1979 New Orleans Saints season
1979 New Orleans Saints season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Dick Nolan |
Home field | Louisiana Superdome |
Results | |
Record | 8–8 |
Division place | 2nd NFC West |
Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1979 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 13th season in the National Football League. The Saints finished the season at 8–8, the franchise's first non-losing season. New Orleans was tied for first place with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West with three weeks to play, but the season unraveled in a Monday Night Football contest at home vs. the Oakland Raiders, when the Saints squandered a 35–14 lead and lost, 42–35.
The Saints were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 when they were blown out 35–0 at home by the San Diego Chargers. Not counting the 1976 expansion club Seattle, New Orleans was one of three franchises which failed to make the playoffs in the 1970s, joined by the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Offseason
NFL draft
1979 New Orleans Saints draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 11 | Russell Erxleben | Punter | Texas | |
Made roster |
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 2, 1979 | Atlanta Falcons | L 40–34 | |
2 | September 9, 1979 | at Green Bay Packers | L 28–19 | |
3 | September 16, 1979 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 26–14 | |
4 | September 23, 1979 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 30–21 | |
5 | September 30, 1979 | New York Giants | W 24–14 | |
6 | October 7, 1979 | Los Angeles Rams | L 35–17 | |
7 | October 14, 1979 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 42–14 | |
8 | October 21, 1979 | Detroit Lions | W 17–7 | |
9 | October 28, 1979 | at Washington Redskins | W 14–10 | |
10 | November 4, 1979 | at Denver Broncos | L 10–3 | |
11 | November 11, 1979 | San Francisco 49ers | W 31–20 | |
12 | November 18, 1979 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 38–24 | |
13 | November 25, 1979 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 37–6 | |
14 | December 3, 1979 | Oakland Raiders | L 42–35 | |
15 | December 9, 1979 | San Diego Chargers | L 35–0 | |
16 | December 16, 1979 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 29–14 |
Standings
NFC West | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Los Angeles Rams(3) | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | 323 | 309 | L1 |
New Orleans Saints | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 370 | 360 | W1 |
Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 300 | 388 | W1 |
San Francisco 49ers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 308 | 416 | L1 |
Awards and records
- Chuck Muncie, Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player [3]
References
- ^ "1979 New Orleans Saints draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
- ^ "All-Time Roster". NewOrleansSaints.com. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 368