1979 Seattle Seahawks season

The 1979 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's fourth season in the National Football League. The Seahawks had a winning record for the second consecutive year, matching their 9–7 record from 1978.

1979 Seattle Seahawks season
Head coachJack Patera
Home fieldKingdome
Results
Record9–7
Division placeT-3rd AFC West
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersWR Steve Largent
AP All-ProsWR Steve Largent (2nd team)

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 in Atlanta 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 TD pass from Zorn to Largent in the final minutes. One of the most iconic moments from the season includes running back Aaron Yurkanin performing a brutal stiff-arm on Broncos linebacker Aidan Smith in a pivotal divisional matchup victory.

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 TDs in 1978, to a career-ending injury.

The 1979 season was the franchise's last winning season until 1983 when new coach Chuck Knox led the Seahawks to their first playoff berth and Championship game appearance.

1979 NFL draft

1979 Seahawks Draft Selections
Round/PickPlayerPositionCollege
1/18Manu TuiasosopoDefensive EndUCLA
2/45Joe NormanLinebackerIndiana
3/57Michael JacksonLinebackerWashington
4/102Mark BellDefensive EndColorado State
7/169Larry PolowskiLinebackerBoise State
9/240Ezra TateRunning BackMississippi College
10/267Robert HardyDefensive TackleJackson State
11/293Jim HineslyOffensive GuardMichigan State
12/319Jeff MooreRunning BackJackson State

Personnel

Staff

1979 Seattle Seahawks staff
Front office
  • Managing General Partner – Herman Sarkowsky
  • General Manager – John Thompson
  • Assistant General Manager – Mark Duncan
  • Director of Player Personnel – Dick Mansperger
  • Director of Pro Scouting – Chuck Allen

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head Trainer – Bruce Scott
  • Assistant Trainer – Jim Whitesel

Final roster

1979 Seattle Seahawks final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics
51 active, 0 inactive, 0 practice squad

[1]

  • Starters in bold.
  • (*) Denotes players that were selected for the 1980 Pro Bowl.

Schedule

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 2 Minnesota Vikings W 12-9 1–0 Kingdome Recap
2 August 12 Dallas Cowboys W 27-17 2–0 Kingdome Recap
3 August 18 at Los Angeles Rams L 17-21 2–1 Memorial Coliseum Recap
4 August 24 San Francisco 49ers W 55-20 3–1 Kingdome Recap
Source: Seahawks Media Guides [2][3]

    Regular season

    Divisional matchups have the AFC West playing the NFC West.

    Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
    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 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 October 29 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 November 26 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 December 8 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 results [4]

    Standings

    AFC West
    W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
    San Diego Chargers(1) 12 4 0 .750 6–2 9–3 411 246 W2
    Denver Broncos(5) 10 6 0 .625 4–4 7–5 289 262 L2
    Seattle Seahawks 9 7 0 .563 3–5 6–6 378 372 W2
    Oakland Raiders 9 7 0 .563 3–5 5–7 365 337 L1
    Kansas City Chiefs 7 9 0 .438 4–4 7–7 238 262 L1

    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.

    Week P1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

    Preseason Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
    1 2 34OTTotal
    Vikings 0 6 0309
    Seahawks 9 0 00312

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Week P2: vs. Dallas Cowboys

    Preseason Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Cowboys 7 0 3717
    Seahawks 7 7 31027

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Week P3: at Los Angeles Rams

    Preseason Week Three: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 0 0 000
    Rams 0 0 000

    at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

    • Date: August 18
    • Game time: 7:05pm local
    • Game weather: overcast, 72 °F (22 °C), wind W light
    • Game attendance: 46,083
    • Referee: Dick Jorgensen
    • TV: KIRO
    • Gamebook

    Week P4: vs. San Francisco 49ers

    Preseason Week Four: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    49ers 0 0 02020
    Seahawks 17 17 21055

