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1978 Houston Oilers

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Record: 10-6-0, Finished 2nd in AFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 283 points (17.7/g), 14th of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 298 points (18.6/g), 16th.
 Differential of -15 points (-0.9/g), 15th.
 Expected W-L: 7.5-8.5.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -4 (-0.2/g), 19th.

Coached by Bum Phillips (10-6-0)

1978 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees

Team Games & Schedule

Glossary · CSV · PRE
Score Offense Defense
Week Day Date Rec Opp Tm Opp 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO
1 Sun September 3 box L 0-1 @ Atlanta Falcons 14 20 13 261 105 156 4 11 171 71 100 1
2 Sun September 10 box W 1-1 @ Kansas City Chiefs 20 17 15 226 47 179 1 19 295 34 261 2
3 Sun September 17 box W 2-1 San Francisco 49ers 20 19 23 330 179 151 2 18 382 321 61 3
4 Sun September 24 box L 2-2 Los Angeles Rams 6 10 10 232 120 112 2 26 388 213 175 3
5 Sun October 1 box W 3-2 @ Cleveland Browns 16 13 20 379 215 164 4 11 182 104 78 4
6 Sun October 8 box L 3-3 @ Oakland Raiders 17 21 20 373 168 205 2 22 279 156 123 5
7 Sun October 15 box W 4-3 Buffalo Bills 17 10 17 330 152 178 15 229 80 149 1
8 Mon October 23 box W 5-3 @ Pittsburgh Steelers 24 17 22 329 160 169 1 21 328 215 113 1
9 Sun October 29 box L 5-4 @ Cincinnati Bengals 13 28 15 255 118 137 2 18 436 247 189 1
10 Sun November 5 box W 6-4 Cleveland Browns 14 10 18 392 236 156 4 10 194 166 28 1
11 Sun November 12 box W 7-4 @ New England Patriots 26 23 24 322 194 128 4 16 274 130 144 4
12 Mon November 20 box W 8-4 Miami Dolphins 35 30 23 406 141 265 1 27 454 327 127 2
13 Sun November 26 box W 9-4 Cincinnati Bengals 17 10 17 301 148 153 2 19 237 95 142
14 Sun December 3 box L 9-5 Pittsburgh Steelers 3 13 9 164 83 81 6 17 251 74 177 2
15 Sun December 10 box W 10-5 @ New Orleans Saints 17 12 16 244 119 125 18 297 241 56 1
16 Sun December 17 box L 10-6 San Diego Chargers 24 45 14 270 153 117 3 24 517 368 149 3
Playoffs
WildCard Sun December 24 box W 11-6 @ Miami Dolphins 17 9 23 455 290 165 1 14 209 118 91 5
Division Sun December 31 box W 12-6 @ New England Patriots 31 14 21 344 170 174 1 15 263 180 83 3
ConfChamp Sun January 7 box L 12-7 @ Pittsburgh Steelers 5 34 10 142 70 72 9 21 379 200 179 5

Team Stats and Rankings

Glossary · CSV · PRE
Passing Rushing
Pts Yds Ply Y/P 1stD Cmp Att Yds TD Int NY/A 1stD Att Yds TD Y/A 1stD TO FL 1stPy
Team Offense 283 4814 993 4.8 276 201 373 2338 16 17 6.0 119 603 2476 19 4.1 135 38 21 22
Team Defense 298 4914 1021 4.8 292 240 428 2842 17 17 6.1 144 556 2072 14 3.7 120 34 17 28
Lg Rank Offense 14 16 15 24 18 14 4 9 7 6 5 10 12 21
Lg Rank Defense 16 17 19 12 24 14 24 24 10 9 9 10 25 14

