1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season

1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Owner	Art Rooney
General manager	Dick Haley
Head coach	Chuck Noll
Home field	Three Rivers Stadium
Local radio	KDKA
Results
Record	14–2
Division place	1st AFC Central
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Broncos) 33–10 Won AFC Championship (vs. Oilers) 34–5 Won Super Bowl XIII (vs. Cowboys) 35–31
Pro Bowlers	10 CB Mel Blount QB Terry Bradshaw DT Joe Greene DE L. C. Greenwood LB Jack Ham RB Franco Harris LB Jack Lambert S Donnie Shell WR John Stallworth C Mike Webster
AP All-Pros	5 Terry Bradshaw (1st team) Jack Ham (1st team) Lynn Swann (1st team) Mike Webster (1st team) Mel Blount (2nd team)
Team MVP	Terry Bradshaw
←  1977 Steelers seasons 1979  →

The 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL). The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XIII to become the first franchise in the NFL to win three Super Bowl titles. ^[1] The championship run was led by quarterback Terry Bradshaw and the team's vaunted Steel Curtain defense. This team is regarded as one of the greatest defensive teams of all time and one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Bradshaw put together the best year of his career to that point, becoming only the second Steeler to win the NFL MVP award. Ten Steelers players were named to the Pro Bowl team, and four were judged as first-team All-Pros by the AP. Head coach Chuck Noll returned for his tenth season—moving him ahead of Walt Kiesling as the longest tenured head coach in the team's history to that point. ^[2]

The Steelers entered the season as defending champions of the AFC Central Division, coming off a 9–5 record in 1977. ^[3] Their two losses were by a combined 10 points. Despite winning their division, the previous season was a difficult one for the team (both on and off the field) which culminated in a division round playoff loss to the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve.

The team began the 1978 season with seven straight victories, a franchise-best start to a season that stood for 42 years, before losing to the Houston Oilers in prime time on Monday Night Football. They finished the season with a league-best 14–2 record, including a 5-game winning streak to close the season. This record assured them they would play at home throughout the 1978 playoffs. It was also the best record compiled in the team's history (since surpassed only by a 15–1 mark in 2004). ^[4]

The 1978 Steelers team was rated the thirty-fifth best team in the history of the NFL (to September 2015) by FiveThirtyEight, a polling aggregation and statistical service. The rating is based upon FiveThirtyEight's proprietary Elo rating system algorithm. Only two Steelers teams were rated higher: the 1975 team at twelfth and the 2005 team one slot ahead of the 1978 team at thirty-fourth. ^[5]

In 2007, the 1978 Steelers were ranked as the 3rd greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary series America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions , with team commentary from Rocky Bleier, Mel Blount, Randy Grossman and Joe Greene, and narrated by Bruce Willis. They also were #3 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary. ^{[6] [7]} For that, commentary was provided by actor Jon Hamm, radio personality Jon Hein, and players Tony Dungy, Franco Harris, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Lynn Swann.

Personnel

Staff

1978 Pittsburgh Steelers staff

Front office Chairman of the board – Arthur J. Rooney President – Daniel M. Rooney Vice president – John R. McGinley Vice president – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr. Public relations director – Ed Kiely Traveling secretary – James A. Boston Publicity director – Joe Gordon Controller – Dennis P. Thimons Assistant controller – James S. Maund Director of ticket sales – Geraldine Glenn Director of player personnel – Dick Haley Assistant director of player personnel – Bill Nunn Director of professional scouting – V. Timothy Rooney Talent scout – West Coast – Bob Schmitz Head coaches Head coach – Chuck Noll Offensive coaches Offensive line – Rollie Dotsch Offensive backfield – Dick Hoak Receivers – Tom Moore

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – George Perles Defensive assistant – Dick Walker Linebackers & Secondary – Woody Widenhofer Strength and conditioning Strength – Louis Riecke Flexibility – Paul Uram Physician, M.D. – Dr. David S. Huber Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates Physician, orthopedic – Dr. Paul B. Steele, Jr. Dentist – Dr. George P. Boucek Trainer – Ralph Berlin Assistant trainer – Robert Milie Equipment manager – Anthony Parisi Field manager – Jack Hart Film director – Bob McCartney Photographer – Harry Homa [8]

Roster

1978 Pittsburgh Steelers final roster

	Quarterbacks 12 Terry Bradshaw 15 Mike Kruczek 18 Cliff Stoudt Running backs 20 Rocky Bleier 35 Jack Deloplaine 32 Franco Harris 28 Alvin Maxson 39 Rick Moser 38 Sidney Thornton Wide receivers 83 Theo Bell PR 86 Jim Smith 82 John Stallworth 88 Lynn Swann Tight ends 89 Bennie Cunningham 84 Randy Grossman 87 Jim Mandich		Offensive linemen 79 Larry Brown T 77 Steve Courson G 57 Sam Davis G 55 Jon Kolb T 72 Gerry Mullins G/T 66 Ted Petersen T/C 74 Ray Pinney T 52 Mike Webster C Defensive linemen 69 Fred Anderson DE 76 John Banaszak DE 65 Tom Beasley DT 67 Gary Dunn DT 64 Steve Furness DT 75 Joe Greene DT 68 L. C. Greenwood DE 78 Dwight White DE		Linebackers 56 Robin Cole OLB 59 Jack Ham OLB 58 Jack Lambert MLB 51 Loren Toews OLB 53 Dennis Winston MLB Defensive backs 30 Larry Anderson DB/KR 47 Mel Blount CB 21 Tony Dungy S 36 Wentford Gaines DB 29 Ron Johnson CB 25 Ray Oldham DB 31 Donnie Shell SS 41 Nat Terry DB 23 Mike Wagner FS Special teams 52 Mike Webster LS 10 Roy Gerela K  5 Craig Colquitt P/H		Reserve lists 24 J. T. Thomas CB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 40 Randy Reutershan KR (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 62 Willie Fry DE/DT (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 63 Thom Dornbrook C/G (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad [8] [9] [10] Rookies in italics 49 active, 3 inactive, 0 practice squad

Offseason

League rule changes

Further information: 1978 NFL season § Major rule changes

The NFL instituted several major changes for the 1978 season. Chief among these were the extension of the regular season and playoff expansion. The regular season was extended from 14 to 16 games, with an offsetting decrease in the number of preseason games from six to four. Two playoff slots were added expanding the field from eight teams to ten, with each conference adding a second wild card entrant. ^[11]

Additionally, several rules were changed to help open up the offense, particularly the passing game. ^[12] One rule which prohibited defenders from contacting receivers more than five yards from the line of scrimmage, came to be known as the "Mel Blount rule" after the Steelers notably physical cornerback. ^[13] Another rule allowed offensive linemen to use their hands in blocking. ^[14]

The rule changes upset coach Noll, who years later said of the teams who supported the changes,

