1979 Washington Redskins season
The 1979 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League. The team improved on their 8–8 record from 1978 and finishing 10–6. While the Redskins were able to improve their record, however, they were eliminated from playoff contention on the final week of the season when facing the Dallas Cowboys with the NFC East title on the line, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach led a last-minute comeback to defeat Washington 35–34 to win the division; which combined with the Chicago Bears defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 42–6, resulted in the Redskins losing a points tiebreaker for the final wild-card slot.
1979 Washington Redskins season | |
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Owner | Jack Kent Cooke |
Head coach | Jack Pardee |
General manager | Bobby Beathard |
Home field | RFK Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 10–6 |
Division place | 3rd NFC East |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The Redskins hosted the Packers in Week 14. It was Washington's penultimate game at RFK in 1979. As they left RFK 17 years later and moved to a new stadium in Landover, it was also the two teams' final meeting at Washington for 25 years.
Offseason
NFL draft
1979 Washington Redskins draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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4 | 103 | Don Warren | Tight end | San Diego State | |
7 | 182 | Rich Milot | Linebacker | Penn State | |
9 | 233 | Kris Haines | Wide receiver | Notre Dame | |
11 | 289 | Monte Coleman | Linebacker | Central Arkansas | |
11 | 300 | Tony Hall | Wide receiver | Knoxville | |
Made roster |
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
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Roster
Preseason
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 4 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 9–7 | 1–0 | Tampa Stadium | 64,493 |
2 | August 11 | at Denver Broncos | L 6–13 | 1–1 | Mile High Stadium | 58,799 |
3 | August 18 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 16–6 | 2–1 | Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium | 52,478 |
4 | August 24 | Cleveland Browns | L 9–21 | 2–2 | RFK Stadium | 40,039 |
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | Attendance | Game Recap |
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1 | September 2 | Houston Oilers | L 27–29 | 0–1 | RFK Stadium | 54,582 | Recap |
2 | September 9 | at Detroit Lions | W 27–24 | 1–1 | Pontiac Silverdome | 54,991 | Recap |
3 | September 17 | New York Giants | W 27–0 | 2–1 | RFK Stadium | 54,672 | Recap |
4 | September 23 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 17–7 | 3–1 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 50,680 | Recap |
5 | September 30 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 16–7 | 4–1 | Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium | 56,819 | Recap |
6 | October 7 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 17–28 | 4–2 | Veterans Stadium | 69,142 | Recap |
7 | October 14 | at Cleveland Browns | W 13–9 | 5–2 | Cleveland Stadium | 63,323 | Recap |
8 | October 21 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–7 | 6–2 | RFK Stadium | 54,442 | Recap |
9 | October 28 | New Orleans Saints | L 10–14 | 6–3 | RFK Stadium | 52,133 | Recap |
10 | November 4 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–38 | 6–4 | Three Rivers Stadium | 49,462 | Recap |
11 | November 11 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 30–28 | 7–4 | RFK Stadium | 50,868 | Recap |
12 | November 18 | Dallas Cowboys | W 34–20 | 8–4 | RFK Stadium | 55,031 | Recap |
13 | November 25 | at New York Giants | L 6–14 | 8–5 | Giants Stadium | 72,641 | Recap |
14 | December 2 | Green Bay Packers | W 38–21 | 9–5 | RFK Stadium | 51,682 | Recap |
15 | December 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 28–14 | 10–5 | RFK Stadium | 52,882 | Recap |
16 | December 16 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 34–35 | 10–6 | Texas Stadium | 62,867 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Houston Oilers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Oilers | 6 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 29 |
Redskins | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 2, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 54,582
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV: NBC
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 2: at Detroit Lions
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
Lions | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 24 |
at Pontiac Silverdome • Pontiac, Michigan
- Date: September 9, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Game attendance: 54,991
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Sonny Jurgensen
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 3: vs. New York Giants
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Redskins | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 17, 1979
- Game time: 9:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 54,672
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Fran Tarkenton
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 4: at St. Louis Cardinals
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Busch Memorial Stadium • St. Louis, Missouri
- Date: September 23, 1979
- Game time: 2:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 50,680
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV: CBS
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 5: at Atlanta Falcons
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
Falcons | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 30, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 56,819
- TV: CBS
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
Eagles | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
at Veterans Stadium • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 7, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 69,142
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV: CBS
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 7: at Cleveland Browns
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
Browns | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
at Cleveland Stadium • Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 14, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 63,323
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and George Allen
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 8: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: October 21, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 54,442
- TV: CBS
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Saints | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Redskins | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: October 28, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 55,031
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Sonny Jurgensen
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Steelers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 4, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 53°F, (Sunny) wind 7 mph
- Game attendance: 49,462
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Curt Gowdy and Hank Stram
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 11: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
Redskins | 7 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 11, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 50,868
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Sonny Jurgensen
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 12: vs. Dallas Cowboys
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
Redskins | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 34 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 18, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 55,031
- Referee: Cal Lepore
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 13: at New York Giants
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
Giants | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Giants Stadium • East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: November 25, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 72,641
- TV: CBS
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 14: vs. Green Bay Packers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Packers | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Redskins | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 38 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: December 2, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 51,682
- TV: CBS
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 15: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Bengals | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Redskins | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
- Date: December 9, 1979
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 52,882
- TV: NBC
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 34 |
Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
- Date: December 16, 1979
- Game time: 4:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 62,867
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Standings
NFC East | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Dallas Cowboys(1) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 10–2 | 371 | 313 | W3 |
Philadelphia Eagles(4) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 339 | 282 | W1 |
Washington Redskins | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 348 | 295 | L1 |
New York Giants | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–7 | 5–9 | 237 | 323 | L3 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–6 | 4–8 | 307 | 358 | L1 |
References
- "1979 Washington Redskins draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- Washington Redskins 1979 Press Guide. pp. 2–21.
- "1979 Washington Redskins starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1979.htm