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1979 New York Jets

Franchise Index: Previous Season / Next Season

Record: 8-8-0, Finished 3rd in AFC East Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 337 points (21.1/g), 13th of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 383 points (23.9/g), 25th.
 Differential of -46 points (-2.9/g), 19th.
 Expected W-L: 6.8-9.2.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +2 (0.1/g), 11th.

Simple Rating System: Total -2.9, Offense: 1.1, Defense: -4.0, SoS: -0.0, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Walt Michaels

 Offensive Coordinator: John Idzik
 Defensive Coordinator: John Mazur

Training Camp: Hofstra University (Hempstead, New York)

Starters

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters
QB Richard Todd 26 3 15 171 for 334, 2,660 yards, 16 td, 22 int, & 36 rushes for 93 yards and 5 td New York Jets / 1st / 6th pick / 1976
RB Scott Dierking 24 2 14 186 rushes for 767 yards, 3 td, & 10 catches for 121 yards and 0 td New York Jets / 4th / 90th pick / 1977
FB Clark Gaines 25 3 9 186 rushes for 905 yards, 0 td, & 29 catches for 219 yards and 0 td
WR Derrick Gaffney 24 1 16 32 catches for 534 yards, 1 td New York Jets / 8th / 197th pick / 1978
WR Wesley Walker 24 2 9 23 catches for 569 yards, 5 td New York Jets / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1977
TE Jerome Barkum 29 7 13 27 catches for 401 yards, 4 td New York Jets / 1st / 9th pick / 1972
LT Chris Ward 24 1 16 New York Jets / 1st / 4th pick / 1978
LG Randy Rasmussen 34 12 16 New York Jets / 12th / 302nd pick / 1967
C Joe Fields 26 4 15 New York Jets / 14th / 349th pick / 1975
RG Dan Alexander 24 2 15 New York Jets / 8th / 200th pick / 1977
RT Marvin Powell*+ 24 2 16 New York Jets / 1st / 4th pick / 1977
 Defensive Starters
LDE Lawrence Pillers 27 3 15 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered New York Jets / 11th / 296th pick / 1976
LDT Abdul Salaam 26 3 12 New York Jets / 7th / 188th pick / 1976
RDT Joe Klecko 26 2 16 New York Jets / 6th / 144th pick / 1977
RDE Marty Lyons 22 Rook 16 0 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered New York Jets / 1st / 14th pick / 1979
LLB Greg Buttle 25 3 16 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered New York Jets / 3rd / 67th pick / 1976
MLB Stan Blinka 22 Rook 16 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered New York Jets / 5th / 125th pick / 1979
RLB Mike McKibben 23 Rook 10 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered
LCB Bobby Jackson 23 1 16 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered New York Jets / 6th / 140th pick / 1978
RCB Johnny Lynn 23 Rook 14 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered New York Jets / 4th / 98th pick / 1979
SS Shafer Suggs 26 3 15 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered New York Jets / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1976
FS Burgess Owens 28 6 0 6 interceptions, 4 fumbles recovered New York Jets / 1st / 13th pick / 1973
 Special Teams Starters
K Pat Leahy 28 5 0 8 of 13 field goals & 12 of 15 extra points
P Chuck Ramsey 27 2 0 73 punts for a 40.8 average, 0 blocked New England Patriots / 6th / 141st pick / 1974
KR Bruce Harper 24 2 0 55 kick returns for a 21.1 average and 0 td
KR Bruce Harper 24 2 0 55 kick returns for a 21.1 average and 0 td

