# 1979 Oakland Raiders season

The 1979 Oakland Raiders season was their 10th in the league, and 20th overall. They matched their previous season's output of 9–7. Oakland started off 1–3, rallied to 6–4, then fell to 6–6 after an upset loss to the Kansas City chiefs. Oakland then went on a three-game winning streak that featured a 14–10 defensive struggle in Denver, a comeback win in New Orleans after trailing 35–14 in the 3rd quarter, and a 19–14 win over the Cleveland Browns. In the season finale the Raiders stood at 9–6 in need of a win at home against the Seattle Seahawks to have a shot at a wildcard playoff spot. However, it was not to be, as Seattle quarterback Jim Zorn's 314 yards and 2 TD passes eliminated the Raiders, 29–24.
This was the first season since 1964 that the Raiders finished lower than second place in the AFL/AFC West.

## Offseason
### Draft

1979 Oakland Raiders draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 2 | 42 | Willie Jones | DE | Florida State |
| 6 | 142 | Ira Matthews | RB | Wisconsin |
| 6 | 156 | Henry Williams | DB | San Diego State |
| 7 | 175 | Jack Matia | DT | Drake |
| 8 | 209 | Robert Hawkins | RB | Kentucky |
| 9 | 238 | Jim Rourke | OT | Boston College |
| 10 | 259 | Ricky Smith | DB | Tulane |
| 11 | 294 | Bruce Davis | OT | UCLA |
| 12 | 316 | Dirk Abernathy | DB | Bowling Green |
| 12 | 320 | Reggie Kinlaw | DT | Oklahoma |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 2 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 24–17 | 1–0 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 2 | September 9 | at San Diego Chargers | L 10–30 | 1–1 | San Diego Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 16 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 10–27 | 1–2 | Kingdome | Recap |
| 4 | September 23 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 7–35 | 1–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | September 30 | Denver Broncos | W 27–3 | 2–3 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 6 | October 8 | Miami Dolphins | W 13–3 | 3–3 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 7 | October 14 | Atlanta Falcons | W 50–19 | 4–3 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 8 | October 21 | at New York Jets | L 19–28 | 4–4 | Shea Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | October 25 | San Diego Chargers | W 45–22 | 5–4 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 10 | November 4 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–10 | 6–4 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 11 | November 11 | at Houston Oilers | L 17–31 | 6–5 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 12 | November 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 21–24 | 6–6 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 13 | November 25 | at Denver Broncos | W 14–10 | 7–6 | Mile High Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 3 | at New Orleans Saints | W 42–35 | 8–6 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |
| 15 | December 9 | Cleveland Browns | W 19–14 | 9–6 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 16 | December 16 | Seattle Seahawks | L 24–29 | 9–7 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

## Season summary
### Week 1

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Raiders | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Rams | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |

### Week 2

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| • Chargers | 14 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 30 |

### Week 3

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| • Seahawks | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |

### Week 4

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Chiefs | 14 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 35 |

### Week 5

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Raiders | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |

### Week 6

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| • Raiders | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |

### Week 7

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 19 |
| • Raiders | 10 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 50 |

### Week 8

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| • Jets | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |

### Week 9

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 22 |
| • Raiders | 14 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 45 |

### Week 10

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Raiders | 9 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 23 |

### Week 11

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| • Oilers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 31 |

### Week 12

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### Week 13

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |

### Week 14

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Saints | 0 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 3, 1979
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Indoors (dome)
* Game attendance: 71,323
* Referee: Bob Frederic
* TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Raymond Chester 3-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick). – Raiders 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards.
Second quarter
NO – Tony Galbreath 2-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick). – Tie 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards.
NO – Tony Galbreath 17-yard pass from Archie Manning (Garo Yepremian kick). – Saints 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards.
NO – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick). – Saints 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards.
NO – Henry Childs 28-yard pass from Archie Manning (Garo Yepremian kick). – Saints 28–7. Drive: 1 play, 28 yards.
OAK – Arthur Whittington 1-yard run (Jim Breech kick). – Saints 28–14. Drive:
Third quarter
NO – Ken Bordelon 19-yard interception return (Garo Yepremian kick), 6:24. – Saints 35–14.
OAK – Mark van Eeghen 1-yard run (Jim Breech kick). – Saints 35–21. Drive:
Fourth quarter
OAK – Derrick Ramsey 17-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick). – Saints 35–28. Drive:
OAK – Cliff Branch 66-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick). – Tie 35–35. Drive:
OAK – Cliff Branch 8-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick), 1:54. – Raiders 42–35. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards.
Top passers
OAK – Ken Stabler – 26/44, 295 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
NO – Archie Manning – 12/23, 154 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
OAK – Arthur Whittington – 14 rushes, 67 yards, TD
NO – Chuck Muncie – 21 rushes, 128 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – Cliff Branch – 7 receptions, 126 yards, 2 TD
NO – Tony Galbreath – 7 receptions, 106 yards, TD :

### Week 15

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| • Raiders | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 19 |

### Week 16

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Seahawks | 10 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 29 |
| Raiders | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| San Diego Chargers$^{(1)}$ | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 411 | 246 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos$^{(5)}$ | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 289 | 262 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–5 | 6–6 | 378 | 372 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 365 | 337 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–4 | 7–7 | 238 | 262 | L1 |