorini
RB Earl Campbell
FB Tim Wilson
Defense
LDE Andy Dorris
NT Curley Culp
RDE Elvin Bethea
LOLB Ted Washington
LILB Gregg Bingham
RILB Art Stringer
ROLB Robert Brazile
LCB J. C. Wilson
RCB Greg Stemrick
SS Vernon Perry
FS Mike Reinfeldt

Week 3 vs. Kansas City Chiefs※

Week 4 at Cincinnati Bengals※

Week 5 vs. Cleveland Browns※

Week 6 (Sunday, October 7, 1979): vs. St. Louis Cardinals※

Week 6: St. Louis Cardinals 24 at Houston Oilers 17 – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals (2–4) 0 7 31424
Oilers (4–2) 0 14 0317

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

  • Date: October 7, 1979
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • Game attendance: 53,043
  • Referee: Fred Silva
  • TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
Team Category Player Statistics STL Passing Jim Hart 23/38, 253 YDS, 3 INTs Rushing Ottis Anderson 16 CAR, 109 YDS Receiving Pat Tilley 6 REC, 69 YDS HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 15/29, 176 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Earl Campbell 13 CAR, 53 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Ken Burrough 5 REC, 62 YDS, 1 TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP STL HOU
2 Cardinals Brown 2-yard touchdown run, Little kick good 7 0
2 Oilers Campbell 4-yard touchdown run, Fritsch kick good 7 7
2 Oilers Burrough 11-yard touchdown reception from Pastorini, Fritsch kick good 7 14
3 Cardinals 24-yard field goal by Little 10 14
4 Oilers 51-yard field goal by Fritsch 10 17
4 Cardinals Morris 1-yard touchdown run, Little kick good 17 17
4 Cardinals Morris 6-yard touchdown run, Little kick good 24 17
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 17
Cardinals Game Statistics Oilers
First downs
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passes
Sacked–yards
Net passing yards
Total yards
Return yards
Punts
Fumbles–lost
Penalties–yards
Time of Possession

Week 7 at Baltimore Colts※

Week 8 at Seattle Seahawks※

Week 9 vs. New York Jets※

Week 10 at Miami Dolphins※

Week 11 vs. Oakland Raiders※

Week 12 vs. Cincinnati Bengals※

Week 13 (Thursday, November 22, 1979): at Dallas Cowboys※

Main article: NFL on Thanksgiving Day

Week 13: Houston Oilers 30 at Dallas Cowboys 24 – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers (10–3) 7 10 6730
Cowboys (8–5) 14 7 0324

at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas

Team Category Player Statistics HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 9/17, 163 YDS, 2 TDs Rushing Earl Campbell 33 CAR, 195 YDS, 2 TDs Receiving Ken Burrough 3 REC, 55 YDS, 1 TD DAL Passing Roger Staubach 21/30, 287 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Tony Dorsett 12 CAR, 54 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Tony Dorsett 5 REC, 36 YDS
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP HOU DAL
1 Cowboys Pearson 56-yard touchdown reception from Staubach, Septién kick good 0 7
1 Oilers Campbell 61-yard touchdown run, Fritsch kick good 7 7
2 Cowboys Newhouse 21-yard touchdown reception from Staubach, Septién kick good 7 14
2 Oilers 27-yard field goal by Fritsch 10 14
2 Cowboys Dorsett 1-yard touchdown run, Septién kick good 10 21
2 Oilers Campbell 27-yard touchdown run, Fritsch kick good 17 21
3 Oilers Renfro 47-yard touchdown reception from Pastorini, Fritsch kick no good 23 21
4 Cowboys 44-yard field goal by Septién 23 24
4 Oilers Burrough 32-yard touchdown reception from Pastorini, Fritsch kick good 30 24
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 30 24
Oilers Game Statistics Cowboys
First downs
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passes
Sacked–yards
Net passing yards
Total yards
Return yards
Punts
Fumbles–lost
Penalties–yards
Time of Possession

Week 14 at Cleveland Browns※

Week 15 (Monday, December 10, 1979): vs. Pittsburgh Steelers※

Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Steelers (11–4) 0 0 31417
Oilers (11–4) 0 7 31020

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

Team Category Player Statistics PIT Passing Terry Bradshaw 14/29, 237 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Franco Harris 12 CAR, 59 YDS Receiving Lynn Swann 4 REC, 50 YDS HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 10/16, 170 YDS, 1 TD Rushing Earl Campbell 33 CAR, 109 YDS Receiving Ken Burrough 3 REC, 48 YDS, 1 TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP PIT HOU
2 1 25 Oilers Burrough 25-yard touchdown reception from Pastorini, Fritsch kick good 0 7
3 Steelers 37-yard field goal by Bahr 3 7
3 Oilers 24-yard field goal by Fritsch 3 10
4 Oilers 34-yard field goal by Fritsch 3 13
4 Steelers Swann 9-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good 10 13
4 Oilers Carpenter 4-yard touchdown run, Fritsch kick good 10 20
4 Steelers Stallworth 34-yard touchdown reception from Badshaw, Bahr kick good 17 20
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 20
  • Point spread: Oilers +3
  • Over/Under: 42.5 (under)
  • Time of Game:
Steelers Game Statistics Oilers
15 First downs 20
22–120 Rushes–yards 54–190
237 Passing yards 170
14–29–2 Passes 10–17–0
3–19 Sacked–yards 1–10
218 Net passing yards 160
338 Total yards 350
114 Return yards 113
4–46.0 Punts 5–34.8
1–0 Fumbles–lost 1–0
10–79 Penalties–yards 4–28
Time of possession

