1978 Houston Oilers season

NFL team season November 2013 March 2026 Houston Oilers 1978 10–6 2nd AFC Central Bum Phillips Bud Adams Bum Phillips Astrodome Won Wild Card Playoffs(at Dolphins) 17–9Won Divisional Playoffs(at Patriots) 31–14Lost AFC Championship(at Steelers) 5–34 FB Earl CampbellDT Elvin BetheaLB Robert BrazileFS Mike ReinfeldtK Toni Fritsch FB Earl Campbell (1st team)LB Robert Brazile (1st team)DT Elvin Bethea (2nd team)DE Curley Culp (2nd team) Oilers seasons thumb|310px|Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini in the 1978 AFC wild card game. The 1978 Houston Oilers season was the franchise's 19th overall and the ninth in the National Football League (NFL). Led by Rookie RB Earl Campbell, who won both the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Player of the Year, who rushed for 1,450 yards, the Oilers made the playoffs with a 10–6 record, making the playoffs for the first time since 1969, qualifying in the newly created fifth Wild Card spot. The franchise scored 283 points while the defense gave up 298 points. Their record of 10 wins and 6 losses resulted in a second-place finish in the AFC Central Division. In the playoffs, the Oilers would stun the Miami Dolphins, 17–9, in the two teams first playoff meeting, then defeated the New England Patriots 31–14 in New England to advance to their first ever AFC Championship game, but in that game, they would score a mere 5 points in a 34–5 blowout loss to the eventual champion Steelers. Season summary The Oilers appeared twice on Monday Night Football. In their first appearance on Monday Night Football, the Oilers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–17. In their second appearance, the Oilers defeated the Miami Dolphins 35–30. The Oilers number one draft pick, Earl Campbell, a 5–11, 232-pound ball-carrying dynamo from the University of Texas, joined the Houston Oilers as the first player taken in the 1978 National Football League Draft. The first player to earn All-Southwest Conference honors four years, Campbell was a consensus All-America and the Heisman Trophy winner in 1977. Campbell took the NFL by storm right from the very start. In 1978, he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player, All-Pro, and Rookie of the Year. He won the league rushing championship with 1,450 yards and was named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad. Possibly the highlight of the Oilers' fantastic season was the contest against the Miami Dolphins, in which Campbell racked up 199 yards, 81 of them coming on a TD run in the fourth quarter.http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PlayerId=40 Earl Campbell Pro Football Hall of Fame Offseason NFL draft 1978 NFL draft 1978 Houston Oilers 1 1 Earl Campbell Running back Texas yes yes yes 3 73 Gifford Nielsen Quarterback BYU yes 4 98 Mike Renfro Wide receiver TCU yes 6 154 Conrad Rucker Tight end Southern yes 8 210 J. C. Wilson Defensive back Pittsburgh yes 9 239 Jim Mol Defensive end Morningside 10 266 Steve Young Tight end Wake Forest 11 295 Willie Thicklen Wide receiver Alabama State 12 322 John Schuhmacher Guard USC yes https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/1978_draft.htm 1978 Houston Oilers draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com November 11, 2014 Undrafted free agents + 1978 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeRichard IngrahamTight endTexasGerald PetschTackleIowa StateMose RisonRunning backCentral MichiganRonald RummelQuarterbackCentral MichiganGregory WarrenTight endSouthern Illinois Personnel Roster 1978 Houston Oilers 11 Tommy Duniven 14 Gifford Nielsen y  7 Dan Pastorini 34 Earl Campbell y 47 Ronnie Coleman American football 31 Brian Duncan 39 Larry Poole American football 45 Tim Wilson American football 00 Ken Burrough 88 Rich Caster 81 Johnnie Dirden y 29 Guido Merkens y 42 Robert Woods wide receiver, born 1955 y 86 Mike Barber tight end 87 Conrad Rucker y 58 David Carter offensive lineman C 60 Ed Fisher American football G 74 Larry Harris guard G 70 Conway Hayman G/T 55 Carl Mauck C 64 George Reihner G 73 Greg Sampson T 62 John Schuhmacher y G 76 Morris Towns G/T 65 Elvin Bethea DE 78 Curley Culp NT 69 Andy Dorris DE 71 Ken Kennard NT 77 James Young American football DE 63 Steve Baumgartner OLB 54 Gregg Bingham ILB 52 Robert Brazile OLB 57 Steve Kiner ILB 51 Ted Thompson ILB 59 Ted Washington Sr. OLB 19 Willie Alexander American football