1979 San Diego Chargers season
| 1979 San Diego Chargers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
Don Coryell (2nd season) |
| General manager |
Johnny Sanders (Since 1976) |
| Owner |
Gene Klein (Since 1966) |
| Home field | San Diego Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) (14–17) |
| Pro Bowlers |
7[1]
|
| AP All-Pros | |
The 1979 San Diego Chargers season was the team's 20th season, and 10th in the National Football League. Their 12–4 record was tied for the best in the league in 1979.
The 1979 Chargers finished in first place in the AFC West after having finished 9–7 in 1978. The Chargers made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts threw for more than 4,000 yards, and wide receivers Charlie Joiner and John Jefferson both gained more than 1,000 yards receiving. The Chargers became the first AFC West champion to run more passing plays (541) then rushing (481).[3]
The season ended with a playoff loss to the Houston Oilers.
As part of a marketing campaign, the Chargers created their fight song, "San Diego Super Chargers".[4]
The 2006 edition of Pro Football Prospectus,[5] listed the 1979 Chargers as one of their "Heartbreak Seasons", in which teams "dominated the entire regular season only to falter in the playoffs, unable to close the deal." Said Pro Football Prospectus of the team, "the creative [head coach] Don Coryell always designed potent offenses, but the San Diego defense didn't catch up until 1979. ... In their first playoff game, the Chargers hosted a Houston Oilers team missing running back Earl Campbell and quarterback Dan Pastorini and fell on their faces. Fouts threw five interceptions and no touchdowns, and the Chargers blew a third quarter lead and lost 17–14. The Chargers would not have the best record in the NFL again until the 2006 season. They would not have another top ten defense in points allowed until 1989. They would not win 12 games in a season until 2004. Their best shot at glory went horribly awry, thanks to the worst game in the illustrious career of Dan Fouts."
1979 NFL Draft
| 1979 San Diego Chargers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Kellen Winslow * † | Tight end | Missouri | from Cleveland |
| 3 | 73 | Cliff Thrift | Linebacker | East Central | from Cleveland |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Roster
| 1979 San Diego Chargers final roster | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams |
Reserve lists
| ||||||
Regular season
On opening day in The Kingdome on September 2, the Chargers beat the Seattle Seahawks 33–14. Clarence Williams rushed for 2 touchdowns. Rolf Benirschke kicked 4 field goals, and Dan Fouts passed for 224 yards.
In week 2, Fouts had 3 touchdowns and linebacker Woodrow Lowe returned a Ken Stabler pass 32 yards for a score as San Diego beats the Oakland Raiders 30–10.
The next week, San Diego got a come-from-behind win over the Buffalo Bills as Clarence Williams picked up 157 yards on 18 carries and had a team-record 4 rushing TDs.
In week 4, Chargers lost to the New England Patriots 27–21. Patriot linebacker Steve Nelson preserved the victory with an interception of a Dan Fouts pass on the New England 2-yard line with 1:37 remaining in the game.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 2, 1979 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 33–16 | |
| 2 | September 9, 1979 | Oakland Raiders | W 30–10 | |
| 3 | September 16, 1979 | Buffalo Bills | W 27–19 | |
| 4 | September 23, 1979 | at New England Patriots | L 27–21 | |
| 5 | September 30, 1979 | San Francisco 49ers | W 31–9 | |
| 6 | October 7, 1979 | at Denver Broncos | L 7–0 | |
| 7 | October 14, 1979 | Seattle Seahawks | W 20–10 | |
| 8 | October 21, 1979 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 40–16 | |
| 9 | October 25, 1979 | at Oakland Raiders | L 45-22 | |
| 10 | November 4, 1979 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–14 | |
| 11 | November 11, 1979 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 26–24 | |
| 12 | November 18, 1979 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 35–7 | |
| 13 | November 25, 1979 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 28–7 | |
| 14 | December 2, 1979 | Atlanta Falcons | L 28–26 | |
| 15 | December 9, 1979 | at New Orleans Saints | W 35–0 | |
| 16 | December 17, 1979 | Denver Broncos | W 17–7 | |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 29, 1979 | Houston Oilers | L 17–14 | |
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Awards and honors
- Sporting News Executive of the Year: John Sanders
- UPI Player of the Year: Dan Fouts
References
- ↑ "1979 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009.
- ↑ "1979 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ↑ Elderkin, Phil (September 16, 1980). "Chargers, in passing, write a book". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on January 28, 2014.
- ↑ Stetz, Michael (January 13, 2007). "Still a superstar after 27 seasons". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
Or a little song written back in 1979.
- ↑ "Pro Football Prospectus 2006" (ISBN 0761142177), p.73-75
External links
- 1979 San Diego Chargers at pro-football-reference.com