1979 Houston Oilers season

1979 Houston Oilers season
OwnerBud Adams
General managerBum Phillips
Head coachBum Phillips
Home stadiumAstrodome
Results
Record11–5
Division place2nd AFC Central
PlayoffsWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Broncos) 13–7
Won Divisional Playoffs
(at Chargers) 17–14
Lost AFC Championship
(at Steelers) 13–27
Pro Bowlers

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 2025, 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

[1]

Personnel

Staff

1979 Houston Oilers staff

Front office

Head coaches

  • Head Coach – Bum Phillips

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches


Roster

1979 Houston Oilers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams (ST)

Reserve


Rookies in italics

[2]

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 P3 (Saturday, August 18, 1979): at Dallas Cowboys

Week P3: Houston Oilers 13 at Dallas Cowboys 16 – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers (1–2) 3 3 7013
Cowboys (2–2) 0 0 7916

at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas

Team Category Player Statistics
HOU Passing
Rushing
Receiving
DAL Passing
Rushing
Receiving
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 P4 (Friday, August 24, 1979): at New Orleans Saints

Week P4: Houston Oilers 7 at New Orleans Saints 10 – Game summary
Quarter 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
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(2) 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 416 262 W1
(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

Regular Season Game summaries

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

[3]

Week 1: Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
Quarter 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)
  • [4][5]
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
  • 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/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate
Pastorini 12/30 176 1 3 1 10 35 31.4
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
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

Starting 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

[6]

Week 2: Houston Oilers 7 at Pittsburgh Steelers 38 – Game summary
Quarter 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)
  • [7][5]
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
  • 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/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate
Nielsen 4/11 41 1 2 0 0 13 38.6
Pastorini 4/16 16 0 3 5 35 25 0.0
Oilers Rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3
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
Rec4 Yds TD LG3
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 Sacks
Sacks
Dorris 2.0
Culp 1.0
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Reinfeldt 1 23 0 23 0
Stringer 1 0 0 0 0

Starting 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

[8]

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

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

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
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 (Monday, November 5, 1979): at Miami Dolphins

[10]

Week 10: Houston Oilers 9 at Miami Dolphins 6 – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers (7–3) 0 3 609
Dolphins (6–4) 3 0 036

at Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, Florida

  • Date: November 5, 1979
  • Game time: 8:07 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C); relative humidity 70%; wind 17 mph (27 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 70,273
  • Referee: Fred Wyant
  • TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford (play–by–play), Howard Cosell (color commentator) and Don Meredith (color commentator)
  • [11]
Team Category Player Statistics
HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 6/10, 25 YDS
Rushing Earl Campbell 32 CAR, 120 YDS
Receiving Tim Wilson 2 REC, 4 YDS
MIA Passing Bob Griese 14/26, 158 YDS, 2 INTs
Rushing Gary Davis 16 CAR, 51 YDS
Receiving Gary Davis 8 REC, 58 YDS
  • Point spread: Oilers +3
  • Over/Under: 39.0 (under)
  • Time of Game: 2 hours, 46 minutes
Oilers Game Statistics Dolphins
10 First downs 13
46–179 Rushes–yards 26–102
25 Passing yards 158
6–10–0 Passes 14–26–2
2–14 Sacked–yards 2–20
11 Net passing yards 138
190 Total yards 240
108 Return yards 72
7–36.9 Punts 5–38.8
0–0 Fumbles–lost 3–2
8–70 Penalties–yards 4–35
31:26 Time of Possession 28:34

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate
Pastorini 6/10 25 0 0 2 14 24 64.6
Oilers Rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3
Campbell 32 120 0 11
Wilson 9 32 0 9
Pastorini 3 14 0 14
Caster 1 10 0 10
Carpenter 1 3 0 3
Oilers Receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3
Wilson 2 4 0 3
Ken Burrough 1 24 0 24
Rob Carpenter 1 2 0 2
Conrad Rucker 1 2 0 2
Earl Campbell 1 –7 0 –7
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 1 27 27.0 0 27
Hartwig 1 16 16.0 0 16
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 2 11 5.5 0 0
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 7 255 36.4 0
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA
Fritsch 3–4
Oilers Sacks
Sacks
Kennard 1.0
Washington 1.0
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Bingham 1 54 0 54
Perry 1 0 0 0
  • Missed field goals – Fritsch 48 (wide left)

Starting Lineups

Position Starting Lineups at Miami
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 Daryl Hunt
ROLB Robert Brazile
LCB J. C. Wilson
RCB Greg Stemrick
SS Vernon Perry
FS Mike Reinfeldt

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

[12]