CB 20 Bill Currier SS 15 Al Johnson defensive back CB 25 Kurt Knoff SS 37 Mike Reinfeldt FS 27 Greg Stemrick CB 38 C. L. Whittington FS 33 J. C. Wilson y CB 16 Toni Fritsch K 18 Cliff Parsley P 26 Rob Carpenter running back RB IR 67 Jimmy Dean defensive lineman DE IR 89 Eddie Foster American football WR IR 32 David Gray cornerback y CB IR 84 Billy Johnson WR (IR) 10px 68 Jim Mol y DE IR -- Jeff Perlinger no DT IR 82 Mike Renfro y WR IR 53 Art Stringer LB IR 28 Mike Voight RB IR -- Steve Young y tight end TE IR https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oit/1978_roster.htm 1978 Houston Oilers starters and roster Pro-Football-Reference.com November 11, 2014 Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 August 5, 1978 Denver Broncos L 12–17 0–1 Astrodome 48,027 2 August 14, 1978 Philadelphia Eagles L 10–28 0–2 Astrodome 49,334 3 August 19, 1978 at Dallas Cowboys W 27–13 1–2 Texas Stadium 62,242 4 August 26, 1978 New Orleans Saints L 3–17 1–3 Astrodome 49,554 Pre season Game summaries Week P1 (Saturday, August 5, 1978): vs. Denver Broncos Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Preseason Week 1: Denver Broncos 17 at Houston Oilers 12 – Game summary August 5, 1978 8:00 p.m. CDT Broncos (1–0) 0 0 7 10 Oilers (0–1) 3 2 7 0 Astrodome • Houston, Texas 48,027 Indoors (dome) KPRC-TV right Denver Broncos DEN Houston Oilers HOU DEN HOU collapsed 17 12 Time of game: BroncosGame statisticsOilers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Number–Average yardage Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Week P2 (Monday, August 14, 1978): vs. Philadelphia Eagles Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Preseason Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles 28 at Houston Oilers 10 – Game summary August 14, 1978 8:00 p.m. CDT Eagles (2–1) 7 7 7 7 Oilers (0–2) 3 7 0 0 Astrodome • Houston, Texas 49,334 Indoors (dome) KPRC-TV right Philadelphia Eagles PHI Houston Oilers HOU PHI HOU collapsed 28 10 Time of game: EaglesGame statisticsOilers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Number–Average yardage Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Week P3 (Saturday, August 19, 1978): at Dallas Cowboys Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Preseason Week 3: Houston Oilers 27 at Dallas Cowboys 13 – Game summary August 19, 1978 8:00 p.m. CDT Oilers (1–2) 0 7 14 6 Cowboys (2–1) 0 3 3 7 Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas 62,242 Red Cashion KPRC-TV right Houston Oilers HOU Dallas Cowboys DAL HOU DAL collapsed 27 13 Time of game: OilersGame statisticsCowboys First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Number–Average yardage Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Week P4 (Saturday, August 26, 1978): vs. New Orleans Saints Regular season On November 20, 1978, the Oilers took on the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. In order to boost team spirit, the Oilers gave each fan a blue and white pom-pom before the game. The sight of over 50,000 fans waving the pom-poms inspired the Oilers to a 35–30 victory, behind Campbell's 199 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. This would be the start of Luv Ya Blue. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 3, 1978 at Atlanta Falcons L 14–20 0–1 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 57,328 Recap 2 September 10 at Kansas City Chiefs W 20–17 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium 40,213 Recap 3 September 17 San Francisco 49ers W 20–19 2–1 Astrodome 46,161 Recap 4 September 24, 1978 Los Angeles Rams L 6–10 2–2 Astrodome 45,749 Recap 5 October 1 at Cleveland Browns W 16–13 3–2 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 72,776 Recap 6 October 8 at Oakland Raiders L 17–21 3–3 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 52,550 Recap 7 October 15 Buffalo Bills W 17–10 4–3 Astrodome 47,727 Recap 8 October 23, 1978 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 24–17 5–3 Three Rivers Stadium 48,021 Recap 9 October 29 at Cincinnati Bengals L 13–28 5–4 Riverfront Stadium 50,532 Recap 10 November 5 Cleveland Browns W 14–10 6–4 Astrodome 45,827 Recap 11 November 12, 1978 at New England Patriots W 26–23 7–4 Schaefer Stadium 60,356 Recap 12 November 20, 1978 Miami Dolphins W 35–30 8–4 Astrodome 50,290 Recap 13 November 26 Cincinnati Bengals W 17–10 9–4 Astrodome 43,245Recap 14 December 3, 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers L 3–13 9–5 Astrodome 54,261 Recap 15 December 10 at New Orleans Saints W 17–12 10–5 Louisiana Superdome 63,169 Recap 16 December 17 San Diego Chargers L 24–45 10–6 Astrodome 49,554 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/1978.htm 1978 Houston Oilers Statistics & Players Standings Regular season game summaries Week 1 (Sunday, September 3, 1978): at Atlanta Falcons The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 1: Houston Oilers 14 at Atlanta Falcons 20 – Game summary September 3, 1978 12 Noon CDT Oilers (0–1) 7 0 7 0 Falcons (1–0) 0 14 3 3 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia 57,328 77 °F °C or, relative humidity 75%, wind 10 mph km/h knots Jerry Markbreit NBC Dick Enberg (play–by–play) and Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Atlanta Falcons – September 3, 1978 right Houston Oilers HOU Atlanta Falcons ATL Dan Pastorini 19/36, 136 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Earl Campbell 15 CAR, 137 YDS, 1 TD Ken Burrough 6 REC, 56 YDS June Jones 10/23, 104 YDS, 1 TD Bubba Bean 14 CAR, 55 YDS Bubba Bean 3 REC, 37 YDS, 1 TD HOU ATL collapsed 1 8:21 Oilers RushTD Campbell 73 good Fritsch 7 0 2 10:40 Falcons RecTD Bean Jones 38 good Steinfort 7 7 2 4:51 Falcons Other Moriarty recovered blocked punt in end zone, Steinfort kick good 7 14 3 13:08 Oilers RecTD Caster Pastorini 8 good Fritsch 14 14 3 4:05 Falcons FG 30 Steinfort 14 17 4 8:53 Falcons FG 48 Steinfort 14 20 14 20 Point spread: Oilers –3½ Over/under: Time of game: OilersGame statisticsFalcons13 First downs 1121–156 Rushes–yards 35–100136 Passing yards 10419–36–2 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 10–23–04–31 Sacked–yards 4–33105 Net passing yards 71261 Total yards 171192 Return yards 1539–37.1 Punts Number–Average yardage 9–42.74–2 Fumbles–lost 3–17–52 Penalties–yards 8–75 Time of Possession Individual stats Oilers Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RatePastorini19/36136124312147.9 Oilers Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Campbell15137173Wilson619013 Oilers ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Burrough656019Caster544118Coleman445021Campbell2–80–3Renfro1303Carpenter1–40–4 Oilers Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngDirden312742.3060Davis24221.0025 Oilers Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngColeman4235.8016 Oilers PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckParsley933437.1471 Oilers KickingFGM–FGAXPM–XPAFritsch2–2 Oilers SacksSacksBrazile2.0Washington1.0Kennard1.0 Starting Lineups Position Starting Lineups at Atlanta Offense WR Ken Burrough LT Greg Sampson LG George Reihner C Carl Mauck RG Morris Towns RT Conway Hayman TE Mike Barber WR Mike Renfro QB Dan Pastorini RB Earl Campbell FB Tim Wilson Defense LDE James Young NT Curley Culp RDE Elvin Bethea LOLB Robert Brazile LILB Steve Kiner RILB Gregg Bingham ROLB Ted Washington LCB Willie Alexander RCB Greg Stemrick SS Bill Currier WS Mike Reinfeldt Week 2 (Sunday, September 10, 1978): at Kansas City Chiefs The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Week 3 (Sunday, September 17, 1978): vs. San Francisco 49ers The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 3: San Francisco 49ers 19 at Houston Oilers 20 – Game summary September 17, 1978 1:00 p.m. CDT 49ers (0–3) 0 7 6 6 Oilers (2–1) 7 3 7 3 Astrodome • Houston, Texas 46,161 Indoors (dome) Don Wedge CBS Lindsey Nelson (play–by–play) and Paul Hornung (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; San Francisco 49ers at Houston Oilers – September 17, 1978 right San Francisco 49ers SF Houston Oilers HOU SF HOU collapsed 1 Oilers RushTD Campbell 4 good Fritsch 0 7 2 Oilers FG 38 Fritsch 0 10 2 49ers FG 26 Wersching 3 10 2 49ers FG 19 Wersching 6 10 3 Oilers RecTD Burrough Pastorini 13 good Fritsch 6 17 3 49ers RecTD Solomon DeBerg 58 no good Wersching 12 17 4 49ers RecTD Seal DeBerg 8 good Wersching 19 17 4 Oilers FG 19 Fritsch 19 20 19 20 Point spread: Over/under: Time of game: 49ersGame statisticsOilers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Number–Average yardage Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of Possession In an early test to see how good the Oilers are the Oilers took a 10-6 halftime lead on Earl Campbell's 4-yard touchdown run and a Toni Fritsch's 38-yard field goal while the 49ers countered with kicks of 26 and 19 yards by Ray Wersching. The Oilers extend their lead late