1979 NFL season

1979 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration September 1 – December 17, 1979
Playoffs
Start date December 23, 1979
AFC Champions Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC Champions Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl XIV
Date January 20, 1980
Site Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Champions Pittsburgh Steelers
Pro Bowl
Date January 27, 1980
Site Aloha Stadium

The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers repeated as champions by defeating Los Angeles Rams 31-19 at the Rose Bowl. The Steelers became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice.[1][2] It was also the 20th anniversary of the American Football League.

Major rule changes

Division Races

Starting in 1978, ten teams qualified for the playoffs: the winners of each of the divisions, and two wild-card teams in each conference.

National Football Conference

Week NFC East NFC Central NFC West Wild Card Wild Card
1 Dallas, Philadelphia 1–0 3 teams 1–0 Atlanta 1–0
2 Dallas 2–0 Tampa Bay, Chicago 2–0 Atlanta 2–0
3 Dallas 3–0 Tampa Bay 3–0 Atlanta, L.A. 2–1
4 Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington 3–1 Tampa Bay 4–0 Atlanta, L.A. 2–2 Chicago 2–2 Minnesota 2–2
5 Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington 4–1 Tampa Bay 5–0 L.A. 3–2 Minnesota 3–2 4 teams 2–3
6 Dallas, Philadelphia 5–1 Tampa Bay 5–1 L.A. 4–2 Washington 4–2 3 teams 3–3
7 Dallas, Philadelphia 6–1 Tampa Bay 5–2 L.A. 4–3 Washington 5–2 5 teams 3–4
8 Dallas 7–1 Tampa Bay 6–2 L.A., New Orleans 4–4 Philadelphia, Washington 6–2 Minnesota 4–4
9 Dallas 7–2 Tampa Bay 7–2 L.A. 5–4 Philadelphia, Washington 6–3 4 teams 4–5
10 Dallas 8–2 Tampa Bay 7–3 L.A., New Orleans 5–5 Philadelphia, Washington 6–4 Chicago 5–5
11 Dallas 8–3 Tampa Bay 8–3 New Orleans 6–5 Philadelphia, Washington 7–4 Chicago 6–5
12 Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington 8–4 Tampa Bay 9–3 L.A., New Orleans 6–6 Chicago 7–5 Giants, Minnesota 5–7
13 Philadelphia 9–4 Tampa Bay 9–4 L.A., New Orleans 7–6 Dallas, Washington 8–5 Chicago 7–6
14 Philadelphia 10–4 Tampa Bay 9–5 L.A. 8–6 Dallas, Washington 9–5 Chicago 8–6
15 Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington 10–5 Tampa Bay, Chicago 9–6 L.A. 9–6 Minnesota, New Orleans 8–7 Giants 6–9
16 Dallas 11–5 Tampa Bay 10–6 Los Angeles 9–7 Philadelphia 11–5 Chicago 10–6

American Football Conference

Week AFC East AFC Central AFC West Wild Card Wild Card
1 Miami 1–0 3 teams 1–0 4 teams 1–0
2 Miami 2–0 Pittsburgh, Cleveland 2–0 San Diego 2–0
3 Miami 3–0 Pittsburgh, Cleveland 3–0 San Diego 3–0 New England, Houston, Denver 2–1
4 Miami 4–0 Pittsburgh, Cleveland 4–0 San Diego, Denver 3–1 New England, Houston 3–1 Buffalo, Kansas City 2–2
5 Miami 4–1 Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Houston 4–1 San Diego 4–1 New England, Denver, Buffalo, Kansas City 3–2 Jets, Oakland 2–3
6 Miami, New England 4–2 Pittsburgh 5–1 San Diego, Denver, Kansas City 4–2 Cleveland, Houston 4–2 Buffalo, Oakland 3–3
7 Miami, New England 5–2 Pittsburgh, Houston 5–2 San Diego, Denver 5–2 Cleveland, Kansas City, Oakland 4–3 Buffalo, Jets 3–4
8 New England 6–2 Pittsburgh 6–2 San Diego 6–2 Miami, Cleveland, Houston, Denver 5–3 Jets, Kansas City, Oakland 4–4
9 Miami, New England 6–3 Pittsburgh 7–2 San Diego, Denver 6–3 Cleveland, Houston 6–3 Oakland 5–4
10 New England 7–3 Pittsburgh 8–2 San Diego, Denver 7–3 Cleveland, Houston 7–3 Miami, Oakland 6–4
11 Miami, New England 7–4 Pittsburgh 9–2 San Diego, Denver 8–3 Houston 8–3 Cleveland 7–4
12 New England 8–4 Pittsburgh, Houston 9–3 San Diego, Denver 9–3 Cleveland 8–4 Miami 7–5
13 Miami, New England 8–5 Pittsburgh, Houston 10–3 San Diego 10–3 Denver 9–4 Cleveland 8–5
14 Miami 9–5 Pittsburgh 11–3 San Diego, Denver 10–4 Houston 10–4 Cleveland 9–5
15 Miami 10–5 Pittsburgh, Houston 11–4 San Diego 11–4 Denver 10–5 Cleveland, Oakland 9–6
16 Miami 10–6 Pittsburgh 12–4 San Diego 12–4 Houston 11–5 Denver 10–6