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Week 1: vs. San Diego Chargers

    Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Diego Chargers – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Chargers 0 13 101033
    Seahawks 3 7 0616

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Game information

    Week 2: at Miami Dolphins

    Week Two: Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 0 3 7010
    Dolphins 0 9 3719

    at Orange Bowl, Miami

    Game information

    Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders

    Week Three: Seattle Seahawks vs. Oakland Raiders – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Raiders 0 0 7310
    Seahawks 7 3 10727

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Game information

    Week 4: at Denver Broncos

    Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 10 10 14034
    Broncos 0 10 21637

    at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

    • Date: September 23
    • Game time: 2:00pm local
    • Game weather: clear, 81 °F (27 °C), 16% humidity, wind SW 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
    • Game attendance: 74,879
    • Referee: Gene Barth
    • TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Mike Haffner
    • Gamebook
    Game information

    Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

    Week Five: Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Chiefs 0 10 01424
    Seahawks 3 0 306

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Game information

    Week 6: at San Francisco 49ers

    Week Six: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 14 7 7735
    49ers 7 3 01424

    at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

    • Date: October 7
    • Game time: 1:02pm local
    • Game weather: cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C), 77% humidity, wind variable
    • Game attendance: 44,592
    • Referee: Pat Haggerty
    • TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Mike Haffner
    • Gamebook
    Game information

    Week 7: at San Diego Chargers

    Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 0 3 0710
    Chargers 7 0 7620

    at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

    Game information

    Week 8: vs. Houston Oilers

    Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks vs. Houston Oilers – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Oilers 0 7 0714
    Seahawks 7 7 61434

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    • Date: October 21
    • Game time: 1:01pm local
    • Game weather: indoors
    • Game attendance: 60,705
    • Referee: Jerry Seeman
    • TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and George Kunz
    • Gamebook
    Game information

    Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons

    Week Nine: Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 0 21 3731
    Falcons 7 7 01428

    at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta

    Game information

    Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Rams

    Week Ten: Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Rams 14 7 3024
    Seahawks 0 0 000

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Game information

    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,[5] 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 Eleven: Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 7 9 01329
    Browns 0 3 14724

    at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

    • Date: November 11
    • Game time: 1:00pm local
    • Game weather: overcast, 35 °F (2 °C), 64% humidity, wind NW 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
    • Game attendance: 72,440
    • Referee: Fred Silva
    • TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and George Kunz
    • Gamebook
    Game information

    Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints

    Week Twelve: Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Saints 7 7 3724
    Seahawks 7 17 01438

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    • Date: November 18
    • Game time: 1:01pm local
    • Game weather: indoors
    • Game attendance: 60,055
    • Referee: Dick Jorgensen
    • TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen
    • Gamebook
    Game information

    Week 13: vs. New York Jets

    Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Jets – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Jets 0 0 707
    Seahawks 3 13 14030

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Game information

    Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs

    Week Fourteen: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 0 0 71421
    Chiefs 14 10 6737

    at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

    • Date: December 2
    • Game time: 1:05pm local
    • Game weather: clear, 32 °F (0 °C), 40% humidity, wind S 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
    • Game attendance: 42,160
    • Referee: Red Cashion
    • TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
    • Gamebook
    Game information

    Week 15: vs. Denver Broncos

    Week Fifteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Broncos 0 20 3023
    Seahawks 7 7 7728

    at Kingdome, Seattle

    Game information

    Week 16: at Oakland Raiders

    Week Sixteen: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
    1 2 34Total
    Seahawks 10 7 9329
    Raiders 7 10 0724

    at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

    • Date: December 16
    • Game time: 1:01pm local
    • Game weather: clear, 56 °F (13 °C), 61% humidity, wind SW 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
    • Game attendance: 53,177
    • Referee: Jerry Markbreit
    • TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and George Kunz
    • Gamebook
    Game information

    Awards and records

    References

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