Week 13: Houston Oilers 30 at Dallas Cowboys 24 – Game summary
Quarter 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
  • Point spread: Oilers +1
  • Over/Under: 41.0 (over)
  • Time of Game:
Oilers Game Statistics Cowboys
17 First downs 20
41–224 Rushes–yards 30–92
163 Passing yards 287
9–17–0 Passes 21–30–2
1–9 Sacked–yards 1–8
154 Net passing yards 279
378 Total yards 371
113 Return yards 124
4–44.5 Punts 3–36.7
1–0 Fumbles–lost 2–1
4–45 Penalties–yards 7–42
Time of Possession

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate
Pastorini 9/17 163 2 0 1 9 47 125.4
Oilers Rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3
Campbell 33 195 2 61
Wilson 4 17 0 7
Carpenter 3 14 0 7
Pastorini 1 –2 0 –2
Oilers Receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3
Burrough 3 55 1 32
Renfro 2 53 1 47
Barber 2 16 0 11
Caster 1 29 0 29
Carpenter 1 10 0 10
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Coleman 2 51 25.5 0 0
Hartwig 2 28 14.0 0 0
Ellender 1 18 18.0 0 18
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 1 7 7.0 0 7
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 4 178 44.5 0
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA
Fritsch 1–1 3–4
Oilers Sacks
Sacks
Bethea 1.0
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Perry 1 9 0 9 0
Wilson 1 0 0 0 0

Starting Lineups

Position Starting Lineups at Dallas
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 Daryl Hunt
ROLB Robert Brazile
LCB J. C. Wilson
RCB Greg Stemrick
SS Vernon Perry
FS Mike Reinfeldt

Week 14 at Cleveland Browns

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

[14]

Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers 17 at Houston Oilers 20 – Game summary
Quarter 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
  • 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/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 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
Car2 Yds TD LG3
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
Rec4 Yds TD LG3
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 Sacks
Sacks
Baker 1.0
Stensrud 1.0
Dorris 0.5
Perry 0.5
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Brazile 1 26 0 26 0
Stringer 1 21 0 21 0

Starting 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

[16]

Week 16: Philadelphia Eagles 26 at Houston Oilers 20 – Game summary
Quarter 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
  • Point spread: Oilers –4
  • Over/Under: 39.0 (over)
  • Time of Game: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Eagles Game Statistics Oilers
20 First downs 19
31–168 Rushes–yards 40–235
202 Passing yards 137
16–29–0 Passes 12–27–3
0–0 Sacked–yards 4–33
202 Net passing yards 104
370 Total yards 339
156 Return yards 143
5–42.6 Punts 5–42.0
1–1 Fumbles–lost 0–0
5–40 Penalties–yards 8–49
26:59 Time of Possession 33:01

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate
Pastorini 7/14 85 1 2 1 7 49 53.3
Nielsen 5/13 52 0 1 3 26 20 18.7
Oilers Rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3
Campbell 16 134 1 37
Carpenter 10 45 0 12
Coleman 5 27 0 10
Wilson 5 14 0 5
Caster 1 6 0 6
Pastorini 1 5 0 5
Clark 2 4 0 4
Oilers Receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3
Renfro 3 67 1 49
Merkens 2 35 0 20
Caster 2 17 0 12
Wilson 1 7 0 7
Groth 1 6 0 6
Campbell 1 4 0 4
Carpenter 1 1 0 1
Clark 1 0 0 0
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 6 130 21.7 0 0
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 3 13 4.3 0 0
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 5 210 42.0 0
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA
Fritsch 2–2 2–2

Starting Lineups

Position Starting Lineups vs. Philadelphia
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

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 Recap
Divisional December 29 at (1) San Diego Chargers 3:00 p.m. CST NBC W 17–14 San Diego Stadium 51,192 Recap
AFC Championship January 6 at (2) Pittsburgh Steelers 12 Noon CST NBC L 13–27 Three Rivers Stadium 50,475 Recap

1979 AFC Wild Card Playoffs (Sunday, December 23, 1979): vs. (A5) Denver Broncos

[18]

1979 AFC Wild Card Playoffs: Denver Broncos 7 at Houston Oilers 13 – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Broncos (0–1) 7 0 007
Oilers (1–0) 3 7 0313

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

Team Category Player Statistics
DEN Passing
Rushing
Receiving
HOU Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Broncos 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

The Oilers managed to shut down the Broncos offense for most of the game en route to a 13–7 win.

