| 1978 Houston Oilers season | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Bum Phillips |
| Home Field | Astrodome |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Place | 2nd AFC Central |
| Playoff Finish | Lost AFC Championship (Steelers) 24-17 |
| Timeline | |
| Previous Season | Next Season |
| 1977 | 1979 |
The 1978 season was the Houston Oilers 19th season and their ninth in the NFL. The franchise scored 283 points while the defense gave up 298 points. Their record of 10 wins and 6 losses resulted in a second place finish in the AFC Central Division. In their first appearance on Monday Night Football, the Oilers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–17. In their second appearance, the Oilers defeated the Miami Dolphins 35–30.
Season summary[]
The Oilers appeared twice on Monday Night Football. In their first appearance in six years, the Oilers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–17. In their second appearance, the Oilers defeated the Miami Dolphins 35–30. The Oilers number one draft pick, Earl Campbell, a 5-11, 232-pound ball-carrying dynamo from the University of Texas, joined the Houston Oilers as the first player taken in the 1978 National Football League Draft. The first player to earn All-Southwest Conference honors four years, Campbell was a consensus All-America and the Heisman Trophy winner in 1977. Campbell took the NFL by storm right from the very start. In 1978, he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player, All-Pro, and Rookie of the Year. He won the league rushing championship with 1,450 yards and was named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad. Possibly the highlight of the Oilers' fantastic season was the contest against the Miami Dolphins, in which Campbell racked up 199 yards, 81 of them coming on a TD run in the fouth quarter. [1]
Offseason[]
NFL Draft[]
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Earl Campbell | Running Back | Texas |
| 3 | 73 | Gifford Nielson | Quarterback | BYU |
| 4 | 98 | Mike Renfro | Wide receiver | TCU |
| 6 | 154 | Conrad Rucker | Tight end | Southern |
Regular season[]
On November 20, 1978, the Oilers took on the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. In order to boost team spirit, the Oilers gave each fan a blue and white pom-pon before the game. The sight of over 50,000 fans waving the pom-pons inspired the Oilers to a 35–30 victory, behind Campbell's 199 rushing yards. This would be the start of Luv Ya Blue.
Schedule[]
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 3 | @ Atlanta | Loss 14-20 | 0–1 | |
| 2 | Sept. 10 | @ Kansas City | Win 20-17 | 1–1 | |
| 3 | Sept. 17 | San Francisco | Win 20-19 | 2–1 | |
| 4 | Sept. 24 | Los Angeles | Loss 6-10 | 2–2 | |
| 5 | Oct. 1 | @ Cleveland | Win 16-13 | 3–2 | |
| 6 | Oct. 8 | @ Oakland | Loss 17-21 | 3–3 | |
| 7 | Oct. 15 | Buffalo | Win 17-10 | 4–3 | |
| 8 | Oct. 23 | @ Pittsburgh | Win 24-17 | 5–3 | |
| 9 | Oct. 29 | @ Cincinnati | Loss 13-28 | 5–4 | |
| 10 | Nov. 5 | Cleveland | Win 14-10 | 6–4 | |
| 11 | Nov. 12 | @ New England | Win 26-23 | 7–4 | |
| 12 | Nov. 20 | Miami | Win 35-30 | 8–4 | |
| 13 | Nov. 26 | Cincinnati | Win 17-10 | 9–4 | |
| 14 | Dec. 3 | Pittsburgh | Loss 3-13 | 9–5 | |
| 15 | Dec. 10 | @ New Orleans | Win 17-12 | 10–5 | |
| 16 | Dec. 17 | San Diego | Loss 24-45 | 10–6 |
Game Summaries[]
Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers[]
Week 3: San Francisco 49ers at Houston Oilers;– Game summary
|
Standings[]
Template:1978 AFC Central standings
Roster[]
| 1978 Houston Oilers roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Practice Squad Rookies in italics | |||
Playoffs[]
AFC Wild Card[]
Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
|
Quarterback Dan Pastorini led the Oilers to an upset victory by passing for 306 yards.
AFC Divisional Playoff[]
Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
|
Quarterback Dan Pastorini led the Oilers to a victory by throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Earl Campbell rushed for 118 yards and a score.
AFC Championship Game[]
Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Houston Oilers 5
|
On a wet, slick, and slippery field, the Steelers dominated the Oilers by forcing 9 turnovers and only allowing 5 points.
Awards and records[]
- Earl Campbell, NFL Rushing Leader, (1,450)
- Earl Campbell, All-Pro selection
- Earl Campbell, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Earl Campbell, PFWA NFL MVP
- Earl Campbell, NEA NFL MVP
- Earl Campbell, NFL Offensive Player of the Year
- Earl Campbell, UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year
- Earl Campbell, Pro Bowl selection 1978
Milestones[]
- Earl Campbell, 1st 1,000 yard rushing season
- Earl Campbell, 1st NFL Rushing Title
