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1979 NFL season

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 the 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]

Regular season

September 1 – December 17, 1979

December 23, 1979

Pittsburgh Steelers

Los Angeles Rams

January 20, 1980

Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

Pittsburgh Steelers

January 27, 1980

Aloha Stadium

Draft[edit]

The 1979 NFL Draft was held from May 3 to 4, 1979, at New York City's Waldorf Astoria New York. With the first pick, the Buffalo Bills selected linebacker Tom Cousineau from the Ohio State University.

New officials[edit]

Jerry Seeman was promoted to referee succeeding Don Wedge who returned to being a deep wing official, primarily as a back judge (now field judge), where he continued to officiate through 1995. Seeman served as a crew chief for 12 seasons, working Super Bowl XXIII and Super Bowl XXV before leaving the field to succeed Art McNally as NFL Vice President of Officiating from 1991 to 2001.

Whenever the quarterback is sacked, the clock will be stopped for at least five seconds and then restarted again. (The stoppage was eliminated effective the .)

2014 NFL season

If a fair catch is made, or signaled and awarded to a team because of interference, on the last play of a half or overtime, the period can be extended and the team can run one play from scrimmage or attempt a .

fair catch kick

The was modified to allow defensive linemen wear numbers 90 to 99, in addition to 60 to 79. And centers were allowed to wear 60–79, in addition to 50 to 59.

league's jersey numbering system

Players are prohibited from wearing torn or altered equipment. Tear-away jerseys are banned.

During kickoffs, punts, and field goal attempts, players on the receiving team cannot block below the waist.

The zone in which crackback blocks are prohibited is extended from 3 yards on either side of the line of scrimmage to 5.

Players cannot use their helmets to butt, spear, or ram an opponent. Any player who uses the crown or the top of his helmet unnecessarily will be called for unnecessary roughness.

In order to prevent incidents such as the , the following change is made: If an offensive player fumbles during a fourth down play, or during any down played after the two-minute warning in a half or overtime, only the fumbling player can recover and/or advance the ball. This change is known as the "Ken Stabler rule" after the Oakland Raiders quarterback who made the infamous play in the Holy Roller game.[3] In officiating circles, it's known as the "Markbreit rule" after Jerry Markbreit, who was the referee for that game.

Holy Roller game

Uprights were extended to 30 feet above the crossbar.

was the top AFC playoff seed based on head-to-head victory over Pittsburgh (1-0).

San Diego

finished ahead of Oakland in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).

Seattle

finished ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC East based on better conference record (10–2 to Philadelphia's 9–3).

Dallas

finished ahead of Chicago in the NFC Central based on better division record (6–2 to Chicago's 5–3).

Tampa Bay

Chicago was the second NFC Wild Card ahead of based on better net points in all games (+57 to Washington's 53).

Washington

: Homer Rice began his first full season as the team's head coach. He replaced Bill Johnson after the Bengals started the 1978 season at 0–5.

Cincinnati Bengals

: John Madden retired and was replaced by Tom Flores.

Oakland Raiders

: Ron Erhardt was named as permanent head coach. The team had suspended Chuck Fairbanks for the last regular season game in 1978. Fairbanks had been in talks all that season to join the University of Colorado Buffaloes, breaching his contract with the Patriots. Coordinators Erhardt and Hank Bullough took over as co-interim head coaches for that final 1978 game. Fairbanks was reinstated as head coach two weeks later for the Divisional Playoffs, but left in the off-season to join Colorado.

New England Patriots

: John McVay was fired and replaced by Ray Perkins.

New York Giants

: Don Coryell began his first full season as Chargers head coach. He replaced Tommy Prothro, who was fired after a 1–3 start in 1978.

San Diego Chargers

: Bill Walsh was hired as the new 49ers head coach. Pete McCulley was fired after a 1–8 start in 1978, and Fred O'Connor served as interim for the last seven games.

San Francisco 49ers

officials

The TV numbers on the ' blue jerseys moved from the sleeves to the shoulders, matching the white jerseys, which moved the TV numbers to the shoulders in 1974.

Dallas Cowboys

The began wearing their white pants with their white jerseys, discontinuing their blue pants

New York Giants

The replaced their gold pants with burgundy pants with their white jerseys and white pants with their burgundy jerseys, in addition the sleeve and pant striping being altered. The shade of burgundy was also darkened.

Washington Redskins

The San Diego Chargers replaced the blue and white stripe on the yellow pants with a white lightning bolt outlined in blue.

Television[edit]

This was the second year under the league's four-year broadcast contracts with ABC, CBS, and NBC to televise Monday Night Football, the NFC package, and the AFC package, respectively.


Fran Tarkenton began serving as a fill-in color commentator for ABC, while Bryant Gumbel became the sole host of NBC's pregame show NFL '79.[4]


Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen replaced Curt Gowdy and John Brodie as NBC's lead commentary team. Rather than demote Gowdy, NBC traded him away to CBS for Don Criqui. With Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier remaining as CBS' lead commentary team, and Vin Scully and George Allen as the #2 team, Gowdy was paired with Hank Stram as the network's #3 team.[5]


John Madden, who retired as Oakland Raiders coach following the previous season, was hired by CBS. He remained with CBS through 1993, when it lost the NFC package to FOX.

NFL Record and Fact Book ( 1-932994-36-X)

ISBN

(Last accessed December 4, 2005)

NFL History 1971–1980

Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League ( 0-06-270174-6)

ISBN