1975 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Pittsburgh Steelers 43rd US football season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 43rd in the National Football League (NFL). The Steelers were defending champions for the first time in their forty-year history and repeated as league champions. The team was led by a dominating defense and a quick offense, and won Super Bowl X over the Dallas Cowboys, 21–17. The 1975 Steelers had one of the greatest defensive teams of all time. The team posted their best defensive numbers since 1946, and scored more points than any other Steelers team, later surpassed by two points in 2010.
| 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Art Rooney |
| General manager | Daniel M. Rooney |
| Head coach | Chuck Noll |
| Home stadium | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–2 |
| Division place | 1st AFC Central |
| Playoffs | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Colts) 28–10 Won AFC Championship (vs. Raiders) 16–10 Won Super Bowl X (vs. Cowboys) 21–17 |
| All-Pros | 7
|
| Pro Bowlers | 11 |
| Team MVP | Mel Blount |
| Team ROY | John Banaszak |
In 2007, the 1975 Steelers were ranked as the seventh greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary series America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, with team commentary from Lynn Swann, Dwight White, and Mike Wagner, and narrated by Bruce Willis. More than a decade later, the team ranked #10 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[1][2] The 1975 Steelers' +211 point differential stands as the best in franchise history. They won by at least 21 points six times, with their season superlative 37–0 shutout at San Diego in the opener on September 21.[3][4]
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Dave Brown * | CB | Michigan | played one season for Steelers; selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the expansion draft |
| 2 | 51 | Bob Barber | DE | Grambling | traded to Green Bay Packers, played 1976–1979 |
| 3 | 78 | Walter White | TE | Maryland | traded to Kansas City Chiefs, played 1975–1979 |
| 4 | 104 | Harold Evans | LB | Houston | |
| 5 | 130 | Brent Sexton | DB | Elon | |
| 6 | 156 | Marvin Crenshaw | T | Nebraska | |
| 7 | 180 | Wayne Mattingly | T | Colorado | |
| 8 | 208 | Al Humphrey | DE | Tulsa | |
| 9 | 234 | Bruce Reimer | RB | North Dakota State | |
| 10 | 260 | Archie Grey | WR | Wyoming | |
| 11 | 286 | Randy Little | TE | West Liberty | |
| 12 | 312 | Greg Murphy | DE | Penn State | |
| 13 | 337 | Bob Gaddis | WR | Mississippi Valley State | played mostly in CFL |
| 14 | 364 | Mike Collier | RB | Morgan State | played one season for Steelers |
| 15 | 390 | Marty Smith | DT | Louisville | |
| 16 | 415 | Miller Bassler | TE | Houston | |
| 17 | 442 | Stan Hegener | G | Nebraska | |
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Preseason
During the preseason, the Steelers acquired undrafted free-agent, John Banaszak. The defensive tackle from Eastern Michigan played in three games and later became the 1975 Team ROY (Rookie of the Year).