in the third quarter with a nearly perfect 13-yard touchdown pass from Dan Pastorini to Ken Burrough, who out-reached cornerback Anthony Leonard in the end zone. But Steve DeBerg who had 321 yards passing this day came back with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Solomon before the third period and then with 7:51 left in the game completed a 78-yard drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Paul Seal. It took a determined 80-yard drive that ended with a clutch 19-yard field goal by Fritsch with 1:16 left to give the Oilers the lead, but the 49ers had one more chance and doing it without O. J. Simpson but Wersching's 46-yard field goal sailed wide left as the Oilers got an important win. Week 4 (Sunday, September 24, 1978): vs. Los Angeles Rams The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 4: Los Angeles Rams 10 at Houston Oilers 6 – Game summary September 24, 1978 12 Noon CDT Rams (4–0) 7 3 0 0 Oilers (2–2) 0 3 0 3 Astrodome • Houston, Texas 45,749 Indoors (dome) Pat Haggerty CBS Vin Scully (play–by–play), George Allen (color commentator) and Jim Brown (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Los Angeles Rams at Houston Oilers – September 24, 1978 right Los Angeles Rams LA Houston Oilers HOU Pat Haden 17/26, 220 YDS John Cappelletti 18 CAR, 78 YDS Terry Nelson 6 REC, 98 YDS Dan Pastorini 10/20, 120 YDS, 1 INT Earl Campbell 13 CAR, 77 YDS Rob Carpenter 4 REC, 54 YDS LA HOU collapsed 1 Rams RushTD Bryant 3 good Corral 7 0 2 Rams FG 25 Corral 10 0 2 Oilers FG 32 Fritsch 10 3 4 Oilers FG 20 Fritsch 10 6 10 6 Point spread: Oilers +2½ Over/under: Time of game: RamsGame statisticsOilers26 First downs 1050–175 Rushes–yards 23–112220 Passing yards 12017–26–0 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 10–20–11–7 Sacked–yards 0–0213 Net passing yards 120388 Total yards 23277 Return yards 783–47.3 Punts Number–Average yardage 5–30.64–3 Fumbles–lost 2–11–14 Penalties–yards 5–29 Time of Possession Week 5 (Sunday, October 1, 1978): at Cleveland Browns The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Week 6 (Sunday, October 8, 1978): at Oakland Raiders The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Week 7 (Sunday, October 15, 1978): vs. Buffalo Bills The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Week 8 (Monday, October 23, 1978): at Pittsburgh Steelers The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 8: Houston Oilers 24 at Pittsburgh Steelers 17 – Game summary October 23, 1978 8:00 p.m. CDT Oilers (5–3) 0 10 7 7 Steelers (7–1) 0 10 0 7 Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 48,021 56 °F °C 1 or, relative humidity 72%, wind 12 mph km/h knots Ben Dreith ABC Frank Gifford (play–by–play) and Howard Cosell (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – October 23, 1978 right Houston Oilers HOU Pittsburgh Steelers PIT Dan Pastorini 13/19, 160 YDS Earl Campbell 21 CAR, 89 YDS, 3 TDs Rob Carpenter 4 REC, 23 YDS Terry Bradshaw 17/33, 226 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT Franco Harris 16 CAR, 56 YDS Randy Grossman 9 REC, 116 YDS HOU PIT collapsed 2 Oilers RushTD Campbell 1 good Fritsch 7 0 2 Steelers RecTD Swann Bradshaw 25 good Gerela 7 7 2 Steelers FG 30 Gerela 10 10 2 Oilers FG 39 Fritsch 10 10 3 Oilers RushTD Campbell 3 good Fritsch 17 10 4 Oilers RushTD Campbell 1 good Fritsch 24 10 4 Steelers RecTD Swann Bradshaw 6 good Gerela 24 17 24 17 Point spread: Oilers +7½ Over/under: Time of game: OilersGame statisticsSteelers22 First downs 2143–169 Rushes–yards 31–113160 Passing yards 22613–19–0 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 17–33–10–0 Sacked–yards 1–11160 Net passing yards 215329 Total yards 32865 Return yards 1204–40.5 Punts Number–Average yardage 3–41.32–1 Fumbles–lost 2–06–51 Penalties–yards 7–53 Time of Possession Week 9 (Sunday, October 29, 1978): at Cincinnati Bengals The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Week 10 (Sunday, November 5, 1978): vs. Cleveland Browns The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Week 11 (Sunday, November 12, 1978): at New England Patriots The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 11: Houston Oilers 26 at New England Patriots 23 – Game summary November 12, 1978 12:00 Noon CST Oilers (7–4) 0 7 7 12 Patriots (8–3) 6 17 0 0 Schaefer Stadium • Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,356 Red Cashion NBC Charlie Jones (play–by–play) and Len Dawson (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at New England Patriots – November 12, 1978 right Houston Oilers HOU New England Patriots NE Dan Pastorini 15/29, 200 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Earl Campbell 24 CAR, 74 YDS, 1 TD Mike BarberRob Carpenter 4 REC, 54 YDS4 REC, 39 YDS Steve Grogan 9/18, 130 YDS, 2 INTs Sam Cunningham 16 CAR, 87 YDS Sam CunninghamAndy Johnson 3 REC, 45 YDS3 REC, 23 YDS HOU NE collapsed 1 Patriots FG 32 Posey 0 3 1 Patriots FG 34 Posey 0 6 2 Patriots RushTD Ivory 3 good Posey 0 13 2 Patriots FG 37 Posey 0 16 2 Patriots RushTD Grogan 8 good Posey 0 23 2 Oilers RushTD Carpenter 8 good Fritsch 7 23 3 Oilers RushTD Carpenter 1 good Fritsch 14 23 4 Oilers RushTD Campbell 1 no good Fritsch 20 23 4 Oilers RecTD Caster Pastorini 10 no good Fritsch 26 23 26 23 Point spread: Oilers +7 Over/under: Time of game: OilersGame statisticsPatriots24 First downs 1646–128 Rushes–yards 35–144200 Passing yards 13015–28–1 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 9–18–21–6 Sacked–yards 0–0194 Net passing yards 130394 Total yards 27499 Return yards 1253–34.7 Punts Number–Average yardage 0–0.03–3 Fumbles–lost 3–25–30 Penalties–yards 2–10 Time of Possession Week 12 (Monday, November 20, 1978): vs. Miami Dolphins The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 12: Miami Dolphins 30 at Houston Oilers 35 – Game summary November 20, 1978 8:00 p.m. CST Dolphins (8–4) 7 7 7 9 Oilers (8–4) 7 7 7 14 Astrodome • Houston, Texas 50,290 Indoors (dome) Gene Barth ABC Frank Gifford (play–by–play) and Howard Cosell (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Miami Dolphins at Houston Oilers – November 20, 1978 right Miami Dolphins MIA Houston Oilers HOU Bob Griese 23/33, 349 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT Delvin Williams 18 CAR, 73 YDS, 1 TD Nat Moore 3 REC, 84 YDS, 1 TD Dan Pastorini 10/15, 156 YDS, 1 TD Earl Campbell 28 CAR, 199 YDS, 4 TDs Mike Barber 3 REC, 56 YDS, 1 TD MIA HOU collapsed 1 10:10 Dolphins 9 82 4:50 RecTD Moore Griese 10 good Yepremian 7 0 1 3:32 Oilers 9 70 2:59 RushTD Campbell 1 good Fritsch 7 7 2 4:45 Oilers 7 87 3:40 RecTD Barber Pastorini 15 good Fritsch 7 14 2 0:21 Dolphins 11 59 4:24 RushTD Williams 1 good Yepremian 14 14 3 11:52 Oilers 7 63 3:08 RushTD Campbell 6 good Fritsch 14 21 3 2:27 Dolphins 10 89 5:20 RushTD Harris 1 good Yepremian 21 21 4 12:20 Dolphins — — — SafetyTackle Pastorini Duhe 23 21 4 4:46 Oilers 11 80 6:18 RushTD Campbell 12 good Fritsch 23 28 4 1:11 Oilers 5 93 1:54 RushTD Campbell 81 good Fritsch 23 35 4 0:00 Dolphins 5 75 1:11 RecTD Cefalo Griese 11 good Yepremian 30 35 30 35 Point spread: Over/under: Time of game: DolphinsGame statisticsOilers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Number–Average yardage Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of Possession Week 13 (Sunday, November 26, 1978): vs. Cincinnati Bengals The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Week 14 (Sunday, December 3, 1978): vs. Pittsburgh Steelers The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers 13 at Houston Oilers 3 – Game summary December 3, 1978 3:00 p.m. CST Steelers (12–2) 3 0 3 7 Oilers (9–5) 0 3 0 0 Astrodome • Houston, Texas 54,261 Indoors (dome) Pat Haggerty NBC Sam Nover (play–by–play) and Bob Trumpy (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – December 3, 1978 right Pittsburgh Steelers PIT Houston Oilers HOU Terry Bradshaw 11/24, 97 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Franco Harris 27 CAR, 102 YDS Randy GrossmanFranco Harris 4 REC, 36 YDS4 REC, 20 YDS Dan Pastorini 10/27, 91 YDS, 3 INTs Ronnie Coleman 15 CAR, 45 YDS Ken Burrough 3 REC, 19 YDS PIT HOU collapsed 1 Steelers FG 41 Gerela 3 0 2 Oilers FG 37 Fritsch 3 3 3 Steelers FG 23 Gerela 6 3 4 Steelers RecTD Stallworth Bradshaw 5 good Gerela 13 3 13 3 Point spread: Oilers –2½ Over/under: Time of game: SteelersGame statisticsOilers17 First downs 948–177 Rushes–yards 26–8197 Passing yards 9111–24–1 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 10–27–32–23 Sacked–yards 1–874 Net passing yards 83251 Total yards 164106 Return yards 1285–47.8 Punts Number–Average yardage 5–40.21–1 Fumbles–lost 4–37–60 Penalties–yards 5–35 Time of Possession Week 15 (Sunday, December 10, 1978): at New Orleans Saints The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 15: Houston Oilers 17 at New Orleans Saints 12 – Game summary December 10, 1978 1:00 p.m. CST Oilers (10–5) 