NFL game summary for 12/31/1978:
Houston captured its second straight postseason road victory and advanced into its first AFC championship game with an impressive win over New England, the AFC Eastern champion. The Oilers would play the Steelers in Pittsburgh for the AFC title in a rematch of Central Division rivals. Houston quarterback Dan Pastorini completed 10 of 13 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns as the Oilers jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead. After a scoreless first period, Pastorini hit wide receiver Ken Burrough on a 71-yard touchdown pass and connected with tight end Mike Barber on 19 and 13-yard touchdown strikes. New England narrowed the gap to 24-14 early in the final quarter on two scoring passes -- a 24-yard option toss from running back Andy Johnson to wide receiver Harold Jackson and another 24-yarder from number two quarterback Tom Owen to tight end Russ Francis. Linebacker Gregg Bingham's 19-yard interception return to New England's 18-yard line with 5:07 remaining stopped the Patriots' rally and set up running back Earl Campbell's two-yard touchdown run three plays later.
Campbell, the 1978 NFL rushing champion with 1,450 yards in his rookie year, had 27 carries for 118 yards and Barber topped Houston's receivers with five catches for 83 yards. Owen (12 of 22 for 144 yards, one touchdown, one interception) replaced Steve Grogan late in the first half. The Oilers converted eight of nine third-down situations in rolling up their 21-0 halftime Iead. Safety Mike Reinfeldt set up two of those scores with interceptions.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Houston Oilers | OFFENSE | 154.8 (6) | 146.1 (18) | 300.9 (16) | 38 |
| DEFENSE | 129.5 (9) | 177.6 (24) | 307.1 (17) | 34 | |
 New England Patriots | OFFENSE | 197.8 (1) | 175.0 (9) | 372.8 (1) | 46 |
| DEFENSE | 115.8 (4) | 172.7 (21) | 288.4 (9) | 43 |
Line: Patriots by 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Oilers (12-6-0) | 0 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| New England Patriots (11-6-0) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
( 7- 0) HOU Ken Burrough 71 yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Toni Fritsch kick) (14- 0) HOU Mike Barber 19 yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Toni Fritsch kick) (21- 0) HOU Mike Barber 13 yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Toni Fritsch kick) (24- 0) HOU Toni Fritsch 30 yard field goal (24- 7) NE Harold Jackson 24 yard pass from Andy Johnson (David Posey kick) (24-14) NE Russ Francis 24 yard pass from Tom Owen (David Posey kick) (31-14) HOU Earl Campbell 2 yard rush (Toni Fritsch kick)
HOU NE
First Downs: 21 15
Rushes-yards: 54-174 20-83
Yards/rush: 3.2 4.2
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 12-15-200-1 16-35-206-3
Sacked-yards: 3-30 4-26
Net pass yards: 170 180
Net yards/pass: 9.4 4.6
Total net yards: 344 263
Total plays: 72 (75% run) 59 (33% run)
Yards/play: 4.8 4.5
Fumbles-lost: 1-0 2-0
Turnovers: 1 3
Penalties-yards: 2-25 8-92
Attendance: 60,881
Passing:HOU: Dan Pastorini, 12 of 15 for 200 yards and 3 TDs (1 int)
NE: Tom Owen, 12 of 22 for 144 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Steve Grogan, 3 of 12 for 38 yards (2 int); Andy Johnson, 1 of 1 for 24 yards and 1 TD
Rushing:
HOU: Earl Campbell, 27 for 118 yards and 1 TD; Tim Wilson, 14 for 26 yards; Ronnie Coleman, 7 for 19 yards; Larry Poole, 3 for 7 yards; Brian Duncan, 2 for 7 yards; Gifford Nielsen, 1 for -3 yards
NE: Sam Cunningham, 10 for 42 yards; Andy Johnson, 6 for 14 yards; Horace Ivory, 3 for 11 yards; Steve Grogan, 1 for 16 yards
Receiving:
HOU: Mike Barber, 5 for 83 yards and 2 TDs; Ken Burrough, 3 for 91 yards and 1 TD; Rich Caster, 2 for 12 yards; Earl Campbell, 1 for 10 yards; Robert Woods, 1 for 4 yards
NE: Russ Francis, 8 for 101 yards and 1 TD; Sam Cunningham, 3 for 28 yards; Stanley Morgan, 2 for 37 yards; Andy Johnson, 2 for 16 yards; Harold Jackson, 1 for 24 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
HOU: Johnnie Dirden, 2 for 37 yards; Robert Woods, 1 for 16 yards
NE: James McAlister, 3 for 68 yards; Raymond Clayborn, 2 for 68 yards
Punt returns:
HOU: Robert Woods, 2 for 7 yards; Kurt Knoff, 1 for -1 yards
NE: Stanley Morgan, 2 for 6 yards; Mike Haynes, 1 for 0 yards
Interceptions:
HOU: Mike Reinfeldt, 2 for 27 yards; Gregg Bingham, 1 for 19 yards
NE: Tim Fox, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
HOU: Cliff Parsley, 5 for 174 yards
NE: Jerrel Wilson, 4 for 173 yards
Field Goals:
HOU: Toni Fritsch, 1/1
NE: David Posey, 0/1