1979 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1979 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's fourth season in the National Football League. The Seahawks had a winning record for the second consecutive year, matching their 9–7 record from 1978.
Starting off the season with a 1–4 record, the Seahawks rallied to finish 9–7. Season highlights included a sweep of the Oakland Raiders for the second straight year, and winning both of their Monday Night Football contests in Atlanta and at home against the New York Jets, where Jim Zorn completed 13 passes in a row in a 30–7 victory. The team also enjoyed their first victory over the Denver Broncos 28–23 on a 43-yard TD pass from Zorn to Largent in the final minutes.
Season lowlights included a 37–34 loss in Denver, after leading 34–10 midway through the 3rd quarter. The Los Angeles Rams shut out the Seattle Seahawks 24–0, holding the Seahawks to -7 yards total offense, and only one first down. The team lost twice to the Kansas City Chiefs, including a 37–21 defeat in week 14 that eliminated Seattle from playoff contention. The team also lost running back David Sims, who led the AFC in TDs in 1978, to a career-ending injury.
The 1979 season was the franchise's last winning season until 1983 when new coach Chuck Knox led the Seahawks to their first playoff berth and Championship game appearance.
1979 NFL draft
Personnel
Staff
Final roster
- Starters in bold.
- Denotes players that were selected for the 1980 Pro Bowl.
Schedule
Preseason
Regular season
Divisional matchups have the AFC West playing the NFC West.| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 2 | San Diego Chargers | L 16–33 | 0–1 | Kingdome | |
| 2 | September 9 | at Miami Dolphins | L 10–19 | 0–2 | Orange Bowl | |
| 3 | September 16 | Oakland Raiders | W 27–10 | 1–2 | Kingdome | |
| 4 | September 23 | at Denver Broncos | L 34–37 | 1–3 | Mile High Stadium | |
| 5 | September 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 6–24 | 1–4 | Kingdome | |
| 6 | October 7 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 35–24 | 2–4 | Candlestick Park | |
| 7 | October 14 | at San Diego Chargers | L 10–20 | 2–5 | San Diego Stadium | |
| 8 | October 21 | Houston Oilers | W 34–14 | 3–5 | Kingdome | |
| 9 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 31–28 | 4–5 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | ||
| 10 | November 4 | Los Angeles Rams | L 0–24 | 4–6 | Kingdome | |
| 11 | November 11 | at Cleveland Browns | W 29–24 | 5–6 | Cleveland Stadium | |
| 12 | November 18 | New Orleans Saints | W 38–24 | 6–6 | Kingdome | |
| 13 | New York Jets | W 30–7 | 7–6 | Kingdome | ||
| 14 | December 2 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 21–37 | 7–7 | Arrowhead Stadium | |
| 15 | Denver Broncos | W 28–23 | 8–7 | Kingdome | ||
| 16 | December 16 | at Oakland Raiders | W 29–24 | 9–7 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
Standings
Game summaries
For the second straight year, the Seahawks missed the playoffs by one game. Season highlights included sweeping the Oakland Raiders for the 2nd straight year, and defeating the Denver Broncos for the 1st time in team history in a comeback thriller 28–23 at the Kingdome, and winning the team's first appearance on MNF over the Atlanta Falcons, 31–28. The team started out 3–5, and had a 6–2 finish. A 37–21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in week 14 knocked them out of playoff contention, but rebounded to end their season repeating 1978 at 9–7.Preseason
Week P1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week P2: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week P3: at Los Angeles Rams
Week P4: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Regular Season
Week 1: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 4: at Denver Broncos
Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 6: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 7: at San Diego Chargers
Week 8: vs. Houston Oilers
Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons
Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Rams
With -7 total yards and just one first down, this is the fewest yards the Seahawks have ever gained in one match. It is the most recent – and only since 1970 – occasion when an NFL team has gained just one first down for an entire match, although the Denver Broncos did not gain a single first down in a 1966 game with the Houston Oilers.Week 11: at Cleveland Browns
Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 13: vs. New York Jets
Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 15: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 16: at Oakland Raiders
Awards and records
- Steve Largent, NFL Leader in Receiving Yards,