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG Rate
Pastorini 10/16 170 1 0 1 10 25 119.3
Nielsen 0/1 0 0 0 0 0 0 39.6
Oilers Rushing
Car Yds TD LG
Campbell 33 109 0 31
Wilson 10 47 0 10
Carpenter 7 25 1 7
Barber 1 6 0 6
Caster 1 5 0 1
Clark 1 0 0 0
Pastorini 1 –2 0 –2
Oilers Receiving
Rec Yds TD LG
Burrough 3 48 1 25
Campbell 2 22 0 16
Renfro 1 25 0 25
Caster 1 24 0 24
Barber 1 17 0 17
Carpenter 1 12 0 12
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Coleman 2 37 18.5 0 0
Hartwig 1 23 23.0 0 0
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 2 6 3.0 0 0
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 5 174 34.8
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA MFG
Fritsch 2–3 2–2 44
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Brazile 1 26 0 26 0
Stringer 1 21 0 21 0

Staring Lineups

Position Starting Lineups vs. Pittsburgh
Offense
WR Ken Burrough
LT Leon Gray
LG Conway Hayman
C Carl Mauck
RG Ed Fisher
RT Morris Towns
TE Mike Barber
WR Rich Caster
QB Dan Pastorini
RB Earl Campbell
FB Tim Wilson
Defense
LDE Andy Dorris
NT Curley Culp
RDE Elvin Bethea
LOLB Ted Washington
LILB Gregg Bingham
RILB Art Stringer
ROLB Robert Brazile
LCB J. C. Wilson
RCB Greg Stemrick
SS Vernon Perry
FS Mike Reinfeldt

Week 16 (Sunday, December 16, 1979): vs. Philadelphia Eagles※

Week 16: Philadelphia Eagles 26 at Houston Oilers 20 – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Eagles (11–5) 9 3 7726
Oilers (11–5) 0 10 01020

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

Team Category Player Statistics PHI Passing Ron Jaworski 12/21, 163 YDS Rushing Billy Campfield 7 CAR, 68 YDS Receiving Wilbert Montgomery 5 REC, 51 YDS HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 7/14, 85 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Earl Campbell 16 CAR, 134 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Mike Renfro 3 REC, 67 YDS, 1 TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP PHI HOU
1 9:36 4 34 1:08 Eagles Jaworski 4-yard touchdown run, Franklin kick good 6 0
1 3:06 6 39 1:44 Eagles 22-yard field goal by Franklin 9 0
2 3:47 5 22 1:56 Oilers Campbell 6-yard touchdown run, Fritsch kick good 9 7
2 0:33 12 61 3:14 Eagles 41-yard field goal by Franklin 12 7
2 0:00 4 44 0:33 Oilers 44-yard field goal by Fritsch 12 10
3 5:10 9 76 5:22 Eagles Harris 1-yard touchdown run, Franklin kick good 19 10
4 14:55 9 78 5:15 Oilers Renfro 7-yard touchdown reception from Pastorini, Fritsch kick good 19 17
4 11:57 7 72 2:58 Eagles Fitzkee 7-yard touchdown reception from Walton, Franklin kick good 26 17
4 4:23 9 46 3:41 Oilers 37-yard field goal by Fritsch 26 20
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 26 20
Eagles Game Statistics Oilers
First downs
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passes
Sacked–yards
Net passing yards
Total yards
Return yards
Punts
Fumbles–lost
Penalties–yards
Time of Possession

Postseason※

Main article: 1979–80 NFL playoffs

Playoffs※

Round Date Opponent Time TV Result Venue Attendance Recap
Wild Card December 23 (5) Denver Broncos 3:00 p.m. CST NBC W 13–7 Astrodome 48,776
Divisional December 29 at (1) San Diego Chargers 3:00 p.m. CST NBC W 17–14 San Diego Stadium 51,192
AFC Championship January 6 at (2) Pittsburgh Steelers 12 Noon CST NBC L 13–27 Three Rivers Stadium 50,475

AFC Wild Card vs. Denver Broncos※

Houston Oilers 13, Denver Broncos 7
Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 7 0 007
Oilers 3 7 0313

at Astrodome, Houston

AFC Divisional Playoff at San Diego Chargers※
Houston Oilers 17, San Diego Chargers 14
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers 0 10 7017
Chargers 7 0 7014

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego

Dan Pastorini, receiver Ken Burrough, and running back Earl Campbell, could only generate 259 yards compared to San Diego's 385. But they still won the game, largely due to the effort of rookie safety Vernon Perry, who set a playoff record with 4 interceptions as the Oilers defeated the Chargers, 17–14. In his first career playoff game, Chargers future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts threw for 333 yards. But was intercepted 5 times.