1979 AFC Divisional Playoffs (Saturday, December 29, 1979): at (A1) San Diego Chargers

[20]

1979 AFC Divisional Playoffs: Houston Oilers 17 at San Diego Chargers 14 – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers (2–0) 0 10 7017
Chargers (0–1) 7 0 7014

at San Diego Stadium • San Diego, California

  • Date: December 29, 1979
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); relative humidity 37%; wind 8 mph (13 km/h); sunny
  • Game attendance: 51,192
  • Referee: Ben Dreith
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg (play–by–play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) and Mike Adamle (sideline reporter)
  • [21]
Team Category Player Statistics
HOU Passing Gifford Nielsen 11/19, 111 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Rob Carpenter 18 CAR, 67 YDS
Receiving Rob Carpenter 4 REC, 23 YDS
SD Passing Dan Fouts 25/47, 333 YDS, 5 INTs
Rushing Lydell Mitchell 8 CAR, 33 YDS
Receiving Bob Klein 5 REC, 41 YDS
Oilers Game Statistics Chargers
15 First downs 25
40–148 Rushes–yards 19–63
111 Passing yards 333
11–19–0 Passes 25–47–5
0–0 Sacked–yards 2–16
111 Net passing yards 317
259 Total yards 380
89 Return yards 113
6–40.7 Punts 2–32.0
0–0 Fumbles–lost 0–0
5–45 Penalties–yards 6–30
30:06 Time of possession 29:54

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate
Nielsen 11/19 111 1 1 0 0 47 65.9
Oilers Rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3
Carpenter 18 67 0 11
Wilson 11 39 0 14
Clark 9 30 1 11
Nielsen 2 12 0 14
Oilers Receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3
Carpenter 4 23 0 7
Wilson 3 16 0 10
Renfro 1 47 1 47
Coleman 1 13 0 13
Barber 1 12 0 12
Oilers Kick Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Hartwig 2 37 18.5 0 24
Ellender 1 16 16.0 0 16
Oilers Punt Returns
Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng
Ellender 1 25 25.0 0 25
Oilers Punting
Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck
Parsley 6 244 40.7 50
Oilers Kicking
FGM–FGA XPM–XPA
Fritsch 1–1 2–2
Oilers Sacks
Sacks
Bethea 1.0
Dorris 1.0
Oilers Interceptions
Int Yds TD LG PD
Perry 4 0 0 0 0
Wilson 1 3 0 3 0
Reinfeldt 0 8 0 8 0

Starting Lineups

Position Starting Lineups 1979 AFC Divisional Playoffs at San Diego
Offense
WR Mike Renfro
LT Leon Gray
LG David Carter
C Carl Mauck
RG Ed Fisher
RT Conway Hayman
TE Mike Barber
WR Rich Caster
QB Gifford Nielsen
RB Rob Carpenter
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 Oilers offense, playing without starting quarterback Dan Pastorini, receiver Ken Burrough, and running back Earl Campbell, could only generate 259 yards compared to San Diego's 380. 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 (A2) Pittsburgh Steelers

[22]

1979 AFC Championship Game: Houston Oilers 13 at Pittsburgh Steelers 27 – Game summary
Quarter 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 Noon 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)
  • [23][5]
Team Category Player Statistics
HOU Passing Dan Pastorini 19/28, 203 YDS, 1 INT
Rushing Earl Campbell 17 CAR, 15 YDS
Receiving Tim 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
27:06 Time of possession 32:54

Individual stats

Oilers Passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 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
Car2 Yds TD LG3
Campbell 17 15 0 7
Wilson 4 9 0 5
Caster 1 0 0 0
Oilers Receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3
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

Starting Lineups

Position Starting Lineups 1979 AFC Championship Game at Pittsburgh
Offense
WR Ken Burrough
LT Leon Gray
LG David Carter
C Carl Mauck
RG Ed Fisher
RT Conway Hayman
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. This was the last time an NFL team based in Houston reached the AFC Championship Game, and the closest any franchise in Houston got to going to the Super Bowl.

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. ^ a b c d 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 2025-Apr-19.
  11. ^ Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Miami Dolphins – November 5, 1979
  12. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-14.
  13. ^ Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Dallas Cowboys – November 22, 1979
  14. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.
  15. ^ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – December 10, 1979
  16. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Jan-15.
  17. ^ Pro Football Reference; Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Oilers – December 16, 1979
  18. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-2.
  19. ^ Pro Football Reference; 1979 AFC Wild Card Playoffs – Denver Broncos at Houston Oilers – December 23, 1979
  20. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-Apr-20.
  21. ^ Pro Football Reference; 1979 AFC Divisional Playoffs – Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers – December 29, 1979
  22. ^ The Football Database. Retrieved 2023-Oct-31.
  23. ^ Pro Football Reference; 1979 AFC Championship Game – Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – January 6, 1980
  24. ^ "Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
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