1979–80 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 1979 season began on December 23, 1979. The postseason tournament concluded with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV, 31–19, on January 20, 1980, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Participants
Bracket
Schedule
In the United States, NBC broadcast the AFC playoff games, while CBS televised the NFC games and Super Bowl XIV.Wild card playoffs
Sunday, December 23, 1979
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 27, Chicago Bears 17
In the first NFL postseason game played in Philadelphia since the 1960 NFL Championship Game, Eagles Quarterback Ron Jaworski threw for 204 yards and 3 touchdown passes as Philadelphia overcame a 17–10 Bears halftime lead. The Eagles scored first when Jaworski threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Harold Carmichael. Chicago responded with an 82-yard drive to score on running back Walter Payton's 2-yard rushing touchdown. Then after Philadelphia added a field goal from Tony Franklin, Payton scored again on a 1-yard touchdown run. Later in the second quarter, Bears lineman Alan Page recovered a fumble from Jaworski on the Eagles 16-yard line, leading to Bob Thomas' 30-yard field goal that gave Chicago a 17–10 halftime lead.In the third quarter, Payton ripped off an 84-yard run on his first carry, but it was called back by an illegal motion penalty against receiver Brian Baschnagel. Following a punt, the Eagles tied the game on Jaworski's 29-yard touchdown pass to Carmichael. Chicago responded with a drive to the Philadelphia 9-yard line, but defensive back Bob Howard ended the scoring threat by intercepting Mike Phipps in the end zone. A few plays later, Jaworski threw a 63-yard touchdown to running back Billy Campfield to take the lead for good.
Over 12 minutes remained in the game at this point, but the Bears would only manage one first down during this time. With 7:31 left, Philly linebacker Jerry Robinson recovered a fumble from Bears receiver Dave Williams that set up Franklin's 34-yard field goal. Chicago got one last chance to score when linebacker Gary Campbell recovered a fumble from Eagles running back Wilbert Montgomery on the Philadelphia 28. But their ensuing drive ended with another turnover, this time an interception by defensive back Herm Edwards.
Carmichael finished the game with 6 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Had the Bears won, they would have faced the number one seed Cowboys. Ineligible to play against Dallas, the Eagles instead played the number two seed Buccaneers in the Divisional Round while the Cowboys faced the Rams. The Eagles' wild card victory therefore ensured that a team other than the Cowboys, Rams or Minnesota Vikings would reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the Washington Redskins' appearance in the 1972 title game.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Bears and Eagles.
AFC: Houston Oilers 13, Denver Broncos 7
The Oilers managed to shut down the Broncos offense for most of the game en route to a 13–7 win, holding the Broncos to 216 yards and recording six sacks.Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini's 41-yard completion to running back Ron Coleman set up the game's first score on Toni Fritsch 31-yard field goal. Denver then marched 80 yards in 13 plays to score on quarterback Craig Morton's 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Dave Preston. From that point on, the Oilers controlled the rest of the game. With less than 3 minutes left in the first half, Houston advanced 74 yards to score on running back Earl Campbell's 3-yard touchdown run. Although Campbell, Pastorini, and receiver Ken Burrough all missed the second half with injuries, the Oilers defense continued to dominate. In the fourth quarter, a 15-yard interception return to the Broncos 20-yard line by linebacker Gregg Bingham set up Fritsch's 20-yard field goal with 4:18 left in regulation.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Broncos and Oilers.
Divisional playoffs
Saturday, December 29, 1979
NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 17
The Buccaneers won their first playoff game in team history by jumping to a 17–0 lead and holding the Eagles to 48 rushing yards, while running back Ricky Bell recorded 142 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. This would have been an incredible accomplishment by itself, but it was made historic by the fact that the Bucs had gone 0–26 in their first two seasons just two years ago.Tampa Bay marched on an 18-play, 80-yard opening drive that took 9:25 off the clock to score on Bell's 4-yard touchdown run. Philadelphia responded with a drive into scoring range, but their drive ended ugly. First they attempted a fake 47-yard field goal, but they failed to snap the ball before the play clock ran out. Then Tony Franklin's 52-yard field goal was no good. Tampa Bay took the ball back and drove to a 10–0 lead on Neil O'Donohue's 40-yard field goal. Then on the Eagles next drive, running back Wilbert Montgomery lost a fumble that nose tackle Randy Crowder recovered on the Philadelphia 5-yard line. Three plays later, Bell scored on a 1-yard fourth down run, increasing the Bucs lead to 17–0 with 5:12 left in the half. Later on, Eagles linebacker Jerry Robinson intercepted a pass from Doug Williams and returned it 37 yards to set up Ron Jaworski's 11-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith, making the score 17–7 by halftime.
