1979_Houston_Oilers_season

1979 Houston Oilers season
1979 Houston Oilers season
Owner	Bud Adams
General manager	Bum Phillips
Head coach	Bum Phillips
Home field	Astrodome
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	2nd AFC Central
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs; (vs. Broncos) 13–7; Won Divisional Playoffs; (at Chargers) 17–14; Lost AFC Championship; (at Steelers) 13–27
Pro Bowlers	DE Elvin Bethea; LB Robert Brazile; RB Earl Campbell; K Toni Fritsch; LT Leon Gray; FS Mike Reinfeldt;
	← 1978; Oilers seasons; 1980 →;

1979 Houston Oilers season

NFL team season

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.

Quick Facts Houston Oilers season, Owner ...

Houston's defensive line blocking a San Diego rushing attempt during the 1979 AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

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.

Regular Season Game summaries

Postseason

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

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More information Period, Total ...

1979 AFC Championship Game: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

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)
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More information Team, Category ...

More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Point spread: Oilers +9½
Over/Under:
Time of Game:

More information Oilers, Game Statistics ...

Individual stats

More information Oilers Passing, C/ATT1 ...

More information Oilers Rushing, Car2 ...

More information Oilers Receiving, Rec4 ...

More information Oilers Kick Returns, Ret ...

More information Oilers Punt Returns, Ret ...

More information Oilers Punting, Pnt ...

More information Oilers Kicking, FGM–FGA ...

More information Oilers Sacks, Sacks ...

More information Oilers Interceptions, Int ...

Staring Lineups

More information Position, Starting Lineups 1979 AFC Championship Game at Pittsburgh ...

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.

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"1979 Houston Oilers draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2014.

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"1979 Houston Oilers starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2014.

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The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-13.

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Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins – September 2, 1979

[2023_media_guide_p751-5] [5]
Tennessee Titans 2023 Media Guide. Tennessee Titans. p. 375.

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The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.

[7] [7]
Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – September 9, 1979

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The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-15.

[9] [9]
Pro Football Reference; St Louis Cardinals at Houston Oilers – October 7, 1979

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The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-14.

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Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Dallas Cowboys – November 22, 1979

[12] [12]
The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.

[13] [13]
Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – December 10, 1979

[14] [14]
The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-15.

[15] [15]
Pro Football Reference; Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Oilers – December 16, 1979

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The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.

[17] [17]
Pro Football Reference; 1979 AFC Championship Game – Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – January 6, 1980

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"Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-28.

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Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1979 Houston Oilers draft
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


	Quarterbacks 12 Guido Merkens 14 Gifford Nielsen 7 Dan Pastorini Running backs 34 Earl Campbell 26 Rob Carpenter FB 42 Boobie Clark FB 47 Ronnie Coleman 45 Tim Wilson FB Wide receivers 00 Ken Burrough 88 Rich Caster 85 Rich Ellender 81 Jeff Groth 82 Mike Renfro Tight ends 86 Mike Barber 87 Conrad Rucker		Offensive linemen 58 David Carter C/G 60 Ed Fisher G 74 Leon Gray T 70 Conway Hayman G 55 Carl Mauck C 61 Wes Phillips T 68 Tom Randall G 64 George Reihner G 76 Morris Towns T Defensive linemen 75 Jesse Baker DE 65 Elvin Bethea DE 78 Curley Culp NT 69 Andy Dorris DE 71 Ken Kennard NT 67 Mike Stensrud DE		Linebackers 63 Steve Baumgartner OLB 54 Gregg Bingham ILB 52 Robert Brazile OLB -- Jimbo Elrod 50 Daryl Hunt ILB 53 Art Stringer ILB 51 Ted Thompson ILB 59 Ted Washington OLB Defensive backs 19 Willie Alexander CB/FS 20 Bill Currier SS 36 Carter Hartwig CB/FS 21 Charles Jefferson CB 32 Vernon Perry SS 37 Mike Reinfeldt FS 27 Greg Stemrick CB 33 J. C. Wilson CB Special teams 16 Toni Fritsch K 18 Cliff Parsley P		Reserve lists -- Steve Baurngarten LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 84 Billy Johnson WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 30 Kenny King RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 56 Mike Murphy OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 62 John Schuhmacher G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 41 Tony Towns LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 79 Randy Young G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad Rookies in italics

Week	Date	Opponent	Time	TV	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
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

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

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.

1979_Houston_Oilers_season

1979 Houston Oilers season

Offseason

NFL draft

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Pre season

Schedule

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

Regular season

Schedule

Standings

Regular Season Game summaries

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

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

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 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

Week 14 at Cleveland Browns

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

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

Postseason

Playoffs

AFC Wild Card vs. Denver Broncos

AFC Divisional Playoff at San Diego Chargers

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

Awards and records

Milestones

References

External links

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AFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Pittsburgh Steelers⁽²⁾	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	416	262	W1
Houston Oilers⁽⁴⁾	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

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

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

Oilers Rushing
	Car²	Yds	TD	LG³
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
	Rec⁴	Yds	TD	LG³
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

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

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

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

Oilers Passing
	C/ATT¹	Yds	TD	INT	Sk	Yds	LG³	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 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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers (1–3)	7	0	0	0	7
Saints (1–3)	0	0	0	10	10

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers (1–0)	6	0	7	16	29
Redskins (0–1)	0	17	7	3	27

Oilers Punting
	Pnt	Yds	Y/P	Lng	Blck
Parsley	3	137	45.7

Oilers Kicking
	FGM–FGA	XPM–XPA
Fritsch	3–3	2–3

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

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

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

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

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

Round	Date	Opponent	Time	TV	Result	Venue	Attendance
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

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

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

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