They ganged up on us the way they legislated the rules. People were trying to win a championship through legislation. I don't think you do that. ... But whatever the rules are, you have to adjust to them and play with them. ... When they changed the rules Terry (Bradshaw) took advantage and his passing game blossomed. And all that happened to Mel (Blount) is that he got more interceptions. ^[15]

In the end, though, the Steelers were one of the quickest teams to adjust to the new rules; the team's offense benefited more from the changes than the defense was hampered by them. The rule changes catalyzed the team's transition from a power running game to more of an air attack. ^[16]

Coaching staff changes

The Steelers coaching staff went through a number of changes after the 1977 season. Principle among these was the loss of Chuck Noll's top assistant, Bud Carson, who had served as the team's defensive coordinator since 1973. ^[17] Carson interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina., ^[18] and was also a candidate for the St. Louis Cardinals top coaching job. When he didn't land either of those positions he decided to take a job as the defensive backs coach of the Los Angeles Rams. ^[17] Defensive line coach George Perles added the defensive coordinator role to his responsibility with the line. ^[19]

Offensive line coach Dan Radakovich, who had served in that capacity with the Steelers since 1974, resigned to take a position as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. ^{[20] [21]} Radakovich was credited with turning the Pittsburgh Steelers line into one of the league's best. ^[22] Rollie Dotsch was hired to replace Radakovich. Dotsch had recently been let go along with the rest of the Detroit Lions coaching staff. ^[23] He had coached the Lions linebackers the previous season. ^[24]

In the team's final coaching change of the offseason, Dick Walker was hired to coach the defensive backs. ^[25] Walker had previously served in a similar role with the New England Patriots. ^[19]

Roster moves

Several players who played significant roles in the Steelers recent success would not return for 1978. Among the departed were:

• defensive tackle Ernie Holmes (traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 10th and 11th round picks in the 1978 draft) ^[26]
• guard Jim Clack (traded to the New York Giants along with wide receiver Ernie Pough in exchange for offensive lineman John Hicks) ^[27]
• wide receiver Frank Lewis (traded to the Buffalo Bills for tight end Paul Seymour) ^[28]
• running back Reggie Harrison (cut) ^[29]
• safety Jimmy Allen (traded to the Detroit Lions for a fourth-round selection in the 1979 draft) ^{[30] [31]}
• safety Glen Edwards (traded to the San Diego Chargers for a 1979 6th rounder). ^{[31] [32]}

Several of these moves were made in the name of eliminating "distractions". Ernie Holmes, Jimmy Allen and Glen Edwards had all had contract disputes which saw them leave the team for brief periods during the previous season. ^[33] Holmes, Edwards and Frank Lewis had all lost their starting jobs. ^[34] None of the moves brought the Steelers a player who had a significant impact on the team in 1978.

The Frank Lewis trade was a complete flop for the Steelers. Paul Seymour failed his physical when the Steelers learned he'd had surgery on both arches within the past five months. His rehabilitation from the surgery was not complete and he was unable to run. ^[35] Seymour was returned to the Bills who released him, and the two teams failed to work out any other compensation for Lewis. ^[28] Lewis was the Steelers first round draft choice in 1971, but was unlikely to have made the Steelers roster anyway due to the ascendancy of John Stallworth opposite Lynn Swann and the training camp performance of the younger Jim Smith and Randy Reutershan. ^{[34] [36]} Lewis did have some football left in him; he made the 1982 Pro Bowl for the Bills. ^[37]

The Jim Clack trade also netted the Steelers nothing when John Hicks was injured in the pre-season and placed on the injured reserve list. Meanwhile, both Clack and Ernie Pough made the Giant's 45-man roster, Clack as a starter on the offensive line, where he would be directly involved with that season's Miracle at the Meadowlands between the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. ^[38] Longtime Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette called the Lewis and Clack trades Chuck Noll's "two worst trades in his 23 seasons with the Steelers." ^[39]

In addition to the players traded away and cut, J. T. Thomas was lost for the season to a blood disorder known as Boeck's Sarcoidosis. ^[40] Thomas had been the team's starting left cornerback (opposite Mel Blount) and his loss coupled with the Jimmy Allen trade left the team thin at the cornerback position. ^[25]

Finally, longtime punter Bobby Walden retired, leaving Rocky Bleier as the last player on the roster who was with the team prior to the arrival of Noll in 1969. Walden, who had turned 40 in the offseason and was the team's oldest player, was replaced by Craig Colquitt, who like Walden would go on to a successful tenure with the team.

Draft

Further information: 1978 NFL Draft

The 1978 NFL Draft was held on May 2–3, in the ballroom of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. ^[41] The Steelers selected fourteen players. ^[42] They also traded their selection in the fifth round (pick 128 overall) to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Dave Pureifory ^[43] (Pureifory was later traded during training camp to the New England Patriots for their sixth-round selection in the 1979 draft). ^[44] Coming out of the draft it appeared that the team had addressed perceived needs at punter, defensive back, defensive line and running back. ^[43]

1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Selections ^[42]

Round	Pick #	Player	Position	College	Tenure w/ Steelers
1	22	Johnson, Ron Ron Johnson	Defensive back	Eastern Michigan	1978–1984
2	49	Fry, Willie Willie Fry	Defensive end	Notre Dame	—
3	76	Colquitt, Craig Craig Colquitt	Punter	Tennessee	1978–1984
4	101	Anderson, Larry Larry Anderson	Defensive back	Louisiana Tech	1978–1981
6	160	Reutershan, Randy Randy Reutershan	Wide receiver	Pitt	1978
7	187	Dufresne, MarkMark Dufresne	Tight end	Nebraska	—
8	208 [a]	Moser, Rick Rick Moser	Running back	Rhode Island	1978–1979, 1981, 1982
8	214	Keys, AndreAndre Keys	Wide receiver	Cal Poly	—
9	241	Reynolds, LanceLance Reynolds	Offensive tackle	BYU	—
10	268	Becker, Doug Doug Becker	Linebacker	Notre Dame	—
10	276 [b]	Jurich, Tom Tom Jurich	Placekicker	Northern Arizona	—
11	279 [b]	Terry, Nat Nat Terry	Defensive back	Florida State	1978
11	300	Brzoza, Tom Tom Brzoza	Center	Pitt	—
12	327	Carr, BradBrad Carr	Linebacker	Maryland	—

Notes:

^a pick from St. Louis Cardinals for Marv Kellum ^{[45] [46]}

^b pick from Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Ernie Holmes ^{[26] [46]}

"Shouldergate"

The 1978 season began with some controversy, when players were caught wearing shoulder pads in off-season drills in violation of league rules. The infraction occurred during a late May rookie camp and was uncovered and reported by Pittsburgh Press reporter John Clayton. ^[47]

"That story had no news value whatsoever. The thing that made it very bad was that the story was of no news to the people of Pittsburgh. So I have to assume that he [referring to John Clayton] is working for the competition. He certainly wasn't working in the interest of the paper or the fans. As far as I'm concerned he was working for the other people. The only way I can read it is espionage. I know for a fact that other people use other media for their interests, to spy."