Passing

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
No. Age Pos G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk%
7 Dan Pastorini 29 QB 16 16 10-6-0 199 368 54.1 2473 16 4.3 17 4.6 80 6.7 5.5 12.4 154.6 70.4 15 123 6.1 5.0 3.9
14 Gifford Nielsen 24 2 0 2 4 50.0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 56.2 2 12 -2.0 -2.0 33.3
00 Ken Burrough 30 WR 16 0 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
Team Total 26.2 16 10-6-0 201 373 53.9 2473 16 4.3 17 4.6 80 6.6 5.4 12.3 154.6 69.9 17 135 6.0 4.9 4.4
Opp Total 16 240 428 56.1 3125 17 4.0 17 4.0 7.3 6.3 13.0 195.3 75.9 37 283 6.1 5.2

Rushing & Receiving

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Rushing Receiving
No. Age Pos G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G YScm RRTD Fmb
34 Earl Campbell*+ 23 RB 15 14 302 1450 13 81 4.8 96.7 20.1 12 48 4.0 0 20 0.8 3.2 1498 13 9
45 Tim Wilson 24 FB 16 13 126 431 0 24 3.4 26.9 7.9 15 91 6.1 1 14 0.9 5.7 522 1 5
26 Rob Carpenter 23 11 0 82 348 5 20 4.2 31.6 7.5 17 150 8.8 0 37 1.5 13.6 498 5 0
47 Ronnie Coleman 27 RET 15 0 61 188 1 16 3.1 12.5 4.1 19 246 12.9 1 33 1.3 16.4 434 2 4
7 Dan Pastorini 29 QB 16 16 18 11 0 11 0.6 0.7 1.1 11 0 5
88 Rich Caster 30 wr 14 0 5 32 0 11 6.4 2.3 0.4 20 316 15.8 5 47 1.4 22.6 348 5 1
00 Ken Burrough 30 WR 16 0 3 -11 0 1 -3.7 -0.7 0.2 47 624 13.3 2 44 2.9 39.0 613 2 0
86 Mike Barber 25 TE 16 16 2 14 0 13 7.0 0.9 0.1 32 513 16.0 3 72 2.0 32.1 527 3 4
42 Robert Woods 23 3 0 2 4 0 5 2.0 1.3 0.7 6 96 16.0 2 80 2.0 32.0 100 2 1
82 Mike Renfro 23 WR 14 10 1 9 0 9 9.0 0.6 0.1 26 339 13.0 2 58 1.9 24.2 348 2 1
31 Brian Duncan 26 5 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.2 2 0 0.0 0 0 0.4 0.0 0 0 0
87 Conrad Rucker 24 13 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 2 38 19.0 0 22 0.2 2.9 38 0 0
84 Billy Johnson 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 10 10.0 0 10 0.2 2.0 10 0 0
29 Guido Merkens 23 12 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 6 6.0 0 6 0.1 0.5 6 0 3
73 Greg Sampson 28 LT 16 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 -4 -4.0 0 -4 0.1 -0.3 -4 0 0
Team Total 26.2 16 603 2476 19 81 4.1 154.8 37.7 201 2473 12.3 16 80 12.6 154.6 4949 35 35
Opp Total 16 556 2072 14 3.7 129.5 34.8 240 2842 11.8 17 15.0 177.6 4914 31 28

Kick & Punt Returns

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Age Pos G GS Ret Yds TD Lng Y/R Rt Yds TD Lng Y/Rt APYd
81 Johnnie Dirden 26 RET 16 0 32 780 0 60 24.4 780
47 Ronnie Coleman 27 RET 15 0 16 142 0 32 8.9 2 40 0 23 20.0 616
29 Guido Merkens 23 12 0 13 132 0 42 10.2 138
84 Billy Johnson 26 5 0 8 60 0 20 7.5 4 73 0 22 18.3 143
42 Robert Woods 23 3 0 9 82 0 14 9.1 3 59 0 24 19.7 241
28 Anthony Davis 26 2 0 4 98 0 31 24.5 98
39 Larry Poole 26 9 0 4 107 0 31 26.8 107
46 Robert Turner 24 4 0 4 69 0 23 17.3 69
31 Brian Duncan 26 5 0 2 38 0 21 19.0 38
45 Tim Wilson 24 FB 16 13 2 29 0 16 14.5 551
26 Rob Carpenter 23 11 0 1 11 0 11 11.0 509
Team Total 26.2 16 46 416 0 42 9.0 58 1304 0 60 22.5 6669
Opp Total 16 53 1 61 1360 0 22.3

