Franchise Index: Previous Season / Next Season
Record: 10-6-0, Finished 1st in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 306 points (19.1/g), 18th of 28 in the NFL.
Allowed 249 points (15.6/g), 3rd.
Differential of 57 points (3.6/g), 6th.
Expected W-L: 9.9-6.1.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +14 (0.9/g), 4th.
Coached by Neill Armstrong (10-6-0)
Promote your website or business by sponsoring this page for $10 per year on Pro-Football-Reference.com.
1979 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
| Score | Offense | Defense | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Date | Rec | Opp | Tm | Opp | 1stD | TotYd | PassY | RushY | TO | 1stD | TotYd | PassY | RushY | TO | ||||
| 1 | Sun | September 2 | box | W | 1-0 | Green Bay Packers | 6 | 3 | 17 | 300 | 117 | 183 | 2 | 9 | 149 | 72 | 77 | 1 | |
| 2 | Sun | September 9 | box | W | 2-0 | Minnesota Vikings | 26 | 7 | 15 | 329 | 93 | 236 | 2 | 13 | 159 | 71 | 88 | 1 | |
| 3 | Sun | September 16 | box | L | 2-1 | @ | Dallas Cowboys | 20 | 24 | 14 | 318 | 118 | 200 | 2 | 26 | 420 | 206 | 214 | 3 |
| 4 | Sun | September 23 | box | L | 2-2 | @ | Miami Dolphins | 16 | 31 | 16 | 240 | 155 | 85 | 2 | 23 | 389 | 196 | 193 | 1 |
| 5 | Sun | September 30 | box | L | 2-3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13 | 17 | 11 | 234 | 152 | 82 | 3 | 18 | 373 | 159 | 214 | 3 | |
| 6 | Sun | October 7 | box | W | 3-3 | @ | Buffalo Bills | 7 | 0 | 15 | 258 | 18 | 240 | 2 | 7 | 106 | 42 | 64 | 2 |
| 7 | Sun | October 14 | box | L | 3-4 | New England Patriots | 7 | 27 | 5 | 169 | 96 | 73 | 2 | 25 | 360 | 218 | 142 | 2 | |
| 8 | Sun | October 21 | box | L | 3-5 | @ | Minnesota Vikings | 27 | 30 | 23 | 496 | 292 | 204 | 4 | 15 | 267 | 213 | 54 | 2 |
| 9 | Sun | October 28 | box | W | 4-5 | @ | San Francisco 49ers | 28 | 27 | 20 | 352 | 145 | 207 | 2 | 28 | 455 | 348 | 107 | 2 |
| 10 | Sun | November 4 | box | W | 5-5 | Detroit Lions | 35 | 7 | 21 | 308 | 147 | 161 | 11 | 199 | 117 | 82 | 5 | ||
| 11 | Sun | November 11 | box | W | 6-5 | Los Angeles Rams | 27 | 23 | 19 | 272 | 190 | 82 | 16 | 321 | 76 | 245 | 3 | ||
| 12 | Sun | November 18 | box | W | 7-5 | New York Jets | 23 | 13 | 19 | 254 | 108 | 146 | 20 | 320 | 180 | 140 | 3 | ||
| 13 | Thu | November 22 | box | L | 7-6 | @ | Detroit Lions | 0 | 20 | 14 | 220 | 142 | 78 | 3 | 18 | 331 | 225 | 106 | 3 |
| 14 | Sun | December 2 | box | W | 8-6 | @ | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 14 | 0 | 10 | 164 | 17 | 147 | 1 | 13 | 238 | 131 | 107 | 5 |
| 15 | Sun | December 9 | box | W | 9-6 | @ | Green Bay Packers | 15 | 14 | 16 | 267 | 106 | 161 | 2 | 19 | 306 | 251 | 55 | 5 |
| 16 | Sun | December 16 | box | W | 10-6 | St. Louis Cardinals | 42 | 6 | 27 | 456 | 255 | 201 | 2 | 11 | 113 | 23 | 90 | 2 | |
| Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||
| WildCard | Sun | December 23 | box | L | 10-7 | @ | Philadelphia Eagles | 17 | 27 | ||||||||||
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pts | Yds | Ply | Y/P | 1stD | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | 1stD | Att | Yds | TD | 1stD | TO | FL | 1stPy | |||
| Team Offense | 306 | 4637 | 1031 | 4.5 | 262 | 195 | 373 | 2151 | 16 | 16 | 5.3 | 98 | 627 | 2486 | 17 | 4.0 | 140 | 29 | 13 | 24 |
| Team Defense | 249 | 4506 | 1024 | 4.4 | 444 | 222 | 458 | 2528 | 21 | 29 | 5.0 | 148 | 519 | 1978 | 9 | 3.8 | 272 | 43 | 14 | 24 |
| Lg Rank Offense | 18 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 4 | ||||||
| Lg Rank Defense | 3 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 22 | ||||||
| Age | Pos | G | GS | QBrec | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Sk | Yds | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Phipps | 32 | QB | 12 | 10 | 9-1-0 | 134 | 255 | 52.5 | 1535 | 9 | 3.5 | 8 | 3.1 | 68 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 11.5 | 127.9 | 69.6 | 15 | 145 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 5.6 |
| Vince Evans | 24 | 4 | 3 | 0-3-0 | 32 | 63 | 50.8 | 508 | 4 | 6.3 | 5 | 7.9 | 65 | 8.1 | 5.1 | 15.9 | 127.0 | 66.1 | 8 | 75 | 6.1 | 3.5 | 11.3 | |
| Bob Avellini | 26 | 7 | 3 | 1-2-0 | 27 | 51 | 52.9 | 310 | 2 | 3.9 | 3 | 5.9 | 54 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 11.5 | 44.3 | 60.1 | 8 | 58 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 13.6 | |
| Bob Parsons | 29 | P | 16 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 22 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 22 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 22.0 | 1.4 | 89.6 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 0.0 | |