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs AV Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
60 Dan Alexander 24 RG 16 15 260 6-4 LSU 6/17/1955 2 6 New York Jets / 8th / 200th pick / 1977
83 Jerome Barkum 29 TE 13 13 218 6-3 Jackson St. 7/18/1950 7 6 New York Jets / 1st / 9th pick / 1972
46 Woody Bennett 24 15 0 227 6-2 Miami (FL) 3/24/1955 Rook 0
54 Stan Blinka 22 MLB 16 16 230 6-2 Sam Houston St. 4/29/1957 Rook 7 New York Jets / 5th / 125th pick / 1979
51 Greg Buttle 25 LLB 16 16 235 6-3 Penn St. 6/20/1954 3 7 New York Jets / 3rd / 67th pick / 1976
55 Ron Crosby 24 12 0 224 6-3 Penn St. 3/2/1955 1 1 Detroit Lions / 5th / 114th pick / 1977
68 Eric Cunningham 22 g 11 1 257 6-3 Penn St. 3/16/1957 Rook 1 New York Jets / 4th / 96th pick / 1979
84 Paul Darby 23 15 0 192 5-10 Texas St. 10/22/1956 Rook 0 New York Jets / 12th / 314th pick / 1979
25 Scott Dierking 24 RB 16 14 218 5-10 Purdue 5/24/1955 2 6 New York Jets / 4th / 90th pick / 1977
26 Donald Dykes 24 db 16 2 182 5-11 SE Louisiana 8/24/1955 Rook 1 New York Jets / 3rd / 68th pick / 1979
80 Roger Farmer 24 4 0 195 6-3 Baker 11/10/1955 Rook 0
65 Joe Fields 26 C 15 15 250 6-2 Rutgers-Camden,Widener 11/14/1953 4 6 New York Jets / 14th / 349th pick / 1975
81 Derrick Gaffney 24 WR 16 16 181 6-1 Florida 5/24/1955 1 5 New York Jets / 8th / 197th pick / 1978
21 Clark Gaines 25 FB 16 9 206 6-1 Wake Forest 2/1/1954 3 8
99 Mark Gastineau 23 de 16 1 266 6-5 Arizona St.,East Central (OK) 11/20/1956 Rook 1 New York Jets / 2nd / 41st pick / 1979
42 Bruce Harper 24 KR 16 0 174 5-8 Kutztown Pennsylvania 6/20/1955 2 4
63 John Hennessy 24 16 0 243 6-3 Michigan 3/12/1955 2 1 New York Jets / 10th / 256th pick / 1977
40 Bobby Jackson 23 LCB 16 16 178 5-9 Florida St. 12/23/1956 1 6 New York Jets / 6th / 140th pick / 1978
1 Dave Jacobs 22 4 0 151 5-7 Syracuse 7/1/1957 Rook 0 Denver Broncos / 12th / 325th pick / 1979
89 Bobby Jones 24 wr 10 7 180 5-11 Youngstown St.,Millikin 7/12/1955 1 4
73 Joe Klecko 26 RDT 16 16 263 6-3 Temple 10/15/1953 2 6 New York Jets / 6th / 144th pick / 1977
5 Pat Leahy 28 K 6 0 194 6-0 St. Louis 3/19/1951 5 0
2 Toni Linhart 37 5 0 178 6-0 Austria Technical 7/24/1942 7 0
33 Kevin Long 24 fb 12 6 212 6-1 South Carolina 1/20/1955 2 4 New York Jets / 7th / 195th pick / 1977
29 Johnny Lynn 23 RCB 16 14 196 6-0 UCLA 12/19/1956 Rook 5 New York Jets / 4th / 98th pick / 1979
93 Marty Lyons 22 RDE 16 16 269 6-5 Alabama 1/5/1957 Rook 7 New York Jets / 1st / 14th pick / 1979
59 Bob Martin 26 2 0 217 6-1 Nebraska 11/14/1953 3 0 New York Jets / 6th / 163rd pick / 1976
67 Ed McGlasson 23 7 0 248 6-4 Maryland,Youngstown St. 7/11/1956 Rook 0 New York Jets / 10th / 263rd pick / 1979
53 Mike McKibben 23 RLB 16 10 228 6-3 Kent St. 9/3/1956 Rook 5
58 Mark Merrill 24 lb 6 4 237 6-4 Minnesota 5/5/1955 1 2 New York Jets / 2nd / 31st pick / 1978
37 Tim Moresco 25 16 0 176 5-11 Syracuse 10/3/1954 2 1 Green Bay Packers / 6th / 149th pick / 1977
44 Tom Newton 25 16 0 212 6-0 California 3/8/1954 2 1
22 Burgess Owens 28 FS 16 0 200 6-2 Miami (FL) 8/2/1951 6 7 New York Jets / 1st / 13th pick / 1973
77 Joe Pellegrini 23 4 0 270 6-2 Idaho 8/9/1956 1 0
76 Lawrence Pillers 27 LDE 16 15 255 6-4 Alcorn St. 11/4/1952 3 6 New York Jets / 11th / 296th pick / 1976
79 Marvin Powell*+ 24 RT 16 16 268 6-5 USC 8/30/1955 2 15 New York Jets / 1st / 4th pick / 1977
86 Bob Raba 24 8 0 222 6-1 Maryland 4/23/1955 2 1
15 Chuck Ramsey 27 P 16 0 191 6-2 Wake Forest 2/24/1952 2 0 New England Patriots / 6th / 141st pick / 1974
66 Randy Rasmussen 34 LG 16 16 255 6-2 Nebraska-Kearney 5/10/1945 12 7 New York Jets / 12th / 302nd pick / 1967
17 Matt Robinson 24 qb 15 1 196 6-2 Georgia 6/28/1955 2 1 New York Jets / 9th / 227th pick / 1977
61 John Roman 27 16 0 255 6-4 Idaho St. 8/31/1952 3 1 Baltimore Colts / 13th / 313th pick / 1975
4 Pat Ryan 24 1 0 210 6-3 Tennessee 9/16/1955 1 0 New York Jets / 11th / 281st pick / 1978
74 Abdul Salaam 26 LDT 12 12 262 6-3 Kent St. 2/12/1953 3 5 New York Jets / 7th / 188th pick / 1976
48 Ken Schroy 27 db 16 1 198 6-2 Maryland 9/22/1952 2 1 Philadelphia Eagles / 10th / 248th pick / 1975
82 Mickey Shuler 23 te 16 6 232 6-3 Penn St. 8/21/1956 1 4 New York Jets / 3rd / 61st pick / 1978
23 Shafer Suggs 26 SS 16 15 200 6-1 Ball St. 4/28/1953 3 6 New York Jets / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1976
50 John Sullivan 23 12 0 221 6-1 Illinois 10/1/1956 Rook 1 Chicago Bears / 6th / 147th pick / 1979
10 Rich Szaro 31 1 0 205 5-11 Harvard 3/7/1948 4 0
38 Ed Taylor 26 4 0 174 6-0 Memphis 5/13/1953 4 0 New York Jets / 9th / 224th pick / 1975
14 Richard Todd 26 QB 15 15 207 6-2 Alabama 11/19/1953 3 10 New York Jets / 1st / 6th pick / 1976
70 Stan Waldemore 24 g 16 1 263 6-4 Nebraska 2/20/1955 1 1 Atlanta Falcons / 3rd / 70th pick / 1978
85 Wesley Walker 24 WR 9 9 179 6-0 California 5/26/1955 2 6 New York Jets / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1977
72 Chris Ward 24 LT 16 16 267 6-3 Ohio St. 12/16/1955 1 8 New York Jets / 1st / 4th pick / 1978
71 Bob Winkel 24 15 0 253 6-4 Kentucky 10/23/1955 Rook 1 Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 181st pick / 1979
Team Total 25.0 16 220.0 6-1.6 2.1