Philadelphia took the second half kickoff and drove 45 yards to score on Franklin's 42-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 17–10. This would be the last score until 7:08 remained in the game, when Williams threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Giles. Now down 24–10, Philadelphia made a desperate comeback attempt. First they drove 80 yards in 9 plays and scored on Jaworski's 37-yard bomb to Harold Carmichael. Their defense then forced a punt with 2:11 left in the game, giving them one last chance for a tying touchdown. Jaworski's completions to Carmichael and Smith for gains of 16 and 25 yards moved the ball to the Bucs 45-yard line. But his next four passes were incomplete, enabling Tampa Bay to take over and run out the clock.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Eagles and Buccaneers.
AFC: Houston Oilers 17, San Diego Chargers 14
The Oilers offense, playing without starting quarterback Dan Pastorini, receiver Ken Burrough, and running back Earl Campbell due to injuries, 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. The Chargers' high powered offense scored on their first possession of the game and of the second half but turnovers prevented further scoring.San Diego took the opening kickoff and started out strong, moving the ball 81 yards in 11 plays. Fouts completed a 34-yard pass to tight end Greg McCrary and a 17-yarder to John Jefferson before Clarence Williams' 1-yard rushing touchdown finished the drive. The Chargers threatened to score again on their next drive, but Perry intercepted a pass at the Houston 18-yard line.
In the second quarter, Perry blocked a field goal attempt and returned the ball 57 yards to the San Diego 28-yard line, setting up Toni Fritsch's 26-yard field goal. On San Diego's next drive, Perry recorded another interception and lateralled the ball to safety Mike Reinfeldt, who gained 7 yards to the Chargers 38. Three plays later, Oilers quarterback Gifford Nielsen rushed 14 yards to the Chargers 4-yard line. San Diego's defense managed to keep them out of the end zone for three plays, but on Fritch's field goal attempt, they were penalized for having 12 men on the field, moving the ball just inches away from the goal line. On fourth and inches with 19 seconds left in the half, Houston coach Bum Phillips decided to gamble and go for the touchdown, a gamble that paid off when Boobie Clark scored on a sweep left to give the Oilers a 10–7 first half lead.
In the third period, Fouts connected with Charlie Joiner for 20 yards and hit tight end Bob Klein for 16, with a roughing the passer penalty turning it into a 31-yard gain. Lydell Mitchell finished the 65-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to give the Chargers a 14–10 lead. However, Houston defensive back J.C. Wilson's interception later gave Houston the ball at the San Diego 44-yard line. Faced with 3rd and 13 two plays later, Nielsen threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mike Renfro, putting the Oilers back in front at 17–14. There were still more than 17 minutes left in regulation, but this would be the final score. Perry recorded two more interceptions as the Oilers defense shut down the Chargers offense for the rest of the game.
After the game, it was revealed that the Oilers coaching staff was able to figure out the Chargers' coaches' signs as they signaled the play call from the sideline; this was one reason their defensive backs seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. "We pretty much knew ahead of time when they were going to pass, and where they were going to pass it." said Oilers defensive coordinator Ed Biles. It was a monumental upset against the heavily favored Chargers, who had scored at least 26 points in 10 games during the season and had defeated both eventual Super Bowl teams, the Rams and Steelers, by a combined scoring margin of 75–23.
It was the first AFC playoff game that was a rematch of an earlier AFL championship game.
This was the third postseason meeting between the Oilers and Chargers. Houston won both meetings when both teams were in the AFL.
| Houston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff games |