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  →

Houston's defensive line blocking a 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

^[1]

Personnel

Staff

1979 Houston Oilers staff

Front office President – Bud Adams General Manager – Bum Phillips Senior Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer – Ladd Herzeg Assistant General Manager – Pat Peppler Director of College Scouting – Joe Woolley Head coaches Head Coach – Bum Phillips Offensive coaches Offensive Backs – Andy Bourgeois Receivers – King Hill Offensive Line – Joe Bugel

Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – Ed Biles Defensive Line – Wade Phillips Defensive Secondary – Bob Gambold Special teams coaches Special Teams – John Paul Young

Roster

1979 Houston Oilers roster

	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 (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 84 Billy Johnson WR (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 30 Kenny King RB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 56 Mike Murphy OLB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 62 John Schuhmacher G (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 41 Tony Towns LB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 79 Randy Young G (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 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 P4 (Friday, August 24, 1979): vs. New Orleans Saints

Week P4: Houston Oilers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

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

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

• Point spread:
• Over/Under:
• Time of Game:

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
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

Regular Season Game summaries

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

^[3]

Week 1: Houston Oilers at Washington Redskins – Game summary

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

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

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/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

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

^[6]

Week 2: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers (1–1)	0	0	0	7	7
Steelers (2–0)	7	3	14	14	38

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

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

^[8]

Week 6: St. Louis Cardinals 24 at Houston Oilers 17 – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals (2–4)	0	7	3	14	24
Oilers (4–2)	0	14	0	3	17

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)
• ^[9]

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

• Point spread:
• Over/Under:
• Time of Game:

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

Main article: NFL on Thanksgiving Day

^[10]

Week 13: Houston Oilers 30 at Dallas Cowboys 24 – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers (10–3)	7	10	6	7	30
Cowboys (8–5)	14	7	0	3	24

at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas

• Date: November 22, 1979
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C); wind 16 mph (26 km/h)
• Game attendance: 63,897
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg (play–by–play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) and Mike Adamle (sideline reporter)
• ^[11]

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

• Point spread:
• Over/Under:
• Time of Game:

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

• Earl Campbell 33 Rush, 195 Yds

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

^[12]

Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers (11–4)	0	0	3	14	17
Oilers (11–4)	0	7	3	10	20

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: December 10, 1979
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Indoors (dome)
• Game attendance: 55,293
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford (play-by-play), Howard Cosell (color commentator) and Fran Tarkenton (color commentator)
• ^{[13] [5]}

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/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 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

^[14]

Week 16: Philadelphia Eagles 26 at Houston Oilers 20 – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles (11–5)	9	3	7	7	26
Oilers (11–5)	0	10	0	10	20

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

• Date: December 16, 1979
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Indoors (dome)
• Game attendance: 49,407
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender (play-by-play) and Sonny Jurgenson (color commentator)
• ^[15]

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

• Point spread:
• Over/Under:
• Time of Game: 3 hours, 15 minutes

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	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	0	0	0	7
Oilers	3	7	0	3	13

at Astrodome, Houston

• Date: December 23, 1979
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game attendance: 48,776
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson

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

AFC Divisional Playoff at San Diego Chargers

Houston Oilers 17, San Diego Chargers 14

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	10	7	0	17
Chargers	7	0	7	0	14

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego

• Date: December 29, 1979
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game attendance: 51,192
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

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 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

^[16]

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers (2–1)	7	3	0	3	13
Steelers (2–0)	3	14	0	10	27

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)
• ^{[17] [5]}

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

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

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/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

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

• Earl Campbell, NFL Rushing Leader, (1,697)
• Earl Campbell, 1979 NFL MVP
• Earl Campbell, PFWA NFL MVP (1979)
• Earl Campbell, Pro Bowl selection 1979
• Earl Campbell, All-Pro selection 1979
• Earl Campbell, NEA NFL MVP (1979)
• Earl Campbell, NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1979)
• Earl Campbell, 1979 Bert Bell Award ^[18]
• Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers record, Most Touchdowns in a Season (19)
• Mike Reinfeldt, NFL Interception Leader, 12

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

• 1979 Houston Oilers at Pro-Football-Reference.com