– Head coach Chuck Noll's reaction to the "Shouldergate" story. ^[48]

Clayton was not the paper's regular Steelers beat writer at the time, but was just filling in that day. ^[49] While the practice in which the violation occurred was closed to the media by head coach Chuck Noll, Clayton uncovered the story in interviews with players whom he found wearing pads in the locker room. ^[47] Clayton contacted the league office for clarification on the rule, which stated that teams must have "no contact work or use of pads (except helmets) in an off-season training camp." ^{[47] [49]}

The story caused an uproar among the team's local fanbase, with most of the vitriol directed at Clayton for reporting the story, rather than at Noll and the team for breaking the rule. ^{[49] [50]} This sentiment was stoked by Noll's angry reaction to the story, in which he referred to the reporting as "espionage." ^[48] Even some members of the local media spoke of Clayton as a traitor to the Steeler cause. ^[51]

The precedent for punishment of such a rule violation was set by an earlier incident for which the Green Bay Packers were stripped of a fourth-round draft pick. The Packers were able to argue at that time that they were unaware of the rule they broke. The Steelers had no such defense, since the team's president, Dan Rooney, was instrumental in negotiations to get the "no pads" rule included in the collective bargaining agreement with the league's players. ^[52]

NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle eventually stripped the Steelers of their third-round selection in the 1979 draft for the transgression. ^[53]

Training camp

After putting the distractions of the 1977 season and Shouldergate behind them, the Steelers had a very productive training camp in 1978. All-Pro defensive end Joe Greene noted the renewed focus, saying

The biggest difference in this camp compared to last year is that this camp is about football, not gossip. Everything that's happening in this camp is about football. That's not saying we’re going to go out there and kick butts, but that's saying we’re going to be going about our business, what we’re being paid for. ^[54]

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 5	at Baltimore Colts	W 22–10	1–0	Memorial Stadium	[55]
2	August 12	Atlanta Falcons	W 13–7	2–0	Three Rivers Stadium	[56]
3	August 19	at New York Giants	L 6–13	2–1	Giants Stadium	[57]
4	August 26	at Dallas Cowboys	L 13–16	2–2	Texas Stadium	[58]

The Steelers exhibition schedule did not start off smoothly, despite coming away with a 22–10 victory against the Baltimore Colts. Starting quarterback Terry Bradshaw suffered a broken nose on a scramble in the first quarter of the game. In addition, the kicking game was unimpressive and the team committed a considerable number of penalties including three personal fouls. ^[55]

The second pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons was the Steelers' lone home exhibition contest. The defense led the way, as they had so many times in the team's back-to-back championship seasons in 1974 and 1975. The defensive strength was illustrated in the first quarter when a blocked punt gave the Falcons the ball on the Steelers three-yard line. After failing to gain yardage on two running plays, the Falcons' third-down pass was intercepted by Donnie Shell (one of five Steelers interceptions on the evening). The Falcons' offense was held scoreless, their only points in the 13–7 loss came off a fumble recovery. ^[56]

The next game, against the New York Giants, was a completely different story. The game seemed to be over almost before it started when the Giants scored on a 78-yard touchdown pass in just the second play of the evening. The Giants went on to control the game en route to a 13–6 victory over the listless and mistake-prone Steelers. Coach Noll said of the opening score, "We didn't recover, and that's not a good sign. They outdid us all down the line. They hit harder." ^[57]

In the fourth and final pre-season game, the Steelers' defense once again played well, but the offense was the weak link in a 16–13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys (in what would turn out to be a preview of the Super Bowl XIII matchup). The Steelers had difficulty running the ball, with six players combining for just 101 yards on 29 rushing attempts. Despite the offensive sluggishness, the Steelers led 13–3 after three quarters. Unfortunately, the defense was worn out (they faced a staggering 82 plays in the game) and they gave up two touchdown passes to Roger Staubach in the fourth quarter. The lack of offensive rhythm led Terry Bradshaw to comment, "I feel terrible. I'm concerned. It's easy to say that it'll come. But I don't want to go into the Buffalo game worried about the offense. ... If you looked at this, you'd have to say we have a lot of work to do." ^[58]

At the end of the preseason, the Steelers were listed by oddsmakers at Harrah's casino in Las Vegas as 5–1 to win the American Football Conference (AFC). The favorites were the Oakland Raiders at 7–5, followed by the New England Patriots at 3–1 and then the Steelers and Baltimore Colts at 5–1. ^[59]

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 3	at Buffalo Bills	W 28–17	1–0	Rich Stadium	Recap
2	September 10	Seattle Seahawks	W 21–10	2–0	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
3	September 17	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 28–3	3–0	Riverfront Stadium	Recap
4	September 24	Cleveland Browns	W 15–9 (OT)	4–0	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
5	October 1	at New York Jets	W 28–17	5–0	Shea Stadium	Recap
6	October 8	Atlanta Falcons	W 31–7	6–0	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
7	October 15	at Cleveland Browns	W 34–14	7–0	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	Recap
8	October 23	Houston Oilers	L 17–24	7–1	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
9	October 29	Kansas City Chiefs	W 27–24	8–1	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
10	November 5	New Orleans Saints	W 20–14	9–1	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
11	November 12	at Los Angeles Rams	L 7–10	9–2	L.A. Memorial Coliseum	Recap
12	November 19	Cincinnati Bengals	W 7–6	10–2	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
13	November 27	at San Francisco 49ers	W 24–7	11–2	Candlestick Park	Recap
14	December 3	at Houston Oilers	W 13–3	12–2	Astrodome	Recap
15	December 9	Baltimore Colts	W 35–13	13–2	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
16	December 16	at Denver Broncos	W 21–17	14–2	Mile High Stadium	Recap

Standings

AFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Pittsburgh Steelers (1)	14	2	0	.875	5–1	11–1	356	195	W5
Houston Oilers (5)	10	6	0	.625	4–2	8–4	283	298	L1
Cleveland Browns	8	8	0	.500	1–5	4–8	334	356	L1
Cincinnati Bengals	4	12	0	.250	2–4	2–10	252	284	W3

Game summaries

Week 1: at Buffalo Bills

Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0) at Buffalo Bills (0–0) – Game information
Sunday, September 3 at 1:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Cool, 67 °F (19 °C) Referee: Fred Silva Point spread: Steelers by 10½ [60] Game attendance: 64,147 at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York TV announcers: (NBC) Jay Randolph (play by play), Mike Haffner (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	14	0	14	28
Bills	0	0	0	17	17

