The evidence of this is in the fact that the Steelers returned the following year to win the title with essentially the same cast of players. Steelers fans could take comfort in the fact that Pittsburgh had beaten both Super Bowl participants quite handily that season and were close to taking that final step. The season was the one that launched the Steelers dynasty of the '70s.
Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception" was the catalyst. It could have been a fairy tale ending if Pittsburgh had gone on to win the team's first Super Bowl, but the undefeated Miami Dolphins were writing their own story that year.
The Steelers came painfully close, giving the Dolphins everything they could handle before bowing The turning point in this game came in the first quarter after Terry Bradshaw had driven the Steelers smartly to an early touchdown that gave Pittsburgh the lead and overwhelming confidence. But Bradshaw was injured on the play and missed the majority of the game.
The Steelers continued to dominate the action, but without Bradshaw the stagnate offense could not pull away from the Dolphins. Don Shula effectively used a fake punt to set up a Dolphin touchdown and tie the game. Then Shula pulled an ineffective Earl Morrall and inserted Bob Griese back into the lineup to spark the Dolphins offense that was being manhandled by the Steelers defense. Late in the fourth quarter, Bradshaw returned with the Steelers trailing He paid immediate dividends, driving the Steelers 80 yards on four passes to pull the Steelers within They would get no closer.
The Dolphins went on to their date with destiny, but the Steelers were building something special. In the Steelers' locker room after the game, many of the Steelers themselves believed they had left the Dolphins off the hook and missed a great opportunity. Indeed, if Bradshaw had played the whole game it's not too far-fetched to think Pittsburgh would have won. Not much was expected of them after learning Ben Roethlisberger would be gone for the first four games due to his suspension for violating the league's conduct policy.
But this Steelers team was a resilient bunch. Then in the playoffs, as he had done so many times before, Roethlisberger rallied Pittsburgh from a halftime deficit to edge out the Ravens yet again in the teams' third matchup of the season. Still, he shrugged off a couple of interceptions and kept fighting to get Pittsburgh back in the game.
Roethlisberger's second touchdown pass and successful two-point conversion pulled the Steelers to within late in the fourth quarter. The Steelers' maligned defense needed to come up with a stop, something they hadn't done much of all day. A three-and-out would have been nice.
By the time the Steelers defense held, there was little more than two minutes remaining and the deficit was now six, Roethlisberger had done it before under similar circumstances, but this time it was not meant to be. Steelers fans were left to ponder what might have been had the defense given the ball back with more time and only a field goal being the difference.
But ultimately, more damaging were the three costly turnovers. The last one was the back-breaker with Rashard Mendenhall's fumble coming as the Steelers were driving in Packers ' territory towards the go-ahead touchdown and appearing ready to seize control of the game.
Three interceptions for a man who still ranks among the all-time leaders in lowest interception percentage for his career. O'Donnell was off the entire game, often throwing balls high and off the mark. It had been a career year for O'Donnell and his efficient passing had carried the offense all season.
Few Steelers fans will ever forget the long, picture-perfect pass along the sideline to Ernie Mills that set the Steelers up inside the 5-yard line in the closing moments of their spectacular come-from-behind victory. New England has shown us the blueprint time and time again, and despite their current records, the Colts and Chargers are teams who can exploit this. I have a feeling both of these teams will win their divisions, meaning the Steelers and their aforementioned leaky pass defense, will have to get past the likes of Rivers, Manning and Brady to reach the Super Bowl.
The Steelers used to be simple and efficient. They were going to run the ball down your throat, convert third downs on offense and suffocate you on defense. While the defense has remained elite, the offense has been going through an identity crisis the past two years. This year, they rank 18th in pass offense and 10th in rush offense. While these rankings aren't overly ominous, they don't inspire confidence that they can consistently run or pass either.
The Steelers have players with bad reputations, period. Put yourself in the shoes of an NFL official. When you hear Harrison, Roethlisberger and Ward whine and complain about officiating every week, you may be quick to throw the flag at Harrison for a big hit or hold on to it when Roethlisberger is hit.
Its not a mystery that the Steelers, based on their actions, have a bad reputation and have created a self-fulfilling prophecy: "The refs hate us and are going to make bad calls, so we're going to win despite them". In close games, you need every yard you can get, and come playoff time, the Steelers will suffer too many penalty yards against the wrong team.
The Steelers line has been suspect for the majority of the past several years, and this year it seems to be even worse. Inconsistency, confusion and injuries are not three words you want to have associated with your offensive line. Yet, their line is extremely inconsistent from game to game, constantly looks confused on zone blitzes and has suffered several injuries this year. In addition to injuries to the line, Roethlisberger has suffered injuries to his foot and nose because of them.
Pittsburgh closed out the scoring with left on the clock when Bradshaw tossed to tight end Larry Brown for a four-yard touchdown. By the time the clock ran out, the Steelers were ahead 16—6 and had won their first-ever Super Bowl. The Steelers have collected six Lombardi Trophies in franchise history. The NFC champion Cowboys finished the regular season with a 10—4 record and then dispatched the Vikings and the Rams in the playoffs. Even though the Steelers were defending champs, the Cowboys were a more experienced team when it came to big games.
They had won the Super Bowl in and lost it in Between and , they had appeared in the NFC championship game seven times. Navy veteran Roger Staubach led the Cowboys at quarterback and made the Pro Bowl during the regular season. Dallas struck first after Pittsburgh punter Bobby Walden mishandled a snap and gave the Cowboys prime field position. Staubach hit wide receiver Drew Pearson with a yard touchdown pass.
The Steelers responded on their next possession with a scoring drive that culminated in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Bradshaw to tight end Randy Grossman. The first quarter ended with the score tied at seven. Dallas scored quickly in the second quarter with a yard field goal by Toni Fritsch, but the rest of the second quarter was dominated by defense. The teams traded punts several times and failed to move the ball. The Steelers managed to claw their way into field goal range with seconds left in the half, but kicker Roy Gerela missed from 36 yards.
Again the teams traded punts in the third quarter before the Steelers managed to return Gerela to field goal range. Again he missed, but this time caused a chain of events that arguably altered the momentum of the game. Cowboys safety Cliff Harris patted Gerela on the helmet and taunted him after the play, drawing the attention of ill-tempered Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert.
Enraged, Lambert grabbed Harris and chucked him to the turf. 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.
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