Kicking & Punting

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Tot PAT Punting
No. Age Pos G GS FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FG% XPA XPM XP% Pnt Yds Lng Blck Y/P
18 Cliff Parsley 24 P 16 0 91 3539 59 1 38.9
16 Toni Fritsch 33 K 16 0 2 2 3 2 9 7 4 3 18 14 77.8% 32 31 96.9%
Team Total 26.2 16 2 2 3 2 9 7 4 3 18 14 77.8% 32 31 96.9% 91 3539 59 1 38.9
Opp Total 16 32 19 59.4% 34 33 97.1% 81 3459 42.7

Defense & Fumbles

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles
No. Age Pos G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty
19 Willie Alexander 29 LCB 16 16 5 51 0 29 0 1 0 0
86 Mike Barber 25 TE 16 16 4 0 0 0
65 Elvin Bethea* 32 RDE 16 16 0 1 0 0
54 Gregg Bingham 27 RILB 16 16 0 2 2 0
52 Robert Brazile*+ 25 ROLB 16 16 1 30 0 30
34 Earl Campbell*+ 23 RB 15 14 9 2 0 0
58 David Carter 25 16 0 0 2 0 0
88 Rich Caster 30 wr 14 0 1 0 0 0
47 Ronnie Coleman 27 RET 15 0 4 1 0 0
78 Curley Culp* 32 NT 16 0 0 1 4 0
20 Bill Currier 23 SS 14 11 1 8 0 8 0 2 0 0
81 Johnnie Dirden 26 RET 16 0 1 0 0 0
57 Steve Kiner 31 LILB 16 16 1 3 0 3 0 1 0 0
25 Kurt Knoff 24 16 0 1 6 0 6
29 Guido Merkens 23 12 0 3 0 0 0
14 Gifford Nielsen 24 2 0 1 0 0 0
7 Dan Pastorini 29 QB 16 16 5 1 -19 0
64 George Reihner 23 LG 9 0 0 1 0 0
37 Mike Reinfeldt 25 FS 16 16 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
82 Mike Renfro 23 WR 14 10 1 0 0 0
73 Greg Sampson 28 LT 16 0 0 2 0 0
27 Greg Stemrick 27 RCB 16 16 3 65 0 38
53 Art Stringer 24 7 0 1 20 0 20 0 1 0 0
51 Ted Thompson 25 16 0 0 2 0 0
59 Ted Washington 30 LOLB 16 0 0 2 0 0
38 C.L. Whittington 26 12 0 1 6 0 6
33 J.C. Wilson 22 16 2 2 10 0 10
45 Tim Wilson 24 FB 16 13 5 1 0 0
42 Robert Woods 23 3 0 1 1 0 0
77 Jim Young 28 LDE 16 16 0 1 0 0
Team Total 26.2 16 17 199 0 38 35 27 -13 0
Opp Total 16 17 28 11 2

Scoring Summary

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
No. Age Pos G GS RshTD RecTD PR TD KR TD FblTD IntTD OthTD AllTD 2PM XPM FGM Sfty Pts
34 Earl Campbell*+ 23 RB 15 14 13 13 78
16 Toni Fritsch 33 K 16 0 31 14 73
26 Rob Carpenter 23 11 0 5 5 30
88 Rich Caster 30 wr 14 0 5 5 30
86 Mike Barber 25 TE 16 16 3 3 18
00 Ken Burrough 30 WR 16 0 2 2 12
47 Ronnie Coleman 27 RET 15 0 1 1 2 12
82 Mike Renfro 23 WR 14 10 2 2 12
42 Robert Woods 23 3 0 2 2 12
45 Tim Wilson 24 FB 16 13 1 1 6
Team Total 26.2 16 19 16 35 31 14 283
Opp Total 16 14 17 1 33 19 2 298