| Brian Baschnagel | 25 | WR | 16 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Walter Payton* | 25 | RB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 54 | 1 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 54 | 54.0 | 64.0 | 54.0 | 3.4 | 158.3 | 0 | 0 | 54.0 | 64.0 | 0.0 | |
| Team Total | 26.2 | 16 | 10-6-0 | 195 | 373 | 52.3 | 2429 | 16 | 4.3 | 16 | 4.3 | 68 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 12.5 | 151.8 | 69.2 | 31 | 278 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 7.7 | ||
| Opp Total | 16 | 222 | 458 | 48.5 | 2528 | 21 | 4.6 | 29 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 11.4 | 158.0 | 54.4 | 47 | 380 | 5.0 | 2.1 |
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | |||||||
| Walter Payton* | 25 | RB | 16 | 16 | 369 | 1610 | 14 | 43 | 4.4 | 100.6 | 23.1 | 31 | 313 | 10.1 | 2 | 65 | 1.9 | 19.6 | 1923 | 16 | 7 |
| Dave Williams | 25 | FB | 14 | 12 | 127 | 401 | 1 | 16 | 3.2 | 28.6 | 9.1 | 42 | 354 | 8.4 | 5 | 54 | 3.0 | 25.3 | 755 | 6 | 4 |
| Willie McClendon | 22 | 16 | 0 | 37 | 160 | 1 | 33 | 4.3 | 10.0 | 2.3 | 6 | 27 | 4.5 | 0 | 13 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 187 | 1 | 0 | |
| Robin Earl | 24 | 13 | 2 | 35 | 132 | 0 | 12 | 3.8 | 10.2 | 2.7 | 8 | 56 | 7.0 | 0 | 19 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 188 | 0 | 3 | |
| Mike Phipps | 32 | QB | 12 | 10 | 27 | 51 | 0 | 12 | 1.9 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 51 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| Vince Evans | 24 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 72 | 1 | 17 | 6.0 | 18.0 | 3.0 | 72 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| Jack Deloplaine | 25 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 15 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 31 | 0 | 0 | |
| Lonnie Perrin | 27 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 0 | 27 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | |
| John Skibinski | 24 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 3.3 | 10.0 | 3.0 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bob Avellini | 26 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Rickey Watts | 22 | wr | 16 | 6 | 1 | -6 | 0 | -6 | -6.0 | -0.4 | 0.1 | 24 | 421 | 17.5 | 3 | 68 | 1.5 | 26.3 | 415 | 3 | 1 |
| Doug Buffone | 35 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 14.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 0 | 22 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 36 | 0 | 0 | |
| Brian Baschnagel | 25 | WR | 16 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30 | 452 | 15.1 | 2 | 54 | 1.9 | 28.3 | 452 | 2 | 0 | |
| James Scott | 27 | WR | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 21 | 382 | 18.2 | 3 | 64 | 2.1 | 38.2 | 382 | 3 | 0 | |
| Greg Latta | 27 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15 | 131 | 8.7 | 0 | 25 | 1.0 | 8.7 | 131 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Mike Cobb | 24 | TE | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 91 | 15.2 | 0 | 38 | 0.4 | 5.7 | 91 | 0 | 0 | |
| Golden Richards | 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 107 | 21.4 | 1 | 52 | 1.0 | 21.4 | 107 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Steve Schubert | 28 | RET | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 | 15 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 29 | 0 | 0 | |
| Team Total | 26.2 | 16 | 627 | 2486 | 17 | 43 | 4.0 | 155.4 | 39.2 | 195 | 2429 | 12.5 | 16 | 68 | 12.2 | 151.8 | 4915 | 33 | 21 | ||
| Opp Total | 16 | 519 | 1978 | 9 | 3.8 | 123.6 | 32.4 | 222 | 2528 | 11.4 | 21 | 13.9 | 158.0 | 4506 | 30 | 25 | |||||
| Punt Returns | Kick Returns | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | Rt | Yds | TD | Lng | APYd | |||
| Len Walterscheid | 25 | RET | 15 | 2 | 14 | 96 | 0 | 14 | 6.9 | 19 | 427 | 0 | 44 | 22.5 | 523 |
| Steve Schubert | 28 | RET | 14 | 0 | 25 | 238 | 1 | 77 | 9.5 | 2 | 45 | 0 | 27 | 22.5 | 312 |
| Rickey Watts | 22 | wr | 16 | 6 | 14 | 289 | 1 | 83 | 20.6 | 704 | |||||
| Brian Baschnagel | 25 | WR | 16 | 11 | 12 | 260 | 0 | 32 | 21.7 | 712 | |||||
| Bruce Herron | 25 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||
| Greg Latta | 27 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8.0 | 139 | ||||||
| Willie McClendon | 22 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 | 199 | ||||||
| Lonnie Perrin | 27 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 | 54 | ||||||