7 3 0 7 Saints (6–9) 0 0 7 5 Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana 63,169 Indoors (dome) Ben Dreith NBC Marv Albert (play–by–play) and Ed Podolak (color commentator) Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at New Orleans Saints – December 10, 1978 right Houston Oilers HOU New Orleans Saints NO HOU NO collapsed 1 Oilers RushTD Campbell 2 good Fritsch 7 0 2 Oilers FG 22 Fritsch 10 0 3 Saints RecTD Owens Manning 6 good Mike-Mayer 10 7 4 Oilers RecTD Woods Pastorini 80 good Fritsch 17 7 4 Saints SafetyOther Campbell ran out of end zone for a safety 17 9 4 Saints FG 21 Mike-ayer 17 12 17 12 Point spread: Over/under: Time of game: OilersGame statisticsSaints First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Number–Average yardage Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of Possession Week 16 (Sunday, December 17, 1978): vs. San Diego Chargers The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Postseason 1978–79 NFL playoffs Playoffs Round Date Opponent Time TV Result Venue Attendance Recap Wild Card December 24, 1978 at (4) Miami Dolphins 3:00p.m. CST NBC W 17–9 Miami Orange Bowl 70,036 Recap Divisional December 31, 1978 at (2) New England Patriots 12Noon CST NBC W 31–14 Schaefer Stadium 60,881 Recap AFC Championship January 7, 1979 at (1) Pittsburgh Steelers 12Noon CST NBC L 5–34 Three Rivers Stadium 49,417 Recap 1978 AFC Wild Card Playoffs (Sunday, December 24, 1978): at (A4) Miami Dolphins The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed 1978 AFC Wild Card Playoffs: Houston Oilers 17 at Miami Dolphins 9 – Game summary December 24, 1978 3:00 p.m. CST Oilers (1–0) 7 0 0 10 Dolphins (0–1) 7 0 0 2 Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, Florida 70,036 77 °F °C or, relative humidity 78%, wind 12 mph km/h knots Dick Jorgensen NBC Dick Enberg (play–by–play), Len Dawson (color commentator) and Mike Adamle (sideline reporter) Pro Football Reference; 1978 AFC Wild Card Playoffs – Houston Oilers at Miami Dolphins – December 24, 1978 right Houston Oilers HOU Miami Dolphins MIA HOU MIA collapsed 1 5:02 Dolphins 2 21 0:50 RecTD Tillman Griese 13 good Yepremian 0 7 1 0:03 Oilers 10 71 4:59 RecTD Wilson Pastorini 13 good Fritsch 7 7 4 7:25 Oilers 10 53 5:18 FG 35 Fritsch 10 7 4 1:55 Oilers 10 50 5:10 RushTD Campbell 1 good Fritsch 17 7 4 0:11 Dolphins — — — SafetyOther Pastorini ran out of end zone 17 9 17 9 Point spread: Over/under: Time of game: OilersGame statisticsDolphins First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Number–Average yardage Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of Possession Quarterback Dan Pastorini led the Oilers to an upset victory by passing for 306 yards. Houston outgained the Dolphins in total yards, 455-209, and forced 5 turnovers while only losing one on their end. Miami managed to keep Houston running back Earl Campbell well contained in the first half, limiting him to just 16 yards on 13 carries, but they were unable to handle the passing attack of Pastorini, who completed 16 of 21 passes for 261 yards during that time. Meanwhile, Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese completed just 6 of 16 passes in the first two quarters. The Dolphins scored first after Earnie Rhone recovered a fumbled punt from Robert Woods at the Houston 21-yard line, setting up quarterback Bob Griese's 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andre Tillman. However, the Oilers responded with an 11-play, 71-yard drive in which Pastorini completed 6 of 7 passes for 66 yards, the last one a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Tim Wilson. Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter, despite several chances. In the second quarter, Pastorini completed a 55-yard pass to tight end Mike Barber on the Dolphins 9-yard line, but the drive ended with no points when Toni Fritsch's 28-yard field goal attempt was blocked by linebacker Kim Bokamper. The Oilers later drove to the Dolphins red zone with 14 seconds left in the half. On the next play, Pastorini completed a pass to Ken Burrough, but he was tackled short of the end zone and the clock ran out before the team could spike the ball to stop it. In the third quarter, Miami blew a chance to take then lead when Garo Yepremian drove a 38-yard field goal attempt wide left. In the final period, Toni Fritsch made a 35-yard field goal to give the Oilers a 10-7 lead. Then linebacker Gregg Bingham intercepted