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 1 | College All-Stars | W 21–14 | Soldier Field |
| 2 | August 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 14–17 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 3 | August 17 | at Oakland Raiders | L 21–24 | Memorial Stadium |
| 4 | August 22 | at Baltimore Colts | W 31–10 | Memorial Stadium |
| 5 | August 30 | New York Giants | L 7–24 | Palmer Stadium |
| 6 | September 6 | New Orleans Saints | W 24–13 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 7 | September 13 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 16–17 | Texas Stadium |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 21 | at San Diego Chargers | W 37–0 | San Diego Stadium |
| 2 | September 28 | Buffalo Bills | L 21–30 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 3 | October 5 | at Cleveland Browns | W 42–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium |
| 4 | October 12 | Denver Broncos | W 20–9 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 5 | October 19 | Chicago Bears | W 34–3 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 6 | October 26 | at Green Bay Packers | W 16–13 | County Stadium |
| 7 | November 2 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–24 | Riverfront Stadium |
| 8 | November 9 | Houston Oilers | W 24–17 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 9 | November 16 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 28–3 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 10 | November 24 | at Houston Oilers | W 32–9 | Houston Astrodome |
| 11 | November 30 | at New York Jets | W 20–7 | Shea Stadium |
| 12 | December 7 | Cleveland Browns | W 31–17 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 13 | December 13 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 35–14 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 14 | December 20 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 3–10 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
Game summaries
Week 1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 10 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 37 |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: September 21
- Location: San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
- Game attendance: 35,853
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
| 1 | PIT | Roy Gerela 29-yard field goal | Steelers 3–0 | |
| 1 | PIT | Frank Lewis 40-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 10–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Gerry Mullins recovered fumble in end zone (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 17–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 25-yard field goal | Steelers 20–0 | |
| 3 | PIT | Roy Gerela 38-yard field goal | Steelers 23–0 | |
| 4 | PIT | John Stallworth 38-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 30–0 | |
| 4 | PIT | Mike Collier 7-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 37–0 | |
In the Week 1 game, the Steelers opened the season as defending champions, and crushed the Chargers, 37-0, in San Diego.[3][4] (1-0)
Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 0 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 30 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
- Date: September 28
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game attendance: 49,438
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
| 2 | BUF | John Leypoldt 37-yard field goal | Bills 3–0 | |
| 2 | BUF | Mike Kadish 26-yard fumble return (John Leypoldt kick) | Bills 10–0 | |
| 3 | BUF | Reuben Gant 7-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (John Leypoldt kick) | Bills 17–0 | |
| 3 | BUF | O. J. Simpson 88-yard run (kick failed) | Bills 23–0 | |
| 3 | PIT | Franco Harris 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Bills 23–7 | |
| 4 | BUF | Bob Chandler 28-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (John Leypoldt kick) | Bills 30–7 | |
| 4 | PIT | Randy Grossman 20-yard pass from Joe Gilliam (Roy Gerela kick) | Bills 30–14 | |
| 4 | PIT | Franco Harris 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Bills 30–21 | |
In Week 2, the Steelers, coming off a crushing defeat of the Chargers in Week 1, came to play revenge eager Buffalo in Pittsburgh. The Bills had been beaten the previous year by the Steelers in the playoffs, 32-14. Chuck Noll had warned the team the previous week that the team did not play very well, however, the players ignored him and were beaten by future Hall of Fame RB O.J. Simpson, 30-21. He rushed for 227 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. (1-1)
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 7 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 42 |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
- Date: October 5
- Location: Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Game attendance: 73,217
- Referee: Ben Dreith
| 1 | PIT | John Stallworth 3-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 7–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Franco Harris 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 14–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Mike Collier 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 21–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Lynn Swann 43-yard pass from Joe Gilliam (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 28–0 | |
| 4 | CLE | McKinnis 7-yard run (kick failed) | Steelers 28–6 | |
| 4 | PIT | Reggie Garrett 45-yard pass from Joe Gilliam (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 35–6 | |
| 4 | PIT | Reggie Harrison 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 42–6 | |
In this Week 3 matchup, the Steelers would be hosted by the Cleveland Browns. These two teams had already been established as one of the league's best rivalries by this time, and Joe Greene's infamous kicking of the Browns lineman Bob McKay only fueled the rivalry. The fight that broke out afterwards caught it on fire. Greene was later fined $500 while the Steelers beat the Browns, 42-6. (2-1) This was the first of eleven consecutive victories for the Steelers.