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

AFC East
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(3) Miami Dolphins 1060.625341257
New England Patriots 970.563411326
New York Jets 880.500337383
Buffalo Bills 790.438268279
Baltimore Colts 5110.313271351
AFC Central
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(2) Pittsburgh Steelers 1240.750416262
(4) Houston Oilers 1150.688362331
Cleveland Browns 970.563359352
Cincinnati Bengals 4120.250337421
AFC West
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(1) San Diego Chargers 1240.750411246
(5) Denver Broncos 1060.625289262
Seattle Seahawks 970.563378372
Oakland Raiders 970.563365337
Kansas City Chiefs 790.438238262
NFC East
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(1) Dallas Cowboys 1150.688371313
(4) Philadelphia Eagles 1150.688339282
Washington Redskins 1060.625348295
New York Giants 6100.375237323
St. Louis Cardinals 5110.313307358
NFC Central
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1060.625273237
(5) Chicago Bears 1060.625306249
Minnesota Vikings 790.438259337
Green Bay Packers 5110.313246316
Detroit Lions 2140.125219365
NFC West
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
(3) Los Angeles Rams 970.563323309
New Orleans Saints 880.500370360
Atlanta Falcons 6100.375300388
San Francisco 49ers 2140.125308416

Tiebreakers

Coaching Changes

Playoffs

NOTE: The Dallas Cowboys (the NFC 1 seed) did not play the Philadelphia Eagles (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.
                                   
Divisional Playoffs
    Dec. 30 – Texas Stadium        
NFC Wild Card Game NFC Championship
 3  Los Angeles  21
Dec. 23 – Veterans Stadium     Jan. 6 – Tampa Stadium
 1*  Dallas  19  
 5  Chicago  17  3  Los Angeles  9
Dec. 29 – Tampa Stadium
 4  Philadelphia  27      2  Tampa Bay  0   Super Bowl XIV
 4  Philadelphia  17
    Jan. 20 – Rose Bowl
 2*  Tampa Bay  24  
 N3  Los Angeles  19
Dec. 29 – San Diego Stadium
AFC Wild Card Game AFC Championship    A2  Pittsburgh  31
 4  Houston  17
Dec. 23 – Astrodome     Jan. 6 – Three Rivers Stadium
 1  San Diego  14  
 5  Denver  7  4  Houston  13
Dec. 30 – Three Rivers Stadium
 4  Houston  13      2  Pittsburgh  27  
 3  Miami  14
   
 2  Pittsburgh  34  

Statistical leaders

Team

Points scoredPittsburgh Steelers (416)
Total yards gainedPittsburgh Steelers (6,258)
Yards rushingNew York Jets (2,646)
Yards passingSan Diego Chargers (3,915)
Fewest points allowedTampa Bay Buccaneers (237)
Fewest total yards allowedTampa Bay Buccaneers (3,949)
Fewest rushing yards allowedDenver Broncos (1,693)
Fewest passing yards allowedTampa Bay Buccaneers (2,076)

Awards

Most Valuable PlayerEarl Campbell, Running Back, Houston Oilers
Coach of the YearJack Pardee, Washington
Offensive Player of the YearEarl Campbell, Running Back, Houston Oilers
Defensive Player of the YearLee Roy Selmon, Defensive End, Tampa Bay
Offensive Rookie of the YearOttis Anderson, Running Back, St. Louis Cardinals
Defensive Rookie of the YearJim Haslett, Linebacker, Buffalo

Notes

  1. "Colts open Super Bowl defense". September 6, 2007. the Steelers, the only team to ever repeat twice as Super Bowl champions
  2. "Steelers History: A Tradition of Excellence". Steelers.com. Retrieved September 21, 2014. Yet another standard was set the following year when the 1979 Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 31-19, in Super Bowl XIV to make them ... the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice
  3. Rules of the Name, or How The Emmitt Rule Became The Emmitt Rule (URL last accessed March 1, 2006)

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/25/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.