a pass from Griese and returned it 4 yards to midfield. Campbell finally managed to get into gear with a 20-yard run on the ensuing drive, and eventually finished it off with a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The Dolphins closed out the scoring, but only when Pastorini ran out of the end zone for an intentional safety to run out the clock. Despite his poor first half, Campbell finished the game with 84 rushing yards and a 13-yard reception. Wilson rushed for 76 yards and caught 5 passes for 40. Barber had 112 yards on 4 receptions, while Burroughs caught 6 passes for 103. Griese finished the game just 11/28 for 114 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. This was the first postseason meeting between the Oilers and Dolphins. 1978 AFC Divisional Playoffs (Sunday, December 31, 1978): at (A2) New England Patriots The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed 1978 AFC Divisional Playoffs: Houston Oilers 31 at New England Patriots 14 – Game summary December 31, 1978 12:00 Noon CST Oilers (2–0) 0 21 3 7 Patriots (0–1) 0 0 7 7 Schaefer Stadium • Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,881 36 °F °C 1 or, relative humidity 70%, wind 8 mph km/h knots, wind chill 30 °F °C 1 or Gordon McCarter NBC Charlie Jones (play–by–play), Len Dawson (color commentator) and Mike Adamle (sideline reporter) Pro Football Reference; 1978 AFC Divisional Playoffs – Houston Oilers at New England Patriots – December 31, 1978 right Houston Oilers HOU New England Patriots NE Dan Pastorini 12/15, 200 YDS, 3 TDs, 1 INT Earl Campbell 27 CAR, 118 YDS, 1 TD Mike Barber 5 REC, 83 YDS, 2 TDs Tom Owen 12/22, 144 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Sam Cunningham 10 CAR, 42 YDS Russ Francis 8 REC, 101 YDS, 1 TD HOU NE collapsed 2 13:25 Oilers RecTD Burrough Pastorini 71 good Fritsch 7 0 2 6:48 Oilers RecTD Barber Pastorini 19 good Fritsch 14 0 2 0:25 Oilers RecTD Barber Pastorini 13 good Fritsch 21 0 3 7:04 Oilers FG 30 Fritsch 24 0 3 0:17 Patriots RecTD Jackson Johnson 24 good Posey 24 7 4 9:17 Patriots RecTD Francis Owen 24 good Posey 24 14 4 3:41 Oilers RushTD Campbell 2 good Fritsch 31 14 31 14 Point spread: Oilers +6 Over/under: Time of game: OilersGame statisticsPatriots21 First downs 1554–174 Rushes–yards 20–83200 Passing yards 20612–15–1 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 16–35–33–30 Sacked–yards 4–26170 Net passing yards 180344 Total yards 263105 Return yards 1425–34.8 Punts Number–Average yardage 4–43.31–0 Fumbles–lost 2–02–25 Penalties–yards 8–9233:06 Time of Possession 26:54 Quarterback Dan Pastorini led the Oilers to a victory by throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Earl Campbell rushed for 118 yards and a score. After a scoreless first quarter, Houston completely took over the game. Houston receiver Ken Burrough caught a pass from Pastorini at the Pats 40-yard, broke through coverage from Mike Haynes, and took off for a 71-yard touchdown reception.  Raymond Clayborn's 47-yard kickoff return gave the Patriots a chance to strike back, but two plays later, Steve Grogan's pass on a flea flicker play was intercepted by Mike Reinfeldt on the Oilers 1-yard line. Aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty that gave them a first down after failing to convert a 3rd down on their own 7-yard line, Houston drove 99 yards to score on Pastorini's 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Barber. Again, the Patriots seemed ready to respond, driving to the Oilers 23-yard line, but again they came up short due to Reinfeldt, who intercepted another pass from Grogan to end the drive. Reinfeldt's 27-yard return and another unnecessary roughness penalty against New England gave the Oilers a first down on the Patriots 49-yard line. Pastorini completed a 22-yard pass to Barder, and eventually got his team a 21-0 lead with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Barber at the end of the possession. Pastorini finished the first half with 10 of 12 completions for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns. He threw only two passes in the second half, both completions. Meanwhile, Grogan was benched with 18 seconds left in the half, having completed only 3 of 12 passes for 38 yards. A 30-yard field goal by Toni Fritsch gave the Oilers a 24-0 third quarter lead before New England managed a comeback. First they drove 75 yards to score on Andy Johnson's 24-yard halfback