Week 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| • Steelers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
- Date: October 12
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 49,164
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C) (Mostly Cloudy)
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- Television network: NBC
| 1 | DEN | Jim Turner 22-yard field goal | Broncos 3–0 | |
| 1 | PIT | Lynn Swann 43-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 7–3 | |
| 2 | PIT | Lynn Swann 9-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 14–3 | |
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 39-yard field goal | Steelers 17–3 | |
| 2 | DEN | Jim Turner 39-yard field goal | Steelers 17–6 | |
| 2 | DEN | Jim Turner 36-yard field goal | Steelers 17–9 | |
| 4 | PIT | Roy Gerela 28-yard field goal | Steelers 20–9 | |
In Week 4, the Steelers beat the Denver Broncos in Three Rivers, 20-9. (3-1)
Week 5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Steelers | 0 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 34 |
- Date: October 19
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 47,579
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) (Cloudy)
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- Television network: CBS
| 2 | CHI | Bob Thomas 32-yard field goal | Bears 3–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 37-yard field goal | Tie 3–3 | |
| 2 | PIT | Reggie Harrison 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 10–3 | |
| 3 | PIT | Roy Gerela 18-yard field goal | Steelers 13–3 | |
| 3 | PIT | Franco Harris 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 20–3 | |
| 4 | PIT | Rocky Bleier 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 27–3 | |
| 4 | PIT | Terry Bradshaw 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 34–3 | |
In Week 5, the Steelers crushed Chicago, 34-3. Three weeks after the Steelers were beaten by Buffalo, the team was 4-1, and had allowed only 18 points during the last three weeks while scoring 96. (4-1)
Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: October 26
- Location: Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 52,258
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), Wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Referee: Fred Silva
- Television network: NBC
| 1 | PIT | Roy Gerela 19-yard field goal | Steelers 3–0 | |
| 2 | GB | John Brockington 2-yard run (kick blocked) | Packers 6–3 | |
| 2 | PIT | Mike Collier 94-yard kickoff return (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 10–6 | |
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 19-yard field goal | Steelers 13–6 | |
| 3 | GB | John Brockington 5-yard run (Joe Danelo kick) | Tie 13–13 | |
| 4 | PIT | Roy Gerela 29-yard field goal | Steelers 16–13 | |
In Week 5, the Packers would host the Steelers in Milwaukee, however, the tense battle ended in Pittsburgh's favor, 16-13. (5-1)
Week 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 0 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 30 |
| Bengals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 24 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Game attendance: 58,418
- Referee: Tommy Bell
| 1 | CIN | Dave Green 23-yard field goal | Bengals 3–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 42-yard field goal | Tie 3–3 | |
| 2 | PIT | Lynn Swann 37-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 10–3 | |
| 3 | PIT | Rocky Bleier 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 17–3 | |
| 3 | PIT | Lynn Swann 25-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed) | Steelers 23–3 | |
| 4 | CIN | Charlie Joiner 34-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Dave Green kick) | Steelers 23–10 | |
| 4 | CIN | Essex Johnson 3-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Dave Green kick) | Steelers 23–17 | |
| 4 | PIT | Terry Bradshaw 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 30–17 | |
| 4 | CIN | Chip Myers 22-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Dave Green kick) | Steelers 30–24 | |
In Week 7, the Steelers played the Bengals in Riverfront Stadium and won the game, 30–24. (6–1)
Week 8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| • Steelers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 49,460
- Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) (Sunny)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- Television network: NBC
| 1 | PIT | Roy Gerela 22-yard field goal | Steelers 3–0 | |
| 1 | PIT | Lynn Swann 8-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 10–0 | |
| 2 | HOU | Ronnie Coleman 3-yard run (Skip Butler kick) | Steelers 10–7 | |
| 2 | PIT | Larry Brown 6-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 17–7 | |
| 3 | HOU | Skip Butler 48-yard field goal | Steelers 17–10 | |
| 4 | HOU | Fred Willis 1-yard run (Skip Butler kick) | Tie 17–17 | |
| 4 | PIT | John Stallworth 21-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 24–17 | |
