# 1979 Houston Oilers 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.
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

1979 Houston Oilers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 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 ||||||

## Pre season
### Schedule

| 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 |

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

| Quarter | 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 |
| HOU | Passing |
| HOU | Rushing |
| HOU | Receiving |
| NO | Passing |
| NO | Rushing |
| NO | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | HOU | NO |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 7 | 10 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* 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 :
| viewtalkedit | 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

| Quarter | 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)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| HOU | Passing | Dan Pastorini | 12/30, 176 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs |
| HOU | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 32 CAR, 166 YDS, 2 TDs |
| HOU | Receiving | Billy Johnson | 4 REC, 76 YDS, 1 TD |
| WSH | Passing | Joe Theismann | 7/14, 123 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| WSH | Rushing | Benny Malone | 17 CAR, 58 YDS, 1 TD |
| WSH | Receiving | Jean Fugett | 3 REC, 55 YDS, 2 TDs |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "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$^1$ | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG$^3$ | Rate |
| Pastorini | 12/30 | 176 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 35 | 31.4 |
Oilers Rushing :
| | Car$^2$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| 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$^4$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| 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

| Quarter | 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)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| HOU | Passing | Gifford Nielsen | 4/11, 41 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| HOU | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 16 CAR, 38 YDS |
| HOU | Receiving | Billy Johnson | 2 REC, 32 YDS |
| PIT | Passing | Terry Bradshaw | 12/29, 198 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| PIT | Rushing | Franco Harris | 14 CAR, 42 YDS |
| PIT | Receiving | Lynn Swann | 5 REC, 95 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "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$^1$ | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG$^3$ | 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$^2$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| 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$^4$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| 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 |
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 6 (Sunday, October 7, 1979): vs. St. Louis Cardinals

| Quarter | 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)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| STL | Passing | Jim Hart | 23/38, 253 YDS, 3 INTs |
| STL | Rushing | Ottis Anderson | 16 CAR, 109 YDS |
| STL | Receiving | Pat Tilley | 6 REC, 69 YDS |
| HOU | Passing | Dan Pastorini | 15/29, 176 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| HOU | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 13 CAR, 53 YDS, 1 TD |
| HOU | Receiving | Ken Burrough | 5 REC, 62 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 24 | 17 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* 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

| Quarter | 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)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| HOU | Passing | Dan Pastorini | 9/17, 163 YDS, 2 TDs |
| HOU | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 33 CAR, 195 YDS, 2 TDs |
| HOU | Receiving | Ken Burrough | 3 REC, 55 YDS, 1 TD |
| DAL | Passing | Roger Staubach | 21/30, 287 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| DAL | Rushing | Tony Dorsett | 12 CAR, 54 YDS, 1 TD |
| DAL | Receiving | Tony Dorsett | 5 REC, 36 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 30 | 24 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* 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

| Quarter | 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)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| PIT | Passing | Terry Bradshaw | 14/29, 237 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| PIT | Rushing | Franco Harris | 12 CAR, 59 YDS |
| PIT | Receiving | Lynn Swann | 4 REC, 50 YDS |
| HOU | Passing | Dan Pastorini | 10/16, 170 YDS, 1 TD |
| HOU | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 33 CAR, 109 YDS |
| HOU | Receiving | Ken Burrough | 3 REC, 48 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "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$^1$ | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG$^3$ | 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$^2$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| 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$^4$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| 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 |
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

| Quarter | 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)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| PHI | Passing | Ron Jaworski | 12/21, 163 YDS |
| PHI | Rushing | Billy Campfield | 7 CAR, 68 YDS |
| PHI | Receiving | Wilbert Montgomery | 5 REC, 51 YDS |
| HOU | Passing | Dan Pastorini | 7/14, 85 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| HOU | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 16 CAR, 134 YDS, 1 TD |
| HOU | Receiving | Mike Renfro | 3 REC, 67 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "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
* Game Statistics
* 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
### Playoffs

| 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 |

### AFC Wild Card vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| HOU | Passing | Dan Pastorini | 19/28, 203 YDS, 1 INT |
| HOU | Rushing | Earl Campbell | 17 CAR, 15 YDS |
| HOU | Receiving | Tim Wilson | 7 REC, 60 YDS |
| PIT | Passing | Terry Bradshaw | 18/30, 219 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| PIT | Rushing | Franco Harris | 21 CAR, 85 YDS |
| PIT | Receiving | Franco Harris | 6 REC, 50 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "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/ATT$^1$ | Yds | TD | INT | Sk | Yds | LG$^3$ | 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$^2$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| Campbell | 17 | 15 | 0 | 7 |
| Wilson | 4 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Caster | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oilers Receiving :
| | Rec$^4$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ |
| 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 | 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
* 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