The Steelers were believed by many to be the best team Pittsburgh ever put on the field. Few can argue with the absolute dominance they displayed over the final nine games of the season.
After stumbling out of the gate at and losing Terry Bradshaw to a cheap shot from Cleveland 's Joe "Turkey" Jones, the Steelers turned to their rushing attack and a ferocious defense to turn the season around. They led the league by churning out yards per game on the ground with both Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier going for more than 1, yards. Over the remaining nine games, the defense shut out five opponents and allowed 28 points in the other four games combined.
Opposing teams struggled to get first downs and sustaining drives was nearly impossible. It was arguably the most dominant stretch of defense ever played by any team in NFL history.
The Steelers rolled into the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak and looking every bit unstoppable. Their opponents in the divisional playoff, the brash, young Baltimore Colts were not impressed.
The Colts maintained that the Steelers had not played anyone and certainly had not faced a team with an offense like their top-ranked unit. The victory came at a heavy price. Both Harris and Bleier were lost to injuries. That left Pittsburgh with only one healthy running back for its showdown with the rugged Oakland Raiders. Coach Chuck Noll and his staff were forced to install a whole new offense, a one-back attack featuring four receiver sets, for the AFC Championship Game and they would have one week to learn it.
Understandably, this put the Steelers at a huge disadvantage. Right from the start, the Steelers offense appeared out of sync, sometimes confused. The Raiders took full advantage and jumped to a lead. Terry Bradshaw played valiantly, and with some clutch third-down passing in the second quarter he lead the Steelers on a long touchdown drive that cut the deficit to But the Raiders were able to take advantage of a defensive holding penalty on the Steelers on what would have been a third down incompletion that set them up with a first down inside the Steelers' 5-yard line just before the half.
Ken Stabler's touchdown pass on the next play made the halftime score instead of In the third quarter, the Steelers' offense continued to struggle and the vaunted Steel Curtain defense began to wear down from constantly being on the field. Oakland's long touchdown drive against a tired Steelers defense made the score and effectively put this game out of reach.
Afterwards, Joe Greene was adamant about the fact the Steelers would have won this game had they been at full strength. Jack Lambert wanted to play the Raiders again the following day. These Steelers had three-peat written all over them. John Madden and company enjoyed their victory tremendously, as they should have.
There were holdouts, lawsuits and trade requests. Still, the Steelers were able to get by on their considerable talent most weeks and did win the division and push eventual AFC champion Denver to the limit in the playoffs before bowing out. After an start, the Steelers lost three in a row and their hold on the division title.
They rallied to secure a wild card spot but lost on the road in Oakland. Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne retired one season too soon as it turned out. His presence that season would surely have been worth a couple of wins and a shot at the title. Enjoy our content? It was a minor scuffle that sent a major message: the Steelers were done being pushed around.
The Steelers blocked a punt through the back of the Cowboys' end zone in the fourth quarter for a safety, then took the ensuing free kick and marched down the field for a field goal.
Steelers safety Mike Wagner picked off Staubach on the next Cowboys possession, and again Gerela put the ball through the uprights for three points. When the clock ran out, the Steelers were ahead 21— Staubach's last-minute heroics nearly earned him two more rings.
They had been dubbed "America's Team" and were primed for their second straight Super Bowl appearance and another showdown with the Steelers. Staubach and the Doomsday Defense were back, but the Cowboys had added some major offensive weapons since the season. Running back Tony Dorsett had won a Heisman Trophy at Pitt in , and by his second year in the NFL, he had established himself as one of the best backs in the league.
He was fast, elusive, and tougher than his size would suggest. By , Staubach had another skilled receiver to complement Drew Pearson as well: Tony Hill hauled in 46 passes during the regular season and made the Pro Bowl. While some of the names remained, this was not the same Cowboys team the Steelers had defeated in Super Bowl X. Fortunately, Pittsburgh had evolved as well. By , the Steelers had taken a huge step forward. Bradshaw, once a game manager who performed his best in the biggest games, had morphed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
He threw for over 2, yards and 28 touchdowns during the regular season. Franco Harris still dominated on the ground, and the Steel Curtain defense ranked first in the NFL for points allowed. Bradshaw and Staubach both fired touchdown passes in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Cowboys linebacker Mike Hegman scooped up a Bradshaw fumble and ran it back 37 yards for a touchdown.