The Steelers came into the season opener as heavy favorites over the Buffalo Bills. The Steel Curtain defense was dominant early, holding the Bills to just 59 total yards and only six first downs in first three quarters of play. New defensive coordinator George Perles employed the blitz to a much greater degree than the team had in the past. ^[61] Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson, who was coming off a knee injury suffered in the pre-season, struggled with just three completions and 20 yards on ten passing attempts before being pulled from the game. ^[62]

Meanwhile, the Steelers scored two second-quarter touchdowns, the first coming on a throw from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth. Stallworth caught three passes of twenty yards or longer in the Steelers first two possessions. ^[62] The Steelers second score came on a one-yard plunge by Franco Harris. When the Steelers scored again on a Sidney Thornton rush at the start of the fourth quarter to go up 21–0, the game appeared to be all but over. ^[62]

However, Bill Munson came into the game in relief of Ferguson and sparked the Bills to two quick scores that brought the Bills to within 11 points. The Steelers put the game away with a 73-yard drive capped by Bradshaw's second touchdown of the game. ^[62]

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 28 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Franco Harris 1 yard run (Gerela kick) Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter Pittsburgh – Sidney Thornton 2 yard run (Gerela kick) Buffalo – Frank Lewis 22 yard pass from Bill Munson (Tom Dempsey kick) Buffalo – Dempsey 32 yard field goal Pittsburgh – Theo Bell 15 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Buffalo – Reuben Gant 3 yard pass from Munson (Dempsey kick) Steelers Game Statistics [62] Bills 21 First downs 16 43–142 Rushes–yards 29–100 217 Passing yards 164 14–19–1 Passes 13–26–1 39 Return yards −10 4–39 Punts 6–43 0–0 Fumbles–lost 0–0 5–54 Penalties–yards 9–62

Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Two: Seattle Seahawks (0–1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1–0) – Game information
Sunday, September 10 at 1:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Sunny, 81 °F (27 °C) [63] Referee: Jim Tunney Point spread: Steelers by 13½ [64] Game attendance: 48,277 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (NBC) Sam Nover (play by play), Mike Haffner (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	7	3	0	10
Steelers	0	14	0	7	21

This game marked the second ever meeting between the Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, who were playing in just their third NFL season. The Seahawks entered the game hoping to stop the Steelers running game – while that effort was largely successful the Steelers and quarterback Terry Bradshaw won with the passing game. ^[65] After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers took a 14–0 lead which they wouldn't relinquish on a pair of Bradshaw touchdown passes. ^[63] Linebacker Jack Lambert led the Steelers defense with an interception, a fumble recovery and five solo tackles. ^[63]

The first quarter saw Bradshaw injure his throwing hand when he jammed his index finger on a helmet. ^[65] However, he played through the soreness and threw the two second-quarter scoring passes to Lynn Swann and Sidney Thornton. The Seahawks scored on a David Sims rushing touchdown to stay within one score at halftime. The Seahawks caught the Steelers off guard with a successful onside kick following the Sims score, however the subsequent drive ended in a missed field goal. ^[63] In the third quarter, the Seahawks narrowed the lead to just four points off an Effren Herrera field goal. ^[63]

At the start of the fourth quarter Franco Harris, who was hampered in the game by a bruised thigh, was stopped less than a yard short of the goalline on a third down play. Coach Chuck Noll initially sent the field-goal team on, but after a timeout he reconsidered and sent the offense back out. Harris ran behind the right guard and pushed the ball across the plane of the goalline before being pushed back. The play was ruled a touchdown, though the Seahawks disputed the call. ^[65]

The win gave the Steelers a 2–0 record – a mark they had achieved only once since 1956. ^[63]

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 4 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Sidney Thornton 20 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Seattle – David Sims 1 yard run (Effren Herrera kick) Third quarter Seattle – Herrera 20 yard field goal Fourth quarter Pittsburgh – Franco Harris 1 yard run (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [63] Seahawks 26 First downs 18 40–151 Rushes–yards 28–93 185 Passing yards 154 17–33–0 Passes 11–22–1 44 Return yards 47 3–42 Punts 4–38 2–1 Fumbles–lost 2–2 8–65 Penalties–yards 7–52

Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Three: Pittsburgh Steelers (2–0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0–2) – Game information
Sunday, September 17 at 1:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Cloudy, 76 °F (24 °C) Referee: Dick Jorgensen Point spread: Steelers by 4½ [66] Game attendance: 50,260 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio TV announcers: (NBC) Curt Gowdy (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	14	7	7	0	28
Bengals	0	3	0	0	3

The Steelers entered the third week 2–0 and favored to win, though one sportswriter called the Steelers "convincing but not overpowering", and noted that they had not beaten the point spread in either of their first two games. ^[67]

The Bengals came into the game without their starting quarterback, Ken Anderson who was nursing a broken finger. ^[68] Steelers running back Franco Harris busted through the Bengals 3–4 defense for a 37-yard gain on the game's first offensive play. Five plays later, Rocky Bleier scored on a 5-yard run and the Steelers never looked back. ^[68] The Steelers didn't punt for the first time until the end of the third quarter and they dominated statistically. ^[69] Center Mike Webster noted, "From the first play on, everything worked." ^[68]

The Steelers players were beginning to feel that the team might be once again approaching the level of the Super Bowl teams. Bleier said after the game, "At some point, I don't know when, people are going to start saying, 'Hey, it's the Steelers again.'" ^[69] When asked about his performance through the first three games, Bradshaw admitted he was playing the best football of his life, saying, "Yes and I don't know why, but I don't even want to find out. Whatever it is, maybe, it'll last all year. Maybe it will be one of those dream years people have been wantin' me to have." ^[68] Linebacker Jack Lambert stated, "We're playing well and we've got a good attitude. Last year was no good. This is good."

Coach Noll tried to tamp down expectations, saying "We're happy to be there. We'll take any kind of crumbs we can get." ^[68] But even he had to admit that, "It was a good day for us." ^[68] He added, "Our football team is functioning with a pretty good concept of what it's all about, what it takes. Things aren't out of perspective at all." ^[70]

The 28–3 final was the Steelers largest ever margin over the Bengals, eclipsing the 27–3 win from 1974. ^[68] The 3–0 start to the season was only the third in the franchise's history and they stood tied atop the AFC Central division with the Cleveland Browns. ^[69]

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier 5 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Franco Harris 15 yard run (Gerela kick) Second quarter Cincinnati – Chris Bahr 33 yard field goal Pittsburgh – Bennie Cunningham 26 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Third quarter Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 12 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Fourth quarter No scoring plays Steelers Game Statistics [71] Bengals 26 First downs 9 49–212 Rushes–yards 19–56 242 Passing yards 123 14–20–1 Passes 17–37–2 145 Return yards 114 4–43.7 Punts 10–42.4 3–3 Fumbles–lost 1–0 6–46 Penalties–yards 7–99

Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Four: Cleveland Browns (3–0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3–0) – Game information
Sunday, September 24 at 1:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C) Referee: Fred Wyant Point spread: Steelers by 8 [72] Game attendance: 49,513 [73] at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Browns	0	6	3	0	0	9
Steelers	3	0	0	6	6	15

