The 1979 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's fourth season in the National Football League (NFL). The Seahawks had a winning record for the second consecutive year, matching their 9–7 record from 1978.
Starting off the season with a 1–4 record, the Seahawks rallied to finish 9–7. Season highlights included a sweep of the Oakland Raiders for the second straight year, and winning both of their Monday Night Football contests on the road against the Atlanta Falcons and at home against the New York Jets, where Jim Zorn completed 13 passes in a row in a 30–7 victory. The team also enjoyed their first victory over the Denver Broncos 28–23 on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Zorn to Steve Largent in the final minutes.
Season lowlights included a 37–34 loss in Denver, after leading 34–10 midway through the 3rd quarter. The Los Angeles Rams shut out the Seattle Seahawks 24–0, holding the Seahawks to −7 yards total offense, and only one first down. The team lost twice to the Kansas City Chiefs, including a 37–21 defeat in week 14 that eliminated Seattle from playoff contention. The team also lost running back David Sims, who led the AFC in touchdowns in 1978, to a career-ending injury.
The 1979 season was the franchise's last winning season until 1983 when new head coach Chuck Knox led the Seahawks to their first playoff berth and Championship game appearance.
Offseason Draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1979 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeChuck BenbowFullbackLong Beach StateTim BeyerTight endOregonBob CaleSafetyNorth CarolinaDavid CharlesWide receiverWisconsinRobert ChatmanWide receiverMississippi StateMark ConradPunterPuget SoundGary DavisRunning backTexas A&MHoward DodgeLinebackerNevadaMax EdigerFullbackKansasTim EllisQuarterbackOle MissJim FrithLinebackerRiceBob GrefsengLinebackerOle MissDwayne HallWide receiverOregon StateChuck HarbinGuardCentral MichiganGus HobusTight endWashington StateDave HopewellTackleKentuckyTom JeskoTackleKent StateMike JohnsonSafetyUC DavisGreg LaetschWide receiver/Tight endFurmanJames LamarLinebackerSan Diego StateJim MickelsonSafetyMontana StateJeff MorganWide receiverAlabama StateMark MurphyTackle/GuardLong Beach StateJohn PattersonCornerbackSyracuseBucky ShamburgerWide receiverGeorgia TechMark StevensonCenterWestern IllinoisClarence StewardLinebackerArkansas–Pine BluffKen ThomasDefensive EndCameronBrant TungetTight endFresno StateRoss VarnerDefensive endBYUPhil VierneiselPunterIllinoisIke WilliamsRunning backFlorida A&MTheodis WilliamsWide receiverArkansas TechJay WyattPunterHouston
Personnel
Staff
Final roster
Starters in bold. (*) Denotes players that were selected for the 1980 Pro Bowl.
Schedule
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site Recap 1 Minnesota Vikings W 12–9 1–0 Kingdome Recap 2 August 12 Dallas Cowboys W 27–17 2–0 Kingdome Recap 3 at Los Angeles Rams L 17–21 2–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap 4 San Francisco 49ers W 55–20 3–1 Kingdome Recap
Source: Seahawks Media Guides1979 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.1980 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.
Regular season Divisional matchups have the AFC West playing the NFC West.
Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site Recap 1 September 2 San Diego Chargers L 16–33 0–1 Kingdome Recap 2 September 9 at Miami Dolphins L 10–19 0–2 Miami Orange Bowl Recap 3 September 16 Oakland Raiders W 27–10 1–2 Kingdome Recap 4 September 23 at Denver Broncos L 34–37 1–3 Mile High Stadium Recap 5 September 30 Kansas City Chiefs L 6–24 1–4 Kingdome Recap 6 October 7 at San Francisco 49ers W 35–24 2–4 Candlestick Park Recap 7 October 14 at San Diego Chargers L 10–20 2–5 San Diego Stadium Recap 8 October 21 Houston Oilers W 34–14 3–5 Kingdome Recap 9 at Atlanta Falcons W 31–28 4–5 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Recap 10 November 4 Los Angeles Rams L 0–24 4–6 Kingdome Recap 11 November 11 at Cleveland Browns W 29–24 5–6 Cleveland Stadium Recap 12 November 18 New Orleans Saints W 38–24 6–6 Kingdome Recap 13 New York Jets W 30–7 7–6 Kingdome Recap 14 December 2 at Kansas City Chiefs L 21–37 7–7 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 15 Denver Broncos W 28–23 8–7 Kingdome Recap 16 December 16 at Oakland Raiders W 29–24 9–7 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Recap
Bold indicates division opponents. Source: 1979 NFL season results1979 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015.
Standings
Game summaries For the second straight year, the Seahawks missed the playoffs by one game. Season highlights included sweeping the Oakland Raiders for the 2nd straight year, and defeating the Denver Broncos for the 1st time in team history in a comeback thriller 28–23 at the Kingdome, and winning the team's first appearance on MNF over the Atlanta Falcons, 31–28. The team started out 3–5, and had a 6–2 finish. A 37–21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in week 14 knocked them out of playoff contention, but rebounded to end their season repeating 1978 at 9–7.
Preseason
Week P1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week P2: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week P3: at Los Angeles Rams
Week P4: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Regular season
Week 1: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 4: at Denver Broncos
Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 6: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 7: at San Diego Chargers
Week 8: vs. Houston Oilers
Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons
Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Rams
With -7 total yards and just one first down, this is the fewest yards the Seahawks have ever gained in one match. It is the most recent – and only since 1970 – occasion when an NFL team has gained just one first down for an entire match,Pro Football Reference; In a single game, from 1970 to 2018, requiring 1st Downs = 1, sorted by ascending Date although the Denver Broncos did not gain a single first down in a 1966 game with the Houston Oilers.
Week 11: at Cleveland Browns
Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 13: vs. New York Jets
Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 15: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 16: at Oakland Raiders
Awards and records Steve Largent, NFL Leader in Receiving Yards, (1,237)
References
External links
1979 Seattle Seahawks season at ESPN 1983 Seattle Seahawks season at Pro Football Reference (pro-football-reference.com) 1979 Seattle Seahawks Statistics at jt-sw.com 1979 Seattle Seahawks Schedule at jt-sw.com