option play pass to receiver Harold Jackson. Then in the fourth quarter, they took advantage of a short field due to a poor punt by Cliff Parsley, scoring on Tom Owen's 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Russ Francis that cut their deficit to 24-14. However, their efforts were dashed on their drive when linebacker Gregg Bingham intercepted an Owen pass and returned it 19 yards to the Patriot 18-yard line, setting up Campbell's 2-yard touchdown run to put the game away. Francis caught 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. This was the Patriots only playoff loss at Foxboro Stadium. They did not lose another home playoff game again until 31 years later, seven years after Gillette Stadium opened. This was the first postseason meeting between the Oilers and Patriots. 1978 AFC Championship Game (Sunday, January 7, 1979): at (A1) Pittsburgh Steelers The Football Database. Retrieved 2025-May-07.Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 2025-May-07 Houston Oilers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed 1978 AFC Championship Game: Houston Oilers 5 at Pittsburgh Steelers 34 – Game summary January 7, 1979 12:00 Noon CST Oilers (2–1) 0 3 2 0 Steelers (2–0) 14 17 3 0 Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 49,417 27 °F °C 1 or, freezing rain Jim Tunney NBC Curt Gowdy (play–by–play), John Brodie (color commentator), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) and Mike Adamle (sideline reporter) Pro Football Reference; 1978 AFC Championship Game – Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – January 7, 1979 right Houston Oilers HOU Pittsburgh Steelers PIT Dan Pastorini 12/26, 90 YDS, 5 INTs Earl Campbell 22 CAR, 62 YDS Rich CasterTim Wilson 5 REC, 44 YDS5 REC, 31 YDS Terry Bradshaw 11/19, 200 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Franco Harris 20 CAR, 51 YDS, 1 TD Lynn SwannRocky Bleier 4 REC, 98 YDS, 1 TD4 REC, 42 YDS HOU PIT collapsed 1 10:02 Steelers RushTD Harris 7 good Gerela 0 7 1 1:09 Steelers RushTD Bleier 15 good Gerela 0 14 2 9:39 Oilers FG 19 Fritsch 3 14 2 0:52 Steelers RecTD Swann Bradshaw 29 good Gerela 3 21 2 0:33 Steelers RecTD Stallworth Bradshaw 17 good Gerela 3 28 2 0:04 Steelers FG 37 Gerela 3 31 3 7:46 Steelers FG 22 Gerela 3 34 3 3:50 Oilers SafetyTackle Bleier Washington 5 34 5 34 Point spread: Oilers +7 Over/under: Time of game: OilersGame statisticsSteelers10 First downs 2126–72 Rushes–yards 47–17996 Passing yards 20012–26–5 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 11–19–24–26 Sacked–yards 0–070 Net passing yards 200142 Total yards 379189 Return yards 2176–39.5 Punts Number–Average yardage 1–53.06–4 Fumbles–lost 6–35–48 Penalties–yards 4–3218:15 Time of Possession 41:45 On a wet, slick, and slippery field, the Steelers dominated the Oilers by forcing 9 turnovers and only allowing 5 points. Pittsburgh took the early lead by driving 57 yards to score on running back Franco Harris' 7-yard touchdown run. Then, linebacker Jack Ham recovered a fumble at the Houston 17-yard line, which led to running back Rocky Bleier's 15-yard rushing touchdown. In the second quarter, a 19-yard field goal by Oilers kicker Toni Fritsch cut the score 14–3, but then the Steelers scored 17 points during the last 48 seconds of the second quarter. First, Houston running back Ronnie Coleman lost a fumble, and moments later Pittsburgh wide receiver Lynn Swann caught a 29-yard touchdown reception. Then Johnnie Dirden fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which led to Steelers wide receiver John Stallworth's 17-yard reception. After the Oilers got the ball back, Coleman fumbled again, and Roy Gerela kicked a field goal to increase Pittsburgh's lead, 31–3. Houston never posed a threat for the rest of the game as they turned over the ball four times in their six second-half possessions. This was the first postseason meeting between the Oilers and Steelers. Milestones and records Earl Campbell, NFL Rushing Leader, (1,450) Earl Campbell, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Earl Campbell, PFWA NFL MVP Earl Campbell, NEA NFL MVP Earl Campbell, NFL Offensive Player of the Year Earl Campbell, UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year Earl Campbell, 1st 1,000 yard rushing season Earl Campbell, 1st NFL rushing title References External links 1978 Houston Oilers at Pro-Football-Reference.com Houston Oilers Category:Houston Oilers seasons Houston