The Steelers and Browns came into their week four matchup tied atop the AFC Central standings, but Cleveland was without their four-time Pro Bowl running back Greg Pruitt who had been hospitalized by a leg contusion. The Browns had never previously won in the two teams' eight previous meetings in Three Rivers Stadium. Coach Noll predicted, however, that the Browns would remain competitive without Pruitt, going so far as to say that the game "is their Super Bowl." ^[74]

The Browns contained the Steelers offense all game, and after four quarters the game was tied at 9 with neither team managing to score a touchdown in regulation. The Browns had two apparent scores nullified by penalty: a 61-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter was called back when it was ruled that Browns quarterback Brian Sipe had crossed the line of scrimmage prior to releasing the ball and later a 17-yard pass was nullified by a holding penalty. ^[75] A Hail Mary attempt by the Browns on the final play of the fourth quarter was intercepted by Steelers defensive back Tony Dungy. ^[76]

The Steelers won the overtime coin toss and chose to receive the kickoff. ^[77] On the kickoff, Steelers returner Larry Anderson lost the ball as he was being tackled. While the Browns felt that Anderson had fumbled (and replays later showed that it probably was a fumble), the officials ruled that Anderson was down and the play had been whistled dead before he lost the ball. Steelers retained possession at their 21-yard line. ^[78] A few plays later, the Steelers were forced into a fourth down situation just over mid-field with 1 yard to go. Coach Noll chose to go for the conversion, which was gained by a short Franco Harris run. When asked about the decision Noll said, "It wasn't that much of a gamble, especially when the players had such a strong conviction of going for it – when you want something you try that much harder to attain your goal." ^[73]

A few plays after the fourth-down conversion, a Steelers trick play turned out to be the game's final decisive play. On the play, Terry Bradshaw handed off to running back Rocky Bleier who gave the ball to wide receiver Lynn Swann on an apparent reverse. Swann, however, pitched the ball back to quarterback Terry Bradshaw who completed a 37-yard pass to tight end Bennie Cunningham for the decisive touchdown. ^[77] Coach Noll revealed after the game that the flea flicker was actually a part of the team's specific game-plan for the Browns saying, "It was called high school right. We resurrected it this week and worked on it Wednesday and Thursday in practice." ^[73]

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Roy Gerela 19 yard field goal Second quarter Cleveland – Don Cockroft 43 yard field goal Cleveland – Cockroft 30 yard field goal Third quarter Cleveland – Cockroft 41 yard field goal Fourth quarter Pittsburgh – Gerela 33 yard field goal Pittsburgh – Gerela 36 yard field goal Overtime Pittsburgh – Bennie Cunningham 37 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (no kick) Steelers Game Statistics [79] Browns 18 First downs 19 37–139 Rushes–yards 32–97 200 Passing yards 102 14–32–2 Passes 14–32–2 100 Return yards 33 6–36 Punts 6–42 1–1 Fumbles–lost 1–0 11–119 Penalties–yards 8–68

Week 5: at New York Jets

Week Five: Pittsburgh Steelers (4–0) at New York Jets (2–2) – Game information
Sunday, October 1 at 1:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C) Referee: Bob Frederic Point spread: Steelers by 12½ [80] Game attendance: 52,058 at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York TV announcers: (NBC) Sam Nover (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	7	14	0	28
Jets	0	10	7	0	17

The win brought the Steelers to 5–0 which was the best start to a season in the franchise's history. ^[81]

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 10 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Second quarter New York Jets – Bruce Harper 11 yard run (Pat Leahy kick) Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 14 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) New York Jets – Leahy 47 yard field goal Third quarter Pittsburgh – Swann 26 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Sidney Thornton 1 yard run (Gerela kick) New York Jets – Kevin Long 2 yard run (Leahy kick) Fourth quarter No scoring plays Steelers Game Statistics [82] Jets 20 First downs 18 39–138 Rushes–yards 35–155 189 Passing yards 142 17–26–1 Passes 9–24–1 68 Return yards 0 2–43 Punts 4–42 1–1 Fumbles–lost 0–0 2–7 Penalties–yards 4–17

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Six: Atlanta Falcons (2–3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5–0) – Game information
Sunday, October 8 at 1:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C) Referee: Don Wedge Point spread: Steelers by 9 [83] Game attendance: 48,202 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (CBS) Bob Costas (play by play), Tom Matte (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	0	7	7
Steelers	3	14	7	7	31

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Roy Gerela 21 yard field goal Second quarter Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier 8 yard run (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Terry Bradshaw 6 yard run (Gerela kick) Third quarter Pittsburgh – Bleier 2 yard run (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 11 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Fourth quarter Atlanta – Wallace Francis 11 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Fred Steinfort kick) Steelers Game Statistics [84] Falcons 28 First downs 20 44–181 Rushes–yards 34–113 206 Passing yards 144 13–18–0 Passes 17–33–2 15 Return yards 24 2–35 Punts 3–34 4–3 Fumbles–lost 3–2 8–74 Penalties–yards 4–38

Week 7: at Cleveland Browns

Week Seven: Pittsburgh Steelers (6–0) at Cleveland Browns (4–2) – Game information
Sunday, October 15 at 1:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Sunny, 47 °F (8 °C) Referee: Pat Haggerty [85] Point spread: Steelers by 4 [86] Game attendance: 81,302 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	6	7	14	7	34
Browns	0	7	0	7	14

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Roy Gerela 23 yard field goal Pittsburgh – Gerela 44 yard field goal Second quarter Cleveland – Dave Logan 17 ard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) Pittsburgh – Larry Anderson 95 yard kickoff return (Gerela kick) Third quarter Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 28 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier 1 yard run (Gerela kick) Fourth quarter Cleveland – Reggie Rucker 18 yard pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick) Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 32 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [87] Browns 20 First downs 19 38–168 Rushes–yards 38–132 153 Passing yards 228 10–21–0 Passes 19–35–1 181 Return yards 163 5–40 Punts 4–31 4–0 Fumbles–lost 4–2 6–41 Penalties–yards 10–90

Week 8: vs. Houston Oilers

Week Eight: Houston Oilers (4–3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (7–0) – Game information
Monday, October 23 at 9:00 pm (EDT) Game weather: Cloudy, 43 °F (6 °C) [88] Referee: Ben Dreith Point spread: Steelers by 7½ [89] Game attendance: 48,021 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Howard Cosell (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	10	7	7	24
Steelers	0	10	0	7	17

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter Houston – Earl Campbell 1 yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 25 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Gerela 30 yard field goal Houston – Fritsch 39 yard field goal Third quarter Houston – Campbell 3 yard run (Fritsch kick) Fourth quarter Houston – Campbell 1 yard run (Fritsch kick) Pittsburgh – Swann 6 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [90] Oilers 21 First downs 22 31–113 Rushes–yards 43–169 215 Passing yards 160 17–33–1 Passes 13–19–0 120 Return yards 65 3–41 Punts 4–41 2–0 Fumbles–lost 2–1 7–53 Penalties–yards 6–51

Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Nine: Kansas City Chiefs (2–6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (7–1) – Game information
Sunday, October 29 at 1:00 pm (EST) Game weather: Sunny, 55 °F (13 °C) [91] Referee: Red Cashion Point spread: Steelers by 14 [92] Game attendance: 48,185 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (NBC) Jay Randolph (play by play), Paul Maguire (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	0	14	7	24
Steelers	7	13	7	0	27

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Kansas City – Jan Stenerud 25 yard field goal Pittsburgh – Franco Harris 1 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Second quarter Pittsburgh – Harris 11 yard run (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 1 yard run (kick failed) Third quarter Kansas City – Ted McKnight 14 yard run (Stenerud kick) Kansas City – Tony Reed 16 yard run (Stenerud kick) Pittsburgh – Donnie Shell 17 yard fumble recovery return (Gerela kick) Fourth quarter Kansas City – Arnold Morgado 2 yard run (Stenerud kick) Steelers Game Statistics [93] Chiefs 17 First downs 20 40–135 Rushes–yards 38–186 141 Passing yards 80 8–15–2 Passes 15–28–2 89 Return yards 117 4–43.3 Punts 4–38.8 1–1 Fumbles–lost 2–1 10–79 Penalties–yards 10–100

Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Ten: New Orleans Saints (5–4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (8–1) – Game information
Sunday, November 5 at 1:00 pm (EST) Game weather: Sunny, 69 °F (21 °C) [94] Referee: Jerry Markbreit Point spread: Steelers by 10½ [95] Game attendance: 48,526 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (CBS) Don Criqui (play by play), Hank Stram (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	7	0	7	14
Steelers	3	0	10	7	20

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Roy Gerela 27 yard field goal Second quarter New Orleans – Rich Mauti 5 yard pass from Archie Manning (Steve Mike-Mayer kick) Third quarter Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 6 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Gerela 21 yard field goal Fourth quarter New Orleans – Tony Galbreath 5 yard run (Mike-Mayer kick) Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier 6 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [96] Saints 23 First downs 20 34–145 Rushes–yards 32–81 200 Passing yards 344 16–23–1 Passes 22–32–1 115 Return yards 62 1–28 Punts 2–60 2–1 Fumbles–lost 1–1 7–48 Penalties–yards 7–75

Week 11: at Los Angeles Rams

Week Eleven: Pittsburgh Steelers (9–1) at Los Angeles Rams (8–2) – Game information
Sunday, November 12 at 9:00 pm (EST) Game weather: Cool, 49 °F (9 °C) Referee: Fred Silva Point spread: Rams by 2½ [97] Game attendance: 63,089 at L.A. Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Howard Cosell (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	7	0	7
Rams	0	0	3	7	10

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 14 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Los Angeles – Frank Corral 37 yard field goal Fourth quarter Los Angeles – Willie Miller 10 yard pass from Pat Haden (Corral kick) Steelers Game Statistics [98] Rams 12 First downs 14 25–59 Rushes–yards 44–192 115 Passing yards 121 11–25–3 Passes 14–27–0 13 Return yards 83 7–41 Punts 7–27 2–0 Fumbles–lost 3–2 5–48 Penalties–yards 9–115

Week 12: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Twelve: Cincinnati Bengals (1–10) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9–2) – Game information
Sunday, November 19 at 4:00 pm (EST) Game weather: Cloudy, 44 °F (7 °C) [99] Referee: Bob Frederic Point spread: Steelers by 11 [100] Game attendance: 47,578 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	3	3	0	0	6
Steelers	0	7	0	0	7

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Cincinnati – Chris Bahr 29 yard field goal Second quarter Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier 1 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Cincinnati – Bahr 48 yard field goal Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter No scoring plays Steelers Game Statistics [101] Bengals 14 First downs 15 34–70 Rushes–yards 31–97 84 Passing yards 142 12–30–4 Passes 14–29–2 29 Return yards 41 7–37 Punts 6–34 4–1 Fumbles–lost 4–3 2–34 Penalties–yards 5–44

Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Thirteen: Pittsburgh Steelers (10–2) at San Francisco 49ers (1–11) – Game information
Monday, November 27 at 9:00 pm (EST) Game weather: Clear, 49 °F (9 °C) Referee: Jim Tunney Point spread: Steelers by 8 [102] Game attendance: 51,657 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Don Meredith & Howard Cosell (color commentators) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	14	0	7	24
49ers	0	0	7	0	7

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Roy Gerela 42 yard field goal Second quarter Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 22 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Swann 25 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Third quarter San Francisco – Paul Hofer 2 yard run (Ray Wersching kick) Fourth quarter Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 11 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [103] 49ers 22 First downs 12 53–212 Rushes–yards 29–67 168 Passing yards 74 13–21–1 Passes 10–28–5 53 Return yards 53 3–42 Punts 5–40 5–3 Fumbles–lost 0–0 13–102 Penalties–yards 1–5

Week 14: at Houston Oilers

Week Fourteen: Pittsburgh Steelers (11–2) at Houston Oilers (9–4) – Game information
Sunday, December 3 at 4:00 pm (EST) Game weather: dome Referee: Pat Haggerty Point spread: Oilers by 3 [104] Game attendance: 54,261 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas TV announcers: (NBC) Sam Nover (play by play), Len Dawson (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	0	3	7	13
Oilers	0	3	0	0	3

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Roy Gerela 41 yard field goal Second quarter Houston – Toni Fritsch 37 yard field goal Third quarter Pittsburgh – Gerela 23 yard field goal Fourth quarter Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 5 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [105] Oilers 17 First downs 9 48–177 Rushes–yards 26–81 74 Passing yards 82 11–25–1 Passes 10–27–3 70 Return yards 34 5–40.2 Punts 5–47.8 1–1 Fumbles–lost 4–3 6–55 Penalties–yards 5–35

Week 15: vs. Baltimore Colts

Week Fifteen: Baltimore Colts (5–9) at Pittsburgh Steelers (12–2) – Game information
Saturday, December 9 at 1:00 pm (EST) Game weather: Snow, [106] 26 °F (−3 °C) [107] Referee: Cal Lepore Point spread: Steelers by 10 [108] Game attendance: 41,957 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (NBC) Curt Gowdy (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	7	6	0	13
Steelers	7	14	7	7	35

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 31 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Second quarter Pittsburgh – Franco Harris 3 yard run (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Harris 2 yard run (Gerela kick) Baltimore – Roger Carr 5 yard pass from Bill Troup (Toni Linhart kick) Third quarter Baltimore – Derrell Luce 44 yard fumble recovery (kick failed) Pittsburgh – Randy Grossman 12 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Fourth quarter Pittsburgh – Jim Smith 29 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [106] Colts 20 First downs 11 48–139 Rushes–yards 26–100 234 Passing yards 29 12–21–2 Passes 8–19–2 121 Return yards 186 4–32.8 Punts 6–37.3 1–1 Fumbles–lost 5–3 6–35 Penalties–yards 6–50