In this heated Week 8 battle, the Steelers would play host to the Houston Oilers. Pittsburgh sealed the win with a 4th quarter touchdown pass from #12 Terry Bradshaw to #82 John Stallworth that placed them at the top of the division. (7-1)
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Steelers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
- Date: November 16
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 48,803
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
- Referee: Bernie Ulman
- Television network: NBC
| 2 | KC | Jan Stenerud 32-yard field goal | Chiefs 3–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Lynn Swann 42-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 7–3 | |
| 3 | PIT | Reggie Harrison 10-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 14–3 | |
| 3 | PIT | John Stallworth 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 21–3 | |
| 4 | PIT | Mike Collier 21-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 28–3 | |
In Week 9, the Steelers beat the Chiefs, 28-3. (8-1)
Week 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 2 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 32 |
| Oilers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
- Date: Monday, November 24
- Location: Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Game start: 9:00 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 49,947
- Game weather: Dome (indoors)
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Alex Karras
| 1 | PIT | Safety, Dan Pastorini tackled by Dwight White in end zone | Steelers 2–0 | |
| 2 | HOU | Skip Butler 27-yard field goal | Oilers 3–2 | |
| 2 | PIT | Franco Harris 4-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 9–3 | |
| 2 | PIT | Lynn Swann 18-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed) | Steelers 15–3 | |
| 3 | PIT | Roy Gerela 30-yard field goal | Steelers 18–3 | |
| 4 | PIT | John Fuqua 13-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 25–3 | |
| 4 | HOU | Ken Burrough 59-yard pass from Dan Pastorini (kick failed) | Steelers 25–9 | |
| 4 | PIT | Franco Harris 13-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 32–9 | |
In Week 10, the Steelers defeated the Oilers again, this time in Houston 32-9, and secured a playoff spot. (9-1)
Week 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Jets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
- Date: November 30
- Location: Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York
- Game attendance: 52,618
- Referee: Cal Lepore
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 26-yard field goal | Steelers 3–0 | |
| 2 | PIT | Franco Harris 44-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 10–0 | |
| 3 | PIT | Frank Lewis 8-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 17–0 | |
| 3 | PIT | Roy Gerela 19-yard field goal | Steelers 20–0 | |
| 4 | NYJ | Jerome Barkum 6-yard pass from Joe Namath (Pat Leahy kick) | Steelers 20–7 | |
In Week 11, the Steelers beat the Jets 20-7. (10-1)
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| • Steelers | 7 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
- Date: December 7
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 47,962
- Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C) (Sunny), Wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- Television network: NBC
| 1 | CLE | Don Cockroft 26-yard field goal | Browns 3–0 | |
| 1 | PIT | Franco Harris 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 7–3 | |
| 2 | CLE | Greg Pruitt 1-yard run (Don Cockroft kick) | Browns 10–7 | |
| 2 | CLE | Willie Miller 17-yard fumble return (Don Cockroft kick) | Browns 17–7 | |
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 32-yard field goal | Browns 17–10 | |
| 3 | PIT | Lynn Swann 3-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Tie 17–17 | |
| 3 | PIT | Lynn Swann 18-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 24–17 | |
| 4 | PIT | Franco Harris 8-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 31–17 | |
In another defeat of Cleveland in Week 13, 31-17, the Steelers continued their winning streak to 10. (11-1)
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Steelers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
- Date: Saturday, December 13
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 12:30 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 48,889
- Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), (Sunny) wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- Television network: NBC
| 1 | PIT | Lynn Swann 3-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 7–0 | |
| 1 | PIT | J.T. Thomas 21-yard fumble return (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 14–0 | |
| 2 | CIN | Stan Fritts 1-yard run (Dave Green kick) | Steelers 14–7 | |
| 2 | PIT | Franco Harris 10-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 21–7 | |
| 3 | PIT | Terry Bradshaw 7-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 28–7 | |
| 4 | PIT | Franco Harris 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 35–7 | |
| 4 | CIN | Isaac Curtis 1-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Dave Green kick) | Steelers 35–14 | |