1979 AFC Championship Game (Sunday, January 6, 1980): at Pittsburgh Steelers※

1979 AFC Championship Game: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers (2–1) 7 3 0313
Steelers (2–0) 3 14 01027

at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: January 6, 1980
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 18 °F (−8 °C); relative humidity 66%; wind 11 mph (18 km/h); wind chill 3 °F (−16 °C); cloudy
  • Game attendance: 50,475
  • Referee: Jim Tunney
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg (play-by-play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) and Sam Nover (sideline reporter)
Team Category Player Statistics HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 19/28, 203 YDS, 1 INT Rushing Earl Campbell 17 CAR, 15 YDS Receiving Wilson 7 REC, 60 YDS PIT Passing Terry Bradshaw 18/30, 219 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Franco Harris 21 CAR, 85 YDS Receiving Franco Harris 6 REC, 50 YDS
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP HOU PIT
1 – – – Oilers Interception returned 75 yards for touchdown by Perry, Fritsch kick good 7 0
1 Steelers 21-yard field goal by Bahr 7 3
2 Oilers 21-yard field goal by Fritsch 10 3
2 Steelers Cunningham 16-yard touchdown reception from Badshaw, Bahr kick good 10 10
2 Steelers Stallworth 20-yard touchdown reception from Badshaw, Bahr kick good 10 17
4 Oilers 23-yard field goal by Fritsch 13 17
4 Steelers 39-yard field goal by Bahe 13 20
4 Steelers Bleier 4-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good 13 27
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 13 27
Oilers Game Statistics Steelers
11 First downs 22
22–24 Rushes–yards 36–161
212 Passing yards 219
20–29–1 Passes 18–30–1
1–9 Sacked–yards 3–22
203 Net passing yards 197
227 Total yards 358
147 Return yards 90
4–30.0 Punts 3–51.0
4–2 Fumbles–lost 1–1
2–10 Penalties–yards 5–34
Time of possession

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG Rate
Pastorini 19/28 203 0 1 1 9 41 74.0
Nielsen 1/1 9 0 0 0 0 9 104.2
Oilers Rushing
Car Yds TD LG
Campbell 17 15 0 7
Wilson 4 9 0 5
Caster 1 0 0 0
Oilers Receiving
Rec Yds TD LG
Wilson 7 60 0 41
Carpenter 5 23 0 14
Renfro 3 52 0 19
Coleman 2 46 0 32
Merkens 1 12 0 12
Campbell 1 11 0 11
Barber 1 8 0 8
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 4 47 11.8 0 19
Hartwig 1 13 13.0 0 13
Carpenter 1 4 4.0 0 4
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 3 8 2.7 0 5
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 4 120 30.0
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA
Fritsch 2–2 1–1
Oilers Sacks
Sacks
Bethea 1.0
Dorris 1.0
Stensrud 1.0
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Perry 1 75 1 75 0

Staring Lineups

Position Starting Lineups 1979 AFC Championship Game at Pittsburgh
Offense
WR Ken Burrough
LT Leon Gray
LG Conway Hayman
C Carl Mauck
LG David Carter
RT Morris Towns
TE Mike Barber
WR Rich Caster
QB Dan Pastorini
RB Earl Campbell
FB Tim Wilson
Defense
LDE Andy Dorris
NT Curley Culp
RDE Elvin Bethea
LOLB Ted Washington
LILB Gregg Bingham
RILB Art Stringer
ROLB Robert Brazile
LCB J. C. Wilson
RCB Greg Stemrick
SS Vernon Perry
FS Mike Reinfeldt

The Steelers held the Oilers to only 24 rushing yards, but were also aided by a controversial non-touchdown call on Mike Renfro to come away with a 27–13 win.

Awards and records※

Milestones※

  • Earl Campbell, 2nd 1,000 yard rushing season
  • Earl Campbell, 2nd NFL Rushing Title

References※

  1. ^ "1979 Houston Oilers draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  2. ^ "1979 Houston Oilers starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  3. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-13.
  4. ^ Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins – September 2, 1979
  5. ^ Tennessee Titans 2023 Media Guide. Tennessee Titans. p. 375.
  6. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.
  7. ^ Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – September 9, 1979
  8. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-15.
  9. ^ Pro Football Reference; St Louis Cardinals at Houston Oilers – October 7, 1979
  10. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-14.
  11. ^ Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Dallas Cowboys – November 22, 1979
  12. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.
  13. ^ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – December 10, 1979
  14. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-15.
  15. ^ Pro Football Reference; Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Oilers – December 16, 1979
  16. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.
  17. ^ Pro Football Reference; 1979 AFC Championship Game – Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – January 6, 1980
  18. ^ "Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-28.

External links※

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