Bradshaw responded on the next series by hitting John Stallworth with a yard scoring bomb. The teams staggered into the locker rooms at halftime with the Steelers ahead 21— The pace slowed in the third quarter as the teams traded punts. The Cowboys got on the board once more with a yard Rafael Septien field goal. The fourth quarter started with a successful Steelers drive that chewed up the clock and culminated in a Franco Harris touchdown run.
Dallas fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Bradshaw hit Swann on the next play for an yard touchdown pass. The Steelers had scored two touchdowns in less than a minute and led the Cowboys 35—17 with left in the game. But the Cowboys came storming back. Staubach marched his team downfield and scored with a seven-yard pass to tight end Billy Joe DuPree. Dallas recovered the onside kick, and again Staubach willed his team down the field as the clock ticked.
Wide receiver Butch Johnson hauled in a touchdown pass with 22 seconds left in the game. Another onside kick attempt failed, and the Steelers eked out one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played with a 35—31 win. Today, many Steelers fans regard this game as the greatest win in team history. The Rams of the s were somewhat of a low-key powerhouse.
Only the dominance of the Cowboys and Vikings kept them from reaching the big game more often. But reach the big game they did in After finishing 9—7 in the regular season, they defeated the Cowboys and the Buccaneers in the playoffs and earned the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Rams starting quarterback Pat Haden led the team to a 5—5 record before breaking his finger. Backup Vince Ferragamo stepped in and posted a 4—1 record, good enough to get Los Angeles into the playoffs.
The Steelers were in their prime in Though the team had struggled with injuries during the regular season, by the time the Super Bowl kicked off, all hands were on deck. Bradshaw had thrown for an incredible 3, yards during the regular season. Harris had rushed for 1, yards and 11 touchdowns. Receiver John Stallworth had hauled in 70 catches for over 1, yards and made his first All-Pro team. A veteran defense, packed with future Steelers Hall of Famers, stood ready to demolish an underdog Rams offense.
Most football pundits and oddsmakers agreed: By the time halftime came around, the Steelers were thought to be shoo-ins for their fourth Super Bowl ring. Pittsburgh countered with a Franco Harris touchdown dive in the second quarter. The Rams put together a field-goal drive, forced a Steelers punt, and then plodded down the field for one more field goal.
At halftime, the Rams led the Steelers 13— Bradshaw connected with Swann on a yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter to put Pittsburgh ahead. Undaunted, the Rams pulled a trick out of their helmets on the next possession when halfback Lawrence McCutcheon threw to wide receiver Ron Smith for a touchdown. Frank Corral missed the extra point, and the third quarter ended with the score 19—17, Rams.
One could only imagine the discussions on the Pittsburgh sidelines as the fourth quarter began. Whatever was said, the Steelers responded. Bradshaw connected with Stallworth on a yard scoring pass. Later in the quarter, linebacker Jack Lambert intercepted Ferragamo as Los Angeles moved the ball into Pittsburgh territory. The Steelers closed out the game by plowing over an exhausted Rams defense with running backs Harris, Rocky Bleier, and Sydney Thornton.
Harris plunged into the end zone for the final score of the game with left on the clock. Though the Rams had proven that they were worthy opponents, the Steelers had won their fourth Super Bowl in six years with a final score of 31— Philip G. They dominated in the regular season with a 13—3 record and then defeated Washington and Carolina in the playoffs.
The Seahawks were a fitting opponent for the underdog Steelers who had made the playoffs as a wild-card team and reached the Super Bowl by defeating the Colts, Broncos, and Bengals, arguably the three best teams in the AFC.
Alexander had rushed for an impressive 1, yards and 27 touchdowns in the regular season behind the bone-crushing blocking of Strong and a powerful Seattle offensive line. They would face a Pittsburgh defense that was ranked third in the NFL against the run and fourth in points against. Today, Ben Roethlisberger is known as one of the top quarterbacks in Steelers history, but back in , he was a mistake-prone, second-year quarterback who needed a lot of support from a strong Steelers rushing attack and a stingy defense.
The running game and the defense both needed to step up as they had in the AFC playoffs to give Pittsburgh a shot at winning the Super Bowl. Players and coaches celebrated with fans and the Lombardi Trophy. Green Bay Packers fans turned out in droves to welcome their Super Bowl championship football team back to town on Monday.
In a meeting of two of the most successful franchises in league history, Green Bay and Pittsburgh squared off for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Due to snow and ice and continuing cold temperatures in the area this week, the Packers again practiced at the indoor facility at Highland Park High School in Dallas on Thursday.
0コメント