1979 Detroit Lions season
Encyclopedia
The 1979
Detroit Lions
season was the 50th season in franchise history. The Lions finished the season with the worst record in the NFL and would have the first pick overall in the 1980 NFL Draft.
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
season was the 50th season in franchise history. The Lions finished the season with the worst record in the NFL and would have the first pick overall in the 1980 NFL Draft.
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 10 | Keith Dorney Keith Dorney Keith Robert Dorney is a former offensive lineman for the National Football League's Detroit Lions.-High school and college career:... |
Tackle | Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions football The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the... |
| 2 | 37 | Ken Fantetti Ken Fantetti Ken Fantetti is a former American football linebacker who played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions from 1979 through 1985.... |
Linebacker | Wyoming Wyoming Cowboys football The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles... |
| 3 | 67 | Bo Robinson | Running Back | West Texas A&M |
| 4 | 88 | Ulysses Norris Ulysses Norris Ulysses Norris, Jr. is a former professional American football player who played tight end for seven seasons for the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.... |
Tight End | Georgia Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54... |
| 4 | 92 | Jon Brooks Jon Brooks Jon Brooks is an award winning Canadian folk singer-songwriter.- Discography :* No Mean City * Ours And The Shepherds * Moth Nor Rust * Delicate Cages... |
Linebacker | Clemson Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 5 | 131 | Walt Brown | Center | Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
| 8 | 213 | John Mohring | Linebacker | C.W. Post |
| 9 | 231 | Jeff Komlo Jeff Komlo William Jeffrey "Jeff" Komlo was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Detroit Lions, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He was born in Cheverly, Maryland.-Football career:... |
Quarterback | Delaware |
| 11 | 302 | Eddie Cole | Linebacker | Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... |
| 12 | 313 | Bob Forester | Center | Brown |
| 12 | 326 | Bryan Sweeney | Wide Receiver | Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1, 1979 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 31-16 | |
| 2 | September 9, 1979 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
L 27-24 | |
| 3 | September 16, 1979 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 31-10 | |
| 4 | September 23, 1979 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24-23 | |
| 5 | September 30, 1979 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 13-10 | |
| 6 | October 7, 1979 | at New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
L 24-17 | |
| 7 | October 14, 1979 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 24-16 | |
| 8 | October 21, 1979 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 17-7 | |
| 9 | October 28, 1979 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-17 | |
| 10 | November 4, 1979 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 35-7 | |
| 11 | November 11, 1979 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 16-14 | |
| 12 | November 18, 1979 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 14-7 | |
| 13 | November 22, 1979 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 20-0 | |
| 14 | December 2, 1979 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 44-7 | |
| 15 | December 9, 1979 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28-10 | |
| 16 | December 15, 1979 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 18-13 | |
Standings
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season saw the team make a dramatic leap from being a winless expansion franchise, perceived as mistake-prone and ridiculed by the rest of the league, to becoming a serious contender for the National Football League championship... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 273 | 237 |
| Chicago Bears 1979 Chicago Bears season The 1979 Chicago Bears season was their 60th regular season and 14th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 10-6 record under second year coach Neill Armstrong but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the opening round of the... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 306 | 249 |
| Minnesota Vikings 1979 Minnesota Vikings season 1979 was the 19th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses.-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 259 | 337 |
| Green Bay Packers 1979 Green Bay Packers season The 1979 Green Bay Packers season was their 59th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 5-11 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central division.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:... |
5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 246 | 316 |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 219 | 365 |
Roster
| Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen Defensive Linemen |
Linebackers Defensive Backs Special Teams |
Reserve Lists
Rookies in italics |
|||
Passing
Note: Comp = Completions; ATT = Attempts; TD = Touchdowns; INT = Interceptions| Player | Games | Comp | Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rating |
| Jeff Komlo Jeff Komlo William Jeffrey "Jeff" Komlo was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Detroit Lions, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He was born in Cheverly, Maryland.-Football career:... |
16 | 183 | 368 | 2238 | 11 | 23 | 52.8 |
| Scott Hunter | 13 | 18 | 41 | 321 | 1 | 1 | 69.3 |
| Joe Reed | 2 | 14 | 32 | 164 | 2 | 1 | 67.7 |
| Jerry Golsteyn | 1 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 |
| Tom Skladany | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28.6 |
| Larry Swider | 14 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 118.7 |
Rushing
Note: Att = Attempts; Yds = Yards; TD = Touchdowns| Player | Games | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
| Dexter Bussey | 16 | 144 | 625 | 1 | 38 |
| Rick Kane | 16 | 94 | 332 | 4 | 26 |
| Bo Robinson | 14 | 87 | 302 | 2 | 29 |
| Horace King | 16 | 39 | 160 | 1 | 23 |
| Jeff Komlo | 16 | 30 | 107 | 2 | 16 |
| Lawrence Gaines | 16 | 23 | 55 | 0 | 6 |
| Freddie Scott | 14 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 18 |
| Leonard Thompson | 15 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 16 |
| Ken Callicut | 16 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| Scott Hunter | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Joe Reed | 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| David Hill | 16 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Gene A. Washington | 16 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Luther Blue | 9 | 1 | -8 | 0 | |
| Jerry Golsteyn | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed O'Neil | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Larry Swider | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
Note: Rec = Receptions; Yds = Yards; Avg = Average Yards per Reception; TD = Touchdowns| Player | Games | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
| Freddie Scott | 14 | 62 | 929 | 15.0 | 5 | 50 |
| David Hill | 16 | 47 | 569 | 12.1 | 3 | 40 |
| Leonard Thompson | 15 | 24 | 451 | 18.8 | 2 | 82 |
| Horace King | 16 | 18 | 150 | 8.3 | 0 | 30 |
| Dexter Bussey | 16 | 15 | 102 | 6.8 | 0 | 22 |
| Gene A. Washington | 16 | 14 | 192 | 13.7 | 1 | 29 |
| Bo Robinson | 14 | 14 | 118 | 8.4 | 0 | 14 |
| Rick Kane | 16 | 9 | 104 | 11.6 | 1 | 36 |
| Luther Blue | 9 | 8 | 102 | 12.8 | 1 | 26 |
| Ulysses Norris | 16 | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 1 | 34 |
| Ken Callicutt | 16 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Russ Bolinger | 16 | 1 | ||||
| -1.0 | 0 | |||||