Week 16: at Denver Broncos

Week Sixteen: Pittsburgh Steelers (13–2) at Denver Broncos (10–5) – Game information
Saturday, December 16 at 4:00 pm (EST) Game weather: Sunny, 26 °F (−3 °C) Referee: Fred Wyant [109] Point spread: Broncos by 1½ [110] Game attendance: 74,104 at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	14	0	0	21
Broncos	0	0	7	10	17

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – Franco Harris 1 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Second quarter Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 25 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Jim Smith 10 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Third quarter Denver – Haven Moses 25 yard pass from Norris Weese (Jim Turner kick) Fourth quarter Denver – Turner 45 yard field goal Denver – Riley Odoms 30 yard pass from Weese (Turner kick) Steelers Game Statistics [109] Broncos 14 First downs 19 38–116 Rushes–yards 26–74 135 Passing yards 226 13–19–2 Passes 15–26–1 67 Return yards 80 6–46.3 Punts 6–42.3 2–0 Fumbles–lost 2–1 6–82 Penalties–yards 10–72

Stats

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

Kicking

Punting

Kick Return

Punt Return

Defense & Fumbles

Scoring Summary

Team

Quarter-by-quarter

Quarter-by-quarter
	1	2	3	4	OT	T
Steelers	63	135	76	76	6	356
Opponents	6	63	57	69	0	195

Playoffs

Schedule

Week	Date	Kickoff (ET)	TV	Opponent	Result	Game Site
Divisional	Sat. Dec. 30	12:30 p.m.	NBC	Denver Broncos	W 33–10	Three Rivers Stadium
AFC Championship	Sun. Jan. 7	12:30 p.m.	NBC	Houston Oilers	W 34–5	Three Rivers Stadium
Super Bowl XIII	Sun. Jan. 21	4:15 p.m.	NBC	vs. Dallas Cowboys	W 35–31	Miami Orange Bowl

Game summaries

AFC Divisional Playoff: vs. Denver Broncos

AFC Divisional Playoff: Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game information
Saturday, December 30 at 12:30 pm (EST) Game weather: Light Rain, [111] 30 °F (−1 °C) [112] Referee: Gene Barth Point spread: Steelers by 7 [113] Game attendance: 48,921 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	7	0	0	10
Steelers	6	13	0	14	33

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Denver Jim Turner 37 yard field goal Pittsburgh Franco Harris 1 yard run (kick failed) Second quarter Pittsburgh Harris 18 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Pittsburgh Gerela 24 yard field goal Denver Dave Preston 3 yard run (Turner kick) Pittsburgh Gerela 27 yard field goal Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter Pittsburgh John Stallworth 45 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh Lynn Swann 38 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Steelers Game Statistics [114] Broncos 24 First downs 15 40–153 Rushes–yards 27–87 272 Passing yards 131 16–29–1 Passes 12–22–0 93 Return yards 110 2–36.0 Punts 6–34.0 4–1 Fumbles–lost 2–2 11–88 Penalties–yards 8–104

AFC Championship: vs. Houston Oilers

AFC Championship: Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game information
Sunday, January 7, 1979 at 12:30 pm (EST) Game weather: Freezing Rain, 32 °F (0 °C) Referee: Jim Tunney Point spread: Steelers by 7½ [115] Game attendance: 49,417 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania TV announcers: (NBC) Curt Gowdy (play by play), Merlin Olsen & John Brodie (color commentators) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	3	2	0	5
Steelers	14	17	3	0	34

On a wet, slick, and slippery field, the Steelers dominated the Oilers by forcing 9 turnovers and only allowing 5 points. Pittsburgh took the early lead by driving 57 yards to score on running back Franco Harris' 7-yard touchdown run. Then, linebacker Jack Ham recovered a fumble at the Houston 17-yard line, which led to running back Rocky Bleier's 15-yard rushing touchdown.

In the second quarter, a 19-yard field goal by Oilers kicker Toni Fritsch cut the score 14–3, but then the Steelers scored 17 points during the last 48 seconds of the second quarter. First, Houston running back Ronnie Coleman lost a fumble, and moments later Pittsburgh wide receiver Lynn Swann caught a 29-yard touchdown reception. Then Johnnie Dirden fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which led to Steelers wide receiver John Stallworth's 17-yard reception. After the Oilers got the ball back, Coleman fumbled again, and Roy Gerela kicked a field goal to increase Pittsburgh's lead, 31–3. Houston would never pose a threat for the rest of the game as they turned over the ball 4 times in their 6 second-half possessions.

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh Franco Harris 7 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Pittsburgh Rocky Bleier 15 yard run (Gerela kick) Second quarter Houston Toni Fritsch 19 yard field goal Pittsburgh Lynn Swann 29 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw Pittsburgh John Stallworth 17 yard pass from Bradshaw Pittsburgh Gerela 37 yard field goal Third quarter Pittsburgh Gerela 32 yard field goal Houston Safety, Ted Washington tackled Bleier in end zone Fourth quarter No scoring plays Steelers Game Statistics [116] Oilers 21 First downs 10 47–179 Rushes–yards 26–72 200 Passing yards 70 11–19–2 Passes 12–26–5 217 Return yards 179 1–53.0 Punts 6–39.5 6–3 Fumbles–lost 6–4 4–32 Penalties–yards 5–48

Super Bowl XIII: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Super Bowl XIII: Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Game information
Sunday, January 21, 1979 at 4:15 pm (EST) Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C) Referee: Pat Haggerty Point spread: Steelers by 4 [117] Game attendance: 78,656 at Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida [118] TV announcers: (NBC) Curt Gowdy (play by play), Merlin Olsen & John Brodie (color commentators) Game coverage: Pro Football Reference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recap, Pittsburgh Press recap

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	14	0	14	35
Cowboys	7	7	3	14	31

The Steelers won 35-31

Main article: Super Bowl XIII

Scoring Drives and Statistics:

First quarter Pittsburgh – John Stallworth 28 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Dallas – Tony Hill 39 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Second quarter Dallas – Mike Hegman 37 yard fumble return (Septien kick) Pittsburgh – Stallworth 75 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier 7 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Third quarter Dallas – Septien 27 yard field goal Fourth quarter Pittsburgh – Franco Harris 22 yard run (Gerela kick) Pittsburgh – Lynn Swann 18 yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) Dallas – Billy Joe Dupree 7 yard pass from Staubach (Septien kick) Dallas – Butch Johnson 4 yard pass from Staubach (Septien kick) Steelers Game Statistics [119] Cowboys 19 First downs 20 24–66 Rushes–yards 32–141 318 Passing yards 228 17–30–1 Passes 17–30–1 35 Return yards 158 3–43.0 Punts 5–39.6 2–2 Fumbles–lost 3–2 5–35 Penalties–yards 9–89