| Team Total | 26.2 | 16 | 39 | 334 | 1 | 77 | 8.6 | 51 | 1054 | 1 | 83 | 20.7 | 6303 | ||
| Opp Total | 16 | 54 | 0 | 59 | 1252 | 0 | 21.2 | ||||||||
| 0--19 | 20--29 | 30--39 | 40--49 | 50+ | Tot | PAT | Punting | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Pos | G | GS | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | XPA | XPM | Pnt | Yds | Lng | Blck | ||||
| Bob Parsons | 29 | P | 16 | 0 | 92 | 3486 | 54 | 1 | 37.9 | ||||||||||||||||
| Bob Thomas | 27 | K | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 16 | 59.3% | 37 | 34 | 91.9% | ||||||
| Team Total | 26.2 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 16 | 59.3% | 37 | 34 | 91.9% | 92 | 3486 | 54 | 1 | 37.9 | |||
| Opp Total | 16 | 20 | 12 | 60.0% | 31 | 27 | 87.1% | 90 | 3402 | 37.8 | |||||||||||||||
| Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Tackles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Sk | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | Tkl | Ast | Sfty | |
| Brian Baschnagel | 25 | WR | 16 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Doug Buffone | 35 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 11 | |||||||||||
| Gary Campbell | 27 | RLB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Robin Earl | 24 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Allan Ellis | 28 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 67 | 0 | 24 | |||||||||||
| Vince Evans | 24 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | -2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Gary Fencik | 25 | SS | 14 | 14 | 6 | 31 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Wentford Gaines | 26 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Dan Hampton | 22 | LDE | 16 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Mike Hartenstine | 26 | RDE | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Bruce Herron | 25 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Tom Hicks | 27 | MLB | 15 | 0 | 3 | 85 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Virgil Livers | 27 | RCB | 13 | 12 | 2 | 41 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Jerry Muckensturm | 26 | LLB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Jim Osborne | 30 | LDT | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Alan Page | 34 | RDT | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Walter Payton* | 25 | RB | 16 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Mike Phipps | 32 | QB | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1 | -3 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Doug Plank | 26 | FS | 16 | 16 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | ||||||
| Terry Schmidt | 27 | LCB | 16 | 16 | 6 | 44 | 1 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Revie Sorey | 26 | RG | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Len Walterscheid | 25 | RET | 15 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Rickey Watts | 22 | wr | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Dave Williams | 25 | FB | 14 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Team Total | 26.2 | 16 | 29 | 402 | 2 | 66 | 21 | 21 | 12 | 0 | ||||||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 31 | 25 | 11 | ||||||||||||||
| Age | Pos | G | GS | RshTD | RecTD | PR TD | KR TD | FblTD | IntTD | OthTD | 2PM | XPM | FGM | Sfty | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Payton* | 25 | RB | 16 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 96 | |||||||||
| Bob Thomas | 27 | K | 16 | 0 | 34 | 16 | 82 | |||||||||
| Dave Williams | 25 | FB | 14 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 36 | |||||||||
| Rickey Watts | 22 | wr | 16 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 24 | |||||||||
| James Scott | 27 | WR | 10 | 9 | 3 | 18 | ||||||||||
| Brian Baschnagel | 25 | WR | 16 | 11 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||
| Vince Evans | 24 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Tom Hicks | 27 | MLB | 15 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| Willie McClendon | 22 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Golden Richards | 29 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Terry Schmidt | 27 | LCB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| Steve Schubert | 28 | RET | 14 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| Team Total | 26.2 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 16 | 304 | ||||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 9 | 21 | 27 | 12 | 249 |