In Week 13, the Steelers finished the sweep of the division by beating the Bengals again, 35-14. (12-1)
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Rams | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: Saturday, December 20
- Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
- Game start: 9:00 p.m., EST
- Game attendance: 69,389
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
- Referee: Tommy Bell
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Alex Karras
| 1 | PIT | Roy Gerela 20-yard field goal | Steelers 3–0 | |
| 2 | LA | Tom Dempsey 26-yard field goal | Tie 3–3 | |
| 4 | LA | Ron Jaworski 5-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick) | Rams 10–3 | |
In the meaningless Week 14 game, the Steelers were beaten by Los Angeles, 10-3. (12-2)
Standings
| AFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers(1) | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 6–0 | 10–1 | 373 | 162 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals(4) | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 3–3 | 8–3 | 340 | 246 | W1 |
| Houston Oilers | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 2–4 | 7–4 | 293 | 226 | W3 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 1–5 | 2–8 | 218 | 372 | L1 |
Stats
Quarter-by-quarter
| Quarter-by-quarter | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | T | |
| Steelers | 63 | 118 | 81 | 111 | 0 | 373 |
| Opponents | 9 | 62 | 23 | 68 | 0 | 162 |
Postseason
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 27 | Baltimore Colts | W 28–10 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| AFC Championship | January 4 | Oakland Raiders | W 16–10 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Super Bowl X | January 18 | Dallas Cowboys | W 21–17 | Miami Orange Bowl |
Game summaries
Divisional
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| • Steelers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
- Date: Saturday, December 27
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 49,557
- Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C) (Light Snow)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson, John Brodie, and Don Meredith
| 1 | PIT | Franco Harris 8-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 7–0 | |
| 2 | BAL | Glenn Doughty 5-yard pass from Marty Domres (Toni Linhart kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| 3 | BAL | Toni Linhart 21-yard field goal | Colts 10–7 | |
| 3 | PIT | Rocky Bleier 7-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 14–10 | |
| 4 | PIT | Terry Bradshaw 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 21–10 | |
| 4 | PIT | Andy Russell 93-yard fumble return (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 28–10 | |
- Franco Harris gained 152 yds rushing, one yard less than the Baltimore Colts offense. Andy Russell set a record for longest playoff fumble return.
AFC Championship
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| • Steelers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
- Date: January 4
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 50,609
- Game weather: 16 °F (−9 °C) (Blowing Snow)
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis, and Don Meredith
| 2 | PIT | Roy Gerela 36-yard field goal | Steelers 3–0 | |
| 4 | PIT | Franco Harris 25-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) | Steelers 10–0 | |
| 4 | OAK | Mike Siani 14-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) | Steelers 10–7 | |
| 4 | PIT | John Stallworth 20-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed) | Steelers 16–7 | |
| 4 | OAK | George Blanda 41-yard field goal | Steelers 16–10 | |
Pittsburgh won the game, despite giving up eight turnovers.[9]
Super Bowl
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| • Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
- Date: January 18
- Location: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
- Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 80,187
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| 1 | 10:24 | DAL | Drew Pearson 29-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) | Cowboys 7–0 |
| 1 | 5:57 | PIT | Randy Grossman 7-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) | Tie 7–7 |
| 2 | 14:45 | DAL | Toni Fritsch 36-yard field goal | Cowboys 10–7 |
| 4 | 11:28 | PIT | Safety, Reggie Harrison blocked punt through end zone | Cowboys 10–9 |
| 4 | 8:41 | PIT | Roy Gerela 36-yard field goal | Steelers 12–10 |
| 4 | 6:37 | PIT | Roy Gerela 18-yard field goal | Steelers 15–10 |
| 4 | 3:06 | PIT | Lynn Swann 64-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed) | Steelers 21–10 |
| 4 | 1:48 | DAL | Percy Howard 34-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) | Steelers 21–17 |
- Lynn Swann earned the MVP award catching 4 receptions for 161 yards.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers won their 2nd of their 6 Super Bowl championships.
Awards, honors, and records
- Mel Blount, National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award[10]
- Lynn Swann, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player