Personnel

Players

1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Roster
Quarterbacks 12 Terry Bradshaw 15 Mike Kruczek 18 Cliff Stoudt Running backs 20 Rocky Bleier 35 Jack Deloplaine 32 Franco Harris 28 Alvin Maxson 39 Rick Moser 38 Sidney Thornton Wide receivers 83 Theo Bell WR/PR 40 Randy Reutershan 86 Jim Smith 82 John Stallworth 88 Lynn Swann Tight ends 89 Bennie Cunningham 84 Randy Grossman 87 Jim Mandich TE/WB		Offensive linemen 79 Larry Brown T/TE 77 Steve Courson G 57 Sam Davis G 55 Jon Kolb T/C 72 Gerry Mullins G/T 66 Ted Petersen T/C 74 Ray Pinney T/C/G 52 Mike Webster C/G Defensive linemen 69 Fred Anderson DE/DT 76 John Banaszak DT/DE 65 Tom Beasley DE/DT 67 Gary Dunn DT/DE 64 Steve Furness DE/DT 75 Joe Greene DT 68 L. C. Greenwood DE 78 Dwight White DE		Linebackers 56 Robin Cole LB/DE 59 Jack Ham LB 58 Jack Lambert LB 51 Loren Toews LB/DE 53 Dennis Winston LB Defensive backs 30 Larry Anderson DB/KR 47 Mel Blount CB 21 Tony Dungy DB 36 Wentford Gaines DB 29 Ron Johnson DB 25 Ray Oldham DB 31 Donnie Shell DB 34 Nat Terry DB 23 Mike Wagner DB Special teams  5 Craig Colquitt P 10 Roy Gerela K		Reserve lists 24 J. T. Thomas CB (IR) -- John Hicks G/T (IR) Hall of Fame members in boldface Rookies in italics Sources: [25] [38] [120]

Defense [120] FS Mike Wagner ⋅ WLB MLB SLB Loren Toews Jack Lambert Jack Ham Robin Cole ⋅ ⋅ SS Donnie Shell ⋅ CB Mel Blount ⋅ DE DT DT DE Dwight White John Banaszak Joe Greene L. C. Greenwood ⋅ Steve Furness ⋅ ⋅ CB Ron Johnson ⋅ Offense [120] WR Lynn Swann ⋅ LT LG C RG RT Jon Kolb Sam Davis Mike Webster Gerry Mullins Ray Pinney ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ Larry Brown TE Randy Grossman Bennie Cunningham WR John Stallworth ⋅ QB Terry Bradshaw ⋅ RB Rocky Bleier ⋅ FB Franco Harris ⋅ Special teams PK Roy Gerela P Craig Colquitt KR Larry Anderson PR Theo Bell

Management & Coaches

Pittsburgh Steelers 1978 management and coaching staff
Front office Owners – Rooney family President – Dan Rooney Vice president/ scouting – Art Rooney, Jr. Director of player personnel – Dick Haley Head coaches Head coach/ special teams – Chuck Noll Offensive coaches Offensive backfield – Dick Hoak Wide receivers – Tom Moore Offensive line – Rollie Dotsch			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/ Def. line – George Perles Linebackers – Woody Widenhofer Defensive backs – Dick Walker Special teams coaches Flexibility/ kicking – Paul Uram Strength – Lou Riecke

Awards, honors, and records

Several Steelers players received individual honors in recognition of their play during the 1978 season. Terry Bradshaw swept the season's Most Valuable Player (MVP) recognition, earning both the regular season and Super Bowl honors as well as the team's internal MVP award. The team led the league with ten players selected to the 1979 Pro Bowl (a full quarter of the 40-player AFC squad). ^[121] Among the Pro Bowlers were three offensive and two defensive starters. Eight Steeler performers were recognized as All-NFL by various publications and four others made All-Conference squads. ^[122]

Pro Bowl Selections

The following players were selected to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl. ^[121] The team was selected on the basis of ballots submitted by each of the conference's 14 head coaches as well as a consensus of voting by each team's players. ^[123]

Starters: QB Terry Bradshaw (second Pro Bowl) WR Lynn Swann (third) C Mike Webster (first) DT Joe Greene (ninth) LB Jack Ham (sixth)

Reserves: RB Franco Harris (seventh) DE L. C. Greenwood (fifth) LB Jack Lambert (fourth) S Donnie Shell [1] (first) CB Mel Blount (third)

¹ Mike Wagner was originally announced as the reserve safety, but an error in the tabulation of the ballots was uncovered and Donnie Shell was named to the team instead. ^[124]

All-Pro Selections

The following players were named to All-NFL or All-Conference squads designated by one or more of several publications and groups who identified the players judged to be the top performers of the 1978 season. ^[122]

Position	Player	All-NFL						All-AFC
		AP		NEA		PFW	PFWA	UPI		SN	PFW
		1st	2nd	1st	2nd			1st	2nd
Quarterback	Terry Bradshaw	X			X	X	X	X		X	X
Running back	Franco Harris				X				X
Wide receiver	Lynn Swann	X		X		X	X	X		X	X
Center	Mike Webster	X		X		X	X	X		X	X
Tackle	Jon Kolb								X		X
Defensive End	L. C. Greenwood								X	X
Defensive tackle	Joe Greene								X		X
Linebacker	Jack Ham	X		X		X	X	X		X	X
Linebacker	Jack Lambert				X	X		X		X	X
Safety	Donnie Shell				X				X
Safety	Mike Wagner								X
Cornerback	Mel Blount		X						X

Individual honors and achievements

• Terry Bradshaw, Steelers MVP (selected by a vote of the team's players) ^[125]
• Bradshaw, Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award ^[126]
• Bradshaw, Super Bowl MVP ^[118]
• Bradshaw, Bert Bell Award ^[127]
• Bradshaw led league in touchdown passes (28). ^[128]
• Bradshaw tied with Dan Fouts to lead league in yards per pass attempt (7.9 yds) . ^[128]

Team achievements/records

• Fewest points scored against in league (195 points). ^[129]
• Surrendered zero first-quarter touchdowns in the regular season. ^[16]

See also

• History of the Pittsburgh Steelers
• List of Pittsburgh Steelers seasons
• List of Super Bowl champions

References

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External links

• 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Profootballreference.com
• 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com
• Steelers' 1978 at NFL.com
• 1978: A Look Back (from Steelers Digest), pg 1, pg 2, pg 3, pg 4, pg 5, pg 6, pg 7
• SI.com – Sports Illustrated Covers – October 9, 1978
• SI.com – Sports Illustrated Covers – January 15, 1979
• SI.com – Sports Illustrated Covers – January 29, 1979
• America's Game: 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers from NFL Films (via Hulu)