The September 2, 1979 season-opening game at the Louisiana
Superdome featured fierce rivals who had a recent history of down-to-the-wire
contests. The New Orleans Saints, coached by Dick Nolan, were coming off a 7-9
season in ’78 but seemed to be on the upswing. They had a good nucleus on
offense of ninth-year veteran QB Archie Manning, RB Chuck Muncie, TE Henry
Childs, and promising second-season WR Wes Chandler. In the first round of the
’79 draft, they had made the surprising decision to add Russell Erxleben from Texas , a celebrated
all-purpose kicker.
The visiting Atlanta Falcons had reached the playoffs for
the first time in 1978 and Head Coach Leeman Bennett’s team was looking to
build upon that performance. QB Steve Bartkowski went from first-round bust to rising
star in the course of the season. The scrappy defense ranked fifth in the NFL.
The running game had been a cause of concern, however, and three backs were
taken in the draft, including William Andrews from Auburn (pictured above) , who would have an immediate effect.
The Falcons defeated New Orleans
in both of the previous year’s meetings, and in the final seconds in each
instance.
The Saints opened the scoring in the first quarter with an
85-yard drive that culminated in Manning tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to
WR Ike Harris. It was 7-0 after one period of play, but the second quarter saw
both teams combine for a total of 41 points.
Russell Erxleben started off the second half scoring early
in the third quarter with a 37-yard field goal. Again Atlanta closed to four points as Bartkowski
threw to Francis for a 21-yard touchdown, and with the successful extra point
the score was 31-27 going into the final period.
William Andrews put Atlanta
in the lead with his first pro touchdown on a four-yard run. The Falcons then appeared
set to clinch the game with less than five minutes remaining, but a promising
drive ended when Bartkowski fumbled after being hit from the blind side by DE
Joe Campbell, giving the Saints the ball on their own 18 yard line. New Orleans proceeded to
drive 66 yards and, with 44 seconds left in regulation, Erxleben kicked a
38-yard field goal to tie the score. Atlanta
still had a shot in regulation, but Mazzetti missed a field goal try from 52
yards out and the game went into overtime.
The contest went eight minutes into the extra period with
neither team able to score. In the climactic play of the game, the Saints were
lined up on fourth-and-six at their 32 for a punt. A bad snap by C John Watson
sailed some four feet over Erxleben’s head, and the rookie kicker had to give
chase. The ball rolled inside the five toward the goal line, where Erxleben
grabbed it and tried to toss a two-handed pass to avoid a possible safety.
Rookie RB James Mayberry, who was bearing down fast on Erxleben, pulled the
throw out of the air and ran six yards untouched into the end zone for the
improbable winning touchdown. Atlanta
came away with yet another thrilling win over the Saints by a score of 40-34.
In a game that featured plenty of offense on both sides, the
Falcons had the most total yards (552 to 512) and first downs (35 to 23). New Orleans was the more proficient through the air (324
to 295) but Atlanta
generated 257 rushing yards to 188 for the Saints. Each club turned the ball
over two times.
William Andrews had an impressive debut, rushing for 167
yards on 30 carries that included the one TD. Steve Bartkowski completed 22 of
38 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Alfred
Jenkins had 7 catches for 131 yards and one of the TDs and Wallace Francis
added 5 receptions for 65 yards and the other two scores.
For the Saints, Chuck Muncie (pictured at right) set a club record with 161
yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns while also passing for another. Also
lost in the defeat was a big day for Wes Chandler, who gained 205 yards on 6
catches that included a TD. Archie Manning was successful on 14 of his 29
throws for 284 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
“I just heard the crowd and I knew something was wrong,”
said James Mayberry of his special teams play that won the contest. “I saw the
ball back there and I just took off after it…I just ran back there expecting to
tackle him (Erxleben). He just threw the ball and I had nothing to do but
score.”
The 40 points were easily the most scored in any game by the
Falcons in 1979, and it ended up being a disappointing year in which they dropped
to 6-10 and placed third in the NFC West. Ahead of them was New
Orleans , which won the rematch between the rivals in Atlanta and, after a slow
start, posted an 8-8 record – the first non-losing tally in the franchise’s
history.
William Andrews continued to be a bright spot for the
Falcons as he rushed for 1023 yards on 239 carries (4.3 avg.) and caught 39
passes for 309 more yards. The pass receiving tandem of Wallace Francis (74
catches, 1013 yards, 8 TDs) and Alfred Jenkins (50 catches, 858 yards, 3 TDs)
remained productive. James Mayberry saw limited action as a backup running back
and gained 193 yards while scoring one other TD during the season.
Chuck Muncie went on to a Pro Bowl year, gaining 1198
rushing yards while averaging five yards per carry and scoring 11 touchdowns
and catching 40 passes. Wes Chandler also earned Pro Bowl recognition with his
65 pass receptions for 1069 yards (16.4 avg.) and six TDs.
It was not so good for Russell Erxleben, however. He was
injured during workouts the week following the Atlanta
game and did not play again in ’79 – FB Tony Galbreath handled the placekicking
for one week and Chandler
the punting for two before 35-year-old PK Garo Yepremian, released by the
Dolphins late in the preseason, and P Rick Partridge were signed. Erxleben did
return in 1980 and lasted four years with the Saints, almost exclusively as a
punter (he came back to punt once for the Lions in ’87). He was never able to
live up to his 11th overall draft selection in 1979.
